Braith continued to glare at his brother, infuriated with him. It was the faint rumbling of her stomach that finally pulled his attention away from his sibling. "You should get something to eat, Arianna."
"Braith—"
"I can hear your stomach rumbling." Her face flared red as she ducked her head. "Come on."
He led her forward and pulled out a chair for her to sit. He watched his brother suspiciously as he unhurriedly pushed the chair in. Jack’s forehead creased as he studied them. Arianna stared back at him; her gaze distrustful and resigned. Braith made her a plate of food and slipped it in front of her.
She hesitated, but eventually, her hunger won. She eagerly dug into the eggs.
"You can see!" Jack blurted in astonishment.
Arianna froze with the fork halfway to her mouth; her gaze darted to Braith. She didn't breathe as she anxiously watched him. Braith rested his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"I can," Braith confirmed.
"What? When? How?"
Braith shrugged before settling onto the seat beside Arianna. "Eat," he encouraged.
She took a few more bites, but he could tell her appetite had vanished beneath her apprehension.
"How, Braith?" Jack pressed.
He turned back to his brother, keeping his hand on Arianna's thigh. Jack may have taken her from him, but he was one of the few people in the world Braith trusted with Arianna.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"But your vision is back? You can see again?" he asked excitedly.
Briefly, his irritation and disbelief seemed to vanish as pure joy for Braith blazed forth. Braith had never complained about being blind, had taken it in relatively easy stride, but he hated it. Jack had known this and sympathized with him because of it.
"Sometimes I can see, yes," Braith said.
Jack frowned in confusion. Arianna was unmoving; he could hear the forceful beat of her heart and sense the anxiety running through her. He had told her not to tell anyone about his ability to see only when around her. Jack wouldn't harm her though, of that Braith was certain. He ran his hand through her thick hair, savoring its silken strands as he tried to ease her tension.
"And other times?" Jack asked.
"I am still blind."
Jack was completely confused, but Braith felt no need to elaborate more. He could trust his brother with her safety, but Jack betrayed him, and in all honesty, Braith liked keeping him in the dark and confused. It was a small amount of payback, but at least it was something.
Arianna’s mouth compressed into a taut line as she watched them. She picked her fork up and started eating again.
"Well, that's strange," Jack muttered.
"I suppose it is," Braith agreed.
"When did this start?"
"A little while ago."
Arianna pushed her plate away before speaking. "I should get back soon. I've already caused my family enough worry."
She didn't look at either of them as she uttered the words. He could hear the sorrow in her voice and see the strain it caused her to say those words. He leaned closer to inhale her sweet scent as he briefly nuzzled her hair. She finally turned toward him, her eyes morose, but there was an air of resignation and steely resolve about her.
"Arianna—"
She smiled thinly at him as she stroked his cheek. "Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for giving me last night."
He grasped her hand, hating the distance he felt her putting between them. "Not yet, Arianna."
She smiled sadly as she turned her cheek into his hand. "Yes, it's easier just to do it now. Jack will take me back. It will be okay."
There was a forlorn look on her face as she squeezed his hand and rose. His chest constricted, and panic tore through him. He couldn't lose her again; he couldn't. The chair skittered back as he leapt to his feet.
"Arianna—"
"Its fine, Braith, we'll both be fine." Though she said the words, he heard the rapid beat of her heart. "We'll be fine," she said again.
He pulled her firmly against him. He could stay here; he could become like Jack and hide in these woods. He could stay with her and help with the rebel cause. Make sure she was safe. They could both be happy.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he couldn't. His father hadn't destroyed the forest in search of Jack, but if Braith were to leave, and his father discovered why, he would level everyone and everything to find and punish him. If he ever uncovered Arianna...
Braith couldn't finish the thought; it was too awful. What his father would do to her to punish Braith would be atrocious. He couldn't put her in such a position, couldn't risk her life in such a way. She buried her head against his chest as she embraced him wholeheartedly.
She reluctantly pulled away with her head bowed. He grasped her chin and tilted her head up to kiss her. She melted against him, a low sigh escaping her. He barely registered the sound of the door opening and closing as he lost himself in the astonishing feel of her. It was a while before he roused himself from the sweet taste of her mouth.
Unblinkingly she stared at him; then a small smile curved her mouth. "I am going to miss that."
He ran his finger over her swollen lips. "I can come back," he said impulsively. He’d never planned to come back, it was too much of a risk to her, but faced with the prospect of never seeing her again, the words popped out of his mouth. "I will come back."
Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Braith, you're getting married."
He shook his head as his thoughts turned dark. The last thing he cared to think about was his upcoming wedding and the bitch he was marrying. Especially not when he was holding the woman he desired to spend forever with.
"I'll come back, Arianna, as soon as I can. I will be back. I will find you," he vowed.
"Won't it be risky for you?"
"I'll find a way," he vowed, stroking her face.
She smiled tremulously. He could tell she wanted to argue with him, but neither of them was strong enough to walk away. Not right now anyway. He kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her to the door.
