He knocked the dull-edged sword aside and pulled her to him. She was delicate under his hands and it made his stomach churn with fear for her. “Do you no’ get it? That’s the most important thing. Keeping you safe.”
“I get that.” Her breath was short, her eyes wide. “And I appreciate it. I do. But it can’t be at the expense of me making my own decisions. If we’re careful getting there, then the demons won’t know to follow us. I don’t have a death wish. But I do want answers and this sword and Verulamium are the closest I’ve come to getting them.”
“Fine,” he said. There was no way around it now. “I’ll take you if I can get my colleague Esha to create a portal to take us directly there. That way the demons canna track us. It’s the safest way. Her power level fluctuates. If she doesn’t have enough, we wait. I won’t risk you over this.”
Chapter 18
Esha stared at the text on her phone, puzzling over the note from Warren.
“A meeting?” she said to the cat, not particularly concerned that he was paying her absolutely no attention. “Warren wants to have a meeting with me? Like, we’re trying to nail down the problems with the budget before the end of the quarter type meeting?”
Too weird. No one ever asked her to a group gathering, and his message had specifically said join us in a meeting. Her job never involved meetings, primarily because fueling her own power meant taking it from the souls of others. Not that she could help it, but still, they didn’t like it.
Despite her flaws—which she didn’t actually agree were flaws—the university had given her a place to live and a pretty nice salary when they’d figured out the extent of her power. She could manifest her every desire, so long as she was fueled up on borrowed power. Once she’d proven herself trustworthy, her unique ability to see true evil had given her a carte blanche license to kill the super baddies whenever she came across them.
She’d initially thought that Warren avoided her because of the way she refueled her power. But then she’d realized that she didn’t affect him. Now she had no idea why he avoided her. He was the only Mythean she’d ever met who wasn’t affected by her powers. She could actually get close to him. It was probably half the reason she was interested in him. Hell, who was she kidding? She’d probably be mooning after him no matter what.
Frowning, she glanced down at the text message. It must be about Erebus, though she was surprised he hadn’t texted her the news to avoid having to see her.
“Well, Chairman, it looks like we’re going to our first-ever business meeting.”
With disgust, she suppressed the thrill of delight she felt at being asked—by Warren—to come to the meeting.
Idiot.
An hour later, Esha strode through the open door of Warren’s office. He and an unknown woman sat at the small round table in the corner.
“So, what’s up?” she asked as she walked over to the table.
Warren stood to greet her, but rather than shake her hand, he gestured toward the woman. “Esha, this is Aerten. She’s a goddess of fate and head of the Praesidium.”
Whoa. Goddess was right. Esha reeled from the hit of power she got off Aerten. It felt like the hit she got off her only friend Andrasta, the Celtic goddess of war. She didn’t get to see her much, but when she did, boy, was it something.
Esha smiled somewhat drunkenly at the serene figure who’d also risen to greet her. “Hi,” she said, holding out her hand. “Celtic, right?”
The woman nodded as she sat. Esha took the chair next to her. “Well done of you to know. Sometimes it seems there are so many of us from various faiths that it can be hard to keep straight.”
That was the truth. “I studied up once I got to the university and realized how much there was to the world.”
And you’re colleagues with my friend, which I’m not allowed to tell you since it would ruin her trips sneaking out of Otherworld .
Aerten nodded. “The Mythean Guardians are supposed to protect those who are important to the fate of humanity. My sight allows me to see who those individuals might be, and to select the Mythean Guardians from the bravest mortals. But my name does mean renowned in battle for a reason.” She smiled wryly. “That was a long time ago, though. Now I’m a bureaucrat, and Warren is the real head of the Praesidium.”
“I see. But you don’t come around here often. At least not when I’m here. I’d feel it.” Hoo boy, was she feeling it.
“Celtic gods don’t really leave Otherworld. I’m an exception because of my duties to the Mythean Guard, but even I can only come for very important reasons. And you are a very important reason.”
“Me?” She squashed a tiny flush of pride. Wasn’t this about Erebus?
“Aye,” Warren said, and she had to work a little harder to crush the burst of happiness. “As you know, we invited you to the university because of your power. But because of the way you reap your power, we weren’t exactly sure how to use you other than as a mercenary.”
“Now you have?”
“With your discoveries in the underground, and recent complications, we have,” Warren said.