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  He felt another presence before he heard or smelled anything. His head dropped, he searched the shadows the best that he could. Then something stepped out from behind the tree and he caught the scent of it.

  “Keegan,” he murmured. He couldn’t clearly see the wolf, but he heard the faint padding of his paws as he made his way toward Braith. Braith had assumed the wolf had found his own pack within the woods, and that he’d never see him again. He dropped to his knees, finding some solace as his fingers slid into Keegan’s thick coat. Pulling Keegan close, he buried his face in Keegan’s fur and embraced his lost friend. Keegan’s tongue was rough as it lapped at Braith’s face. From behind the tree another wolf appeared, followed by four small blurs that rolled over top of one another.

  “Seems you’ve been busy also.”

  Braith turned at the breaking of a stick; Keegan lowered himself as a low growl rose in his throat. Xavier emerged from the shadows, his dark head bent as he moved closer. Braith recognized David’s scent and nimble gate as he picked his way around the boards behind Xavier. “We must speak,” Xavier murmured.

  Braith had been waiting to speak to Xavier, but he wasn’t certain he could take much more right now. If he didn’t like what Xavier had to say, he was fearful he would lose it. “Aria?” He was barely able to get her name out.

  “Yes.”

  “What about her?”

  Xavier’s hands fell to his sides, he moved closer to Braith, almost touching him as he lowered his voice. “I believe she is not what she appears to be. There is more going on here than what you, or I, know.” He turned toward David. “Her father has some interesting information that perhaps you knew, but I did not. If I had known, all of this would have made a lot more sense to me awhile ago, and perhaps it would have made things easier.”

  CHAPTER 6

  She felt drained, literally, drained of energy, of blood, of life. She could barely move, it was almost impossible to pry herself up from the swirling gray marble floor. The king stood over her with her blood still staining his mouth. “Delicious,” he muttered as he absently wiped it away. He made a small slit in his wrist. Fresh energy flooded her as she saw the blood quivering on the edge of his arm. She tried to shove herself up, tried to push herself away from him, tried to find the strength to escape his intentions, but he grabbed hold of her hair and yanked her back as he shoved his wrist into her mouth.

  Much to her utter disgrace, and shame, tears slid free of her eyes and began to roll steadily down her cheeks. She hated herself for the show of weakness, hated him even more for pushing her to such a level. She simply couldn’t take it anymore, simply couldn’t stand the taste of his blood in her mouth; couldn’t take the volatile response her body had to it.

  She gagged, choked, sputtered and finally retched but nothing came up as he released her. She managed to restrain her tears, though they still burned her eyes as she wiped at her mouth. The king bent before her, his eyes level with hers as he studied her fixedly. “I see now what it was my son saw in you, you are a delicious little treat.” His gaze raked disdainfully over her from head to toe. “I never thought it was because he desired your body, a fact we both know to be true, right my scrumptious?”

  Aria couldn’t bring herself to think about the time she’d spent with Braith, the times he’d held her, kissed her, loved her, and fed from her. She couldn’t think about the bond that his father was maliciously trying to soil. Her blood wasn’t the reason, she told herself. That is not why Braith kept her around, and it was not why he would come for her. No matter what this man said, her blood wasn’t the only reason Braith loved her.

  Her entire body throbbed as blood seeped over her arms and legs. Though he had concentrated on mainly biting her in the areas that Braith had, he’d left far more marks on her than Braith ever had. At one time he’d even struck up and down her arm much like someone eating an ear of corn. Always, just when she was about to pass out from loss of blood and torture, he forced more of his blood into her to revive her, heal her, and bring her back for more. She didn’t know if she could take much more of this, her skin felt as if someone had taken sandpaper and rubbed it over every inch of her. The mere thought of being touched was enough to make her want to scream. No matter what he did to her though, she would never tell him the answers that he sought.

