Melinda moved slowly into the room. Her gaze darted briefly to Ashby. Braith may be confused by his sister’s presence here, but Arianna knew what had brought her. Or who. Braith released her suddenly, pushing her behind him. “Come on Braith, who do you think killed the guards? Who do you think found out the password to relay to the palace? Did you really believe that Ashby was able to do that all by himself?”

“I am very talented,” Ashby replied smiling as the beautiful blond stopped beside him.

She quirked a dark eyebrow, her eyes sparkled merrily up at him. “Not that talented love,” she assured him.

“Where have you been minx?”

“Well, in case you haven’t heard, there’s been a huge upset amongst the palace walls. No one seems to know where the prince has gone. Our father is in the process of tearing the town, and the woods, apart in the search for his missing son. The one who mysteriously disappeared from the forest. It seems he is blaming the rebels for this affront.”

Aria gasped, her hand flew to her mouth as nausea rushed swiftly up her throat as she took a swift step forward. “No,” she breathed.

Those people. Her friends, her family, they were all being punished because of her and Braith. She didn’t want to think about what was being done to them, but she couldn’t get her mind off of the consuming knowledge that they were suffering because of her. Braith squeezed her arm gently, but it did nothing to soothe her.

“Well imagine that,” Ashby said darkly.

Melinda’s smile faded, she reached out to stroke Ashby’s face. “Did he hurt you?”

Ashby shrugged, but there was nothing carefree about his demeanor now. “Just my pride. You going to untie me?”

Melinda planted her hands on her hips as she surveyed him with interest. “I think I might like you this way.”

“You would.”

Though Aria was lost in dismay, she could feel the heat creeping rapidly up her face as their conversation and looks turned sexual. “Don’t,” Braith warned when Melinda reached for the ropes restraining Ashby.

“Braith,” Melinda said plaintively, her demeanor changing rapidly as pure despair blazed from her.

“Do not untie him Melinda,” Braith replied forcefully.

“He won’t hurt her.”

“No, apparently you were always the true traitor amongst us. If you make one more move to untie him, believe me it won’t be Arianna that will have to worry about getting hurt.”

Ashby straightened, his eyes flashed briefly red as his lips curled in a snarl at the threat. He did not lunge against the ropes, did not make a move though as he eyed Braith for the first time with anger. Melinda touched Ashby’s arm briefly before folding her hands before her. Though she appeared demure, Arianna knew that it was only an act. She had often used the same conduct in the palace when she was trying to appear far more docile than she was. It hadn’t fooled Braith then, it would not fool him now.

“You don’t understand,” Melinda said softly.

“That you and Ashby conspired to overthrow father, and blinded me in the process. Yes Melinda, I realize that now, and I do understand it. Even if I don’t understand the motive behind it.”

For the first time Melinda looked truly desperate and frightened as she glanced anxiously at Arianna. “If it was her…”

“You don’t know her!” Braith snarled.

Melinda tilted her chin up, her jaw clenched tight as her eyes narrowed in fury. “You are right I don’t know her, but I do know that if she was in danger then you would do whatever it took to save her.”

“Neither of you were ever in danger inside the palace.”

Melinda glanced longingly at Ashby; her heart was in her eyes as she gazed at him. “I was married to Natasha, Braith,” Ashby said softly. “We were in danger.”

“So you were having an affair and feared for your lives?” Braith’s body was fairly vibrating with the anger rattling through him. Aria wanted to soothe him, wanted to ease his betrayal and hurt, but she didn’t think there was much she could do in this situation. If it was her, and William or Daniel had betrayed her in such a way, she didn’t think she would ever be able to get over that.

“No, there was no affair. From the moment that we met, there was no longer a Natasha. There was no longer any other woman. It was just us, and if anyone else had known that, if your family had known that, they would have done everything they could to destroy what was between us.”

Braith appeared doubtful as he raked them both with scathing glances. Melinda’s eyes were fervent, desperate as she looked briefly at Aria before focusing her full attention on her brother once more. “Do you really think you could have married Lilith?” she whispered forlornly. “And even if you did manage to force yourself to marry her, do you think you could have lain with her, exchanged blood with her?” Aria hadn’t known who Lilith was until that description. At those words her stomach twisted, and Braith looked nearly as repulsed as she felt.

“I didn’t think so. If you could, then you would still be in the palace, still be preparing for your wedding. In fact, I’ve noticed that for the past week you didn’t return to your parade of blood slaves, and women. I didn’t put two and two together until you disappeared into the forest. But then, how was I to know that you had found your escaped little blood slave again, and that you were once again using her to nourish you?”

“I’m not a blood slave!” Aria retorted sharply, growing highly annoyed by the fact that she was still thought of as piece of property.

Melinda raised a haughty eyebrow at her, but there was a gleam of admiration in her eyes. “She’s a feisty one,” Ashby said softly.

Melinda managed a wan smile as she folded her arms over her chest. “I see that.”

“I don’t use her,” Braith grated.

“You feed from her, do you not?”

“That is not using her,” he snarled.

Melinda rolled her eyes; she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. “I understand that she is willing, or I assume she is.”

“Of course I am,” Aria told her.

“Why?”

“Excuse me?” Aria asked in surprise, startled by the question.

“Why are you willing? You are a human; you are a rebel, why would you give yourself to my brother like that? Why did you give yourself over to what I am certain you considered your greatest enemy when you brought into that palace?”

