"Come here," the wizard instructed.
Mason complied slowly, but eventually stopped beside her. Felicia took some comfort in his nearness, but was painfully aware of the ticking time, of the amount of blood Simon was losing. What if she managed to save them, but it was too late for him?
Panic threatened to engulf her, and Felicia shoved it back. There was some way 198
out of this mess. She simply had to find it.
Mathias tucked the bottle under his arm, careful that nothing inside trickled out, and pulled out a small object from the front pocket of his jeans.
Triumphantly, he held it up. A pocket knife. It didn't look very menacing, but it was still more weapon that she possessed ... and it would hurt like hell stabbing deep in her flesh. She gulped.
"Turn around," Mathias barked at Mason.
Oh God, would Mathias literally stab him in the back? Use that terrible little blade to disable Mason and leave her all alone?
She cast a glance at Mason that begged him not to comply. He shook his head. He had little choice, and they both knew it. Mason tried to send her a comforting smile, then stepped between her and the wizard, presenting his back to Mathias.
Felicia winced, bracing for the blow, the scream of pain, the blood. Instead, Mathias grunted, sawed ... then Mason's arms were free.
"Face me," Mathias demanded, then thrust the bottle at Mason. "Go to your brother and collect some of his blood. A few milliliters will do. Let it ooze from the wound directly into the bottle, then return to me. If you deviate from my instructions, I will shoot your fiancee."
She held her breath. There was no question Mason would comply. He'd always been protective. But what would he do to Simon? The last time the brothers had been face to face, Mason had accused him of kidnapping and rape.
Wordlessly, he approached Simon, who looked pale, his breathing labored. Blood spread all over his dark shirt, and her anxiety ratcheted up again. Surely, there could be no way he'd find the energy to use his magic now.
Mason unbuttoned Simon's shirt, carefully pushed it aside, and tipped the lip of the bottle against his wound. Were the brothers communicating with their faces at all?
The back of Mason's dark head blocked everything, and she hoped they were trying to team up and find a way to escape, but given their history, what were the odds?
Seemingly endless minutes later, he stood and returned to Mathias without expression.
"Excellent." Mathias smiled at Mason, then looked her way. "Now, the stopper, my dear."
Felicia trembled, sensing a trap. She was the only female here, and he needed her blood.
As she reached out to place the stopper in the bottle Mason gripped, Mathias struck out like lightning, slicing the knife across the back of her hand. A ribbon of blood appeared immediately, the cut deep.
"Dear God!" Mason cried, then looked at Mathias with murder in his eyes.
"Not a word," he warned. "It would be very bad for her health."
Mason stifled a snarl, but seethed with fury.
Pain was a delayed reaction. By the time her blood began to drip, the tingle at the incision became a deep burn. Felicia hissed.
"All for a good cause," Mathias crooned, then turned to Mason. "Tip the bottle under her hand and collect her blood. Now!"
He complied, looking at her with deep apology in his eyes. And rage. He wanted Mathias to pay.
A few minutes later, Mathias pocketed the knife, then took the bottle from Mason's hand and peered her way again. "Now put the stopper in place."
Felicia couldn't control her trembling hand as she capped the bottle. Mathias now had everything he needed to resurrect Morganna except the book. She knew exactly what he'd say next ... and she had no way to stop him from killing them all if she complied.
He raised a golden brow to her. "The diary. Give it to me."
She hesitated, her mind racing for any solution to this dilemma. But she was utterly blank. No! She must forge ahead and hope some opportunity presented itself.
Suddenly, Mathias raised the gun to Simon again, aiming this time for his heart.
"Give it to me now or he dies."
Felicia's breath froze in her body. Her heart nearly stopped. Somehow, she had to stall for time, see if she could buy their freedom with her life.
"You'll let Simon and Mason leave alive if I give it to you now?"
"Of course," he drawled. "You'll find I can be very agreeable."
The stench of his lie nearly overpowered her. She staggered back, clutching her stomach. Not only was he never agreeable, he'd kill both men on the spot as soon as he had the book.
