Chapter 40
Forty
ALLETTE
Water collects in puddles and vines sprout from nothing, turning the practice cavern into an underground jungle.
Do you dream of being Queen of Kumulus?
Senan’s question from a few days ago plays on repeat in my mind.
I rarely allowed myself to dream of being with Senan beyond our stolen moments, let alone to dream of ruling an entire kingdom, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want that future.
When Senan asked me, I couldn’t help thinking of how ill-equipped I am to become a queen.
At least Senan was raised a prince, given lessons in warfare and diplomacy. I have more experience cleaning privies than anything else. If the people of Kumulus were to discover my background, they would never accept me as their leader.
But Senan… He is the man this kingdom needs. Look at what he has done down here with the Tuath, garnering their support in such a short amount of time. There must be plenty of Scathians who would back him for the crown as well.
The throne of Kumulus is Senan’s destiny.
And after helping him these last few days, I’m starting to wonder if maybe it might be my destiny as well.
My prince refuses to speak about the issue, instead throwing himself into helping the Tuath find sunlight as quickly and quietly as possible.
Meanwhile, I’ve been teaching those who have found the sun to wield their powers. They’re split almost evenly between water and terra elementals. Not a fire or wind elemental among them.
Iver’s friend Twig can make trees grow from nothing. Iver himself can shape the very rock beneath us, crumbling the stone into dust with the clench of a fist. Only one woman has been brave enough to sneak above the clouds: Regina Nightingale.
From what I can tell, she might be the strongest of the lot—not that Iver would ever admit it.
With a twist of her wrist, Regina can draw water from the ground and form it into anything from a perfect sphere to a spear sharp enough to pierce stone.
More and more Tuath arrive each day, anxious to hone their skills. It’s only a matter of time before they’re truly a force to be reckoned with.
When Senan steps into the cavern, the entire room goes so silent, you could hear a mouse scurry. Everyone stares at him with such reverence in their eyes.
I cannot blame them; he is a marvel to behold. Color has returned to his cheeks and his smile is bright enough to light up the darkest of caverns. Because of us, these people have found a way to heal themselves. They have discovered their power. Their magic .
Think of all the good he could do from the throne. He could give them access to sunlight without having to worry about being incarcerated. He could harness the Tuath’s ability to manipulate stone and commission affordable housing for those less fortunate. The list is endless.
How am I supposed to get through to him when his only concern is about me and my safety, my happiness? I love him for his selflessness, but, stars above, do I want to throttle him.
Not in front of all these people, of course. Better that I return to Harold and Josie’s so we can discuss our future in private. That is, if I’m still awake by the time he comes home. All this teaching is draining and no matter how much I try to fight it, sleep always wins.
How Senan keeps going, I’ll never know.
With my cloak around my shoulders, I slip from the smaller cavern, through the tight hallway, and into the larger cave where all the burrows are located. When I hear quick footsteps at my back, I glance over my shoulder, expecting to find Senan.
Instead, Braith is there, her eyes wide and face flushed as she rushes to meet me. “Is it true?” she gasps, pushing her silver hair back from her forehead. “Do we have magic?”
“How did you hear?” Has the news reached the castle? If so, I sincerely hope the Tuath are being careful. If the king or the guards find out, they’ll throw all of us into the pit—or worse.
“Stars… so it is true?” Her head shakes even as her smile grows. “I met Regina down by the river and had to come see for myself. She was right all along.”
The stone beneath our feet gives a bone-rattling shake, cracking right between us. Braith throws out her hands, steadying herself against the wall.
There’s only one fae who has been able to master the element of terra so well. “Come out, Iver.”
Braith’s brother steps from the shadows wearing a wide grin. “What’d you think of my new trick, Princess Braith?”
“Don’t call me that,” Braith snaps.
With a careful twist of Iver’s wrist, the fissure closes itself. Braith’s jaw falls open as she stares down at the healed stone.
“What’d I tell you about doing that out here?” I warn. “We don’t want the ceiling caving in on us.”
