Salvation (The Captive Series Book 4) (26 page)

   Gideon was grinning as he stepped forward, blocking another pathway as Calista moved to block another. Max, William, and Daniel blocked the other side. His father’s eyes spun crazily before focusing on something in the distance. Braith followed his gaze to Aria as she slowly approached the circle. Ashby was hot on her heels, looking chagrined as he rubbed at his reddened jaw. Braith had never seen it before, but Aria’s eyes were glistening rubies as they met his, and then his father’s. He sensed the unraveling beneath her outwardly calm exterior and moved to intercept her as she reached the circle.

   “I’m fine.” Her crimson eyes focused on the board still protruding from his shoulder. His fingers brushed briefly over hers as he looked to soothe her. “Really Aria.”

   William and Max flanked her. They wouldn’t be able to hold her back, not anymore, but their presence seemed to have a further calming effect upon her as her fingers wrapped briefly around his hand.

   “What was your plan here Atticus?” Gideon inquired with a tilt of his head and a quirked eyebrow.

   “He planned to recapture her or kill her,” Braith answered flatly.

   “I plan to do many
many
things to her son. All of which I will truly enjoy.” A gleam on the other side of the circle caught Braith’s attention. Jack had managed to retrieve a honed ax from one of the building sites. He twisted it in his grasp as he met Braith’s gaze over top of their father’s head. “You can’t kill me!” Their father began to laugh hysterically as he flung his arms wide and spun in a circle. “Look at me! I’m invincible! You can’t stop
me
!”

   His father was still laughing as Braith lurched forward. His father wasn’t fooled though, instead of meeting Braith head on, he spun to confront Jack. Jack’s fangs flashed as he threw the ax to Braith and dove at their father with unrestrained glee. Braith had expected the action as he leapt into the air and seized hold of the handle with his good hand. Jack rammed his shoulder into their father and shoved him back. On his descent, Braith swung
the ax downward with the full force of his might.

   Atticus turned toward him as the ax whistled through the air. Braith had to grab hold of it with both hands as his arm was jarred by the impact of metal against flesh and bone. Atticus’s mouth parted in an O, his crimson eyes widened as the ax cleaved his neck. Braith took a step back as the head bounced across the ground and the body collapsed. There was no satisfaction in the deed, but rather a strange sense of completion and relief as the ax slipped from his fingers.
Disgust coiled through him as he wiped the splatters of his father’s blood from his face.

   “Not that fucking invincible,” Jack spat as he nudged the head away with his foot.

   Braith’s shoulders sagged; now that his adrenaline wasn’t pounding, and the threat had been removed, it took everything he had to stay on his feet as blood loss started to take its toll. Aria was beside him in an instant, her arm wrapped around his waist as she pressed against his side. He grabbed hold of her hand as she reached for the broken piece of board jutting from his shoulder. He couldn’t be weak, not here, not in front of so many.

   He pressed her hand flat against his chest. His broken bones and wounds were throbbing and he desperately needed some blood, but there was something he had to do first. “Caleb,” he grated. “We have to make sure Caleb
and Natasha are still in their graves.”

   “Braith, you need blood,” she whispered.

   He glanced down at her, relieved to find her eyes back to their crystalline sapphire color. “We can’t take the chance that Caleb may be out there right now.”

   “I’m coming with you.”

   He started to protest but decided against it. He’d feel better having her with him just in case his siblings were out there. His hand tightened on her arm as Saul emerged from the barn with Xavier’s arm draped around his shoulder. Xavier was pale beneath his dark complexion as he held a hand to the still bleeding wound on his neck.

   “He’s ok.” Tears shimmered in Aria’s eyes as she watched Xavier. Braith had to admit he was relieved to see him still alive, Xavier still managed to irritate him once in awhile, but he was an asset and had become Aria’s friend.

    Melinda rushed up, pushing past the crowd as she arrived at the edge of the circle. Her mouth dropped, her eyes flew wildly around before landing on Ashby. A small cry escaped her as she raced across the circle and threw herself into his arms.

