“What is a Pennsylvania?” William demanded.
Xavier was more than happy to fill him in as Aria went back for seconds. She wondered if Braith would return to eat with them; most nights he and Daniel were here for dinner but sometimes they didn’t make it in time.
After dinner she retreated to the bedroom with the newest book she’d been reading. She was used to Braith being curled around her before she fell asleep, holding her as she cried, comforting her through her sorrow. After she’d stuffed herself to near bursting though, sleep had dragged her into its deep depths. Now, as the blankets were pulled back and the bedsprings creaked, she was awakened by the pressure of his weight on the mattress.
“Braith,” she whispered.
“Go back to sleep love.”
His arms wrapped around her. She nestled closer to him, pressing her back against his solid chest as her hand stroked over the hair on the corded muscles of his arms. She loved those arms, so different from hers, so protective and strong. Her heart began to hammer, her mouth was dry as a new type of hunger began to stir and awaken within her. She’d shut herself down to him before the war, denied them both because she’d thought she would be leaving, but after her time in the dungeon she knew that she’d been wrong. She didn’t know what would happen in the future, and in that moment she didn’t care, it didn’t matter. All that mattered, all they were guaranteed was the present, and she was going to start living in it.
She could barely catch her breath as something coiled within her belly and spread leisurely through her limbs. She rolled over, turning to face him. The light coming from the slightly open door of the bathroom was dim, but even so she could see the brightness of his gray eyes, the firm planes of his magnificent face and square jaw.
She was unmoving as his fingers traced over her cheeks, pressed briefly against her lips before slipping back to brush her hair aside. “You ate again.”
Her appetite hadn’t fully returned over the three weeks since she’d lost her father, but she’d started to put weight back on. Even the bite marks had faded to dark smudges upon her skin thanks to a daily dose of Braith’s blood. Though he still stubbornly, and annoyingly, refused to feed from her. “I did.”
She smiled as she rested her hand on his chest, pressing it flat against the solid wall of him. His flesh was warm and smooth beneath her palm as she slid it slowly down the length of him. His body stiffened, his muscles shifted and flexed subtly beneath her touch.
Her fingers slid unhurriedly back up his chest as she explored him. It fascinated her how different his body was than hers. From the wiry hair that brushed against her fingers, to the unyielding hardness of his body in areas that on her were supple and giving. He fascinated her in every imaginable way and she couldn’t get enough of him as her fingers slid lower. “Aria…”
She moved closer to him, pressing her breasts against his chest. Her skin prickled; even through her nightgown she could feel the warmth of his skin. She felt a strange urge to cry but she fought it back. If she started to cry now he wouldn’t allow this to continue. He would think it was out of grief that she was seeking him out, and perhaps a part of it was grief, but mostly it was because she loved him, she wanted to have this experience with him, and for once she craved something for them. Not for anyone else, but simply just for them.
“I love you Braith.”
“I love you too.”
Her lips were trembling as she pressed them briefly against his mouth. His hand enfolded hers. He pressed it flat to his chest, over the place where his heart would have beat, but even though it remained still she knew that his heart belonged to her. Then, he released her hand, slid his hand into her hair and kissed her with a tenderness that left her limp and desperate for so much more. His tongue slid into her mouth, the faint hint of spices assailed her as it brushed over the roof her mouth, and tasted her in long leisurely strokes that left her breathless. There were so many things out there that she was scared and uncertain of, but here and now, she had no uncertainty, no fear as he held and kissed her with a reverence that awed her.
His mouth was heated against her skin, his hands tender as he slid the nightgown from her. Goose bumps covered her body; electricity seemed to pulse through her as her nerve endings screamed for more. She could scarcely think; her mind was spinning as her entire being became solely focused on him and the pleasure he elicited with each stroke and passionate kiss. She wanted more, craved more, but she didn’t know what it was that she was craving. She only knew that she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him as her fingers curled into the carved muscles of his back.
Everything else fell away, she forgot about all the horrible events of the past month as every cell in her body became centered upon him. His hands slid over her skin in caressing strokes that left her trembling and weak. She tasted the salt of his sweat as she kissed his neck and jaw and savored in the press of his body against hers. His hungry gaze slid over her, but unlike before, when she would have felt insecure about her body, knowing that she was too thin, that she wasn’t experienced enough, she felt only love as fire lit his gaze and his mouth came back to hers.
“Are you sure?” His voice was hoarse, strained as his hand stilled upon her thigh.
Though she sensed the tension in him, and his passion for her, she knew that he would stop if she asked him to. She knew that he would pull away, that he would accept her decision, and continue to wait patiently for her. It only made her want him more. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
A low groan escaped him before he reclaimed her mouth and gently pressed her into the mattress. She was trembling and aching, lost in sensation as his hands awakened her to pleasures she’d never known could exist until he touched her.
