"There was no king at this time, but a conglomerate of nobles who ran the underworld, dealt out the rules, and meted out punishments rapidly and with creative, sickening flare. The nobles had grouped to wrest control, and murder, the previous king.
“Before then, the underworld was nothing but a series of civil wars that started to decimate the more powerful families as each king was brought down. Upon ousting the last king, it was decided they would rule as a group to keep the inner slaughter somewhat under control. Our father had to find a way to wrest control from them if he was going to become the single, most powerful figure again."
"Shit!" Braith hissed.
Aria stared wide-eyed at Jack as he spoke. Though Braith seemed to have figured out where this was going, she still wasn't quite sure. Her hand shook in Braith's as he enfolded both of his around hers. She could feel an awful trembling working its way through her, but she couldn't stop it.
"If you remember father was never cruel to mother, at least not publicly, and I have no idea what went on behind closed doors. So, when he did turn on her, when he did accuse her of unfaithfulness and treachery no one questioned it; everyone believed him," Jack said.
Aria knew little of what the world had been like before the war. She'd heard stories of a world where humans ruled, and there were libraries and schools. A world of buildings that touched the sky.
She’d thought most of it was stories filtered through the generations to entertain children, and to give people something to fight for. But listening to Jack, she had a feeling there was so much more she didn't know and would never see.
No human seemed to know what triggered the war that left the human population decimated, starving, and barely clinging to survival, but she was beginning to realize it was something she’d never begun to fathom.
"For hundreds of years, he bided his time until he felt the situation was becoming one he could control, manipulate, and use to his advantage," Jack said.
"And then he exiled her," Braith stated.
"Yes."
"And then he had her killed to fire the spark that started the war."
"Her family demanded revenge; they blamed the humans who had been set up to take the fall for her murder. Father was able to take control of the situation, manipulating everyone to his way. He may have exiled her, but she was still his wife, and it was still his daughter who was ruthlessly slaughtered."
Aria gasped in astonishment as she focused on Melinda. The beautiful woman was standing proudly, with her chin raised defiantly. She showed no sign that the fact her father expected her to be killed in the raid upset her.
However, no matter how much time passed, no matter how much she despised the father who helped create her, Aria knew it still had to hurt her. The small flicker in her dove-colored eyes revealed this.
"They allowed him to seize the power and rule father always coveted," Braith said.
"And once he took it there was no stopping him," Melinda murmured.
Aria shuddered, the night was warm, but she was suddenly freezing. Her bones were numb; she was barely able to stand anymore. She could feel the shock radiating from Braith at the depths of his father's deceit.
"How long have you known this?" he inquired.
Jack shifted; he looked uncomfortable by the amount of hostility radiating from Braith. "About sixty years. It took me a while to gather all the pieces of the story and to believe it. I hate the man, there's never been any love lost between us, but even I had a tough time believing he would have our mother killed for his advancement."
Braith closed his eyes. Aria ached to comfort him, but this was not the time, and it was not the place. Later, when they were alone, she would try and take some of his suffering from him, but she wasn't certain she could help ease this betrayal and loss.
"Your family is even more screwed up than ours," William muttered.
Jack cocked an eyebrow at him; a sad smile curved his mouth. "And you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Caleb or Natasha, yet."
William nodded slowly; his gaze drifted to Aria. "What did you get yourself into now, sis?"
Aria managed a weak smile; William was trying to sound casual, but his normally jovial tone fell short in this horrendous mess. She itched to go to William, to hug him and the rest of her family. However, Braith wasn't ready to let her go just yet.
"Braith." She rubbed his arm, looking to get him to relax a little. It didn't seem to be working.
"You know everything now, Braith, you know what was done, and you know what we believe. The question now is, what are you going to do?" Jack asked pointedly.
Braith's beautiful eyes were aglow in the dim room. The blue in them was bright, sharp in contrast to the unrelenting gray. There was something in his gaze, something so vulnerable yet strong that she felt her insides melt. His eyes caressed her face, stroking lovingly over her, but the steel rod of determination in his eyes left her cold with dread.
"Braith," she breathed.
"I'm going to keep you safe,” he vowed.
She managed a small nod. "I know you will. I have absolute faith in that."
"No matter what, Arianna, I am going to keep you safe."
"It's a brutal war to wage," she whispered, a war he hadn’t experienced in a hundred years; a war she had only lived through the horrendous consequences of.
"It is. The results of the last war have to be set right though," Braith said.
"They will follow you, Braith," Jack encouraged.
Aria shot him a withering look. She knew what Braith had in mind, knew she couldn't stop him, but Jack didn't have to make him feel as if he had to do it because he didn't.
She would stand by him no matter what he decided, even if he chose to flee here and never look back. That may not be her choice, but she would support it because she supported him. It wouldn't be her who would be going against her own family; she wouldn't force him into that position.
