- CHAPTER 10 -
Aria clung to Braith, burying her head against his back as he carried her through the forest. She was exhausted, her feet throbbed, and all she wanted was to curl up and go to sleep, but Braith insisted that they keep moving, that they get as far from the caves, and that area of the woods, as possible. The moon lit a trail across the forest floor as it crept steadily higher into the night sky.
Though she tried, she was unable to suppress a yawn as she fought against the pull of sleep. She hadn't slept well since she'd last seen him, and now that she was with him again, she knew that she would sleep peacefully and soundly, and she couldn't wait for it. He stopped suddenly, tilting his head back as he studied the night sky. He let her down and placed her onto her feet.
"You have to rest," he said.
She nodded as she pushed back the thick waves of hair that fell across her face. He pulled off his coat and laid it upon the ground. "I wish I could do something more."
Aria managed a small smile for him. "I'm used to sleeping on the ground. Don't worry."
Resignation settled over his features before he unhurriedly came back to her. "Hopefully not for much longer."
"I like the woods. It's where I belong."
He grinned at her, kissing her again. "Yes, it is. But you also like beds."
"I do," she agreed. "And I love showers." He chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped back. "Where are we going Braith?"
He knelt beside the coat as he held his hand out to her. She took it and settled down beside him. "There's a place I know where we should be safe."
"And where is this place?"
"About fifty miles from here. I will get us there tomorrow."
"And Jack will know where we are?"
"Yes."
She watched him as he rose to his feet and began to move around the woods. "What is going to happen Braith?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"Are you going to return to the palace?"
He stopped walking as he turned back toward her. "I will not be able to return again Arianna."
Her hands clenched upon her legs as she stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. "It is your family Braith, your heritage."
He was immobile, his jaw locked as he watched the woods behind her. Then, ever so slowly, his gaze came back to her. "You are my family now," he said forcefully. "And I will make sure you stay safe."
A startled breath escaped her as tears sprang to her eyes. "Braith," she breathed.
He was back before her in a heartbeat; his hand entwined in her hair, his mouth was supple yet firm against hers. Her toes curled as his kiss sent waves of heat and yearning crashing through her body. She was trembling, shaking as she hugged him. She lost herself to his incredible touch, scent, and feel. His presence was overwhelming, and yet so blissfully soothing. His hands were caressing as they slid over her, pushing aside her clothes to brush over her skin.
Aria's trembling increased; she was inundated with swirling emotions. Her mind and body were spinning as he pushed her onto the coat, his hard body pressing against hers as he came down on top of her. Aria clutched at him, needing something solid in this spiraling, out of control world. The muscles in his arms were shaking as he enveloped her. She could feel his fangs against her mouth, pressing against her as his excitement grew.
Her fingers entwined in his hair, she held him tighter, fighting back the tears of love and joy that burned her eyes. His fingers brushed over her cheeks as he pulled back from her. "Arianna…"
"I love you," she whispered, her fingers skimming over his extended fangs.
His eyes sparked brightly, hunger blazed within his gaze. His lips pressed against hers again, but the driving hunger had left his kiss and had been replaced with a gentleness that left her breathless. She stroked him, guiding his head toward what he desired most right now, her blood.
His mouth skimmed over her skin briefly before he bit down. Aria's hands clenched upon his arms, a low moan escaped her as she felt the tantalizing pull of blood being drawn from her. She closed her eyes, savoring in the delightful feel of him feeding from her, taking nutrition from her body. She drifted in the bliss that rushed over her, consuming her within its cocoon of happiness and awe.
He pulled back from her; his lips were warm against her skin. She was half asleep, drifting in a world of bliss and happiness when he offered her his wrist, allowing her to feed from him and take nourishment and joy from his body also.
***
Aria's gaze darted rapidly over the buildings as Braith led her down the broken streets of the town. It was a poor town; that much was obvious by the rundown buildings and overly thin animals lurking within the shadows. Braith kept firm hold of her hand as he led her forward. From behind some of the windows she could see people peering out at them, but no one came forth, and the curtains were quickly dropped back into place when she glanced their way.
"What town is this?" she inquired.
Braith shook his head. "I don't know."
He led her down another street, this one containing stores. There were a few people moving about in this area, hurrying from one place to another without stopping to talk to each other. They seemed terrified, beaten, broken by whatever events life had thrown at them. They were the saddest, most heart wrenching people she had ever seen.
"Braith…" He pulled her closer against him as his stride quickened a little more. "These people…"
"Broken."
Aria shuddered at the word, but it was the most appropriate way to describe the lost souls wandering the streets. They turned another corner, hurrying forward as they slipped past houses that were even more worn down by time and poverty. There was a lump of distress in her throat. The towns closer to the palace fared much better than this forgotten wasteland. Here, they seemed to have nothing. There, though they were poor, there were more opportunities for employment, and more money was tossed around by the wealthy residents within the palace towns.
