Jack waited for William's wise ass retort but for once he seemed to have no words. That was something Jack hadn't even thought was possible. He forced his attention away from Hannah and back to his friends. William's hands were now the ones clenched around his cards, his mouth hung ajar. All the color had drained from his face to expose the faint freckles that he had mainly outgrown over the years, and were usually unnoticeable beneath his tan.
The look on his face caused Jack to brace himself for the stake he was certain was about to be plunged into his heart. He'd been so focused on Hannah that he'd dropped his guard, and he was certain he was now going to pay for that with his life.
Then, he heard the voice behind him and he thought he almost would have preferred to be staked. "So this is what you would rather do than spend your upcoming birthday with your siblings?"
William remained tongue-tied and unmoving but Jack finally forced himself to turn and face his extremely disapproving looking sister-in-law. The bloodlust and discomfort he had just been feeling was doused by the shock and joy that filled him at the sight of her. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed the family he'd left behind until that instant.
Aria folded her arms over her chest; her crystalline blue eyes were narrowed upon her brother. She was wearing a pair of lightweight, beige pants and a thin green shirt like the kind he'd often seen her sporting in the woods. Her dark auburn hair hung in a braid over her shoulder to the middle of her chest. The bow that had been her constant companion in the woods was slung over her back. She may be a queen now but she would never shake her forest heritage and hoydenish ways.
"Aria?" Jack asked in disbelief.
Her eyes slid to his as she glowered at him. "Well it's certainly not my ghost."
He'd walked right into that one, he realized with an inward groan. His gaze slid past her as he searched for his brother, but he didn't see Braith amongst the patrons in the establishment. He had to be around somewhere, Aria was more than capable of taking care of herself but Braith would never allowed her to travel this far on her own.
Then, the door opened and Braith stepped through it with Daniel on his heels. Braith's eyes searched quickly over the occupants of the tavern before settling upon his wife. The scowl that spread over his face wasn't quite as fierce as the one Aria was still bestowing on them.
Daniel followed behind him as Braith turned his large frame sideways to maneuver through the tables and chairs. The clothing he wore wouldn't have distinguished him as the king as they were also the same loose fitting garb that the rebels had worn, and that he and William still sported. Jack still found it odd to see his brother without the black glasses that had shadowed his gray eyes for a hundred years before he'd met Aria. As Braith got closer, Jack saw that the faint scars encircling his eyes had faded even more since Jack had last seen him.
"I told you to stay close," Braith growled at Aria when he stepped up to the table.
"I'm perfectly fine." She waved her hand absently at him before her attention shifted back to her twin. "Are you going to hug me or not?" she demanded.
The color was finally returning to William's face as he focused on the bow and arrows on her back. "Are you going to shoot me?"
"It's a possibility," she confirmed.
"It's a definite possibility," Braith assured him. "Jack," he greeted with a smile and extended his hand.
Jack eyed Aria, half afraid she might shoot him too, as he rose to his feet and took hold of his brother's hand. "Braith, it's good to see you," he said honestly. "How are you?"
"I was better when I was spending the night in my own bed, instead of traipsing across the countryside looking for the two of you."
For the first time in a couple of days he didn't feel like killing something or someone as he released a small laugh. He owed his brother an apology for what he had put him and Aria through, and he had a feeling Braith would get a good laugh over what Hannah was doing to him now. "I bet you were."
William finally rose to his feet. He continued to eye Aria as if she might make him start singing soprano at any minute but he made his way around the table toward her. Aria finally dropped the scowl and broke into a wide smile as she threw her arms around her brother. William lifted her off the ground as he hugged her tightly and dropped her back to the floor.
"Our birthday's not for a couple of weeks, what are you doing here?" William asked her.
"Daniel and I missed you," she told him.
"A lot," Braith muttered but though he was trying to look displeased with William, Jack saw the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched his wife.
"We wanted to see you," Aria continued.
"She was determined to see you," Daniel said as he stepped forward and embraced his brother. "So was I."
William hugged them both again. "I'm glad you were."
"What's with the beard?" Aria inquired as she tugged at the hair along his chin.
He grinned as he rubbed at the trimmed beard. "Just trying something new."
She frowned at him before giving a brief nod. "I like it."
She extricated herself from her siblings and held her arms out as she turned to Jack. "Don't shoot me either," he told her.
She laughed as she hugged him. "Never. It's good to see you Jack, thank you for keeping him alive."
"I'd be terrified not too," he replied honestly as he released her. "How did you manage to get away?" Jack asked Braith.
Braith rolled his broad shoulders back as he shrugged. "Ashby, Max, and Gideon can handle things for a little while."