that her appetite had vanished
beneath her apprehension.
“How Braith?” Jack pressed.
He turned back to his brother, keeping
his hand on Arianna. Jack may have taken her from him, but he was
one of the few people in the world that Braith trusted with
Arianna. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
“But your sight is back? You can see
again?” he asked excitedly. For a moment his anger and disbelief
was gone as pure joy for Braith blazed forth. Braith had never
complained about being blinded, had taken it in relatively easy
stride, but he had hated it. Jack had known this, and sympathized
with him because of it.
“Sometimes I can, yes.” Jack frowned in
confusion. Arianna was unmoving, he could hear the fierce beat of
her heart, sense the fear that ran through her. He had told her not
to tell anyone about his ability to see around her for fear that
someone would hurt her because of it, that they would want to keep
him weak and blind. Jack would not hurt her though, of that Braith
was certain. He ran his hand over her thick hair, savoring in its
silken feel as he tried to ease her tension.
“And other times?”
“I am still blind.”
Jack was completely confused, but
Braith felt no need to elaborate more. He felt he could trust his
brother with her safety, but Jack had taken her from him, he had
betrayed him, and in all honesty Braith liked keeping him in the
dark and confused. Arianna remained silent, her mouth compressed in
a hard line as she watched them. Ever so slowly, she picked her
fork back up and began to eat again.
“Well that’s strange,” Jack said
slowly.
“I suppose it is,” Braith
agreed.
“When did this start?”
“A little while ago.”
Arianna continued to pick slowly at her
meal until she finally pushed the plate away. “I should get back
soon. I’ve already caused my family enough worry.”
She didn’t look at either of them as
she uttered the words. He could hear the pain in her voice, the
strain it had caused her to say those words. He leaned closer to
her, inhaling her sweet scent as he briefly nuzzled her hair. She
finally turned toward him, her eyes morose, but there was an air of
resignation and steel resolve to her.
“Arianna…”
“It’s ok Braith.” She smiled thinly at
him, lightly stroking his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here.
Thank you for giving me last night.”
He grasped hold of her hand, hating to
see her like this, hating the distance he felt her putting between
them. “Arianna, not yet.”
She smiled sadly at him as she turned
her cheek into his hand. “Yes, it’s easier to just do it now. Jack
will take me back. It will be ok.”
She squeezed his hand, clinging tight
to him for a long moment before she rose. His chest constricted,
panic tore through him. He couldn’t lose her again, he simply
couldn’t. He leapt to his feet, the chair skittering back with the
force of his weight. “Arianna…”
“ Its fine Braith, we will
both be fine.” Though she said the words, he could feel the agony
that radiated from her. Her heart was pumping loudly, tears burned
her eyes, but they didn’t spill over. “We will be fine,” she said
again.
He reached out for her, pulling her
tight against his chest as he cradled her gently. He could stay
here; he could become like Jack and hide in these woods. He could
stay with her, help with the rebel cause. Make sure that she was
safe. They could both be happy. But even as the thought crossed his
mind, he knew that he couldn’t. His father had not destroyed the
forest in search of Jack, but if Braith were to leave, and his
father was to discover why, he would destroy everyone, and
everything, in order to find him and punish him. If he ever found
Arianna…
Braith could not finish the thought, it
was too awful. What his father would do to her in order to punish
Braith would be horrendous, atrocious. He could not put her in such
a position, could not risk her life in such a way. She hugged
beneath her apprehension.
“How Braith?” Jack pressed.
He turned back to his brother, keeping
his hand on Arianna. Jack may have taken her from him, but he was
one of the few people in the world that Braith trusted with
Arianna. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
“But your sight is back? You can see
again?” he asked excitedly. For a moment his anger and disbelief
was gone as pure joy for Braith blazed forth. Braith had never
complained about being blinded, had taken it in relatively easy
stride, but he had hated it. Jack had known this, and sympathized
with him because of it.
“Sometimes I can, yes.” Jack frowned in
confusion. Arianna was unmoving, he could hear the fierce beat of
her heart, sense the fear that ran through her. He had told her not
to tell anyone about his ability to see around her for fear that
someone would hurt her because of it, that they would want to keep
him weak and blind. Jack would not hurt her though, of that Braith
was certain. He ran his hand over her thick hair, savoring in its
silken feel as he tried to ease her tension.
“And other times?”
“I am still blind.”
Jack was completely confused, but
Braith felt no need to elaborate more. He felt he could trust his
brother with her safety, but Jack had taken her from him, he had
betrayed him, and in all honesty Braith liked keeping him in the
dark and confused. Arianna remained silent, her mouth compressed in
a hard line as she watched them. Ever so slowly, she picked her
fork back up and began to eat again.
“Well that’s strange,” Jack said
slowly.
“I suppose it is,” Braith
agreed.
“When did this start?”
“A little while ago.”
Arianna continued to pick slowly at her
meal until she finally pushed the plate away. “I should get back
soon. I’ve already caused my family enough worry.”
She didn’t look at either of them as
she uttered the words. He could hear the pain in her voice, the
strain it had caused her to say those words. He leaned closer to
her, inhaling her sweet scent as he briefly nuzzled her hair. She
finally turned toward him, her eyes morose, but there was an air of
resignation and steel resolve to her.
“Arianna…”
“It’s ok Braith.” She smiled thinly at
him, lightly stroking his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here.
Thank you for giving me last night.”
He grasped hold of her hand, hating to
see her like this, hating the distance he felt her putting between
them. “Arianna, not yet.”
She smiled sadly at him as she turned
her cheek into his hand. “Yes, it’s easier to just do it now. Jack
will take me back. It will be ok.”
She squeezed his hand, clinging tight
to him for a long moment before she rose. His chest constricted,
panic tore through him. He couldn’t lose her again, he simply
couldn’t. He leapt to his feet, the chair skittering back with the
force of his weight. “Arianna…”
“ Its fine Braith, we will
both be fine.” Though she said the words, he could feel the agony
that radiated from her. Her heart was pumping loudly, tears burned
her eyes, but they didn’t spill over. “We will be fine,” she said
again.
He reached out for her, pulling her
tight against his chest as he cradled her gently. He could stay
here; he could become like Jack and hide in these woods. He could
stay with her, help with the rebel cause. Make sure that she was
safe. They could both be happy. But even as the thought crossed his
mind, he knew that he couldn’t. His father had not destroyed the
forest in search of Jack, but if Braith were to leave, and his
father was to discover why, he would destroy everyone, and
everything, in order to find him and punish him. If he ever found
Arianna…
Braith could not finish the thought, it
was too awful. What his father would do to her in order to punish
Braith would be horrendous, atrocious. He could not put her in such
a position, could not risk her life in such a way. She hugged
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