When she was certain she couldn’t take anymore, certain that she would scream from the unfamiliar tension curling through her body, he moved over top of her. There was pain, but he eased it with soft kisses, and whispered words of love, as he waited for her to adjust to the new sensation of joining with him. He held her and stroked her with a reverence that made the pain ease and steadily rekindled her desire for him.
She could almost feel the bond encircling them, tightening around them and linking them together irrevocably. But it was more than the strange bloodlink that vampire’s experienced, it was deeper and stronger, it was a love so pure and right and true that she came to believe it could conquer anything. Even death.
Her body fractured, splintering apart as pleasure swamped her and she was taken into a realm of bliss she’d never known possible. His body trembled as he rolled to the side, pulling her against him as he encircled her within the steel band of his arms. This was it; this was where she had always belonged. There was no past anymore, not for him and not for her. There was only the present, only the here and now and she cherished every moment of it.
“I love you,” he whispered against her ear. She heard the vulnerability in his voice, the awe that more than matched her own.
“And I you.” His hands clasped her face and he kissed her trembling lips lightly.
The look on his face tore at her soul as he pressed his fingers against her lips. “I will love you until the end of days Aria; never doubt that for a moment.”
“I couldn’t possibly.” She traced the contours of his face before wrapping her hand around the back of his head and guiding it toward the hollow of her neck. “Please.”
He hesitated for a moment before biting down, she sighed with pleasure as they were once again joined together.
CHAPTER 18
Braith found her with her brother; their heads were bent close together, their shoulders touching as they sat on the bench before the fountain in the garden. Their hair, identical in color, was a shimmering deep auburn in the radiance of the sun. Their words were hushed, their arms in front of them as they seemed to be pulling and pushing at each other. It wasn’t until he was closer that he realized they were holding hands, and attempting to pin each o
ther’s thumbs down as they tugged at each other. Though they were playing a game, they were also talking about their father, reminiscing in a way that made them both laugh. Heartache had weighed heavily on them and they wore it similarly in their thinner frames, and halfhearted smiles.
William pinned her thumb down and grinned at her. “You’re slipping sis.”
“You cheated,” she accused laughingly as she pulled her thumb free and they began to battle again.
He was captivated by her, entranced by the laughter that finally radiated from her again. How had he ever thought that she wasn’t beautiful? She may not be perfection in the classical sense, but her spirit was glorious and it shone from her like the sun. He’d sensed her spirit even before he could actually see it.
And he had no idea what was to become of her, of him, of them.
He took a step back, intending to return to the palace. She had so few moments of peace and tranquility, he wasn’t about to intrude upon this time with her brother. She turned suddenly, her head tilting to the side as she spotted him. Her smile grew as her cheeks colored beautifully. William frowned at her for a moment before turning toward him. Their hands remained joined, but the game was forgotten as they stared at him questioningly.
Even from here he could hear the increased beat of her heart, feel the joy that suffused her, along with the shy hesitance that she’d experienced briefly this morning when they’d awoken. He’d hoped it would be gone by now, but he had a feeling it had more to do with her brother, than being around him as she glanced nervously at William. Her brother looked between them; heat rose in his face as he released her and rose to his feet.
“You don’t have to go,” Braith informed him, hating to break them up, especially for the reasons that he had come for.
“Yes.” William glanced back at Aria who offered him a small smile and nodded briefly. Braith sensed there was more behind their look, but William was already turning back to him. “I do.”
William squeezed Aria’s shoulder briefly before moving around the bench and leaving the gardens. Braith walked around the bench and sat beside her. “Do you remember the first time you brought me here?” she inquired.
He stared at the fountain, clearly recalling that day. He hadn’t known what to make of her then, hadn’t known what to make of anything that was happening to him. She’d thrown him off balance, rattled him; confused him in a way that he’d never been confused before. She still did. He didn’t think he would ever get used to her, the way she made him feel; the way she could melt him, infuriate him, and drive him nearly to his knees all in the same moment.
“I do.”
“I was so uncertain of you before then.”
“You sure didn’t act like it,” he muttered.
She released a velvety laugh as she leaned against his side. He loved the way she looked at him like that, from under lowered lashes, playful and joyful. It almost made him believe that she wasn’t still aching inside, but even through the smile he saw the persistent torment in her eyes. It would be there for a long time to come. He took hold of her hand, pressing it gently between his as he placed it in his lap. “Well I couldn’t let you know I was a little scared of you, you’d take advantage of me then.”
He couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that escaped him. “Oh, I’m sure, as you’re just so easy to take advantage of,” he retorted dryly.
“Only with you.” Her cheeks colored even more, and he couldn’t help the increase of his laughter. It was so rare and fleeting to see her embarrassed or shy about anything.
“Even then you’re like a thorn.”
