He tilted her chin up and kissed her so tenderly that she forgot all about her trepidation over his leaving. A flood of emotions burst open within her like a morning glory opening to the rising sun. Her lips were trembling when he pulled away from her.
"I'll always come back for you. I love you Hannah."
Her eyes flew up to his, joy suffused her as she swayed instinctively closer to his large frame. She hadn't realized how badly she had longed to hear those words, or how much they would mean to her, until he said them. "I love you too Jack," she breathed.
She had only a second to bask in the warmth of his smile before he was kissing her again with far more intensity than he'd exhibited before. Her tongue had just touched upon his when he pulled back abruptly.
"I could get lost in you for hours, days even, and when I get back that's exactly what I mean to do," he promised her.
Despite the ghastly events of the night, the tone of his husky voice, and the promise behind his words, caused her to tremble. "I'm going to hold you to that," she whispered.
He kissed her nose tenderly before stepping away and pulling her from the room. Lucas must have summoned Marvin to the tavern as the fangless vampire was standing with Braith by the back door. "Is this everyone you're taking with you?" Hannah demanded.
"I have more troops in the surrounding towns. We will gather some of them to join us as we move; I prefer to leave the men already in this town here with you and we will be sending more back," Braith answered with a look at Aria.
"I see," Hannah muttered.
Jack smiled down at her and squeezed her hand before kissing her briefly one more time and stepping out the door with his brother. Hannah stood with Aria, watching as the group disappeared in a rapid blur into the forest behind the tavern. Though she knew Jack would do everything he could to come back to her, she couldn't stop the misgivings that were already twisting her belly into knots.
- CHAPTER 22 -
The rays of the sun bursting over the horizon didn't ease the tension Jack felt growing in his belly. He rubbed absently at his chest as they rounded the top of a mountain and paused to take in the peaks and valleys that spread out before them. The sun shone over the tops of the trees and glimmered off of a distant lake as streaks of pink, orange, and purple lit the sky. It was beautiful, but he barely paid it any attention. His thoughts remained on Hannah, and the growing feeling of being bitten by fire ants that being separated from her was causing his body.
"It will get easier to deal with," Braith said from beside him.
"What will?" he asked absently.
Braith turned his attention back to the valley below them. "The discomfort that comes from being separated from her, it never truly eases but you become better able to deal with it."
"Sounds almost like grief in that way."
Braith tilted his head to study him. "I suppose it does, but that's not something I have to tell you about though."
Jack held Braith's unrelenting gaze for a minute. "No you don't. How did you know about Hannah?"
Braith's eyebrows shot into his hairline as he released a harsh bark of laughter. "You think I would miss the signs. You're irritable, overbearing, protective, and though it's mostly faded I can see the bite mark on your neck."
Jack's hand flew to his neck as he scowled at his older brother. "I could say the same to you!"
Braith shrugged. "You could, except I no longer feel the vulnerability that comes from others knowing what Aria and I share. It will take some time but you adjust to it. You've had over nine hundred years to live one way and now some woman has walked in and turned your entire life upside down in the space of a second."
"But it was a good second."
Braith released a low chuckle as he nodded. "That it was."
"I'm sorry I took Aria from you. I wouldn't have done anything differently, I couldn't have, but I am sorry for what I put the two of you through. I've never told you that before. I understand what you had to endure now, why you became so volatile and did what you did after she was gone. I wish I'd never driven you to such extreme measures."
He'd almost forgotten how piercing Braith's gaze could be. "You saved Aria's life, that's all that matters. Plus, you're getting a little bit of payback now."
"I suppose I am. Hannah is going to drive me crazy."
"Yes, she will," Braith confirmed with a chuckle. "But it will be worth it."
"It already is." Jack turned his attention back to the mountains. "Do you think we're gaining on them?"
Braith closed his eyes as he knelt and rested his fingers on the ground. A hundred years of being blind had honed Braith's other senses far more than Jack's, and the senses of the other vampires that they had gathered around them. Jack waited impatiently for Braith's response as his brother rose to his full height and opened his eyes.
"This way," he directed and nodded to the left.
Although they had moved through the night at a ruthless pace that had put them over two hundred miles away from the tavern, no one protested as Braith led them into the woods again. "How is your vision?" Jack asked as he leapt over a boulder and landed noiselessly upon the forest floor.
He dodged a tree and ducked beneath a massive limb as he continued to race through the forest. It had been months since he'd spent hours running through the woods; he'd forgotten how exhilarating it could be, especially with the prospect of what they would find at the end of this run. He couldn't wait to locate Calvin, couldn't wait to rip the man's heart out with his bare hands because that was exactly what he intended to do when he got hold of him again.
Bursting free of the forest, he leapt onto a ten foot high boulder. He ran across it, leapt off the other side and back into the wooded area of the mountainside. The others, unable to keep up with their faster pace fell back, but Jack could hear their footfalls in the distance. "It's fine," Braith answered as they were drawn together again.
"As good as it was when we left the tavern?"
"No, but nowhere near as bad as it would have been a year ago."
"So it has gotten better with the more blood you've exchanged with Aria."
"Yes."
