Unbound (The Captive Series, Book 7) (15 page)

Aria

Aria checked to make sure her glasses were safely in place and inched open the door to the room she’d been given by the rebels the next morning. Beside the door, Xavier settled the chair he’d been leaning against the wall on the ground. He and Daniel had come back in after she’d retreated to the room again, but she didn’t know if her attempt at drawing them closer together had worked or not, until she smelled Daniel on him. Not in him, they had not shared blood, but they had gotten close to each other.

Good.
Her heart was shattered around her, but she would do everything she could to make sure those she loved found happiness in this world. Found someone to help them move on and thrive after she was gone.

William rose from his chair with Tempest cradled against his chest. He went to set her down on the chair, but Aria pushed the door to her room open and gestured for him to enter. Requiring some time alone with his bloodlink, William didn’t argue with her, but strode forward to stop beside her. She ducked her head and stepped out of the way when he went to touch her shoulder.

Her skin felt more sensitive today than it ever had. Every time she moved, her normally lightweight clothes scraped against her flesh.

Insanity looms,
she realized grimly.

William stared down at her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.

Six more days. Hold it together for six more days.

She could do that. Somehow. At the end of those six days, if she needed more time to ensure that Sabine’s head rolled from her shoulders, she would hold it together for that time too.

She waited until William closed the door before moving further into the room and toward the door leading out. Opening it, she walked down the hall to the stairs at the end. She needed to feel fresh air on her face, and she needed to feed.

She checked the peepholes before turning the heavy metal latch and pushing the door open. Cool air caressed her cheeks when she stepped into the barn with Xavier close on her heels. Though there were no animals within anymore, the familiar scents of straw, hay, and horse tickled her nose. For a moment, she recalled what her life had been like in those simple, early days before she’d been captured and taken to the palace.

She’d loved the forest, her family, her friends, and the animals she’d cared for. It hadn’t been an easy life. There had been many nights she’d fallen asleep cold and hungry, many nights she’d prayed not to be discovered or doubted she would live to see the next day, but it had been her life. Then it had all been thrown into a whirlwind never to be the same again.

She’d never trade one day of her life with Braith, even if this was the way their love ended, but she had let her guard down. She’d been unprepared for the bad she’d always been prepared for as a human.

In her days as a rebel, she’d accepted that she would most likely have a short life and meet a brutal end at the hands of a vampire. With Braith, she’d had an eternity of love and laughter laid out before her like a never-ending road. Now the road smashed into a brick wall, and she found herself lying awake every night, once again feeling cold and hungry, but this cold and hunger was unlike anything she’d ever experienced as a human.

Footsteps sounded behind her as Daniel made his way up from below. Over the years, she’d seen her brother with women, but then she’d also seen him sitting close to men. She’d never really thought much about it. Daniel had always been more private about his love life than most of the other men and women in the forest. However, Daniel had always been more private and introverted than most anyone she knew.

He was often busy with his sketches and designs. He looked at the world and saw things entirely different than anyone else did. Her vision had been enhanced when she’d become a vampire, but she knew Daniel still saw more detail in their environment than she did.

She’d noticed Xavier’s growing interest in her brother when they’d traveled back to Chippman for Jack’s wedding, and started to notice the way her brother watched him too. They were an odd pairing, but then she and Braith hadn’t exactly been normal. Odd pairings could work well and she thought the two of them balanced each other nicely; Daniel with his dreamer ways and Xavier with his fiercely loyal heart.

“How are you feeling today?” Daniel asked her.

“Fine,” she replied and lifted her hand to her forehead in an attempt to further shade the rays of sun filtering through the rafters and causing the dust motes to dance in the air around them.

Daniel went to pull her hand from her forehead, but stopped himself. “We’ll find you something to eat and you’ll feel better,” he said.

“Yes, that will help,” she lied and really hoped he bought it.

Xavier slid the barn door open and stepped outside. “Stay here,” he said crisply over his shoulder to them.

“I’m happy for the two of you,” she whispered when Xavier disappeared. “You both deserve happiness, someone to love.”

