Max nodded, nuzzling her hair gently for a moment. “Yes.”
Aria closed her eyes, concentrating on the beat of his heart. The prince had not had a heartbeat; in fact he hadn’t had a heart at all as far as she was concerned. But Max did, and he used it freely. He pulled the blanket tighter around her, the heat of his body, and the soft splatter of the rain slowly lulled her into a fitful sleep.
When she awoke again, the sky was just beginning to lighten; the birds had not even begun to sing yet. She stared silently at the growing dawn against the walls of the tent. Max’s arm was wrapped around her waist. She slipped from beneath his embrace, moving to the edge of the tent to pull the flap aside. It was going to be a warm day; the air was already muggy with heat. She sighed softly, slipping from the tent. She wanted to bathe, and then perhaps do some hunting with Max and William.
She gathered some of her clothes, scooped up her bow and quiver. Max and William were still sleeping; the sun had just poked over the horizon, when she dropped the flap back into place. She moved swiftly through the forest, winding her way toward the river they were camped near. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this on her own, that she should have awakened someone to come with her, but she needed some privacy today. She needed some time alone to try and sort through the multitude of emotions swarming her.
She made her way swiftly to the river. She would have preferred the lake, but after the raid they had moved far from the caves, settling in a new area of the forest. It would be a long time before they went back near the lake again. Reaching the river, she stripped quickly and plunged into the chilly water. Not for the first time she missed the hot water of the palace, and the delightful spray of the shower. The lake had been tolerably warm and comfortable, but the river was fresh water from the mountains, and it did not warm up.
Aria bathed as quickly as she could, her teeth chattering and shivering the whole time. She was glad to escape the frigid water, glad to put some clothes back on so that she could warm up. Grabbing her bow and quiver, she tossed her towel over her shoulder and slung the quiver onto her back. The sun was breaking over the mountains, casting bright rays of light over the forest. She stood for a moment, her head tilted back to allow its warm rays to caress her, to soothe her, if only just a little.
She didn’t know how long she stood there for, but the snap of a twig pulled her away from the healing sunlight to the world around her. Aria frowned, listening as she heard another soft snap. Moving behind a tree, she dropped the towel on the ground, and drew an arrow from her quiver. Kneeling, she slid the arrow easily into the bow. She didn’t have to wait long before a buck wandered out of the woods, heading toward the river. Aria admired him, he was beautiful, but even though he was a gorgeous animal, he would also provide enough meat for the encampment to last a few days. He would feed the hungry children, and herself she realized as her stomach rumbled eagerly.
She was about to let the arrow fly when she felt it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, a chill crept down her back before seeping through her limbs. She froze, she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t move, because she was afraid that moving would only trigger an attack. She had lived in these woods long enough to know when a predator was near. Lived here long enough to know when an animal was near its end, but this time she was not the hunter and it was her end she feared. She was certain that there was the deadliest kind of predator near her right now.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned to face the creature stalking her, watching her. It did not take her long to spot him. Braith stood amongst the trees, his dark hair highlighted by the rising sun. Light reflected of the dark glasses he wore to cover his stunning eyes, but she could feel the heat of his gaze as it raked over her. Her heart knocked against her ribs, it flipped and beat and pounded in a rapid pace that left her stunned, breathless. He was just as magnificent, dark and handsome as she remembered, but seeing him here, in her world, she also realized just how wild and untamed he was. Just how dangerous and lethal he could be.
Excitement strummed through her, for a brief moment all she wanted was to run to him, to throw her arms around him, to bury herself in his strong embrace and shut out all the horrors of the world like only he could make her do. For a brief moment, all of the joy and wonder she had ever experienced with him in the palace flooded rapidly back to her. She had been terrified in that palace, lost and confused, and adrift in a world that she didn’t know and would never understand. But she had also been the happiest she’d ever been in her life. She’d been foolish, and naïve. And she had been in love.
Her arm wavered on the bow, dropping it momentarily lower; she could feel the hot press of tears burning her eyes. He looked wonderful, he looked amazing, and he was here. He had finally come for her. Though she hated to admit it, there had been a part of her that had wanted this. A part that had longed for him to come for her, a part that had wanted him to take her away from all of this fear and pain, and keep her safe. She hated that part of her, tried to deny its existence, but it had always been there, hoping, waiting, praying, and now he was finally here.
But it was obvious that he hadn’t come because he wanted to see her.
She could see that fact in the hard set of his jaw; see it in the tension in his broad shoulders. She could sense it in the anger that radiated from his hard body. He was here, but he hadn’t come for a good reason. Aria swallowed heavily, fear trickled through her as she realized that he was truly furious right now. She could feel the rage thrumming off of him in nearly violent waves. She didn’t know why he was so infuriated, so filled with anger, but she did know that it was directed at her. Well that was good, because she was pretty damn pissed at him too.
She didn’t know why he had finally come after her, but from the look of him it appeared that he wanted to rip her throat out. Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her jaw as she lifted the bow higher once more, leveling it right at the spot of his non-beating heart. Yes, he had finally come for her, but it was obvious that one of them would not be walking away from this encounter.
