Unbound (The Captive #7)(33)

Ashby stiffened at the much hated nickname; the two men glowered at each other. Before they could really start going at each other, Melinda stepped forward to end any further bickering between them. Gideon’s hazel eyes narrowed on her over the bridge of his hawkish nose. His straight brown hair was tussled around his face.

“We have a problem, Giddy,” Ashby said and Gideon’s eyes shot toward him. Ashby smirked in return.

“Enough!” Melinda snapped. “Now is not the time.”

Gideon’s eyes came back to her. “What is going on?”

Melinda walked back to close and lock the door of Gideon’s apartment. “Is there anyone else in here?” she asked, well aware there could be a few more women lingering about.

Gideon frowned at her. “No, we are alone now.”

She glanced at Ashby who took hold of her hand for support. “Braith is dead,” she said bluntly, but she had no idea how she could sugarcoat the news.

The color drained from Gideon’s face. He took a startled step back, his knees connecting with the sofa behind him. He sank onto it before rising again. “You’re joking!” he blurted.

“I’m not. We were ambushed. He saved the rest of us, but was shot through the heart with an arrow. He’s dead, Gideon.”

“Ambushed by who?” Gideon demanded.

“We believe it was Sabine, Atticus’s mother,” she replied.

“She’s dead.”

“And so was Atticus, but he came back.”

Gideon blinked at them before spinning away. He stalked over to the sideboard and the cluster of liquors set up on top of it. He poured himself a generous glass of whiskey before turning to face them again. With a trembling hand, he lifted the glass to his lips and drank it all in one gulp. He ran the back of his hand across his mouth before staring at the empty glass as if it had somehow betrayed him.

“Where is Braith’s body? If they came back, he could too,” Gideon finally said.

“Safe, hidden with Jack,” Ashby replied.

Gideon lowered the glass and poured himself another drink. “Where is Aria?”

“Aria, William, and his bloodlink, Tempest, led our attackers away from where Braith is hidden,” Melinda said. “He died shortly after they left us.”

“Shit,” Gideon muttered.

“There’s more,” Melinda said and proceeded to fill him in on everything that had happened with Tempest and William, the new residents they now had within the palace walls, and the ones who would soon be joining them from the outer town, if all went well. “If it really is Sabine, and we all believe or want to believe Aria is right about her, she’s most likely going to come here.”

“Most likely,” Gideon agreed.

“She looks like Atticus,” Ashby said, and Gideon lifted his eyes from his whiskey glass to Ashby. “And the amount of power coming off of her, it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

“Nothing like either of us have ever experienced,” Melinda replied.

“No one, outside of this room, can know Braith is dead, not yet,” Ashby said.

Gideon poured himself another whiskey and sipped it as he contemplated Ashby’s words. “I agree. I trust the members of The Council, but the death of a king will cause chaos, and the more who know about it, the more likely panic will spread through the masses. Many might turn to who they feel is the strongest leader in order to survive. If this woman is who you believe she is and is as powerful as you say, they could turn to her. That cannot be allowed. Braith’s death will be kept from everyone else, and if he does manage to rise again, no one else will ever have to know it occurred.”

“What if he doesn’t awaken?” she asked.

“Then we will let the others know, when Jack is here and can help to keep everyone calm. As the next oldest of the royal line, they will look to him for guidance,” Gideon replied and finished his whiskey.

Jack was currently the only living member of the line, but Melinda kept that information to herself.

“Jesus, not Braith.” Gideon set his glass down on the sidebar. “We must prepare for an attack.”

“I’ve already ordered more guards on the wall, and to have the residents of the outer town brought inside. I don’t know what to do about the border towns. Sending more of the king’s guard out there for them will only weaken our forces if they are attacked too,” Ashby said.

“We’ll send out a few to tell the border townspeople to come in, and let them know their safety is in peril, but we can’t risk many soldiers,” Gideon agreed. “We will do what Jack said and tell The Council that Braith, Jack, and the others are recruiting more soldiers as we speak,” Gideon replied.

Melinda squeezed Ashby’s hand. Exhaustion tugged at her eyelids. She felt like she could sleep for a week, but there would be no rest, not for a while. “We must wake the rest of The Council and gather them together,” she said.

“Yes,” Gideon agreed as he poured himself another whiskey. “I’ll get dressed and join you in the private solar where we hold Council meetings.”

“Very well,” Ashby said and turned her away.

“Melinda.” She turned back to find Gideon watching her. “Your brother is the strongest vampire I know. If his ancestors came back, he will too.”