Refugee (The Captive Series Book 3) by Erica Stevens

little
when she was killed during the war.”
    Aria seethed as she continued to glare
at him. Screams erupted in the night, pulling her attention away
from Gideon as she searched for the source. A chill swept down
Aria’s spine as more shouts pierced the air. On the street, people
began to run; their heads were barely visible through the glass as
they bolted forward.
    Both Braith and Gideon leapt to their
feet. “Stay here,” Braith commanded.
    Aria sat for a bewildered moment,
disoriented by what was going on, confused by the sudden eruption
of chaos into this peaceful setting. She remained still for only a
moment before she jumped to her feet and followed swiftly behind
the two vampires. They had to push and shove their way through the
confused and frightened crowd packing the building. Being smaller,
she was far more adept at moving in and out and around the people
and things.
    They were stepping onto the street when
she arrived at the door. Standing behind the glass, she watched as
more people fled past, some were bleeding, others were carrying
their children and still more were stumbling around and
disoriented. Aria was nearly taken out as two people slammed into
the door, shoving it open as they tumbled inside in a breathless
heap.
    She grasped hold of the man’s arm and
helped him to his feet. “What’s going on?” she demanded.
    His eyes were wild, rolling in his
head. Blood trickled from his forehead and into one of his eyes.
“The Forsaken Ones,” he gasped.
    Dread trickled down her back as one ran
past the building. It appeared more grub-like than man-like with
its nearly translucent skin, hairless body, and nondescript
features. It was in much worse condition than the ones they had
encountered in the desert. Is this what happened to the vampires
after years of banishment and starvation? A shudder rippled through
her, nausea twisted in her stomach at the thought.
    More of the creatures appeared, their
heads swiveled slowly back and forth, their nostrils flared as they
scented blood in the air. They were twisted and demented in a way
that not even Caleb had been. And they were heading straight toward
Braith.
    Her breath exploded out of her. She
released the young man as she leapt over some broken dishes on the
floor and shoved through the door. The chilly air hit her but it
didn’t rob her of her breath anymore. Braith was about fifty feet
away, his head swiveled toward her, and his jaw clenched as he came
back at her.
    “Get back inside Aria!” he
shouted.
    “You need my help!”
    “You don’t even have your bow, get back
inside! We’ll be fine!”
    “I’ll get it!”
    “What?”
    Lifting the hem of her dress, she
tucked the ends of it into the attached belt. Braith, seeming to
sense her intent, started for her. She didn’t have much time.
Running, she bolted up a set of stairs next to the building, jumped
onto the railing and leapt at the top of the wall. Her fingers
scrambled, and nearly lost purchase. By sheer luck and pure
determination, she was able to keep her hold and pull herself up.
Panting for breath, she knelt on the roof and peered over the
side.
    Braith was standing on the street
below, fury radiated from him as he stared up at her with clenched
fists. She was going to get an earful later, but she didn’t care.
“I’ll be right back!” she called to him as she rose to her feet and
raced across the roof of the building. She jumped onto the wall and
leapt across the space between the buildings. They weren’t the same
as her trees, but she was able to navigate them with relative ease
as she raced back to Gideon’s house.
    Some of the creatures started to follow
her, but the others continued to filter through the streets hunting
for prey. The screams of the maimed and frightened increased as she
moved deeper into the fray. 

CHAPTER 6

    “What the hell was that?” Gideon’s
amazed whisper was close by his ear.
    Braith was seething, his hands fisted
as he watched Aria leap from