Arianna curled against his chest, her hand fisted in his shirt as she slept soundly within his grasp. Braith had hoped that they would be at their destination by now, but the fight with the other vampires, and the tending of her wounds, had put them behind schedule. Night had fallen again and she was exhausted and beaten. His blood would help her to heal faster, but she still moaned every once in awhile, and her face was still scrunched with pain.
He watched her as he moved; awed by the fact that he could even see her; surprised by the fact that he hadn't found her beautiful at first. Yes, she was thinner than he liked, and he had always preferred fairer hair color, and a more refined beauty. But her features, though sharpened by her thinness, were alluring and innocent, and yet possessed a strength of character that was entirely captivating.
They certainly captivated him anyway. He couldn't take his eyes away from her full mouth, slightly pointed nose, and dark eyelashes as they curled against the scattered freckles on her cheeks. When she had been in the palace, out of the rays of the sun, those freckles had almost disappeared completely.
She stirred, her eyelids fluttered open. Her sapphire eyes blazed up at him, an impish smile curved her mouth as she cuddled closer to him. That smile was rare, yet dazzling and devastatingly beautiful. He knew that she had been upset and horrified by what she had witnessed earlier, but she hadn't held it against him, or blamed him for his dark nature. She hadn't turned away from him or turned him away.
"We're almost there," he told her.
She winced as her bad shoulder was jarred. Fury surged through him but he buried it before she could see or sense it. She'd seen enough mayhem today without needing to see anymore from him right now. She stared around the forest, her delicate forehead furrowed in confusion. It didn't look as if the woods were going to end, but they would soon.
"I can walk," she murmured.
"That's ok."
She turned back toward him, her dark eyebrows drawn firmly together. "Your arms must be tired."
"I'm fine Arianna; you weigh as much as a feather."
Displeasure flashed across her face. He bent over her to press a kiss on her nose, hoping to ease her irritation with him. "Are we going to be safe?"
He wished that he could tell her that, yes, they would be. He longed to be able to give her that much, but he couldn't. She had never known safety, had never known a place to call home where she could feel secure, and one day he would give her that, but unfortunately it wouldn't be today. It probably wouldn't be for a long time. Sadness crept into her eyes, she leaned her head against his chest.
"We'll stay together, right?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes."
"That's all that matters then."
His hands clenched around her, he would try to give her the moon if she asked for it, but she had never asked much from him. She didn't require money and jewels, didn't like fancy clothes; she simply desired safety, a place to call home, and him. Unfortunately he didn't have the ability to give her those things right now. One day he would, he promised himself that. The woods gave way, opening onto a house stood within the center of the clearing. The light blazing from the windows illuminated the ground around it.
Arianna's eyes were full of admiration, her hands curled in his shirt as she gazed at the house. It was on stilts, high up in the air, and parts of it were actually built into the trees surrounding the clearing. The sides were all clapboard, though parts of it looked far more weathered than others. The house had been built up since the last time Braith had seen it; it seemed to disappear into the woods behind it now, spreading outward in a ramble of buildings and rooms.
Someone had been busy.
"Wow," Arianna breathed. She wiggled in his arms, and this time he allowed her to drop to her feet. Her rosebud mouth formed a small O as she drank in the sight of the tree house before them. She was most comfortable amongst the trees; this was something spectacular and marvelous to her. "What is this place?"
Braith stared at the growing ensemble of buildings and hallways connecting them. "It belonged to my mother's family originally."
She turned toward him, her gaze questioning. "And now?"
"And now it belongs to my brother in law." Arianna's mouth dropped as she turned back to the tree house.
"Where is your sister?" she inquired.
"You met Natasha when you first arrived in the palace. She didn't leave the palace when Ashby was placed here."
"Not even for her husband?"
Braith slipped his hand into Arianna's, pulling her closer to him. "Not all relationships are like this Arianna, not everyone chooses their partner. Natasha and Ashby were forced together by their families. Natasha is spoiled, rich, and well accustomed to the lap of luxury. Even if she had come to care for Ashby in their time together, she would never leave that behind for him. She wouldn't leave it behind for anyone."
