Braving Fate (The Mythean Arcana 1)

“No, they’re unreachable. If they’re meant to be reborn, they will be.” Andrasta seemed to be able to guess her thoughts before they left her mouth. Diana was grateful. The questions were almost too painful to complete.

“There’s no other way to get them out?”

“I’m sorry, but no. That is the nature of our world, our beliefs.”

Diana felt sick. “Then what if I don’t believe it?”

“It wouldn’t matter. It’s what they believe that counts. And even if it were your choice, this is a matter of belief, not desire. Controlling belief is a difficult thing. You may think you are convincing yourself, but your subconscious knows

. You’ve believed in this fate for thousands of years.”

The words hit her like a brick. Memories flared in her mind. She remembered exactly what Andrasta had told her before, two thousand years ago. Her stomach roiled. “You told me my fate, the last time we met here. Told me that I would die, but that it would be so that I could complete what I had started. Did you know that this was how it would go? That as Boudica, I would kill myself so that I could keep Paulinus in hell?” And possibly atone for the boy?

“I didn’t know exactly how it would happen, but I didn’t want you to have to kill yourself. You were my favorite mortal.” A small smile kicked up the corner of her mouth.

So that was the reason she’d been so quick to leave Cadan. Not just to save her people, and not just to avoid capture. So that she could do what had to be done. She’d been meant to do this for thousands of years.

“Is it true, then?” Diana asked. “The myth about you and Camulos?”

Andrasta grimaced and nodded. “There’s more to it than what’s recorded, but the gist of it is accurate. It sucked.”

“Is that how I’m supposed to get to Erebus?”

“It would work,” Andrasta said. “Paulinus will continue to send harpies after you until he has you. Going on your terms will give you an advantage. And sooner is better than later. The magic he’s been working has strengthened the portal. It will become easier for beings to escape.”

“And everyone will get out?” Diana’s voice was weak. “Erebus is where dead Roman warriors go. There will be thousands of pissed-off warriors loose in Edinburgh?”

Andrasta shrugged. “Maybe. But probably not, since they’re only souls without bodies. That’s what Paulinus needs you for—to give his soul a form and path back to this world. No, it would be the harpies and other demons who’d be able to use the portal, as they have both their bodies and their souls. As Mytheans, they can cross the barriers without the death it usually takes to grant a mortal passage.”

“How do I kill Paulinus? How do I destroy him so that he never comes back?”

“The same way that you would kill him on earth. He doesn’t have an earthly body, but he’s no ghost either. As the person who killed him the first time, only you can kill him again. And you’re the only one who can dispatch his afterworld form.”

“Wait...what? What about his soul? Is that different from his afterworld form?”

“Ah, good catch. We don’t know if it would be destroyed. Perhaps it would, or perhaps it would go elsewhere. Souls are pretty tough.”

“But what about the myth? The story of you and Camulos? You destroyed his soul in Otherworld.”

“Thought I did. And for a long time, we thought that he was gone forever. I’ve very recently discovered that might not actually be the case. He’s probably still alive.”

Were her eyes a little brighter?

“So, that’s why you don’t think I can destroy Paulinus’s soul?”

“Yes.”

Diana’s chest constricted. If Camulos could come back after Andrasta had killed him...

“So, is there no way to destroy Paulinus so that he can never hurt us again?” Diana asked.

“Well, there’s no way for you to destroy him forever.” She hesitated before continuing, searching Diana’s face as if she were debating her next words. “But if he were to kill himself, then yes, possibly. The universe allows us choice, and if he were to make the choice, particularly if it were in sacrifice, then his soul would probably disappear.”

“Wait—why sacrifice?”

“It’s one of the most powerful forces there is. Just killing yourself in the afterworld could destroy your soul, but it’s not a sure thing. What would hell be if you could escape it? However, a sacrifice can give it that extra push.”

So, like her survival, truly defeating Paulinus was possible but not probable. “And what about me? Could I survive this?”