CHAPTER 4
Braith studied her for a long moment. He had almost forgotten how wonderful it was to see her, and everything around her. The forest came alive with her in it; the colors were vivid, sharp to eyes so accustomed to darkness. Though the woods were beautiful, they were nothing compared to her.
Her face was thinner and more mature then the last time he had seen her. The youthful chubbiness of her cheeks had vanished in the face of her hunger again. Her eyes were a bright sapphire blue that rivaled the beautiful sky behind her. There was a wisdom and maturity in her gaze, a broken air that seemed to enshroud her, and had not been there the last time he saw her. He did not know what had happened to her over the past couple of months, but she appeared older, and far more wounded than he recalled.
Her long hair flowed around her shoulders; its wetness caused it to be darker than its normal fiery auburn color that had always captivated him. Though she was thinner than he liked her, he couldn’t deny her simple, sweet beauty. She was far cleaner now than the first time he had seen her, but she was back in the boyish, ugly clothes again. Clothes that hid a figure that had once been lush, but was now lean again.
He saw the emotions that flashed over her face, the hope, the joy, and for a moment something he almost believed could have been love. But they were gone so swiftly that he wasn’t even entirely sure he had seen them. Tears shimmered in her eyes; her hand wavered on the bow as it dropped slightly down. He had almost forgotten how convincing her phony pain and emotions could be. He recalled the night she had begged him not to kill the other blood slave she had been captured with, Max. She had been so sincere, had sworn that he was nothing more than a friend to her. Braith no longer believed that, he believed nothing of what she had told him. He didn’t know girl before him, but he did know that she was not the girl he had thought she was. That she never had been.
He had come here to bring her back, to make her pay for her treachery. Now al
l he wanted was to destroy her himself. Her hand wavered, her eyes widened slightly before narrowing. The hand that had been going to drop the bow now raised it back up, leveling it at his heart. He had no doubt she would let the arrow fly, he just had no fear that it would hit him.
Just as he had no doubt that he would get his hands upon her, and she would pay.
“Arianna.”
Her full mouth pinched tightly, her eyebrows drew sharply together. “Prince.”
He moved away from the tree he had been leaning against, taking a step toward her. Even with the bow and arrow in her hands, he could get to her, reach her within a moment. Have her back in his arms again, her sweet blood back in his mouth. She had given it to him willingly last time, and he had almost killed her in his eagerness to consume it. Now he wanted it back, he wanted to taste it again, and have it fill him, and he didn’t give a damn if she gave it freely or not. He found himself relishing the idea of taking it from her forcefully, of making her hurt as bad as she had made him hurt.
“Have you come to take me back then?” she asked softly.
“No.”
She swallowed heavily, her chin tilted up a notch. He had not forgotten about her defiance, her willfulness, but he did not find it as delightful as he once had. In fact, it was aggravating the hell out of him right now. She should be cowering, trembling with fear. She had to know that she would not survive this meeting, and yet she did not show one ounce of trepidation. “To kill me then?” she asked quietly, her voice far steadier than he had thought it would be.
“Perhaps,” he murmured still uncertain as to what exactly he did want to do with her. He had wanted to take her back, to make her pay, but then she would be killed, and looking at her now he wasn’t sure he was willing to lose the strange sight she brought back into his life. What was he going to do with her then?
There was no tremor of fear in her. He knew there wouldn’t be. Recklessly fearless, it was how she had described herself, her brother. And it was true. She was possibly looking her death in the eye, but she was not going to back down from him. She was not going to cower or beg for mercy. She was going to stand there and meet him head on, and she was going to fire that arrow. Of that he was certain; he just needed to be prepared for it.
“I see.” Her eyes flickered briefly, darting swiftly around the forest. He could see the wheels in her brain spinning as she tried to formulate a plan of escape. They both knew it was useless; she would not be able to get away from him.
“Where is Jericho?”
Her gaze came slowly back to him. “Wasn’t my day to watch him,” she retorted sharply.
Frustration and anger built rapidly inside him, he was used to her defiance, but he didn’t like it. And he sure as hell didn’t want to have to deal with it after everything that she had done to him. “I’m surprised you’re separated at all, but then I’m sure you’ve moved on to someone else by now.”
Arianna nodded at him, a cynical smile twisted her full mouth. “You always did want to believe the worst of me,” she said softly, but there was no hurt in her gaze, only a fiery rage that turned them a darker, fiercer shade of blue.
“And you never failed to disappoint.”
True fury twisted her features; her hand shook slightly on the bow. Then she straightened her shoulders and rose slowly from her crouched position. “I’m glad I hold up to all of your expectations.” Her back foot twisted in the earth, digging in slightly, she was preparing to make her move soon. “I hope your fiancée does the same.”
He was mildly surprised that she knew about that, but then he should have known that his brother wouldn’t keep his mouth shut. “Jericho told you.”
“Someone had to, don’t you think? It certainly wasn’t going to be you.”