“It’s not like that, Aria,” Daniel reluctantly said, as if he didn’t want to burst her bubble. “Not everything is a love connection. Sometimes two people, or beings, or whatever they are, simply need each other.”

“Could it become more?” she asked, unwilling to give up on her hope for the two of them finding love together.

“Perhaps.”

Having just lied to him, she recognized one when she heard it. “Liar.”

He went to take hold of her elbow, but she moved away from him before he could touch her raw skin. Sighing in frustration, he lowered his hand. “I care for Xavier. He is honorable and confident…”

“But?” she prodded when he trailed off.

“I have no intention of ever becoming a vampire or settling down with one. It’s not something I want, and to be honest, neither is a relationship. Not at this time in my life.”

“But one day you might want a relationship with a man?”

“Or a woman. One cannot help who they love after all.”

She knew that better than anyone. She’d fallen in love with a vampire after all, her greatest enemy at the time. “No, they can’t.”

“The day for a relationship may not even come for me.”

She recoiled from his words. “That day
will
come! I’ll make sure of it.”

“Aria, you more than anyone, know you cannot will something into being. Whatever unfolds along the way is the course we are to follow.”

“I will not lose any more of those I love.”

He opened his mouth to respond then clamped it shut once more. He was right, they both knew it, but he also knew it would be pointless to argue with her right now. Secretly, she’d always hoped Daniel would choose to become a vampire too, if he survived the transformation. Maybe one day he would change his mind and join her and William, but Daniel had always stayed on his course once he chose it, and she doubted that one day would occur.

Max stepped out of the doorway behind them. His sandy hair stood out in spikes around his face as he rubbed at his swollen eyes. “Did I miss anything?” he asked as he stretched his back.

“No,” Daniel replied

Xavier stepped back into the doorway. “It’s clear and I spotted some deer by the lake.”

Aria’s mouth watered, and her fangs tingled as she hurried out the door. They moved quickly through the woods until they arrived at the lake. She separated from Max and Daniel to hunt with Xavier.

When she’d glutted herself on deer blood, she sat back on her heels and wiped her mouth. Xavier stood beside her, his gaze incessantly scanning the trees for any hint of danger. Aria rested her hands on her knees as she surveyed the woods. Satisfied they were still alone, she rose to her feet and returned with Xavier to where Daniel and Max remained hidden within the forest.

“I think we should try to get closer to Sabine again,” she said.

Xavier shot her a dark look. “No. We have a plan. We stick with it.”

“We have to know more about her. Arrogance can’t be her only weakness.”

“Beheading is another,” Max said.

“We’re not 100 percent sure who she is. If it’s not Sabine, we could be walking into something worse than what we’re preparing for. We need more information,” Aria insisted.

Daniel and Max exchanged a look before Daniel spoke, “We can’t risk people.”

“Not people, me.”

“Absolutely not,” Xavier said.

“I don’t have a suicide wish. I can get close to her without her knowing I’m there, and if by some miracle she catches me, she won’t kill me. She’ll slaughter or enslave anyone else, but not me. Not right away anyway, she’ll use me as leverage.”

“If Braith awakens—” Max broke off when her jaw locked.

“And you have been caught, then what?” Xavier demanded, finishing what Max had been unwilling to say.

Aria took a minute to gather herself before speaking again. “The three of you have this wrong. I’m not suggesting this. I’m not asking for permission. I’m
telling
you I intend to get closer to her.”

Silence met her statement. Xavier opened his mouth then closed it again.

“William will want to go with you,” Daniel finally said.

“No, I’m going alone. I can get closer to her by myself, and William has Tempest. He has to protect her. I won’t risk something happening to either one of them. They can never know what
this
is like.” Her hand rested over her heart. “I won’t do that to them.”

“That’s why you want to go now,” Max deduced. “Because William’s not here to stop you or go with you.”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“I will come with you,” Xavier said.

“You’re fast, but I’m faster and quieter when it comes to these woods.”

“It doesn’t matter. I am coming with you. You don’t know where she is.”

