"you're awake."

was she awake? aria took stock of her body as she tried to figure out exactly what had happened. she blinked at the ceiling, an actual ceiling; she couldn't quite remember the last time she had seen a ceiling over her head. where was she? she turned her head slowly, her muscles throbbed; she felt drained, tired and a little nauseous. william blurred before her, there were two of him at first but the more she blinked the clearer he became.

"i am," she confirmed.

his shoulders slumped in relief, his hand rested lightly upon her upper arm. "you had me worried."

her throat was dry, it was difficult to swallow but she finally managed to form words. "i feel awful," she admitted.

"that's because you almost died, and you would have..." william's voice trailed off, his gaze drifted somewhere behind her.

"william?" she was worried by the perplexed look on his face.

"he gave you some of his blood." he sounded almost as equally disgusted as awed.

aria sighed, she wanted to stay where she was, wanted to lie on the cool floor forever, but she had a feeling she had been out for awhile. it was time to get moving. william lurched awkwardly forward as she braced herself on her forearms. pain instantly tore through her, she nearly fell back to the ground but he grabbed hold of her and helped her into a seated position. she sat for a minute, panting as the copper taste that preceded vomit filled her mouth. she shuddered, swallowing heavily as she struggled to keep her stomach from revolting.

after a few moments of taking deep breaths, she was finally able to gain enough control to realize she was not going to toss the meager contents of her stomach all over the floor. william looked like he was about to cry, his hand on her back had begun to shake, and she had never seen a look of such abject terror on his face. not even when their mother had been killed. then, they'd had no time to react, and had been too shocked and horrified to show any real emotion. now he'd had plenty of time to sit here and agonize about what had happened, and what might become of her.

"i'm fine william, really." she squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him with her strength, but it seemed weak even to her. "just a little disoriented. but that's better than the alternative."

she'd hoped to elicit a chuckle from him, he only stared stone faced back at her. "the blood..."

"he's given it to me before when i was wounded. it won't hurt me."

his gaze darted behind her again as he leaned closer. "but won't it, you know..."

aria frowned at him. she started to shake her head but realized the motion would only bring on another bout of nausea. she forced herself to remain still as she swallowed heavily. "no. i don't know. i'm not entirely sure how that all works."

"you've never discussed it?"

she lifted her hand slowly; trembling as she wiped a strand of hair back from her face. "not that part."

"huh, i had assumed that you had." william sat back on his heels; his eyes inquisitive as he studied her.

"william?" she asked worriedly.

"he really does love you."

aria started in surprise. "did you think he didn't?"

he shrugged; his fingers tapping against the floor alerted aria to the fact that it was not solid wood beneath her, but worn carpet. the carpet was beneath her too, but she couldn't feel it as her fingers were somewhat numb at the moment. it was an unsettling feeling not to have the full sensation of touch. she hoped the numbness went away soon. "i don't know what to think," william admitted. "i'd like to believe it, but it's all really strange aria."

she wasn't going to argue with that. "but seeing him today, the way he was with you, i don't doubt it anymore. all i can do is wonder why?" aria glared at him, but she couldn't hold up the pretense of being mad at him as he finally managed a smile for her. "you had me worried kid."

"you're all of an hour older than me."

"but it was a glorious hour of solitude," he quipped.

"jerk."

"brat."

she awkwardly embraced him with her injured arms. "where is braith?"

william exhaled noisily as he pulled back. "they had to..." his gaze traveled to her wrapped arms. "go outside."

aria nodded slowly, sorrow and regret twisted her insides. "this is difficult for them."

"it's difficult for all of us."

she tilted her head, her heart picked up as her body instinctively began to react. "help me up."

"aria..."

"he's coming william, i can't be sitting down."

"how do you know that?"

"i just do, please william."

he was about to argue further but decided against it as he slid his arms under her and gently lifted her up. he was steadying her when braith appeared in the doorway. a muscle twitched in his cheek, his shoulders were rigid, but those hated glasses were in place so she was unable to see his eyes, unable to get a read on what he was really thinking, what he intended.

"it's ok william," she told him, sensing that her brother was hesitant to leave them alone as braith seemed unstable.

william stood uncertainly before nodding slowly and leaving them. braith's broad shoulders almost filled the entire doorframe as he watched her in silence. aria swallowed nervously, shifting slightly as she tried to gather what little strength she had left.

"you're not sending me away braith." the silence was killing her. braith was not the strong, silent type. when he was angry or when he was upset or frustrated, he didn't hide it, especially not with her. "you're not going to stash me somewhere either," she blurted when he remained frustratingly mute.

