Unbound (The Captive #7)(79)

For all he knew, Braith meant someone else entirely, or he meant a freaking horse or something. Atticus had been completely demented when he’d risen from the dead. Maybe they all came back broken and twisted, maybe that’s why Sabine was the way she was now. Had they protected Braith and sheltered him only to have him rise from the dead as a monster they would end up having to destroy anyway?

If so, Max didn’t think they had much of a shot at taking Braith down considering he’d just tossed them all around like rag dolls. Max’s breath caught, and he resisted creeping backward when Braith’s head turned toward him. He’d never seen eyes so red before. The savage expression on Braith’s face made his bladder clench as those eyes bore into his.

Had Braith gotten bigger?

He’d always been massive, always been powerful, but now he seemed more so. Had dying not only twisted him in some way, but also strengthened him? They were so screwed if he decided to squash them, and he could. With a simple swing of his hand, he could knock Daniel’s head from his body.

“Where is she?” Braith demanded.

“You can track her, Braith,” Jack said, looking to soothe him, but though Max never would have believed it possible, Braith’s eyes became a more vivid red. “Through your blood in her, you can track her.”

Max’s fingers twitched toward his bow again as Daniel choked and clawed at Braith’s hand when it compressed around his neck.

“There’s nothing there.” Braith’s lips skimmed back to reveal his fangs. The light of the torch glistened off the lethal points. “I feel no connection to her.”

Oh, shit. Max didn’t dare make another move toward his bow. He’d be headless if he did.

“We’ll take you to her. Right now, we’ll leave here and take you to her!” he blurted. “But first you have to let go of Daniel. I won’t take you to her if you hurt him.”

Jack gave him a look that said he clearly believed Max had lost his mind to give such an ultimatum. Max held his breath as he waited to see what Braith would do, and if he’d live to see the next minute. Finally, Braith set Daniel on his feet. He didn’t release his throat, but his grip eased on him.

“Why can’t I feel her?” Braith demanded, and his fingers minutely tightened on Daniel’s throat again, causing him to choke and his eyes to bug out. “Why is there no connection between us?”

Max could feel Jack’s searching gaze on him as he tried to come up with an answer for that.

“I don’t know,” Max finally admitted. “When you died, Aria felt the severing of your bond.” William had told them she’d tried to tear her heart from her chest, that she’d known the instant Braith ceased living. “It will probably remain severed until the two of you can renew it.”

Braith stared at him as if he were the bird the cat was about to swat out of the air. Max gulped, and his eyes fell to his bow once more, but he’d never get to it in time to stop Braith from attacking him.

“When I died?” Braith asked, and beside him, Jack went still as stone.

“Braith, you’ve been dead for nearly two weeks,” Jack said.

***

Jack

His brother continued to stare at Jack as if Braith didn’t know who he was. Jack saw Max’s fingers twitch out of the corner of his eye, but he knew Max wasn’t dumb enough to try to go for the bow. He would never make it in time. Daniel had gone completely limp in Braith’s grip, his eyes riveted to him while he made as little movement as possible.

Atticus had been weakened and rotten when he’d returned from the dead. Braith was stronger, and Jack thought it was more than the blood of the animals he’d supplied fueling his brother now. No, more power radiated from him than ever had before, and Jack realized this was what had caused the waves of power emanating from Sabine; it had been more than her age strengthening her, but also her death.

If Atticus hadn’t returned a half-rotten corpse and out of his mind, what would he have become after feeding well again? It had taken both him and Braith to kill Atticus in the end. He didn’t know what could possibly take down Braith if he lost complete control now.

Braith couldn’t feel the connection to Aria, which was making him unstable. Not to mention the rising from the dead thing. That had to be confusing as hell, and apparently Braith didn’t remember the fight or dying. Max had said Aria felt the severing of their bond when Braith had died. It was possible the link wouldn’t be there until they were reconnected. It was also possible she’d died since Max had last seen her.

Jack shuddered at the idea, his gaze moving to Hannah standing near the bottom of the cavern. She was paler than normal, but she held the staff against her chest and eyed Braith as if she couldn’t decide if she wanted to beat him with it or not. Never had Jack considered his brother would harm her, but Braith wasn’t in control of himself right now.

He understood the rage and anguish his disconnection from Aria would cause, but that didn’t matter, not if Braith went after Hannah. Jack would still try to take him down, if he could, which he was pretty sure he couldn’t. He went to move closer to Hannah, to put himself in between her and Braith, but Braith spoke before he could edge toward her.

“Dead,” Braith muttered.

“Yes,” Jack said.

“How?”

“Arrow through the back,” Jack replied and took a couple of steps toward Hannah. Braith closed his eyes as his head fell into his hand and he briefly rubbed at his forehead. Confusion and distress radiated from him. Jack had to help ease some of that confusion, somehow. “Braith—”