"What I didn't tell you is what would happen to Duke. For a wizard, losing a mate is like losing a part of your soul. You've seen Lucan?"

She cringed. Lucan was a haunted shell of a man. "Isn't that just him missing Anka?"

"In part. But what you see now is a thousand percent improvement. Mere weeks ago, he was chained to a bed like an animal, feral and crazed. None of us knew if he would live. Duke saw that. And he still mated with you, knowing full well you planned to break your mate bond and leave him. And if he survived, he would likely be forever alone, since the chances of a second mating are slim. No home, no joy, no children."

Bram clenched his jaw. "While you've been worried about Mason and having a 'normal'

life and protecting your heart, he sacrificed his entire future so that you could have one.

And he never once let on about his pain. Think about that next time he needs to use his magic."

Chapter 18

FELICIA FROZE, STUNNED, AS the information sank in deep. All the implications exploded in her head ... and her heart.

Simon loved her. Really loved her. God, to keep her safe, he'd given up more than she'd ever guessed. She was humbled. And shamed. How could she have been so blind not to have seen his true feelings? Because she'd been too selfish to risk her own misery, too terrified to endanger her heart.

No more.

The emotions that Felicia had locked in a cage for so long sprang free. She knew exactly what she had to do. After all he'd done and all they still faced, she couldn't hide from Simon anymore. And she didn't want to.

In the back of her mind, she knew Mason needed them now, but Felicia also knew it could likely help him if she gave in to her urge to race to Simon's side. Joy, nerves, and impatience all pinged inside her as she grabbed his hand and stared until he looked into her eyes. "I know this is a very bad time for me to say it, but I ... I love you."

She sighed with relief, hope lacing her veins. Telling Simon had, in fact, been cathartic, like a claustrophobic released after spending the day in a small cupboard. Her fear hadn't been totally rational, but now that she'd conquered it, that panic had been worse than the actual act of opening up.

To her shock, Simon turned to glare at Bram. "What did he say to you?"

"Say?" She frowned. "It doesn't matter. Did you hear me?"

"I heard." He looked down, his face set in tense lines. "Felicia, don't tell me what you think I want to hear. I'd rather you say nothing." He shook his head and turned away.

"We must worry about Mason now."

Simon didn't believe her. Was she too late?

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm, her heart bloody near breaking. "I'm saying it not because Bram told me to or because I'm placating you. Simon, I'm saying it because it's true. I realized it when we were in London and I was too afraid to tell you. You've given me everything, cared for me, protected me, stood beside me, understood me. Last night when you held me, I hoped you could feel it. But I want to make certain you know. I want you to hear it from my lips."

The yearning on his face nearly killed her, but he still looked skeptical. "My magic didn't work this morning."

"You caught me off guard. Perhaps with some warning, I'd be better prepared to--"

"We're not going to get any warning," he growled, raking a hand through his hair.

"We've heard screams and voices in this cave twice now. If you weren't here, I'd think that was Merlin's way of scaring people. But you're Untouchable, so they must be real.

You and I both heard Mason, which means Mathias is likely near. I don't know how he got to the tomb before us. Perhaps he's been sneaking around us all this time, using your ability and his wits to get ahead. Which means we will be walking into something lethal.

And we'll get no forewarning. He'll appear and we'll have a split second to act."

And if she didn't take the wall around her heart completely down, they'd die.

"I know." Tears filled her eyes, and guilt flooded her. They needed to be running to Mason's rescue. But Felicia feared if they didn't work this out now, there might not be a later for any of them. "I know that I've disappointed you and hurt you. I'm so sorry."

Simon blew out a huge breath. "I love hearing the words, but ... until you can back up your words by letting me under your guard, we're all in danger. And I'm not certain I can believe you."

"I know you wouldn't have risked your entire future by mating with me if I didn't mean something to you. I wouldn't be risking my heart to tell you that I love you if you didn't mean everything to me."

"So that's what brought this on? Bram told you what would happen to me if you broke our bond?" He cursed. "So I mean 'everything to you' because of what you perceive as my grand romantic gesture?"

She searched his scowling face. "No. Because of you. I knew immediately that you weren't the spoiled, arrogant aristocrat Mason painted you to be. You're the most wonderful, selfless person I know. We're going to get out of here alive because you're going to use your magic, then I'm going to spend a lifetime showing you that you made the right choice."

Simon opened his mouth, but it wasn't his voice she heard next.

"Oh God. No! You can't--"

Mason's voice again, resounding from the bottom of the nearby stairs. A chill wound through her. What if Mathias was hurting Mason even now?

Clearly, she and Simon weren't going to resolve their problems before they had to dash to Mason's rescue. Maybe he'd believe her when the moment of truth arrived and she showed him that she meant every word of her devotion.

Felicia took his hand. "We can't wait anymore."

Simon nodded. "Damn it, we've had no time to try my magic."

"I'll make it work. I swear."

He shrugged, as if he knew he could do nothing more. "I hope you can. Let's go."

Felicia watched as he turned to Bram and motioned for the other wizard to follow.

Nail-biting frustration ate at her. Mason was in grave danger. And Simon didn't believe in her love. Though why should he? She'd done nothing to prove that she was able to follow through on her promise. Yet. But she would let him completely into her heart and soul without a moment's notice. Failure wasn't an option, both for everyone's safety and for Simon.

Wordlessly, he took her elbow. A zing of rightness flowed through her as he guided her down the steep spiral stairs. Bram followed. Whatever it led to had been swallowed in darkness.

