"Oh, Max," she breathed.
She wished the explanation was that simple, but she knew it wasn't. The prince hadn’t twisted her; he hadn’t used her terror and confusion against her. He was kind and caring, and he’d needed her. She knew that. Though he had a fiancée the whole time, at the very least, she knew she'd been a little bit special to him.
But she still should have fought against her feelings more. He was her enemy, he would always be her enemy, and they'd never had a chance at a future. She knew all of that, yet she still offered him her blood with no reservations and no fear.
She’d willingly given him her heart. She hated to pop Max's bubble, but he couldn't go about thinking such things. He had to know she wasn’t corrupted in there, but a willing, even eager, participant.
He had to know she was a horrible person. Had to know these things so he would stop looking at her like that, and so he would understand she could never care for him the same way he cared for her.
"I'm sorry, Max," she whispered. "But that's not what happened. He didn't manipulate me; he didn't corrupt me. He was kind to me; he took care of me. I may have been his blood slave, but he only treated me as such when it was necessary. I would like to say that I didn't come to care for him, that I remained loyal to you and everyone here, but I can't. I loved him, Max..."
She broke off, unable to speak through the grief clawing at her. "I still love him," she choked out.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes wide in disbelief, and then he shook his head rapidly. His sandy blond hair fell across his forehead curling around his bright eyes.
"But don't you see, Aria, that is how he twisted you. He knew you'd always had nothing and your life was hard. He knew by being kind, by giving you the things you never had, you would come to rely on him, trust him, and perhaps even convince yourself you cared for him. That way it would be more fun when he destroyed you. It's why he never told you he was engaged."
Aria's fingernails clawed into the edge of the river bank as she grasped it. She tried to believe Max's words. Maybe, just maybe, she could move on if she believed them, but she couldn't.
Yes, the prince kept his fiancée from her, yes he was dishonest, and yes he broke her heart, but something between them had been real. There had been a strange connection between them from the very beginning. Max was aware the prince was blind; he didn't know that whenever the prince was near her, he could see again.
And though the prince omitted things about his life, she knew he wasn’t lying about only being able to see around her. The fact he could see her was the reason he had claimed her as his first blood slave.
No, Max didn't know about that, and as far as she was concerned no one ever would, not even the prince's brother, Jack. That secret would stay between them. It was the one secret she clung to; the one idea that made her believe it hadn't all been a lie. It was the only thing helping to ease her self-disgust a little.
Although she knew she would never see or feel him again, and even though he’d hurt her so badly, she needed to believe he’d cared for her, at least a little bit. It probably wasn't the best idea for her to cling to that notion, not when she had to let him go, but she couldn't help it. Right now, it was the only thing getting her through the days.
"I don't think so, Max."
"I do," he replied with more confidence than she had. "And one day you will realize it too. You just need time for his psychological games to wear off, and when they do, I'll be here."
Aria shook her head. "No, Max..."
Her words broke off as he clasped her chin, turning her so she had to face him. He wiped the tears from her face. Tears she hadn't known were falling.
"Yes, Aria," he said.
Before she could react, he leaned forward and kissed her. Aria started in surprise, she didn't know what to do or how to respond, but before she could do anything he was already pulling away from her. She could only sit and stare at him as he smiled back at her.
"Just thought it was time for our second kiss," he said.
She couldn't have disagreed more, but she didn't say so. She was selfish for not telling him that, but she had already lost so much in the past couple of months, she couldn't bear to lose Max's friendship as well. However, once he realized who she truly was, how little she deserved his love, he would turn against her.
"We should be going," she managed to choke out.
Nodding, he climbed to his feet and wiped the dirt and mud off his pants as he went. Aria listened to the familiar sounds of the forest, her forest as she followed him. She had always taken solace and refuge within these thick woods, but she couldn’t find either of those things as of late.
Leaning against the wall of the cave, Aria stared out the entrance. In the shadows of the evening, she could just barely make out the figures of a few guards, but she only saw them because she knew they were there. If she hadn't known, she would never spot them amongst their strategic hiding spots.
The caves were good shelter, but without fair warning an attack was coming, it was easy to get trapped within the thick walls. There were many escape routes throughout the underground system, but there were just as many dead ends.
She glanced behind her, but the cave was dark. The fires were lit much further beneath the earth, where they couldn't be seen from the woods. She didn't fool herself into thinking she was alone out here; her father had people watching her like a hawk since she was taken, but at least she had a little sense of peace and tranquility. Well, that was until she felt William coming.
She turned as her twin emerged from the dark recesses of the cave. She would know him anywhere and often felt him coming before he arrived. He leaned against the wall opposite her, his arms folded across his chest as he gazed at her.
They both had the same bright blue eyes, the same dark auburn hair. Though they'd come from two different eggs, they were even more similar than most identical twins. Right down to their quick tempers and impulsive actions.