  His finger slid beneath her chin and he turned her head toward him. She itched to smack the smile off his face as he peered intently at her. Aria recoiled in revulsion as his hand enclosed her breast and squeezed. He laughed cruelly when a small gasp of pain escaped her. “What fun we’ll have together when he gets here.”

  She almost yelled at him not to touch her, but she knew what he truly craved was a reaction from her, and she refused to give him that satisfaction. She would like to believe she would never give him the satisfaction, but this was merely the beginning of what he planned on doing to her, and Braith.

  She thought she could handle almost all of what he would do to her, but could she handle what he would do to Braith if he was caught? Could she handle watching Braith turn into a dried up husk of a vampire like the ones that crowded the appalling room? And that might very well be the kindest thing his father did to him. What would she do if Braith was caught and forced to watch as this man and his revolting son violated her over and over again? It would destroy them both, far more than being bled dry and used as ornaments would.

  Biting on her bottom lip Aria was able to suppress a small moan of torment as he lifted her hand and turned her wrist over. Raw, she was so raw, everywhere. His fingers ran up and down the tender marks he had left on the inside of her arm. He stopped and wiggled his fingers over the mark on the inside of her elbow. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he pressed down on the bite, causing her to wince as he continued to torture her.

  He chuckled as he began to press repeatedly up and down her arm. She wasn’t certain how but she managed to keep her face impassive. The less reaction she had though, the crueler he became until he was pinching at her skin. Bruises began to appear almost instantly as he spitefully twisted the skin around each of the bite marks he’d placed upon her. She was unable to suppress a low whimper as he poked and prodded with ruthless glee. His merriment faded at her cry and he thrust her arm away in disgust.

  “Take her back to the dungeons.”

  “Wait father,” Caleb protested as two of the king’s men came forward. They clasped hold of her arms and lifted her roughly to her feet.

  “You can play with her later Caleb. There are things we must discuss now.”

  She found no relief at this short reprieve; in fact she found she’d prefer to just get it over with rather than having it go on endlessly. The guards hauled her from the room and down a set of steep, winding steps. She struggled to keep up with them but her feet wouldn’t cooperate with her mind. She tripped, fell, and was dragged briefly before she was able to gain her feet once more. It did little good as she was unable to stay on her feet by the time they arrived at the stairs to the dungeon.

  Her toes agonizingly bounced off of the steps and her teeth clattered as she was propelled downward. They arrived at the bottom and were pulling her forward when something caught her attention. Fresh life streamed into her; a strangled cry escaped as she found the strength to jerk back from the guards. One guard’s hold momentarily slipped from her as she lunged forward and seized hold of the bars of a cell.

  “You bitch!” she spat. Lauren cowered further into the back of the cell as she watched Aria like a mouse watched a cat. “Was it worth it!?” Aria demanded. “Was it!?” The guards were grabbing at her, but she clung to the bars. “You better hope I get a chance to kill you before Braith does!”

  The guards finally succeeded in prying her free, one of them chuckled as he hauled her past the rest of the cells. “Those are some pretty idle threats little girl, considering you’re in here too.”

  “Maybe we can set up a fight between them,” the other one pondered.

  Their eyes l
it with the possibility. “I think Caleb would be tempted by the notion.”

  Aria jerked her arm free when they walked her into her cell. She glared at them as they slammed the door into place. “My money’s on that one, she seems a little feral.”

  “Aren’t they all feral in the woods?”

  “Go to hell!” Aria snapped at them.

  “Blondie wouldn’t have a shot.”

  They were both laughing as they made their way back out of the dungeon, taking the only source of illumination with them as they went. Aria turned before the light was completely gone, and using her blood, marked the wall. She’d been here for three days now, or at least as far as she knew it had only been three days. She may have lost a day somewhere between the pain and blood loss, but she knew for certain that she’d been conscious for at least three days in this cell.

