A scream rose in her chest and lodged itself there. She tried to keep it suppressed while her mind underwent a fracturing that left her barely hanging onto consciousness as her legs trembled.
How they had gotten like this, she didn't know. She assumed it had something to do with blood or lack thereof. Is this what happened when a vampire was drained? Did they become shriveled, somewhat preserved raisins? But why wasn't their flesh rotting away? She realized she didn't want to know the answer to that question; she suspected it was as awful as the sight before her.
The ones at the table seemed fresher. There appeared to be more fluid still left in their flesh. Their skin, though graying and wrinkling inward, still had some color to it. Then the eyes of the desiccated vampires moved as one toward her.
Despite her every intention to appear as stoic as possible and retain some semblance of dignity when it was being stripped away from her, Aria let out a startled shriek as she jumped back.
The king released a low chuckle. "I see you like my handiwork; I have a prime spot at the table picked out for you."
Cold sweat trickled down her neck and slid down her back. She was starting to realize she was only at the tip of the iceberg when it came to this man's evil. All pretenses of dignity and stoicism vanished.
She dashed to the side. The king hadn't been expecting the movement, nor had he expected her to be as quick as she was. She sprinted forward, determined to at least attempt an escape as she dodged two guards. Aria was briefly reminded of the time she tried to allude Braith and Jack. She'd stayed free from them for longer than she'd expected, but she was drained now and weaker.
She felt a dark presence rushing at her. She tried to switch direction, tried to get her body to move as fluidly as it usually did, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. Caleb hit her with the force of a sledgehammer.
The breath burst from her lungs as she tumbled head over heels across the marble floor before colliding with a chair, and one of the things in the chair. Dry bits of flaky skin broke off beneath her hand. Its eyes followed her as she scrambled backward. If its gurgling, twitching movements were any indication, this thing was starving.
"It seems that Merle is thirsty," the king taunted.
Strange noises filled the air; it took Aria a minute to realize they were coming from her. Merle's jaundiced blue eyes rolled in his head as Aria was hauled back to her feet. She didn't care who held her or what they did to her; she yearned to be out of here. One way or another, dead or alive, she wanted free of this nightmare.
She was losing it, she knew, but she wasn't entirely sure how to keep it together anymore. Not in here, not with these monsters.
Aria fought against the king as he wrapped his arm around her waist and carried her back to the abomination named Merle. He seized her still bleeding wrist and held it above the thing as it issued eager, enthusiastic sounds. A single drop of blood fell, not on Merle's mouth but on the center of his forehead, where it quivered and shook. It was one of the cruelest things she'd ever witnessed as Merle's eyes rolled crazily with hunger and he twitched violently in the chair.
The king lifted her wrist and gently licked the blood beading there. "And all Merle did was vote against me when I decided to start the war. That was over a hundred years ago dear. Imagine what I will do to my son, my heir who betrayed me. I cannot wait for him to come play with us, oh the things I will do."
Revulsion twisted through her as he pressed a kiss against her cheek and briefly nuzzled her before he dropped her unceremoniously back to the ground. She almost fell but managed to catch herself in time.
She was righting herself when the large doors across the hall were thrust open, and a tall, beautiful blonde strode inside. The blonde never even looked at the bodies surrounding her, but bee-lined straight toward the king and Caleb. Her eyes, however, did scathingly rake over Aria.
Thrusting her shoulders back, Aria defiantly met the woman's hostile glare. She'd only encountered Braith's sister, Natasha, once before when she'd first been brought into the palace as Braith's blood slave.
"It's true then," she said flatly. "She has been recaptured."
"Obviously," Caleb retorted dryly.
Natasha chose to ignore Caleb. "And Braith?"
Aria's gaze darted toward the doors as another tall, willowy blonde walked through them. She didn't stride forward with the same purpose as Natasha but instead slipped through the shadows as she moved to stand behind her older sister.
Aria's heart leapt at the appearance of Melinda, Ashby's bloodlink, Braith's youngest sibling, and Aria's only ally within this place. As swiftly as her hope rose though, it fell. There was nothing Melinda could do to help her, not now anyway, not without being caught. She was on her own for now. Aria kept her face impassive as Melinda's dove-gray eyes met hers briefly before they promptly slid away.
"I have dispatched guards to search the woods. I am sure he is close," the king responded.
Dread pulsed through Aria; it took everything she had to remain outwardly calm. Of course, they would search the woods and the town. She hoped the others had retreated into the caves, but even then there was a chance they would be found. A small tremor worked its way through her body.
Caleb's eyes gleamed as he perused her. "He'll come for her."
A cruel smile twisted Natasha's mouth. Apparently, Natasha was as twisted and sick as her father and brother were. "Wonderful."
It took everything Aria had not to look at Melinda to see her reaction. She remained immobile though, unwilling to draw any more attention to herself.
"And Jericho?" Natasha asked.
"I'm sure he's also somewhere nearby; they'll both be punished accordingly," the king informed her.
Natasha reminded her of a praying mantis inspecting its prey as she rubbed her hands eagerly together. "I can't wait."