“I won’t let that happen,” he says with a confidence I wish I shared. We still know so little about their powers, I’d rather take all precautions to keep the people down here safe.
“Does anyone else at the castle know?’
Braith shakes her head. “Not that I’ve heard.”
I’m about to inquire about Jeston when I realize Iver used his magic to reshape a stone into something that looks an awful lot like male genitalia.
At his snort, Braith whips around. “Iver Nightingale!” She slams her fist into his arm. “Mum is going to kill you if she finds out what you’re up to.”
“Oh, hush. You’re just jealous that you and Regina aren’t the only artists in the family anymore,” he teases even as he rubs his bicep. When he catches me staring, he waggles his brows. “Impressed, Wynn? It’s to scale, in case you were wondering.”
I bite back my smile. Wouldn’t want to encourage the man. “I wasn’t.” Give a man the power to build anything he can imagine, and he makes a penis. Why am I not surprised?
Together, the three of us meander through the cramped paths toward Josie and Harold’s, falling into excited conversation about all our plans. Once we have enough Tuath trained, we’ll send them out into the kingdom to spread the good news. By then, it won’t matter if the king finds out.
There will be too many of us to stop.
One of the Tuath we helped at the mines tears down the road, a sword bobbing in his fist. If he’s not careful, he’s going to fall and impale himself.
“He’s gone!” he shouts.
“Shit…” Iver races to meet him.
“He’s gone!” the man wails with a wheeze. “Chadwick went for a piss, and I only turned my back for a second?—”
“Who’s gone?” Braith asks.
I know the answer before the man says another word. “Windell.” We need to find him before he escapes from the burrows.
“The bastard hit me with a fucking rock.” The man raises a shaky hand to trace the lump on his forehead. “Knocked me clean out.”
“How long ago?” Tell me this just happened.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
There isn’t time for apologies or placing blame. We need to sort this out. “Can you run to the entrance as fast as you can, see if you can catch up?”
The man nods. “What if he’s already gone?”
“Then tell everyone you meet who has seen the sun to hide.” If Windell reaches the king, Boris will stop at nothing to get to Senan. If the guards show up here and find the Tuath have been accessing sunlight…
The man takes off for the entrance, sprinting around the corner and out of view.
Braith catches my trembling hand. “Tell us what you need.”
“Iver, run back to the practice cavern and warn the prince. Braith, I need you to help me gather our things.”
We split up, Iver taking the high road and Braith following me to her parents’ home. Josie’s humming drifts from the kitchen, the warm sound so at odds with the chaos in my heart. I sprint down the hallway and into our bedroom, grabbing our rucksacks from beneath the bed. I toss one at Braith and tell her to throw in everything that will fit.
We don’t have many clothes, and after Senan’s shopping spree in the market a few days ago, there isn’t much gold left. Hopefully it’ll be enough to get us safely to Stratiss. Once we reach the castle, we can let Aeron know all that’s happened and plan from there.
I grab my shifts from the drawer, along with my undergarments and stockings. Braith drags out the four dresses I own, rolling them tightly and stuffing them into her bag.
Outside the burrow someone shouts.
Braith’s head snaps toward the window. “What was that?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I need to finish packing and get to Senan.
More shouts follow. Louder. Angrier.
Braith rushes over to the window, drawing the curtain aside. “Shit.”
“What is it?”
“There are guards in the caverns.”
Already? How did they get here so fast? Shit . There’s no more time. “I need to get to Senan.”
I go to grab for the pack still clutched in her hand, but she pulls it out of my grasp. “Have you lost your mind? You can’t leave the burrow. If one of the guards recognize you, they’ll take you straight to the king.”
They won’t recognize me.
Senan, on the other hand…
A scream echoes through the house.
We both lunge for the door and fall into the hallway, where two guards in silver leathers drag a kicking, cursing Josie from the kitchen. Black masks cover the lower halves of their faces, making them look even more sinister.
When they see Braith and me, they bellow for us to vacate the premises at once.
My heart hammers and sweat drips down the back of my neck. I should’ve known this was too good to be true, that it wouldn’t last forever.