"You left it for me," she managed in a choked voice.
He nodded as he stroked her cheek briefly. "I'd do anything for you." A single tear slipped free. He brushed it away before bending to kiss her.
"Why was Ashby put here?" she asked, her voice choked with emotion.
Braith focused on the ramshackle buildings of the tree house. "During the war with the humans Ashby's family took the side of the humans. As punishment they were all slaughtered, but Ashby was sent to live in exile here, where he was to stay alone, and starving. Though it appears he decided to add even more buildings to the original structure."
"Why was he kept alive?"
"My father felt that this would be a better punishment for him. No luxury, no ready human blood, and no women. Ashby was well known for his love of women and blood. All people, and vampires within the area, were ordered to stay away. There used to be guards here, but they seem to have disappeared, and I have a feeling Ashby is not as weak and deprived as my father had intended. At one time the guards had reported that he was so famished and decimated that he was incapable of movement." Apprehension flashed over Arianna's face, she glanced sharply back at the buildings. "I won't let him anywhere near you Arianna."
She nodded but still looked nervous. "Why wouldn't they come here to look for you, if it was your mother's home?"
A shadow passed across one of the curtained windows as it moved across the room. Braith stiffened as he watched Ashby walk through the house. His gate, and purposeful stride, proved what Braith had already suspected. Ashby was no longer too weak to be a threat. "Because Ashby is the reason I was blinded."
Arianna inhaled sharply, her eyes bright in the radiance of the moon. "Braith…"
He took hold of her hand and brought her closer to him. Pulling her hair forward, he draped its thick waves around her neck, trying to mask the scent of her blood, though the sweet smell was impossible to miss. There was little to cover her with though as the summer months didn't allow for much extra clothing. Though it appeared that Ashby had been feeding, Braith didn't know how well, or the last time. Arianna was a temptation that he wasn't sure Ashby wouldn't go after. And Braith didn't want to have to kill him, at least not immediately.
"Come."
She followed behind him, both of her hands clasped around his as a tremor ran through her. He led her up a set of rickety steps, clenching his jaw as the creaking of them made it nearly impossible to keep their presence unknown. The stairs swayed as they stepped off them and onto a wobbly deck that he wasn't entirely certain would hold up beneath their weights. He wouldn't have been surprised if Ashby had set up booby traps. When Arianna tried to walk beside him, he pushed her back with an admonishment to walk only where he had. She frowned fiercely at him, but for once didn't argue.
Braith wondered again where the guards were. He should have left Arianna in the woods, but even if he couldn't sense the guards, that didn't mean they weren't still out there. He couldn't take that chance with her life. He held his arm out, keeping her behind him as he tried the knob. He wasn't surprised to find it locked.
He waited for a moment, trying t
o decide if he should break in, or knock. He glanced back at Arianna, she was biting her bottom her lip, and sweat had begun to form along her hairline. He squeezed her hand for reassurance, but he could tell it did little to appease her.
In the end, he decided to knock. There was something about this situation that he found strange and offsetting, for some reason he felt that knocking might be the bigger element of surprise here.
From inside he could hear the approaching sound of footsteps; a faint whistling pierced the air. Braith was jarred for a moment, thrown back to a time when they had all lived together in the palace. Ashby had always whistled, not a loud piercing whistle, but a melodious rhythm that had drifted cheerfully through the halls. It had been lively and carefree, as upbeat and easygoing as the man that issued it. All of the women had loved Ashby; they had thrown themselves at his feet, enchanted by his good looks, and charming demeanor.
Now that whistle drifted easily through the air, lazy and casual, not at all the sound that a prisoner fighting for their lives should be making. This whistle was happy, easy, and so unbelievably joyful that it set Braith's teeth on edge. The two of them had once been good friends, more than brothers-in-law, but actually brothers. Then Ashby had betrayed them, Braith had been blinded, and their friendship had been forever severed. Ashby was supposed to have been punished for that betrayal, but it was more than obvious that he was not serving that punishment anymore.