"Will they, Jack?" Braith inquired dryly.
Jack swallowed heavily as Braith leveled him with a virulent stare.
"Yes. I think you may be as strong as father now,” Jack said.
When Jack focused on her, Braith stiffened and stepped in front of her.
"Maybe even stronger,” Jack continued. “Many will look to you for leadership, especially the vampires on the outskirts, especially the ones starving under father's regime."
"And the people will follow the human leader," Braith said coldly. Aria shivered at his harsh, brutal tone. "Isn't that right, Jack?"
"They will,” Jack replied.
"Why do I feel as if I have been manipulated into this?" Braith grated.
"As if anyone could have expected you to fall in love with your blood slave," Melinda retorted.
"I am not a blood slave!" Aria snapped.
"Maybe not anymore, but you were. It's how all of this started after all."
Aria glared at her.
"No one saw that coming," Jack agreed, trying to appease everyone with his soft tone.
"I don't think they'll follow a vampire who fell for their blood slave." Braith squeezed Aria's hand reassuringly when he said the words blood slave. "In fact, I imagine most of them will be disgusted by it."
"That is one thing we will have to keep secret," Jack agreed.
Anger and hurt bloomed through Aria's chest, but she tilted her chin defiantly. She would have to stay strong to succeed, and if they were ever going to have any chance at happiness, they would have to win.
"For now, it will have to look as if you have allied with the humans, and as if you are going to bring the peace and security to the vampire race father promised but was unable to provide,” Jack continued. “The humans will follow if they are assured safety and security, which we will give them. When this is all over—"
"When this is all over, the two of us will go somewhere safe. When this is all over, we will be left alone," Braith interrupted sharply.
Jack was hesitant; Aria could barely look at her fami
ly. They were staring at her with a mixture of confusion and defeat that made her ache for them.
"They'll follow you, Braith," Melinda whispered.
"And they'll follow Jack after, and the humans will continue to follow one of them." Braith waved a hand lazily at her father and brothers.
"Yes, fine. We can work it all out later," Jack assured him quickly.
Ashby looked about to protest, but Melinda rested a hand on his arm and shook her head subtly. Aria understood what that look meant. Braith might want to believe they would be free if they somehow managed to succeed, but they all understood what Braith was trying desperately to deny. The two of them would never be free.
"First things first though,” Jack said.
"Father has to come out of power, and Caleb has to be neutralized," Braith stated.
Aria squeezed his arm; he glanced down at her, and the hard lines of his face smoothed out when he smiled at her. She smiled back before slipping past him and ambled toward her family.
She was frightened of the reaction she would get from them. It was William who stepped forward first to hug her against him. She sighed contentedly, embracing her twin as Daniel and her father joined them.
Relief and love filled her. It was a long, savage road they all had ahead of them, but they could do this together. With the love of her family, with the love of Braith, she could get through anything.
Her gaze drifted back to Braith. She couldn't resist him.
Releasing her family, she rejoined him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she buried her head in his chest. The coming war was inevitable, and she would be giving up everything to help wage it, including Braith.
She was acutely aware of the fact that when all this was over, there would be little left for them. It was Braith who would have to rule afterward; they all saw that already, even if he didn't. And as a human, she would have no place by his side.
But she couldn't think about that now; there was a war to fight first.
The End
Turn the page to keep reading Refugee, book 3 in the Captive Series!
Refugee
The Captive Series, Book 3
Special thanks to my husband for always believing in me,
my parents for always being there for me, and Leslie from G2 Freelance Editing for helping to make this book even better.
Prologue
The figure slipped silently into the room. A deep gray cloak covered most of its body; the hood shielded its features as it moved with inhuman silence. But it was not inhuman. Gideon was reminded of that by the solid beat of its heart and the alluring scent pricking his appetite.
But this human, especially this one, was completely off limits if he was to keep his life. Although he couldn't see the features, he knew who it was by the sweet aroma she emitted.
No, no matter how hungry he may be, he would not touch this one. He valued his life far too much to do such a thing. He'd eat rats first.
She stopped before his desk; her head bowed as she inhaled a small breath. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lifted her head and drew back the hood. Her dark auburn hair was the color of blood in the candlelight flickering over it. Her features, though pretty, were not stunning, especially not under the pallor now marking her normally healthy hue. Her hand trembled, but Gideon admired her steely resolve.
"I spoke with Jack and Ashby."
Gideon froze for a moment, his hand tightened around the pen he held. "I see."
Her mouth was pinched, and her eyes were steady despite the tumultuous fear and anguish he sensed beneath her seemingly calm exterior. "I understand what needs to be done."
Gideon let go of the pen before he snapped it in half. He didn't care about the instrument, but he was far too meticulous to have ink coating him. "You do?"
For a brief moment tears shimmered in her eyes before she blinked them back, thrust out her chin, and nodded firmly. "I do."