Jack leapt over a fallen log before sprinting into a small creek. His feet slapped through the water as it burst up around him to wet the bottom of his pants. Mud and water skidded up around Braith as he stopped abruptly. "Wait!" Braith commanded.
The water was up to Jack's knees as he slid to a halt beside his brother. "What is it?" he demanded.
Braith turned to look one way down the river and then the other. He took a step forward as his nostrils flared. A cold chill slid down Jack's back as Braith's jaw clenched. "This way," Braith grated out.
Braith leapt out of the river and turned to the left. They followed the winding course of flowing water through the trees. Jack's uneasiness grew as the others fell further behind them but Braith didn't ease in his relentless pursuit. It was a good three miles before Braith pulled up again. He stepped into the river and waded back across it. Kneeling at the river's edge, his fingers slipped into the dirt as his eyes closed again. In the distance, Jack could hear the footsteps of the soldiers as they finally began to catch up.
"What is it?" he asked again. There was a feeling growing inside of him, one in which he felt as if he could rip the trees around him down, tear a man limb from limb and destroy everything around him. If something had been unfortunate enough to come close to him now, he was certain that he would have destroyed it without even a second's hesitation. Something was wrong, he was certain of it. "Braith?" he snarled.
Braith's eyes were red when he finally turned toward Jack. Something inside of Jack ripped free and took hold as rage tore through him with the intensity of lightning tearing through a tree. Even before Braith spoke, he knew what his brother was going to say. "They doubled back."
***
Ellen grabbed Hannah's hand as it flitted back to her hair. "Stop," Ellen commanded. "He'll be fine."
Hannah could barely me
et Ellen's doe brown eyes as she looked nervously toward the window at the back of the building. She could hear the dull thud of the arrows hitting the target that Aria, William, and Daniel had set up behind the building. They'd been out there for hours, she wondered if what they were doing was helping to ease their tension at all. She itched to be able to do something that could ease some of her frustration but the tavern was calm and the sun was still shining. Normally the shutter would be closed over the window, but she couldn't stand the thought of not being able to see out at all, not today.
She'd grown accustomed to having to stay inside over the years and she had gotten over her bitterness at having to be trapped inside when she was a teenager. Today though, she could taste the foul tang of resentment in the back of her throat and no matter what she did she couldn't shake it. It felt as if her flesh had been peeled back to expose the raw nerve endings beneath as she absently scratched at her skin.
"I hope so," she whispered.
She didn't know what she would do if he didn't come back to her. She'd only known him for a few short weeks but he'd brought her to life in ways that she'd never thought possible, and the idea of something happening to him caused something to wither and die within her. She knew they were still alive and ok though, as at least a dozen more of Braith's troops had arrived in town an hour ago.
The dull thud of footsteps on the back porch caused her to retreat a few steps before the door opened. William stepped aside to allow Aria and Daniel to enter first. In the distance, she could see the sun dipping closer to the horizon. In a few more hours she could escape the confines of the tavern, but she wasn't sure she wouldn't tear her hair out by then as Ellen smacked her hand back down again. The lack of sleep wasn't helping either, but the idea of lying down alone in that bed after everything that had transpired between them yesterday made her feel like crying.
Aria stomped her shoes before swinging her bow off her shoulder and dropping it on the floor. "These two insisted upon eating," she said with a backward nod at her brothers.
"Not all of us are able to be sustained by blood," Daniel retorted.
"Only Braith's blood though," she said.
"Really?" Hannah blurted before she could stop herself.
Aria shrugged as she dropped into a chair. "I was human before. Braith's blood is the only blood I've ever known."
Hannah could almost forget that Aria had once been human, until she said something like that. She hadn't thought about only being sustained by Jack's blood, but with the way it made her feel she knew that it would be enough to keep her alive and that she would be satisfied by it. Though she would be happy to have him supply most of her blood for her, she didn't like the idea of not having other options available to her and knew he wouldn't be her only source. But then, she'd grown up on all different types of blood.
Aria dropped her chin in her hand and began to tap her fingers on the table. "Stop it," William said and slapped at her hand. "We'll go back out as soon as we get something to eat."
"I can fix you something," Hannah eagerly volunteered. She'd already chopped enough vegetables for the rest of the week, prepped all of the meat for the dinner rush and started the stew. "There is some steak or stew."
"Stew is fine," Daniel said as he pulled out the chair next to Aria. "For both of us."
Steam drifted up from the pot of stew as Hannah stirred it slowly. Though it did nothing to awaken her appetite, the aroma coming from it was pleasant enough. She pulled the ladle from the pot and poured it into two bowls that she placed before William and Daniel.
"What smells so good?" Timber inquired as he pushed through the kitchen door from the tavern. She poured two more ladles into a bowl before handing it over to him. "Thank you."
Hannah winced as he plopped into one of the chairs. She counted the seconds as she waited for it to fall apart, but it miraculously remained intact beneath his massive frame. Aria bounced to her feet and paced over to the backdoor. Hannah watched as she peeled back the curtain to peer outside.
"They won't be back already," William said as he blew on his stew.
"I'll know when he's coming back," Aria whispered, but even still her hand remained pressed against the glass.