   Aria went to take a step toward Xavier but stopped as she glanced nervously at Braith and wrapped her other arm around his waist. “Saul, gather the remains and place them in the stable. We’ll burn them later.” Saul nodded agreement to Braith’s command. “The rest of you grab shovels, something to light a fire with, and come with me.”

   Aria’s fingers dug deeper into his skin as the crowd that had gathered during the fight parted to let them pass. “I think there is no longer any doubt that you deserve to be king.”

   He glanced down at Aria’s murmured words as the crowd bowed their heads and began to kneel around them. At least something good had come from this awful mess, he realized as he pulled her closer against his side. Though he couldn’t understand how it had happened to begin with. “It appears so.”  

   Aria eased against him as they moved past the gates and into the town beyond. When they entered the woods she released him and turned to face him. “Let me look,” she commanded.

   “We have to check on Caleb
and Natasha.”

   “
They’re either still dead or they’re already roaming the earth again. A few minutes isn’t going to change that outcome either way. Now, let me see.” He could behead his father and take on twenty men at once, but he still found it difficult to say no to her. He forced himself not to wince as her fingers gently prodded at the wood embedded in his shoulder. “We need to get that out.”

   “Later.”

   Her eyebrows drew together as she frowned at him. “If Caleb did crawl out of his grave you’ll be in better shape to face him if you’re already healing.”

   “Fine,” he relented, knowing that she was right. “Jack.”

   He released her as he grabbed hold of the trunk of a tree. With clenched teeth, he braced himself as Jack stepped beside him. Jack placed a hand briefly against his back before seizing hold of the board and pulling it free in one hard yank. A low groan of pain reverberated off Braith’s teeth as he stood with his head bowed and his shoulders heaving. His fingers dug into the bark of the tree as he fought against the bellow that wanted to erupt from him.

   Aria rested her hand on his arm, but it was a few moments before he could open his eyes to look at her. Ducking under his arm she stepped in between him and the tree. With nimble fingers she pulled back the tears in his shirt to examine the jagged wound. Blood still seeped from the hole
, but with the beam removed he could already feel his body working to heal itself. The jagged tear in his stomach was already almost completely closed.

  
“You need blood,” she murmured.

   “It can wait.”

   Aria pressed her back against the tree as she unwaveringly met his gaze and pulled the collar of her shirt down. His gaze latched onto the marks his father had left, an involuntary snarl escaped as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Using his body to shield her from the others, he bent his head to the side of her neck that wasn’t wounded. “It’s ok, I’m fine,” she told him when he hesitated.

   He briefly nuzzled her before sinking his fangs into her.
Her hands curled around his arms as she melded against him. He took just enough to regain some of his strength before pulling away and offering his wrist to her. She took it eagerly, her eyes closed in pleasure as she bit into him. Releasing him, she lifted her eyes to his. “How was that even possible?” she asked quietly.

   Braith shook his head as he released the tree and stepped away from her. Though he would still require human blood, he could already feel the strength of her blood healing his broken bones and other injuries. “I don’t know.”

   “He told me he was almost fifteen hundred years old and that a stake wasn’t enough to stop him.” Braith’s jaw clenched, his hands fisted at the reminder his father had even had a chance to tell her such a thing. “Has anything like this ever happened before?”

   “I have never heard of such a thing.” Xavier was starting to regain some of his color and the bites on his neck had almost completely healed
as he stepped closer to them. “But Atticus was the oldest of our species, ever, and his line is the purest. He must have been far more powerful than any of us realized. I never heard him coming, I didn’t even know he was there until he was on top of me and by then it was too late.”

   “He tracked me,” Aria murmured.

   Braith wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. “He’ll
never
be able to do that again.”

   She nodded as she tilted her head back to study him. “You might also be able to survive such a thing?”

   “It
is
a possibility,” Xavier said.

   “I’m not willing to find out,” Braith told them.