"no, i'm not." his voice was hoarse, grating.

"but you said before that you should have left me behind."

"i was wrong." she didn't know what to say. "you nearly died."

"i'm fine."

"if i hadn't been there..." he broke off as he shook his head. her heart ached for the anguish she felt twisting through him. "i won't send you away aria. i won't leave you somewhere i think might be safe because there is nowhere safe for you, and i can't take the chance of something happening to you while i'm not there to possibly save you. this never should have happened."

"this isn't your fault."

"isn't it?" she was thrown off by his words. "you shouldn't be in danger."

"i've always been in danger."

"but i want more for you!" he exploded. aria was startled by the devastation behind his words. he was in front of her in an instant, his hands grasped hold of her arms as he smoothly turned them over. she stared down at the makeshift bandages, disturbed by the amount of blood that coated the rags. her blood. her life. "don't you understand that? i want you to be safe; i want you to know peace for once in your life. i don't want you to know fear and death anymore. and i've thrust you into even more jeopardy; i've brought this upon us. these lands, they aren't good aria."

she swallowed heavily, her hands flipped within his as she grasped hold of him. the feeling in her fingers was slowly returning. "one day braith, when all of this is over, we'll know peace."

his head was bent as he studied their hands. she knew he was thinking what she couldn't say, what she didn't even want to consider. if they made it to the end, if they won, if they were even still together.

"let's get these off and see how your arms look."

"i can have william do it."

his head came slowly up to hers as his nostrils flared. "i can take care of you aria."

what had happened to her had rattled him even more than she'd realized. he was off balance, edgy, and uncertain in a way that she'd never seen before. "i know that braith." and she did know that, but he was unpredictable right now and her blood was a torment she wanted to spare him from.

his jaw was clenched so tightly that she could practically hear his teeth grinding together as his fingers nimbly undid the knots william had tied. the rags fell away, sliding from her skin to slither silently to the floor. at first aria couldn't look at what had nearly killed her, but his stillness and the slight tensing of his shoulders, told her that she would have to.

she braced herself as her gaze slid slowly to the arms he held so delicately within his large hands. the gashes were vivid against her pale skin but not as deep as they had been. the ones on her left arm ran from elbow to wrist while the ones on her right arm were below her elbow but just as wicked looking. she was shaken as she stared at them, lost in the realization that she had nearly died, that these marks represented what could have been her end.

though she wasn't bleeding anymore, there was still some dried blood on her skin. her hand trembled as she pulled the glasses from his face; she needed to see his eyes. the small white scars around his eyes weren't as visible; his face had paled considerably from the restraint he was exerting over himself. at first he wouldn't look at her, at first his gaze remained focused upon her brutalized arms. then, ever so slowly his eyes slid to hers. her breath froze in her lungs; her heart fluttered like a trapped bird as it beat against her ribcage.

the beautiful gray eyes with the bright blue band she had come to love were gone. they were as bright as rubies now, gleaming at her from the depths of his striking face. he was hungry, he was savage, and right now all he yearned for was her. she would give her blood to him willingly, but he wouldn't take it, she knew that. not now, not after today. but it was unnecessary torture for him to be here when william was perfectly capable of re-bandaging her arms. "braith..."

and then he was on her, over her, nearly inside of her as his mouth seized hold of hers with a tenderness she had not expected given his mood right then. his hands were on her face, stroking her cheeks as his tongue flickered against her lips. she felt the press of his elongated fangs as she opened her mouth to let him in. a low moan of pleasure escaped her as he invaded all of her senses. all she could feel was him, all she could smell was him. he was inside her soul, so much a part of her. she could barely breathe as his hands slid away from her face. his arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her, pressing her back against a wall. his body was hard against hers, impassioned beneath her hands.

her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer against her as he groaned low in his throat and nipped at her lip. her mind and body spun out of control. she was in over her head, but she found she didn't care as she gave herself over to the emotions running wildly through her.

she squirmed against him, aching and unfulfilled as her body longed for more. she couldn't breathe, and she didn't care as his tongue slid into her mouth, becoming more fervent and demanding as he caressed her. aria moaned in delight, her still somewhat numb fingers curled into his back. she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream with joy, she simply wanted to never have the moment end, to forget the world around them and just be with each other. buttons slid free as he pushed her shirt aside to press his hand against her breast. pleasure swept through her with the consuming intensity of a wildfire. she didn't care where they were or what was happening around them, not anymore.

