Broken (The Captive #5.5)(70)

CHAPTER 23


He spotted the shadow amongst the trees before he was halfway across the clearing. The bitter scent of fear and the salty tang of tears drifted forth in potent waves along with the acrid aroma of smoke and roses. "Camille," he greeted coldly.

Tears streaked her dirt and soot stained cheeks but her eyes were red as she rose from her position beside Genny's body. Her gazed drifted past him to the fire he could still feel the heat of against his back. "Your father caused this," she stated flatly.

Something in his mind whispered at him to kill her, to put her down. She was a witness to what he had just done; the only one that could reveal that it hadn't been a raid by the humans that had killed his father. The bloodlust rose within him, shimmered through his twisted mind, and urged him to sink his fangs into her neck but what little remained of his compassion reared to life.

Genny could forgive him for anything, he knew that, but she would never forgive him if he harmed her sister. He would rather be caught and sentenced to death than do the one thing that would have made Genny despise him. There was only a sliver of kindness left within him and Camille was the last remaining vampire in existence that could bring it out of him.

"He did," Atticus confirmed.

"He's dead."

"He is."

Her chin jutted out and she nodded briskly. "Good." Her gaze drifted down to Genny, more tears spilled from her eyes. "It should have been me."

"She saved you." It wasn't a question, upon seeing where the arrows had been located on Genny's body, and not seeing Camille's body nearby, he'd suspected that Genny had been trying to block the arrows from hitting her sister.

"She did but she shouldn't have, she…" Camille broke off as she choked on a sob. "You both had a life planned. She'd finally found happiness, she was finally safe. It should have been me."

He'd thought his temper would fray at the confirmation of what Genny had done; instead all he felt was acceptance. It had been Genny's last act to ensure her sister's life, and he would make sure to keep Camille alive. Camille lifted her head to examine him; her gaze slid over his body but instead of looking repulsed and horrified more tears rapidly slid down her cheeks. He remained immobile before her, his face expressionless.

"It wasn't just Genny that was lost tonight, was it?" Camille asked tremulously.

Atticus knew that she wasn't talking about the other vampires and humans that had been killed tonight as her gaze remained riveted upon him. "No."

Her head bowed before she knelt at her sister's side again. "Now what?"

"Now we bury her."

"Where?"

"I know where. I have to get a shovel."

He turned away from her and walked to the barn to retrieve a shovel from within. The manor was beginning to crumble in on itself when he reemerged. He stopped to watch as the last bit of proof of what had occurred within burned away. Turning away from the building he hurried to rejoin Camille.

He handed her the shovel before bending to carefully lift Genny's body from where she lay. He repressed the overwhelming urge to cry as he cradled her against his chest and kissed her forehead.

Camille stayed close by his side; her steps were silent as she followed him to the log that crossed the river. Staring at the log, he was struck by the memory of Genny sitting upon it in her chemise. Drops of water fell into the water from her toes skimming across the surface of the river. The sun shone down upon her and highlighted her raven hair and pale complexion. The memory was so vivid that he could almost touch her as she turned to him with that playful smile upon her face and a twinkle in her glimmering black eyes. She was there before him, her love shining from her like a beacon that would forever call to his soul.

Heartbreak twisted his chest. The grief almost drove him to his knees but he somehow managed to keep standing as the image of her faded away and he was left with nothing but the empty shadows of the forest, and the hum of the insects surrounding them. Now she would always be nothing more than a passing dream, a persistent memory, and a promise of hopes never to be fulfilled and a life forever denied to them both.

He tore himself away from the log before he became lost to his memories. Placing Genny's body tenderly upon the ground near the river, he scooped up handfuls of water and slowly began to wash the soot, blood and dirt from her face. He couldn't explain it, and certainly didn't understand it, but he couldn't bring himself to place her into the earth without washing away some of the damage from this night.

When he'd finished cleansing her cream skin he rose to his feet, took the shovel from a silently weeping Camille and rapidly began to dig Genny's grave. When he was done, he tossed the shovel aside and pulled himself from the deep hole. He could barely bring himself to look at her body as he walked by her and into the water. Just as he couldn't bring himself to put her into the earth while dirty, he also couldn't bring himself to touch her again with the blood of so many others on him. As he scrubbed at his skin, the water turned red from the blood of all those he'd slaughtered this night in retribution for Genny's death. He watched the blood flowing swiftly downstream until the water finally ran clear again.

Striding from the river, water dripped off of him as he knelt at her side. His hand shook as he pulled the blue ribbon he'd bought for her free of her hair and carefully undid the long braid. Her silken hair slid through his fingers and fell around her in a beautiful black cloud. Bending low, he placed a kiss against her forehead before tenderly kissing her lips.