Renegade

by Erica Stevens

  She fired again, this time her arrow flew straight into the creature’s heart. It wheeled back, howling as it fell upon the ground, withering in its death throes. Four of the vampire’s ran off, fleeing back toward town. Three others became aroused by the scent of blood. Aria recoiled, horror and nausea twisting through her as they fell upon the one she had killed with delight and maliciousness.

  Braith used their distraction to destroy two more of them, tearing their heads from their bodies, before turning his attention to the three now feasting upon their friend. She didn’t know what to do as he stalked toward them, fury evident in the stiff set of his shoulders. Aria turned away, unable to watch as he attacked the creatures. Their cries of fear and pain echoed through the air. She wanted to cry, she wanted to block her ears and flee through the trees, she wanted to escape this horror she found herself trapped in.

  She did none of those things as she remained frozen within the tree, shaking with the shock that clung to her. A sharp tug on her foot caught her off guard, nearly ripping her from the tree. She scrambled for purchase; her fingers sought some grip upon the hard tree. Her arm hooked over the branch, saving her from plummeting out of the tree. She was gasping for breath and terrified, but she managed to gather her wits enough to look down at what had nearly caused her freefall.

  A vampire stared back at her, its fangs extended, its eyes red with hunger and murderous intent. Aria’s eyes widened in surprise, she had been so upset by the death before her that she had missed this approaching danger. It was foolish, stupid, and she was paying for it now as his hand wrapped tightly around her boot.

  Aria turned away from him, swinging her other arm up as she attempted to get into a better position in the tree. It jerked down hard on her again, knocking her newly acquired grasp off of the limb. A small gasp of pain escaped her as her hooked arm took the brunt of the violent jerk. She kicked out, trying to knock the creatures grip upon her free, but it refused to relinquish her as its hand slithered up to her ankle. It was surprisingly strong, even in its emaciated state. Or maybe it was the hunger that drove it to such levels of strength.

  Her arm was aching, her armpit was rubbed raw. Her shoulder felt as if it were going to tear as pain began to spread rapidly through it. She was barely clinging on, barely remaining within the branches of the tree. She kicked out again, trying to knock the creature free as it ripped hard on her again. A tortured cry escaped from her, a wrenching agony tore through her shoulder as a loud pop filled the air. She no longer felt her arm as it released its hold upon the limb she had been barely clinging to.

  The creature was still holding onto her ankle as she free fell into the air for a few feet. Its grasp kept her in the tree, but it did not keep her from slamming off of another branch. Her back screamed in anguish, the wind was knocked from her. She barely managed to get her good arm up in order to protect her head from the impact of the tree trunk. She was able to twist around, shoving herself off the limb as the vampire scrambled to get a better hold on her by moving up her calf. She kicked out, catching the thing beneath its chin, snapping its head back as it hissed and lunged at her. She kicked out again, knocking it back further. Anger filled her, frustration at her situation surged to the forefront as she swung out with the full force of her rage. Bone splintered, blood splattered over her as its nose shattered with a loud crack.

  The creature howled in pain. It instinctively released her as it grasped hold of its twisted nose. A soft cry escaped her as she freefell into nothing. She tried hard to reclaim some hold upon the tree, but it was too late. She tried to keep herself straight, hoping to avoid as many of the branches as possible as she fell, but they slapped and tore painfully at her.

  She heard Braith shout her name, but she couldn’t respond to him as she was batted and bounced rapidly back and forth. The branches mercifully gave way, propelling her toward the ground. Arms wrapped tightly around her, sheltering her from hitting the ground as Braith took the impact of her body upon himself. A cry of pain escaped her as he cradled her wounded body gently against his chest.

  His hands were upon her face, pushing her tangled hair back from her. His hand was upon her cheek. “Arianna,” he whispered frantically. “Arianna?”