“Believe me, the trail she left will be impossible to miss,” Aria replied. Max and Daniel nodded their agreement.

“We’re coming with you,” Daniel said. He held his hand up when she opened her mouth to protest. “Extra eyes are
never
a bad thing.”

“And if you take off without us, we’ll just follow the trail too,” Max said and smiled at her when she frowned at him. “It will simply take us longer, and put us more at risk by not traveling together, but we can follow her as easily as you can.”

“Fine,” she relented, “but someone has to tell William and the others where we’ve gone. They’ll send out search parties if they’re not informed, and someone could get killed because of it. The humans follow you, Daniel. You’re their representative on The Council and they look to you for guidance as much as they look to me. I think you should stay.”

His arms folded over his chest, but whereas she and William were hotheaded and impulsive, Daniel was practical. He couldn’t deny the truth of her words. “What do I tell them?” he inquired.

“The truth,” she replied and shifted her bow and quiver on her back. “I’ll only be two days. If I don’t find her, or I’m unable to get close to her, I’ll return. That will still give you enough time to return to Jack and let him know what is going on. If I’m not back, you or William have to return for him no matter what.”

Daniel took a deep breath and dropped his arms to his sides. He stepped forward to hug her before stopping himself. Aria braced herself for the discomfort she knew would come from touching another and stepped forward to kiss his cheek. “I love you, and tell William that for me too.”

“He’s going to be irate.”

“Yeah, well, he’s pissed me off a time or two before himself.”

Daniel smiled before stepping away. “Good luck and be safe.” His gaze went to Xavier who bowed his head to him and turned away.

“We always are,” Max replied.

Aria didn’t look back as they slipped into the trees.

Daniel

“Are you kidding me! What were you thinking to let her go and do something so foolish!” William exploded.

Accustomed to his brother’s temper, Daniel simply ignored him as he walked over to the door of the barn and peered out at the woods surrounding them before closing the door.

“Damn it, Daniel, she’ll get herself killed!”

“No, she won’t,” he replied calmly, something that only irritated William further as his eyes flashed red.

“You have no idea what the bloodlink bond is like, or what she is going through—”

“And neither do you,” Daniel interjected. His gaze flicked to Tempest who remained unmoving beside Timber near the entrance of the safe house. “You think you know how you would react, what it would feel like to lose Tempest, but you don’t, not really. Aria is doing everything she can to make sure you
never
know. It’s why she went without telling you.”

“I’m going after her.”

“No, you’re not.”

The look on William’s face caused Daniel to roll his eyes at the nearly identical expressions of defiance the twins had. He loved his younger siblings, he’d lay down his life for either one of them, but half the time, he’d also love to choke them.

“Are you going to stop me?” William demanded.

“You’re not going to take Tempest into those woods, and you’re not going to leave her behind,” Daniel replied.

With a volatile curse, William spun away from him and stalked over to the closed barn door. Tempest’s eyes filled with worry as she watched him. Daniel gave a subtle shake of his head at her when she looked like she would go after him, and she remained where she was.

William swung back toward them. “Max and Xavier are with her?”

“They are,” Daniel said.

“When she gets back, I’m going to kill her.”

“I’m sure she felt the same way when you took off after Kane.”

“You followed me, if I remember correctly!” William retorted.

“Things are different now, William. Many lives hang in the balance here. As much as I
don’t
like it, Aria is right. We have to know everything we can about this woman before we make a move against her.”

“Aria will go for her if she gets close.”

“She’s not going to do anything reckless, not this time.”

“How can you be so sure?” William inquired.

“Because she knows she’s needed here, and no matter how much trouble Aria has gotten herself into in the past, she’s
never
done anything to hurt the ones she loves. She’s doing this for us, not for her revenge. She’ll try to kill that woman when she thinks the time is right.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.”
Mostly.

William’s gaze swung to Tempest who stood watching their interaction, waiting to see what he would do. Finally, his shoulders sagged and he walked over to her. Daniel focused his attention elsewhere when William wrapped his arms around Tempest and drew her against his chest. That had gone as well as he’d thought it would. Thankfully, Tempest calmed his brother; otherwise, he had no doubt William would have charged out of here after Aria.

