Aria

Aria fired arrows at the vampires surrounding Sabine and at those trying to escape as she ran behind Braith. She knew he could move much faster without them, but he stayed protectively in front of her. Xavier remained beside her, grabbing anyone she was unable to take out. Behind her, William worked to bring down more vampires with his bow. Daniel, Tempest, Max, and Maeve methodically staked any who survived their arrows.

As a vampire leapt out at Braith, she swung her bow toward him, releasing an arrow that struck him high in the shoulder and flung him back. Daniel pounced on him, driving his stake through his heart before tearing it free. Arrows soared through the air around them, their impacts making a thudding sound when they pierced through bodies or hit the earth.

A whistling sound reached her. She twisted to get out of the way of what she knew was coming from behind, but she wasn’t fast enough. The arrow pierced through her right shoulder, knocking her forward and nearly causing her to lose her grip on her bow. Her arm erupted in tingles that made her fingers feel thick. She hadn’t made a sound, but Braith must have caught the scent of her blood on the air as he spun toward her, his reddened eyes blazing hotter when they landed on the arrow protruding through her.

“I’m fine!” she shouted to be heard over the growing cacophony of battle filling the town and bouncing off the buildings around them.

He took a step toward her, but she held up a hand to ward him off. They couldn’t stop now; they couldn’t let Sabine get away, or the fighting and fear would never end. Sabine had to die tonight. Grasping the arrow, Aria bit her lip and braced herself before tearing it from her shoulder. She casually tossed it aside to show him how fine she was.

Blood spilled out of the wound to soak her shirt and skin, but she was able to lift her bow and fire an arrow at the vampire who rose up behind Braith. Though her aim was off, she still struck him. Braith spun as the vamp fell back before his head swiveled toward her once more. His hands fisted and his nostrils flared as he seemed torn between grabbing her and taking from here or continuing after Sabine.

The muscles in his forearms bulged when he finally focused on Sabine once more. Sabine continued down the street with more speed than she’d been exhibiting when she’d first emerged from the house. She was almost to the barricade at the end of the road.

“Braith you have to stop her! No matter what she must be stopped!” Aria shouted to be heard over the noise.

He glanced back at her and she saw the understanding in his eyes. If he went after Sabine, he couldn’t stay with her anymore and he had to go. His jaw clenched as he turned away from her.

Aria barely managed to keep her mouth from dropping open when Braith started running again, shoving aside vampires as he moved faster than she’d ever seen him before. Despite the chaos around her, she couldn’t help but marvel at the strength emanating from him as he blurred with speed. She rushed forward, trying to keep up with him, but it was impossible for her to do so.

“Go! You’re faster than me!” Aria yelled to Xavier as Braith closed in on Sabine, Goran, and the few vampires still trying to protect her. Braith couldn’t face them alone, no matter how much stronger he’d become since his death. He was outnumbered and Sabine was extremely powerful too.

It didn’t matter if Xavier was faster or not, Sabine and Goran spun to face Braith as he reached them.

***

William

William watched as Braith grabbed hold of Goran and yanked him forward. The red cloak the vampire wore tore in his grasp, but not before Braith wrapped his hands around Goran’s arms and pinned them down.

He followed Aria as she cleared a pathway before them with her arrows. Keegan stayed at her heels, lunging at vamps and bringing more than a few of them down with his powerful jaws. Xavier lifted Aria off the ground and held her against his side as a vampire leapt at her.

Thrown off balance, the vamp tumbled onto the ground. Lifting his foot, William drove it into the back of the vampire’s skull, caving it in. Daniel bent and drove his stake through the vampire’s chest before jerking it free.

“Have to help him!” Aria gasped as she squirmed in Xavier’s hold.

William met Xavier’s reddened eyes over the top of Aria’s head. He knew Xavier was debating keeping her away from the fight unfolding at the end of the road, but Aria wouldn’t survive it if Braith died again, and she had every right to fight for both of their lives. William gave a brief bow of his head to Xavier before spinning and firing at two vampires running toward the wood line.

Tempest snatched a staff from a downed vamp and gripped it in her hands as she fell back against William to batter back the vamps around them. He pushed her behind him, swinging out and punching the vampire trying to get at her. His fangs lengthened as he jerked the vamp toward him and drove his hand through the man’s chest. Wrapping his hand around the vampire’s heart, he tore it free and threw it aside.