"He cannot know about this."
"He won't."
Gideon was silent for a long moment. "The bond cannot be completed."
She winced as a flash of grief struck her like lightning. "It won't be," she whispered.
Gideon hadn't known what to expect from her or how she would react to what Jack and Ashby told her. He should have known this was the path she would take, that she would not shy away from this. She turned from him, but her step wasn't so sure, or as silent, as she made her way to the door.
"You know what this may mean for you?" he inquired before she could escape.
She stopped in the doorway; her head turned back to him as she studied him over her shoulder. She swallowed as she managed another stiff nod. "If we are unable to dilute his blood in me, my death may be the only solution to separating us for good."
He was immobile, struck by the fact this young girl saw what the others refused to. "And you accept this?"
"It's what I came to you for," she breathed.
That answer didn't surprise him either; he was the only one she could turn to in order to ensure such a thing was carried out. "No one else can know about this."
"They won't," she vowed.
He realized he'd made a deal with the devil as she slid the hood back over her head and slipped from the room.
Chapter One
The Barrens.
The place where horror stories were born, cautionary tales were exchanged, and people were frightened by the mere thought of entering them. They were desolate, somehow cold, even with the sun relentlessly pounding the earth around them. Few people who entered The Barrens came back.
The ones who did often ranted of strange creatures, monsters that hunted within the sand, appeared out of nowhere, and were even more vicious than the vampires. Few believed the extent of the stories, but fewer wandered into The Barrens after hearing them.
And now they were here, preparing to jump head first into hell. They had traveled hundreds of miles through her forest to this godforsaken land of sun and sand. The supposed new home of the vampires who had, at one time, been some of the most spoiled aristocrats.
They were the aristocrats who stood against the king during the war. They’d fled the palace when it became clear they weren’t going to win, and their lives would be forfeit.
Aristocrats Braith now sought to gain support from for this upcoming battle. That was if they could ever find these mysterious vampires amongst the vast expanse of emptiness unraveling beyond this last border town. The town was frightening enough, but the lands beyond were overwhelming. Aria wasn't used to such emptiness, not after being surrounded by trees and caves for most of her life.
Anxiety twisted in her belly. Sweat trickled down her back as she kept her head bowed and the hood pulled low over her brow. She could feel the curious stares burning through the dull gray cloak of the servant's class color covering her.
Braith stood stiffly beside her; his shoulders were squared as his body thrummed with tension. She didn't know what to do with her hands as they walked down the street. She ached to touch him, but she couldn't.
She had to fight against the urge to look up. She itched to see the town they had entered, to take in the details of it, but she had repeatedly been told not to make eye contact. No matter how badly she wanted to look, she wasn't about to endanger the men surrounding her by disobeying.
She started when Braith grasped her upper arm and swallowed it within his massive hand. Immediately, her skin heated to his touch, and though they were in this awful place a low sigh of pleasure escaped her. Her heart leapt in her chest; longing spread through her as her toes curled in her battered shoes.
"Keep your head down." Braith seemed to have sensed her wish to look around.
Her shoulders slumped, her gaze focused on the dusty, pitted road. Beside her, she felt William's growing resentment at being ordered around and having to maintain a subservient demeanor.
From the corner of her eye, she saw more people moving to the side of the road. Well, at least some of them were people. The oth
ers were something else entirely and who Braith and Ashby were seeking. These were the more lawless vampires, and therefore more unpredictable than those living within and around the palace, even though these vampires still lived under the king's laws here.
She had seen far too many of these beaten and broken towns with their battered and starving occupants lately. Sometimes she feared they would never find what Braith and Ashby sought, and perhaps the legends and rumors of the surviving aristocrats were just that, legends and rumors.
It felt like they'd walked forever, it had only been two days since they turned their horses loose at the edge of The Barrens. Aria refused to bring the animals with them if there was no guarantee they could feed or water them. So, after riding for two weeks, they were forced to walk.
If she was honest with herself, two weeks wasn't much time; she had spent far more time away from home than this. It only seemed so awful because she was never given a moment alone with Braith, and they were never allowed to be on their own as either William stood protectively close or Ashby intervened.
It annoyed her, but she understood her brother’s determination to try to protect her virtue. It was a little amusing coming from William, the man who left broken hearts in every corner of the forest.
However, Ashby's interference was beginning to grate on her last nerve. It was definitely annoying Braith as he'd completely lost his temper with Ashby when he unapologetically followed them into the woods yesterday. Aria's interference was all that kept Braith from completely losing control.
He hadn't even had a chance to feed on her since they'd left Ashby's rambling tree house. Aria ached for the renewal of the bond and to reestablish that connection with Braith again. She hoped once they arrived at their destination they would finally be rewarded with some time alone again, but until then her two guard dogs —as she now thought of William and Ashby— were not going to be shaken.
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