mythean arcana 07 - witchs fate (34 page)

“You’ve a new assignment,” Warren said. “Can you be here in an hour?” 

Finally.
He needed something to keep his mind off the past. The damn dreams had been hounding him more often lately and he was ready to forget, to slip back into work. 

“Aye, I’ll see you by two,” he said. 

Damn it. He could still hear the revelers below. Living for so long was wearying, but listening to others take such joy in life was just salt in the wound.

In less than an hour, he strode through the great iron-sheathed wooden doors of a building on the campus of the Immortal University. The eyes of the eerie stone gargoyles who guarded the entrance followed him as he entered the cool halls of the Praesidium, named over a thousand years ago when Latin was still the language of education. 

Fucking Latin. Fucking Romans
.

He dragged a hand through his hair. The
short drive to the outskirts of Edinburgh where the university was located hadn’t fully banished his dreams.

His footsteps were soundless on the marble floor of the wide, familiar hallway. It was a habit he’d never broken, though there was no need for stealth here. Terrible, unforgivable things happened when you let your guard down. But this was the safest place for a Mythean in Edinburgh since it was hidden from the prying eyes of mortals, who shouldn’t know of the existence of the supernatural beings who walked among them. 

He pushed open the old oak door at the end of the hall and entered his friend’s office, a book-filled room lit by a small fire that smelled of autumn. Warren looked up from his cluttered desk and leaned back in his chair. 

“Cadan, thanks for coming in so early.” 

“No’ a problem,” Cadan said. He sank into an old leather chair across from Warren’s desk. “Who’s it this time?” 

As one of the few Mythean Guardians in the world, it had been Cadan’s responsibility for nearly two millennia to protect those mortal or supernatural beings deemed important to the fate of humanity. 

Warren glanced down at a rumpled piece of paper. “Looks like a Celtic warrior.”

Interesting—a man who’d been alive for as long as he. “Why’s the bloke need protecting if he’s made it this long? Destiny just revealed to him?” 

And why haven’t I met him before?
Though he didn’t get out much, Cadan knew, or knew of, nearly all the Mytheans in Great Britain. The ones who hadn’t gone rogue, at least.

“Well, that’s where it gets a little strange. The warrior hasn’t been alive. The soul has just been reborn.”

“A reincarnate? They’re damn rare. Doona think I’ve ever actually met one.”

“It doesn’t happen very often,” Warren said, picking up the Slinky on his desk and fiddling with it. 

Why wouldn’t Warren meet his eyes? The claws of nerves crawled up Cadan’s back, little pinpricks sinking into his skin that wouldn’t shake loose. It took him off guard; he hadn’t felt that in centuries. 

“I’ve spoken briefly to Aerten about it.” Warren finally glanced at him, but looked away almost immediately. 

Shite. 

“What does the goddess of fate have to say about it?” He hadn’t seen her in ages. Hell, he’d only seen her a few times since she’d offered him a spot in the Praesidium. Whether he should thank her or curse her was something he hadn’t figured out yet.

“That only select souls are reborn. Those who were so strong in life that their souls never left this plane.” Warren set the Slinky down. “Their souls wait in stasis until humanity needs them. At that point, they’re brought back to perform a task that only they can accomplish.”

“So, I’m going to be protecting a child who will save the world?” A cold sweat broke out on his skin. Killing and guarding adults—no’ a problem. But dealing with children was something he was entirely unqualified for after being alone for two thousand years. Fuck, what a mess. 

“No’ exactly,” Warren hedged. “Apparently with Druidic reincarnation, the soul is reborn in another person, but the person doesn’t become conscious of their previous life until they reach the approximate age at which they died originally.”

“Shite, they develop split personalities?” 

“Ah, no’ exactly.” He paused, seemingly unaware that he’d grabbed the Slinky again and was juggling it faster and faster. “They doona survive that long. Once they remember who they are and complete their fated task, they die.”

“Die? That’s some shite luck.”

“Aye. The tragedy that took the soul too early the first time follows it. History is destined to repeat itself, after all. You need to protect the reincarnate until the fated task is complete, longer if you can.”

That would be a challenge, but then, he liked a challenge. “Do we know what this guy’s task will be, once he regains his memory? And where is he, anyway?” 

