“What are you doing Braith? If they discover this they’ll kill her. Father might even kill you.”
Arianna bristled over this, her fingers tightened in his shirt, her jaw clenched tighter. “And you plan on what, just walking out of here with her? Do you believe father would allow that? And if someone else had claimed her, then what Jericho, were you going to kill them in order to free her?”
“I have a plan.”
“And it doesn’t risk her life at all?” Braith growled.
Jericho shifted slightly, his gaze drifted toward Arianna. “There is always risk, in everything we do. However, we felt that the risk far outweighed the danger if it meant getting Aria back.”
“You followed me up here after Caleb told you she was a redhead, were you going to kill me?”
Jericho shifted uneasily. “No. I was sent here to assess the situation, to find out if Aria was even still alive, and if I could get her safely out without jeopardizing either of our lives.”
“And if you couldn’t?”
“Then I was to leave.”
Braith was slightly shocked by this statement. It made little sense to him, and he didn’t entirely believe him. “They sent you in here just to have you leave if you couldn’t do anything?”
“Jack has worked his way up in our ranks; my father thinks very highly of him, he would not risk losing him. Especially if he feels that he can trust him,” Arianna said softly, her gaze still weary as she surveyed his brother.
“Is that so, Jack?” Braith inquired sharply.
Jericho shrugged as he reached into the pocket of his coat. “I couldn’t give them my real name, now could I? They may not know much about the royal family, or at least a lot of them don’t, but I wasn’t going to chance one of them possibly recognizing my name. And Jack is just less pretentious, don’t you think?” He pulled something from his coat pocket and stepped toward them. “Your father wanted me to give you this.”
Braith shifted, blocking her with his body as Jericho approached them. He snatched the thing from Jericho’s hand, growling at his brother when he went to take another step closer to her. At one point in time Jericho had been the only person her trusted, that was not so now. Not when Aria’s life was on the line. He really did not want to have to kill his brother, but he would do what was necessary to keep her safe. Jericho’s eyes widened slightly, but he stepped swiftly away from them.
Arianna held out her hand, accepting the small silver pendant that Braith gave her. Her mouth parted as she stared down at it, tears swam in her eyes. “He gave this to you?” she whispered.
“So you would know that you could trust me, that I was telling the truth. Your father has known what I am since we met, he trusts me Aria, and I need you to trust me too.”
Her fingers were trembling slightly as she stroked over the silver horse head. Her eyes came slowly up to Braith’s, a single tear slipped free. “It was my mother’s, he would never give it to anyone he didn’t trust.”
Braith wiped the tear from her cheek; his hands enfolded hers as he turned his attention back to his brother. “And can he trust you?” he asked softly.
“There are many things you don’t know about me Braith, many things you have never known,” Jericho said softly.
“I can see that, but can he trust you, can I trust you?”
Jericho nodded slowly. “If you want her safety as much as her father and I do, than yes, you can trust me.”
Braith studied him carefully, not at all convinced by his words. “What was supposed to happen if you couldn’t get her, or yourself, out of here safely?”
Jericho leaned back, folding his hands behind him, his eyes sad and grave. “If I am unable to get us both to safety, I am to leave, so that David can come here.”
“Excuse me?” Arianna asked sharply, her head snapping up at Jericho’s words.
Jericho was silent for a moment, and then his shoulders slumped slightly as he ran his hand through his hair. “He didn’t want to risk losing us both. If I couldn’t get you free then I was to return to the woods and he was going to offer himself in trade for you.”
Arianna’s breath hissed out of her, her hands clenched around the pennant. “That’s crazy! Why would he do such a thing!?”
“Because he loves you, because you are his child. Because he would rather give his own life than think of you as a blood slave.”
Arianna shook her head rapidly. “No, he can’t do that! There are thousands of other lives that depend on him, that count on him, that need him. Mine is nothing compared to that. Nothing! He knows better than to do something so foolish!”
Jericho just studied her silently. Braith was unable to wrap his mind around the words that Jericho had just uttered. A father that would give his life for his child, it was crazy to him, unheard of, unfathomable. He stared at Arianna’s countenance, noting the stubborn set of her jaw, and the fire in her bright eyes. There was a rod of strength and courage that ran through her that was both admirable and slightly frightening. She was careless, reckless, a danger to herself, and she needed to be protected from the cruelty of the world. To give his life for her did not seem so crazy, did not seem unbelievably farfetched. It was a strange realization, one he had never experienced before, and had never expected to.
For her, he could do anything. Even see.
That truth struck him sharply. It slammed into his gut as his hands tightened around hers. He felt that was the reason that he could see when he was near her. Something inside of him had somehow recognized her spirit as belonging with him, and had seen who she was. And then, because he had needed to see the face behind the bright spirit so badly, his eyes had finally worked enough to make her out upon the stage. And he would always be able to make her out; he would always be able to find her.
“He knows better,” Jericho said softly. “But he does not care, not when it comes to you. If I couldn’t succeed in saving you, I was to try for Max, and then retreat to the woods. Is Max still alive?”
