He wiped the sweat from his brow as he set the boulder down and took a step back.
William let out a low whistle. "Remind me not to piss you off."
"You already have a time or two."
William quirked an eyebrow as he chuckled. "Runs in the family, I'm told."
"That it does," Braith agreed.
His eyes picked up details of the tunnel from the little bit of light filtering in behind him as the soldiers followed him into the dark and dank cavern. He turned sideways through the twists created within the easiest areas for him to carve through.
At seventy-two paces, he knew it was time to start crawling. He pulled his glasses off and tossed them aside; they would only get in his way from here on out. Keegan went in front of him as he eased onto his knees and worked his way into the confining tunnel.
Using his fingers and toes, he pulled himself up through the rock tunnel as he pushed Keegan before him. The faint drip of water reached him; the cool walls dampened his thin clothing and caused it to cling to his skin. The passageway became more challenging to navigate as it grew steadily steeper in its upward slope.
Stones that were knocked lose clattered against the tunnel sides as they fell away. The men behind him were not as quiet as they had been in the river, but he hadn't expected them to be, not in here. Thankfully though, their grunts and scrapes were muffled by the rock of the mountain.
At the count of three hundred and two, the tunnel gave way. He placed his hands on each side of the opening and pulled himself into the wider space. The air flow was better here, and a slight breeze cooled his sweat-slicked body. His body began to pulse with the anticipation of seeing her as he moved quickly down the passageway.
After another sixty-seven steps, he arrived at the wall. Taking a moment to steady himself, he gathered full control of his senses as he tried to rein in the excitement tearing through him. He placed his hands against the wall and pressed an ear to it. Most of the other tunnels had small eyeholes to look out of, but there had been no reason to create one here.
He strained to hear, strained to sense if there was anything out there. His body stilled, for a moment there was nothing around him as he opened himself to the world beyond and tried to absorb the details of it. There was no way to know for sure, but he didn't pick up the presence of anything other than the bodies surrounding him.
Stepping back, he pulled down the lever he’d created. The back of the bookcase gave way with a small groan that set his teeth on edge. He was prepared for a fight as he stepped into the ruined library that used to be his. When his vision flooded back to him, it was nearly as acute as if Aria were standing beside him again.
"How far can you shoot that thing?" Jack inquired.
David's smile was grim, but his green eyes sparkled. "How far do you need me to shoot it?"
"Over the top of that wall." Jack lit the rag tied around the tip of the arrow and took a step back.
"I didn't know you planned to burn the palace down."
"I don't, but I do intend for them to open those gates and smoking them out seems like a good way to start the process. Fire when ready."
David leaned back on his heel, raised the bow and fired the arrow. It soared high into the air and hovered for a moment before falling into the abyss beyond.
"Another!" Jack called as exhilaration filled him.
More cloth was brought forth to wrap the tips of the arrows in. Jack eagerly lit them as David and five of his followers began to fire them rapidly over the wall.
The flames sparked as the arrows became a dazzling source of illumination against the night sky. The sparks reminded him of the flickering glow of fireflies on a hot summer day. The association seemed out of place amidst the death and mayhem surrounding them, but he couldn't shake the hope it brought with it.
Shouts rang out from inside the palace walls; more soldiers disappeared from the walls to handle the spreading fires leaping up the other side. Ten vampires ran past him, the trunk of one of the large trees they had chopped down was hefted between them. They were at full speed when they smashed into the solid gates of the palace with the tree.
They fell back beneath the force of the blow, and another group raced past to batter the entrance with another massive tree. More yells rang out from within the fortress, and the mass outside was forced to give way to the onslaught of deadly arrows raining from the sky.
They'd tried to gather as much armor as they could before attacking, but metal was scarce. Most vampires were bare, and the humans weren't in much better shape. Cries erupted from the group as humans and vampires were brought down by the projectiles. The copper tang of blood mixed with the smoke and ash swirling about them.
Behind him, the flames of the town caused sweat to bead on his neck and wet his shirt. People raced about, screaming and shouting as they tried to make sense of the chaos engulfing their town. The soldiers guarding the town were beginning to regroup as they prepared to launch an attack from the back, but the fire had cut off any chance the soldiers would have of escaping or trying to lay a trap for them if they were forced to retreat.
He'd always suspected Daniel was a genius; now he was sure of it as the flames continued to spread and cause chaos.
"Ashby, we need men behind us!" he called.
Ashby glanced at him from around a wave of arrows raised to fire another round. Ashby stepped back from setting them on fire to peer down at the town below. He nodded briskly before gesturing toward Calista and Barnaby. They took some of the militia with them as they pushed toward the back of the group, preparing to take on the soldiers gathering at the bottom of the hill.
Jack didn't like that their attention was now divided, but they'd known the guards in the town wouldn't be distracted by the fires forever. He could only hope they'd bought Braith enough time to have entered the palace already and that the other soldiers would soon be making their way inside after him. Jack was distracted by an echoing shout, and a loud bang as another tree rammed into the gates.
