"I was in even before we went after those creatures," Calista said. "I want my homeland back. We've established a good system here, but I'm sick of dust and heat and sand. I assume that those of us who join with you will also be rewarded."
"Your wealth will be returned to you. The Council will be established as the ruling body again, you will be returned to your seats upon it, you will have equal say within it and the majority will rule," Braith assured them.
"Even the humans?" Frank inquired.
Braith nodded. "What you have established here will be the model that the new rule will be based upon. Humans will rule with us, vampires and humans that do not follow the rules will be punished accordingly."
"And blood slaves?" Frank pressed.
Despite himself Braith felt his gaze flicker to Aria as she shifted uneasily. Though few people in this room knew she had once been his blood slave, it was still a touchy subject with her. "If we are successful, no human will ever be forced to be a blood slave again."
It was only the slight tremor of Aria's chin that hinted at any sign of distress from her. He couldn't take those days away from her, even if he could, he wouldn't. If she'd never been captured, if she'd never been brought to the palace as a slave, he never would have met her. He wouldn't be standing here right now and neither would she. She was in danger now, but her life up to this point had been nothing but danger. He hated it but for the first time he saw things from her perspective, for the first time he understood her total lack of fear toward anything.
She feared nothing because she had lived with the constant threat of death every day of her life, it remained the same now, but there was finally hope for her. Finally there was a light at the end of a tunnel that before had only been dark. She would do anything for that light, anything. She had been trying to tell him this, trying to make him understand that this was a battle she embraced wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, and with a determination that may even exceed his own, but he had been too stubborn to listen. He needed to give her more freedom or he would crush the beautiful spirit he had fallen in love with in the first place.
The thought of losing her was almost enough to drive him to his knees, but he realized he'd rather see her dead than destroyed by his inability to let her be who she was.
He almost took her hand, but thankfully he came to his senses before he did something careless. Her life may not be any more precarious now than it was before, but if he revealed his feelings for her any further, it would be.
He turned forcefully away from her as he focused on Frank once more. "You and David will have a say in how things are run afterward. You will both have seats on The Council to represent your people. If there are other human leaders amongst the rebels I'm sure David will bring them to my attention."
"There aren't any others," William informed him.
"The humans will have the same say as vampires?" Frank persisted.
"Yes, humans will have an equal say," Braith assured him.
"And a leader will also need to be appointed." Gideon's hazel eyes were turbulent as they met his.
"There isn't truly a need for a leader." Braith stared at Gideon, silently warning him to back off.
"There is always a need for a leader. A leader will have to carry out the results of any vote, and they will have to squash any inner squabbling. A leader will be needed to make sure that justice, fair justice is carried out. And everyone, people and vampire alike, will need someone to follow. There is a need for a leader, a strong one that can rule and see over what will be a difficult time of transition for everyone involved. They will be required to put an abrupt end to the uprisings I am sure will follow this overthrow, and to make sure that all traitorous persons are hunted down and dealt with appropriately.
"There is a need for a leader if what you envision, what we all envision, is to be successful. We will need the strongest among us to carry out this vision. Someone who is just and not simply seeking power, someone who knows how government and politics works, someone that is recognizable to everyone, as there are many of us that would not be known among the humans anymore. "
Braith was silent, astounded by the fervor of Gideon's speech, frightened by the sway he felt in those words. Aria gazed at Gideon for a long moment before turning to Braith. It was the pride gleaming from the bright depths of her beautiful eyes that caused his gut to clench. He knew what she expected of him, but if he rose to power she would never be accepted, never be welcomed at his side.
He would give up anything for this cause, except for her.
Beside her, William looked just as amazed as she did. His gaze moved from Gideon to Braith and then finally to his sister. An almost painful look crossed his face before he turned away.
"We should select a new leader, a new king so to speak, here, now, amongst the leaders that our people have elected to speak for them."
"Not all of them are here," Braith reminded them, unable to keep the aggravation from his voice as Gideon tried to railroad him.
"Either I, or William, can vote for our father, for now," Aria amended quickly. "I'm sure he would trust our judgment, and if he doesn't then he can have his say when we reunite."
He wanted to tell her no, that there would be no vote now, but the others were already nodding their agreement. A cold chill swept down his spine. He was not a coward, he had never shirked his responsibilities but he did not want this. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself though; they had not elected him yet. Gideon had just given a rousing speech that had swayed everyone in the room. After Braith, he was the most elder vampire within this room. They all knew Gideon well, had worked well with him over the past hundred years. All Braith had was his older age, his power, and his pedigree.
"I think that's fair," Xavier said. "They came as representatives for their father after all." His gaze fixated on Braith. "I'm sure he would respect their vote."
"He would," William confirmed.
"Jericho is also an option as a leader," Braith reminded them. "My brother has lived amongst David's rebel faction for the past six years. He is part of the royal bloodline, David's people trust him."