  Darkness descended over the dungeon. She rested her hands against the back wall and inhaled small, shuddery breaths. Now that the astonishment over seeing Lauren here was starting to wear off, the weakness and fright was creeping back in. She couldn’t let herself think about being trapped within this tiny cell. She was afraid she would lose her mind if she did, afraid she would become the shriveling, begging mess that the king was trying to turn her into if she focused on the walls surrounding her.

  She had survived three days already; she’d be able to survive for as long as it took Braith to come for her. He would come; she knew it, just as she knew that he wouldn’t be the same as he was when she saw him last.

  The Braith that was out there now was not the Braith that she’d left in this palace months ago. He was more in control, more aware, just as she’d hoped he would be without her. Even though he hadn’t come charging in here like a crazed demon, she didn’t doubt his love for a moment. Being in here, tortured, and tormented wasn’t going to change her belief in him. She knew that he was going crazy without her, that he was beating himself up over what had happened, and was probably impossible to be around, but he’d finally accepted the fact that she couldn’t always be first to him.

  He would lead after the war, he wouldn’t turn away from it anymore; she knew that now. She may still have to leave him, but she wouldn’t do it behind his back, not again.

  She wished that there was a way for her to escape, to get free of here before she became a liability. She paced restlessly around the cell, she’d spent three days here, she knew every square inch of it, but still she searched for something she might have missed.

  After an hour of searching through the darkness she came up with nothing, like she always did. Frustration filled her as her hands fisted. When they removed her from here, two guards would take her to be scrubbed clean before taking her to the king. Though the guards didn’t watch as she was cleaned, there were two vampire women that stayed with her while the servants cleaned her. From the washroom, she was taken straight to the king.

  It wasn’t a lot to work with, there weren’t many opportunities to escape, but if she bided her time, played meek, maybe they would present an opportunity for her to break free. The meek and helpless act hadn’t worked on Braith, but she had a feeling his father thought a lot less of her than Braith did, and that would be the king’s downfall.

  Braith would come for her, but she’d give him a hand in helping to free her, she was certain of that. First chance she had, she was going to fight for her freedom.

  Her forehead fell against the cool wall. For a moment, when she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the outside, almost smell the woods, and almost taste fresh air within her lungs. She could almost feel him. The gentle caress of his fingers against her face, the strength of his body when it enveloped her, the sweet taste of his blood when it filled her were all right there, almost within her grasp. She trembled with the need for him that enveloped her.

  She just hoped she’d get the chance to see him again, to feel and kiss him again. That they both weren’t killed before it happened.

  CHAPTER 7

  Braith held the torch that Jack handed him as he waited for his brother to ignite it. They were gathered on the hill, thousands of men and women, vampire and human, working together for the same cause. He’d never thought that he’d see the day, let alone that he would be the one leading the charge to defeat the king, but life was never what he expected it to be and all the surprises were what made the pain all the better. As long as he got Aria back.

  “Will Melinda know we’re coming?” he asked Ashby.

  “I’m sure the flames will tip her off,” Ashby muttered.

  “Let’s hope so.”

  The heat from the torch licked against his skin and warmed the side of his face. With a flick of his wrist he tossed it into the stack of wood they had gathered at the top of the hill. They were nearly to the edge of town when the scent of smoke began to fill the air and the first shout went up. His vision improved a little the closer they moved toward the palace. He lit another torch and tossed it into a stack of crates next to the bar, the only building that still showed signs of life at this late hour. Jack and Gideon lit two more torches and tossed them into the hay piled near a store. Fire licked up the buildings, sparks shot high into the sky as more screams and shouts of warning filled the air.

  People blinked against the sleep clinging to them as they emerged from their houses. The glow of the fire lit their glossy eyed and slack jawed features as they gazed around them. Others scurried frantically around the street as they tried to get their bearings in the pandemonium. He saw some of his father’s soldiers amongst the growing fire, but they were too flustered by the flames and trying to put them out, to worry about what or who had started them. Braith turned away from the town and slid back into the cool serenity of the woods.

