"William, wrap up her arms," he managed to grate out.
Sand and dust kicked up around Ashby as he slid to a stop before them. His eyes flashed red when the scent of Aria’s blood hit him, and something dark flickered over his face.
"Get away from her, Ashby!" Braith snarled.
Ashby remained where he was, his shoulders heaving as his fangs sliced into his lower lip. William's hands had stilled on Aria’s cloak; he’d been trying to rip it into pieces for bandages. Aria was immobile against him.
"Now, Ashby! Now!" Braith commanded.
His brother-in-law shook his head; his fangs retreated as his eyes flickered wildly between red and green. Ashby managed a small nod as he took a step back, and then another before he finally turned away.
Relief filtered through Braith; he’d prefer not to kill Ashby, but he would to keep Aria safe. He wanted to try and regain his trust in Ashby. Jack and Melinda trusted him, Aria and William seemed to, but Ashby was the one who had blinded him, and Braith remained uncertain about him.
William shredded the rest of Aria's ruined sleeves and began to wrap her brutalized arms in the coarse material. She squirmed in his lap; her eyes squeezed shut as her mouth twisted.
Braith bent closer to her hair and inhaled her sweet scent while he tried to calm himself. As her pain suffused him, he kept reminding himself that William was helping. Even though Braith told himself this, his emotions were swinging on a precarious pendulum between rage, dread, and famine.
He was unstable and the only thing helping to soothe him was her. He savored her scent, the feel of her teeth against his skin, the gentle pull of his blood seeping into her system. His blood would heal her; it would be enough. It had to be enough as there were no other options.
She would die if it didn't.
Aria jerked against him. Braith's head snapped up, and an involuntary snarl escaped him. William flinched but continued to wrap her arms in the cloth.
"I'm sorry," he whispered his gaze worriedly darting to Braith.
William tied the last knot and sat back on his heels as he studied his sister. Aria squeezed William's arm briefly before slipping lifelessly away. It took Braith a frantic moment to realize that, though she was motionless, her chest still rose and fell. Her heart beat sluggishly and far too erratically for his liking, but the beat was there, and it was getting stronger.
Braith was painfully aware she’d managed to stay conscious long enough for her brother to finish what he was doing.
Chapter Three
"You're awake."
Was she awake?
Aria took stock of her body as she tried to figure out what happened. She blinked at the ceiling, an actual ceiling; she couldn't quite remember the last time she had a roof over her head.
Where was she?
She turned her head carefully; she felt drained, tired, and like she might throw up. William’s face blurred before her; there were two of him at first, but the more she blinked the clearer he became.
"I am," she confirmed.
His shoulders slumped in relief, and his hand rested lightly on her upper arm. "You had me worried."
It was difficult to swallow, but she finally managed to form words. "I feel awful.”
"That's because you almost died, and you would have..." William's voice trailed off, and his gaze drifted somewhere behind her.
"William?" The perplexed look on his face worried her.
"Braith gave you some of his blood." He sounded equally disgusted and awed.
Aria wanted to stay where she was on the cold floor, but she had a feeling she’d been out for a while. It was time to get moving.
William lurched awkwardly forward when she braced herself on her forearms. Pain instantly tore through her, and she nearly fell back, but he grabbed her and helped her into a seated position. She panted as the copper taste that preceded vomit filled her mouth. Swallowing, Aria struggled to keep her stomach from revolting.
After a few moments of taking deep breaths, she finally gained enough control to realize she wasn’t going to toss the meager contents of her stomach all over the floor. William’s hand on her back shook, and she’d never seen a look of such abject terror on his face; not even when their mother was killed.
Then, they'd had no time to react, and were too shocked and horrified to show any real emotion. Now he'd had plenty of time to sit here and agonize about what happened, and what might become of her.
"I'm fine, William." She squeezed his hand as she tried to reassure him with her strength, but it seemed weak even to her. "Just a little disoriented. But that's better than the alternative."
She'd hoped to elicit a chuckle from him; he stared stone-faced back at her.
"The blood—" he started.
"He's given it to me before when I was wounded. It won't hurt me."
His gaze darted behind her again as he leaned closer. "But won't it make you one of them?"
Aria frowned at him. She started to shake her head but realized the motion would only bring on another bout of nausea. She forced herself to remain still.
"No. I don't know. I'm not entirely sure how it all works,” she admitted.
"You've never discussed it?"
She lifted her trembling hand to push a strand of hair back from her face. "Not that part."
"Huh, I’d assumed you had." William sat back on his heels; his eyes inquisitive as he studied her.
"William?" she asked worriedly.
"He really does love you."
Aria started in surprise. "You didn’t think he did?"
His fingers tapping against the floor alerted Aria that it wasn’t solid wood beneath her but worn carpet. She couldn't feel the carpet as her fingers were numb. It was unsettling not to have the full sensation of touch. She hoped the numbness went away soon.
"I don't know what to think," William admitted. "I'd like to believe it, but it's all so bizarre, Aria."
She wasn't going to argue with that.