She fought back tears as a young boy darted out of an alleyway. His clothes were no more than rags, cloth was wrapped around his feet for shoes, and he was so dirty that she couldn't discern the true color of his hair. Braith tugged her back as she took a step toward the child, feeling as if she had to do something, but having no idea what she was supposed to do. The boy stopped to stare at her, his eyes gleamed dangerously as he took her in.
"Keep moving Arianna," Braith urged tensely.
"There has to be something…"
"They are not human."
Aria's mouth dropped as she spun toward him. "What?" she gasped.
"They are vampires."
Unease shot through her as she took a step closer to him, pressing against his well muscled body. Her heart hammered, her breath became labored as she wildly glanced around the decrepit streets. She hadn't known that there were vampires that lived like this, and that some vampires had as little as she did within the forest. She'd thought that they were all wealthy, that they all enjoyed the luxurious life that the palace had presented. But these vampires had so very little, and they were starving.
And she appeared to be the only morsel of food around.
"Are they going to come after us?"
"Not if they would like to live."
A chill crept down Aria's spine as he growled the words. He pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her waist as he held her. They turned another corner; the houses became sparser as the woods began to creep in on them again. Aria glanced over her shoulder, alarmed, and not at all surprised to see that they had attracted a small following. "They're following us," she breathed in horror.
"I know." She swallowed nervously, trying to keep herself under control as her heart thumped and pounded with renewed intensity. It was her that they were coming for, but they would kill Braith to get at her. "It's why William couldn't come with us. I couldn't protect you both." She managed a small nod as she bit nervously on her bottom lip. "They won't get anywhere near you Arianna."
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"And you?" she whispered.
He shot her a small, arrogant grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Impossible."
Aria attempted to take solace in his answer, but there were even more of them back there now. She was grateful for the reassuring weight of her arrows on her back, but she wasn't sure that she had enough in her quiver to even make a dent in the growing population behind them. "Keep your eyes forward," Braith instructed.
She turned back around, her fingers twitched to grasp hold of her bow. "What are we going to do?"
They rounded another corner, the woods pressed closer to them. "You know that tree thing you can do?" Aria nodded. "Why don't you scurry on up there now?"
"I'm not leaving you down here alone!" she protested.
"I'll be fine, Arianna. You have to get up there."
"Braith…"
"Go Arianna, now!" It was the harshest he'd spoken to her in awhile and it left her stunned. Her heart leapt and her mouth went dry as she glanced back at the growing crowd again. Braith was strong, but there were so many of them back there. "Go," he urged, his voice a little kinder.
Aria swallowed heavily, but she didn't refuse him as he nudged her forward. "I'll be fine Arianna, go."
She grasped hold of the first low branch she came across. She threw her arms around the limb, swung her legs over, and maneuvered nimbly up the large oak. She glanced back down at Braith; his head was tilted back as he watched her. She hesitated for a moment, loathe to leave him, but she required a better spot, and a better angle, if she was going to have any hope of taking any of the creatures out with her arrows.
She climbed higher, searching for the branch she could use to attain the next tree. Finding the right one, she ran across the limb. She leapt into the air, feeling a brief moment of elation as the air rushed up around her. Her legs kicked briefly, before she seized hold of the limb of the other tree. Her arms locked around it as she swung easily back into the leafy branches.
Braith moved swiftly across the ground beneath her, keeping his eyes straight as he walked. Aria glanced back as the crowd of fifteen hit the edge of the forest. She had to get the shaking of her hands under control if she was going to continue to make her way through the trees, and not get killed. She darted across another limb, leapt easily into another tree, and then another.
Braith kept pace with her, but the others were gaining on them, and she needed to get a little further ahead. She moved easily, running and leaping until she found a notch in a tree that would be a good place to set up. She pulled an arrow free, placing it easily into her bow. She loved the feeling of power that vibrated up the bow and into her hands. Braith studied her for a moment, shaking his head as he watched her.
She didn't have time to fire the arrow as Braith suddenly launched forward, blurring with speed as he raced at their stalkers. Aria's mouth dropped as he grasped hold of the first one and slammed him into the ground. She was astounded, momentarily dazed by his display of speed and overwhelming power. A muddled squeal escaped his victim, but it was short lived as the victim's throat was crushed beneath the strength of his hand. Three others launched themselves at Braith.
Pushing aside leaves with the tip of her arrow, she took aim at one of the creatures clawing at Braith's back. The arrow released with a distinct twang, it flew straight through the air, striking its target in the back.
The vampire fell off of Braith, squealing as it clawed at its back and squirmed and withered upon the ground. Five pairs of red eyes swung her way as she drew their attention to her location within the tree. She had no fear that they would be able to get her out of the tree; they would have to catch her first in order to do so. Her main concern remained centered upon Braith. Aria quickly drew another arrow, notching it in the bow as she took aim at the next creature that had zeroed in on Braith.
She fired again, this time her arrow flew straight into the creature's heart. It wheeled back, howling as it fell upon the ground and kicked savagely in its death throes. Four of the vampires ran off, fleeing back toward town. Three others became aroused by the scent of blood. Aria recoiled, nausea twisted through her as they fell upon the one she had killed with savage maliciousness.
