Freed from Gravity (Bound and Freed #2)

Chapter 39

Thirty-Nine

SENAN

Plip.

Plip.

Plip.

Water drops from the stalactite in the corner, landing in the puddle beneath with quiet little plips .

A few days ago, Allette called me a good man, but it’s just not true. In that moment, I might have agreed with her.

Not anymore.

Because as soon as I step into the crevice where we’ve stashed Philip Windell, I’m overcome with such loathing that it clogs my throat and snarls in my veins.

How could he stand by and do nothing while so many people were hurting? I’m glad we took him. Glad he’s tied up like a pig on a spit, a dirty rag taut across his mouth so he can’t spew anymore hate toward the Tuath.

When he sees me, his eyes widen, darting toward the two males at my back, their faces hidden by hoods and masks. Windell might know who I am, but if things go awry, I don’t want my actions to hurt anyone else.

My boots slip along the shale floor as I climb down into the shallow pit where our hostage slumps. Someone brought Windell a blanket, a pillow, and a plate of what looks like sweet potato pie.

I hope Philip chokes on it.

The coarse ropes binding his hands cut into his skin, leaving red marks where they’ve rubbed his wrists raw. His wings have been bound as well. Even if he tried to fly away, they’d have him skewered before he reached the entrance.

Turns out, Iver’s rage is good for something, after all.

I hook my finger beneath the gag and tug the material down. “Hello, Philip.”

Philip’s jaw hinges as he glances around the cavern. The blood from where I punched him has dried on his upper lip like a mustache. “Where the hell?—”

“I’d keep my voice down if I were you. Wouldn’t want to wake your housemates.” I point to the ceiling.

Slowly, his gaze climbs the weeping walls, landing on the army of black bats hanging high above us. The color drains from his face. “Where am I?” he whispers.

As if I’m going to give him any information. “There’s no need to concern yourself with that right now.” I nod toward the Tuath waiting at the mouth of the cavern, swords and pistols stolen from Windell’s tower clutched in their fists. “My friends have promised to take good care of you.”

“You cannot keep me here,” he splutters. “There isn’t even a proper privy.”

The lack of facilities is my favorite part. Let him see how difficult life can be for those who aren’t lucky enough to live in their father’s tower. Who have no homes to return to.

“I’m afraid we don’t have much of a choice. If I let you go, you’ll fly straight to the castle.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

Does he honestly believe I would take him at his word? I’ve had the misfortune of knowing Philip for most of my life. If he thinks he can use this situation to his advantage, he will. The Windell family will stop at nothing to align themselves with our crooked king. Hell, Philip’s own father sold out his best friend for a position on the King’s Council.

Tears roll down his grimy cheeks. I’m not proud to say that I’m taking far too much delight from his misery.

“I’m sorry, all right,” he whimpers. “P-please, just let me go and I s-swear I’ll make it up to you.”

He blew his one and only chance to prove he was worth something. Maybe next time he won’t be such an intolerant asshole.

Still, I want to hear him say he feels guilty for not helping the Tuath. It would be good for my soul. “Sorry for what?” I ask.

His dark brows lift toward his thinning hairline. In a few years he’s going to be as bald as his father. “For telling the king about Allette.”

The world falls silent except for the thump of my heart and Windell’s words pulsing through my skull.

Telling the king about Allette.

Telling the king about Allette.

TELLING THE KING ABOUT ALLETTE.

My vision goes hazy, my arms and legs shaking from the rage swelling in my blood.

Windell skirts back against the wall, his boots slipping on the loose stones. “Hear me out, Senan. Please . She was meant to be my wife—the contracts were all signed. Then you stole her right from under my nose.”

Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him.

“When?” I demand through clenched teeth.

“What do you mean?—”

“When did you tell the fucking king, Philip ?” It’s not that difficult of a fucking question, is it?

“F-five years ago.”

All this time, I assumed one of my guards had betrayed me to the king and it was this fucking weasel.

“I didn’t know he was going to have her killed. I swear. H-he promised he’d take care of it,” Philip blubbers, sniffling as if he gives a shit.

What a load of bollocks.

Philip damned the woman I love because she wounded his fragile pride. Because she chose me over him. He never cared about Allette. He only cared about himself.

“I-I thought he was going to give her back to me.”

Give her back? He acts as if Allette is a fucking bauble to be bought and traded.

“How did you know?” We were so careful…

“I could feel her starting to slip away, cancelling plans, refusing to make new ones. One day I decided to follow her. She flew to the Nag’s Head.” His throat bobs when he swallows. “You arrived twenty minutes later.”

He saw us together and went straight to my brother instead of coming to me. Instead of giving me a chance to explain—to cover my tracks. To run away with Allette before everything could go to shit.

Fire burns my palms, demanding release. I could light him ablaze, and no one would stop me.

I should.

For his role in my love’s downfall—in my own. It’s the least this rat deserves. I’d be doing the kingdom a favor, ridding the land of this filth.

“Simon?”

Reluctantly, I turn toward the familiar voice. Fucking Iver . Can’t he see that I’m busy contemplating murder? My jaw aches as my teeth continue to grind. I force myself to breathe. In. Out. In. “ What ?”

“Your presence has been requested outside.”

Allette .

She wouldn’t want me to kill the man she was meant to marry.

Is that even true? She mentioned Philip was a suitor, not that they were betrothed. To think of her ending up with him…

His hands touching her perfect body…

His mouth claiming hers…

His child in her womb.

If I don’t get out of this room, I’m going to do something she might never forgive me for.

I climb out of the hole and stalk toward the masked Tuath. “I want guards on him day and night. He doesn’t leave your sight until I say otherwise. And if he tries, run him through.”

The man beside Iver bobs his head, his mask muffling his response. “Done.”

