“They sound interesting.” Aria bit on her bottom lip as her eyebrows drew sharply together.
“I guess you could say that.” Braith soothed the taut line in her forehead, tracing it with his finger until she smiled once more.
Even though he began to whistle, Ashby’s eyes were hooded and guarded as he moved away from the building. They walked across the sand coated streets that had once been ribbons of asphalt that wound through the abandoned town. He remembered what it had been like before the war but he’d never seen the aftereffects of what his father had done until now. Beyond the acres and miles of woodlands and towns, there was nothing left of the earth, nothing inhabitable anyway.
He’d heard the rumors of the aftereffects of the war, the whispered talk of the empty lands, but he’d honestly thought that a lot of it was just rumor. Looking at it now, he realized just how wrong he’d been. The extent of the damage that had been done was devastating, and as he took in the vast Barrens he began to realize that his father had not shut down technology and advancements because he didn’t need it, but because he had taken it and ruined the world with it. The king had been terrified that the same technology would one day be used against him.
For the first time he wondered if the rumored aristocrats were even still alive, or if they had perished in these forsaken lands as his father had intended.
“Was it better?” William pondered out loud.
“Depends on who you ask,” Ashby replied. “Some vampires preferred the way things were, others wanted more.” Ashby had preferred the way things were, while Braith’s father had wanted more, much more, and he had gone to great lengths to get it. “I don’t think there were many humans that preferred the way things became, but it wasn’t all roses and candy back then either.”
“Candy?” Aria inquired.
Ashby shook his head. He shoved back strands of shaggy dark blond hair as it fell across one of his bright green eyes. “Just something humans used to enjoy eating.”
“Oh. Did you like it back then?” Braith glanced down at Aria as she gazed up at him from beneath the hood.
“I never really minded it.” In fact, there were a few things he actually missed.
“I’ve heard stories about it,” William mused. “It seemed wonderfully extravagant. I’ve heard there was plenty of food, homes everywhere, and that people had everything they required.”
“Depends on who you were, where you lived,” Ashby informed him. “Not everyone was so lucky, but there were many people that had such things, and many that didn’t. Like I said, it wasn’t all roses and candy.”
“But it was better,” Aria pressed.
“It was,” Ashby finally agreed.
Braith stopped abruptly; pulling Aria up beside him he searched the stark landscape. Dilapidated buildings dotted the desert area. They were hollowed out remnants of what they had once been, with gaping windows and doorways. Most sagged beneath the weight of disuse and abuse.
The wind howled around them, blowing sand up, coating his glasses with fine particles of dust. They were deep into The Barrens now, far from the fertile lands they all knew well. Survivors out here were unpredictable and remorseless.
And there was something out there right now.
“Ashby,” he said tensely.
Ashby had already stopped too, his head tilted to the side as he listened. Braith’s hand tightened briefly around Aria’s as he drew her back another step, pushing her behind him. It would do little good, he knew that she wouldn’t stay there, but for now he was at least mostly in front of her. He heard the rustle of her cloak as she pulled her bow free.
“Aria,” he growled in warning.
She didn’t say anything but there was a low clink as she rested an arrow against the bow. The explosion of motion seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. He didn’t have time to alert Ashby and William, it was too late anyway. Braith grabbed hold of Aria, spinning her out of the way as the first vampire slammed into his back. Braith was knocked forward beneath the impact of the weight; he braced himself as the creature tore ferociously at him.
Aria grunted as his arms momentarily constricted before he was forced to release her. He grasped at the creature clawing up his back, spilling his blood. Teeth snapped as it reached his neck, the scent of it was fetid and harsh. He finally managed to seize it; clutching its head as he pulled it over his shoulder and threw it away from him. The creature squealed, squirming on the sand as its attention was torn from him and focused solely upon Aria.
She took a startled step back. Her hand shook on the bow as the vampire launched to its feet and rushed at her. All of her fear vanished as she straightened her shoulders and lifted the bow. Her hand was steady as she released the arrow.
The vampire fell back beneath the impact of her clean shot, its hands clutched at its chest as it gurgled and squealed. Braith seized the creature, determined to spill its blood as rage overtook him. Fury swelled through him, ripping through his cells, and enhancing his strength. For a moment he teetered on the edge of madness, for a moment it felt so unbelievably good that he almost let go completely, almost gave in and let the monster take over.
And then the smell of her blood hit him. She pressed flush against his back as she sought to protect him. A shudder rocked through him as she brought him back from the brink he’d been standing upon. Even though it was dying, the vampire launched itself back at him.
He felt her elbow against his back as she took aim again; he was keenly reminded that there were more creatures out there as she let another arrow fly. He seized hold of the creature, and with swift brutality, finished it off. Aria let out a startled cry. Terror shot through him as he spun around. One of them had reached her, but not before catching her arrow in its shoulder.
She caught the creature under the chin as she swung her bow up, but it was too late. The pale, thin monster was already upon her, its hands grasped at her arms. The hood of her cloak had fallen back; her hair was the color of blood in the bright light. That ominous sign terrified Braith as the sweet scent of her blood hit the air.
