Free Salvation (The Captive Series Book 4) by Erica Stevens Page B

rejoined David, Frank and the re maining humans. Saul, Calista, and Barnaby were already leading the first wave of humans and vampires to the main gate. David, Frank, Jack, and Ashby would lead the second group to the palace gates shortly. It would take a lot of force to get the gates open, but Braith was hoping they could take them down swiftly from within, once he found Aria. If they could get to the king quickly many lives would be saved. The king’s soldiers would fall apart if their leader was brought down. Their numbers weren’t as strong as his father’s but they had the element of surprise and determination on their side.
       He clasped hands with Jack and patted him briefly on the back as he wished him luck. David embraced his sons; the three of them huddled together, talking in subdued tones as they hugged each other again. David had wanted to go inside after Aria, be he had agreed it was best for him to lead the rebel humans that were still a little uncertain about the truce with the vampires. Though all he wanted was to be inside that palace, Braith waited while they said their goodbyes. Aria would kill him if she knew he had rushed this moment when it could be their last together.
       When they were ready, Daniel and William followed him as they split off from the others, and headed into the lower lying woodland with the soldiers in tow. He’d chosen vampires from the outer towns for this mission; they knew the woods better, and were far more adept at moving through them quietly, than the occupants of The Barrens. Keegan plodded soundlessly at his side, he’d tried to get the wolf to stay in the woods, with his newfound life, but his old companion stuck to him like a tenacious burr.
       William and Daniel stayed at his side, as silent and fleet as their sister as they moved through the woods. But then, if Xavier’s suspicions were right, they would be. They had also all been raised in the woods, Braith reminded himself as he slid down the side of a small hill. They were at home in the forest, comfortable and assured in their environment; at one with it. He’d yet to see either of them exhibit quite the same abilities as their sister, but then again not many people wanted to run and jump through trees like Aria did. He also hadn’t spent anywhere near the same amount of time with her brothers as he had with her.
       The closer they got to the palace, the more acute his vision became. His skin tingled with excitement, with need; they were getting closer to her . Though he could see better, it still wasn’t his strongest sense. Closing his eyes, he tuned his other senses into the world around him. All the smells and scents that drifted over him were familiar. He sensed nothing around him other than the normal creatures that stirred in the night. 
       He heard the river moments before the fresh scent of water washed over him. The muted croak of frogs filled the air, a small splash alerted him to the fact that the fish were jumping after the bugs. He slid down another hill, but this one was the river embankment. Holding up a hand, he waited as the soldiers gathered around him. He listened to the sounds of the night before continuing onward.    
       The frogs continued to croak, but a few jumped into the water as he waded into the shallows of the river. Keeping his feet planted firmly on the river bottom, he moved unerringly through the cool water as it reached his waist. The men followed behind him, what little sounds they made Braith was certain could be passed off as fish and frogs.
       There was a dip in the river that most would n’t have noticed but Braith took it as a sign to climb back out. He didn’t require his eyes to know they had reached the mountain the palace had been carved into a hundred years before the war even started. Though it had been risky to undertake such a huge project, his father had refused to be swayed from his decision to create a home fit for a king, even if