Amusement flitted across Shock's face. "Fayre mated with a wizard."
Surprise skidded through Duke's veins. "Rubbish!"
God, it had to be a lie, because if it wasn't ... he couldn't fathom all the complications, except that they would be many and brutal.
A dark brow shot up over the tops of Shock's sunglasses. "Ask her. Am I lying?"
Felicia stilled. "I have no way of knowing."
"Now who's not telling the truth?" His nasty smile held irony as he looked Duke's way. "This woman engaged to your brother that you're burning to mate? Besides being an Untouchable, she's got another special gift."
Felicia gasped. "I-I don't!"
"Tsk, tsk. Keeping secrets?"
She hesitated, then sent Shock a wary glance. "How would you know?"
"He reads minds," Duke murmured in her ear.
Surprise flitted across her face as she turned to him. "Can you ... ?"
"No." Duke glared at Shock. "Everyone magical has different abilities. That's not one of mine. Sabelle can. But no one should be able to use that ability around you, including Shock."
The big wizard deflected his implied question with a smug smile. "By the way, Duke, she wants you too, but her desire is all wrapped in guilt and fear. Good luck with that. But don't lie to Felicia. She knows when anyone is being less than honest. Don't you?"
Guilt crept across her face. Duke stared, stunned. He wasn't terribly surprised that she wanted him; he'd tasted desire in her unforgettable kiss. But her ability floored him.
"You know when anyone lies?"
Felicia flushed and looked away.
With a cock of his head and another grin, Shock made it clear he enjoyed imparting this blow. "So when you told her that you were only human? And that you didn't want her? She knew it was crap. Which is why she knows I'm being completely honest when I say that if she wants to disguise herself from Mathias, she must mate with one of you. Today."
Shock's words smacked Duke between the eyes. Felicia knew he had lied. And to keep her safe, now one of the Doomsday Brethren would have to speak the Call?
Quickly, he scanned the room, realizing that in a few short months, most of them had formed mate-bonds. Marrok, Caden, Ice, Bram, Ronan. Now that Raiden had a youngling on the way, Duke suspected he wouldn't be far behind. Who did that leave to do the job, except Lucan, Tynan ... and himself.
The thought of the broken-hearted madman or the vengeful wizard touching Felicia made him homicidal. No, the thought of any man with her sent him into a murderous frenzy. After their kiss last night had roared across his senses, he had no doubt this woman was his mate.
Yet how could he steal Mason's fiancee without ending all hope of family harmony?
"Impossible." Duke shook his head. "That can't be."
"If you want Mathias to get his hands on Felicia and use her to bring back the worst witch in magickind's long and sordid history ... barmy, but your choice. Because you know that once Felicia has served her purpose, Mathias will kill her. She's a fantastic liability." Shock shrugged. "My mission here is now accomplished. But alas, I must make my jaunt seem worthwhile to Mathias. I need a volunteer. Who will make the perfect hostage?" Shock's gaze zeroed in on Tynan. "You. Such bloodthirsty thoughts. You want the chance to kill Mathias?"
Tynan's face darkened. "I've wanted nothing more since I saw Auropha's body."
"Who am I to stand in your way?"
Bram, Hurstgrove, and the others had argued vociferously with Tynan, warning him not to leave with Shock. It must be a trap. Felicia couldn't get an exact reading on Shock to know if that was true, which was most odd. He was definitely dodgy. The leather-clad wizard hid layers of secrets behind those sunglasses.
Tynan had barely listened before insisting on going with Shock. Now the two were gone, and Felicia's stomach twisted with today's events.
"Does mating in the magical world mean ... sex?" She felt her cheeks heat up and did everything possible not to look at Hurstgrove.
"Not precisely," Bram said. "It's ..."
"Magickind's version of marriage," Hurstgrove supplied.
According to Shock, His Grace was burning to ... marry her? After a mere day's acquaintance and one kiss? Why?
"Exactly." Bram nodded. "It's a bond. A wizard speaks words to you, the Call.
Then a female either Binds to him ... or Renounces him. But sex plays a role in the bond.
Or should."
"If I repel magic, how can a magical ceremony meant to bind me to another take effect?"
"Good question," Bram conceded. "Mating magic is some of the oldest, strongest magic known. Perhaps it supersedes your ability? And perhaps Shock doesn't know what the hell he's talking about and this plan won't work at all. We can't find out unless you Bind to one of the unmated wizards and we see if your imprint on him is altered."
Felicia frowned. "Why would that change my imprint?"
Hurstgrove shrugged. "I didn't grow up with magic and haven't had my abilities as long as the others. The subtleties of magic ... I don't know."
"I suspect it's because you merge with someone, which, magically speaking, should change your imprint. But I can't say for certain. What we know about Untouchables is very limited," Bram supplied. "Since they're born once every thousand years, that predates everyone here, except Marrok."
Felicia stared at the big warrior. "But you're human. You're a thousand years old?"
He grimaced, and Olivia grinned. "Plus another five hundred. He should be dust by now, but he looks pretty good, huh?"
Amazingly, they were telling the truth. Wow ...
Marrok rolled his eyes, then curled a beefy arm around his wife. "Methinks you should be silenced, wench. Thankfully I can think of many uses for that pretty mouth."
She gave him a huge smile and batted her lashes. "Bring it on."
"Can we focus, please?" Hurstgrove demanded. "Marrok, did you know Fayre?
Can you tell me anything about her or her mating?"
Clutching the sword at his side, he looked regretful. "I heard no more than whispers. At the time, I did all things possible to avoid human and magickind alike."
"What about Merlin? Did he write about ... people like me?" she asked Bram.
"He was brilliant and knew virtually everything about magic. He passed a great deal along to his family, so ..."
"I'd like to read it before deciding anything."