The creature, enthralled by the prospect of fresh food launched itself forward. Braith wrapped his arm around Aria’s chest, pulling her back as he seized the creature by the throat. It squealed as its hands swung in the air trying to grab hold of her again. He was going to kill it, going to destroy it, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her, not quite yet. Her chest heaved against his arm; he could feel the rapid staccato of her heartbeat. Even over the squealing noises coming from the monstrosity he held, he could hear the subtle splash of her blood as it hit the sand.
She was bleeding, this creature had caused it.
Fury tore through him. His hand on her chest tightened, pulling her further back. In one violent motion he snapped the creature’s neck and shoved it back. It was not dead, but for the moment it was disoriented by pain. Braith was more than happy to put it out of its misery.
And then he heard it, the stutter in her heartbeat.
His head snapped around, she was still standing in his arms, but her face had gone deathly pale, her lips were nearly white. The sleeves of her cloak had been shredded; the cloth hung in tatters. Blood slid down both arms, pooling at the ends of her fingertips before dripping onto the sand. Her arms were laid open nearly elbow to wrist.
Panic tore through him; he grasped hold of her, spinning her around as she staggered a little. Her normally bright, crystalline blue eyes were dull, almost lifeless.
He bit deep into his wrist, catching her as her knees buckled. He was shaking as they slid to the ground. He didn’t even care about the creature still staggering before them, didn’t look up to see if there were others coming. “Blood Aria, drink it!” They were the only words he could get out through the constriction of his chest and throat.
She closed her eyes for a moment before they sprang open. It seemed as if she was having difficulty focusing on him. “I’m fine Braith, the others. There are more of those thin
gs.”
“I don’t care.”
He didn’t wait to hear more of her protests; she was stubborn enough to keep offering them. He shoved his wrist into her mouth, desperate, praying that this would be enough to stop the flow of life he felt rapidly seeping from her. There was a moment of nothing, and then he felt her teeth nipping at his skin. Despite their circumstances, ecstasy tore through him at the sensations that suffused him. Her hands clenched around his arm as she drank deeply.
He couldn’t stop the low moan of pleasure that escaped him as he leaned over her, embracing her against him. “Stay with me,” he breathed into her ear.
She nodded as her eyes dazedly met his. The creature was already healing as it staggered back toward them, its eyes a vibrant red in its hollow face. Its sagging skin had taken on a yellowish, sickly hue. Lack of food and the sand and sun had turned this creature into a morbid version of a normal vampire; one that apparently had no sense of self-preservation anymore.
He pulled her against his chest, cradling her with one arm as he tried to shift himself into a better fighting position. It wasn’t much use; he couldn’t pull his arm away from her. If there was any chance for her survival, she would require his blood.
The creature was only feet from them when Ashby rammed the bony thing from behind, flinging it a good ten feet through the air. Ashby didn’t hesitate as he rushed after it. William was suddenly before them; his upper lip was cut and bleeding. One of his eyes had already started to darken, and the sleeve of his cloak had been ripped, but otherwise he appeared uninjured.
Unable to stand the thought of someone else touching Aria, Braith almost ripped her away from William. He stopped himself from doing so, but couldn’t stop the low growl that escaped him. William leaned back as he studied Braith warily. Aria tried to tug his wrist from her mouth as she squirmed against him in an attempt to get to her brother.
“It’s alright,” Braith grated through clenched teeth. “I won’t harm him. Stop. Please Aria, you need my blood, he’s safe I swear.”
Aria relaxed against him but there was a lingering tension in her body. William continued to watch him suspiciously as he leaned slowly forward. He pulled Aria’s arms toward him, finally looking away from Braith as he focused on her. Braith couldn’t bring himself to look at her damaged and battered flesh again. The smell of her blood was enticing enough without seeing it too. Neither he, nor Ashby, had been feeding well; he shuddered, his fangs elongated instinctively. He closed his eyes as he fought against his baser, more driving urges.
“William, wrap her arms,” he managed to grate out.
Sand and dust kicked up around Ashby as he slid to a stop before them. His eyes flared red as the scent of her blood hit him, something dark flickered over his face. “Get away Ashby!” Braith snarled. Ashby remained where he was, his shoulders heaving as his fangs sliced into his lower lip. William’s hands had stilled on the cloth he was trying to rip into shreds. Aria was immobile against him, her breath frozen in her lungs. “Now Ashby! Now!”
His brother-in-law shook his head; his fangs retreated as his eyes flickered wildly between red and green. Ashby managed a small nod as he took a step back, and then another before he finally turned away. Relief filtered through Braith; he didn’t want to have to kill Ashby but he would to keep Aria safe. He wanted to try and regain his trust in Ashby. Jack and Melinda trusted him, Aria and William seemed to, but Ashby was the one that had blinded him, and Braith was still uncertain about him.