"Fire!" Jack shouted.
Another wave of arrows rained down from above as answering flames soared into the air. Jack jumped to the side in time to barely avoid being taken out by one. David grunted beside him and fell back as an arrow pierced through his shoulder. Jack grabbed for him, but his hand was knocked aside when an arrow shot through the center of it.
A hiss escaped him; his teeth clenched together as he snatched the shaft and ripped it from his hand in one sharp, jerking motion. He had no time to the blood flowing from it as he grabbed David and pushed him back from the onslaught of fresh arrows.
David's face twisted as his lip curled, but he managed to reach up and break off the tail end of the arrow. "I'm fine!" he yelled at Jack over the rising noise of the battle. "It's just bone."
Jack nodded but took the bow from him. Even if it wasn't a mortal wound, there was no way David was going to be able to fire anything over the top of the wall. Jack took up the stance David had taught him and placed an arrow against the bow. With a trembling hand, David ignited the cloth for him.
Raising it, he aimed the arrow over the wall but failed as it bounced off the top of the battlements and spiraled back to the ground. He cursed as David shook his head and lit another arrow for him.
"Put some of that vamp strength behind this one, Wimpy," David told him.
Jack scowled, but he leaned back and fired the arrow with a lot more force. This time it cleared the high walls and sailed into the courtyard of the palace.
"Back away!" someone shouted as a sudden influx of soldiers lined the walls.
The troops outside the gates fell back as a fresh wave of arrows cascaded down upon them. A shout rose from the back. Jack had to strain to see over the sea of heads surrounding him as he turned to look behind him.
More soldiers had filtered out from the alleys and homes not on fire within the town. Jack suspected that, much like the tunnel only Braith knew about, there were also a few only the king did, and he had us
ed one of them to establish more of his troops secretly within the town.
From the back, his father's soldiers released a loud battle cry as they charged up the hill. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Jack realized they were pinned in between the soldiers behind and above as more arrows released on them.
Chapter Eight
Muffled shouts echoed from above as the sound of running feet pounded over the stone ceiling above her. Aria's head followed the sounds; her heart did an odd little skip in her chest as her throat went dry.
Moving to the front of the cell, Aria’s hands curled around the bars as she strained to hear what was going on. She'd never hated the bars more; Aria wished she could rip them from the wall or bend them out of her way so she could crawl free of this awful place. She had to fight the urge to stomp her feet and scream like a two-year-old.
"What's going on?" the disembodied voice floated through the darkness from the cell to her right.
"It's Braith," she whispered.
Saying the words aloud made them real. Saying the words aloud confirmed the bubble of hope building inside her at the same time apprehension swelled within her. He was here, he was in danger, and she was trapped, unable to break free, and of no use to him. If she was there, she could help him.
"I'm sure you want that to be so child—"
"I'm not a child!" she snapped. "I know it's so. He's come; he's here."
"Do you really think so, Aria?" Mary whispered.
"Yes."
There was a collective inhalation of breaths, and then Lauren began to sob. Aria thought she should feel some pity; instead, all she felt was the hard rock of resentment festering inside her every time she thought of the girl.
Aria moved away from the bars; she peered up at the dark roof as she followed the running as far as she could. She felt like a caged animal as she paced within the small confines of the cell. If he were in the palace already, he would find her soon.
Though they had hoped the influx of another vampire's blood in her system would dilute Braith's ability to track her, she knew they'd been wrong. His blood was alive and well within her, it pulsed and surged with every beat of her heart. Even if the king could track her now too, the king's blood hadn’t diluted Braith's blood; no ones could.
Aria flew back to the bars as the door at the top of the stairs creaked open. Anticipation hammered through her, she longed for it to be Braith. She ached to touch him, to feel him, to have him erase the hideous taste of the king and ease the awfulness of these past days. She needed him nearly as badly as she needed air at the moment. She clung to the bars and tried to peer up the stairs as a torch was brought forth.
Slowly her hope dissipated. This vampire was all wrong. She knew it before the glow of the torch hit the bottom of the well-tailored pants, knew it before the firelight played off his chest and face. It wasn't Braith who had come for her first.
Caleb lifted the torch higher as Aria fought the urge to slink into the shadows and hide in the back of her cell. She had nowhere to hide, and her self-respect refused to let her cower from him.
He'd never brought her down here, never pulled her from the filthy depths; he didn't know what cell she was in, but it wasn't going to be difficult to find her. She didn't shrink away from the bars, but she also wasn't going to call out, 'Right here, here I am!'
Caleb thrust the flame forward as he peered into each of the cells. He paused outside of Lauren's cell and his mouth twisted into a cruel grin. "How do you like being back in the palace, dear?"
Bitterness erupted through Aria. She didn't like Lauren, but she despised Caleb's cruelty more. He didn't wait for an answer as he continued onward before stopping in front of her. The fire played over the planes of his face as he studied her with a malicious gleam in his eyes. She tilted her chin up and glared at him as his smile widened.