"Make sure she is returned to the dungeon, Caleb, and don't take too much of her blood. I have more questions for her; questions she will eventually answer. You may have your fun, but she is not to be broken, not yet anyway. I want her to be alert and screaming when Braith arrives, and she is not to be raped."
Aria started in surprise as her eyes swung to the king.
"Oh, it will happen my dear, but it will not be Caleb," the king said with a smirk. "I suspect it will kill my son to watch me take you, and I intend for him to be here to watch our first time together. You may even enjoy it."
She somehow managed to swallow back the bile such a thought caused to burn her throat. She was rapidly beginning to change her mind about the idea of dying. Aria would gladly welcome death over having this man invade her body in such a way and having Braith be forced to watch.
The sadistic gleam in Caleb's eyes frightened her as he came forward to claim her. Aria lifted her chin, appearing far more dignified than she felt as he practically dragged her from the hideous room.
Chapter Four
Xavier was a dark shadow against the bark of the tree; a shadow Braith could barely differentiate from the woods. He'd spent a hundred years in the dark; had thrived in it when others would have failed, but the near darkness now was a stark reminder he'd lost the only person who mattered to him.
And he'd lost her because he was an idiot. He'd lost her because of some bitch he tossed from the palace for abusing Aria in the first place. He should have killed Lauren instead of allowing her to live.
In truth, he was the one who caused this awful mess. He despised himself for it, but he couldn't change it now no matter how much he would like to.
He swore that if he ever got her back, he would spend the rest of their lives trying to alleviate the impact of his sins. He would make this up to her if he could, if she could ever forgive him, and if they didn't destroy her first. The red haze of his vision darkened as he fisted his hands in frustration.
Stay in control; he reminded himself. Stay in control; it's the only way you'll get her back alive. Stay calm. If there was any chance of getting her back and winning this war they
had to be ready, or they would fail.
It was nearly impossible to remain composed though. His skin crawled and fire boiled in his belly. He was on the verge of completely unraveling and letting the monster within take over.
His fangs tingled with the urge to drive them into the necks of his father, his brother, and every other person who dared touch her. He craved their deaths with a ferociousness he’d never experienced before. He wanted their bodies littering the ground at his feet, and he wanted it now.
If Braith weren't certain he would be killed before he could get to her, he'd have gone after her without the rest of them. If he thought they would set her free in exchange for him, he would gladly walk up to the palace gates and hand himself over.
He would die for her, but his death would do nothing to save her from this, and she would never forgive him for ruining everything they had worked so hard to achieve. He'd never forgive himself either. There were too many lives at stake; too much was at risk. There were people he cared about…
That was the worst part of it all. He had come to care for them. Ashby pissed him off, but Melinda loved the idiot, and he wasn't entirely obnoxious. Jack infuriated him to no end, but he was still his brother, and Braith had always been fond of him.
He'd even come to like and admire Aria's family. He couldn't let them all down. He couldn't bring himself to destroy the only chance at happiness and peace they'd ever hoped to attain; that Aria had ever hoped to achieve. She would forgive him for not coming for her immediately, but she would never forgive him if he ruined everything.
Aria was alive; he could feel it in his bones. By now his father had realized she was important to him, he'd probably detected his blood inside her, and seen the marks Braith left on her skin.
He would use her against Braith; he would torture her until she was broken beyond repair, but his father would hold out on the worst of the torture until Braith was present. He would make sure Braith witnessed the worst of what they did to her. At least that was the hope Braith clung to. Otherwise, he would leave these woods and go to the palace now, and then he would ruin everything and lose Aria.
He wouldn't allow that to happen to Aria, even if it meant giving himself over to the darkness lurking within him, and which was so close to consuming him now. He had to keep it at bay until they were ready to move. He could give in to the darkness when he found his father and brother; he could let it rule him to destroy them. Maybe, if he and Aria both survived, he would be able to salvage whatever was left of himself after.
He experienced no compunction about killing his father and brother. They wouldn't feel any about torturing him, killing him, and making the only thing he cared about suffer. The only difference was he would make their deaths quick; they wouldn't return the favor with him.
"What do you know?" Braith demanded.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play stupid with me, Xavier. You know more of our history, and of the human's history than any of us. I see the way you watch Aria, the way you study her. If I thought it was because you had any interest in her as a woman, I would have put a stop to it long ago, but we both know women are not what you desire. I know you're not watching her because it's me you're interested in."
"How do you know that?"
"Xavier," Braith's patience was reaching its end.
Whatever crush Xavier may have had on him had vanished years ago when Xavier accepted Braith wasn't interested in men.
Xavier shrugged. "You are a good-looking man…"
Braith leaned into him until Xavier stepped into the tree behind him. "Do not play with me, Xavier. There is no one, and nothing, I will not go through to get her back. I am in no mood for your devious games or your manipulations."
Xavier didn't cower before him, but Braith sensed the vampire's trepidation.
"What do you know?" Braith demanded.
"I don't know anything."