Jack stood near the forest with his back to the house. He turned at the sound of the door opening. Arianna's hand clutched his, and a tremor worked its way through her. "The blood slaves, Braith, do you—"
"There will be no more, Arianna."
He could tell she was trying to believe him, but her eyes were still doubtful. He knew she could forgive him for these past months, she hated what he’d done, but she understood what drove him to it.
She wouldn't forgive or understand if he continued on such a path. There could be nothing between them. He would not be the man she loved if he continued to mistreat people, and he wasn't willing to lose her again by stooping so low once more.
Sensing her uncertainty, he bent over her as his hand stroked her cheek. "I swear, Aria, there will be no more blood slaves."
She feebly smiled as she managed a small nod. He kissed her soothingly, his attention turning away as Jack came toward them.
"Make sure she stays safe until I can come back," Braith grated.
Jack's mouth dropped as he stared at the two of them. "You're coming back?"
Braith glared at him. "Yes."
Chapter Seven
Aria glanced up at Max when he stepped closer to the map laid out in the middle of the cavern. His eyes were dark and intense as he stared down at it, his eyebrows drawn sharply together. Standing beside him, William bit thoughtfully on his bottom lip. Aria's father talked in hushed tones; his dark head bent over the map as Daniel traced a line through it with a stick.
Daniel was the only one of them who inherited their mother's fair coloring. His hair was wheat colored; his fair skin speckled with freckles that made him appear far younger than his twenty-one years. His eyes were the same bright blue as Aria and William's though.
Aria sat back on her heels, her legs were cramping, but she couldn't move away from the map. She was
far too fascinated and horrified by it.
She focused her attention on Jack. He stood off to the side, his arms folded over his chest as he stared at the back wall. Ever so slowly, his gaze came down to hers. It took all she had not to leap to her feet, grab his arm, and drag him from the cavern and demand to know what he was thinking.
Aria glanced back down at the map as Daniel poked the spot where the palace was. She'd always had the rudimentary knowledge necessary to read a map, but Braith had taught her how to read so much more.
She didn't share this revelation with the people surrounding her; she didn't think they would appreciate it much, and no matter what Aria said or did, they would continue to believe Braith had manipulated her. She was tired of trying to convince them they were wrong; it was wearing on her, beating her down, making her everyday struggle to survive even more tiresome.
"Is this how you remember it?"
Aria didn't realize her father was talking to her until she noticed they were all staring questioningly at her. She swallowed to wet her suddenly parched throat.
"I guess; I didn't pay much attention. I didn't get out much either," she finished in a whisper.
Though it wasn't memories of being kept as a blood slave making her voice tremble, her father seemed to think it was. He gave her a sympathetic look before resting his hand on her shoulder. He’d been treating her like she was fragile ever since she returned. She was becoming frustrated with it.
"Max?" her father asked.
Max was standing off to the side, his arms folded over his chest as he stared at the far wall. His jaw locked and his forehead furrowed. She hadn't been abused, but he had, and now her father was talking about going back in there as if it were the easiest thing in the world. About all of them going back in there.
"From what I recall, yes,” Max said.
Aria could barely breathe through the terror constricting her chest. "You can't do this," she whispered. "It's slaughter to go in there; we can't."
Her father patted her shoulder again before rising to his feet. He knew this was reckless; he knew it was crazy, but he seemed determined to do it anyway. And she knew it was because he believed she was abused during her time with Braith. It didn't matter how often she told him she hadn't been; he was convinced she was lying.
He moved away from the map as William and Daniel leaned closer to it.
"We'll send a small scouting team in first, have them canvas the area. They will be able to discover the weakest areas and the best places in which to establish our soldiers. We will have to take the palace swiftly,” her father said.
"Dad," she whispered, clutching her hands before her. Her legs were shaking, and her head spun. "The last time someone tried to take the palace it was a massacre."
He wasn't paying attention to her though as he moved away. Dread was thrumming through her. She couldn't allow this to happen; she couldn't let people die because her father sought revenge for things that had never occurred. At least not to her.
But they had happened to other people, and they were continuing to happen right now.
However, the rebels had attempted to take the palace when she was a child and were decimated. In retaliation for the rebel's defiance, the king sent out thousands of troops who razed, burned, and slaughtered their way through villages and forests.
It was how her father became the leader. He was elected after the last one was brutally murdered, and his body hung within the largest village as an example of what would happen to others who tried to attack the palace.
"We will have to be smarter about it this time, go about it more methodically,” her father said.
"I would like to go in," William volunteered.
Aria's mouth dropped, she spun on her brother, her twin, her other half. "No William," she breathed. "You cannot go in there."
"Yes, I can."
"No! With your coloring, you're too similar to me. They'll know you. Tell him, Jack. Tell him!" She was practically begging as she turned frantically to Braith's brother. "Tell him about Caleb and what kind of a monster he is. Tell him what Caleb would do to him if he discovered him in there! Tell him he is a fool! That they all are!"
