Read Unbound (The Captive Series, Book 7) for Free Online

rolled toward a white pine. The needles pricked his back when he came up against it, but no arrows pierced his flesh.
    Rolling over, he discovered Ashby and Melinda rising to their feet beside him. Usually immaculate, Ashby had leaves and pine needles sticking to his face and dark blond hair. His green eyes were flashing with red when they met William’s. Melinda’s knee-length, golden blonde hair was a tangled mess as she pushed it back from her forehead. Her normally dove-gray eyes were the color of rubies.
    “They’re coming,” Melinda said as she stared down the hill. “When the time comes, I’m going to enjoy killing every one of these bastards.”
    “All in due time, dear,” Ashby replied in his unruffled manner as he slid his arm through Melinda’s and hurried her forward. “But first let’s work on getting you away from them.”
    William glanced back down the hill at the vampires already making their way up. Their white cloaks were far more noticeable in the growing night. They were as loud as if they were riding a dozen horses through the trees.
    “You won’t have to carry anyone. We’ll lose them easily in the dark,” Daniel said from beside him.
    “Yes,” William agreed. “Let’s go.”
    He reclaimed Tempest’s hand and fled through the forest. All of those with him were accustomed to having to move through the trees with stealth. He barely detected their movement. Behind him, trees and branches snapped as the vampire’s trailing topped the hill and came for them.
    ***
    Aria
    It took Aria almost two hours to safely navigate all of Daniel’s traps inside the cave with Braith across her shoulders. Despite the cool air surrounding her, sweat covered her body and adhered her clothes to her skin. Every inch of her hurt in ways she hadn’t believed possible, but her physical discomfort was nothing compared to the growing pain in her chest.
    Finally, she reached the end of the narrow cave. The iron gate built into the wall there was closed and locked, but like all the cave systems in the area, she knew there was a key hidden nearby. Unless someone took it with them …
    She broke the thought off. There was no need for humans to hide within these caves anymore. Or at least there hadn’t been a reason before that vampire woman had arrived. If that woman won, the humans would be forced into a life of slavery or back to a life hidden in these caves once more.
    Her father had given his life in the last war to help attain peace. Many more would die and the peace would be shattered if that woman had her way. Aria wouldn’t allow her father’s death, and all of the other lives lost during the war with Atticus, to be for nothing.
    Walking back ten feet, Aria bent and pushed aside a small rock tucked within the cave wall. She reached her fingers in and pulled out the key hidden behind the rock. Drawing it out, she kept her ears attuned for any hint of someone approaching, but the cave remained hushed. Not even the drip of water could be heard amongst the rocks enclosing her.
    Enclosing… Stop it!
    She’d gotten much better with her fear of confined spaces. However, every once in a while, it would creep back in. She couldn’t allow this to be one of those times. The mineral scent of the rocks surrounding her filled her nostrils, but she kept her attention focused on her task and Braith’s limp body around her shoulders. Her hand enveloped Braith’s wrist, seeking comfort from touching him.
    Turning away, she walked back to the gate, slid the key into the lock, and pushed it open. The hinges squeaked from disuse and she had to shove at the gate to get it to open enough so she could slip past. She put the key back in its hiding spot before returning to the gate, slipping inside, and closing it behind her.
    On the other side, about twenty feet in, she shifted Braith’s weight as she knelt to retrieve some matches hidden within a small hole years ago. She pulled the matches free of the hole and pulled