“Oh, wow,” she sighed, shifting so that she was more comfortable. “I mean…” She was still panting, trying to catch her breath, and he dragged her up against his side. “Just wow.”
He swore he felt his chest puff up. He drew her closer to him, tucking her head under his chin.
He rolled over then, and looked down at her sprawled on the bed, skin flushed and her form lushly curved. She grinned up at him with a happily seductive smile.
“Why did you resist doing that for so long?” she asked.
He frowned. “A couple of reasons. Intimacy and trust between us could help you regain your memory. Because of our connection in the past. But mostly because I was afraid I’d fall for you.”
He’d tried to save himself the pain. Gods, he couldn’t lose her. She had become everything to him. Fear turned his contentment to a sick anxiety. But how could he keep her safe when she was the one who had to put her life in danger and he wasn’t allowed to interfere?
He couldn’t go back on his word, but would he be able to stop himself, when her life hung in the balance?
Chapter 29
“Does anyone have any ideas about how to keep me from dying?” Diana asked Cadan, Esha, and Warren. They’d just assembled in Warren’s office to discuss her options. It was still fairly early, but nerves made the idea of coffee or breakfast repulsive.
“Your task takes place in Erebus, a Roman afterworld. The only way for a mortal to enter an afterworld is through death,” Warren said, his face grim.
Cadan’s hand tightened around hers and she felt the tension that surrounded him as he fought to say nothing.
“I presume I have to kill Paulinus,” Diana said. “If I was reborn for this, it makes sense that I would have to repeat past deeds.”
“I think that I could possibly get you into Erebus,” Esha said, her brow scrunched thoughtfully.
“Nay.” Cadan bit out the word. Diana squeezed his hand.
“No, I mean, I think I can get you in without dying,” Esha said. “You know how I can see into the portal and helped you do the same? Well, since you were reborn for this, it’s possible that I can send part of your soul through the portal. Maybe it would be enough to allow you to do what’s needed.”
“How?” Diana asked.
“I can manipulate souls if I have permission from their owner. All soulceresses can. I couldn’t send just anyone to an afterworld, but because your soul is linked to Paulinus’s through death, then maybe I can project part of your soul into Erebus.” She paused. “I think.”
“You think?” Cadan’s voice was cutting. “That’s enough to send Diana’s soul to hell? A hunch?”
Diana pushed away the dread that filled her mind like black muck and squeezed Cadan’s hand to get him to shut up.
“Only part of her soul,” Esha said. “Like an illusion. That’s why it would be safe. Part of it would stay tethered to earth with her body.”
“What are my odds of dying from this?” Diana asked.
Esha stroked the disheveled black cat who jumped onto the couch next to her. “Slim, I think. Since I’m just projecting part of your soul into Erebus, your body would stay at the entrance with us. So he can’t kill your body. And he could only kill part of your soul.”
“Honestly, that sounds terrible,” Diana said.
“This is all terrible,” Esha said. “And there’s a very slim chance I wouldn’t be able to call your soul back if you get in trouble. But that’s never happened before. It really should be fine.”
Diana swallowed hard. Should be fine. Her life expectancy was now should be fine. To think that only weeks ago, her biggest concern had been whether or not she got her promotion.
“Any one else have any ideas?” Diana asked. Because she certainly didn’t.
“Aye,” Cadan said. “Doona do this. Let the Praesidium handle it.”
She scowled at him.
Cadan held up his hands. “Just giving other options here.”
Ha. It was a subtler expression of his control issues. “I was reborn to do this. If anyone else on the planet could have, I wouldn’t have been reincarnated. And it’s my best friend trapped there. No matter what possible evil could come of ignoring this threat, there’s definite evil in leaving Vi there.”
“She’s right,” Warren said.
Diana nodded at him, grateful that he backed her up, yet annoyed that he’d had to. “I think we should try it. How am I supposed to get Vi back?”
Esha bit her lip. “Well, she’s not supposed to be there in the first place, since she doesn’t practice that religion. Presumably. It’s been dead a couple thousand years, after all. So I think it’s the spell that’s holding her there. I can’t guarantee that when Paulinus dies and the spell is broken that she’ll wake from her coma. But at least her soul will escape. Try to grab her arm or something if you can, see if you can drag her out with you and back to earth. That way her soul could maybe reunite with her body. Otherwise her soul will go to whatever kind of afterworld she believes in. And mind you, this is just me guessing. It’s the best I can do.”
Diana nodded. She had to believe it would work.