Aria

Aria’s body bent and her head fell back as if she’d been hit by a bolt of lightning. A wail of sorrow caught on the lump in her throat, choking her. Her hands flew to her chest. Her fingers clawed at her flesh, raking her skin open with her fingernails. Tears spilled from her eyes. Sounds she’d never heard before came from within her when she fell to her knees.

Blood pooled from her sliced flesh as she sought to get to her heart, to tear the shattered and broken organ from her body as shards of pain sliced like glass over her skin. Broken. Gone. Braith was gone. The connection had been severed as cleanly as she’d severed tangled fishing line over the years.

Her hands touched upon bone before they were yanked away from her body. Words were shouted at her; she didn’t hear them as someone hauled her to her feet and dragged her onward. She reached for her chest again. Those hands jerked her hands back, and more words were spoken, but she didn’t think these ones were directed at her and she didn’t care if they were.

She was dying. Nothing mattered anymore.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recalled that something did matter. There was something she was supposed to do, others she was supposed to help, but the sorrow and insanity swirling through her mind made it difficult to concentrate.

She collapsed against the arms holding her and was swung up off the ground. She could barely make out the blurry world around her. When she lifted her hands once more to her chest, they were slapped aside.

“No!” William’s voice penetrated through her grief-stricken haze. “There are caves up here.”

He wasn’t speaking to her, and she dimly recalled Tempest was with them too. They’d been doing something…

They’d been drawing the vampires who had attacked them away. Fury burst over her like the sun rising over the mountains on a clear summer morning. It dried her tears as she balled her hands and resisted bellowing into the night sky. Squirming in William’s arms, she shoved against her brother’s chest.

“Kill them!” she hissed through her teeth.

His arms tightened around her, but on her next shove, she broke his hold on her. He grabbed for her as she tumbled from his arms. She hit the ground running, back toward where she’d last seen the white-cloaked troops following them. She made it only ten feet before arms enveloped her ankles. With her legs yanked out from under her, she slammed into the ground.

Her fingers tore at the earth. She kicked at whoever held her until she knocked their hold on her free. Red filled her vision, and a snarl tore from her as she became determined to kill whoever had tackled her. Flipping over, she hooked her fingers into claws and went for the eyes.

William ducked back in time to avoid having his skin torn from his face. The sight of her brother knocked some of the driving urge to kill from her. No matter how much she craved death right now, she would not hurt her brother, her twin. William clutched her arms, pinning them to her chest as he loomed over her.

“Listen to me!” he yelled. “Remember that you think there’s a chance Braith can come back from this. That he can rise from the dead, like his father. If you die, there is no coming back for you, and he will rise only to want to die again.”

Her struggles against him eased as his words sank in. “They have to pay.”

“They will, but not tonight. You have to stay with me in order to get them.”

Keeping hold of her forearms, he yanked her to her feet. He pulled the ruined remains of her shirt from her upper body, leaving her only in her bra, then wiped her blood away before tossing it on the ground. The frigid air caressing her skin had nothing on the icy tendrils encasing her heart.

He was dead, her Braith was dead.

He’s coming back!

What if he doesn’t? What If I’m wrong?

She wrapped her arms around her middle. Her fangs pricked her bottom lip when she drew it into her mouth. She hadn’t realized they’d extended. She craved sinking them into someone’s throat and tearing out their jugular to watch them bleed all over the place. To tear out that bitch’s throat.

Oh yes, that was exactly whose blood she wanted sliding down her throat. She could keep it together until then; she had no other choice. The analytical, vengeful side of her brain slowly rose up to take over the weeping, shattered pieces of her mind.

If Braith didn’t return, she would continue until Sabine, and anyone who aided her, was dead.

William pulled her cloak snuggly around her, lifted her up, and tossed her over his shoulder. “I can walk,” she gasped when she found herself staring at his back.

“I don’t trust you right now,” he replied honestly and broke into a jog with Tempest by his side.

Aria had no idea where they were going; she didn’t care. She had plans to make, and she knew exactly how to set those plans into motion.

***

Jack

Jack couldn’t tear his gaze away from Braith’s eyes. Open and unseeing, there was nothing there anymore. Even after Braith was blinded, he may not have been able to see anything, but his eyes had reflected life to the rare few who had seen him without his dark sunglasses on.

Anguish squeezed his chest. Behind him, Melinda sobbed openly as Ashby tried to comfort her. Tears pricked his eyes, burning and making him blink rapidly. Braith had been his older brother, at one time his enemy, then his friend. He’d expected that friendship to grow and deepen throughout the coming years.

A single tear slipped free. Braith would come back; he had to.

