Daniel
Daniel hesitated a few feet away from the main cavern and placed his torch against the wall. The flames danced over the walls and lit the first few feet of the cavern within. Why is it dark in there?
He exchanged a glance with Max and Timber. Max lowered Maeve from his shoulder. The gate was closed. She may know where the other key was to escape, but they would be able to catch her again if it became necessary. Right now, Max needed his hands free in case something came at them.
Daniel and Max pulled their bows forward again and each drew an arrow. Timber stepped behind Maeve and nudged her forward as they cautiously approached the cavern. No noise came from within. Jack had to know they were coming by now; he would give them some indication it was safe to proceed. All Daniel heard was silence.
Too late. We’re too late. What do I tell Aria?
He swallowed at the prospect of having to deliver another devastating blow to his sister, but it may be inevitable. Stopping at the edge of the cavern, he nodded to Max and they both slipped out at the same time. Daniel didn’t have a chance to look around before the bow was wrenched from his hands and a solid blow to his chest knocked him off his feet.
The arrow that had fallen from his hand when he’d been hit spun across the ground, causing Max to swing in his direction and fire his arrow. A savage snarl came from someone or something. The arrow was snatched out of the air and a body was heaved at Max. Darting to the side, Max wasn’t fast enough to avoid Jack being thrown against him.
They both tumbled into the wall, falling over top of one another. Jack scrambled to get back to his feet, but tripped and fell when Max’s legs got caught up in his. Timber stumbled back when his staff was torn away from him and heaved across the room. Hannah scrambled down the last few feet of rocks and snatched the staff from the floor to hold it before her.
A small clicking noise drew Daniel’s attention to the wolf pacing back and forth across from him. Its hackles were raised and its head hung low as it watched them all with a look that said it was waiting for one of them to make a move. He blinked when recognition of the wolf descended over him, but though he’d once known the wolf, he had no doubt Keegan would tear his throat out if he deemed him a threat.
“Where is she?” Bellowed so loudly, the words vibrated the entire cavern.
Daniel turned to scramble away when someone stalked toward him from the shadows, but a hand seized his ankle and dragged him back. His fingernails scraped against the rocks, trying to find purchase on them, but all he left were white gouges on their surface.
He barely had time to process being lifted before he hung upside down. Blood rushed into his head, and his rain-soaked shirt fell about his face. With one swift motion, he was spun right side up and shoved into a wall. Ruby eyes filled his hazy vision.
“Where. Is. She?”
The lethal quiet of the words spoken to him were more frightening than when they’d been bellowed at him. Daniel blinked as he tried to bring his captor into focus. The second his eyes cleared, he wished they hadn’t. He gulped as he found himself face to face with the most vicious, infuriated vampire he’d ever seen before.
In that instant, he knew two things. One, his brother-in-law had risen from the dead. Two, Braith was going to kill him.
***
Max
Max shoved Jack off him and scrambled for his bow again. His hand had almost closed around it when Jack seized hold of his wrist and jerked it back. “What are you doing?” Max hissed.
Jack didn’t reply as he remained kneeling on the cave floor, his mouth ajar. Max followed his gaze to where Daniel was pinned against the wall, his hands encircling the wrist of the man holding him. Max took in the back of the vampire holding Daniel. It had to be a vampire with the flash of those red eyes he’d seen before Jack’s body had hit his.
Gradually, Max’s mind picked out the details of the vamp as the dim torchlight within the cave flickered over the cavern. The shadows seemed to cling to the vamp’s bare, broad back and the black hair curling against his nape. Thick muscles bulged in the vamp’s biceps and forearms as Daniel’s feet kicked against the rocks.
“Easy, Braith,” Jack coaxed.
Max’s jaw dropped. He was sure his stunned expression mirrored Jack’s as realization hit him between the eyes. They’d hoped Braith would rise, they’d been counting on it, but a part of him had been too afraid to believe he would miraculously return from the dead. Yet, there he was, standing before them and looking as if he had every intention of killing Daniel, of killing every one of them.
Max’s gaze went to Maeve, standing beside Timber in the mouth of the cave. She gawked at the spectacle, but showed no sign of running away from what was unfolding before her.