Daniel froze, his head tilting to the side when he heard voices coming closer. Humans wouldn’t have approached so brazenly or with so much noise, as twigs and leaves crunched. Daniel’s heart leapt into his throat. He pulled the bow he’d taken from the weapons room of the safe house below from his back.

William spun Tempest around and almost shoved her down the stairs. He closed the door as the barn door slid open to reveal the three vampires standing there.

***

Aria

Aria settled at the edge of the small town they’d arrived at. The trail Sabine and her followers had left ended here. Max knelt beside her; his hair was damp with sweat and stuck to his face. His breath came in short pants, but he hadn’t argued with her brisk pace or asked to take a break. Beside him, Xavier surveyed the vampires moving throughout the town.

Aria dimly recognized it as a border town she’d seen a couple of times as a rebel. It was one of the places where rebels sometimes interacted with humans who hadn’t sided with the vampires in order to have a better life, but who hadn’t fully committed to the rebellion either. The people in those towns were often helpful and protective of the rebels, but she’d never fully trusted anyone who wasn’t willing to risk it all.

Her father would sometimes use towns like this when he was bringing in new recruits. These towns were a helpful way to keep the rebel locations hidden, but still offered some measure of protection for him.

“Qualdon,” Max said.

“Is that what this place is?” Aria asked.

“Yes. I spent a few nights in the tavern over there,” he said and pointed at the small, gray shingled building. “Before I was captured. That’s also where your father first met with Jack.”

So long ago.
Their lives had started to change that day, when their father had unwittingly brought a vampire into their midst. A fact he would later discover and keep to himself, as Jack became one of their strongest allies and her father’s close friend.

Aria turned her attention back to the town again. Like William and Tempest had said about Badwin, she saw no humans in the streets with the vamps. At the end of the street, a wire had been stretched across the road. Something dangling from the wire turned slowly in the wind blowing down the street. Horror curdled through her when she recognized it was people hanging from the wire by a chain around their throats.

No, not people,
she realized when one of them kicked a leg out at a passing, brown-cloaked vampire.
They’re vampires.

Tempest had said the influential vampires and the ones loyal to Braith were imprisoned, put into stocks and burned alive in Badwin. Apparently, they’d figured out a new way to restrain and torture vampires since then. It took everything she had not to storm down the street and slaughter every brown-cloaked vampire who tried to stop her from freeing the vampires spinning at the ends of their chains.

“Come on. Let’s circle around and see if we can figure out where she’s holed up,” Aria finally managed to get out.

She remained crouched as they made their way through the woods enshrouding the back of the buildings lining the main street. It took them almost an hour, but eventually they located a large building surrounded by a heavy contingent of vamps. The windows of the home were all covered with thick drapes, making it impossible to see any movement within.

Aria studied the back of the faded blue home. There were ten windows on the wall, but no way to get to any of them with all the vampires standing guard. Even if she could somehow lead them away, the five bottom windows were covered with bars. She may be able to tear the bars free, but not without alerting someone to her presence. There was no way to get to the windows on the top floor, no trees near them or any sort of vine climbing the house. Her eyes settled on the two chimneys on the roof.

The entire building was surrounded by vampires on the ground, but no one was on the roof. Her eyes darted to the buildings on each side of the home. One was too short, she’d never be able to get from that roof to this one, but the building next door was a little higher. The only problem was the pitch of the roof on the house before her.

She bit her lip as she studied the rooftop. It was one thing to hop between trees; it was another thing to run up and across such steep angles. She could do it if she could find some nails or tacks to stick through the soles of her boots; she would have an easier time gripping the shingles then and wouldn’t alert anyone to her presence. If someone did hear her, they’d most likely think she was a raccoon or a squirrel.

“You can’t seriously be considering that,” Max said when he caught the direction of her gaze.

“If she’s in there, I can do it,” Aria replied. “Tacks will help me grip the roof.”

