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Redemption (The Captive #5) Page 72
Author: Erica Stevens

The next few days passed by in a blur as William's body continued to be battered by the changes it was going through. Hannah had never seen anything like it as the rigor mortis stage slipped away leading him into one of extreme agony. Though she hated to just wait around while William suffered so greatly, she found herself unable to leave Jack's side as he and Aria unfailingly stayed beside William. Xavier remained ever present in the shadows behind Aria, but Braith and Daniel were pulled away numerous times to deal with the aftermath of Calvin's raid on the town. They returned as soon as they were able to and resumed their positions around William's body. Timber checked in often but he came and went as he helped to hunt down Calvin's remaining vampires.

There were many times when she was convinced that William would never survive the changes his body was going through. She hadn't thought the human body could handle what William's body seemed to steadily endure as he writhed and moaned upon the bed. She thought she heard a bone break but she couldn't be sure as his body was wracked with a spasm that caused his back to arch three feet off the bed. Hannah took a small step away but Aria knocked Jack's hand away when he made an attempt to push William back down on the bed.

"Don't touch him!" Aria snarled through clenched teeth.

Jack looked torn but he held his hands up in surrender as he took a step away from William. He flopped back onto the bed, a strangled cry escaped him before he became still again. Aria waved them back as she sat beside him on the bed and rested her fingers in the center of his outstretched hand. The thin shirt he'd worn had been torn from his body yesterday and the blankets had been stripped from the bed. The only thing he could tolerate against his skin was the thin shorts he wore and Aria's subtle touch.

Hannah watched the two of them with a lump in her throat. Jack would be heartbroken if William didn't survive this, but Aria would be devastated. Braith's face was strained, his hair disheveled as he helplessly watched his wife. Taking a step forward, he rested his hands on Aria's shoulders and began to rub them. William had to survive this, he simply had too.

The following day Aria requested buckets of water to be brought forth. Lucas and Ellen hauled buckets of cool water up from the lake and huddled nervously in the doorway as they watched. Aria and Jack took turns sponging William's face with the cool liquid as he moaned and thrashed upon the bed. Even the slightest touch made him recoil like she used to from the rays of the sun. She knew exactly what he was going through, what it felt like to have your skin feel like it was on fire and even the smallest breeze rubbed the flesh raw.

"It's nearing the end," Aria whispered from where she knelt at William's side. Aria wiped back the strand of hair that stuck to her sweat streaked face as she turned her head to survey the room. "He'll need blood."

Jack's bowed head tiredly came up as his bloodshot eyes focused on Aria. His broad shoulders were hunched forward; his hair was disheveled from running his fingers through it. Hannah could feel the tightness of his muscles as she rested her hand on his back. "I'll get it," she offered.

She knew neither one of them was willing to leave and Braith and Daniel had been called away again an hour ago. "Not by yourself," Jack said as he rubbed at the thick black stubble shadowing his jaw.

"Jack..."

"Not by yourself," he interrupted brusquely. "Calvin may be dead but some of his men are still running free out there."

"I'll go with her," Xavier volunteered.

Hannah nodded and turned back to Jack. His bloodshot eyes were focused upon her as he studied her intently. He glanced at William before rising to his feet. "That's ok Xavier, I'll go with her."

"Stay with your friend Jack," she assured him.

He shook his head as he came toward her. "We'll only be gone for a little bit."

Fighting him on it wasn't going to get her anywhere, she knew that. Her skin came alive as his hand wrapped around her elbow and he walked with her out of the room. She moved closer to him as they made their way through the hushed house.

The sun was low in the sky when he opened the door for her and stepped aside to let her exit. Hannah's gaze instantly went to the skeleton of the new tavern rising into the air. The burnt out lumber had been removed from the site of the fire and a frame had already been erected. She spotted Uncle Abe and Lucas with the crew working to nail the beams of the roof into place.

Tears of gratitude burned her eyes as she watched the townspeople hauling lumber to the new building site in order to help them rebuild. They'd lost twenty two residents to Calvin and his men and thirty had been injured, but the town was coming together to help rebuild the tavern and bury the bodies. The bodies of Calvin and his fallen men had been burned yesterday, and his men that had been captured had been put to death.

Most of what was left of the town's inhabitants were now gathered round to help with the tavern. It was something that never would have happened when Calvin was in charge as Calvin had banned gatherings this big centuries ago.

Some of the other occupants of the town were trying to identify the remains still being pulled from Calvin's torture room. Most of the bodies that were in good enough condition to be identified were people and vampires that no one seemed to know. It seemed that Turner and Lola were the only two victims that had been residents of the town. Some of the bodies that had been identified were those of passing out-of-towners thought to have moved on, but they hadn't gotten far.

Sunlight poured onto her as she stepped onto the first step of the porch but instead of exhibiting the ability to move around in it like she had over the past few days, the warmth of it caused her skin to blister almost instantly. A startled cry escaped her but before she had a chance to retreat into the shadows, Jack wrapped his arms around her and propelled her into the house.

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