Oh God!
There was no help for it. She was going to have to catch Simon's gaze and hope he had the strength to use his magic. Hopefully, she could find some way to give him the strength.
Felicia gave him a shaky nod. "G-good. I'll ... get you the book, then."
She was a terrible liar, and hoped sincerely that he couldn't see through her or she was doomed.
Shrugging off the heavy rucksack, she dropped it to the ground and turned toward Simon to unzip it.
She risked a clandestine glance at him. He was pleading with his eyes for her not to give Mathias the book.
She did her best to send him a placid smile, then mouthed I love you. He froze, then his eyes flooded with love ... and regret.
They weren't going down like this. Together, they'd fight, damn it.
For a brief second, she placed a hand over her heart. Then she closed her eyes and consciously removed all of her barriers.
A split second later, he gasped, startled. Hope rushed inside her. Could he feel her naked soul completely open to him?
"What the hell are you doing? You're taking too long," Mathias insisted, then pointed the gun at Simon again. "Give me the book now."
With shaking hands, she dug through the pack, looking for the Doomsday Diary under all her clothes, packaged meals, and toiletries. Buried at the bottom, sandwiched between two of Merlin's other books, she spotted it.
She dragged out the other items unnecessarily, hoping that Simon would try his magic. But she must produce the book now.
That didn't mean she had to hand it over nicely.
With a glance over her shoulder, she saw that Mathias sent Simon a menacing glare. He was looking forward to pulling the trigger.
It was now or never.
Suddenly, she turned and lunged at Mathias, throwing the diary at his hand--the one that held the gun. Mathias cursed his surprise, and when the book struck him, his weapon clattered to the ground.
Felicia felt a presence around her, inside her, something big and protective, hopeful and pure. And love ... God, so much of it, Felicia was nearly overcome. It brought tears to her eyes.
Simon!
As she lowered her barriers to welcome him, the ground began to shake violently, walls heaving. The ceiling overhead rumbled, and tiles shattered. Rocks fell.
Mathias steadied himself with a hand on the wall, then sent a sharp confused glare to Simon. "Magic? How are you using yours? Impossible. Shock never mentioned this."
Felicia didn't take the time to celebrate. She crept along the wall toward Simon.
"Run!" he shouted at her and Mason. "Get out of here."
And leave him here alone to die? Never.
Mathias growled as he lunged for the gun again while more of the ceiling rained down. He pointed it at Simon, who concentrated too hard on rattling the tomb, trying to bring it down, to notice.
Felicia jumped toward him, but the shaking room sent her off balance.
To her surprise, Mason charged Mathias, kicking him in the gut. The wizard doubled over with a grunt, clutching himself. Then Mason clasped his hands and chopped down on Mathias's back. The wizard dropped the gun once more and staggered to his knees.
More of Simon's energy and spirit filled her, pure white-hot heat ... and love. The tomb quaked harder, throwing Mathias off balance.
Felicia turned to Simon with a smile. It died when she saw him shudder violently with effort. He looked pale and was panting. Blood and sweat covered him.
Larger chunks of the ceiling fell directly over Mathias's head. One struck Mason's shoulder. With a grimace, he clutched it in agony.
Just as Mathias rose to his knees.
Mason planted a hand in her back and pushed her toward the door. "Simon is right. Go!"
Felicia stumbled, stopping her momentum with her hands on the door. She wasn't leaving until they could escape with her. And if she left now, would Mathias attain his magic again? Too risky.
She glanced down at Simon. He contorted with effort, teeth clenched, exhausted.
She had to help him.
The ceiling rattled ominously, but she caught sight of metal barely a meter away.
The gun!
She lunged for it, grabbed it in her shaking hands, and spun to see Mason kick Mathias square in the chin. The wizard tumbled to the ground.
He rose to his feet again, glowering at Mason with murder in his eyes. Felicia didn't know what he had planned--and didn't want to know.