“When?”
“When what?”
“When did he tell you?”
“What difference does that make?” she snapped for the first time looking slightly disconcerted.
He took a step toward her, but she didn’t move away, didn’t even flinch. He’d had enough of her defiance, enough of her hostility. She should be fearful; she should be telling him everything that he wanted to know. She should be begging for her life like she had begged for Max’s, but she wasn’t, and she wasn’t going to. “Do you have no common sense whatsoever?” he inquired, his voice a low growl as he watched her. “No survival instinct?”
“I live in hell every day,” she grated through clenched teeth. “A hell that you monster’s created for us. The only sense I have is for survival, but since you’ve pretty much admitted that you’re here to kill me I see no sense in worrying about anything else right now, do you?”
He took another step toward her. “I’ll shoot this, I swear I will,” she hissed.
He quirked an eyebrow, amused by her idle threat. She would shoot it, but it would do her little good. “Will you now?”
Her eyes narrowed, her hand clenched tighter around the bow. “Your lackey bastards were near here the other day. They raided one of our encampments. I’m sure you already know that though because I’m assuming one of them spotted me somehow. That’s how you knew where to start looking for me.” She continued to glare at him as she broke off, waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, she continued on. “There were children in those caves!” she snarled. “Children!”
“There are laws, and you and your people are breaking them.”
Her eyes fairly sparked with rage, he could sense her rapidly unraveling control. He had always enjoyed baiting her, watching her response, but this was different, this was not the girl that had stayed in his apartment at the palace. No, this girl was stronger, harder; colder. This girl fairly vibrated with anger and hostility. She looked like a warrior, she was a warrior, he realized. She had always been a fighter, but now she was so much more than that.
She was not the girl that had offered him her vein. She was the woman that was going to fire that arrow at any moment.
“Laws,” she snarled. “Laws! You’re a worse bastard than those monsters that came here to hunt us, and kill us. You sit there in your golden palace and you use us as your food, and your slaves, and you keep us starving and on the run. And you judge me you hypocritical son of a bitch!”
He knew she was going to let the arrow fly seconds before she did. He had pushed her to a breaking point, pushed her control to the edge. The string of the bow twanged as the arrow sliced through the air. He moved swiftly, darting out of the way of the lethal projectile moments before it slammed into the tree behind him. It would have been a fatal shot if he had still been standing there, that fact was not lost on him. She had shown no mercy, and neither would he.
He lunged at her. He had expected her to run, to try and flee on foot. It would have been pointless, but it was human instinct after all. What he hadn’t expected was for her to take to the trees like a monkey. Heaving the bow over her shoulder, she seized hold of a branch over her head, and heaved herself easily into it. She shimmied swiftly up the large tree, moving rapidly through the branches. Braith lunged for her, nearly catching hold of her pant leg. Her eyes were wide when she glanced back down at him, but it did not slow her down as she scurried up the tree.
She leapt onto another limb; she sat upon it for a moment before rising gracefully to her feet. Holding onto the trunk, and the branch above her head, she steadied herself. She stared down at him with narrowed eyes, her breath coming rapidly, and yet she still showed no fear. He had no intention of going up there after her, and she couldn’t stay up there all day, but it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for her, or came to the river. He had to get her out of the damn tree. And once he did, he was going to throttle her.
She stared down at him for a long moment, and then she turned and ran. His mouth dropped, he watched in wonder as she sprinted easily across the thick limb. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t pause as she dove off the limb, flying out across open ground before she caught hold of a branch from the tree
next to it. He was too stunned to move for a moment, he could only watch as she swung herself easily onto the branch, hopped to her feet and sped across the newest limb. He recalled Jericho’s words that no one knew the forest like she did, but it appeared that not only did she know the forest she seemed to have mastered it. He was still gaping after her when she leapt easily into another tree, vanishing from sight.
It was her disappearance that drove him into action; he rushed through the woods, following her as she leapt and dove and ran through the trees with the agility of a squirrel. He had never seen anyone move like she did, so effortlessly and easily. She was heading deeper into the forest, drawing him farther away from the area she had been walking toward when he found her. She was trying to lead him away from her family, and friends.
She raced down another limb, he watched in horror and amazement as she leapt fearlessly out of the tree. Except there wasn’t another tree to catch hold of this time. She folded in on herself, curling her arms around her legs as she spun through the air. He had no idea what she intended until she hit the ground. She landed easily, bouncing swiftly up. She darted through the woods in a zigzagging pattern, easily avoiding any obstacle in her way. It was amazing to watch her, amazing to see her sleek agility, and her profound knowledge of the world around her.
Though he was fascinated by it, and felt that there were still many things she could do, many secrets and abilities that she had hidden, he was tired of being avoided. She was heading toward another large tree, if she got into it they would continue to play this game of cat and mouse even longer. He poured on the speed, rushing after her. She had just thrown her arms around the tree branch when he caught hold of her. She did not cry out, did not scream as she planted her legs against the tree trunk and shoved off it with all of her might.