  She took a deep breath, wincing as her bruised body protested the movement. She took a moment to assess the damage that had been done to her. She was satisfied that though she was in pain, she would heal eventually. “I’m ok,” she told him, clenching her teeth as even that small movement caused pain to flare through her chest.

  “Look at me.”

  She inhaled a small breath as she forced her eyes open. She blinked in surprise, uncertain about the emotions that surged through her. His much loved eyes were intense, terrified, and a vibrant angry shade of red. His much loved face was smeared with the blood of his victims. She had never seen his eyes this color, but then, most of the time they were covered by the dark glasses. She didn’t know what to make of this stark reminder of what he was, what he was capable of, even if it was all because of her. His gaze searched her face, running rapidly over her, trying to reassure himself that she was, in fact, alright.

  Then, his gaze rose to the tree, and the amount of fury that radiated out of him shook her to the marrow of her bones. She did not look back up at the creature in the tree. He may still be alive right now, but he was as good as dead. Braith’s gaze came slowly back to hers, warming slightly. He placed her gently down, his eyes firing with anger as she winced involuntarily.

  He bit hard into his wrist, holding his arm out to her as his blood trickled slowly out of his wounds. “It will help you heal faster,” he said softly.

  She hesitated for a brief moment, there had been enough blood today, but she could not refuse him. Not when every part of her hurt and not when he was looking at her with that pleading expression. She took his wrist, pressing it against her mouth as she drank slowly. His blood was sweet, delicious, and healing as it seeped into her system, flowed through her wounded and bruised muscles and dislocated shoulder. After a long moment, he pulled his wrist slowly away from her. His lips were soft upon her forehead as he released her. “Keep your eyes closed Arianna.”

  “Braith,” she whispered, fighting the chills and tears that burned her eyes.

  “Just keep your eyes closed, it will be over quickly and I don’t want you to see this.”

  She closed her eyes, unable to resist obeying him. She did not want to see what he was going to do, and she would not be able to stop him either. She bit on her bottom lip, forcing herself to remain calm as she tried, and failed, to block out the sounds of the ensuing slaughter.

  CHAPTER 11

  Arianna curled against his chest, her hand entwined in his shirt as she slept soundly within his grasp. Braith had hoped that they would be at their destination by now, but the fight with the other vampires, and the tending of her wounds, had put them behind schedule. It was night again; she was exhausted, and beaten. His blood would help her to heal faster, but she still moaned every once in awhile, and her face was still scrunched slightly with pain.

  He watched her as he moved; still awed by the fact that he could even see her. Still surprised by the fact that he had not found her beautiful at first. Yes, she was thinner than he liked, even now he wished there was more weight upon her, and he had always preferred lighter hair color, and a more refined beauty. But her features, though sharpened by her thinness, were soft, gentle, and yet possessed a strength and character that was entirely captivating.

  They certainly captivated him anyway. He could not take his eyes away from her full mouth, slightly pointed nose, and dark eyelashes as they curled against her lightly freckled cheeks. When she had been in the palace, out of the rays of the sun, those freckles had almost disappeared completely.

  She stirred, her eyelids fluttered open. Her sapphire eyes blazed up at him, a soft smile curved her mouth as she cuddled tighter against him. That smile was painfully rare, yet stunning and achingly beautiful. He knew that
she had been shocked and horrified by what she had witnessed earlier, but she had not held it against him, or blamed him for his dark nature. She had not turned away from him in revulsion and fear.

  “We’re almost there,” he told her.

  She winced slightly as her wounded shoulder was jarred slightly. Anger spurted through him, but he swiftly buried it before she could see it, or sense it. She had seen enough mayhem today without needing to see anymore from him right now. She stared around the forest, her delicate forehead furrowed in confusion. It didn’t look as if the woods were going to end, but they would soon.

  “I can walk,” she said softly.

  “That’s ok.”

  She turned back toward him, her dark eyebrows drawn tightly together. “Your arms must be tired.”

  “I’m fine Arianna; you weigh as much as a feather.”

