“Braith…” His hand tightened upon hers, he pulled her closer against him as his stride quickened a little more. “These people…”
“Broken.”
Aria shuddered at the word, but it was the most appropriate way to describe the lost souls wandering down the streets. They turned another corner, hurrying forward as they slipped past houses that were even more worn down by time and poverty. There was a lump of anguish in Aria’s throat. The towns closer to the palace fared much better than this forgotten wasteland. Here they seemed to have nothing. There, though they were poor, there were more opportunities for employment, and more money was tossed around by the wealthy residents within the palace towns.
She fought back tears as a young boy darted out of an alleyway. His clothes were no more than rags, cloth was wrapped around his feet for shoes, and he was so dirty that she could not discern the true color of his hair. Braith tugged her back as she took a step toward the child, feeling as if she had to do something, but having no idea exactly what it was she was supposed to do. The boy stopped to stare at her, his eyes wide with surprise as he took her in.
“Keep moving Arianna,” Braith said softly.
“There has to be something…”
“They are not human.”
Aria’s mouth dropped as she spun toward him, her eyes wide in shock and horror. “What?” she whispered.
“They are vampires.”
Terror spurted through her as she took a step closer to him, pressing against his hard body. Her heart hammered, her breath became labored as she glanced wildly around the decrepit streets. She hadn’t known that there were vampires that lived like this, hadn’t known that there were vampires that had as little as she did within the forest. She had thought that they were all wealthy, that they all enjoyed the luxurious life that the palace had presented. But these vampires had so very little, and they were starving.
And she appeared to be the only morsel of food in this hell hole.
“Are they going to come after us?”
“Not if they want to live.”
A chill crept down Aria’s spine as he growled the words. He pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her waist as he held her tightly. They turned another corner; the houses became sparser as the woods began to creep in on them again. Aria glanced over her shoulder, dismayed, and not at all surprised to see that they had attracted a small following. “They’re following us,” she breathed in horror.
“I know.” She swallowed nervously, trying hard to keep her panic under control as her heart thumped and pounded with renewed intensity. It was her that they were coming for, but they would kill Braith to get at her. She was shaking with fear now. “It’s why William could not come with us. I could not protect you both.” She managed a small nod as she bit nervously on her bottom lip. “They won’t get anywhere near you Arianna.”
“And you?” she whispered.
He shot her a small, arrogant grin that did not quite reach his eyes. “Impossible.”
Aria wished that she could take solace in his answer, but there were even more of them back there now. She was grateful for the reassuring weight of her arrows on her back, but she wasn’t sure that she had enough in her quiver to make a dent in the growing population behind them. “Keep your eyes forward,” Braith said softly.
She turned back around, her fingers twitching to grasp hold of her bow. She wanted the extra security of its weight in her hands. “Where are we going?”
They rounded another corner, the woods pressed closer to them. “You know that tree thing you can do?” Aria nodded at him. “Why don’t you scurry on up there now.”
“I’m not leaving you down here alone!” she hissed.
“I’ll be fine, Arianna. You need to get up there.”
“Braith…”
“Go Arianna, now!” It was the harshest he had spoken to her in a long time, and it left her stunned. Her heart leapt, her mouth went dry with terror as she glanced back at the growing crowd again. Braith was strong, but there were so many of them back there. “Go,” he urged, his voice a little softer.
Aria swallowed heavily, but she did not refuse him as he nudged her gently forward. “I’ll be fine Arianna, go.”
She scurried forward, grasping hold of the first lower branch she came across. She threw her arms around the limb, swung her legs over, and maneuvered swiftly up the large oak. She glanced back down at Braith; his head was tilted back as he watched her. She hesitated for a moment, loathe to leave him, but she needed a better spot, and a better angle, if she was going to have any hope of taking any of the creatures out with her arrows.
She climbed higher, searching for the branch she could use to reach the next tree. Finding the right one, she ran across the limb. She leapt into the air, feeling a brief moment of elation and delight as the air rushed up around her. Her legs kicked briefly, she seized hold of the other limb. Her arms locked around it as she swung easily back into the leafy branches.
Braith moved swiftly across the ground beneath her, keeping his eyes straight as he walked. Aria glanced back as the crowd of fifteen hit the edge of the forest. She had to get the shaking of her hands under control if she was going to continue to make her way through the trees, and not get killed. She darted swiftly across another limb, leaping easily into another tree, and then another.
Braith kept pace with her, but the others were gaining on them, and she needed to get a little further ahead. She moved easily, running and leaping until she found a notch in a tree that would be a good place to set up. She pulled an arrow free, placing it easily into her bow. She loved the trembling feel of power that vibrated up the bow and into her hands. Braith studied her for a moment, shaking his head as he watched her.
She didn’t have time to fire the arrow as Braith suddenly launched forward, blurring with speed as he raced at their stalkers. Aria’s mouth dropped, her eyes widened as he grasped hold of the first one and slammed him into the ground. She was stunned, momentarily dazed by his display of speed and overwhelming power. A soft squeal escaped his victim, but it was short lived as the victim’s throat was crushed beneath the strength of his hand. Aria watched in horror as three others launched at Braith.
Pushing aside leaves with the tip of her arrow, she took aim at one of the creatures clawing at Braith’s back. The arrow released with a soft twang, it flew straight through the air, striking its intended target in the back.