Aria tried hard not to stare at the blood slaves, tried hard not to notice the misery that radiated from them, but by the time they had made it a few hundred feet down the road she had tears forming in her eyes. These slaves were thin, beaten, marred with bruises and bite marks. There were some that looked healthier than others, but there was still a bleak look in their eyes that left Aria shaken and confused. These were her people, and they were being cruelly used and slowly bled to death. Braith had spared her from such a fate, but it had nearly been her as well. That thought did not ease the pain clawing at her, but only increased it. She had been lucky enough to be spared such a fate, but why? She was no better than any of them; she did not deserve to be spared when they had not been.
Braith grabbed hold of her elbow, pulling her close against him. “Do not cry; do not show sympathy, if you do so then we must go back. You are not permitted to show such emotions, do you understand me?” he hissed in her ear.
Aria swallowed heavily, her head bowed as tried to blink away the hot tears burning her eyes. How could she not show sympathy for these poor, broken people? They were her people after all, and they were suffering unfairly. Braith released her arm; he took a swift step away from her as they neared the busier section of town.
Vampires and people mingled about the shops and stores, merchants sold their wares in the streets, shouting to be heard above the hustle and bustle of the people. Aria’s eyes darted over everything, there was so much to take in, and she could not do it all at once. She had never seen anything like it in her life of wilderness and caves. She had never even imagined that such a thing existed.
“Amazing,” she said softly.
She felt Braith’s eyes upon her, but she did not look at him again, there was too much to see around her. The crowd parted easily as he led her through it. Everyone scurried to get out of his and Keegan’s way. Aria trailed silently behind, like the docile and good blood slave that she was. Her eyes darted over everyone, rapidly searching for Max, or the blond woman that had claimed him somewhere amongst the crush of bodies.
Aria stopped short as they broke free of the crowd, horror rolled through her, nausea surged through her stomach as she came face to face with the stage she had been paraded upon. She felt the sharp tug of her leash, but her feet would not move as she gazed at the newest victims upon the simple platform. The same man that had auctioned her off was spewing the praises of the young boy he held.
“Move!” a sharp shove pushed her forward, knocking her slightly off balance. She turned slightly, just catching a brief glance of the woman that had shoved her out of the way. Aria did not recognize her, but it was apparent the woman was in a rush as she disappeared swiftly into the mob of bodies.
Aria managed to get her feet to move again. She stumbled forward, suddenly finding it hard to breathe in the packed street. Braith had not gone far in the crowd, as he had been stopped by an older man with graying hair and a potbelly. He must have been human. The man looked intense; his eyes were narrowed as he spoke rapidly and swiftly. Aria was smart enough to hang back; she would not be welcome in this conversation.
The man did not acknowledge her presence, but she did see his gaze flicker to the golden leash. Aria turned away, trying hard not to think about the bond that kept her tied to Braith. Keegan was allowed to roam free, while she was leashed and tethered. Anger and resentment coiled through her, but she fought both emotions back. This was the way it was supposed to be, this was the only way that a blood slave could be brought out in public. He could not allow her to wander free, too many questions would be raised then; she would be in danger. It would be the end of her life.
Aria bristled against the restraint, bristled against the fact that this was her life for however long it would be granted to her. For no matter what, eventually she would have to die. A chill crept down her spine. She had accepted death when she’d first arrived here, she had hoped for it, and prayed for it. She did not want to accept it now though.
A sharp tug on her leash alerted her to the fact that Braith was ready to move on. She turned back to him, freezing instantly as her eyes latched onto the woman that had claimed Max. She was a few feet away from Braith, narrowing in on him. She was just as beautiful as Aria remembered with her long blond hair, and voluptuous figure. Aria had the fleeting thought that this was the type of woman, or vampire, that Braith really liked and desired. She didn’t know why the thought popped into her head, but once there she couldn’t shake it.
“Prince,” the woman greeted, a knowing smile curving her full mouth as she thrust her hip out.
Aria stared at her, fighting the urge to glare at the overt, obnoxious woman. Anger and jealousy curdled through her as the woman touched Braith’s arm lightly. There was a familiarity between them that left Aria shaken, and stunned. A familiarity that left her feeling slightly sick and more than a little disconcerted. She didn’t like the thought of other women around him; she didn’t like the fact that such a realization troubled her so much.
Though Braith did not move closer to the woman, she did press herself against him in an overt way that nearly caused Aria to vomit. That was all she could take, she turned sharply away, her gaze scanning over the crowd as she eagerly sought out Max. She needed something to distract her from the awful scene before her. She spotted him almost instantly, standing amongst the crush of bodies, his golden leash draped over a wooden post. A post that had other blood slaves tied to it.
Aria’s stomach dropped, her heart leapt in her chest. A surge of relief, hope, and joy erupted in her chest. The sight of him was one of the most wonderful things she had ever encountered. The moment that her eyes found him, he also found her. His bright blue eyes widened considerably, he took a step toward her, only to be brought up short by the leash holding him in place. Tears filled her eyes, he still looked healthy, but there was a broken air about him that robbed her of her breath.
Without thinking, she was moving, heading toward him, needing to be with her friend, needing to see and touch and speak with a man that meant so very much to her. Max watched her, his eyes bright with excitement, he grabbed hold of the leash, looking as if he was going to rip it free, but they both knew that was impossible. His mouth parted, delight radiated from him. Aria couldn’t help but smile back at him; her fingers itched to touch him, her heart soared with happiness. For one brief, shining moment, everything was right and she didn’t know fear. She knew only that she needed to get to her friend.