Another vampire came at him as they seemed to realize that, if they took him and the others out, they may be able to crush this rebellion. Many of them probably knew what Aria looked like, and they most certainly knew who Braith was. William’s gaze shot toward his brother-in-law when Aria released a strangled cry.

Braith and Goran were entangled with each other, tumbling over the ground as they sought to kill one another. Sabine looked on beside them before her head lifted, and she took in the commotion surrounding her. Xavier set Aria down when Sabine launched herself onto Braith’s back.

William doubted the woman had ever gotten dirty before, or willingly tangled with anyone, but she had to realize she was losing this battle and the only chance she had left was to take out Braith while he was busy fighting her son. Beneath him, Goran launched a fist straight at Braith’s heart when Braith tried to pull Sabine off his back.

Braith lost his grip on Sabine as his hand encircled Goran’s wrist to keep it from plunging into his chest. Goran screamed when Braith jerked his hand to the side, snapping the bones in his wrist before throwing a punch over his back. He caught Sabine in the face, knocking her hold on him loose enough that Braith could seize Goran’s head.

Sabine shrieked as Braith wrenched it to the side. For the first time, William saw true distress in Sabine’s eyes as she tried desperately to free Goran from Braith’s deadly hold, but Braith would not be deterred.

When William had first encountered Goran, he’d thought about how much he would enjoy watching Braith tear Goran’s cotton ball head from his shoulders, and he did, he really, really did enjoy watching it. A smile curved his mouth as Braith tossed the head aside.

Braith sat back, grasping at Sabine over his shoulder when her hand encircled his throat and her blood-red claws pierced his flesh. Blood flowed down his neck and over his shirt.

“No!” Aria screamed and stopped running to release another arrow.

With her wounded shoulder, Aria’s aim was off, but Sabine didn’t have time to turn and catch this one. She threw herself to the side to avoid the arrow that plunged into the woods beyond her. Braith used the distraction to his advantage and seized Sabine by the hair to fling her away from him. She bounced across the ground before coming to a stop near one of the houses, a hundred feet closer to them. Her eyes were a fiery red, her control finally having unraveled completely as her malicious gaze landed on Aria.

William realized that if Sabine couldn’t take Braith down one way, then there was another way she could do it. A way that would make Braith pay even more. Sabine must have realized this too as she launched to her feet and charged at Aria.

***

Daniel

Daniel’s hands clenched around his stakes as he planted his feet. Xavier snarled and lunged forward. He jumped in front of Aria when Sabine came at them with the force of a rampaging bull. She lowered her shoulder, crashing into Xavier and flinging him back as if he weighed no more than a child. Xavier’s head snapped awkwardly forward as he flew through the air. Landing on the street, he bounced across the ground before coming to a stop against a house where he remained motionless.

“Aria!” Braith bellowed when Aria became exposed to the woman. He leapt to his feet and ran toward them, but with the vampires swirling forward to try to protect Sabine, he’d never reach them in time to stop Sabine from killing Aria.

Aria lifted her bow and fired off a shot, catching Sabine in the shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to stop her rush toward them. Daniel would not let everything they’d accomplished over the years be destroyed by this woman, and no one was going to hurt his sister.

“No!” Daniel shouted and jumped in front of Aria.

“Daniel, no!” Aria screamed.

She grabbed his shoulder to pull him away at the same time Sabine grasped his other arm and yanked him forward. Something in his shoulder wrenched. It felt as if blood spilled forth, and for a moment, he swore his arm had been torn from his socket. When he looked down, he saw it still hung there, and hung was the right word as it remained limp against his side, dangling at an unnatural angle.

A hand enveloped his throat, lifting him off the ground. Sabine’s nails pierced his throat.

William launched forward, slamming into Sabine at the same time Aria threw herself onto the woman, punching and kicking her.

Daniel’s feet dangled off the ground as his sibling’s weight knocked Sabine back a step. “Aria, run!” Daniel managed to choke out through the crushing grip on his windpipe.

A cruel smile curved Sabine’s mouth before she threw him away. Air rushed around him as he soared backward before crashing into a tree. Something cracked in his back, and his skull hit the tree with enough force to rattle his brain. White stars burst before his eyes. His head swayed on his shoulders as he struggled to remain conscious.

Sabine turned to try to grab Aria. His sister threw her head back and then drove it forward. Daniel smiled when blood burst from Sabine’s shattered nose before oblivion claimed him.