There was a new King now.
“Are we safe?” she whispered.
Braith’s lips were warm against her ear as he bent his head to hers. “Yes. You are safe now Arianna.”
Aria’s heart hammered, her hand clenched upon his back, she didn’t want to let him go, but she had to.
Her grip on him eased as he slid her to her feet. Bodies littered the ground; blood splattered the floor, walls, and fighters that remained. She somehow managed to keep from vomiting as she surveyed the carnage. Jack momentarily came to the forefront, he gestured frantically for Braith to join him. Foreboding filled her as she took a step toward the large group. Braith seized hold of her face, turning her away from the casualties strewn about the room and spilling into the hall beyond the massive doors.
“I have to help them.” She managed a small nod as his eyes raked her face. “I need you to stay here Aria. Please, do as I ask until everything is secure.”
She should help, but the idea of plunging into that pile of dead bodies was more than she could tolerate right now. The thought of finding one of her loved ones amongst the dead caused her stomach to twist into knots. It may be cowardice, but she couldn’t face that possibility right now, she simply couldn’t. They were alright, they had to be; she just couldn’t see them right now through the crush of humans and vampires filling the room. “I will.”
His eyes closed for a brief moment as his shoulders sagged. He kissed her for a lingering moment before reluctantly releasing her; he grabbed a bow, and a mostly empty quiver of arrows from the body of a dead guard. Aria accepted the blood splattered weapons. She took a step back as she watched Braith disappear into the swell of bodies. Though she didn’t relish the thought of killing anyone else, she pulled an arrow from the quiver and rested it against the bow as she searched the crowd.
She finally spotted William leaning against the far wall with his own bow and arrows. Aria tossed the bow over her shoulder, grabbed the quiver and bolted onto the top of the table. Some of her dread and queasiness eased as she moved further away from Caleb’s body.
William glanced briefly at her before focusing on the group of soldiers being restrained by Braith and the others. Landing beside him, she took reassurance in his solid presence as her fingers entwined with his and he pulled her close for a hug. Aria fought back tears as she embraced him. “It’s good to see you,” he told her.
“You too.”
He released her and fell back against the wall to turn a watchful eye back on the crowd. “Don’t do that again.”
“I’ll try my hardest not to.”
He smiled at her as he lifted an eyebrow. “You do have a habit of being vampire chow.”
“Ha ha,” she muttered. Her free hand fell to Keegan’s head as she wordlessly thanked the wolf for watching over her brother. “Are you ok?” She warily eyed the bloodstained bandage that Daniel had hastily wrapped around his thigh.
“I’ll survive.”
“That’s reassuring,” she told him.
“Are you ok?”
“Yes.” His eyes ran over her as he tried to judge the truth behind her answer. It seemed as if he was trying to see into her soul, trying to see what had been done to her, who she was now, and if she would ever be the same. Nothing would ever be the same, but there were some things that would never change. “I’m ok.” His gaze raked over Caleb’s ragged claw marks, and the raw bites covering her arms, collarbone and neck. “Really.”
His eyes, so similar to hers, met and held her own. “He deserved what he got Aria.”
He knew her so well, so unbelievably well. Caleb had deserved what he’d gotten, he would have done far worse things to her and Braith, but she couldn’t rid herself of the feel of his body lurching beneath hers. Aria braced herself as she turned to survey the survivors. It was nearly over; she should feel more excited, she simply felt sick and desperate to see her family.
“Where are Daniel, Max, and Xavier?” she asked.
“They went to help in the fight.”
“Have you…” She had to swallow before she could continue. “Have you seen them? Dad?”
His eyes closed as he gave a small shake of his head. She was finding it difficult to breathe as she blinked back the tears burning her eyes and focused on the group before her. Jack and Ashby had joined Braith in front of the remaining king’s guard. Most of the king’s men had dropped to their knees at Braith’s approach but a few remained standing out of sheer defiance. For the first time she noticed Melinda pressed against Ashby’s side, she looked almost as shell shocked as Aria felt as she leaned against him.
Over the sea of heads she spotted more fighters on the other side of the massive doors that opened into the hallway. Aria held her breath as she took a step forward. That was where they had to be, her dad had been near the doors, and the others must have fought their way out the doors, and were now helping to oversee things in the hall.
Calista and Gideon appeared from the hall and encircled Braith and Jack. Calista gestured toward the doors as Gideon solemnly bowed his head. A frown creased her forehead as Jack turned and bolted toward the doors. Seizing hold of her arm, William halted her as she took another step forward. Dread curled through her stomach as Jack began frantically tossing aside fallen bodies. Braith was at his side in an instant; they shouted something to each other that Aria couldn’t discern above the roar of blood pulsing through her ears.
Aria’s gaze flew over the crowd; she spotted Saul and Frank, but where were her father and Daniel? Where were Max and Xavier?
Her heart was hammering as her throat went dry. There was something clawing at her insides, something hideous and frightening; something that made it difficult to breathe as Jack tossed aside another crumpled body. Jack froze; his hand stilled in midair as a look of despair crossed his and Braith’s faces. Aria shook off William’s weak grasp as she took another small step forward. She couldn’t see what they were looking at, there were still too many people moving in and out of her line of sight.
Aria’s hand moved slowly to her mouth, she couldn’t breathe as the room lurched sickeningly. William leaned heavily on a spear for support as he stepped beside her. Daniel burst free of the crowd in the hall, Max and Xavier were close on his heels as he shoved past some of the restrained guards. A scream lodged in Aria’s throat; her paralysis broke as she bolted forward. William lurched awkwardly after her, trying and failing to grasp hold of her as she sprinted toward Braith and Jack.