His eyes roved leisurely over her body as he licked his lips. "Hello, kitten," he purred. "It seems as if big brother has arrived, and our time together is going to become truly pleasurable. I'm sure Braith is going to love watching."
There was a loud inhalation from the cell beside her as the man's hands appeared on the bars. Keys jingled as Caleb pulled them from his pocket. Aria gulped. They had already enjoyed tormenting her, but now was when they would begin to torture her to punish Braith.
Though she tried to fight it, a small tremor crept through her body. Her gaze darted frantically over the cell once more. Even with the illumination, she was aware there was still nothing she could use as a weapon outside of herself.
Caleb pulled open the door. "I'm going to enjoy this. Big brother won't, but I am going to enjoy every second of what I do to you." Aria did not doubt it. "Don't make me come in there after you."
"I wasn't going to."
Drudging up every bit of courage she had, Aria stepped from the cell. Caleb put the torch into a sconce and extended his fisted hands toward her. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion as he continued to grin at her.
"Pick one," he said.
She'd played this game as a child, with her father and brothers, but she most certainly didn't want to play it with Caleb.
"Pick one!" he commanded when she didn't immediately move.
"What happened to you?"
The question popped out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to ask it, didn't think there was an answer for someone like him, but the words hung heavily in the air between them. She felt his rising impatience as he stepped closer, forcing her back as one of his fists pushed into her ribcage.
"Pick a hand, or I'll break both of yours," he snarled.
Aria felt like disobeying him just to show him she wasn't intimidated, but if she was to have any chance of defending herself against him she required her hands. Plus, she was scared of him, it was impossible not to be, the guy was nuttier than an oak tree. She hit his right hand as scarcely as she could.
He laughed as he shook his head and opened his empty right hand. "Wrong guess, kitten. Try again."
Aria somehow managed to keep her chin raised defiantly. The thought of touching him again caused her stomach to somersault, but concern for her life outweighed her revulsion as she brushed his other fist. His hand unfurled.
Aria was too horrified to breathe. In Caleb's hand, glimmering and bright, was a simple golden chain. The kind of chain blood slaves were forced to wear when they went into public, a chain Braith had put on her a couple of times. At least then, she'd known Braith would take it off her. There was no guarantee Caleb would do the same.
He watched her with a calculated malice that made her realize he had no intention of ever removing the chain from her. His father's blood was inside her, but Braith's blood would always be stronger, and if the king died she would be free again. She didn't know if the chain came free if the owner died, or if it remained there permanently, but she wasn't going to take the chance she would have to wear it for the rest of her life. She'd rather die than have that constant reminder of Caleb.
There would be no waiting for the opportune time; there would be no trying to get her hands on a weapon. It had become apparent now was the only time she would have to try and escape.
He dangled it before her like someone teasing a cat with a string, and she suddenly understood his newfound, irritating, kitten reference. Caleb's eyes gleamed; the torchlight caught his teeth, highlighting the canines extended into fangs.
No, Aria thought savagely. There was no way she was going to let this sadistic son of a bitch think he had broken her, or allow him to put that thing on her.
Aria dropped her head to hide the rage sizzling through her.
"Give me your hand," Caleb commanded.
Aria stuck out her right arm, trying to appear limp and weak as she kept her shoulders hunched and her knees loose. He was reaching for her, the golden chain dangling by his feet when she seized his arm. He hadn't expected the movement, nor had he expected her to jerk him forward roughly.
While he was off balance, Aria lifted her knee and dro
ve it into his groin with as much force as she could muster. She was glad her brothers had taught her how to fight dirty as Caleb released a low grunt of pain, instinctively grabbed himself and hunched forward. Before he could recover, she fisted her hands and slammed them into his back. A hollow echo resounded through the dungeon room as he fell to his knees.
She wasn't going to give him a moment to recover as she leaned back and delivered a solid roundhouse kick to his face. His head snapped to the side with a loud crack. Aria didn't hesitate as she turned and fled down the aisle of the filthy dungeon.
"Run, Aria!" Mary screamed, the hysteria in her voice alerting her to the fact Caleb was already starting to recover.
Aria took the stairs two at a time as she ascended rapidly. She was dismayed to realize she was already breathing heavily and her heart lumbered from the effort. The loss of blood, lack of food, and brutality she’d endured had taken far more of a toll on her than she'd realized. A toll she was going to have to do her best to ignore if she were to have any chance of surviving this.
If Caleb got his hands on her now…
She shuddered at the thought and broke it off. Reaching the top of the stairs, Aria grabbed the knob on the heavy metal door at the top and swung it shut. Even though Caleb had the keys, and for all she knew he could get through the door without the key, she was still reassured by the loud click of the lock as she slid it into place and spun away from the door.
"Bitch!" Caleb snarled.
A small gasp escaped her when a hand snagged in her hair. She hadn't realized there was a hole at the top of the door. Caleb's hand cruelly fisted in her hair; she clawed at it and jerked roughly to the side as she tried to force him to release her by pinning his arm awkwardly against the door.
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