Gathering her courage, she lifted the gun, aimed--and shot Mathias in the chest, right in the heart. The blast of the bullet knocked him flat on his back, sprawled out in a death pose.
Felicia turned to Simon and skidded to a stop on her knees. Though still using his magic, she sensed it weakening, sensed him waning fast. He looked spent, at death's door.
She cupped his face. "Simon! It's enough. Let's get out."
"You ... first," he mumbled.
Mason knelt beside her. He covered his head as more of the ceiling fell and shouted, "We've got to run for it."
She wasn't leaving without Simon. "Help me."
Suddenly, the ceiling on the far side of the room caved in completely, tumbling a deluge of heavy stone and broken tile on top of Mathias. He grunted, then fell silent. If the bullet hadn't killed him, she hoped to God something had hit his head hard enough to finish the job. But one glance at Simon told her they couldn't stop to be sure. He needed medical attention now or he would die.
Simon's presence left her suddenly. He fell dead still, looking pale as a specter.
Though the rumbling around them stopped, the avalanche of the ceiling continued like a line of dominos, rolling ever closer to them.
Her heart stopped, and she screamed at Mason, "We have to get him out of here!"
Mason didn't hesitate. He lifted Simon and staggered toward the door. Felicia picked up her rucksack, frantically searching about for the Doomsday Diary, but saw no flash of that red cover amongst the rubble.
The roof just to her left caved in. Adding in a terrified scream, she darted for the door, opening it for Mason and Simon. They rushed out, and she followed, slamming it behind her, leaving Mathias behind.
She prayed he died in that tomb, if he wasn't already gone. If not ... She didn't want to think about that. Hopefully, given the fact Mathias was wounded and had no way out, he would soon die.
And he would remain trapped here forever.
Her biggest concern now was Simon. Please God, don't let him die trying to save me.
Chapter 20
FELICIA WALKED THROUGH THE blustery Monday afternoon. The wind whipped insistently at her trench coat, the trees around her, the grass beneath her feet.
She tried to keep herself focused on the moment ... but Simon crept into her thoughts.
Again.
Mason had carried his brother out of the tomb, which turned out to be significantly easier to leave than enter. After finding Bram and the others at the pub there in Glastonbury, they'd taken one look at Simon's waxy face and asked what had happened. She'd explained in a rush, and they'd hustled her above stairs to a room, shoved her in bed with him, and told her to stay put. A wizard healer had come and gone without much improvement in Simon's health.
He'd nearly died. Bram hadn't spelled that out for her, but she knew. Once Simon had used up all his magic in the tomb, Felicia felt the loss of connection to him--and she'd known he was hanging on by a thread.
For a feverish night, she'd held Simon, kissed him, told him over and over how much she loved him. He'd remained largely unconscious, barely responsive to her affection until deep in the night when he'd rolled over and made love to her wildly, with a passion that stunned her, before sliding back into a deep sleep. In the morning, Bram's Aunt Millie had appeared. Though Simon still slept on, the older woman pronounced him
"right as rain."
After breakfast, Ice had appeared to teleport Simon and Mason back to Kari's pub in London. Bram piled her into the car for the long drive back and drilled her with a million questions about the events in the tomb. His agitation had only increased with every kilometer.
Once she arrived in London, she asked to see Simon repeatedly. Finally, Sabelle had appeared and, looking as if she stifled her pity, had said he'd be detained for a few days.
Felicia could only find one translation for this behavior: her reluctance to admit that she loved him had nearly gotten him and Mason killed. Simon might be mated to her magically, but he didn't want to see her right now, maybe never. He probably despised her. Not that she blamed him.
God, she'd become her own self-fulfilling prophecy. She'd been so terrified that she'd lose her man that she'd driven him off with her behavior.
As Felicia shoved her hands in her coat pockets and walked on the little stone path, regret pounded her. She should have let go of her fear sooner. Right now, she'd give anything to see Simon again with love in his eyes, that amused little smile on his mouth, just before he kissed her.