Those impulsive actions were what led her to imprisonment and subsequently being made a blood slave, and though she'd like to say they were both more thoughtful now, she'd be lying. The only thing that had changed was she was sadder and more mature than before going into the palace, and William was angrier.
He blamed himself for not being with her that day, even though he'd been injured and unable to accompany her on the hunt. He hated the vampires for taking her, and he especially hated the prince for claiming her as a blood slave.
She’d tried explaining to all of them she hadn't been abused, that only her heart was maimed, but none of them believed her. She supposed it didn't help she was more like the walking dead than a living person since her return. She most certainly wasn't the same girl taken from these woods, and they blamed the prince for that.
They didn't understand he’d saved her from a fate far worse than the one she'd experienced. It had been another vampire who claimed her initially; if it weren't for the prince, far worse things would have been done to her. Whereas they felt she'd been tortured, she knew she was lucky.
"Do you think you'll ever fall in love?" she questioned.
He turned toward her, his eyes bright in the night, his dark eyebrows quirked upward as he studied her. "Is that what you think you were?"
She was silent as she thought over her next words. She had never kept anything from William, they always shared everything, but he’d been so angry lately that she worried her words might send him over the edge. She couldn't lie to him though.
"Yes," she said.
He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. She could tell he was trying to keep hold of his temper and struggling to hide the vehemence behind his emotion.
"Aria, things happened in there, things I can't even begin to imagine–"
"Don't, William. Max may choose to believe that, but you know better. You know me; you know who I am. Do you think I don't know what I felt in there?"
"I believe you think you do."
Aria's hands
fisted in frustration; it seemed everyone thought she didn't know her own feelings. But she supposed if it were William telling her these things, she wouldn't believe them either.
"And no, I don't think I will ever fall in love," William said.
"Oh."
He moved away from the wall; throwing his arm casually around her shoulders, he pulled her to his side. He grinned down at her, and she couldn't help but grin back at him. For the first time in their lives, he may not understand her, but he would always love her. No matter what.
She dropped her head to his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. She listened to the sound of his heart as they stared out at the night. So absorbed in the reassuring beat of his heart, it took her a few moments to realize all the animals and insects had gone silent.
Aria lifted her head slowly; her heart thumped wildly as she gazed at the darkness. She searched for the guards amongst the trees and spotted their prone figures amid the night.
"William," she whispered.
"I know. Come on."
He pushed her deeper into the cave, with his hand on her back, as they made their way swiftly through the familiar terrain. The guards still hadn't raised the alarm, a low pitched whistle that easily blended in with the chirruping of the insects, but Aria strained to hear it. It had to be coming soon.
"Hurry!" A sense of doom descended over her as her breath came faster.
Her hand clenched on William's. When they were far enough from the entrance they broke into a run. Their feet flew over the rock of the cave floor. They might already be too late if the vampires were already on them.
With the vampire's exceptional eyesight in the dark, and their rapid speed, it would be almost impossible for her and William to escape. They took a side tunnel on the right and ducked when the ceiling became lower. William turned back and grabbed one of the substantial iron gates built into the wall.
"The guards!" she hissed, grabbing his arm before he could close the gate.
"It's too late for them, Aria."
Horror filled her as the low pitched warning whistle echoed through the caves. William froze for a moment; the gate was still partly open when she sensed, more than heard, something approaching.
William effectively sealed the guards out as he closed the gate as quietly as possible. Many other tunnels led through here. It could take a while for the vampires to find the right one, and the gate should buy them enough time to attempt an escape.
They retreated, moving as quickly as they could through the stooped tunnel. Aria's heart pounded rapidly in her chest, a crushing sense of time running out seized her as something large and heavy slammed into the gate, rattling it within the frame.
Chapter Two
Aria was panting for air as they raced forward. They were running on instinct and memory alone, too disturbed by what was behind them to grab one of the unlit torches from the walls surrounding them. William led her around another turn, pausing long enough to reach back and slide a gate shut.
They weren't far from the main room now. She stumbled over a loose stone, and her ankle rolled beneath her as he pulled her forward. A muted cry escaped, but she hurried on, refusing to be hindered by her throbbing ankle.
The tunnel began to narrow as William slid another gate home. As they maneuvered another turn, the fire of the main room became visible, and she could hear the faint sounds of laughter. Aria's heart hammered; she could barely breathe.
She’d never felt claustrophobic within the tunnels before. Now she felt like a caged rat running forward aimlessly. If they got out of this, she swore she would never return to these caves. Then again, they could never return to them anyway; they would never be safe.
They had been discovered.
William and Aria stumbled into the main hall. Everyone became silent as William spun around to push another gate shut.
"They're here!" Aria informed them.
There were a good hundred people in the room; panic claimed over half of them. Screams rang out; children began to cry. They had run drills and practiced for this sort of thing, but it had never happened before. It dismayed and horrified her to see the chaos that promptly took over.
