Jack shifted; he looked slightly uncomfortable by the amount of anger radiating from Braith. “For certain, about sixty years. It took me awhile to gather all the pieces of the story, and to actually believe it. I hate the man, there’s never been any love between us, but even I didn’t want to believe that he would have our mother killed for his own desires.”
Braith closed his eyes for a moment. Aria ached for him, she ached to soothe and comfort him, but this was not the time, and it was not the place. Later, when they were alone, she would try and take some of his hurt from him, but she wasn’t certain that even she could help ease this treachery and loss.
“Your family is even more screwed up than ours,” William said softly.
Jack cocked an eyebrow at him; a sad smile curved his mouth. “And you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Caleb or Natasha yet.”
William nodded slowly; his gaze wandered to Aria. “What did you get yourself into now sis?”
Aria managed a wan smile; William was trying to sound light, but even his normal jovial tone fell short in this horrendous mess. She wanted to go to William, to hug him and the rest of her family. However, Braith wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. “Braith.” She gently stroked his hard arm, looking to comfort him, looking to get him to relax slightly. It did not seem to be working.
“You know everything now Braith, you know what was done, and you know what we believe. The question now is; what are you going to do?” Jack asked quietly.
Braith looked slowly toward her; his beautiful eyes were aglow in the dim room. The green in them was bright, sharp in contrast to the hard grey. There was something in his gaze, something so wounded and yet so strong that she felt her insides melt. His eyes caressed her face, stroking lovingly over her, but the steel rod of strength, of determination within his eyes left her cold with dread. “Braith,” she breathed.
“I’m going to keep you safe.”
She managed a small nod. “I know you will. I have absolute faith in that Braith.”
His eyes flickered slightly, she saw the brief moment of fear and doubt that flickered through his eyes. “No matter what, Arianna, I am going to keep you safe.”
She swallowed heavily; her heart was lumbering painfully in her chest. “It’s a brutal war to wage,” she whispered. A war that he had not experienced in a hundred years; a war that she had only lived through the horrendous consequences of.
“It is. The results of the last war need to be set right though.”
“People will follow you Braith,” Jack encouraged.
Aria shot him a dark, withering look. She knew what Braith intended, knew that she could not stop him, but Jack did not need to make him feel as if he had to do it, because he didn’t. She would stand by him no matter what he decided, no matter what he wanted to do. Even if he decided he wanted to run from here; that he wanted to grab hold of her and never look back. That may not be her choice, but she would support it because she supported him. It would not be her that witnessed the worst of the coming violence, it would not be her that went against her own family; she would not force him into that position.
“Will they Jack?” Braith inquired dryly.
Jack swallowed heavily as Braith leveled him with a fierce stare. “Yes. I think you may be as strong as father now.” Jack looked slowly toward her. Braith stiffened; he stepped slightly in front of her. “Maybe even stronger. Many will look to you for leadership, especially the vampires on the outskirts, especially the ones starving under father’s regime.”
“And the people will follow the human,” Braith said coldly. Aria shivered at his harsh, brutal tone. “Isn’t that right Jack?”
He nodded, swallowing heavily. “They will.”
“Why do I feel as if I have been manipulated into this?” he grated.
“As if anyone could have expected you to fall in love with your blood slave,” Melinda retorted.
“I am not a blood slave!” Arianna snapped.
“Maybe not anymore, but you were. It’s how all of this started after all.”
Aria glared at her. “No one saw that coming,” Jack agreed, trying to placate everyone with his soft tone.
“I don’t think they will follow a vampire who fell for their blood slave,” Braith said softly, squeezing Aria’s hand reassuringly when he said the words blood slave. “In fact, I imagine most of them will be disgusted by it.”
“That is one thing we will have to keep secret,” Jack agreed. Anger and hurt bloomed through Aria’s chest but she tilted her chin defiantly. She would have to stay strong, she would have to accept that fact if they were going to succeed. And for any chance of happiness they would have to succeed. “For now it will have to look as if you have formed an alliance with the humans and as if you are going to bring the peace and security to the vampire race that father promised but was unable to provide. The humans will follow as long as they are assured safety and security, which we will give them. When this is all over…”
“When this is all over, the two of us will be going somewhere safe. When this is all over, we will be left alone,” Braith interrupted sharply.
Jack was hesitant; Aria could barely look at her family. They were staring at her with a mixture of confusion and fear that made her ache for them. “They’ll follow you Braith,” Melinda whispered.
His hand tightened on Aria, he kept her slightly behind him still, unwilling to expose her to anything he might consider a threat. “And they’ll follow Jack after, and the humans will continue to follow one of them.” Braith waved a hand lazily at her father and brothers.
“Yes, fine. We can work it all out later on,” Jack assured him quickly. Ashby looked about to protest, but Melinda rested a hand on his arm and shook her head subtly. Aria understood that look, understood what it meant. Braith might want to believe that they would be free if they somehow managed to succeed, but they all understood what Braith was trying desperately to deny. The two of them would never be free. “First things first though.”
“Father has to come out of power, and Caleb needs to be neutralized,” Braith said softly.
Aria squeezed his arm; she really wanted to go to her family. He glanced down at her, the hard lines of his face smoothing out as he smiled at her. She smiled back before slipping swiftly past him toward her family. She was timid; frightened of the reaction she would get from them. It was William that stepped forward first, hugging her tightly against him. She sighed contentedly, embracing her twin tightly as Daniel and her father came forward.