A burst of astonished laughter escaped her; she leaned over to press a brief kiss to his lips. He knew she’d only meant it to be chaste, a small show of affection, but the minute her lips touched his heat flashed through his body. He grabbed hold of her shoulders, holding her in place as memories of the night and morning burst hotly through him. He was shaken, for a brief moment he was unable to control the powerful wave of desire that swamped him. He’d most certainly never loved another woman before, but he’d also never been this enthralled or rattled by one either. He’d thought that possessing her would ease the need somewhat, he’d been wrong. It had only increased.
She was breathing rapidly, her face flushed with a different kind of heat when he regained enough control of himself to finally separate from her. Her eyes were wide with awe, her lips parted and swollen from the force of his kiss. He craved nothing more than to take her back upstairs and forget about everything as he lost himself to her, but there were things that had to be done. Things they had to settle between them. There was only so long they could push reality away, and though he would have liked a few more days, he knew it would only make things more difficult in the end.
“There is something I have to tell you Aria.”
Reality crashed over her as she straightened her shoulders and thrust her chin out. “There is something I have to tell you too.”
“Does it have to do with what has been between you and Jack recently?”
She paled visibly as she leaned away from him. “You knew?”
“I suspected something, I’m not a fool. You haven’t been the same since The Swamplands. I’m aware you were trying to put some distance between us; I suspected it was because you were nervous that one of us wouldn’t survive, but I’ve come to believe it was more than that, wasn’t it?”
“You’re going to be mad.”
He shifted uneasily, but he’d known that he would be. “I don’t doubt it for a minute.”
“Just please try and control your temper.”
His jaw clenched. “I’d never harm you.”
“I know that!” she cried. “But I do enjoy this garden, and that fountain, and I’d like to keep it all in one piece.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “It’s that bad?”
She shrugged, but there was no casualness to the gesture. “Depends on your point of view.”
“From my point of view?”
“You’re probably going to feel like breaking something, but for me, please don’t.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “For you Aria, I can do just about anything.” He wasn’t going to promise her though, not when he didn’t know exactly what it was that she was going to tell him. He didn’t believe for even a moment that anything romantic had passed between her and his brother, but there were other things that might set his temper off.
She took a deep breath and blurted her words so fast that in the beginning he had a tough time trying to follow what she was saying. The faster she spoke though, and the more she spoke, the more anger and dread began to curl within his belly, through his chest, and into his outer extremities. He was struggling not to shake, trying hard not to clench down on the hand he held.
He’d suspected they were plotting something, he’d even suspected that it might have been something like this, but it did nothing to ease the acid he felt churning through his stomach. Nothing to ease the sense of betrayal he felt building through him. “I never meant to upset you Braith.”
“And leaving me again wouldn’t upset me?” he grated through clenched teeth.
She looked as if he’d slapped her as she recoiled from him. “It’s not what I wanted to do,” she whispered.
He released her hand and rose abruptly. His muscles trembled as he struggled against the urge to lift the bench on the other side and smash it into the ground. He fought for control, grappled to keep himself together in order to keep his half promise to her. “Jesus Aria.”
“I’m sorry, I truly am. But no matter how much I love you, and believe me I do love you more than I ever thought possible, my happiness, our happiness is not as important as the thousands upon thousands of lives that depend on you. Because of that I was willing to forfeit my happiness, my life…” She broke off abruptly, wincing as she seemed to realize she’d said too much.
“Your what!?” he barked. “Jack was going to… No, not Jack. Jack would
n’t have the heart and neither would Ashby. Gideon,” he stated with dawning realization.
She wouldn’t look at him; her gaze was focused on something else within the garden. “They didn’t know. Jack and Ashby didn’t know, and Gideon, well I went to Gideon, he didn’t come to me.”
He wanted to scream at her, to shout and bellow and tear the garden apart. He had the urge to shake her until he rattled some sense into that thick skull of hers, but even as all of those urges slammed through him, he also felt a deflating of his spirit. He’d driven her to this; he’d driven them all to this. He’d been so determined to believe that he could walk away, that he wouldn’t be necessary here, and that he could bend the world and everyone in it to his will. He hadn’t stopped to think of anyone other than himself, and her. He’d only aspired to keep her safe and protected, he’d been insistent that he would leave with her as soon as the war was over, but by doing so he’d pushed her and the others into trying to find a way to make him stay.
He didn’t doubt for a minute that she would have sacrificed herself in order to make him lead. He ran his hands through his hair as he dropped onto the bench beside her.
“You’re angry with me,” she whispered.
“I am. I’m also angry with myself.”
“Just know that it was never what I wanted. I always wanted you. My heart.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Would always have been yours, no matter how far I went, or how long we were apart.”
His head bowed, he folded his hands before him as he listened to the reassuring beat of her heart. “My blood is inside you Aria, Jack knows that means I can track you anywhere.”
“We were hoping that if it was diluted, if someone else’s blood…” He was unable to stop the low groan of anguish that escaped him at that thought. It was a stab to his heart that his father had done such a thing to her. He could no longer taste his father’s blood in her, but if he’d still been alive he would have been able to find her anywhere she went. “Perhaps it would lessen your ability to track me.”