Gretta screamed in pain, and Simon felt the creature jolt, losing her grip on the axe. He tightened her against him with all his remaining strength. They fell back onto the floor and he was smashed against the stone by the massive, crushing weight of the werewolf. He nearly lost consciousness, but he felt the caress of the runic circle all around him.
“Simon!” Kate’s voice reached him from a great distance. He paused, hesitant to unleash the power with her nearby, but he couldn’t draw enough breath to tell her to get out.
Then he heard Malcolm’s voice shouting, “I’ve got Kate. Do what you must.”
“No!” Kate’s desperate protests grew fainter as the hunter made good on his promise and took her away.
Simon breathed with relief and gave himself to the aether. The power coalesced from the air around the circle, blasting though whatever strange netherworld it existed in, tearing a hole inside him. The eldritch energy stormed through his body and pounded into Gretta. Waves of magic shook the giant creature as if she were nothing, burning hair and shredding muscle. Simon felt the bulk of the figure in his arms shrink as the aether tore her strength from her. The werewolf screamed as she was changed from beast to woman. And then she went from woman to wizened crone, whimpering in fear because she had never been so frail and helpless before. Simon’s arms enveloped the shivering cadaverous form in an almost tender embrace.
The aether flood slowed to a trickle. There was nothing left in the man to channel it. He was an empty shell. His heart shuddered laboriously in his chest, desperate to maintain a rhythm. Simon wished he’d had a chance to say good-bye.
To Nick.
Mostly to Kate.
They had felt the incredible rush of raw aether where they crouched in the catacomb. Malcolm swore in Gaelic with a dark expression full of astonishment. Kate sensed the tremendous power wash around them. Penny crouched with her ears covered. Hogarth clutched Imogen close to his chest, but she still reached out with her inhuman hand like she was collecting butterflies from the air as if she could see the power the others only felt. Kate held Imogen’s other hand tight against her face, whispering soothing words that she didn’t feel. This was power Kate, or any of them, had never experienced before. She knew that Simon was a scribe, but she had never thought him capable of this.
When the onslaught slowed, Kate checked on everyone. Her head jerked from side to side. “Where’s Charlotte?”
They all looked around, but the girl was gone. No one had seen her slip away. Kate shook her head sadly and started off, but Malcolm stopped her.
“Wait. Wait until we know it’s over.” His voice was assured even though it was clear he was as anxious as the rest of them.
So they stood their ground for several aching minutes. They listened for Simon’s approaching footsteps, praying he would come looking for them, but there was no sound. Finally, Kate could wait no longer. She raced into the cellar of Bedlam. She slid to the door of the operating room and saw Simon’s body lying alone on the floor. She shouted and rushed to his side.
“Simon! Simon!” She struggled to lift him into her arms. His head slipped to the side. His torn limbs were slack. She put a hand on his cold, waxy cheek. “Oh God, no. Simon! Can you hear me? Open your eyes. Please. Open your eyes.”
With trembling, unwilling fingers, she searched the skin of his neck for a pulse. There was none.
Simon Archer was dead.
Kate bent over him, knowing it was too late to protect him now. “Why did you do it? There had to be another way.”
Penny crouched behind her. “Oh, Kate. I’m so sorry.”
Malcolm watched the women gathered around the body of Simon. He announced with a creaking voice, “I’m going to search the area for Gretta.”
When he reached the door, he bumped into another figure. His pistol flashed up into the face of Nick Barker. Nick raised a hand of flame. The two men took a breath, and backed up.
“Where the hell have you been, Barker?” Malcolm snarled.
“Covering the stairs, like I said.” Then Nick looked past him and he saw Simon draped across the lap of a sobbing Kate. His expression of annoyance shifted swiftly to shock. “What happened?”
Malcolm shoved the magician against the doorjamb. “You’re a liar. How did Gretta get past you? Why aren’t you dead instead of him?”
Nick’s face grew dark like a storm cloud. “Take your hands off me, Angus, or I’ll hurt you in ways you can’t imagine.” He shoved Malcolm away and went quickly to Simon.
Kate looked up at Nick with accusing eyes. “He’s dead.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s just drained.” Nick put a hand on Simon’s forehead. He paused as if listening, then he slumped. “No. This can’t be.”
“You said you were his friend!” Kate shouted. “If you had been here, he wouldn’t have sacrificed himself. We could have defeated her together.”