Until then, the kingdom had just fallen to him. He may not want it, but he would protect it and everyone in it.

Hannah knelt at his side, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Her sweet scent filled his nose, and his arms encircled her waist as he pulled her closer. He took some comfort in her as he turned his head into her silken hair.

She’d been his redemption in a time when he hadn’t felt as if he deserved it, or ever expected to find it. He’d sworn to protect her, to cherish her, yet their world was crumbling around his feet. Sabine had power and was growing a large army. They’d lost their king, and their queen was within the forest, probably losing her mind.

“Aria,” he whispered. Wherever she was now, he knew his sister-in-law was aware of Braith’s passing.

“What do we do, Jack?” Hannah whispered.

“We can’t lea… ave him,” Xavier croaked out. “It’s not over, not yet.”

Jack was glad the history keeper sounded so certain, because he wasn’t. He believed Aria was right about that woman being Sabine; he just didn’t know what to make of all of this right now.

“We have to do what we told Aria we would. The residents of Chippman and the survivors from Badwin must be taken to the palace,” Jack said. Keeping his arm around Hannah, he rose to his feet and turned to Ashby. “Enough time has passed. It should be safe for the two of you to return to them and lead them the rest of the way.”

Ashby lifted his head to look at him, the fox he’d caught lay where he’d forgotten it on the rocks. Tears swam in Ashby’s eyes as Melinda sobbed against his shoulder. He held her closer before giving Jack a brisk nod. “You should come with us. They’ll need a leader at the palace. One of your line.”

Jack glanced over the others within the cave. They would all heal. They were all fighters, but they were in no shape to protect Braith from their attackers if their hiding place was discovered.

“I can’t,” he said. “If someone came for Braith now, they wouldn’t be able to fend off an attack. Xavier may be able to carry him now, if it became necessary, but none of the others could. I know these caves and forests well. I’ll be able to move Braith around much easier and into better hiding spots than Xavier would. There is also a chance we could end up having to separate if it becomes necessary.”

In other words, the humans may have to be left behind in order to protect Braith’s body. They all knew it, but they wouldn’t argue the decision if it became necessary. If there was the smallest chance of Braith coming back, he had to be protected above all others.

He’d also promised Aria he would keep Braith safe no matter what, and he planned to uphold that promise.

“No one at the palace knows Melinda is not of our line. She will be there to rule with you, and Gideon will also be able to help you keep control. The humans like Melinda, the vampires will follow her, and she will be able to keep them calm until we are able to join you.”

Melinda lifted her head from Ashby’s shoulder. Tears continued to stream from her eyes as she stared at Jack. “But I’m not a leader,” she whispered.

“Neither am I, but we’re both about to learn how to be one, sis. I know you are capable of doing this.”

She blinked at him, swallowed heavily, and wiped the tears from her eyes. “What should I tell them, about you and Braith?”

“Tell them we were attacked, that there is a new threat rising, but assure them they will be safe. Tell them Braith and I are recruiting more troops and securing the vulnerable border towns. I’m hoping Sabine holds off on attacking the palace in order to search for Braith, but start preparing them for an attack. If Aria was right, Sabine will be looking to behead him in order to ensure he really is out of her way.”

Melinda turned a shade of green. “I think you’re right.”

“Mention nothing about Braith being shot or his… his…” Jack couldn’t bring himself to say the word death. “This,” he finished. “Tell only Gideon about this. There is no reason to create a possible panic or mutiny between The Council members if we can avoid it. Gideon will know how to handle them and will keep this quiet.” He hugged Hannah closer to his side when her hands curled around his forearm. “You should go, now.”

Melinda broke away from Ashby and made her way around the others to stand before him. They embraced each other before she knelt by Braith’s side and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “I will see you soon.”

She said her good-byes to everyone else in the room before returning to him.

“Be careful,” Jack said as he took hold of her hands. “You can do this and they will follow you.”

She may have been removed from the palace by his father when she was a child, and she was far younger than him or any of his siblings, but he’d always liked and cared for Melinda. She was kind and she was far stronger than many gave her credit for, including herself. Even knowing her heritage, he didn’t consider her a half-sister. She was his blood.

“Do I tell The Council that Atticus wasn’t my father?” she asked.

“If you feel you must, but I wouldn’t. There is no reason for them to know, and you are still our sister and, therefore, entitled to rule as I have instructed.”

She tilted her chin up as pride blazed in her gray eyes. “You’re right. I will see you soon.”

“You will,” he promised.

“I’ll lead them to the surface,” Max offered.

“Thank you,” Jack said and turned to look at his brother again. They couldn’t leave him there like this. “We have to get this cavern set up, weapons made, food and water found. We may be here for a bit.”