She shook her head, biting on her lip as her gaze darted wildly around the cave. Terror shimmered in her eyes, her fingers clenched tighter upon him. “I don’t like it in here; I don’t want to be here.”
Of course she hated it in here. He had known that she would. “I’ll take you out then.”
“No,” Jack inserted sharply as the other two men took a swift step forward. “She needs to stay with us, and she needs to be somewhere safe. It is not safe above ground right now.”
“I’ll be safe in the trees,” she told him.
“No Aria, absolutely not. We have to meet up with your father.”
Arianna was shaking her head; her tremors were growing stronger again. “No, no, no. I am not going deeper; you can’t keep forcing me to!”
Braith ran his hands over her hair, trying to soothe her, but failing as she continued to shake like a leaf against him. “He forced you down here?” Braith snarled.
“Braith…”
“Back off Jack or I’ll rip your damn throat out if you take one more step toward her, if you touch her one more time!”
“No,” Arianna said softly. “You can’t fight, not here, not now. Please.”
Braith’s hands tightened on her shoulders, he was trying to keep her behind him, but she kept insisting on trying to get in front of him. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Max snarled.
“Don’t push me!” Braith hissed at him, fighting the rising tides of anger surging through him. They had forced her down here, forced her into this place that was obviously terrifying her. Jack pulled Max back a step, but the other man remained immobile as he watched them intently.
“Don’t push you!” Max snapped back, fighting against Jack’s restraining hand. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you!”
“You could try, but you will not succeed.”
Rage flashed across Max’s face. Jack pushed him back as he tried to lunge forward. Max struggled against him, but Jack was successful in keeping the smaller man pinned against the cave wall. “Stop it!” Arianna commanded loudly. “Stop!”
Her shaking was growing stronger by the moment, but he could also sense her anger growing beneath her terror. Max’s gaze raked scathingly over her, glaring at her from head to toe. Braith bristled beside her, pulling her further back from the infuriated boy. He didn’t trust Max. He knew that Max would kill him in a heartbeat, but he was beginning to fear that he might also hurt Arianna in his rage and hatred.
The other boy stepped forward, shooting Max a dark look as he placed himself in between them. “I’ll go up with her.”
“No William,” Arianna said softly, shaking back her dark hair. Braith took note of the striking similarities between Arianna and this boy. They had the same eyes, the same hair color, and the same lean build. He remembered Arianna telling him about her twin, remembered Jack talking about the similar hair color; it was more than obvious that this was him. “It’s safer for you to stay here.”
“I’m not letting you go up there alone.” His sapphire eyes were intense as they turned toward Braith. He studied him for a long moment, his gaze not trusting, but not hate filled either. Not like Max’s.
“I won’t be alone,” she said softly.
“Aria…”
“I’ll be ok William, really.”
William remained hesitant. “No Aria that is not going to happen.”
“I can keep her safe, I can’t promise that for you,” Braith told him.
William nodded. “That’s fine.”
“No,” Jack said forcefully. “I can’t risk the two of you being captured, especially with Daniel gone. That is too much leverage over your father should something go wrong.”
“I will keep her safe,” Braith growled. “And you don’t have an option here Jack; I’m taking her out of here no matter what you want.”
Arianna’s fingers curled tighter in his shirt, she pressed closer against him, her forehead resting briefly upon his chest. “You’re being foolish Braith. I know you don’t want to see her upset, but would rather see her dead? Damn Braith, be logical about this, she is safest down here!” Jack protested.
“I am being logical about this, and I am telling you what is going to happen. I will keep her safe. When you return above ground, you know where we’ll be.”
“You can’t take her to mother’s house. Caleb will go there.”
“I’m not taking her to the house.”
Jack was silent for a moment, and then realization finally filled his gaze. His mouth parted slightly, his fingers twitched at his sides. For a moment, his grip on Max eased. “You know what that means Braith.”
“I do. Find us when you are able to.” He turned his attention back to William. “You stay here. She will be fine, but I can’t protect you both.”
“No.” William was shaking his head forcefully. “Absolutely not. She may trust you, but I can’t.”
“You have to,” Jack said softly. “You can’t go with them William.”
“You can’t seriously be considering letting them leave here! Of letting this monster take her back!” Max exploded his face florid with rage. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Go,” Jack said softly.
“No way!” William was coming at them, his jaw locked in determination. Jack grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back.
“He isn’t going to leave here without her,” Jack’s gaze was steady, yet sad as he stared at the two of them. “He isn’t going to be separated from her again, and he’ll kill you if you try to stop him. You cannot go William. This has to happen,” Jack said forcefully.
“We should kill him!” Max snarled.
Jack was pulling a struggling William back, pushing him toward Max as he fought to keep them away. “That will not be possible,” Jack muttered, his frustration growing.
“I knew it, you are a traitorous bastard. You are on their side, not ours. You’re giving her to him!”
“No Max,” Arianna said softly, her fingers digging into Braith’s shirt and skin. “I gave myself to him, long ago.”
Max went limp, his mouth dropped as his eyes bugged out of his head. “Aria,” William breathed.
She bowed her head for a moment before lifting it to gaze at her brother and friend again. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t want to believe it but I tried to tell you.” She broke off a single tear slipping down her cheek as she swallowed heavily. “Neither of us wanted this, but it’s happened, and I can’t… I can’t let him go.”