"I'd like to find him," she said.
"Of course," Gideon purred. "I can have someone take you to him. We have some things to discuss anyway, don't we, Braith?"
Braith shook his head. "Aria will be here for that discussion, but we'll find her brother first."
Gideon contemplated this before he dropped his feet and rose with natural grace. "Why not?" he asked nonchalantly. "I'd like to show you around anyway. I think there is much you'd like to see here."
A small chill of apprehension raced down her spine. She wasn't sure she cared to see much of what this town had to offer, but her need to find William outweighed her trepidation. Gideon handed Braith a cloak the same deep blue color as her dress.
"It gets cold at night around here," Gideon explained as she studied it. "The color doesn't denote any certain position. Not in these lands."
She nodded and slipped it around her shoulders. Braith tied it for her and pulled up the hood. She was grateful the cloak hid the fresh bandages on her arms, and even more thankful for its warmth as they stepped outside. After the intense heat of the past week, the sudden chill shocked her burnt skin. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh, and her teeth chattered as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"The water in the area causes the nights to be colder here," Gideon explained.
Braith slid his arm around her waist and pulled her firmly against his side to give her some warmth. It did little good as the icy air licked at her.
"Moving will help," he told her, seemingly unfazed by the sudden chill.
They made their way through the cobbled streets of the loud and boisterous town. People and vampires littered the crowded streets. They passed by bars, a theatre, and a dimly lit brothel that caused Aria to blush as one of the women called out to them.
Then they were moving out of what seemed to be the party area of the town and into an area of subdued streets and dimly lit homes. Though the houses were small, they were all in good repair, and it seemed as if the owners took pride in them.
The seedier parts of the town had unnerved her, but she was surprisingly charmed by this area. Did humans and vampires actually live side by side in these homes?
"Let's rest here for a bit," Gideon offered.
Aria frowned at the building Gideon stopped in front of. Large windows in the front revealed people sitting inside. They were talking as they ate at a cozy, candlelit table. When Gideon held the door open, he allowed the aroma of food to waft out as he waited for them to follow him.
Braith nudged her into the entrance of the building. People glanced up at them, momentarily riveted as Gideon led them through the crowd of tables. Aria's stomach rumbled far more loudly than she would have liked.
Gideon stopped to speak softly with a woman who came forward to greet him. Aria found it impossible to decide if the woman was human or vampire as she flashed him a smile and nodded.
"This way." They followed the woman through the room to a booth hidden in the shadows at the back.
"We should find William first," Aria said. She tried to ignore the increasing rumble of her stomach as she studied the plate of crackers already on the table.
"Relax, young human," Gideon chided. "I can hear your stomach rumbling from a mile away. Besides, if we are going to fight a war together then some level of trust should be formed, don't you think?"
There did have to be trust, and her hunger was making her head spin, but she was worried about William.
"I'll find him, Aria, sit and eat," Ashby assured her.
Relief and gratitude filled her as she nodded. "Thank you, Ashby."
He grinned at her before disappearing into the crowd. When Aria slid into the booth, she almost grabbed the plate of crackers and pulled it over to her, but she managed to restrain herself from acting like a complete ruffian as she ate one.
"What is this place?" she inquired as she studied the people—or vampires—gathered in the booths surrounding them. Some were eating while others leisurely sipped wine. The faint melody playing in the background lulled her, and to her surprise, she found herself swaying along with the music.
"It's a restaurant," Gideon told her.
Aria blinked out of her strange reverie.
"It's where people gather to eat," Braith explained further.
"They feed you here?" she asked in surprise.
"For a price," Gideon explained.
She frowned fiercely at him. She could well imagine what that price might be. Gideon held up a hand and chuckled as he shook his head.
"The only price here is our form of currency," he said.
"I see." Aria's gaze drifted over the strange place again. It was such an oddly fantastic thing.
Braith handed her a piece of paper, and her stomach lurched as she read over the list of food.
"Choose what you want," he said.
She wanted everything. It all looked so yummy. A young woman appeared at the booth; Gideon spoke to her before they all turned their attention to Aria. Her stomach rumbled so loudly mortification started to grip her. Braith leaned over her shoulder to study the paper in her hand. He leaned away and talked briefly with the woman, who nodded and disappeared.
"Let me see the menu," Braith said to her.
"Menu?" she croaked.
Her head spun; this town and everything in it was far different than anything she'd ever known. It was overwhelming and out of place with the jars of teeth and scenes of death she'd seen in Gideon's study.
Braith pointed to the paper she held before smoothly taking it from her hands. A feeling of uncertainty seized her; there was still so much she didn't know. Braith's hand clasped hers, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze as he nudged the crackers toward her.
Gideon studied her in a strange manner that rattled her even more. Instinct made her want to pull her hand away from Braith's, but it was already too late to hide what was between them from Gideon.
"These are all humans?" she inquired as she studied the shadowed room.
"No, there are vampires here too," Gideon said.
She started in surprise as her focus shifted back to Gideon. The woman reappeared and placed two goblets before Braith and Gideon; she set a glass of water before Aria. Aria's throat was dry, but she was far more interested in what Gideon had to say than the water.
