Refugee (The Captive #3)(43)
“But there could still be someone in there,” he asserted, pressing closer to her.
She shook her head as her eyes darted to the opening and then back to him. “It’s unlikely. The other opening is in a meadow at the top of a hill. If it’s even spotted, it appears to be more of a foxhole than an entrance to anything significant underground. There’s no one in there Braith.”
“Except bats,” Ashby muttered not looking at all pleased by the notion.
“I’m still going before you.” She opened her mouth to protest further but he cut her swiftly off. “You can guide me through Aria. Tell me which way to go.”
“Ok,” she agreed; her voice a little tighter than normal.
Her fingers brushed over his, before they wrapped around his index finger for a brief moment. His heart swelled with love. To hell with Xavier, it was too late anyway. He pulled her into him, cradling her as his fingers splayed across the back of her neck, savoring in the silken feel of her hair, and the suppleness of her body. Bending low, he pressed his lips to her ear. “Will you be ok in there?”
She nodded, her head turned toward his, her mouth brushed enticingly against his as she spoke. “Yes.”
“We can find…” he started before she cut him off.
“I’ll be fine.”
Her hand flattened against him, a small exhalation escaped her as she closed her eyes and pressed closer to him. Time seemed to slow as she lifted her face to him, and her lips parted beneath his. He didn’t care who was there with them, forgot about the reason that had driven them here as he lost himself to the soft pressure of her lips, the sweet taste of her mouth, and the quickening of her heartbeat.
For one long moment the only thing that existed was her, and then reality returned. It took everything he had to pull away. He pressed his lips to her forehead as he held her for a lingering moment. “I’ll lead the way,” he whispered.
She relented with a nod before she reluctantly released him. She didn’t meet Xavier’s gaze, but Braith did. Xavier’s eyes were hooded with a gleam in them that Braith couldn’t quite place. The wheels in Xavier’s mind were turning, but it was impossible to decipher what it was the powerful vamp was thinking as he examined the two of them. It would only cause friction among the factions, but he would kill Xavier if he made one move toward Aria.
Taking hold of her hand, he turned sideways in order to fit through the small crevice in the face of the rock wall. For a moment he wasn’t sure he would fit as he pushed himself further along. “It’s cramped for the first hundred feet or so, but it opens up in a little bit.” Aria seemed to have read his mind.
Ashby grunted in response, Xavier remained silent in the back. Aria’s hand trembled in his, her palm was sweatier than normal but she forged steadfastly on behind him. Relief filled him when the walls released their grasp. Even with his enhanced night vision he had to strain to see the pathway before him as almost no light penetrated the thick rock walls.
“Wait.” Aria released his hand suddenly. He grabbed for her as she moved forward, intending to pull her back, but she returned to his side almost immediately. “Hold this.”
She thrust the handle of a torch into his hand and fumbled into the darkness for something else. He spotted what she was searching for and pulled the box of matches from a small hole tucked into a crevice of the cave. They huddled together as she fumbled with the matches and finally struck a spark. A small flicker of light played over the contours of her face before she pressed the flame to the end of the torch.
Fire blazed forth as she grinned at him. “Lead on.”
The torch lit the dusty cobwebs of the tunnel and the solid rock floor beneath them. The air became mustier and colder the deeper they moved into the cave system. The faint drip drop of water could be heard in the distance, condensation coated the rocks around them. Aria’s grip on him increased. Aria pointed out gates hidden secretly into the walls, heavy iron gates that could be swung shut in order to keep out invaders.
“No wonder the king couldn’t squash the rebellion! You live like rats beneath the earth,” said Ashby.
Braith halted as Aria stopped abruptly and turned to face Ashby. “We did what was necessary, what we were forced to do,” she grated. “And we don’t always live within the caves; most of the time we live within the woods and only resort to the caves when it becomes necessary.”
Ashby chuckled quietly. He reached for her shoulder, glancing quickly at Braith he thought better of it and dropped his hand back to his side. “Easy tiger, I was just making a comment. Don’t forget I was forced out too.”
Aria stared at him for a long moment before Braith tugged gently on her arm, pulling her forward as even Xavier began to smirk with amusement. Braith had to admit that though Ashby had gone about saying it the wrong way, he completely agreed with him. The hidden nooks and security systems they had set into place down here were amazing. Though most of the tunnels were natural, there were manmade ones running throughout the cave system also. She’d said there was only one other exit, and he believed her. She wouldn’t put them all at risk by lying about that, but there was far more to this cave system than she was revealing. Especially when she shut some of the iron doors while leaving others open.
“Do you know all of the cave systems?” Xavier inquired in his deep timbered voice.