CHAPTER 11
Jack led the way through the streets, fighting off the soldiers that came at them while trying to avoid the unsuspecting souls that scrambled to get out of the way. The only ones he truly cared about not killing were the children. Though some of the king’s noblemen resided within the palace itself, most had residences within the large town and bailey outside of it. It was those residences that Jack targeted now. He was sure most of the nobles had fled toward the palace when the attack started, but some would have stubbornly remained in their homes.
Wood cracked and popped as flames licked at the stores and homes. The stage where the slaves were auctioned was already fully engulfed. Screams echoed over the cobblestone and down the roads of the town as vampires and humans attempted to flee the devastation. He wanted to be repulsed by the death, but a part of him was thrilled by the brutality of it. He was surprised that most of their vampire’s were doing so well, especially the starving masses from the outlying towns. There were few here that wanted to win more than the broken masses the king had created though.
Drops of David’s blood dripped onto the streets as he fought close at Jack’s side. Though Jack had his baser instincts under control, the past few days had been a trying time and David’s blood seemed more distinct than the human’s around him. Jack realized he’d never smelled it before, in all of their adventures and trials together David’s blood had never been spilled before tonight. The man was too quick for that most of the time.
David lifted his bow and fired at a soldier that emerged from the smoke and fire. The arrow pierced deep into the soldier’s heart and knocked him back as he kicked and groaned in the final moments of his life. Though David’s jaw was locked, and determination radiated from his eyes, his arm trembled as he dropped it slowly back to his side.
“It is essential you take care of that wound,” Jack informed him.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” David shot him a look as he lifted his bow and fired another arrow into a cluster of soldiers. Jack ignored the furious look his friend gave him as he seized the bow from David. “Do something about it before you bleed to death,” he commanded gruffly. “Your children will kick my ass if something happens to you.”
David glowered at Jack as he reached out and grabbed Jack’s shirt. Jack wasn’t expecting it when David brandished a knife and cut a large piece of cloth from the last shirt Jack had that was still in one piece. Clothing was hard to come by in the woods, and over the years Jack had become accustomed to the lightweight tunics and baggy pants that were woven out of flax for the summer, and the heavy woolen articles that were created for the winter.
David’s eyes sparkled as he deftly tied the shirt around his injury and used his teeth to pull the knot tight. “I liked this shirt,” Jack grumbled as he handed the bow back.
“It was nice,” David agreed.
Jack’s attention was diverted from the blood soaking through his friends bandage as a shout of victory rang throughout the street. He turned to discover that Victor, one of his father’s right hand men, and one of the cruelest vampires Jack had ever had the displeasure of meeting, had been taken prisoner. The man was beaten and bloody as he was pulled down the street by a group of soldiers that were led by Saul and Barnaby. Saul stepped back and pointed toward one of the growing fires and the soldiers pushed Victor into the inferno. Jack didn’t feel an ounce of remorse as Victor’s agonized shrieks pierced the night.
Rounding a bend in the road, the palace came fully into view. It loomed over them, ominous and imposing as it stretched high into the night sky. Illumination from the leaping flames of the town shimmered off of the pale palace walls as they approached.
Almost there, they were almost there. He could only hope that his brother hadn’t managed to get himself killed as the massive gold doors of the palace swung open and a new horde of the king’s soldiers spilled out to challenge them.
***
Braith could barely believe what he was seeing as Aria burst free of the servant’s tunnel. Seeming to sense his presence, she turned toward him. Hope and terror radiated from her brilliant blue eyes as she gazed at him. Even filthy, with her hair tangled around her dirt streaked, porcelain skin, she was still the most exquisitely beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Beneath the dirt he saw the bites, bruises and blood that ran up and down her arms and across the column of her throat toward her neck. He couldn’t bring himself to think about where else she might have bite marks, where else they might have touched her, and what else they might have done to her. All he longed for was to get his hands on her again, and to get her out of here alive.
If at all possible.
She took a step toward him as Caleb emerged from the servant’s quarter’s right behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her up and threw her to the floor. Braith’s vision became a shade of crimson as a bellow tore from him. He lunged forward, shoving through the guards closest to him as he felt the beast within take over and all his control slip away.
He was consumed with bloodlust as he jerked a man forward and seized the spear from him. Turning it in his grasp, he twisted it under his arm and plunged it into the vampire’s chest. Tearing it free, he drove it into the hearts of two more soldiers closing in on him.
Aria’s frightened cry drove him heedlessly onward. All he cared about was getting to her, and destroying anyone that had dared to touch her. He didn’t feel the spear that pierced his back and tore through his shoulder. He didn’t even know he’d been stabbed until the pointed tip shot out the other end.
He tore the spear free from himself as he spun on the two guards staring at him with huge, frightened eyes. He was about to cross that line again, about to completely relinquish himself to the darkness, and he didn’t care as he seized hold of them both. He killed the one quickly, almost mercifully, as he grabbed hold of him, slammed his fist through his ribcage and tore his heart out. The other was not so lucky as Braith spun him around and used him to deflect the four soldiers rushing at him. The man screamed and howled as he was pierced with multiple spears and arrows. He squirmed within Braith’s grasp but Braith felt no compunction over continuing to use the man as a shield as he battered his way through the crowd.
He lost sight of her as he was engulfed by soldiers. Something else pierced through his calf, driving him briefly to his left knee. Pain lanced through him, but he forced himself back to his feet as the guard he held heaved one final groan and went still in his grasp. Braith used his body to beat back two more soldiers as they lurched at him. He threw the flaccid body of the dead guard at three more of the king’s men and knocked them over.
The soldiers fell back; the crowd parted giving him a brief glimpse of Aria as she tussled against his brother’s hold. He grunted as another arrow tore through flesh and bone, ripped through sinew, and clipped part of his heart. Driven to his knees, Braith felt the rush of blood from the damaged organ as it seeped into his chest. It wasn’t a fatal blow, not at his age, not if he could feed soon, but it would weaken and slow him. The guards approached with far more confidence than they had before, and on top of his other wounds...
“No!” Aria’s scream was frenzied and raw with terror. “Don’t! Stop it, you’re killing him!”
Caleb was trying to grab her again when she savagely spun on him.