William shredded the rest of Aria’s ruined sleeves and began to slowly wrap her brutalized arms in the coarse material. She squirmed in his lap; her eyes squeezed shut as her mouth twisted. Braith bent closer to her hair, inhaling her sweet scent as he tried to calm himself. As her pain suffused him, he kept reminding himself that William was helping. Even though Braith told himself this, his emotions were swinging on a precarious pendulum between rage, dread, and famine. He was unstable, deadly if unleashed, and the only thing that helped to soothe him was her. He savored her scent, the feel of her teeth against his skin, the gentle pull of his blood seeping slowly into her system. His blood would heal her, it would be enough. It had to be, there were no other options. She would die if it didn’t.
Aria jerked against him. Braith’s head snapped up, an involuntary snarl escaped him. William flinched but continued to wrap her arms in the cloth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered his gaze worriedly darting to Braith.
William tied the last knot and sat back on his heels as he studied his sister. Aria squeezed William’s arm briefly before slipping lifelessly away. It took Braith a frantic moment to realize that her chest was still rising and falling. Her heart was beating, slowly and far too erratically for his liking, but it was there and it was getting stronger.
Braith was painfully aware of the fact that she had managed to stay conscious long enough for her brother to finish what he was doing.
CHAPTER 3
“You’re awake.”
Was she awake? Aria took stock of her body as she tried to figure out exactly what had happened. She blinked at the ceiling, an actual ceiling; she couldn’t quite remember the last time she had seen a ceiling over her head. Where was she? She turned her head slowly, her muscles throbbed; she felt drained, tired and a little nauseous. William blurred before her, there were two of him at first but the more she blinked the clearer he became.
“I am,” she confirmed.
His shoulders slumped in relief, his hand rested lightly upon her upper arm. “You had me worried.”
Her throat was dry, it was difficult to swallow but she finally managed to form words. “I feel awful,” she admitted.
“That’s because you almost died, and you would have…” William’s voice trailed off, his gaze drifted somewhere behind her.
“William?” She was worried by the perplexed look on his face.
“He gave you some of his blood.” He sounded almost as equally disgusted as awed.
Aria sighed, she wanted to stay where she was, wanted to lie on the cool floor forever, but she had a feeling she had been out for awhile. It was time to get moving. William lurched awkwardly forward as she braced herself on her forearms. Pain instantly tore through her, she nearly fell back to the ground but he grabbed hold of her and helped her into a seated position. She sat for a minute, panting as the copper taste that preceded vomit filled her mouth. She shuddered, swallowing heavily as she struggled to keep her stomach from revolting.
After a few moments of taking deep breaths, she was finally able to gain enough control to realize she was not going to toss the meager contents of her stomach all over the floor. William looked like he was about to cry, his hand on her back had begun to shake, and she had never seen a look of such abject terror on his face. Not even when their mother had been killed. Then, they’d had no time to react, and had been too shocked and horrified to show any real emotion. Now he’d had plenty of time to sit here and agonize about what had happened, and what might become of her.
“I’m fine William, really.” She squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him with her strength, but it seemed weak even to her. “Just a little disoriented. But that’s better than the alternative.”
She’d hoped to elicit a chuckle from him, he only stared stone faced back at her. “The blood…”
“He’s given it to me before when I was wounded. It won’t hurt me.”
His gaze darted behind her again as he leaned closer. “But won’t it, you know...”
Aria frowned at him. She started to shake her head but realized the motion would only bring on another bout of nausea. She forced herself to remain still as she swallowed heavily. “No. I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure how that all works.”
“You’ve never discussed it?”
She lifted her hand slowly; trembling as she wiped a strand of hair back from her face. “Not that part.”
“Huh, I had assumed that you had.” William sat back on his heels; his eyes inquisitive as he studied her. br />
“William?” she asked worriedly.
“He really does love you.”
Aria started in surprise. “Did you think he didn’t?”
He shrugged; his fingers tapping against the floor alerted Aria to the fact that it was not solid wood beneath her, but worn carpet. The carpet was beneath her too, but she couldn’t feel it as her fingers were somewhat numb at the moment. It was an unsettling feeling not to have the full sensation of touch. She hoped the numbness went away soon. “I don’t know what to think,” William admitted. “I’d like to believe it, but it’s all really strange Aria.”
She wasn’t going to argue with that. “But seeing him today, the way he was with you, I don’t doubt it anymore. All I can do is wonder why?” Aria glared at him, but she couldn’t hold up the pretense of being mad at him as he finally managed a smile for her. “You had me worried kid.”
“You’re all of an hour older than me.”
“But it was a glorious hour of solitude,” he quipped.
“Jerk.”
“Brat.”
She awkwardly embraced him with her injured arms. “Where is Braith?”
William exhaled noisily as he pulled back. “They had to...” His gaze traveled to her wrapped arms. “Go outside.”
Aria nodded slowly, sorrow and regret twisted her insides. “This is difficult for them.”
“It’s difficult for all of us.”
She tilted her head, her heart picked up as her body instinctively began to react. “Help me up.”
“Aria…”
“He’s coming William, I can’t be sitting down.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do, please William.”
He was about to argue further but decided against it as he slid his arms under her and gently lifted her up. He was steadying her when Braith appeared in the doorway. A muscle twitched in his cheek, his shoulders were rigid, but those hated glasses were in place so she was unable to see his eyes, unable to get a read on what he was really thinking, what he intended.