He tilted his head slightly, his eyes surveying her. “Stay strong Aria, stay strong. Think of your brothers, your father. We will get through this.”
“How did they catch you?” she mumbled miserably.
He didn’t have to answer her though, she already knew how. Max had been with her on the hunting party, he had been with her when they had approached the human camp. The vampires were already there, raiding the recently assembled camp with ease. Though they had originally rushed to aid the people, it had become quickly apparent that it was going to be a losing battle and they would be of no use. The best hope was to flee, to retreat deeper into the woods, to escape and hide until the vampires retreated with their new captives.
That was what they had been doing when Aria had spotted young John being captured, she had plunged heedlessly forward without thinking to intervene and save the young, scrawny boy. And because of that, she had cost her father and brothers two of their best soldiers. “Oh Max,” she whispered, tears burning hotly in her eyes.
“I couldn’t let you come alone. Plus, I’ve always been curious about what happens here.” He tried to sound light, but she could hear the tight tension in his voice. “Don’t cry for me Aria, they’ll think you’re crying because of them, don’t give them that satisfaction.”
“They’ll keep you,” she moaned, knowing it was true. He was filthy and disheveled, but his handsome features were still clearly visible beneath the layer of dirt covering his face and chest.
“That will give me a chance to figure out an escape plan.”
Arianna shook her head swiftly. “No Max, they won’t keep me. I have nothing to offer them.” It was true; she was skinny, dirty, disheveled, smelly, and unwomanly in every possible way. They would not want her, or at least that was the hope that she clung to. They did not appear to be choosing blood slaves solely on looks though, but some strange method that she did not understand, or even want to. She didn’t want to have any kind of understanding of the monsters that held their fates. “I’d rather be dead anyway,” she assured him.
His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched slightly. “They will want you Aria, and when they take you, you must cling to the knowledge that I will come for you. I will save you. Keep hold of that certainty, it will get you through the awful times ahead of us.”
She swallowed heavily, stunned by the earnestness and emotion that radiated from him. “Max…”
“I will come for you Aria. I promise you that.”
She gasped, stunned as he was ripped suddenly away from her. It was only then that she realized that there were just a handful of people left within the fenced area. She almost ran after him, almost chased him and the creature pulling him along, but she only made it one step before she halted abruptly. She could not show so much emotion here, they would only use it against her, or against Max. No, she had to remain in control, had to be as emotionless as she could in here.
Max was paraded onto the stage and swiftly claimed by a dark haired woman that oozed cruelty and sadism. Aria swallowed heavily, her mind spun as she realized the fate that Max had just been handed. He believed that he would be able to escape, and she knew that he was smart, wily, fast, and strong, but no one had ever escaped from the vampires before. No one had ever returned to the woods, and freedom, after capture. Once a person was taken, they remained a prisoner until they died.
Max was now at the mercy of this woman, and as long as she possessed him she could do whatever she wanted to him, whenever she wanted, and for as long as she wanted. When she grew bored of him, she would simply kill him, or sell him, and then come back here for another toy. Aria was shaking; her legs trembled with the will it took to keep her upright.
She did not fight the rough hands that seized hold of her; she was in too much shock, too fearful, and too stunned to even begin to fight right now. Max was going to be used and tortured, and it was all her fault. Why hadn’t she listened to her father when he had told her to use her head, to think before acting? Her foolish recklessness had not only destroyed her life, but the life of one of her dearest and most beloved friends.
Self hatred curdled rapidly through her. She didn’t even care what happened to her anymore, what they did to her. She was led swiftly through the crowd and brusquely pushed onto the stage. She was paraded before the crowd gathered on the stage, before being led past the vampires packing the streets. It appeared that the vamps on stage had first choice, and the ones on the street received second pick to grab the goods if they so choose. She was drug back past the people on stage as she was pulled roughly around, but no one laid claim to her. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved, or not. She found herself wanting to stay alive for as long as Max was alive. If he was in here because of her, then it was only fair that she should suffer the same tormented fate that he did; it was only fair that she was not granted the merciful death she had been longing for.
She met Max’s gaze briefly, hating the terror and helplessness in his eyes as she was pulled back toward the street side. This would be the last chance for someone to claim her, and if they didn’t, she was fairly certain that Max would go ballistic in his attempt to get at her. To save her.
Aria’s heart was hammering painfully in her chest; she could hardly see through the waves of adrenaline and fear crashing through her. She blinked dazedly as she stared out at the street, barely noticing the man that stepped forward. “I will take it.”
It! It! Aria’s mind screamed, she recoiled in horror at the word. She could hardly breathe through the panic constricting her chest. The thing that had claimed her was moving through the crowd, digging into his pocket to retrieve the money he would spend on her. He would not be spending much, as she had been nearly on the chopping block before he claimed her.
He was an ugly thing, but then they were all ugly, twisted and cruel to her. But this one was exceptionally ugly, with his stooped shoulders, pointed nose, and cruel hazel eyes. He looked warped, evil; wrong. The scent of blood clung to him as he stepped forward and grasped roughly hold of her chin. Aria winced, she tried to jerk away as he turned her head sharply back and forth but he would not release her.
“She may be fun for a bit, easily broken.”
Aria was nearly gasping, nearly hyperventilating. She was trying hard to remain brave, but she could feel a shattering growing inside of her, a breaking of her soul that was far more painful than anything she had ever experienced before. And she had experienced some very painful things in her life. But this, this was the worst. This man was going to do many many things to her. None of them would be good, and all of them would be designed to savage her body, and her mind.