The door was flung open and Braith came face to face with the man who had once been his best friend, and was now one of his greatest enemies. Ashby was grinning stupidly; his eyes were bright with merriment before reality began to sink in. He looked much as Braith remembered; he had not wasted away, did not appear starved, and in fact appeared to be a little heavier than he had been in the palace.
Then, Ashby's grin faded as disbelief, alarm, and finally terror flitted over his face. Braith was moving forward even as Ashby was trying to slam the door shut. The solid wood bounced off of his hand, slamming back against the wall with a loud crash that shattered wood and caused Arianna to gasp loudly. Ashby was scrambling backward, trying to escape when Braith seized him by the throat, lifted him up, and smashed him into the wall with enough force to shatter the plaster.
He hadn't seen Ashby in a hundred years, but the knife of betrayal that stabbed through him was just as fresh and sharp as it had been back then. This had been a bad idea. Braith had come here knowing that no one would look for him here; he had come here thinking that Ashby may still have contacts that would help him keep Arianna safe. He had come here expecting Ashby to be paying for his sins, not thoroughly enjoying his life.
The full force of his hatred for Ashby was slamming rapidly through him, and all of his reasons for being here vanished in an instant.
Now he just wanted to kill him. Ashby's bright green eyes filled with terror, his hands clawed at Braith's arm, trying to dislodge Braith's brutal grip. His heels kicked against the wall as a choked grunt escaped him. Braith's fangs were fully extended; he pressed his face closer to Ashby's, enjoying the growing fear radiating from him.
"Hello brother," Braith sneered.
Ashby choked, his movements became wilder as Braith pressed down remorselessly. "Braith." Arianna's stunned whisper barely pierced through the red haze of his fury. He turned toward her, trying to make her out through the cloud that blurred his vision. "Braith."
Braith clenched down more forcefully and then he eased his grip. Arianna knew exactly what he was capable of, but he couldn't bring himself to kill in cold blood in front of her. He may kill Ashby later, but he would require more of an excuse than the fact that his ex brother-in-law had opened the door. He shoved Ashby roughly back as he stepped away from him.
Ashby's hand went to his throat; he staggered away from the wall, his gaze hooded as he stared at Braith. Arianna stood back, her hands clenched on the bow at her side. He hadn't realized she had pulled it out until now, and she wasn't going to put it away if the stubborn set of her jaw meant anything. She stared defiantly back at him for a moment before her angry gaze slid to Ashby.
Ashby's forehead was furrowed as his attention drifted to Arianna. Then, his gaze slid over her, raking her from head to toe. The confusion in his bright green eyes was apparent as he turned back to Braith. "Where are the guards?" Braith inquired his voice low and ferocious.
Ashby swallowed, he rubbed his throat again, but he didn't speak. Braith grabbed hold of his shoulders, slamming him off the wall as he shook him roughly. Ashby staggered but quickly caught his balance again. His lips curled into a sneer, his fangs extended but he didn't come at Braith, he was too smart for that. Braith was older, stronger, and well sated.
"Where are the guards?" he demanded again.
Ashby straightened his shoulders, fixing his shirt as he stepped away from the wall. He had always been meticulously dressed and groomed. "Dead." Braith nodded as he glanced around the large room, he had already expected that answer.
His mother's family had once had the home finely appointed with classical furniture, and works of art. All of those things had been stripped from the house when Ashby had been banished here. Now, though the room was still fairly bare, Braith was not surprised to see that Ashby had managed to find a few nicer things to decorate it with. Ashby had always appreciated the finer things in life; he would find a way to incorporate them into his home.
"Who speaks with the guards from the palace when they call?"
"I do."
"So you discovered the code word, and killed them."
It had not been a question, but Ashby answered anyway. "Yes."