Her mouth dropped as people ran about, trying to gather as many of their things as possible. Thankfully, some kept a level head long enough to shut the three gates blocking the tunnels from the main room.
She wished her father, or Daniel, were here. They would have an easier time keeping everyone calm, but they had gone to meet with another group of rebels about a mile away in another set of caves.
"Everyone! Everyone! You have to calm down!" She raced into the center of the room, holding up her hands as she tried to quiet the fray.
No one paid her any attention as they pushed and shoved their way toward the only remaining exit.
"Wait!" she cried, trying to stop them before they trampled each other and lost their only chance at escape.
Max grabbed her arm, pulling her free of the crushing bodies. Thrusting her behind him, he pinned her between his body and the cave wall. Aria grasped his shirt as he pressed against her, trying to protect her from the jostling and shoving.
"Everyone calm down!" His voice was louder than normal, but not so loud it would bounce down the tunnels, and not so loud it caused anyone to hesitate for more than a moment. "Damn it!"
His frustration was apparent in the constriction of his muscles and his fisted hands. He turned toward her, bracing one hand against the wall by her head as he fought and pushed against the mass of bodies.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her against him as he shoved his way back through the disarray, fighting against the seemingly endless sea of people. She searched for William, but she couldn't see him amongst the wave of bodies.
As they finally broke free, she struggled to get oxygen into her abused lungs. William was suddenly before her; he thrust her bow and a quiver of arrows into her hands.
"We're going to have to find another way out," William said.
The tunnel behind them, the one everyone was shoving through, was the only one that didn't eventually meet back up with the main tunnel they had just left. There were ways outside, through other shafts, but there was a chance the vampires were already in one of those. To reopen one of the gates and go into one of those tunnels was a considerable risk. It was something they had never planned on having to do.
She glanced back at the exit tunnel; it was jammed full of bodies pushing and shoving each other. In the drills they’d run, most people were supposed to be halfway through the tunnel by now. Panic hindered things; she was sure there were people on the ground in there being trampled by the mob.
"We have to help them."
She took a step toward them, but William clasped her arm and pulled her back sharply.
"There is no helping them now, Aria; we have to get out of here before we're trapped,” he said. “We have to go."
"The people," she whispered.
"Will be fine. They have the safe exit, remember?" he retorted. "Come on."
He pulled her back toward the gate they had entered the cavern through. "We just came through there," she breathed.
"There are three gates already closed between us and the main hall. It will be the safest one."
His long fingers worked deftly over the locks, swiftly throwing them open. Three other men and a woman gathered with them. They had apparently decided to throw their chances in with them rather than the crushing mass of people on the other side.
Aria didn't know who they were, but the people within the caves changed often. Most of the rebels constantly relocated, preferring to stay on the move rather than remain cooped up in one place.
It was a theory her family also stuck to, but her father had stayed here far longer than usual. Aria knew it was because of her. He wanted her to rest and recuperate in one place, and maybe even have some sense of stability for once in her life.
She'd hated being stuck here, and now she knew why. She felt much safer when
they were continually moving, felt much safer outside in the woods she knew so well. They had spent so much time over the years running in and out of the cave systems that she knew most of them by heart.
She always felt like a caged animal when she was within the caves. She'd wanted to make her dad happy though, especially when he was obviously worried about her, so she hadn't complained about staying. She wished she had now. The caves would have been raided, even if they weren’t here, but she couldn't help but feel like this was somehow her fault. That somehow she brought them here.
"Come on," Max said as he seized her hand.
They plunged back into the black tunnels. The darkness enveloped them; she could barely make out the back of Max's head as she strained to see. They couldn't use any of the torches though, that was begging to be caught and killed, or worse, she could be re-captured and brought back to whatever horrible fate awaited her at the palace.
She had the distinct feeling if she was returned to the palace, it wouldn’t go over well. In fact, although the prince was engaged, she thought she would be made to pay dearly for her escape.
She knew how badly he hated being disobeyed, and her escape was the ultimate defiance. He would punish her for it. Or he wouldn't even care she was back, and let her go to whoever claimed her this time.
She shuddered at the thought. Her hand clung to the strap of the bow and quiver slung over her back. They were her specialty; she could shoot an arrow better than anyone else. She just couldn’t do it in these restricted confines, and from the direction William was heading, she knew it was about to get a lot more compact in here.
She hated this route through the caverns, but it made the most sense right now. It would be harder for the vampires to navigate through here also; and at this point, the other tunnel options led to a waterfall.
It was a beautiful view, but the sound of rushing water blocked out the noise of their pursuers, and they were relying on their sense of hearing most right now. The rocks were also slippery, and climbing them under the best of circumstances was risky enough without adding the bonus obstacle of rushing.
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