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Even if she couldn’t be

Sing heavily Aria slid into the chair She’d expected soainst her sitting beside Braith, but she saw only curiosity and some sadness as she looked around the table at "The Council" as they had dubbed themselves They’d officially relinquished the aristocratic titles they’d held in the past in favor of starting fresh and new

"We are sorry about your father, he was a good fighter"

This statement from Calista caused another kind of luainst the tears that burned her eyes at the reminder of her father She was taken aback by the kind words fro but distant before, and who had ruthlessly slaughtered Braith’s sister "Thank you," Aria ed to respond

She started in surprise when Braith seized hold of her hand For ait free but he held on, his jaw locked as he gazed at her She knew there was no denying their relationship now, but she was still apprehensive to be so blatant about it Then, she realized, that she didn’t care There was no hiding this anymore and she didn’t want to

Aria watched as ten men and tomen were led into the room, they were dirty and disheveled but they didn’t appear overly mistreated They certainly weren’t as nized one of the women as the vampire that had owned Max Whichhatefully back at her, was probably Gwendolyn Though she knew Braith had never cared for the woh her Braith held her hand steady as he stared at her, and she realized that jealousy had no place here

Besides, there was so far worseas he ht the urge to ju she had done to Max She reh as everyone around her decided ould become of the women and their cohorts

A lump formed in her throat as Max’s eyes met hers She had a better idea nohat had been done to him, for what he had endured while in captivity, but she would never be able to understand the full depth of brutality that woh

Aria listened as their fates were discussed by those at the table These vampires had been the most treacherous and cruel of their kind They had been the king’s body, had helped hi had made and the sadistic world he’d created Aria hoped every one of them fried, but it wasn’t her decision to make Braith also remained silent as he listened to the to a unanimous decision that they were all to be executed

"It’s agreed then?" questioned Braith

"Yes," Gideon stated

"Wait! You can’t do this Braith! We were to be htened around hers as Gwendolyn’s pleas fell on deaf ears and she was forcefully removed from the rooed to keep her face impassive as Daniel’s and Willia the soldiers in," Braith commanded

Aria braced herself, this hy she’d come She understood that the aristocrats had to be eliminated, but this was an entirely different ument as Jack led Lauren into the room last

Her lanced at Braith He’d told her that she would be here, but Aria hadn’t expected her to be grouped in with the soldiers His eyes were unrelenting, his jaw locked as he stared back at her She grasped hold of his thigh and held tight to it as he soothingly ed the back of her hand with his thu around the table but this discussion was a lot more heated than the last one Daniel and Ashby were for leniency, Calista, Frank, and Saul were coainst it; Adauments of the others

Aria realized she had to speak up when it see to sway toward Calista, Frank, and Saul "Can I say so?"

They all turned toward her, their faces twisted in various expressions of displeasure Though she sensed their annoyance was due reement, than with her interruption "Please do," Saul remarked dryly

Aria felt solanced briefly at Daniel before taking a deep breath and plunging onward "I understand the other deaths are necessary, if given a chance they would start a rebellion, and the pattern would never end However, thesewhat they were ordered to do For years, death, torture and intiovernhter theed, and that mercy is impossible If these vampires before you swear fealty to you, and perhaps are even monitored for awhile, I don’t think they should be executed"

She couldn’t believe those words had actually left her o she would have said kill them all simply because they were vampires She would have said to kill Braith, and Ashby, Jack, and Melinda too for thatThey weren’t all monsters, they were simply different, and had different needs, but for theShe kne there were bad apples a both human and vampire alike

There was a ain Xavier entered the debate for the first time on the side of Daniel, while Gideon and Adau as she waited breathlessly to see what they would decide They had established a more civilized and kinder rule in The Barrens, and she hoped that would prevail here

"I think we agree that if the soldiers are willing to swear fealty to us, and consent to be monitored for whatever period of time we see fit, they may be allowed to live If not, their lives are forfeit," Calista declared Saul and Frank didn’t look overly pleased with this decision, but they didn’t protest it either

The shoulders of most of the soldiers slumped, some nodded enthusiastically, but there were a few that didn’t look at all pleased Aria wondered if they would choose death over their new regime If so, that was their choice to irl?" Aria turned at Ashby’s question