The hunter glared at Simon, clutching one remaining javelin. “I see now who is the most powerful. Why didn’t I kill you first?”
“Because you’re ridiculously stupid.” Simon started toward the metal man. “And we’ve had just about enough of you. Kate, my sword.”
She tossed the glowing blade, which Simon caught out of the air. Then she dropped her crossbow and drew her sword and pistol. She sprinted toward Walker while Simon and Hogarth ran at him from different directions. The hunter raised the javelin and let it fly at Kate. She ducked to the side and caught the deadly missile with her sword, barely deflecting it away.
Kate raised the gun and fired. The ball penetrated flesh at the hunter’s hip and the man grunted. He turned toward her, towering over the woman. He leveled a decapitating blow at her. Kate ducked and plunged the blade up under his massive metal arm. It cut into flesh, but quickly struck steel and turned aside.
With a roar, Walker’s arm came down and caught Kate before she could escape. He drew her against his chest in a crushing embrace and laughed. “You’re still an insufferable little wretch. All of you Anstruthers think you’re nobility, but you’re no better than me.”
“God forbid.” Kate gasped for air. She dropped the pistol and scrabbled at the bandolier with thick-gloved fingers.
Hogarth leapt onto Walker’s back and wrenched his powerful arm around the hunter’s neck. Simon hacked at the hunter’s leg with his glowing blue sword, slicing through struts and cables, causing the mechanical man to lurch.
“Damn you! You always did have large dogs around.” Walker twisted violently and Hogarth’s legs collided with Simon. The hunter smashed backward into a column, crushing the manservant but unable to dislodge him. He came forward, legs grinding, and drove back again. The column cracked and Hogarth grunted in pain, but kept his tight lock on Walker’s neck.
Simon latched onto the metal wrist holding Kate. He could feel her struggling under Walker’s grasp. A tattoo flared, and with intense effort, he dragged the steel arm out, giving Kate an inch of space to breathe.
“Too late, Archer!” Walker shrieked. “She’s not leaving my embrace alive.”
Kate’s hand plunged under Walker’s tattered regimental tunic. She quickly drew it back out and smashed her open palm against a small lump under the wool cloth. Glass shattered. Walker hesitated, unsure of what he felt. Then he screamed.
“Hogarth!” Kate shouted. “Get off!”
As the manservant abandoned his grip on the hunter, Simon wrenched the steel arm back and sliced through the wrist with his sword. The clawed hand fell to the temple floor with a heavy clang. Kate pushed free from Walker, and she and Simon ran away from the thrashing hunter as blue fire blossomed from his chest.
Walker stumbled forward, cursing and flailing at his burning metal. The cloth smoldered away. Kate’s Greek fire ate into steel and flesh alike, burning faster than the machinery could repair itself. He looked up in agonizing horror and dropped heavily to his knees.
“Nothing clever to say?” Kate glared viciously at him. “I’ll give my sister your regards. You may give our regards to Colonel Hibbert in Hell.”
Simon watched Walker’s massive frame collapse to the floor. The crackling sound of the eldritch fire accented the melting of failing gears. Walker’s scream dissolved into a gurgling silence as the flames licked up at the last bit of remaining flesh. In the midst of the burning morass, he saw a small crystal, glowing green with aether. But then Kate’s fire caught it as well and the crystal broke into colorless shards.
Simon walked with Kate, putting a hand against her stiff back. She looked at him with eyes that were cold and distant. Simon’s breath locked in his chest. Though he had told the king they weren’t assassins for the Crown, their hands were bloodied. And worse, it wasn’t his hands alone. The purest of them were now tainted. There were no words of consolation he could offer. He let her alone and returned to the wall where the Stone resided.
Chapter 20