My ire refuses to wane as I step into the wider cavern where Allette waits, her golden eyes wide with worry and hands twisting in front of her.

She was meant to be my wife .

I can’t get Windell’s words out of my head—the image of the two of them together. Shit . I think I’m going to explode.

“Senan, are you all right?”

“Were you going to marry him?” I gasp, vibrating with the force of my jealousy.

Her dark brows come together over worried golden eyes. “Excuse me?”

“Windell. He claimed the two of you were betrothed.”

“My aunt wanted me to marry him, but nothing was ever formalized, and he never proposed.”

As if that matters. I didn’t propose to Leeri and still ended up marrying the woman. Shit . Why am I so angry about this when I’m the one fucking married?

“Senan, calm down.”

I can’t… “He’s the one who told Boris about us.”

Her lips part in surprise.

Tell me to kill him. Tell me to gut him like the vermin he is and feed his entrails to the monsters that lurk in the river. Tell me you never cared for him.

With the smallest shake of her head, she says, “It doesn’t matter who told the king. We have more pressing issues to address.”

What can possibly be more pressing than murdering our hostage?

“Come with me.” Allette’s hand slips into mine, and I reluctantly follow her down the steep slope. Instead of going to the left where the burrows sleep below us, we take a right at the river, following a slender path on the highest bank. A path that comes to an abrupt stop at a wall of reddish stone.

We’re almost upon the dead end before I realize it’s not a dead end at all, but the entrance to a cavern the size of Josie and Harold’s burrow.

Ten Tuath mill around within, their skin no longer gray but the telltale pink of fae too long in the sun.

Allette’s fingers squeeze mine. “These people just arrived from Kumulus. They want to know how to access their power. I thought if we split them up, it would take half the time.”

“This isn’t something they can learn in a day.” It took me months to master my element.

“I know. But if we can help them identify their power, perhaps we can pair them up and teach them how to practice with one another while we search for vacant towers.”

She has a good point. We brought them to the sunlight; it’s our responsibility to keep them moving in the right direction.

I wave the first fae forward. A man with a drooping jaw steps up to me. “What’s your name?”

“Sean Mahaffey, my prince.”

“There’s no need to call me that.” If I could shed the whole “prince” nonsense altogether, I would be a much happier man. “I am no different from you.”

He scrubs his hands down his trousers. “What’ll I call you then?”

“Simon works. Now, how long were you in the sun, Sean?”

“Ten minutes? Maybe fifteen. We caught sight of the guards and went back inside straightaway.”

I’m pleased everyone is being cautious. It would do no good for us to get caught before we’ve begun. “How do you feel? Any pressure or warmth here?” I tap the left side of my chest. The other fae in the room inch closer, their hands finding their own hearts.

Sean’s head tilts. “Feels more like a swarm of bees, buzzin’ and such.”

“Have you ever felt it before?”

He shakes his head.

That must be his magic, then. “Take my hand.”

He may be shorter, but Sean Mahaffey has shovels for hands.

Calling on my magic, I urge my power toward our connection the same way I did for Iver and Harold. “Do you feel anything?”

Sean’s wide brown eyes fly to mine. “The buzzin’ is gettin’ stronger.”

The other Tuath take another step closer.

“Close your eyes and focus on your free hand. Try to draw my magic to your fingertips.”

The stones start to vibrate and crack beneath my boots. A handful of tiny green shoots burst from between the fissures. “You’re a terra elemental.”

His eyes fly open, falling to where the tiny shoots are beginning to unfurl. “Hold that feeling for as long as possible; see if you can grow anything else.” There’s still so much that we don’t know about their powers.

I let him go, and the plants continue to grow for another ten seconds before falling still. “Well done. Try it again on your own. When the buzzing stops, speak with Iver about where to find some more sunlight. Who’s next?”

“I’d like to try.”

We all turn in unison toward the cavern entrance where a silver-haired woman waits with her hands on her hips, tattoos peeking from beneath the sleeves of her billowy white shirt. Golden rings glint from her brows and lower lip.

Five more fae enter the cavern behind her, their gazes darting around the room.

Allette’s skirts sway as she hurries over to the newcomer. “Regina. I was hoping you’d come.” She takes the woman’s hand, bringing her down to where I stand.

So this is Harold’s eldest daughter. “I’m a big fan of your work, Regina.” The wings she inked on my girl’s skin are something else.

Regina’s brows lift. “Thank you.”

Holding out my hand, I wait for Regina to stop glaring. When her hand finally slips into mine, I call on my magic.

The color on Regina’s cheeks darkens as she concentrates on my commands.

The puddle by her boots begins to bubble like a pot set to boil.

“A water elemental—like your father.”

Her grin flashes. “I knew it. They all said I was mad, but I fucking knew it!” She yanks her hand from my grip, splaying her fingers toward the puddle. The bubbles grow larger, and the water starts to foam.

Unlike with Sean, Regina doesn’t seem to have any difficulty maintaining her power without me.

“Can you shape it?” I call a flame to my palm and then form the fire into a flickering sphere.

The water starts to rise, higher and higher, shimmering and glittering as it, too, tightens into a small sphere. With a flick of Regina’s wrist, the sphere soars between us, colliding with my fire with a loud hiss , extinguishing the flames.

“Incredible.”

Her chin lifts. “I know.”

I’d love to see what she could do down by the river. But since we’re trying to keep this as quiet as possible, that can’t happen. At least not yet. “There’s more water at the back of the cavern. See what you can do with that.”

She bobs her head and saunters through the gawking crowd.

“Who else would like to try?”

A man emerges from between two Tuath. “I’ll give it a go.”

There’s no need to ask his name. The two of us met five years ago. “Hello, Henry.”