“Let me pull those out of my ass for you,” he retorted and she glared at him though he couldn’t see it from behind her glasses. “You said nothing reckless.”

“It’s not reckless, not if I plan it right. Now shush, we have to keep watch.”

“You’ll break your neck,” Max pressed.

“Good thing that won’t kill me anymore.”

Now he scowled at her as his hands fisted. “
I
might.”

“Get in line,” Xavier muttered under his breath and Aria glowered at him. He didn’t look at all repentant as he glowered back at her.

Aria turned away to study the vampires surrounding the building. This home was the only one with such a large number of vamps outside of it. It had to be where Sabine, or whoever she was, was staying, but she couldn’t do anything until she knew for sure. “I have to know if she’s in there first,” she murmured.

***

Daniel

Daniel watched the vampires in the doorway as the first one broke into a grin and stepped inside. “Three trapped little piggy’s,” he said.

Behind him, William adjusted his stance to keep the door beneath him from opening again if Tempest should try to come back out. The other two vamps stepped into the barn as Timber pulled the staff from his back and brought it before him, to hold it there. He grinned back at the vamps beckoning the first one forward with a wave of his fingers.

The vamps hesitated when confronted with Timber’s eagerness for a fight. They exchanged a look. “Easy prey,” one of them said to the others, and Daniel nearly laughed out loud.

Behind him, William chuckled, drawing the vamp’s attention to him. “Vampire,” one of them said to the others.

“Give this guy a cookie. You’re pretty observant, aren’t you?” William inquired of the vampire as he nocked his arrow against his bow.

The vampire’s lips skimmed back to bare his lethal fangs at William.

“About as observant as a rock,” Timber replied.

Daniel remained unmoving, studying his opponents as they fanned out farther. Judging by their lumbering gait, their lack of weapons, and the way they all moved separately from each other, they had no formal training in weapons or defense. They also hadn’t been working together for long. Otherwise, they would know not to let the one with the blond hair go to the right. He had a barely noticeable limp, but he would be slower to move off his right foot and was a weakness to their line.

They relied on their vampire strength to carry them through any battle they encountered with a human, but they were awkward for vampires. Strength meant nothing if they couldn’t catch their opponent. Even Timber, for all of his lumbering size, was quick from years of having to be. He could pick a pocket before anyone ever noticed him in a crowd, a seemingly unattainable feat considering he was impossible
not
to notice, but Daniel had seen him do it many times before.

These three vampires would tear someone’s jacket off while trying to shake their hand. Daniel couldn’t help but smile at the men. This was going to be a good time.

He pulled an arrow from his quiver as William released his string. His arrow pierced through the shoulder of the first vamp, who yelped as he stumbled into the wall. Daniel released his arrow, effectively silencing the vamp when his arrowhead pierced through his heart and pinned him to the wall. The vamp’s legs kicked against the wall before going completely still.

The one with the limp and the other vamp exchanged a frightened look before Timber leapt forward and swung his staff out, taking out the legs of the other vamp. The vamp spun away, scrambling to get back up. Timber spun the staff around and lifted it over his head. Like he was cutting wood, he swung it down and smashed it off the back of the vamp’s head, shattering his skull.

The vamp howled as he threw his hands over the back of his head, trying to protect himself from any further blows. “Shut up!” William leapt onto the back of the vampire, slicing his neck open in one clean stroke with the knife he wore at his side.

Limpy was trying to make it to the door, but Daniel followed his every move, stalking him like a cat after a mouse as he kept his arrow aimed at the vamp. He would be fast enough to dodge the arrow if Daniel shot it straight at him but not if he…

Daniel released the arrow. It thudded into the wall of the barn, one foot away from the door. He grabbed another arrow as the vamp leapt back, like he’d anticipated, and fired again. The arrow pierced straight through the vamp’s side, pinning his right arm to his chest and coming to a stop in the center of his heart. The vamp lurched awkwardly, thrown off balance by his pinned appendage. Blood gurgled from his lips before he slammed face first into the ground.

“Nice shot,” William commented as he walked over to retrieve the arrows they could use again. “Now let’s get this garbage out of here.”