Simon nodded, guiding her ahead. "And he passed into the tomb."
"Oh my God. If he did this to her, what has he done to Mason?"
Simon clutched her shoulders. "We have to believe in order to succeed. Believe he's alive, that you and I can conquer this trial, that everything will be all right."
"That I'll be open to your magic on the other side, if needed."
He hesitated, then nodded. "That, too."
Simon turned back to Bram. "If we're able, we'll meet you somewhere between here and the entrance in a few hours. If I don't make it out ..."
Felicia lifted a searching gaze to him. Simon never failed to reassure her. He didn't meet her gaze now.
Horror gripped her. Simon had to make it out alive. To do that, she must help him, be completely open to him.
Bram nodded. "I'll take care of her."
Suddenly, the earth rumbled. The path began to narrow.
Simon grabbed her hand. "We must go now."
"Be careful," she called with a last look back at Bram.
He replied, but the inferno had come too close, was too loud, and swallowed up the words.
Then they sprinted for the door at the end of the path. Again, a metallic clank like giant gears screeched. At the enormous dark door, Simon pressed the latch, and darted through the doorway.
Then he came to a dead stop. Felicia hovered beside him, eyes going wide with shock.
Chapter 19
INSIDE THE SMALL TOMB, Mason sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, his hands bound behind his back, a filthy brown rag shoved in his mouth. His dark eyes were wide with terror. Hovering over him was a face Duke knew well: that of an urbane man with flowing tawny hair who oozed charisma. Blood stained the front of his white shirt as the silk clung to the discarded heart in his pocket.
Mathias.
"Welcome." He smirked as he pointed a gun at them.
Duke put Felicia behind him, then said over his shoulder, "Go. This is too dangerous."
"No," she argued. "We came here to save Mason. We stand a better chance together."
Damn stubborn woman!
"How charming." Mathias stepped forward, and the smell of blood reeking from his clothes nearly dropped Duke to his knees. "You're protecting the Untouchable. And you've made her your mate, I see. You've hidden her imprint on you. Clever."
They'd hidden Felicia's imprint on his signature? Duke's mind raced. Did that mean they were well and truly joined by more than words? But Bram hadn't noticed.
Because it hadn't happened until Felicia had actually spoken of her love out loud? If so, did that mean she actually loved him as she'd claimed? As he so desperately wanted?
He couldn't ponder that now. Without question, Mathias would try to kill him. He was nothing more than a potential thorn in the evil wizard's side. Expendable. Duke's most important issue was staying alive long enough for Mason and Felicia to escape.
How? Perhaps he could use the martial arts training he'd received from Marrok to knock the gun from Mathias's grip. Before the other wizard pulled the trigger? Mathias was too far away. He couldn't leave Mason and Felicia unprotected.
There was no other way. He must try to use magic to secure his mate's and his brother's freedom. If Felicia loved him, then she should let him beneath all her barriers.
If.
Yes, she'd seemed different when she'd told him of her feelings. Her expression had been open, earnest, but her voice unsure. Then she'd hung her head. Mathias had realized that her imprint on him was camouflaged ... but one glance at Felicia's tense face said this was the last situation in which she'd let her guard down. Duke shook his head at the mixed signals. He had no idea what they added up to, and he had no time to hash it out. He'd simply have to try magic and hope for the best.
Concentrating on the bonds around Mason's feet, Duke turned his attention inward. He gathered energy, rolling it up. It raced through his veins like fire. Just before it burst outward, Mathias cocked the gun.
Duke stopped instantly. He bit back a curse, aching to know if the spell would have worked.
"Are you trying to use magic?" he asked.
He rolled his eyes. "You know that's impossible with Felicia here. Let my brother go. He has nothing to do with this."
"Imagine my surprise to learn that he's merely human. I gathered very quickly that he had no idea what you are. Keeping family secrets, are you?"
"As if you care."