  Displeasure flashed across her face. He bent over her to press a soft kiss on her nose, hoping to ease her irritation with him. “Are we going to be safe?”

  He wanted to tell her that, yes, they would be. He wanted to be able to give her that much, but he couldn’t. She had never known safety, had never known a place to call home where she could feel secure, and one day he would give her that, but unfortunately it would not be today. It probably would not be for a long time. Sadness crept into her eyes, she leaned her head against his chest.

  “We’ll stay together, right?” she asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s all that matters then.”

  His hands clenched tighter around her, he would try to give her the moon if she asked for it, but she had never asked much from him, if anything. She did not want money and jewels, did not want clothes; she only wanted safety, a place to call home, and him. He just didn’t have the ability to give her everything she wanted right now. But one day he would, he promised himself that. The woods gave way, opening into a large clearing. The house stood in the center of the clearing, lights blazing from the windows lit the ground around it.

  Arianna was staring at it in wide eyed wonder, her hands curled tight in his shirt as she gazed up at it. The house was on stilts, high up in the air, parts of it were actually built into the trees surrounding the clearing. The sides were all clapboard, though parts of it looked far more weathered than others. The house had been built up even more since the last time Braith had seen it; it seemed to disappear into the woods behind it now, spreading outward in a ramble of buildings and rooms.

  Someone had been busy.

  “Wow,” Arianna breathed. She wiggled in his arms, and this time he allowed her to drop to her feet. Her mouth was parted slightly, her eyes wide as she tilted her head back to stare up at the giant tree house. She was most comfortable amongst the trees; this was something spectacular, and wonderful, to her. “What is this place?”

  Braith stared at the growing ensemble of buildings and hallways connecting them. “It belonged to my mother’s family originally.”

  She turned toward him, her gaze questioning. “And now?”

  “And now it belongs to my brother in law.” Arianna’s mouth dropped, she turned slowly back to the tree house.

  “Where is your sister?” she asked softly, apparently deciding not to press the issue.

  “You met Natasha, briefly. She did not leave the palace when Ashby was placed here.”

  “Not even for her husband?”

  Braith slipped his hand into Arianna’s, pulling her closer to him. “Not all relationships are like this Arianna, not everyone chooses who they want to be with. Natasha and Ashby were forced together by their families. Natasha is spoiled, rich, and well accustomed to the lap of luxury. Even if she had come to care for Ashby in their time together, she would never leave that behind for him. She wouldn’t leave it behind for anyone.”

  Her mouth was slightly parted, her eyes brimmed with tears. “You left it for me.”

  He nodded, stroking her cheek briefly. “I’d do anything for you.” A single tear slipped free. He brushed it gently away before bending to kiss her softly.

  “Why was Ashby put here?” she asked softly.

  Braith turned slowly back to the tree house, and its ramshackle buildings. “During the war with the humans Ashby’s family took the side of the humans. As punishment they were all slaughtered, but Ashby was sent to live in exile here, where he was to stay alone, and starving. Though it appears he has decided to add even more buildings to the original structure.”

  “Why was he kept alive?”

  “My father felt that this would be a better punishment for him. No luxury, no ready human blood, and no women. Ashby was well known for his love of women and blood. All people, and vampires within the area, were ordered to stay away. There used to be guards here, but they seem to have disappeared, or perhaps Ashby is not as weak and deprived as my father had intended. At one time the guards had reported that he was so famished and decimated that he was no longer capable of movement.” Fear flashed over Arianna’s face, she glanced sharply back at the buildings. “I won’t let him anywhere near you Arianna.”

  She nodded slowly, but still looked fearful. “Why wouldn’t they come here to look for you, if it was your mother’s home?” she asked softly.

  A shadow passed across one of the curtained windows, moving swiftly across the room. Braith stiffened slightly as he watched Ashby move through the house. His gate, and swift stride, proved what Braith had already suspected. Ashby was no longer too weak to be a threat. “Because Ashby is the reason I was blinded.”