Saul chuckled as he shook his head and spread his hands before him. "I'm sure Jericho has matured greatly over the years Braith, but I do not believe he is up for this responsibility. Nor was he ever groomed for it. We represent our families now because most of our family members are dead. Barnaby's youngest cousin, and my sister, are the only others that survived the war, subsequent slaughter, and exile. Neither of them is prepared to lead, and neither is Jericho."
"That is yet another thing we can discuss when we're all united," Xavier said. "I'm sure that Jericho is not the boy we remember, and if there is to be true equality amongst us than we should consider him. If he wishes to be considered."
"Then we are in agreement, for the most part," Gideon asserted. "We'll vote now. Ashby?"
Ashby was pensive as his eyes flickered briefly between Aria and Braith before his shoulders slumped a little. "Braith started this, he has led us this far, united us, and defeated most of your enemies. He'll see us to the end; he'll take down his father. My vote is with him."
Braith remained silent, unmoving, his body becoming steadily colder as Gideon went through the room. He somehow managed to remain impassive and unflinching every time his name was said. William and Aria were second to last. They spoke briefly with each other before Aria quietly said his name. It was like a stake to his heart, she didn't know what she had just done.
"It seems as if we have had our first unanimous vote." There was no satisfaction in Gideon's tone. In fact he seemed resigned, saddened yet sturdy as he met Braith's gaze. "Will you accept the decision to run the form of government that you would like to see carried out in the future?"
Braith's jaw clenched, his teeth ground as he nodded. "I will."
He left out the words "for now" as he gave his response but they were there and Gideon and Ashby were well aware of it. He would lead them into this war, he
would help to see them established, and then he would disappear with Aria leaving Jack or even Gideon in his place. They may be unsure of his little brother; to a certain degree so was he, but Jack would at the very least be a fair king.
"You have two days to gather your people. We'll move out on the third to rejoin with David."
"How will we find him?" Barnaby inquired.
Aria grinned. "Oh we'll find him."
The sinking feeling in Braith's stomach had nothing to do with his recent election, and everything to do with the unruly air suddenly surrounding her. He'd never inquired how Aria and William would find their father again; he'd simply assumed they had a way of relocating each other after all their years of moving and separating so often. He was beginning to realize he wasn't going to like the answer.
- CHAPTER 10 -
Her forest. She'd missed it so much, the sweet scent that filled her nostrils; the cool shade that hid the heat of the sun. The sounds of the animals were familiar and soothing. The tension in her body eased, her heart beat seemed to slow to match the melodious rhythm of the world around her. A rhythm that enveloped her within its comforting embrace, and held her close as she picked her way through the natural obstacles with the ease of an expert.
An ease that a lot of their group did not exhibit. Though their predatory vampire nature made them stealthier than most, they were not accustomed to the sticks, leaves and fallen debris that littered the forest floor. And they were obvious about it. Aria flinched at every snap of a twig or branch. She was doing a lot of flinching.
Braith finally stopped, his impatience was apparent as he turned to face the massive troops gathered behind them. Though most of the women had remained in The Barrens with the children or the elderly, there were a couple hundred of them mixed in amongst the men and looking just as ferocious and annoyed by their surroundings.
She was leading an army of deadly vampires, humans, and weaponry straight into the heart of her world. Aria swallowed the lump of trepidation that lodged in her throat. What they were doing went against everything she had ever known, ever fought against.
They were on her side, she reminded herself severely, but she still couldn't shake her lingering concerns. She had absolute trust and faith in Braith, in his ability to succeed, she had grown to like Ashby, had forged a small amount of trust in Gideon, and there was something about Xavier that intrigued her. But even so, she didn't really know these vampires, and she sure didn't know the thousands following behind them.
There were too many of them and she knew it. They couldn't continue on like this without being caught. Her people knew these woods, they moved through them with ease but this mass would never make it through unnoticed if they continued to stomp through the woods like a herd of elephants.
Braith seemed to sense this as he turned to her. "How long do you think it will be before you are able to find your father?"
"Stay here."
Braith lurched for her, but she was already scrambling up the closest tree. It was the only way she knew he wasn't going to be able stop her. She imagined it would be amusing to watch him attempt to chase her through the trees, but she doubted she'd ever get the chance. She wasn't at all surprised to see him following her as she leapt, jumped, ran, and swung easily from limb to limb.
Climbing steadily higher, she swiftly made her way up a small hill where she paused to skirt to the top of a large maple. She hoped she was near one of the areas she used to communicate with her father when they were separated, or that he had even moved through this region. There was a chance she'd have to go a couple miles to the west before finding another place that would help her. It could take days before she located one of his markers; she hoped that she would get lucky now.
"Arianna!" Even though the snarl had been low pitched it drifted up to her.
