Vengeance

by Erica Stevens

  CHAPTER 3

  William stood with his hands folded before him as he watched Hannah walk down the vibrant red petals scattered through the snow. Ellen and Aria had thrown the petals down to create a makeshift aisle for the bride. Braith stood beside him; the white flakes falling around him covered his black hair and the black coat he wore. Standing beside Braith, Jack grinned from ear to ear like a child who’d been told they could have a puppy. Across the aisle from them stood Ellen, Aria, and Jack and Braith’s younger sister, Melinda.

  Hannah’s chocolate hair fell down her back, the train of her white dress trailed behind her as she walked. Interwoven into the train of the dress were golden strands that glistened in the light of the fading winter sun. In her hands, she clasped a blood red bouquet of roses. Her Uncle Abe walked by her side, his arm hooked through hers and a bright smile on his lined face. Lucas walked on the other side of her, his arm also wrapped through hers.

  Glancing behind him, William watched as the sun dipped beyond the horizon, making it possible for Lucas to be outside right now. The red, orange and yellow colors spreading across the sky reflected in the surface of the serene lake. He turned back as Hannah arrived at the altar they had built at the edge of the lake. Somehow he’d managed to help build the altar without breaking a single board, one more sign he was bringing his abilities under better control. Abe and Lucas released Hannah’s arms. She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before climbing the steps to join Jack.

  William folded his hands before him as they recited the vows given to them by the male officiant at the front of the altar. The officiant turned toward Braith, who handed him two silver wedding bands. The man took the rings and handed one of them to Jack, who slid it onto Hannah’s finger.

  “With this ring, we are one,” he murmured.

  The man turned to Hannah and handed her the ring. She slid the ring onto his finger. “With this ring, we are one,” she recited.

  The small audience burst into loud applause. They rose to their feet when Jack wrapped his arm around Hannah’s waist and dragged her against his chest. Hannah’s laughter trilled through the air when he lifted her up and kissed her. William smiled and clapped with the others, but a part of him felt completely detached.

  He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Jack was his best friend; this was probably the happiest day of his life, and all he could think about was slipping away from here. He kept blaming his lack of caring and emotion on his desire to get to Kane and take out the revenge he so desperately sought, but what if it was something more? What if he’d come back wrong? What if the change had altered him forever, and from here on out all he would be capable of feeling was anger and apathy?

  It would be a miserable, lonely life, but that was only if he survived the battle with Kane. He glanced back at the now shadowed lake and the mountains beyond. If he still felt this way after Kane was dead, he would deal with it then. For now, he only had one goal in mind, getting out of this town without his family or friends knowing.

  Daniel rested his hand on his arm, drawing his attention away from the happy couple walking down the aisle. “Now it’s time for some celebrating!” Max declared.

  Lucas stepped forward to offer Ellen his arm, Braith took hold of Aria’s, and Ashby claimed Melinda, but the rest of them walked past the rows of chairs and back toward the tavern on their own. William entered the tavern behind Daniel. Candles placed into stained glass lanterns reflected the colors of pink, orange, yellow, gold and green around the light oak of the newly rebuilt, open room. The timbers running across the white ceiling were the only dark wood remaining in the tavern.

  Grabbing her flute, Ellen walked over to the stage and began to play a lively tune. Jack spun a laughing Hannah into the middle of the room for the first dance. The light from the lanterns played over her white dress as they twirled across the floor. The love radiating from the couple caused their skin to glow with warmth.

  William walked over to the nearest table and slid onto the chair. His fingers tapped on the table, but no matter how much he would like to escape this town, he had to smile as he watched his best friend dance with the love of his life. His gaze slid to his sister and Braith, sitting in the chair beside him. They both grinned as they watched Jack and Hannah.

  It still amazed him that his sister had settled into such a life; he’d never thought she’d be one to get married. Mainly because he’d never believed anyone would be capable of handling her unruly ways. He’d never pictured Jack settling down either, he’d always enjoyed being a bachelor, but they’d both proved him wrong.