  Arianna inhaled sharply, her gaze slid slowly back to him, her eyes bright in the light of the moon. “Braith…”

  He took hold of her hand, pulling her closer to him. Pulling her hair forward, he draped its thick waves around her neck, trying to mask the scent of her blood, though that would be impossible. The sweet smell was hard to miss. He wished that he had something to cover her with, but the summer months didn’t allow for much extra clothing. Though it appeared that Ashby had been feeding, Braith didn’t know how well, or the last time. Arianna was a fierce temptation that he wasn’t sure Ashby wouldn’t go after. And Braith did not want to have to kill him, at least not immediately.

  “Come.”

  She followed silently behind him, both of her hands clasped tightly around his, a tremor ran through her. He led her up a set of rickety steps, clenching his jaw as they creaked and swayed beneath them. He had not wanted to alert Ashby to their presence, but it was already too late for that. The stairs swayed beneath them as they stepped off them and onto a wobbly deck that he wasn’t entirely certain would hold up beneath their weights. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Ashby had set up booby traps. When Arianna tried to walk beside him, he pushed her gently back with a soft admonishment to walk only where he had. She frowned fiercely at him, but for once did not argue.

  Braith wondered again where the guards were. He should have left Arianna in the woods, but even if he could not sense the guards, that didn’t mean they weren’t still out there. He couldn’t risk it; he couldn’t take that chance with her life. He held his arm out, keeping her behind him as he reached forward to try the knob. He was not surprised to find it locked.

  He waited for a moment, trying to decide if he wanted to break in, or knock. He glanced back at Arianna, she was biting her bottom her lip nervously, her eyes wide with fear. He squeezed her hand for reassurance, but he could tell it did little to soothe her. In the end, he decided on knocking. There was something about this situation that he found strange and offsetting, for some reason he felt that knocking might be the bigger element of surprise here.

  From inside he could hear the approaching sound of footsteps; a soft whistling pierced the air. Braith was jarred for a moment, thrown back to a time when they had all lived together in the palace. Ashby had always whistled, not a loud piercing whistle, but a soft rhythm that had drifted cheerfully through the halls. It had been lively and carefree, as upbeat and easygoing as the man that issued it. All of the women
had loved Ashby; they had thrown themselves at his feet, enchanted by his good looks, and his charming demeanor.

  Now that whistle drifted easily through the air, lazy and casual, not at all the sound that a prisoner fighting for their lives should be making. This whistle was happy, easy, and so unbelievably joyful that it set Braith’s teeth on edge. The two of them had once been good friends, more than brothers-in-law, but actually brothers. Then Ashby had betrayed them, Braith had been blinded, and their friendship had been forever severed. Ashby was supposed to have been punished for that betrayal, but it was more than obvious that he was no longer serving that punishment.

  The door was flung open; Braith came face to face with the man who had once been his best friend, and was now one of his greatest enemies. The grin on Ashby’s handsome face froze, he stood motionless for a moment; his eyes were bright with merriment before reality began to sink in. He looked much as Braith remembered; he had not wasted away, did not appear starved, and in fact appeared to be slightly heavier than he had been in the palace.

  Then, Ashby’s grin faded, disbelief, shock, and finally panic flitted swiftly over his face. Braith was moving forward even as Ashby was trying to slam the door shut. The hard wood slammed off of his hand, bouncing back against the wall with a loud crash that shattered wood and caused Arianna to gasp loudly. Ashby was scrambling backward, trying to escape when Braith seized him by the throat, lifted him up, and slammed him off of the wall with enough force to shatter the plaster.

  He hadn’t seen Ashby in a hundred years, but the knife of betrayal that stabbed through him was just as fresh and sharp as it had been back then. This had been a bad idea. Braith had come here knowing that no one would look for him here; he had come here thinking that Ashby may still have contacts that would help him keep Arianna safe. He had come here expecting Ashby to be paying for his sins, not thoroughly enjoying his life.