She didn't look down, she didn't have to. She knew his look of displeasure and annoyance well. The thinner branches bowed beneath her weight, but she'd done this since she was a child, she knew exactly how far she could go before the tree wouldn't support her weight. Pausing, she spread her legs, bracing her feet against two branches that bent to the side. Between the two of them she was able to distribute her weight without snapping them as she poked her head over the top of the leaves.
She moved slightly, adjusting so that she could see the forest from different angles. It spread out before her, an endless array of shimmering leaves, deep green conifers, and a spattering of red maple groves that added sporadic color to the landscape. For a brief moment she allowed herself to savor in the view.
Then she spotted it, a small glimmer halfway up a tree about two miles away. Her father didn't climb as high as she did, but he could also navigate the trees well. Smiling with satisfaction and relief, she was about to shimmy back down the tree when something to the right snapped her head around. Eyes narrowing, her hands dropped down to grab the two branches supporting her weight. She brought them sharply together, lifting herself higher and earning an angry hiss from Braith.
She didn't care though. She didn't even care that she was pushing her luck as she scooted another foot higher. Only about a mile away there was a movement in the woods that was not made by any animal, but she couldn't be certain if it was human, or something else, until a break in the trees revealed the group of men. Though they were too far away to discern much about them, they were all wearing the royal colors of the king.
Aria's heart leapt into her throat, panic flashed through her body as two of the men turned to scan the horizon. She didn't move, didn't even breathe. They turned in a complete circle, seemingly oblivious to the brim of her head over the tree as they bent to confer again.
They had more soldiers on their side right now, but if things went wrong, and one of the king's men happened to escape back to the palace, everything they had worked for would be ruined. They needed to stay hidden until Braith decided it was time to make their presence known. But that would be impossible with the herd following them.
With their attention distracted, Aria plunged rapidly out of the tree, dropping from branch to branch until she released the final limb and plummeted toward the ground. She would have been fine if she'd hit the ground, but she didn't mind at all when Braith's arms wrapped around her. He held her for a brief moment, cradling her within his embrace. She allowed herself to relax, to feel the strength of his body beneath her hand before he set her smoothly on her feet.
Ashby was gaping at her, his bright green eyes astonished as he looked from her to the top of the tree. Behind him Gideon and William were watching her anxiously. "Dad?" asked William.
"That way, about two miles there's a marker." Taking a steadying breath, she turned and pointed to the west. "That way about a mile, are the king's men."
Braith's hand stilled in the hollow of her back, his eyebrows drew sharply together over the bridge of his nose as his nostrils flared. "Are you certain?" Gideon asked.
"They're wearing his colors."
"What are we going to do?" Ashby demanded.
"There are caves." William inhaled sharply at her words, his eyes darted uncertainly toward her. She stared hard at her brother, understanding his trepidation and hesitance. But it was too late for that, they had brought these vampires into their world, there was no turning back now. William looked hesitant for a moment more before he nodded. "Less than a mile from here. They're large enough to hold everyone but with so many it will be cramped."
"They're not going to like being forced into those caves." Aria started in surprise as Xavier separated from the shadows of the trees. She hadn't seen him standing there, but Braith seemed to have known as he didn't react to Xavier's sudden appearance. She was even more surprised when Braith didn't remove his hand from her back, didn't separate himself from her. A tremor of trepidation shuddered down her spine as Xavier pinned her with his dark, knowing eyes.
"They knew this wasn't going to be an easy undertaking," Gideon stated. "That there would be sacrifices when we left. This wi
ll be one of those sacrifices. It's painfully obvious that we cannot move them all through here, this hasn't been their environment in a hundred years, and some have never experienced it."
"These caves will be safe?" Braith inquired.
Aria forced herself not to shudder at the thought of the darkness, the confining space, the chill that came with the underground hollows she had grown to hate after nearly being trapped in a separate system with William and Max. "All the cave systems have iron gates, some sort of alarm, and traps in them," William explained. "Though there is no way to know if they have been discovered since we left."
"I don't think we have a choice," Ashby said.
Braith was silent as he pondered the situation. "Neither do I. Gideon and William go back to round them up, try to get them to be a little quieter if it's possible. Don't engage with my father's troops, but if it becomes necessary make sure there are no survivors. Xavier, Ashby, Aria and I will go to the caves and make sure they are safe."
Aria remained silent, she didn't want to go to the caves, didn't want to step foot in them but she had no choice. "Go," Braith commanded. Gideon nodded and slipped silently into the woods with William. "Get us there quickly Aria."
She swallowed heavily and nodded firmly. "Follow me."
***
Braith followed silently behind Aria as she led them with an ease that was fascinating. She was quiet, far more so than Xavier as she moved like a wraith through the trees. She covered the distance to the caves in less than ten minutes. Standing at the edge of the woods he studied the cliff face twenty feet away that appeared entirely impenetrable to him.