Now what? He needed to distract Mathias and try his magic again. He'd only get one opportunity, as closely as Mathias watched him. Which meant he needed to make it powerful magic. The only magic that was, perhaps, strong enough to thwart a menace like Mathias: Duke's unique magic. The ability had revealed itself during his transition, to be used as a last line of defense. If ever such an occasion existed, it was now.
Duke eyed the thick stone walls, the low-hanging ceiling made up of a network of large slabs of stone and elaborate tiles. Using his magic here would require enormous amounts of energy, more than he'd ever expended in a single spell. Felicia would have to be more than open; she must accept him in every way, in every corner of her being, or they would fail. Bloody hell, he needed time to catch Felicia's attention, forewarn her. If he startled her with an attempt to use his power and she shut him down, they'd all be dead.
He scrubbed a hand across his face, then forced himself to stare down Mathias.
"How did you beat us here?"
"Not difficult, really. I had Katherine with me. You saw her outside the door, I presume?"
"The woman whose heart you ripped out?" Felicia panted in horror.
"Indeed. She was pure of heart. And quite accommodating in bed."
"B-before that? In the caverns leading to this tomb?"
"We stayed close to you, Felicia, and your ability often aided us. The darkness all around was handy, and you were all loud enough to mask our sounds--except when I wished you to hear us. Keeping track of you was a simple matter. Though I daresay Mason didn't enjoy the sounds of you fucking his brother."
Mathias laughed, and Duke read the angry truth in Mason's dark eyes. He could almost feel the guilt emanating from Felicia, and he cursed. That was the last emotion she needed to feel if she was going to open up her barriers so they could merge to defeat Mathias.
"Katherine had outlived her usefulness, and Merlin's final test loomed, so ... I used her one more time. She rather thought I loved her. Pity she was so gullible. It was actually amusing."
"Oh my God." Repugnance rang in Felicia's voice.
Duke hated that she was witnessing this horror firsthand. But he could do nothing more now than try to get her and Mason out of here quickly and alive. He turned to her to get her attention, but Mathias had her full focus.
Duke gripped her arm, and addressed Mathias. "You wanted in the tomb, and here you are. I want my brother back."
Mathias's attention shifted to him. "For a nobleman, you lack social graces. I not only wanted inside the tomb, I want the book. Your mate knows that. I also require her."
Duke paused. So that's why Mathias hadn't killed him on sight. If Duke died, Felicia, as his mate, would be too distraught to perform whatever task he required. The minute she fulfilled his request, however, Mathias would kill them all.
He turned to look at her over his shoulder, hoping she would look his way and read the message in his eyes. They had to use magic and quickly.
She blinked, breathed deep, then her gaze snagged on his. He willed her to understand. After a second's hesitation, she bit her lip, then gave him an imperceptible nod.
"You mate is very pretty. She would make a lovely toy," Mathias mused.
Duke swung his gaze back to the bastard. "You don't touch Felicia!"
"Tsk," Mathias sent him an expression of mock concern. "I don't think you understand who's in control. Let me clarify the situation."
Then he pulled the trigger. Pain exploded through Duke's shoulder, red hot, shocking, and debilitating.
He collapsed to the ground.
The sound of the gunshot was deafening in the small space. Felicia screamed as Simon clutched his shoulder and fell to his knees.
Oh God! At least he wasn't dead. Yet. But could he bleed to death? She knelt to him and ripped at his shirt to assess the damage.
"Stand up," Mathias commanded, then motioned her a few steps away. "Over there."
"But ..."
The pure evil on his face stopped her from saying another word.
Frantic and terrified for Simon, she tried to recapture his attention. Could he even use his magic now? She had no way of knowing. His eyes were clenched tightly shut as he fought the pain. Blood oozed over his fingertips.
With Mason bound and Simon hurt, no one stood between Felicia and Mathias. It was up to her to save them. And she had no idea how.