"When will someone from the palace be getting into contact again?"
"Not until tomorrow morning. They checked in about an hour ago. I won't tell you the password." Braith hadn't thought he would. Ashby would stay alive for as long as it was necessary. When Ashby's gaze slid back toward Arianna he stepped in between them. "She's human."
"Very astute of you," Braith retorted.
Ashby's eyes narrowed on Braith. "Why are you here Braith? What are you doing with a human? Why is she not wearing a leash?"
Arianna bristled as she stepped forward. "I am not a blood slave."
"Arianna." Braith pushed her back, trying to keep her as far from Ashby as possible.
Ashby was studying her in surprise and disbelief. Then his gaze drifted down to her shoulder. Her loose shirt had slid down to reveal the marks that marred her porcelain skin. Hunger flashed through his eyes, but something even more flitted across his features. "You're not a blood slave, and you're not a palace woman, yet you nurture him?"
Arianna's hands twitched upon her bow. Braith wouldn't put it past her to draw an arrow and shoot him just to make herself feel better. He pulled the collar of her shirt up, stroking her skin for a brief moment before he covered the marks. Her eyes fired with love, a smile curved her mouth.
"How did you know her shirt was down?" Braith turned back to Ashby, a small smile curved his lips. Ashby's mouth dropped, his eyes widened as realization staggered him. "You can see!" Braith just shrugged in response. "What? How? I don't understand." Ashby's attention turned back to Arianna, his dark blond hair spilled across his forehead as he shook his head. "I thought your eyesight was gone for good."
"Do you have a place where she can lie down?" Braith inquired, unwilling to even begin to ease some of Ashby's curiosity and questions.
"I'm not leaving you," Arianna protested.
"You're exhausted."
"I'm fine Braith."
"Arianna…"
"No, I am not leaving you alone with him!" she retorted sharply.
"What the hell," Ashby whispered as his head bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball between them.
"Shut up!" Braith snapped at him. "Arianna…"
"I'm fine Braith, really. I slept on the way here, remember. I don't want to leave you alone, or be alone right now." Her response was so honest, so vulnerable that it tugged at his heart. He didn't l
ike her anywhere near Ashby, but he couldn't force her away. Especially not now that he realized beneath her defiant expression and posture, she was terrified.
"Sit down."
He wasn't surprised when she didn't move but simply stood immobile with her hands clenched around the bow. "Jesus," Ashby muttered. "What is going on Braith? Why are you here? And what is she to you!?"
"That's not your concern," Braith informed him. "Who were you expecting?"
"I don't know what you mean," Ashby replied, trying to appear nonchalant but failing miserably.
"You were whistling when you opened the door, you weren't worried that there may be a threat on the other side. Who were you expecting?"
Ashby tilted his chin to glare at Braith. "You have your secrets and I have mine," he responded crisply.
"I have my secrets but I can, and will, tear your eyes out." Braith pushed him back, pressing him firmly against the wall. "I already owe you one Ashby; you think I won't take great pleasure in blinding you before drawing your death out."
Ashby turned toward Arianna, his brows quirked upward. "She doesn't look too pleased by that notion."
"I don't have to watch," Arianna informed him tautly.
Braith gave her an approving nod before turning his attention back to Ashby. The knock on the door snapped all of their heads around. Ashby opened his mouth to shout a warning, but Braith seized hold of his throat, cutting his cry swiftly off. Before Ashby could react Braith delivered a crushing blow that immediately knocked him out. Arianna was gaping at him, her eyes dazed with astonishment. He placed his finger to his lip, directing her to remain silent as he made his way toward the door. He heard the arrow being knocked back against the bow, but he didn't look back.
He pulled aside the curtain a little. He couldn't see who was on the porch, but he was satisfied that it was only one person. He threw the door open, not at all surprised to see a girl standing outside. She was, however, surprised to see him. A small cry escaped her as Braith seized hold of her arm and jerked her into the house.
- CHAPTER 12 -