"Well," Sabelle jumped in, "Merlin pontificated. A lot. He left us volumes upon volumes of his work. Reading them to find that answer won't be an overnight task."
"But they were intact in the ruins of the house?" Hurstgrove demanded.
"Ruins?" Something cold slithered down Felicia's spine.
"Mathias demolished my home a few weeks ago," Bram answered. "Merlin's works were inside, sufficiently hidden, thankfully. I retrieved them recently."
"Let's all start reading," Duke barked. "We must make Felicia safe."
Bram sent him a sharp glance. "Even if we began now, we wouldn't finish every volume for days, perhaps weeks. Mathias and the Anarki will come knocking long before then. Shock gave you the solution to keeping Felicia safe."
Mate with one of them. Magically marry a wizard. Oh God. Felicia swallowed.
"I'm already engaged."
"Is your promise to Mason worth your life?" Bram challenged.
No. The word darted through her brain before she could stop it. If she could agree to marry Mason without loving him, perhaps she could mate with one of these wizards and keep her distance. Like a marriage of convenience. Not an awful sacrifice to stay alive. Mason would be hurt, but what were her more appealing options? None.
What if they chose Hurstgrove to be her mate? What of her unruly desire for him?
She wasn't certain she could tie herself to her fiance's brother and not succumb to him.
The kiss they'd shared last night haunted her over and over, connecting her to him in a way she didn't understand.
Hurstgrove snapped, "There must be another way. If Mathias was dead, the danger to her would end."
"To all of us. To magickind." Bram tossed his arms wide. "We've been trying to kill him since his return months ago. Olivia nearly succeeded during our first big battle.
We invaded his home and cornered him. Ice fought him and was nearly able to deliver the death blow. In every case, he weaseled away. I don't think we can count on killing Mathias before he hunts Felicia down."
Hurstgrove opened his mouth to object, but Ice interrupted, "The planning would take days, at least, and that's if we knew what rat hole he now called home. As Bram said, Shock's given us a simple solution to protect Felicia. We must take it and divert our energy into rescuing Tynan. Stupid, noble git. I know from experience that Mathias's hospitality can be deadly."
Though Tynan hadn't given himself over to Shock for her benefit, his sacrifice might keep Mathias busy until she found safety. Still, she wished he hadn't done it.
Though she barely knew the wizard, she ached for him and prayed he hadn't just committed suicide by madman.
"You want Felicia safe, don't you?" Bram raised a cutting golden brow.
Felicia turned to Hurstgrove. Tense, he raked a hand through his hair. His dark eyes latched on to her as he drew deep, agitated breaths. "You know I do."
Though the admission had been reluctantly given, Hurstgrove's words warmed her insides. She mattered to him. Was that why Shock thought he wanted to mate with her?
"I thought so." Bram sounded smug. "Get a taste, did you?"
Hurstgrove charged the other man. "Shut your bloody mouth."
Marrok grabbed His Grace by the shoulders and restrained him. "We cannot effectively fight Mathias if we do naught but fight amongst ourselves."
What was Bram talking about, a taste? And why would it infuriate Hurstgrove so much? They spoke in constant subtext around her, and she was tired of it. "Someone explain what's going on."
No one said a word.
Jerking free, Hurstgrove clenched his fists, but left Bram alone.
"Maybe we're not thinking about this correctly," she said into the silence.
"Mathias wants me for one particular purpose, right? To open this tomb and resurrect this witch? Can we not find some way to simply derail him?"
Ice's face lit up. "Open Morganna's tomb on our own and destroy Morganna's essence before Mathias can find you. Brilliant! It might work."
"But warnings about that tomb abound," Sabelle cut in. "Yes, it might work. And it also might kill her."
"What do you mean?" Hurstgrove snapped.
"As lore goes, the tomb was rigged with multiple magical and non-magical traps, designed to eradicate nosy wizards and witches or curious humans. I read something about it once in one of Merlin's tomes." She rubbed her forehead with her palm. "Trying to remember ... I can only recall something about multiple sections and each being rigged. Each is progressively more dangerous than the last, and designed to kill. Only an Untouchable can bypass that sort of magic. And only someone very bright can pass the human barriers. Even then, nothing is guaranteed."
"Then, no," Hurstgrove returned immediately. "Felicia will not step foot near that tomb."
"I am perfectly capable of answering for myself, Your Grace." She anchored her hands on her hips and glared daggers at him.
"For the last bloody time, my name is Simon." Then he shook his head. "You don't understand any of this. Not magickind, not Mathias, and definitely not Morganna. A single wrong move will mean your death, likely a painful one." He shook his head. "I won't put you in a position to die for our cause."
Hurstgrove was angry--on her behalf? He didn't like her pulled into the middle of this and in danger. He wanted her as far from harm's way as possible. Though he'd been bossy and high-handed at times, his protective mien melted a bit of her ire.
"Mathias already did," she countered, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
He tensed beneath her touch, his face a thunderous mix of fury and desire.
"Indeed." Bram paced. "We haven't much time before Mathias comes calling.
Entering that tomb should be done cautiously, with a great deal of planning and studying, or we'll be signing more death warrants than yours."
The unvarnished truth--from everyone here. Felicia had wanted this last night when Bram and Hurstgrove and the others had disrupted her wedding and carried her away. But now, she shivered. The truth lurked like a specter, frightening, unavoidable. A very powerful wizard would either use her and murder her, or kill her outright if she refused to cooperate in bringing back a witch who could torment human and magickind alike. Her only possible recourse was a magical "marriage" to a wizard she wanted above all men. Both prospects terrified her.
She knew so little of magickind. Hidden dangers lurked around every corner, it seemed. As surreal as it was, this was her new reality. She must learn all she could, then make quick, sound decisions. Or she would wind up dead and possibly put others in danger.