"braith." at first, she was so lost in him, so swept up in the surging needs of her body that ashby's voice barely penetrated her mind. "braith." loss, acute and profound, filled her as braith's hands stilled on her and he pulled a little away. she stared breathlessly up at him. joy and love filled her as she saw the beautiful gray of his eyes once more. he stared at her with a mix of awe and love that caused her legs to quiver around him. "braith."

his eyes flashed briefly red again, his hand slid free as he moved her into a position that protected her from ashby's gaze. aria felt her face heat at the thought of what ashby may have seen as she quickly re-buttoned her shirt. "so help me ashby if you don't leave us be for five minutes..."

"there's someone coming."

in a split second everything about him changed. gone was the laziness of his posture along with the small half smile that had curled his mouth. before her now was the man that would one day rule if they succeeded. he lowered her slowly and turned away. "who is it?" he inquired as he replaced his glasses.

ashby shook his head appearing disconcerted as he glanced between the two of them. "i don't know. a figure just appeared over the horizon. i'm not sure if there are others with it."

braith glanced back at her, for a moment she thought he was going to order her to stay, but then he held his hand out to her. relief filled her as she slid her fingers between his and he led her from the room. aria was able to get a good look at her surroundings as they stepped into the hall. the room she'd been in had no windows in it, and it appeared that none of the other rooms up here did either.

braith led her down a rickety set of stairs that seemed to drop from a hole in the floor. she stopped at the bottom, staring up as she examined the darkened area above her. it took her a moment to realize that it was an attic, she hadn't seen one in years.

his hand squeezed hers as he led her down another set of stairs to the first floor. unlike the attic, this area was covered in dust and sand. it coated what remained of the furniture and was piled against the back wall. william turned from the doorway as they crossed the room.

"it's alone, as far as i can tell," william informed them.

braith squeezed aria's hand before releasing her. "she has to have her arms wrapped back up."

william stared at him for a long moment, his eyebrows furrowed questioningly before he nodded. william glanced at her arms, shaking his head as he pulled the remains of her ruined cloak from the bag on the floor. "leave it to you sis to nearly get killed by one vamp and make out with another." braith shot him a lethal glare as aria felt her face flare red again. she remained silent though as william tore pieces of cloth with his teeth and hands. "we should find something to clean it with."

"it won't get infected," ashby assured him as he moved slowly past them.

"and how do you know that?" william demanded.

"infections don't live in us."

william and aria studied him. "you don't get sick?" ashby shook his head in response to william. "ever?"

"no."

aria stood in stunned amazement, lost in thoughts of the rebellion she'd been a part of since birth. "we never had a chance did we?" she asked.

braith finally turned toward her but he didn't respond. he didn't need to, she already knew the answer. william had become still, his fingers were wrapped around the scraps of cloth in his hands as he looked slowly between the two of them. "aria isn't one of you though."

"no, but braith's blood has already accelerated the healing process; it will boost her immune system also. the cuts will not get infected."

she met her brother's worried gaze for a moment before he finally turned his attention back to ripping the pieces of cloth. he bandaged her arms with fingers that quivered against her skin. she knew how he felt. she was just as rattled by the realization that not only were the vampires faster, stronger, and possessed enhanced senses, but they apparently had never even had one freaking sniffle in their lengthy life spans.

william tied the last knot, squeezed her hand and then stood. aria was drawn to the doorway, curious about the new arrival as she picked up her bow and arrows. "is it human?" she inquired.

"it is," braith confirmed.

the figure had gotten close enough for aria to realize that it was a woman. she appeared to be about five years older than aria with long brown hair that flowed around her shoulders. she wore a dress that hugged her curves and swayed about her feet as she moved. the woman was beautiful as she flashed a bright, disarming smile. braith was wooden beside her, his hands clenched upon the doorframe as he studied the woman with a flare of his nostrils that caused a knot of apprehension to form in aria's stomach.

here was the food source they'd been lacking.

aria thought she might be sick as ashby stepped beside her, practically salivating. aria remained unmoving, struggling to breathe normally as her heart lumbered. they wouldn't force this woman to provide blood, or at least aria didn't think they would, but she wasn't entirely certain just how much the depravation of blood may have affected them.

if this woman was willing, then she knew they would have to use her as a food source. they were both hungry and therefore unpredictable and extremely treacherous.

"gideon sent me."

braith's need for blood seemed to vanish the moment he heard the name.