"Braith and I can tell the difference between humans and vampires," Gideon said.
As she looked around the room again, she realized she could pick out some humans also. The ones who appeared to be over thirty and eating were most certainly humans, but the rest were more difficult to discern. She didn't ask how the two of them could tell; she assumed all vampires could tell the difference.
"They get along together?" she asked.
"Of course they do. Why wouldn't they, young human?"
Aria shot him a dark look. She didn’t like his placating tone, and the young human nickname was grating on her last nerve. "You have jars of human and vampire teeth on shelves in your home," she retorted. "That's why."
Gideon grinned annoyingly back at her as he reclined in his seat. He swirled the contents of his goblet before taking a small sip. "Those humans were as culpable as the vampires during the war, sweetheart."
"Watch it, Gideon," Braith growled.
Gideon's hooded gaze flickered briefly to Braith; he looked about ready to say something more but seemed to think better of it.
"What do you mean?" Aria inquired.
"Do you think it was just vampires fighting on the side of the king? No dear, there were also humans involved,” Gideon said.
Her gaze flew to Braith as she sought denial of Gideon's words, but he just squeezed her hand. Anguish filled Aria; her shoulders slumped as she forgot about her crackers.
"Why?" she breathed.
"Who knows why?" Gideon asked. "Some wanted to be on the winning side, while others wanted to be in the king's good graces should he be the victor. You know the saying, 'to the victor go the spoils?' Perhaps some of them were offered
the chance to survive the change. No matter their reasons, unfortunately, they chose correctly, and it paid off for them. Their offspring and their offspring's offspring are still amongst the higher-ups of the human race within the palace."
"Oh." Aria’s hand pressed against her lips as the full horror of his revelation sank in. She'd known the humans in the palace were more than willing to sell them out. However, she hadn't known it went all the way back to the war, and that they had fought with the vampires.
"I keep the teeth of the ones I killed, and their vampire brethren, as a reminder," Gideon said.
"Why would you require such a reminder?" she asked.
"To keep the fire for revenge alive." Gideon leaned across the table; for the first time, his flippant air vanished. "I keep the whole room like that to remind myself every day of my hatred for the king and the destruction he wrought. I fan the fires every day in the hopes that one day, just one day, I'll get the chance for payback."
The ardor with which he spoke, and the fire in his eyes, ignited an answering spark in her.
"I escaped that palace, and the war, and fled to safety,” he said. “My family wasn’t so lucky. They were massacred before I escaped, but I vowed one day I would avenge their deaths, and it appears that day has finally come."
Aria didn't know how to respond. She knew how Gideon felt and understood the urge driving him. She had hated vampires for as long as she could remember and wanted their deaths more than anything until she met Braith.
And now she realized her kind was as culpable for the fall of her race as the vampires. She should be relieved to see this side of Gideon, to know what drove him, and finally understand why he had that hideous room; however, she didn't like the way Gideon looked at Braith.
She didn't like the rigidity taking hold of Braith. The tension was nearly palpable in the small booth. The woman reappeared, seemingly oblivious to it as she placed heaping plates of food before Aria. She set down utensils, utensils Aria hated but had grown accustomed to in the palace. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of the food, but she couldn't bring herself to eat as she warily watched the silent war of wills going on between Braith and Gideon.
Braith looked away first, not because he was capitulating to anything, but because he realized she wasn’t eating. His glasses were back in place, but she knew when his eyes latched onto hers.
"Eat, Aria," Braith said.
Her gaze darted nervously to Gideon.
Braith grasped the fork and pressed it into her palm. "Eat," he urged.
She hesitated before digging eagerly into the meat, potatoes, and vegetables. She suspected Braith might have ordered everything on the menu. It was delicious, and she couldn't stop a small moan of pleasure from escaping her as she devoured it. They didn't speak again until she finished every last morsel on her plate.
"Are you still hungry?" Braith inquired.
She wanted more, simply because it had been so good, but she was stuffed. "No, I'm full." He squeezed her knee as she focused on Gideon again. "Humans and vampires live together in peace here?"
Gideon signaled for the woman who reappeared with a bottle of something. The woman topped off Braith and Gideon's drinks, though Braith required far less of a top off than Gideon did.
"They do," Gideon confirmed when the woman was gone. "We do not have blood slaves, and we do not force people to give their blood."
Gideon's gaze latched onto her neck. She hadn't realized her hair had fallen back until Braith tugged it over the marks he’d left on her.
"Most give it willingly, either by allowing us to feed on them or by donating their blood. Just as most vampires don't like the intimacy and vulnerability the exchange of blood can produce, neither do some humans."
Braith didn't move his arm, but his firm jaw flexed when Gideon's gaze dropped to the bite marks on Braith’s inner wrist.
Gideon's left eyelid ticked before he continued speaking. "Though, the connection between a human and a vampire is never as strong as it is between two vampires. I've never allowed another to feed on me, and I have never fed on another. I don't know many vampires who have."
"What do you mean by donate?" she inquired. She knew what "donating" meant in her world. The people who weren’t purchased as blood slaves were taken and drained of their blood, and their bodies were callously discarded afterward.