  He doubted he would ever find a love like theirs and the last thing he wanted was a woman in his life, slowing it down. He had far more important matters to focus on right now.

  Lifting the tankard of ale Millie delivered to him, he took a sip of it as he watched the celebrants surrounding him.

  ***

  William swung his leg over the saddle and spurred his horse out of the stable. Stars still blinked in the sky, the moon hung heavily on the horizon as he led Achilles down the empty street. He’d almost made it to the edge of town when a figure slipped from the woods into his path. He knew it was Aria before she pulled back her hood to reveal her features.

  “You weren’t going to say goodbye?” Her voice was steady, but he heard the distress and exasperation in it.

  “I knew you would argue with me and try to stop me.”

  “You were right. You shouldn’t go alone. Kane’s stronger than you, faster…”

  “And I’m smarter.”

  Her mouth pursed; she folded her arms over her chest. “Daniel, Max and Timber would all go with you if you asked them.”

  “I’m not taking the chance of getting anyone hurt, and they’re human. They’ll be far more vulnerable than me.”

  “You were once human too.”

  “And I was killed. Now I’m a vampire.”

  A muscle jumped in her cheek; her chin jutted out. He knew when she was gearing up for an argument. Turning toward the woods, she didn’t make any motion, didn’t gesture in any way, but Xavier emerged from the shadows. His mocha skin and tribal tattoos blended into the night surrounding him. His full mouth compressed into a flat line; the displeased look on his face made William glance around.

  “Where’s Braith?” he demanded.

  “Some of the king’s men arrived with a report of the goings on at the palace. He’s meeting with them,” Aria answered.

  “Is everything ok?”

  She waved her hand dismissively through the air. “I’m sure it’s fine. Gideon likes to send updates. Xavier has agreed to go with you on your journey.”

  Xavier folded his heavily muscled arms over his chest and eyed William with an air of annoyance.

  Not willingly. “This is something I have to do on my own,” he replied.

  Aria’s hands fell to her sides; she took a step toward his horse. “I will come with you.”

  “Arianna,” Xavier said in a low, displeased tone.

  She didn’t even glance back at him as her sapphire eyes stayed glued to William’s. “Two sets of eyes are always better than one,” she pressed.

  William released his reins and leaned forward on his horse’s neck. “You’re the queen, Aria, you cannot come with me.”

  “I don’t care who I am; family comes first.”

  “Braith will hunt you down, kill me, and drag you back. Or is that what you’re hoping for?”

  A small smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “Maybe not the killing you part.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  Kicking his feet free of the stirrups, he swung his leg over and jumped down. Her head tilted back to look at him when he rested his hands on her shoulders. A couple of years ago they were extremely similar in build. He had always been taller than her, but he’d shot up half a foot over the last few years to stand at six-foot-two. She remained lean in stature, though she’d filled out more now that she was eating better. He had pu
t on a good fifty pounds of muscle and had become broader through his shoulders and back, as he’d gotten older. Neither of them were rail thin rug rats running wild through the forest, evading vampires, and hunting for their food anymore.

  “There are some things that have to be done alone; you should be able to understand this,” he told her.

  “I do, but…”

  “No buts.” Bending, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. Tears shimmered in her eyes when he stepped away from her. “Don’t.” He wiped away the single chilly tear streaking her face. “I’ll come back, Aria, I promise.”

  Her hands wrapped around his forearms; he expected her to protest further, but she bowed her head and stepped away. “I can find you,” she whispered. “My blood runs through you. If you don’t send word back at least once every two weeks, I will hunt you down and stab you again.”

  He laughed. “I will, I promise.”

  He gave her a brief hug and released her. No one was going to deter him from his plans, but he couldn’t stand the sight of his twin in pain. He hated even more he was the one causing it. Turning away, he grabbed hold of his saddle and easily swung his body onto the back of his horse again. He gathered the reins and gave Achilles a nudge in the side.