Hannah turned away as the door to the kitchen swung open again and Lucas poked his head inside. "Smells like you did all my work for me," he said.
"Most of it," Hannah admitted.
He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest. "Thanks. You ok?"
She managed to give him a small smile but the clawing sensation in her chest wasn't easing any and she couldn't get herself to stay still for more than ten seconds at a time. Unable to remain in the kitchen, she brushed past Lucas and into the main restaurant. Some patrons were beginning to fill the chairs, the clatter of dice rattled across the scarred table surfaces, but it was still too quiet for her liking.
Uncle Abe entered through the front door and gave her a brief nod as he shrugged out of his cloak and hung it on the coat rack. Heath was right behind him and tossed his own cloak onto the rack too. The young boy smiled and waved to her before scurrying toward the kitchen. She gave him a smile in return as she turned to watch him go.
"How are you doing Hannah?" Uncle Abe inquired. His wrinkled face broke into a broad grin as he squeezed her hands.
"I'm ok Uncle Abe," she assured him. "How is Heath doing at the house?"
"Really good, he seems to have settled in well."
"Has he told you anything about his parents?"
"He never knew his father, his mother died last year."
"That's awful," she muttered as he turned her around and began to walk with her toward the kitchen door.
"He'll be fine, he's happy here. It's a shame about Turner."
Word had spread fast through the small town already. "It is." She squeezed his hands as he pushed the kitchen door open for her. The others glanced up at them but quickly returned to eating their stew. The distant sound of Ellen's new tambourine began to drift from the front room. Despite her lingering tension, Hannah found some of her apprehension fading away as a small sense of normalcy returned to her day.
"Would anyone like something to drink?" she inquired.
William and Daniel were too busy chewing to speak but they both raised their hands. "I'd love a drink," Timber said.
Hannah grabbed three mugs and began to fill them from the beer tap as she listened to Ellen's tambourine. "I'll take those for you." Hannah turned as Ellen appeared at her side and reached out for Timber's mug. Hannah froze, her hand clenched on the mug so violently that it shattered within her grasp. Ellen released a startled cry and jumped back as beer exploded all over her. "Hannah!"
"Bells," Hannah whispered.
Ellen frowned as her gaze drifted up to her face. "I don't hear anything…"
Her hearing was better, Jack had said it would be. "I hear them," Aria said. "But what do bells have to do with anything?"
Hannah turned away from Ellen and raced into the front room, she froze a few feet away from the door. No matter how badly she wanted to go out there, she couldn't. "Stay here," William said as he brushed by her. Though she hadn't seen him before this moment, Xavier materialized from the shadows and followed William out the door.
"What do bells mean?" Aria demanded as she appeared beside Hannah.
"Calvin's horse always has bells on it," Hannah answered.
"He would have left his horse behind when he ran though," Ellen said.
Hannah had to force herself to swallow as her throat felt like it had become the size of a pinhole. "Calvin has always liked to make an entrance," she managed to get out. "If he's come back, he would do so on a horse."
Aria shot her a look before becoming nearly a blur as she raced out the door. Hannah took an instinctive step back as sun flooded through the doorway. The handful of patrons within the tavern rose to their feet, some approached the door while others moved further away. William reappeared in the door followed by Aria and Xa
vier.
William charged across the room and grasped hold of her elbow. "We have to get you out of here."
"I can't," she whispered as her gaze drifted toward the doorway. "I can't."
William looked about to argue with her, but his eyes widened and his mouth dropped as realization set in. "Shit!" he hissed and spun toward the door.
"I'll get your bow William!" Aria shouted as she raced past them to the kitchen. "Daniel go out the backdoor and find the soldiers, Timber and Abe go with him and take the boy."
William thrust something into Hannah's hand. Instinct almost caused her to drop the stake but she curled her hand around it before that could happen. "How many of them are there?" she asked nervously.
"Thirty to forty, it was difficult to get a good look though. Timber, Daniel, have some of the soldiers go across the street. I have a feeling Calvin's central focus is going to be on this building. If we can surround his men we'll have a better chance," William ordered.
Timber nodded and turned quickly to leave with Daniel leading the way. They passed Aria as she reemerged from the kitchen with her and William's weapons. A growing sense of dread filled Hannah as more of the patrons moved away from the entry. Xavier stepped inside the building and closed the door. Xavier's eyes landed upon Hannah and the stake clutched awkwardly in her hand before moving on to Lucas and Ellen beside her. Though she knew that she and Lucas were inadequately prepared for what was about to come through that door, Ellen's lack of strength and speed made her far more vulnerable.
"You should go," Hannah said as she turned toward her friend. "You can slip out the back Ellen; you don't have to be here for this."
Ellen frowned fiercely at her as she shook her head. "I'm not leaving you guys here."
"Ellen…"
"I'm staying Hannah and that is final."
That wasn't what she had hoped to hear but there was little time to argue with her friend as the ringing of the bells came to a stop. Hannah listened to the footsteps that sounded over the porch. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she braced herself for men to come rushing in at them, but no one appeared in the doorway. Aria and William raised their bows as the footsteps moved past the door again.