Braith speared three more guards, and released a series of punches on one of them that left his face battered beyond recognition. He ripped the spear free, falling back as more guards pressed against the five of them. Aria suddenly leapt to her feet, her eyes were riveted upon the front of the room as she turned to face the throne. Braith continued to fend off the guards, as he fell back toward the table in order to try and see what held her so enraptured, and what had caused her to look like she’d seen a ghost.
Her eyes clashed with his as she gestured toward the front of the room. Braith leapt onto the top of the table in a solid bound. Staring over the raucous filled room, he watched in disbelief as Caleb, using the distraction of the battle had circled behind the king and was now closing in on him. Braith took a step toward the dais as his brother sprang forward and shoved a spear through the king’s back and straight into his heart. Blood pooled at the corners of the king’s parted mouth as his eyes widened. His hands clawed at the spear, a strange guttural sound escaped him as his knees began to buckle. Caleb grinned at their father as he turned slowly toward the son that had just committed patricide, with seemingly no remorse.
‘It may be harder to take Caleb down now that he realizes he is the heir apparent.’ The words, spoken so long ago by Melinda, hauntingly floated back across his mind.
As Braith watched his father fall he realized that even in his death, his father was actually proudest of the offspring that had just destroyed him than any of the other children he’d created.
Caleb ripped the spear from his father’s chest and stepped forward to take his place before the throne he had just claimed as his own. He bent and pulled the royal ring from his father’s lifeless hand and unhurriedly slid it onto his index finger. His eyes gleamed with pride; a malicious smile curved his mouth as he held his hand out before him and wiggled his fingers admiringly. Braith had no love for his father, would have taken him down himself if it meant protecting Aria, but even so loathing and vengeance flashed hotly through his belly. He would have slain his father, but he would have taken the man head on, he wouldn’t have been as cowardly as Caleb had just been.
Caleb continued to bask in his moment as he lifted his head to survey the room that was now his. He smoothed the front of his black shirt and idly surveyed the motionless crowd. “Kill them.” The command, almost nonchalant and flippant didn’t immediately get the stunned soldiers moving again. Their king had just fallen, and a new king, one even more ruthless and sadistic, had just stepped forward to take his place. Even if they had been trained their entire lives to one day follow Braith, Caleb’s slaughter of their ruler had just earned him the throne. “Except the girl, keep her alive if you can.” Caleb lifted his head to survey Aria. “I have some truly magnificent plans for her.”
A chill crept down Braith’s spine as he met Aria’s gaze. Her face was pale, her eyes shadowed and haunted as she stared back at him. He knew that she would never allow herself to be taken alive again. No matter what it took, he had to keep them all alive until Jack could get here, if Jack could get here, with the reinforcements.
The room erupted into violence again as the soldiers lurched forward to obey their new king’s command.
Chapter 14
Aria forced herself to remain calm, to take a deep breath and steady her shaking hands as she pulled an arrow from the quiver. He’d just murdered his own father, Caleb had just killed the man that had helped to create him, that had raised him, and that had molded him in his image. She shouldn’t be surprised, she’d spent a fair amount of time in their company these past few days, she knew there wasn’t anything they weren’t capable of, but she couldn’t shake the revulsion and horror that ensnared her.
The worst part was now that hideous spawn of the devil was the new king.
Struggling to keep her composure, her wounded middle finger gave a twinge that she ignored as she placed the arrow against her bow and fired at a soldier narrowing in on William. She didn’t think about William’s suffering, she couldn’t right now. Not when their death order had just been handed down. The arrow pierced through the vampire’s back, driving straight through his heart as the man fell forward.
Max charged forward with a loud bellow and threw his shoulder into one of the soldiers closing in on William. Xavier grabbed hold of the spear that was knocked free and used it to batter back three guards trying to get at Daniel as he hurriedly tended to William’s wound. Keegan, seeming to sense William’s extra need for protection, stayed close to William’s side.
Aria rapidly released a flurry of arrows on the soldiers focused on her brothers. She wished she could offer cover for Braith too, but he seemed to be handling the soldiers trying to get at him fairly well from his elevated position on the table. Her brothers were unprotected, vulnerable, even with Max and Xavier trying to battle back the men bent on destroying them. Aria fired two more arrows, there were only five left in the quiver Braith had tossed her.
Her gaze ran rapidly over the hall, she had to find something else to use. A loud shout jerked her attention back to the battle below. Blood seeped from a deep cut on Max’s cheek; his shirt had been torn open to reveal his firm chest and the blood that welled from his flesh. Aria clenched her jaw and fired an arrow at the vamp closing in on him. The guard jerked forward before keeling over from the fatal blow.
Max nodded a brief thanks to her before turning his attention back to helping Xavier. Braith was surrounded by five soldiers, she managed to take one of them out but he was quickly replaced by another one. Terror tore through her, there were too many of them, it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.
Caleb stepped casually over the body of his father as he climbed down the steps of the dais. Taking a steadying breath, the world around her went strangely silent as she focused her entire being on Caleb and fired an arrow straight at his already cold and deadened heart. At the last second one of the guards dove forward and threw themselves in between Caleb and the arrow.
Caleb’s head tilted back, a wicked grin curved his mouth as his lips pulled back to reveal his elongated fangs. Aria met his gaze, refusing to back down, refusing to cower from the twisted perversion within his eyes. Then, ever so deliberately, he tilted his head and nodded toward where she had last seen Braith.
Braith was being pushed back by the wave of soldiers pressing against him. She fired three more arrows in rapid succession, killing two guards and knocking another one away from Braith. There were only two arrows left; she’d have to make them count.