"But seeing the way he was with you today, I don't doubt it anymore. All I can do is wonder why?" William asked.
Aria glared at him, but she couldn't hold up the pretense of being mad when he finally managed a smile for her.
"You had me worried, kid," he said.
"You're an hour older than me."
"But it was a glorious hour of solitude," he quipped.
"Jerk."
"Brat."
She awkwardly embraced him with her injured arms. "Where is Braith?"
William exhaled noisily as he pulled back. His gaze traveled to her bandaged arms. "He and Ashby had to go outside."
Sorrow and regret twisted her insides. "This is difficult for them."
"It's difficult for all of us."
"Help me up."
"Aria—"
"He's coming, William, I can't be sitting down."
"How do you know he’s coming?"
"I just do."
He was about to argue further but decided against it as he slid his arms under her and gently lifted her. He was steadying her when Braith appeared in the doorway. A muscle twitched in Braith’s cheek. His shoulders were rigid, but those hated glasses were in place, so she was unable to see his eyes and get a read on what he was thinking.
"It's okay, William," she told him, sensing that her brother was hesitant to leave them alone while Braith seemed unstable.
William stood uncertainly before bowing his head and leaving them. Braith's broad shoulders almost filled the entire doorframe as he watched her in silence. Aria shifted nervously as she tried to gather what little strength she had left.
"You're not sending me away, Braith." The silence was killing her. Braith was not the strong, silent type. When he was angry or upset, he didn't hide it, especially not with her. "You're not going to stash me somewhere either," she blurted when he remained frustratingly mute.
"No, I'm not." His voice was hoarse.
"But you said before that you should have left me behind."
&
nbsp; "I was wrong. You nearly died."
"I'm fine."
"If I hadn't been there..." He broke off as he shook his head. Her heart ached for the anguish she felt twisting through him. "I won't send you away, Aria. I won't leave you somewhere I think might be safe because there is nowhere safe for you, and I can't take the chance of something happening to you while I'm not there to protect you. This never should have happened."
His words threw her off. "This isn't your fault."
"Isn't it? You shouldn't be in danger."
"I've always been in danger."
"But I want more for you!" he exploded.
The devastation behind his words startled her. He was in front of her in an instant; his hands grasped her arms as he smoothly turned them over. She stared down at the makeshift bandages, disturbed by the amount of blood coating the rags. Her blood. Her life.
"Don't you understand that?” he demanded. “I want you to be safe and to know peace for once in your life. I don't want you to know fear and death anymore. And I've thrust you into even more jeopardy; I've brought this on us. These lands aren't good, Aria."
Her hands flipped within his as she grasped him. The feeling in her fingers was slowly returning. "One day, Braith, when all of this is over, we'll know peace."
His head was bent as he studied their hands. She knew he was thinking what she couldn't say, what she didn't want to consider... if they made it to the end, if they won, if they were still together.
"Let's get these off and see how your arms look," he said.
"I can have William do it."
His head came up, and his nostrils flared. "I can take care of you, Aria."
What happened to her had rattled him more than she'd realized. He was off balance, edgy, and uncertain in a way she'd never seen before. "I know that, Braith."
And she did, but her blood was a torment she wanted to spare him.
His jaw clenched so tightly she could practically hear his teeth grinding together as his fingers nimbly undid the knots William tied. The rags slid from her skin and slithered silently to the floor. At first, Aria couldn't look at what had nearly killed her, but his stillness and the slight tensing of his shoulders told her she had to.
She braced herself as her gaze slid to the arms he held so delicately within his large hands. The gashes were vivid against her pale skin but not as deep as they had been. The ones on her left arm ran from elbow to wrist while the ones on her right arm were below her elbow but just as wicked looking.
She shook as she stared at them, lost in the realization she had nearly died and these marks represented what could have been her end. Though she wasn't bleeding anymore, there was still some dried blood on her skin.
Her hand trembled as she pulled the glasses from Braith’s face; she needed to see his eyes. The small white scars around his eyes weren't as visible, and his face paled considerably from the restraint he exerted over himself.
At first, he wouldn't look at her as his gaze remained focused on her brutalized arms. Then, his eyes met hers. Her breath froze in her lungs; her heart fluttered like a trapped bird as it beat against her ribcage.
The beautiful gray eyes with the bright blue band she’d come to love were gone. They were as bright as rubies gleaming at her from the depths of his striking face. He was hungry and savage, and right now all he yearned for was her.
She would give her blood to him willingly, but he wouldn't take it. Not after today. But it was unnecessary torture for him to be here when William was perfectly capable of re-bandaging her arms.
"Braith—"
And then he was on her, over her, nearly inside of her as his mouth seized hers with a tenderness she hadn’t expected given his mood. His hands stroked her cheeks as his tongue flickered against her lips. She felt the press of his elongated fangs before she opened her mouth to let him in.
A low moan of pleasure escaped her as he invaded all her senses. He was inside her soul and so much a part of her. She could barely breathe as his hands slid away from her face. His arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her, pressing her back against a wall. His body was hard against hers and impassioned beneath her hands.
Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to her as he groaned and nipped at her lip. Her mind and body spun out of control. She was in over her head, but she found she didn't care as she gave herself over to the emotions galloping through her.
Aching and unfulfilled, she squirmed against him. She couldn't breathe, and she didn't care as his tongue slid into her mouth, becoming more demanding as he caressed her. Aria moaned in delight, her still somewhat numb fingers curled into his back.
She wanted to cry, or scream with joy, but mostly she wanted to forget the world around them and just be with each other. Buttons slid free as he pushed her shirt aside to press his hand against her breast. Pleasure swept through her with the consuming intensity of a wildfire. She didn't care where they were or what was happening around them, not anymore.
"Braith."
At first, she was so lost in him and the needs of her body, that Ashby's voice barely penetrated her mind.
"Braith."
Loss, acute and profound, filled her when Braith's hands stilled on her and he pulled a little away. She stared breathlessly up at him. Joy filled her when she saw the beautiful gray of his eyes once more. He stared at her with a mix of awe and love that caused her legs to quiver around him.
"Braith."
His eyes flashed briefly red again; his hand slid free as he moved her into a position that protected her from Ashby's gaze. Aria’s face heated at the thought of what Ashby had seen while she quickly re-buttoned her shirt.
"So help me, Ashby,” Braith said, “if you don't leave us be for five minutes—"
"Someone is coming,” Ashby said.
In a split second, everything about Braith changed. Gone was the laziness of his posture along with the small half smile that had curled his mouth. Before her now was the man who would one day rule if they succeeded. He lowered her slowly and turned away.
"Who is it?" he inquired as he replaced his glasses.
Ashby appeared disconcerted as he glanced between the two of them. "I don't know. A figure appeared over the horizon. I'm not sure if there are others with it."
Braith glanced back at her, and she thought he was going to order her to stay, but then he held his hand out to her. Relief filled her as she slid her fingers between his and he led her from the room. Aria was able to get a good look at her surroundings when they stepped into the hall. The room she'd been in had no windows in it, and it appeared none of the other ones up here did either.
Braith led her down a rickety set of stairs that seemed to drop from a hole in the floor. She stopped at the bottom and stared up as she examined the darkened area above her. It took her a moment to realize she’d been in an attic; she hadn't seen one in years.
His hand squeezed hers as he led her down another set of stairs to the first floor. Unlike the attic, dust and sand covered this area. It coated what remained of the furniture and was piled against the back wall. William turned from the doorway when they crossed the room.
"It's alone, as far as I can tell," William informed them.
Braith squeezed Aria's hand before releasing her. "She has to have her arms wrapped again."
William glanced at her arms and shook his head before he pulled the remains of her ruined cloak from the bag on the floor. "Leave it to you, sis, to nearly get killed by one vamp and make out with another."
Braith shot him a lethal glare as Aria felt her face flame red again. She remained silent though as William tore pieces of cloth with his teeth and hands.
"We should find something to clean it with," William said.
"It won't get infected," Ashby assured him as he moved unhurriedly past them.
"And how do you know that?" William demanded.
"Infections don't live in us."
William and Aria studied him. "You do
n't get sick?" Ashby shook his head in response to William’s question. "Ever?"
"No."
Aria stood in stunned amazement, lost in thoughts of the rebellion she'd been a part of since birth. "We never had a chance, did we?" she asked.
Braith finally turned toward her, but he didn't respond. He didn't need to; she already knew the answer. William’s fingers were wrapped around the scraps of cloth in his hands as he looked between the two of them.
"Aria isn't one of you though," William said.
"No, but Braith's blood has already accelerated the healing process; it will boost her immune system also. The cuts will not get infected."
She met her brother's worried gaze for a moment before he finally turned his attention back to ripping the pieces of cloth. His fingers quivered against her skin while he bandaged her. She knew how he felt. She was as rattled by the realization that, not only were vampires faster, stronger, and possessed enhanced senses, but they’d never had one freaking sniffle in their long lifespans.
William tied the last knot, squeezed her hand, and stood. Curious about the new arrival, Aria picked up her bow and arrows before approaching the Braith. "Is it human?" she inquired.
"It is," Braith confirmed.
The figure had gotten close enough for Aria to realize it was a woman. She appeared to be five years older than Aria with long brown hair flowing around her shoulders. Her dress hugged her curves and swayed about her feet as she moved. The beautiful woman flashed a bright, disarming smile.
Braith remained wooden beside her with his hands clenched on the doorframe as he studied the woman with a flare of his nostrils that caused a knot of apprehension to form in Aria's stomach.
Here was the food source he’d been lacking.
Aria thought she might be sick as Ashby moved to stand beside her. He was practically salivating. Aria struggled to breathe normally as her heart lumbered. They wouldn't force this woman to provide blood, or at least Aria didn't think they would, but she wasn't entirely sure how much the deprivation of blood may have affected them.
If this woman was willing, she knew they would have to use her as a food source. They were both hungry and therefore unpredictable and extremely treacherous.
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 39