Aria had lost count of the troops beneath her as the number swelled to well over a thousand. So many, and what if there are more elsewhere?
Then they would fight them all.
Her heart plummeted into her boots when the last of Sabine’s entourage came into view. Except these were no longer vampires, but at least a hundred humans tied together like cattle and being led through the woods by the dozens of vampires surrounding them.
When a dirty, pale woman fell, one of the vampires snapped her neck and cut her loose from the others without so much as a second glance. Aria’s hand flew to her mouth. The humans around the woman cried out and scurried away from her body. This time it was Max’s rising that drew her attention back to her friends, and Timber who pulled him back.
Her gaze latched onto Max as he shook within Timber’s grasp. His cheeks were tinged red with fury and his lips clamped so firmly together they turned white. Aria couldn’t look at the abused humans again; she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from attacking if she did.
It’s all going backwards, returning to the beginning, she thought.
We will fix it! They had to; there were no other options.
She remained in the tree for well over an hour after the last of the vampires and humans vanished from view. Her ears strained to pick up any noise within the woods, but it remained silent and still. Her cramped muscles protested when she rose from her crouched position and climbed down the tree.
Her feet had barely touched the ground when Daniel wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. She’d barely been able to stand the touch of anyone all week, but she lifted her arms to hug him back. He needed this hug, and she needed him. The piece of bark digging into her palm fell from her hand as she clung to her brother. So like their father, he was a source of calm in a world that had become utter chaos for her.
“You’re safe,” he whispered.
“So are you,” she breathed. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You also.”
“Braith?” she choked out through the lump in her throat.
His arms tightened around her. “He was still unresponsive when we left the cave.”
“And dead.”
“Yes.”
Aria slumped against him, somehow managing to stem the flow of tears burning her eyes and clogging her throat. If she started crying now, she’d never stop, and they had to get out of here before one of Sabine’s followers returned.
CHAPTER 16
Daniel
“Amazing,” Daniel murmured as he watched the door hidden perfectly in the floor of the old barn swing open to reveal a set of stairs leading into the darkness below. Aria had filled them in on everything they’d gone through this past week and all they’d achieved with the rebels. He still couldn’t help but be impressed with what the rebels had accomplished here.
“You should have seen the one in the tree,” Aria said to him over her shoulder; her ruby-colored eyes briefly met his before flitting away. “You would have really appreciated it.”
“I do just hearing about it,” he assured her as she stepped onto the first stair.
The set of her shoulders and the color of her eyes belied the aura of calm she tried to project. His heart ached as he watched his little sister. He would do anything to take away her suffering, to protect her from what was to come, but he was helpless to do either of those things. All he could do was protect her as much as possible.
No matter what unfolded, he would keep her safe if it was the last thing he did.
“I will go first,” Xavier said and rested his hand on her arm to pull her back.
She gave him an exasperated look and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. “It’s safe, Xavier. I’ve been here before.”
“I will still go first.”
Aria hesitated before moving aside to let him lead the way below. The door at the bottom of the stairs opened before they reached it to reveal William. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. Aria had told him they’d split up and that William and Tempest would be here, but he’d been afraid to believe her, until now. William gawked at them all for a minute before breaking into a grin.
“You always did like to rescue the strays, Aria,” he said as he slapped Xavier on the back. He hugged Aria before turning to embrace Daniel. “You have no idea how good it is to see you,” he whispered in Daniel’s ear.
“I can imagine it’s been a fun-filled week,” Daniel replied as Timber closed the door behind them.
“Oh yes, death, mayhem, and trying to keep that one from getting herself killed.”
“I can hear you,” Aria grated and flashed them both a fulminating glare as William stepped away from him to shake hands with Max and Timber. “My glasses?”
Tempest walked forward to hand them to her. “How did you find them?” she asked.
“They had themselves cornered in a cave,” Aria replied.
“Not cornered,” Max replied defensively.