But then none of it mattered as she was almost there. She could almost feel him again. She barely spotted the guard that stepped in front of her, barely realized he was there even as she heaved the spear at him. It was off the mark as it pierced his throat, but it still knocked him away as he fell back against two of his cohorts.
She fell to her knees; tears burned her throat as she flung herself into Braith’s open arms. A sob tore from her, she’d never felt anything as magnificent as his body molded perfectly against hers. Her fingers clutched at his back as she was immediately enveloped by his love. He bent over her, clasping her tightly as he cradled the base of her head against his chest and buried his face in her hair. She couldn’t get enough of him, simply couldn’t touch him or feel him enough.
“Arianna,” he groaned his lips warm against her ear.
The ragged relief and pleasure in his voice almost completely undid her as her hands rapidly fluttered over him. They were going to die, but at least they would have this moment, this one last time, and she so desperately needed it as she clung to him. She wished she’d never listened to Jack, Ashby, and Gideon. That she had never tried to distance herself from him. She’d been foolish to think she ever could have let him go, or that he would be able to do the same.
Touching him and holding him now was the best thing she’d ever felt. She’d never thought to experience love in the first place, never mind this kind of love, with him, a vampire who had taught her there was far more to life, and the world, than she’d ever imagined. She was in love with this beautiful creature who had taught her that not everything was black and white, good and evil. There were shades of gray, there were in-betweens, and there were colors she’d never dreamed of. Colors that he’d shown her in the garden, worlds and experiences he’d opened to her when he’d taught her to read, love he’d given to her freely over and over again with his understanding, patience, and countless sacrifices he’d made for her.
Now they were here, back where it had all started, and where it would finally end one way or another.
“You shouldn’t have come.” She buried her face in his neck; she couldn’t get close enough to him.
“I will always come for you.”
Yes, he would. No matter what Gideon and the others had thought, he always would have come for her, and she would always welcome him. She would have pretended that she didn’t want him to find her; she would have stayed strong because she’d thought that she was doing the right thing. However, she continuously would have hoped that he would find her, and she would have been waiting for him.
“You shouldn’t have brought them.”
“I could no more have stopped them than I could have stopped you if the roles were reversed.” A harsh laugh escaped her at the truth of his words.
“My father is ok?” she asked worriedly, though she knew he would have had to lead the humans into battle.
“He was fine the last time I saw him.”
From the corner of her eye she saw the soldiers narrowing in, their weapons raised with deadly intent. Her fingers were trembling, she should pull away, she should release him, but she couldn’t bring herself to let him go. Not yet, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
“Hold.” She was dimly aware that it was the king that had spoken the word, but she didn’t care about the reason why he had chosen to give them this reprieve. She was certain he had some ulterior motive, but the king didn’t matter, the men surrounding them didn’t matter, not anymore.
A warm wetness pressed against her skin. She didn’t have to pull back to know that his blood was soaking through his clothes and into hers. Another small sob escaped her, she clutched more frantically at him. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
“Never,” he groaned against her ear. “No matter what happens I will always be with you Arianna. Always.”
His shirt collar was growing wet with her tears. “Always,” she breathed.
His lips pressed against her ear, her cheek, and then his mouth was upon hers. It was meant to only be a chaste, loving kiss, one of goodbye, but the minute his lips touched hers, her body reacted as if it had been struck by lightning. She flattened against him as waves of passion and love cascaded through her, leaving her boneless and limp. She clutched at him, torn between wanting to scream from the injustice of it all and wanting to rip this room apart with her bare hands.
Unfair, it was all unfair. But life was unfair, she’d always known that, but she’d hoped that just this once it would work in their favor.
No matter what happened after, she would always have the memory of this kiss and the taste of him. She would always have these few short moments and their love to help get her through it. She’d be strong no matter what they did to her. The king and Caleb would never break her; never beat her into the weak little human they thought her to be.
Braith broke away; he was shaking as his hands cradled her face. She lifted her eyes to his, relieved to see the beautiful gray and blue color she cherished so much. He pressed another tender kiss briefly against her quivering lips. “I love you,” he whispered.
More tears spilled free as she pressed her cheek against his, delighting in the feel of his stubble roughened cheek against hers. The sweet scent of his blood swirled up to fill her nostrils. Horror filled her as she looked down. He was dying, she was certain of it as the stain of his blood spread across his solid chest and torso. Her large, powerful, magnificent vampire was gradually dying before her eyes. A strangled cry escaped her, he seized hold of her hands as she fumbled to try and staunch the flow of blood.
“I’ll be ok love, don’t worry about me.”
“No,” she whimpered, knowing that he lied. “There’s so much.”
“The guard’s blood helped some.”
Her hands shook in his; she couldn’t unclench her fingers from his to hug him once more. His gaze scanned over her face, neck and arms as his eyes faded back to a ruby shade. When he let himself go he was more destructive, more powerful, he could feed from his own kind and be a monster like his father. If he gave himself over to the darkness within he may even be able to get them all out of here, but at what cost? Would she ever get him back? She’d rather die than lose him to such a fate, to see him become as twisted and broken as his father and brother.
“Stay with me,” she whispered. “Don’t go there Braith, don’t let me lose you that way.”