"With your Untouchable mate beside you, you have no way to magically heal,"
Mathias told Simon, sounding altogether too pleased. "In case you're wondering, you can thank Shock for teaching me my way around a weapon. He's quite handy, and I especially owe him for delivering Tynan O'Shea to my door."
Anger ignited in Felicia like a flash fire. The man had taken pleasure in ripping the life from a heartsick warrior. That smarmy smile told her that he'd enjoy doing the same to Simon. Even the thought of it made her rail with fury.
"You awful bloody bastard!"
Mathias sent her a mock pout. "You don't approve? Tynan's death was some of my best handiwork, if I say so myself. Should you and your mate choose not to cooperate, I'll be forced to perfect those skills on him. Your fiance can be easily dispatched, and will make for fun sport. Then you and I will be all alone. And I can think of many delicious uses for you."
At Mathias's leer, Felicia resisted the urge to shrink back and tremble. Now wasn't the time to be intimidated. She must stand tall and fight. And use the one bargaining chip in her arsenal: the diary.
"Why do you need both me and the book?" Maybe if she could keep Mathias talking and learn something useful, she could find some way to thwart him.
Carefully, he bent to retrieve a bottle at his feet she hadn't noticed before. Its base was wide, its color such a deep purple it was nearly black. The silver filigree around the glass stopper tinkled gently as he gripped it. "Merlin left this beside the bottle containing Morganna's essence. It's a little scroll with instructions. To resurrect her I must bring her a new heart, the blood of a woman and of someone magical, as well as the Doomsday 197
Diary."
She sucked in a breath. Would he kill her and Simon to complete that spell?
"Now that you're here, I have all the essential ingredients. Only your futile resistance stands in my way." Mathias peered at her as if they were conducting a simple transaction, rather than bargaining over lives. "You did bring the diary, yes?"
Did she admit that she had? Felicia glanced down at Simon, wondering ...
worrying.
"Don't look at him," Mathias barked. "Answer me, pretty. Or do I need to shoot him again to get your attention?"
"No!" Please don't. Please don't.
"Again, do you have it with you?"
No matter how much she wanted to, Felicia didn't dare look at Simon. "Yes."
"Splendid. Bring it to me." He held out his hand.
"No." Duke insisted, glaring at Mathias. "She'll exchange it for Mason. As soon as my brother is halfway across the room, Felicia will set the diary on the ground so you can pick it up."
"That won't do! First, this isn't a negotiation. I hold all the cards. And really, how stupid do you think I am? I know from dear Sydney that a female must hand the diary to its next owner or it will disappear to its last resting spot. Felicia will tuck it beneath my arm, right beside Morganna." He held up the bottle. "Problem solved."
Simon shook his head. "What's to keep you from killing her for her blood once she hands over the book?"
"Simply because I'm in this tomb doesn't mean I can leave unscathed without her.
If I'm unable to resurrect Morganna here, I'll have to carry the witch's essence out. I rather think Merlin would have frowned on that and put extra traps in place. So an Untouchable may be necessary."
Damn it. He was right. None of them knew enough about the tomb and how it worked to be certain, but from everything Bram had said and Felicia had experienced, that conjecture seemed likely. Plus, that plan didn't free either Mason or Simon. And if she went with the terrible wizard, she felt certain that Mathias would shoot her as soon as they exited the cave.
The wizard pinned her with a glare. "Come here. Unstop-per this bottle."
Felicia's heart beat wildly. That meant approaching Mathias, getting within grabbing distance. But she had no choice if she wanted to keep everyone alive.
With her heart in her throat, she edged toward Mathias until she stood in front of him. Felicia swallowed. How could a man be so hypnotic, ooze such sexual magnetism, yet be so purely evil? She suppressed a shiver as she lifted the little purple and silver filigreed stopper.
"Good." Mathias turned to Mason. "Stand up."
With wary eyes, he shimmied up the wall. After a glance her way, then at Simon, he looked back at Mathias.