Braith used their distraction to destroy two more of them, tearing their heads from their bodies before turning his attention to the three now feasting upon their friend. She didn't know what to do as he stalked toward them, bloodlust evident in the stiff set of his shoulders. Aria turned away, unable to watch as he attacked the creatures. She fought the urge to block her ears and flee through the trees in order to escape this atrocity she was trapped in.
She did none of those things as she remained frozen within the tree, shaking with the distress that clung to her. A sharp tug on her foot caught her off guard, nearly ripping her from the tree. She scrambled for purchase; her fingers sought some grip upon the durable limb. Her arm hooked over the branch, just barely saving her from plummeting out of the tree. She was wheezing for breath and terrified, but she managed to gather her wits enough to look down at what had nearly caused her freefall.
A vampire stared back at her, its fangs extended, its eyes red with murderous intent. Aria's jaw almost hit the ground, she had been so upset by the carnage before her that she had missed this approaching threat. It was foolish, stupid, and she was paying for it now as his hand grasped her boot.
Aria swung her other arm up as she attempted to get into a better position in the tree. It jerked down hard on her again, knocking her newly acquired grasp off of the limb. A small gasp of pain escaped her as her hooked arm took the brunt of the violent jerk. She kicked out, trying to knock the creatures grip upon her free, but it refused to relinquish her as its hand slithered up to her ankle. It was surprisingly strong, even in its emaciated state. Or maybe it was starvation that drove it to such levels of strength.
Her arm was aching, her armpit was rubbed raw. Her shoulder felt as if it were going to tear from its socket. She was barely clinging on, barely remaining within the branches of the tree. She kicked out again, trying to knock the creature free as it ripped on her again. A tortured cry escaped from her, a wrenching agony tore through her shoulder as a loud pop filled the air. She couldn't feel her arm as it released its hold upon the limb.
The creature was still holding onto her ankle as she free fell into the air for a few feet. Its grasp kept her in the tree, but it didn't keep her from slamming off of another branch. Her back screamed in protest, the wind was knocked from her. She barely managed to get her good arm up in order to protect her head from the impact of the tree trunk. She was able to twist around and shove herself off the limb as the vampire scrambled to get a better hold on her by moving up her calf. She kicked out, catching the thing beneath its chin, snapping its head back as it hissed and lunged at her as she hung upside down. She kicked out again, knocking it back further. She swung out with her good hand, the full force of her wrath behind the punch. Bone splintered, blood splattered over her as its nose shattered with a loud crack.
The creature howled. It instinctively released her as it grasped hold of its twisted nose. A startled cry escaped her as she freefell into nothing. She struggled to reclaim some hold upon the tree, but it was too late. She tried to keep herself straight, hoping to avoid as many of the branches as possible in her plummet, but they slapped and tore at her.
She heard Braith shout her name, but she couldn't respond to him as she was batted and bounced rapidly back and forth. The branches mercifully gave way as she plummeted toward the ground. Arms encircled her, sheltering her from hitting the ground as Braith took the impact of her body upon himself. A cry of suffering escaped her as he embraced her against his chest.
His hands pushed her tangled hair back from her as he tried to get a look at her. "Arianna," he whispered frantically. "Arianna?"
She took a deep breath, wincing as her bruised body protested the movement. She took a moment to assess the damage that had been done to her. Eventually she was satisfied that though sh
e was wounded, she would heal eventually. "I'm ok," she told him, clenching her teeth as even that small movement caused tenderness to flare through her chest.
"Look at me."
She inhaled a small breath as she forced her eyes open. She blinked in surprise, uncertain about the emotions that surged through her. His much loved eyes were intense, terrified, and a livid shade of red. She didn't know what to make of this stark reminder of what he was, what he was capable of, even if it was all because of her. His gaze searched her face, running rapidly over her, trying to reassure himself that she was, in fact, alright.
Then, his gaze rose to the tree, and the amount of rage that radiated out of him shook her to the marrow of her bones. She didn't look back up at the creature in the tree. He may still be alive right now, but he was as good as dead.
He bit into his wrist, holding his arm out to her as his blood trickled forth. "It will help you heal faster," he informed her.
She hesitated for a brief moment, there had been enough blood today, but she couldn't refuse him. Not when every part of her hurt and not when he was looking at her with that pleading expression. She took his wrist and pressed it against her mouth. His blood was sweet, delicious, and healing as it seeped into her system, flowed through her bruised muscles and dislocated shoulder. When he seemed to think she'd had enough he pulled his wrist away from her. His lips were soft upon her forehead as he released her. "Keep your eyes closed Arianna."
"Braith," she whispered, fighting the chills and tears that burned her eyes.
"Just keep your eyes closed, it will be over quickly."
She closed her eyes, unable to resist obeying him. She forced herself to remain calm as she tried, and failed, to block out the sounds of the ensuing slaughter.
- CHAPTER 11 -