"Arianna, enough," her father said sharply.
"Who is Caleb?" Daniel inquired.
"My brother," Jack answered.
"The middle one," Max elaborated.
"I thought the oldest brother held you," Daniel said.
Aria struggled to regain control of herself. Acting crazed and wild wouldn't get them to listen to her. It would do none of them any good if she acted like a raving lunatic. She must remain calm and collected if she was going to talk them out of this crazy suicide mission.
"I was," she said. "Braith is a good man—"
"He's not a man," Max interrupted.
Aria glanced at him, hating the betrayal radiating from him as his scathing gaze landed on her. They would all hate her if they knew the truth, but she didn't care.
"My oldest brother believes in duty and honor. He highly values them both," Jack told them.
"Including holding young women hostage and using them," her father interjected.
"Braith was kind to me," she said for the thousandth time, but none of them listened to her.
"Caleb is not like Braith, or me," Jack continued; his glance at Aria was sympathetic but tough. "Caleb is like our father, cruel, twisted; vengeful. If he discovers you are Aria's brother he will torture you in ways you can't begin to imagine. Your hair color alone might be enough for him to take his revenge on you."
"But your older brother wouldn't?" William inquired; the scorn in his voice apparent.
Aria could feel Jack's unrelenting gaze on her. She didn't know what to say or do. If they found out she’d been with Braith, and intended to see him again, they would go ballistic. They would think her time as a blood slave had twisted her.
They wouldn't stop to think she was with him because she truly did love him; they would assume she had lost her mind, and they would lock her away. She would never see Braith again, and they would all run off half-cocked, determined to avenge her for absolutely no reason other than bullheaded male stubbornness.
"No, he wouldn't," Jack admitted.
Aria was too ashamed to look at him anymore. She was running around behind her family's back, yet she was sitting through this horrendous meeting discussing how to invade the palace. Something that could get Braith seriously hurt, if not killed. Something that could get members of her family killed.
She had spent her entire life fighting against the vampires, trying to destroy them, and now she found herself frantic to do anything to stop this.
"Well, isn't the future king special," Max drawled.
"He is," Aria insisted.
Max's lip curled in disgust; her family stared at her as if she’d sprouted another head.
"Okay, William, can't go in then, but I can," Daniel said.
"Daniel," Aria moaned, she dropped her head into her hands as her mind spun. She had to think of something, anything to stop this. She turned back to Jack, but he was leaning against the wall again. "You don't know what you're doing."
"Yes, I do," Daniel said
Aria could barely breathe through the lump in her throat, could scarcely see through the tears burning her eyes. She had to stop this; she didn't know how, didn't know what to do, but she had to stop this. She had no idea when Braith would be back; she didn't know if she should even tell him what they had in mind. She'd be betraying her family if she did. She'd be betraying her kind.
But if she remained silent and something happened to Braith or someone in her family...
She shut the thought down. She couldn't live with herself if something happened and she could have stopped it. Her legs gave out; she slid to the ground, her mind spinning as they continued with the plans that were slowly tearing her in two.
Aria knew she shouldn't do it, but she couldn't stop herself from slipping through the woods and back to the lake. It had bec
ome her favorite place over the past couple of months, and now that she needed it the most, she wasn’t supposed to go near it. But after the events of the past few hours, she didn't give a damn what she was, or was not, supposed to do. Not anymore.
She slipped through the forest, sticking to the trees, remaining hidden amongst their thick foliage as she darted from limb to limb. She kept an eye out for any threat. She knew the forest better than anyone and recognized the signs of danger. She could read the animals as well as she could move through the trees. They remained alert and active; the birds continued to sing, the squirrels hopped eagerly in out of the branches. They barely noticed Aria's presence amongst them.
Reaching the lake, she sat amongst the limbs of a tree as she surveyed the area around her. The lake was pristine and clear. There wasn't even a ripple disturbing the glass surface. She folded her hands beneath her, resting her head on them as she sprawled out on the limb, content to lie amongst the branches and watch the activity around the lake as she found solace in the beautiful vista before her.
She didn't realize she’d drifted off until she tried to roll over and nearly fell from the tree. She awoke with a start, sitting up on the branch in surprise. The events of the day had beaten her down, and taken more of a toll on her than she'd realized. Her gaze turned to the sky; judging by the movement of the sun, she'd been asleep for a couple of hours.
She would have to go back soon, but before she returned she was going to take a quick swim. Kicking her shoes off, she let them drop to the forest floor before rising. She ran to the end of the limb and dove into the lake. She stayed beneath the water, swimming out before popping back to the surface. The lake was refreshing and cleansing after the awful events of the day.
She swam for a brief period before heading back. Stopping a few feet away from the shore, she treaded water. Jack leaned against a tree with her shoes dangling from his fingertips while he watched her. Aria frowned at him as she pushed the hair from her eyes and swam forward.
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 25