  He rejoined David, Frank and the remaining humans. Saul, Calista, and Barnaby were already leading the first wave of humans and vampires to the main gate. David, Frank, Jack, and Ashby would lead the second group to the palace gates shortly. It would take a lot of force to get the gates open, but Braith was hoping they could take them down swiftly from within, once he found Aria. If they could get to the king quickly many lives would be saved. The king’s soldiers would fall apart if their leader was brought down. Their numbers weren’t as strong as his father’s but they had the element of surprise and determination on their side.

  He clasped hands with Jack and patted him briefly on the back as he wished him luck. David embraced his sons; the three of them huddled together, talking in subdued tones as they hugged each other again. David had wanted to go inside after Aria, be he had agreed it was best for him to lead the rebel humans that were still a little uncertain about the truce with the vampires. Though all he wanted was to be inside that palace, Braith waited while they said their goodbyes. Aria would kill him if she knew he had rushed this moment when it could be their last together.

  When they were ready, Daniel and William followed him as they split off from the others, and headed into the lower lying woodland with the soldiers in tow. He’d chosen vampires from the outer towns for this mission; they knew the woods better, and were far more adept at moving through them quietly, than the occupants of The Barrens. Keegan plodded soundlessly at his side, he’d tried to get the wolf to stay in the woods, with his newfound life, but his old companion stuck to him like a tenacious burr.

  William and Daniel stayed at his side, as silent and fleet as their sister as they moved through the woods. But then, if Xavier’s suspicions were right, they would be. They had also all been raised in the woods, Braith reminded himself as he slid down the side of a small hill. They were at home in the forest, comfortable and assured in their environment; at one with it. He’d yet to see either of them exhibit quite the same abilities as their sister, but then again not many people wanted to run and jump through trees like Aria did. He also hadn’t spent anywhere near the same amount of time with her brothers as he had with her.

  The closer they got to the palace, the more acute his vision became. His skin tingled w
ith excitement, with need; they were getting closer to her. Though he could see better, it still wasn’t his strongest sense. Closing his eyes, he tuned his other senses into the world around him. All the smells and scents that drifted over him were familiar. He sensed nothing around him other than the normal creatures that stirred in the night.

  He heard the river moments before the fresh scent of water washed over him. The muted croak of frogs filled the air, a small splash alerted him to the fact that the fish were jumping after the bugs. He slid down another hill, but this one was the river embankment. Holding up a hand, he waited as the soldiers gathered around him. He listened to the sounds of the night before continuing onward.

  The frogs continued to croak, but a few jumped into the water as he waded into the shallows of the river. Keeping his feet planted firmly on the river bottom, he moved unerringly through the cool water as it reached his waist. The men followed behind him, what little sounds they made Braith was certain could be passed off as fish and frogs.

  There was a dip in the river that most wouldn’t have noticed but Braith took it as a sign to climb back out. He didn’t require his eyes to know they had reached the mountain the palace had been carved into a hundred years before the war even started. Though it had been risky to undertake such a huge project, his father had refused to be swayed from his decision to create a home fit for a king, even if he hadn’t been one at the time. Braith realized belatedly that his father had built it in order to have more security for the war.

  He climbed over three rocks before arriving at a large boulder set against the side of the mountain. Grasping hold of the side of the boulder, his shoulders bunched and heaved as he started to lift the ten foot tall and six foot wide rock out of the way. It creaked and groaned as it slid to the side, revealing the small tunnel he had carved into the mountainside. He hadn’t created the tunnel because he’d thought that he would one day be attempting to take down the king, but because he’d expected the king to try and kill him after he had been blinded. Just to be on the safe side, Braith had spent almost two months carving this tunnel from his apartment to the river that flowed from the palace’s interior. He was certain the other tunnels within the palace would be guarded or blocked now, but he didn’t think this one would have been detected.