"It is given willingly here. If they do not care to give, they do not have to."
A small smile played at the corner of Gideon's mouth as he lifted his goblet and swirled the liquid inside. Aria frowned and leaned over Braith's shoulder to peer at the contents of his cup. It was the color and viscosity of blood as it gleamed in the candlelight. She glanced at Braith, who nodded briefly, confirming her suspicions. He didn't seem to be enjoying it very much as he'd only taken a few small sips.
"There is enough for everyone to go around here, and we live in easy, relative peace,” Gideon said.
Aria sat back. "Relative?"
"There are always those who break the rules. I think you encountered a few of them on your way here." Gideon glanced pointedly to the bandages on her arms which showed around the sleeve of the cloak that had fallen back. "Humans are not to be hurt here, not unless they ask for it, of course."
"So those humans in that section of town back there, and the girl at your home, they were... ah—"
"They are willingly there. We do not force humans to do anything they do not want to do. Some simply have lustier needs than others, and they like to fulfill those needs. Besides, most of them are vampires in that section of town, not humans, and we definitely have far lustier needs, don't we, Braith?"
Aria fought against the blush creeping up her neck and across her cheeks. She was well aware of Braith's needs, even if she hadn't satisfied all of them yet.
"Gideon," Braith warned.
"She's a big girl, Braith; she can handle it. Stop being such a bear."
Braith's jaw clenched, and his hands fisted on the table. When Aria grasped his arm, his biceps bulged beneath her hand as he fought the urge to punch Gideon.
"There is a no tolerance policy here against hurting humans who aren’t willing and eager. Those offenders are dealt with swiftly. We do not kill our own kind, but we do not allow them to stay either. Although, most of them would probably prefer death to the banishment they receive,” Gideon said.
Aria glanced at her bandaged arms. Gideon was probably right; those pitiful creatures probably would have preferred death to the life of starvation and struggle they now endured.
"And what are the rules for the humans?" she asked.
"They are the same for both species. Do no harm to others, no stealing, and no false accusations are to be issued. Our justice system is speedy and decisive. The humans are also banished; most of them end up in the border towns where their rights are stripped away by the vampires presiding there. Some of us didn't care for the king's new rule, and fought to keep things the way they were. Others liked the idea of no longer hiding, of letting their cruelty reign, but they didn't want the rules and tyranny of the palace. Those vampires reside in the border towns. You passed through one such town before arriving here; that's how I knew you were coming.
"We trade human food, clothing, and other goods with those towns and in exchange, they alert us when anyone may be coming to look for us. We do not hand them the humans who are banished from here or deal in slavery, but it doesn't hurt that most end up seeking shelter and protection in the towns.
"The vampires within the towns are used to dealing with The Forsaken Ones, as we have started to call the banished, and are usually able to avoid them to reach us, though sometimes they do get lost. However, if they hope to keep receiving food, they have no choice but to aid us. We need to know when someone is coming, or when the king has sent one of his raiding parties in an attempt to find us. The Forsaken Ones are hazardous, and we've been having increasing problems with them lately, but they come in handy as a defense against the king's soldiers and oth
er unwanted guests."
Aria hadn't realized what the town they’d passed through had been; it was a little unnerving to know they were being spied on and monitored the entire time.
"They asked to buy me though," she blurted.
"No dear, it was Braith they were interested in. It's been a while since they've seen the prince, and they were a little surprised by his appearance. Though, they would have taken you if Braith had been willing."
Aria sat back; she was flabbergasted by this revelation.
"Truth be told, we had once hoped Braith would come here to do something about his father's policies.” Gideon's gaze was irritated as he focused on Braith. “We had given up that hope though."
"Why would you think I'd come at all?" Braith demanded.
"You were never a malicious bastard like your father or Caleb. I thought you would eventually grow tired of the brutality, the unfairness of it all," Gideon replied.
"You could have started your own rebellion."
Gideon shook his head, though he tried to appear casual, tension emanated from him. "Not many of us escaped, Braith, certainly not enough to rechallenge the king; not with the power he wields. The number of vampires was as severely decimated as the number of humans, especially vampires who didn't agree with your father. We would have been massacred.
"It was a long time before we were able to establish this town. The first twenty or so years after the war we constantly moved to avoid the hunting parties he sent after us, but eventually, he grew tired of hunting us and became more concerned with the rebellion brewing in his backyard. We continued to move about for a few more years, but there's nothing out there anymore. Nothing, Braith."
Braith shook his head almost sadly and took another sip of blood.
"We eventually found an underground water supply here that we tapped. It took a lot of work, but we established an environment where humans and vampires could coexist peacefully," Gideon said.
"We never knew much about The Barrens, but none of us suspected this existed amongst them," Aria murmured.
"Nor did we want you to." Gideon idly twirled the goblet in his fingers; his gaze was pensive as he stared at the shiny metal. "The last thing we needed was an influx of humans leaving the woods to come here. We may not have everything we once had, may not live in the lap of luxury, but look around you, these people are happy."
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 42