“Yes,” Arianna whispered, her voice slightly choked with shock.
“Katrina has him,” Braith said softly.
Jericho nodded. “She might be difficult, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get to him. Your father will not have to come for you.”
“He was going to sacrifice himself for Max too?” she breathed.
Jericho shook his head. “No, your father cares for Max, and he is an important member in the rebellion, but he was not going to come for him. You are his daughter Aria, he loves you, and you are far more important to the rebellion than Max is.”
Arianna shook her head, blinking in surprise at him. “No I’m not!” she protested. “Max is a strong fighter, he rallies people to the cause, and he knows the woods as well as I do!”
“No one knows those woods as well as you do,” Jericho muttered, his gaze darting briefly to Braith, who remained unmoving as he tried to absorb everything.
Arianna shook her head. “It still makes no sense,” she whispered.
“As your father’s daughter, a man that the rebels obviously admire and follow, you would be able to rally the rebels to battle even more so than Max,” Braith explained softly.
Arianna bit on her bottom lip, her gaze darted swiftly up to him. “I don’t want this; I didn’t want any of this.”
She looked so lost, so frightened and wounded. He had never seen her like this; even dirty and bedraggled she had displayed an air of defiance that was admirable. “I know, but it has to be dealt with.”
She turned back to Jericho. “My father had to know that it would be a suicide mission, that they would not release me, no matter what.”
Jericho’s gaze darted to Braith. “It was a chance he was willing to take, if it meant he had even a possibility of saving your life. Daniel is capable of taking charge of the rebels within the camps, while William and I could take control of the rebels outside, if your father had to come in here.”
Arianna’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped as all of
the color drained from her face. “William?” she choked. “You brought William near here? What were you thinking Jack!? What was my father thinking!?”
“He’ll be fine,” Jericho said softly.
“Fine!” she sputtered, releasing Braith as she took an angry step forward. “Are you trying to get him killed!?”
“Aria…”
“Don’t you Aria me!” she retorted, suddenly charging at Jericho. Braith was so shocked by her sudden attack that he did not spring into immediate action to try and stop her. She was in front of Jericho poking him hard in the chest as he backed away from her. Her broken demeanor was gone, she radiated fury now. “What the hell were the two of you thinking!?”
Jericho seized her finger, keeping it within his tight grasp when she tried to pull it back. Aria let out a raspy grunt of frustration, then wound up and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. Jericho jumped back slightly as Aria glared at him. “Damn it Aria!” he barked at her.
“You’re lucky I’m wearing this stupid dress and couldn’t get my foot any higher!” she snapped back.
Jericho glared fiercely at her, she returned it wholeheartedly. Braith stepped forward, seizing hold of Jericho’s arm. He didn’t think his brother would hurt her; in fact Jericho seemed to genuinely like and admire Arianna. There appeared to be an almost sibling connection between them, but Braith did not like him touching her. He didn’t like the idea of any other man touching her, even if it was his brother. Jericho glared at her for a moment longer before releasing her hand. Arianna looked as if she was going to kick him again, but she restrained herself.
“Now,” Braith said coldly. “Who the hell is William?”
Arianna folded her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Her brother,” Jericho answered.
Arianna’s lip curled at him, she looked completely disgusted and infuriated. “My twin brother,” she emphasized.
Braith did not entirely understand why that seemed to upset her so much. “Ok,” he said softly.
Arianna finally turned her attention to Braith; the desperation in her eyes stunned him. “William and I are inseparable, we’re rarely apart. The only reason he wasn’t on the hunt with me that day was because he had been hurt in a raid two days before. He’s my twin, he’s another extension of me, and we are almost exactly alike.”
“They’re both hotheaded and reckless,” Jericho explained further when Braith still did not fully grasp what she was saying. “I personally blame it on the hair.”
“You’re an ass!” she snapped, spinning on her heel and storming away. “My father and you are both idiots! William will not stay away.”
She strode swiftly to the door of the library where she stopped, and stood uncertainly. Her arms were wrapped around herself, she seemed torn, lost. “That is why your father brought him.”
She turned back at Jericho’s words. “At least here your father can keep an eye on him, keep guards on him so that he cannot break free and do something that could get us all killed. If he had left William behind than he would not be able to keep an eye on him.”
Arianna’s gaze flickered, and then she bit on her bottom lip and nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she whispered. Then she was moving again, coming back to Braith, slipping her hand into his. She stared up at him for a moment, her eyes searching his face. “What do we do?”
He didn’t have an answer for her. “Now, we make a plan to get you out of here,” Jericho said softly.
Horror filled Arianna’s eyes, Braith felt a sharp pain in his chest, his entire being recoiled at the very idea. He knew that she needed to leave, that she had to get somewhere safe, he just wasn’t sure he could let her go in order to do so.
***
Aria watched numbly, she hadn’t moved from the window seat since Jack and Braith had left to attend the banquet. They were needed there, they had to go, and neither of them wanted her anywhere near it. Braith did not think that Max would be brought, but he wasn’t willing to take the chance. No one knew how Max was going to react when he saw that Jack was one of the royal family, they did not need her presence there to complicate things.