Damn, she hated the dark parts of the cavern. She felt blind, vulnerable. She hadn't wanted to say it, but in the pitch blackness, she was too painfully aware that Mathias could be under their nose, and she'd have no clue. In fact, he likely had been all along.

But now, the terror in Mason's voice rang in her head. They had to get to him.

This nightmare must end.

At the bottom of the stairs, the darkness suddenly gave way to a blast of fire. It raged from the far wall several hundred meters away, striking out with hot, frightening flares, almost like a snake's tongue. The wall went on endlessly in both directions. There 191

was no getting around it.

With a gasp at the scorching heat, Felicia pressed her back against Duke's chest, and he braced her with hands on her shoulders.

"C-can your magic bypass that?"

"Perhaps." Simon shrugged. "Normally."

"But nothing about any of Merlin's traps will be normal," Bram chimed in. "What did you say about this task earlier?"

"It requires you to believe."

"In what?" Simon asked with a frown.

"Isn't that the question of the hour?" Bram shook his head. "Bloody brilliant codger. Wish he hadn't been so fond of his own skills."

"Is there any chance that, like the other fires, this one will simply dissipate if I'm around it long enough?"

Bram cocked his head. "Possibly. But I'm going to guess we won't be given that kind of time."

They already didn't have it. Mason was somewhere in this cavern with Mathias, she suspected, and God knew what the terrible wizard had done or would do to him.

Apprehension clawed through her. They really couldn't waste time.

As they walked closer to the inferno, the heat was immense, blistering. It daunted her, and she paused more than once.

Simon wrapped his arm around her. "Maybe the task requires us to believe that we will survive?"

That interpretation sounded as likely as any, but when she thought of walking into the blaze that towered over her head, everything inside her balked. How could she believe it was possible to survive that? Not without some serious magic.

She turned to Simon with a searching gaze. He remained focused on the task in front of him, looking tense and grim. Even he had his doubts.

Finally, they got within lashing distance of the blaze. Then the ground began quaking and shuddering. Felicia braced herself against Simon.

"How is this possible if I repel magic?"

"Feel the whole ground shake. The entire mechanism that powers this magic is deep underground," Bram muttered, "far from your influence. Merlin knew of Untouchables. It doesn't surprise me that he would devise magic meant to thwart even your kind. Question is, what the hell do we do?"

As if the question had been heard, the middle of the fire twisted, lurched, then took the shape of a bearded face.

"Merlin?" Simon's shocked stare jumped to Bram.

"Indeed," he muttered. "Show off."

"What you seek lies beyond this wall," a deep voice boomed around them, echoing loudly. "Only those who are pure of heart can enter."

No one said anything for a stunned moment.

Bram sighed. "I'm fucking screwed."

"Why wouldn't you be pure of heart?" Simon peered his way. "Your ambition?"

"I don't seek any personal gain with Morganna's essence, but the black cloud ..."

Simon grimaced. "Indeed. You're fucking screwed."

Felicia gaped at them. "What black cloud?"

"A few weeks ago, we had Mathias cornered in his lair. He unleashed this spell at Bram. It was a smothering black cloud. He was unconscious for days."

"It bloody near killed me. It latched on to the more ... ambitious part of my nature and made me a tad irritable."

Simon scoffed. "It made him a bloody pain in the arse we all wanted to kill."

Felicia's thoughts whirled. "How would this elaborate magical trick know whether my heart was pure?"

Bram shrugged. "If the magical trigger is far below us, out of your range ..."

Merlin had been clever, indeed. "So what do we do?"

"I'll try to accompany you," Bram said. "But I'll bet the fire will destroy me if I get too close."

Which would leave her and Simon alone to face Mathias if he was, in fact, already in the tomb. "We can't do this without you."

He grimaced with regret. "You may have to. You have each other. Duke is a damn fine wizard. If you can solve your problems, there's no way Mathias can defeat you."

"Do you believe?" the overhead voice boomed.

Then, with the grinding of gears, the ground broke open, and a path rose slowly from a jagged crack in the earth. The "trick" was mechanical, rather than magical. The fire didn't burn at the front of this path, just below the fire-formed face. All they could see was a door.

"Prove now your pure heart." The voice was so loud it vibrated inside her. "Or perish."

With a nod at Bram, Simon ushered her onto the path, aligned now with the break in the fire. Bram followed.

As they approached, Felicia saw something--no, someone--lying across the path, near the door. She gasped at the pool of blood. "Do you see that? It looks like ... a body."

Immediately, Simon put her behind him. "A woman's body. She's dead."

Bram edged closer, only to be driven back by a lash of flames that singed his clothing. A warning. "I can't come closer."

The earth rumbled again. The cavern shook.

Simon cursed. "And this path will only last so long. We must go now."

Felicia followed Simon closer to the body, gaping in horror. "How did she get here? How did she die?"

The two men turned to each other, as if deciding whether to impart bad news. She lost her temper.

"Who or whatever is in there, I'm going to face them soon enough. It's Mathias, isn't it? He's beaten us here. He's got Mason."

"She is a sharp little tack," Bram quipped.

Simon shepherded her ahead. "Yes. I can only guess how Mathias managed it, slithering around us like the snake he is, no doubt, hiding in your wake. Damn!" He looked at the woman's body. "He's pulled her heart straight from her chest."

Horror rolled across Felicia. Mathias had just reached in and ... ? She grimaced.

What sort of monster were they dealing with?

"Because she was pure of heart," Simon said with a sickened cast to his voice.

"He took it."

"And somehow used it to trick this passage into thinking he was the pure one?"

Felicia actually felt herself trembling, despite the terrible fire all around.