Unbound (The Captive #7)(68)
“No, she would have said that, and she would have brought his head as well,” Ashby replied. “Whatever happened, Jack managed to get away. I want you to tell the crowd that and tell them the man who went against his insane, brutal father and aided the rebels, became a rebel and fought side by side with the humans for years, is now their king.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “The vampires will love that.”
“They’ll like it better than the alternative!” he spat. “You’re a politician, Calista, put a f*cking spin on it.”
Melinda squeezed his hand. He was normally so calm and unruffled, but he’d been rattled by this development. Struggling to calm down, he ran his hand through his hair and tugged at the ends of it. He looked at her before lowering his hand and focusing on Calista once more.
“Every vampire in here has unfailingly followed Braith. If they think Sabine is going to let them out of here alive, they’re delusional and we have to make sure they know that. We have these walls. We have the advantage right now,” Ashby said more calmly.
“We will be right down to help you with everything,” Melinda said.
Calista cast Ashby and Gideon a scathing look before turning away from them. Melinda watched her walk away before focusing on Gideon. “Despite what Ashby said, there is a good chance Jack is dead too if she found Braith.”
“I know,” Gideon replied. “But they can’t know that, and unless Sabine brings out Jack’s head, there’s no reason for anyone here to suspect that possibility, and don’t forget, there’s always Aria.”
“A bloodlink does not survive without their other half,” Ashby replied.
“And a blood slave does not become a queen, but it happened. If anyone can pull it together to do what must be done, it is Aria. Everyone loves her. She may not remain a queen without Braith, but she will lead and they will follow.”
“You’re right,” Melinda agreed.
“You two must go down and calm the crowd. They’ll want to see a royal face amongst them. I will stay here to get the guards rallied and prepared for battle,” Gideon said. “We will fight until the end.”
Melinda placed her hand on her stomach again. She would do everything she could to keep her child safe. “We will fight until they’re dead,” she said and strode away from Gideon with every bit of confidence she possessed. She may not actually be a descendent of the pure vampire line, but she was a royal and she would be everything they needed her to be right now.
***
William
William caught hold of Aria’s arm when she toppled from the tree. His gaze returned to the town as Sabine and her soldiers moved further down the road, spreading out through the buildings. They had to get out of this tree now.
Aria stirred in his grasp; she jolted when she saw her feet dangling above the earth. Then she went completely still. Her head tilted back to look at him as her feet touched down on a branch beneath her. Behind the black lenses of her glasses, her eyes burned like hot coals as they met his. William swallowed the lump in his throat at the sight of those volatile eyes.
“Let me go,” she said, and he barely recognized the flatness of her voice.
“No.”
“We have to get out of the tree. Let me go.”
“You’ll go after her.”
“No, I won’t.”
He glanced back at the vampires coming closer and closer to them. Right now, he didn’t have much of a choice. She stood below him. He couldn’t get her up here to throw her over his shoulder, and even if he could, she would never allow him to carry her from the tree.
“Let me go.”
“Stay with me?” He’d meant it to be an order; it came out as a question.
“I will.”
He could feel the riot of her emotions as she held his gaze, but Aria had never lied to him before. He had to trust she wouldn’t start now. However, he wasn’t entirely sure about anything she would do from here on out. She’d been broken again. There was only so much a battered spirit could take before it fell apart completely, and she was on the edge, if she hadn’t already been pushed over.
Opening his hand, he released her shirt. The second he let her go, she scurried down the tree. Forgetting all about the fact that, even if the fall didn’t kill him, it would hurt like hell, he followed her down the tree so fast he was on her heels when they both hit the ground. He lunged for her, wrapping his arms around her waist before realizing she hadn’t tried to take off toward the palace.
Her lip skimmed back to reveal her fangs, and her eyes burned hotter when she turned to look at him. Tempest’s brown eyes stood starkly out against the pallor of her skin when she met his gaze over the top of Aria’s head. Xavier moved closer to box Aria in if necessary. Tempest and Xavier may not have seen Braith’s head dangling from Sabine’s hand, but they’d heard her proud declaration, and they knew Aria was a powder keg waiting to go off.
“Must go,” Aria said in a clipped tone. “Now.”
William reluctantly released her, took hold of Tempest’s hand, and fell in beside Aria as Xavier remained close against her other side. They moved through the woods, briskly eating away the ground between them and the safe house. Aria abruptly drew up outside of the barn. Turning away, she walked deeper into the woods before sinking onto a rock out of view of any of the peepholes.