Braith's hand slammed into the tree. Xavier's followers would be irate if he killed him; they may leave, they may even turn on him, but he was getting to the point where he would willingly take it to assuage some of his fury.
He didn't think he could survive much longer like this. Like a bowstring wound too tight, he was going to break. He didn't know what was going to happen when he did, or how many he would take with him.
"There are some things I suspect though," Xavier continued calmly.
"Xavier, not now."
It took all his patience to deal with Xavier's roundabout way of explaining things. Xavier seemed to sense this as he grasped his arm. "You have to keep it together, Braith; there are far more lives at stake here than hers."
"Why do you think I'm still here? Why do you think I haven't gone after her yet? But you have to tell me what you suspect."
Xavier bowed his head. "Keep in mind that I know nothing for sure. I would like to speak with her father."
"Fine, but what is it…"
Braith broke off as something else caught his attention. He released the tree he'd been so desperately grasping as he moved toward the edge of the hill. Below him, the forest spread out in a blur of dark shapes and mounds. Amongst the solid objects, shadows moved and coalesced as they glided through the trees.
He heard the approach of the others, but he didn't have to turn to know Gideon was in the lead. His step was somewhat louder than Ashby's slighter frame and Jack's more experienced movements. William, Daniel, and David barely made any noise as they approached; it was their scents he picked up instead of their sounds.
"They're coming," Gideon stated flatly.
"They are," Braith agreed.
"We should retreat to the caves until they move past."
Braith folded his arms over his chest as he leaned back. The shadows moved through his blood red haze; he could barely see them slinking through the trees as they climbed steadily up the hill. Jack stood behind him, while Gideon moved to the front.
"There are at least fifty of them," Gideon remarked.
"We're here to start a war," Braith reminded him. "Do you propose we retreat every time there is a threat?"
"We do not want to confirm our presence in these woods."
"He knows we're here anyway, why else do you think fifty some-odd soldiers are creeping through the woods right now?"
"I don't understand why there are so many," William muttered. "They only saw four of us in the town."
“Perhaps Aria told him there were more here," Gideon remarked.
"She'd never do that!" William retorted.
"You don't know what goes on in the palace or what the king is capable of."
"No!" Max stormed forward. He thrust his finger into Gideon's chest, startling the older vampire into taking a step back. "You don't know what goes on in there, and you don't know Aria. She wouldn't tell them anything; she'd die before she ever put any of us in jeopardy!"
Gideon grasped Max's finger and thrust it away. "Don't touch me!"
"Enough," Braith barked as he stepped between them. "It's my blood in her that has drawn them out and alerted the king to my presence in these woods. He suspects we are here for a reason, but has no way of knowing how many are with us. Send most of the humans to the caves; they can decide who amongst them remains outside. I want most of our troops to remain hidden. If any of the king's men survive, I do not want them to be able to report the extent of our force back to the king."
"And if we lose some of our own?" Gideon wasn't as much of a shadow as the soldiers creeping through the forest, but Braith couldn't make out his features.
"It's a war, Gideon, we will lose some of our own," he snarled. "Get the humans into the caves. You can come back," he added before William could protest.
William nodded and rushed into the woods. "What about you, Braith?"
"What about me?" he demanded of Ashby.
"Your vision—"
"Is fine."
"Your vision?" Xavier shouldered his way through Jack and Ashby. "What about your vision?"
"Its fine," Braith insisted.
Xavier seized Braith's arm when he went to turn away. "Is it tied to her?" Xavier demanded. Braith ripped his arm free of Xavier's grasp. "I assumed your eyes had finally healed over the years, but her blood brought your vision back, didn’t it?"
"Xavier—"
"Answer me, Braith!" Xavier's voice was high, and the tone bordered not on consternation, but disbelief, or maybe even enthusiasm.
"No, it wasn't her blood."
"Oh."
Xavier seemed to deflate before him, but something about the vampire's reaction piqued Braith's curiosity and made him decide to reveal more. Besides, what difference did it make anymore? Most everyone standing here already knew his vision was linked to Aria, the ones who perhaps didn't were her family.
"It was because of her though," Braith said.
The bodies shifted and, judging by the smell, Max stepped forward.
"What do you mean?" Xavier demanded.
"Her presence was what brought it back. She was dirty and disheveled, but she was the most beautiful thing I'd seen in a hundred years as she stood there waiting to be auctioned."
David inhaled sharply, Xavier muttered something that sounded like a prayer, and Max stepped closer to him.
"When Jack took her from the palace, I lost my vision again."
"But you can still see now?" Xavier pressed. "As well as when she is around?"
Braith's jaw clenched and unclenched. "No, I cannot. I only see shadows and blurs. It's more than I could see before I encountered her but far less than when she is with me."
When Xavier grasped his arm again, his fingers dug into Braith's flesh. He could sense Xavier's intense scrutiny as he tried to search past the glasses. Xavier's hand grabbed the frames, but Braith jerked his arm free and knocked Xavier's arm aside when he tried to tug off the glasses. Xavier was thrown slightly off balance, but he caught himself and straightened to look at Braith again.
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 60