   “Neither am I.” Aria shuddered against his side.

   “We will probably never know what you’re capable of, or Jack and Melinda.” Xavier’s gaze landed on Aria as they made their way steadily up the hill to where Caleb had been unceremoniously buried. “Though it’s obvious that it’s more than the rest of us.”

   At the top of the hill, Braith led the way toward an area of the woods that was barren and dark. Nothing grew beneath the high bows of the pines shadowing the forest floor. The inhospitable environment had seemed like the perfect spot to place his father and siblings. Dirt had been heaved up around the hole that his father had pulled himself from but the other two graves appeared to be undisturbed.

   Calista smiled as she handed the shovels to a scowling Gideon and Ashby. “Dig away boys.”

   They didn’t protest as they broke ground and began to uncover a creature that Braith had never thought he’d see again. Caleb’s hands appeared first, and then his chest and face. His face was sunken in, his skin grayish and missing in chunks. Aria’s hand tightened around his, she shuddered and turned away as they began to uncover Natasha.

  
“Burn them,” Braith ordered gruffly, unwilling to take the chance that a month or two from now they may just reemerge also.

   Calista and Gideon lit the torches and tossed them into the grave
s. Braith didn’t care to see the end result; he didn’t want Aria there for any longer than necessary. “If they’re still in their graves does that mean that you wouldn’t survive a stake?” she quietly asked as he led her through the woods.

   “I don’t know. It may have been my father’s age that allowed such a thing to happen, it may have taken more time for
them to rejuvenate, or it may have simply just been my father’s bloodline.” Aria nodded as she leaned against his side. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

   Her hand absently fluttered to her neck, her eyes darkened as she nodded briefly. “I’ll be fine. The darkness Braith, I don’t know how you handled it.”

   He kissed her temple briefly, inhaling her sweet scent beneath the hay, blood and sweat. “Because of you.”

   “Yes, because of you,” she murmured.

   “I understand the darkness Aria. It will never rule
you
though; you don’t have to fear that.”

   She glanced at him from under lowered lashes as he squeezed her shoulder. “Unless something happen
ed to you.”

   “That’s not going to happen,” he assured her. “Apparently there’s a chance I might be even harder to kill than any of us thought.”

   A small laugh escaped her. “Apparently.”

   He fought against the waves of anger that suffused him as he brushed the blood from her neck. “This will never happen again.”

   “I hope not. If he comes back from a beheading I think we can just give him his crown, throw him a party, and admit defeat.”  

   “Thankfully that’s not a possibility.”

   “Good, there are only so many shocks my heart can take, beating or not.” He chuckled as he kissed the top of her head and they reentered the town.

CHAPTER 26

   Throughout the repairs, and rebuilding, the golden chains were salvaged from the wreckage of the town and placed where the stage had once stood. That night, after taking some time to recuperate and consume some blood from the donation center, Braith gathered all occupants of the palace, towns, and forest together to burn the chains with the remains of his father. The sun was beginning to set as he lit a torch and handed it to her. “I thought you would like the honors.”

   The flames heated her cheeks as she twisted it within her hands. She smiled at him before stepping forward and tossing it onto the pile of kindling. She’d never seen anything as satisfying as watching all of those chains, and the king’s remains, spark and catch fire. Braith reached into his pocket and pulled something out. She leaned over him as he opened his hand to reveal the signet ring that symbolized the House of
Valdhai he’d worn when she’d first met him.

   “Braith?”

   “It’s a new beginning all the way around Aria.” He stepped forward and tossed the ring into the flames. Sliding her arms around his waist, she rested her head on his chest and savored in the moment. The fire spread throughout the vast amount of wood and rose higher. Sparks shot and leapt into the air as smoke curled high into the darkening night. It had been an awful day, but this moment made it all worthwhile.

   A large cheer erupted from the crowd as the last symbols of oppression from the old regime turned to ashes. Food and alcohol were brought forth, music began to hauntingly twirl through the air as the crowd of vampires and humans laughed and danced in celebration.