Aria looked up at Braith, captivated by his masculine beauty, and the tender soul that he only revealed to her. She thought of him on his knees before her, humbled by her, his heart and soul bared for her to take, or to turn away. She thought of all of his gentleness, the care and protection he had always offered to her, even when he had owned her. He was wonderful, he was everything, and he was hers.

“Because I love him,” she whispered. “I always will.”

“How sweet,” the girl vampire drawled, drawing fierce looks from everyone else in the room. She glowered at them but remained wisely silent.

Melinda was silent, her grey eyes as cold as steel. “Can you believe it?” Ashby inquired softly.

“No,” Melinda responded.

“I don’t care what you believe! It’s the truth!” Arianna snapped at her.

Melinda’s mouth twisted into a smile, Ashby chuckled annoyingly. Aria took a frustrated step forward, but Braith pushed her swiftly back. “Stay back,” he growled in warning.

“I believe you love him, I truly do,” Melinda soothed. “I just can’t believe that it has happened to Braith, of all vampires. Mr. Duty, Mr. Responsibility, Mr. Walk A Straight Line has succumbed to the darkest side of himself.”

“Like hell,” Braith grated. Aria was surprised to realize that his fangs had extended. His anger and frustration was rapidly unraveling the firm control, and restraint he exhibited over himself around others.

Melinda quirked an eyebrow, she shifted slightly, her head tipping to the side as she rested a hand on her hip. “Like hell Braith? Like hell? Are you forgetting that I live in that damned palace too? Are you forgetting that I was there after she escaped with Jericho? It was a bloodbath Braith; you were a one vampire destroyer, one that made even Caleb and father proud. They thought you were finally becoming like them, and in all honesty Braith, so did I. I never suspected that you might actually care for the girl. I thought you were reacting in such a way because your pride had been wounded. If I had known the truth I would have tried to explain it to you, but I don’t think you would have listened to me anyway. Especially not while you were immersed in the gluttony of blood and death you had engrossed yourself in.”

Aria swallowed heavily, her fingers curled around Braith’s massive arm, digging into the hard muscles cording it. He was trembling; his self-loathing evident as he glared hard at his sister. Melinda painted a vivid picture of what he had been like after she’d fled, and though Aria knew it all, she still hated to hear it.

“I’m not like that,” Braith hissed.

“Maybe not normally, and most definitely not before you met her.” Melinda took a small step forward, her gaze pinning Braith sharply. Even Aria was surprised by the force of that steely stare. “I’m fairly certain that if I even made one threatening move toward her, you would kill me, sister or not.”

Aria waited for Braith to protest that statement; of course he wouldn’t kill his own sister. But Aria found herself waiting until she finally turned her attention back to him. “Braith?” She finally inquired, stunned by the fact that he had not responded yet.

He seemed hesitant to answer, and then when he did, he didn’t sound all that convincing. “I wouldn’t kill you.”

“You would if you had to. You would if it became necessary to ensure her survival.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Aria insisted.

“Is that true Braith, you wouldn’t?” Melinda demanded, her eyes narrowed, her jaw tight. “Are you going to stand here and lie in front of her, to her?”

He was silent for a long moment, Aria’s heart pumped laboriously. Her soul ached with hurt for him, for her, for the sister staring so fiercely at her brother. “I won’t lie to her,” Braith grated. “Yes, I would kill you if it meant her life.”

Aria inhaled sharply, she could hardly breathe through the shock rocking her. “Braith?”

“Don’t be so shocked,” Melinda told her. “I would try to kill him too, if it came to Ashby. We can’t help it, you are his bloodlink; Ashby is mine. We don’t have a choice, if you were a vampire you would understand the need, the driving force that propels us to make sure that they are safe, and kept with us. You would also understand the fact that your humanity tests every boundary of his control. I saw what happened in that palace, what he did. You were still alive then, if you were to die…” Her eyes grew briefly distant, she shuddered slightly. “If you were to die then it would be as if hell itself had unleashed its fury upon this earth. No one would be safe.”

Braith was trembling with barely leashed power. Aria rubbed his arm lightly, trying to soothe him, but she wasn’t getting through. It wasn’t his sister’s words so much that were upsetting him; it was the fact that she had mentioned Aria’s death. “Braith…”

“She’s not going to die,” he said simply, lost to the haze of emotions clouding him.

“Not for a long time,” Aria assured him.

“Ever,” he growled.

The room was silent, stunned by the low spoken word. Aria’s heart hammered, she knew that he wanted her to change, but to do so… To do so would be to become everything she had ever feared, hated, and fought against. To do so would be turn against her own kind, her own family. Her chest ached, tears burned her eyes.

“Braith,” she breathed.

He turned slowly toward her, his arm was shaking even more; the muscles within it were trembling in her grasp. “You know how dangerous that is,” Ashby said softly.

But Aria was fairly certain that Braith had not heard him. His attention was focused upon her, his entire being was connected to hers, linked with hers. She could become a vampire and stay with her family; they would forgive her eventually, maybe. She would also be a strong ally for them; Braith would be a powerhouse on their side. She could become a vampire and stay with him forever. She could give him this, if it was what he so desperately needed. She could give him this, because he would give her anything that he could.

He had not chosen whatever was happening to him, to them. He did not want to hurt her, did not want to feel like this. Braith prided himself on control, on stability, and self reliance. He prided himself on the fact that he was powerful, yet understanding. Since she had left the palace though, he had been none of those things. He had become angry, unstable, and the murderous monster he despised his father and brother for. Melinda and Ashby understood what was going on, and perhaps if Braith did he would be a little more stable, but right now his confusion over his wild emotions was only adding to his volatility.