Captured (The Captive #1)(43)

“And if you couldn’t?”

“Then I was to leave.”

Braith was slightly shocked by this statement. It made little sense to him, and he didn’t entirely believe him. “They sent you in here just to have you leave if you couldn’t do anything?”

“Jack has worked his way up in our ranks; my father thinks very highly of him, he would not risk losing him. Especially if he feels that he can trust him,” Arianna said softly, her gaze still weary as she surveyed his brother.

“Is that so, Jack?” Braith inquired sharply.

Jericho shrugged as he reached into the pocket of his coat. “I couldn’t give them my real name, now could I? They may not know much about the royal family, or at least a lot of them don’t, but I wasn’t going to chance one of them possibly recognizing my name. And Jack is just less pretentious, don’t you think?” He pulled something from his coat pocket and stepped toward them. “Your father wanted me to give you this.”

Braith shifted, blocking her with his body as Jericho approached them. He snatched the thing from Jericho’s hand, growling at his brother when he went to take another step closer to her. At one point in time Jericho had been the only person her trusted, that was not so now. Not when Aria’s life was on the line. He really did not want to have to kill his brother, but he would do what was necessary to keep her safe. Jericho’s eyes widened slightly, but he stepped swiftly away from them.

Arianna held out her hand, accepting the small silver pendant that Braith gave her. Her mouth parted as she stared down at it, tears swam in her eyes. “He gave this to you?” she whispered.

“So you would know that you could trust me, that I was telling the truth. Your father has known what I am since we met, he trusts me Aria, and I need you to trust me too.”

Her fingers were trembling slightly as she stroked over the silver horse head. Her eyes came slowly up to Braith’s, a single tear slipped free. “It was my mother’s, he would never give it to anyone he didn’t trust.”

Braith wiped the tear from her cheek; his hands enfolded hers as he turned his attention back to his brother. “And can he trust you?” he asked softly.

“There are many things you don’t know about me Braith, many things you have never known,” Jericho said softly.

“I can see that, but can he trust you, can I trust you?”

Jericho nodded slowly. “If you want her safety as much as her father and I do, than yes, you can trust me.”

Braith studied him carefully, not at all convinced by his words. “What was supposed to happen if you couldn’t get her, or yourself, out of here safely?”

Jericho leaned back, folding his hands behind him, his eyes sad and grave. “If I am unable to get us both to safety, I am to leave, so that David can come here.”

“Excuse me?” Arianna asked sharply, her head snapping up at Jericho’s words.

Jericho was silent for a moment, and then his shoulders slumped slightly as he ran his hand through his hair. “He didn’t want to risk losing us both. If I couldn’t get you free then I was to return to the woods and he was going to offer himself in trade for you.”

Arianna’s breath hissed out of her, her hands clenched around the pennant. “That’s crazy! Why would he do such a thing!?”

“Because he loves you, because you are his child. Because he would rather give his own life than think of you as a blood slave.”

Arianna shook her head rapidly. “No, he can’t do that! There are thousands of other lives that depend on him, that count on him, that need him. Mine is nothing compared to that. Nothing! He knows better than to do something so foolish!”

Jericho just studied her silently. Braith was unable to wrap his mind around the words that Jericho had just uttered. A father that would give his life for his child, it was crazy to him, unheard of, unfathomable. He stared at Arianna’s countenance, noting the stubborn set of her jaw, and the fire in her bright eyes. There was a rod of strength and courage that ran through her that was both admirable and slightly frightening. She was careless, reckless, a danger to herself, and she needed to be protected from the cruelty of the world. To give his life for her did not seem so crazy, did not seem unbelievably farfetched. It was a strange realization, one he had never experienced before, and had never expected to.

For her, he could do anything. Even see.

That truth struck him sharply. It slammed into his gut as his hands tightened around hers. He felt that was the reason that he could see when he was near her. Something inside of him had somehow recognized her spirit as belonging with him, and had seen who she was. And then, because he had needed to see the face behind the bright spirit so badly, his eyes had finally worked enough to make her out upon the stage. And he would always be able to make her out; he would always be able to find her.

“He knows better,” Jericho said softly. “But he does not care, not when it comes to you. If I couldn’t succeed in saving you, I was to try for Max, and then retreat to the woods. Is Max still alive?”

“Yes,” Arianna whispered, her voice slightly choked with shock.

“Katrina has him,” Braith said softly.

Jericho nodded. “She might be difficult, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get to him. Your father will not have to come for you.”

“He was going to sacrifice himself for Max too?” she breathed.