  Riding down the street, he glanced back to discover Braith had joined her. He had her wrapped up in a hug. He could feel all of their eyes on him, but he turned away and spurred Achilles into a trot. The night enveloped him as he left the town, and all of his friends, behind.

  CHAPTER 4

  Aria shivered, not from the cold but from the hollow feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She fought the tears burning her eyes as she watched William fade into the snow-covered night. “Come on,” Braith said and gently pulled her away. Her shoulders sagged as she walked with him toward the tavern.

  No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn’t chase after her brother and order him to stay. He would never forgive her if she stood in his way, but at least he would still be alive. Looking over her shoulder, she almost took a step after him. She managed to restrain herself in time. William had let her go when Braith had come for her in the cave. He’d been against it, he’d fought it, but in the end he’d let her go to figure out where she belonged in this world. No matter how much it killed her to do it, she had to return the favor and let him go to find his place now.

  She could only hope that one day her brother would come back to her. No matter how he tried to hide it, she was well aware of how much he had changed since he’d made the transition from human to vampire. She had made the choice to become a vampire in order to join Braith. William’s choice had been taken from him when his life had been violently ended by Kane’s blade. His death and resurrection had changed him. What had risen in his place was an often angry and distant man she sometimes didn’t recognize.

  “He’s going to get himself killed,” she murmured.

  “No, he’s not,” Braith assured her. She glanced back at Xavier, biting on her bottom lip as she met his deep brown eyes. He shook his head when he sensed the direction of her thoughts. Braith’s hand tightened on her waist. “He’ll never forgive you if you send Xavier after him.”

  She knew he was right, but it killed her not to be able to help in some small way. “He’ll figure it out,” Braith said.

  “I hope so. What did Gideon have to say?” she asked as a way to distract herself.

  Braith didn’t miss the hitch in her voice and hugged her closer. “Only an update, everything is fine.”

  Aria stepped back as Braith opened the door to the tavern for her. She’d expected everyone else to be in bed, but Ashby, Melinda, Jack, Hannah, Daniel and Max were gathered around one of the tables with drinks near them. Jack and Daniel glanced up at them and then sat up straighter in their chairs.

  “I thought you’d gone to sleep,” Jack said.

  Braith grabbed hold of a chair to move it over to the table. “Not yet.”

  He gestured for her to sit. She settled comfortably onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She inhaled his earthy, masculine scent, savoring the aroma she knew so well. The strength and love she felt from her husband still wasn’t enough to melt the ice encasing her.

  A piece of her heart had left and gone out into the world. She didn’t know if that piece would ever return to her. Even if he accomplished what he’d set out to do, and came back alive, she still didn’t know if the brother she’d always known would come back to her, or if he would still be as lost as he seemed now.

  They sat at the table, drinking and talking until the sun came up. She didn’t tell them William had left. This was Jack and Hannah’s wedding day, or at least it had been, and she refused to put any kind of a damper on it. Braith carried her upstairs when everyone else began to retreat to bed, but there would be no sleep for her, not tonight.

  She lay next to him until he fell asleep before rising to her feet and pacing restlessly over to the window. The sun had come up hours ago, but the tavern below remained tranquil. She glared out at the day, her eyes focused on the distant mountains, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn’t see her brother out there.

  “Aria.”

  She turned to find Braith with his head propped up on his hand, watching her. The blankets had fallen away to reveal the sculpted muscles of his carved abs and broad chest. Despite her anxiety, her gaze raked over him hungrily. When he held the blankets open to her, she slid into bed with him again, allowing herself to be lost to only him for the next couple of hours.

  The scent of cooking meat and the sounds of laughter wafted up from below when she woke later. She’d somehow managed to fall asleep for what must have been a couple of hours, judging by the fading sunlight filtering through the curtains. She stretched a hand behind her for Braith; it rested against his thigh as he rolled over to envelop her in a hug.