That fate would find us no matter where we hid.
Outside, the acrid stench of smoke fills the cavern, reminding me of a different time, a different fire that set this whole terrible reality into motion. Broken glass litters the paths and black clouds billow from homes down the street.
Children scream and wail, clinging to their mothers’ skirts. The guards dragging Josie drop her unceremoniously to the ground next to Braith.
Josie pushes to her feet, swiping the dirt from her skirt, her face twisted in fury as she glowers at the guards.
How are there so many?
They stand at least a head taller than the tallest male, their eyes narrowed into slits over their masks.
“It has been reported that you have been harboring a fugitive,” a deep voice booms.
Any warmth remaining in my body leaks from my bones.
That familiar tone should belong to a ghost.
I shift to the right, peering between Josie and Braith to where Eason Bell stalks across the street, gripping a sword with crimson blood oozing down the blade.
He should be dead. I stabbed him when he tried to take me. He fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
The Tuath lined up on either side of the street remain close-lipped, returning the guards’ scowls with every bit of venom shot their way.
Across the path, a little girl with silver curls sobs against a woman’s chest while a young man tries to console them both.
Eason stalks forward and drags the man to the center of the path. “Where is Prince Senan Vale?” He presses the tip of his sword to the man’s throat, the blade biting against pale skin.
No one speaks up.
“Don’t hurt him,” the woman begs through her tears. “Please, don’t?—”
Eason carves the blade across the man’s throat.
The little girl screams, wriggling from her mother’s grasp, her silver curls bouncing as she hurtles toward her fallen father, her feet bare beneath her night dress.
Eason catches her by the hair, and his blade flies to her tiny throat.
He wouldn’t dare kill a child.
What am I saying? Of course, he would. The man is a monster. I must stop him. I must speak up. I cannot let him take anyone else?—
“I’m going to ask one more time. Where is?—”
“It’s nice to see you again, Bell.”
I whirl, watching in horror as my prince descends from between two burrows.
Senan…no …
My mate strolls down the street, his dark cloak swaying with each step. People gasp and gawk; hands fly to chests as curses ring through the hollow cavern.
There is nothing kind about the grin on Senan’s face as he comes to a stop in front of Eason. “Here I thought you were dead.”
“I could say the same thing about you.” Eason adjusts his grip on the little girl, her lips quivering and tears spilling onto her chubby cheeks. “Where is Allette?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who stole her from me.”
“You honestly expect me to believe that you don’t have her?”
“If I found her, would I be standing here talking to you?” Senan drawls, slipping his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “Might I ask how you found me?”
Windell steps from between two guards, his fine clothes covered in dirt. I hate these men with every stitch of my soul. Perhaps if I stole their attention, that would give Senan enough time to escape?—
Braith’s hand finds mine, her clammy fingers gripping tightly. “Don’t. Please.”
How am I supposed to sit back and watch them steal my prince?
I glance down at the man’s unmoving body.
What other choice do I have?
They’ll kill anyone and everyone who gets in their way. I cannot help Senan if I’m dead.
Senan does not fight as a guard clamps his wrists in iron manacles. Eason lets the little girl go, and she falls forward, splattering blood on her hands and nightgown as her screams flood the air.
The guards lead Senan through the streets lined with Tuath. Some bow while others appear too stunned to move.
I don’t let myself cry until the guards are gone and all that’s left is the smell of smoke and grief. When the tears come, they run like twin rivers down my cheeks.
This is our fault.
All this death and destruction is on our hands.
We should’ve left the night we got the antidote.
We never should’ve stayed in the first place.
Braith folds me into her embrace, her tears wet against my own. “I’m so sorry, Allette.”
The king took my love from me for the last time.
I refuse to let that bastard steal away my life once more. Refuse to let him destroy these kind, gentle people whose only “crime” was to be born without wings.
If Senan cannot kill Boris Vale, I will.
I’m so sorry, Allette.
I’m not sorry.
I’m angry.
What’s more? “I’m going to get him back.”