   There was still a lot of work to be done, still a long way to go before trust was fully established, but as the heat of the flames beat against her skin, and Braith twirled her into the merriment, she knew they could do it. That together they could conquer anything, that they could make a world that neither of them had envisioned, but that both of them were willing to sacrifice anything for.

   She thought of the darkness that had threatened to drag her under earlier, but instead of being afraid of it, she found strength in the power she knew coursed within her now. A strength that would help her get through the days and years ahead. Days and years she couldn’t wait to experience with him. 

***

   The next day, Aria agreed to give Melinda her undivided attention until the wedding and coronation ceremony was over. Melinda bombarded her with endless details, and Aria was reaching her breaking point when Maggie strolled into the apartment with an armload of dresses. “I asked her to come,” Melinda whispered in Aria’s ear.

   It took Aria a moment to get over her surprise at seeing Maggie again. “You don’t have to wait on me.”

   Maggie grinned at her as she placed the dresses on the arm of the sofa. “I’m not here as a servant. I came willingly.”

   “Every queen requires a lady in waiting,” Melinda said flippantly. Aria was even more uncomfortable with that prospect. Melinda started pawing through the dresses that Aria now realized were actually wedding dresses. “I’ve ordered the tailor to come up also.”

   Aria winced at the prospect. She knew she had to start adjusting to these things if she was going to spend an eternity within these walls, but even so, she couldn’t help but dream about escaping with Braith to their tree house again soon. Maggie watched in amusement as Melinda held dresses up to Aria, shook her head and tossed them aside with rapid precision.

   They were almost to the end of the pile when Melinda seized hold of one that caused Aria to lurch forward. She pulled it closer to her as she gazed at the beautiful dress in awe. “This one.
This
is the one.”

   Melinda
’s grey eyes twinkled as she grinned at her. “I knew you’d like it. Didn’t I tell you this would be the one she chose?” she demanded of Maggie.

   “You did,” Maggie agreed.

   “Let’s get it on you before my brother decides to snoop.”

   Aria helped them to maneuver her into the striking dress. Standing before the mirror, she was unable to believe it was actually her as she gazed at herself in amazement. It was the only dress she’d actually loved
, and not only could she not wait to wear it, but she didn’t want to take it off.

   Melinda fluffed out the bottom of it and took a step back to examine it carefully. A
radiant smile lit her beautiful face as she nodded approvingly. “You’re not the most conventional queen, but you can pull off a dress when it’s necessary.”

   Aria laughed as she twirled in front of the large mirror. Feeding on Braith had added curves
to her that hadn’t been there since her first captivity within the palace. His blood had given her a glow of health that brought a rosy blush to her skin. She was amazed by the drastic change her life had taken. As a motherless, wild child, she never would have dreamed that she would one day be standing here, a fatherless vampire, surrounded by more loved ones than she had ever dreamed of having, and marrying a king.

   Though it took all her self control, she managed to stay still, and not fidget, as the tailor made a few adjustments before nodding his approval.

   Melinda clapped her hands enthusiastically together as she eyed Aria with approval.

“Are you ready to get married?”

   “More than ready.”

   “Good. The wedding is tomorrow.” Aria gaped at her as Melinda smiled mischievously and shared a pointed look with Maggie. “I’ve told Braith to stay away for the night, as we have a lot of plans to make, and also because I just like to torment him.”

   “It’s too soon for such a big wedding,” Aria protested.

   “Not the big one Aria, tomorrow will be your wedding. The one that
you
dreamed of. That other one can wait till the end of the month.”

   Tears burned her throat and eyes as she threw her arms around Melinda. Her future sister was nearly her exact opposite, but in that moment Aria couldn’t have asked for a better friend. She hugged Maggie afterward; grateful to see the young girl that had been the closest thing to a friend she’d had while a blood slave. She’d never been so nervous and excited in her life but she couldn’t wait to be a queen.