The only problem was that they hadn’t settled anything before they left, and now she felt lost, confused, torn between her family and a man she was beginning to realize that she loved. She didn’t know when she had started to love him; she supposed it had been the night that he had comforted her after Lauren’s attack. It had been cemented by the sight of his beautiful, wounded eyes.
But what did that mean? Where did that leave her? All of them?
If she stayed here, she would forfeit her family, friends, and freedom forever. She would also have to die, probably sooner rather than later. If she left, she would be back with her loved ones, back in the life that she cherished so much, but she would be leaving a big piece of herself behind. A piece she didn’t think she would ever find again, in fact she was certain that she wouldn’t.
She thought it should be an easy choice, her home, her life and her family, or a life in a place that she didn’t understand, that was cruel, and frightening. It wasn’t even close to being easy though. Not when it meant that she would never see Braith again, never touch him or hold him or feel him again. That thought left her cold, empty, torn between freedom and a short, sweet life.
She wanted to cry, but she found that the tears would not come. Her eyes were as dry and empty as a desert. She sat for hours, unable to move as the sweet sounds of music drifted softly up from below. The sun had set awhile ago; it was late when Braith returned. She hadn’t realized that she had drifted off until she felt his arms wrapping around her. He lifted her gently from the window seat, cradling her lightly against his chest.
“Braith?” she whispered, though she knew it was. She would know him anywhere.
“Go back to sleep love.”
She curled closer against his chest, savoring in his strength and scent. Her fingers threaded inside of his coat, pushing aside the buttons on his shirt to rest her palm against his hard chest and slightly cooler skin. She sighed in contentment as her hand came into contact with his skin, caressing him lightly. It was such a wonderfully safe and secure moment that she never wanted it to end.
He placed her lightly upon his bed, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead before pulling slowly away from her. She watched through half closed eyes as he disappeared into the bathroom, pulling his coat off and tossing it aside. He disappeared from view, she listened as he moved about, fighting against the deep pull of sleep that wanted to claim her.
He was back again before she knew it, his hand upon her shoulder. “Do you want me to take your dress off?” he asked softly.
Her mouth went dry, her heart leapt wildly in her chest as fear and excitement tore through her. It was only then she realized that Maggie had not returned, he must have told her to stay away for the night. Sleep was officially forgotten in the face of his question. Did she want him to take her dress off? The relief on her ribs would be wonderful, yet the intimacy of it was terrifying.
She swallowed heavily, before nodding slowly. She was wearing a slip beneath the dress, it was just as covering as the nightgowns, and she really wanted the damn strings untied. And truth be told, she really wanted him to continue touching her. His hands were gentle upon her as he slipped the ties free, allowing her to breathe easily for the first time in hours. She heaved a sigh of relief.
“Why did you wear this thing with your ribs?” he inquired softly.
“You picked out,” she reminded him.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes bright in the dark of the room. “I didn’t know it was like this, I simply liked the color. I thought it would like nice on you. You could have said no.”
She lay on the bed for a moment, breathing slowly in and out, relishing the full air within her lungs. “Maggie suggested it, but I didn’t think it would look right if I went against the dress you chose for me.”
He cursed softly as he sat back, his ha
nd resting lightly upon her arm. He was no longer looking at her but staring into the dark. She knew he was wondering if it would be best for her to leave, and the thought terrified her. He turned slowly back to her, his hand stroking over her arm for a moment before he lifted her easily to her feet. Aria stared at him in surprise, her mouth parting slightly. His full mouth curved into a hard smile as he slid the dress down her, letting it pool at her feet on the ground. Her face flared with heat, she ducked it away from him as she stepped out of the material.
For the first time she truly noticed that his legs were bare, as was his chest, he wore only a pair of shorts. Her eyes widened, her mouth went dry, and her heart thumped with barely contained excitement as she stared breathlessly at him. “Arianna?”
She glanced up at him from beneath lowered lashes, struggling to control her embarrassment but failing miserably. “My friends call me Aria,” she said, for lack of anything else to say, or do.
His hand was gentle as it caressed her cheek, tilting her face so that she had to look up at him. “We’re a little more than friends, don’t you think?” he asked softly.
Her eyes widened, her heart leapt into her throat. There were no more words left in her, there was nothing she could say to that, because it was true. They were more than friends, and at that moment she would have done anything he wanted. She stepped closer to him, resting her hands on his bare chest, marveling at the broad, well muscled expanse as her fingers trailed slightly over it. He was unmoving beneath her touch, letting her explore him as she saw fit. She wanted to touch all of him, but her hands froze upon the hard ridges of his sculpted abdomen.
His hand caressed her cheek; he pulled her forward, kissing her forehead gently as he held her lightly against him. “You’re beautiful Arianna.”
She blinked in surprise, her mouth dropping. No one had ever said that to her, and though she knew it wasn’t true, she couldn’t stop the thrill of pleasure that raced through her at his words. It seemed as if he had even meant it. “No Braith, but thank…”
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