  “We should show them your father’s documents tonight,” she said. They’d both decided to keep what she’d discovered in the old king’s hidden room to themselves until after the wedding.

  “We will,” he murmured as he nuzzled her ear.

  She laughed and slid from his arms before he kept her in bed for the rest of the night. She showered and dressed quickly. When she reemerged from the bathroom, he was sitting up in the bed, his black hair tussled, and his eyes focused on the wooden box sitting on his lap. She knew the story of his father’s life, and what had driven him to become a ruthless murderer, lay within that box.

  It had taken Braith months to accept that his father hadn’t always been the monster he’d believed him to be. Now it was time to let his siblings know too. She didn’t know how Melinda and Jack would react, or what they would think about the revelations, but it would be wrong not to show them what they’d learned.

  Braith lifted his head; a smile curved his mouth when he spotted her in the doorway. A sparkle lit his gray eyes and the blue band encircling his irises. The scars surrounding his eyes had faded until they were barely visible in the dim light. “It was smart of you to get dressed,”

  She laughed as she tossed her towel into the hamper. “That’s why I did it.”

  The fact she had clothes on wasn’t quite the mental deterrent she’d hoped it would be when he placed the box aside, threw back the blanket, and rose to his six-foot-five height. Aside from Timber, he was the largest man she’d ever seen, and he was hers. A thrill of possession and pleasure slid through her as he stalked toward her. When he bent and placed a kiss on her forehead, she had to fight the urge to grab hold of his arms and keep him there.

  The water turned on as she made her way over to the window again. The moon glimmered across the snow, causing it to sparkle as if it had thousands of crystals spread across the surface. She knew William wouldn’t have returned, he wasn’t going to anytime soon, but she kept hoping she’d see him ride up on the horizon. Her gaze lifted to the craggy peaks of the mountains in the distance. She hadn’t had to ask him; she knew that’s where he was heading.

&
nbsp; When Braith came out of the bathroom, he gathered the box from the bed and tucked it under his arm. She followed him from the room and down to the crowded tavern floor below. Melinda and Ashby were already at one of the tables, their blond heads bent close together as they talked. Melinda ran her fingers over the back of Ashby’s hand as she laughed. Beyond them, she spotted Timber, Daniel, and Max playing a game of dice. Xavier stood to the side, watching the game. Not surprisingly, Jack and Hannah were nowhere around.

  Ashby’s sandy blond eyebrows drew together when Braith placed the box on the table. “What do you have there?” he inquired.

  “Something I’d like for you to see,” Braith replied. “Somewhere else though.”

  The bell hanging over the front door rang, drawing her attention to it as Jack and Hannah stepped inside. “We’ll go to their home,” she said.

  Braith glanced over at them and gave a brisk nod. Melinda and Ashby exchanged a puzzled look before rising to their feet. Aria waved to Daniel and the others; she jerked her head toward the door and gestured for them to follow.

  “I’d like to use your house and for you to come with me,” Braith said to Jack when they reached the door.

  The smile slipped from Jack’s face. “What is it?”

  “There’s something you must know,” Braith replied.

  Jack pushed the door open for Braith. Aria pulled her hood up before stepping into the frigid winter air. She walked beside Braith to the newly built, gray-shingled house Hannah and Jack shared. Hurrying forward, Jack opened the door and turned on the lanterns as he moved through the house to the dining room at the back of it.

  Braith placed the box on the table then opened it. He began to carefully remove the yellowed and wrinkled documents from within. The aged aroma of the weathered documents filled the air. “What are those?” Melinda inquired.

  “Journals, some belonged to Atticus,” Braith replied.

  Melinda recoiled from the papers as if they were a rattlesnake ready to strike. Jack’s eyes took on the glint of ice when he lifted his head to look at Braith. “What are you doing with them?” he demanded.