Free Tethered by Meljean Brook Page B

primal scream of rage and hate, unlike anything she’d ever heard from a man…and had
never
imagined coming from Archimedes. Stunned, Yasmeen barely had a moment to step out of the way. He tore down the passageway, face contorted with fury. Bilson’s eyes widened and his grip on the dagger firmed.
    He wasn’t as fast as her husband. Archimedes dodged the slashing blade. His fist smashed into Bilson’s jaw. Yasmeen watched in fierce satisfaction as the man staggered. Archimedes’ knee rammed into his stomach, crumpled him to the boards. Pinning Bilson’s dagger to the deck with his foot, Archimedes yanked the man up by his bloodied shirt, then pounded another blow to his face.
    Was Archimedes going to kill him? Yasmeen’s relief at seeing her husband released from the device transformed into mounting worry. She rushed forward, caught his wrist as he brought his fist back for another strike.
    Yasmeen held on as he attempted to swing, and was almost hauled over his shoulder. God, he was strong. She braced her feet.
    “Stop! Archimedes, you have to stop! If you go too far, they’ll use the device to kill you!”
    “Good.” Roughly, he shoved her back. His voice was hoarse, his eyes tormented. His knuckles bled. “I’d rather be dead than feel nothing again.”
    Gutted, she stared at him.
He’d rather be dead?
    No. She was
never
going to lose him.
    He picked up Bilson again, drew back his fist. Yasmeen leapt, grabbing Archimedes’ hair, yanking him away.
    “Enough!” she shouted into Archimedes’ ear, whipped him against the bulkhead. The wood shuddered against the impact. Blindly, he fought her, trying to rip out of her grip—a man driven mad by what his friend had just done. His pain overwhelmed her, became her own. By the blue heavens, how could she help him? How could she ease this? She didn’t know, and her fear and horror reached up to choke her. “Please, Archimedes.
Please.
”
    His eyes seemed to clear…not completely, but justenough. His devastated gaze locked on hers. He stopped struggling and began to shake, uncontrollable tremors that rattled his frame.
    “You’re all right. I’m here.” Yasmeen released her grip on his hair and gently cupped his face between her hands. His beloved features blurred in front of her. “You’re all right.”
    With a ragged, sobbing breath, he clutched her to his chest. His face buried in her hair. His shaking intensified when, behind them, Bilson’s gave a pained groan.
    Archimedes lifted his head, the sheen over his eyes making them appear brilliantly green. His hair had come free of the leather tie, an unruly tangle that looked as wild as he had moments before—and still was, she saw. He was just barely containing the emotional eruption.
    “God, Yasmeen. I have to go. I need to run.”
    Her throat aching, she nodded. Archimedes wasn’t like her. The airship wasn’t big enough for him—he needed more, and especially now. “I’ll come with you.”
    “No.” A violent shake of his head followed the response. “
No.
”
    God. How could she agree to that? She couldn’t let him go alone when he was like this.
    But she also couldn’t imagine what was going through his head. Whatever it was, he obviously couldn’t bear for her to see it.
    “Not to the city wall,” she said. Zombies crowded Port Fallow’s wall—and even though he needed to bring himself back, to seek danger…out there, he wouldn’t be reaffirming life. He’d only find death. “Promise me, Archimedes. There’s too many. Promise me.”
    Nodding, he pressed an unsteady kiss to her lips. “I love you.” His voice was broken. “More than I can…
God.
”
    He abruptly pulled out of her arms. Yasmeen watched him disappear up the companionway, trying to breathe past the pain in her chest. She looked to the first mate. He glanced at Bilson, who was struggling to his feet—the bastard obviously wasn’t going anywhere, and he’d already communicated with his associate on