“Doona know the task, but Aerten has prophesied that a catalyzing event will spur the memory of the reincarnate and lead them to Arthur’s Seat, likely today or tomorrow. That’s where you’ll meet.” Warren hesitated before continuing, finally meeting Cadan’s eyes. “And the warrior isn’t a man.”

Cadan’s breath stuck in his throat and a chill broke out on his skin. Nay, it couldn’t be. “Who is it, Warren?”

“It’s Boudica.”

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey, there! I hope you enjoyed Witch’s Fate as much as I enjoyed writing it. As with all of the books in the Mythean Arcana series, I drew from history and mythology to enhance this story. 

For one, I didn’t make up wulvers. They’re actually a type of werewolf from Scottish folklore who live in the Shetland Islands and are generally peaceful, though the ones in my world are not. The wulvers of Scottish folklore are men with the heads of wolves; they are not shapeshifters. However, in the world of the Mythean Arcana, they are the more traditional sort of shapeshifting wolf (though I loved the thought of wulvers, I quickly discarded the idea of having a hero with a wolf’s head).

When I thought about Sofia having to save Malcolm from an afterworld, the first myth that came to mind was that of Orpheus and Eurydice. I always thought it was one of the saddest myths, but reading Plato’s take on it had me rethinking. It’s still a sad story, but Plato’s version (written about in his text
Symposium
) has Orpheus painted as a coward who was unwilling to die to be with Eurydice. Because he was unwilling to die for his love, it was not true love. So the gods punished him by presenting him with an apparition of Eurydice (she was never really behind him holding his hand). This version of the myth is somehow less heartbreaking (to me, at least) and I thought it suited Witch’s Fate best.

The inspiration for the stone circle outside of Bruxa’s Eye came from another stone circle that has been found in Northern Brazil.  The circle is located in the Amapa state and consist of 127 pieces of granite, some of which are four meters tall. As with other stone circles, the exact purpose is unknown, but it is believed that it may have been used for ceremonial or astronomical purposes.

Of the names of Sofia’s ancestors, only Oriva was invented by me. The other names—Laís, Karajá, Nauquá, Panenoá, and Aparai—are actually the names of indigenous groups in Brazil. When I thought about who Sofia’s ancestors might be, I realized that none of the Protectors would be Portuguese because the Portuguese did not arrive in Brazil until 1500 AD. Sofia, who was born in 1586, was the only Protector with a Portuguese parent—her father. Her mother and the rest of her ancestors would have been the indigenous people of Brazil. Because I couldn’t find the first names of some of the indigenous people of Brazil from the period 0 AD - 1500 AD (I doubt they were recorded, particularly women’s names, and it would take far too long to delve into the literature), I gave the Protectors names of the indigenous groups. I can’t guarantee these groups were around when Bruxa’s Eye was created, but they might have been. 

In the first draft, Sofia almost cursed in Portuguese, but after careful thought, I also realized that she likely wouldn’t do this. If anything, she’d curse in the native language of her ancestors—but I have no way of knowing how indigenous Brazilians cursed. So, unfortunately, she still curses in English, a language in which she is fluent because modern day Bruxa’s Eye is home to so many species and nationalities. Her species of witch—the Bruxa—is actually a Portuguese name. Had I been able to find a name for witches in one of the indigenous Brazilian languages, I would have used it.

For this book, I went to Salem to learn a bit more about witches and to also learn about the history of the town. The history of witchcraft in Salem is very sad—it’s primarily a story of greed and patriarchy. Because of this, the witches in this book have nothing to do with the women who were accused of witchcraft between 1692 and 1693. But I highly recommend you visit if you have a chance—it’s a really fun (and educational) place.

And last—you might have noticed my reference to House Elves and Diagon Alley. This is of course an homage to the inestimable J.K. Rowling.

GLOSSARY

Aether - The invisible substance that connects the afterworlds and earth. It is both nothing and everything.

Aetherwalking - A method of traveling through the aether to access the afterworlds or different places on earth. Some Mytheans have this power and can bring another person with them.

Afterworld - A heaven or hell created by mortal belief. Mortals can access them only through death. Some Mytheans can aetherwalk to them.

Bruxa - A Brazilian witch. They use wands to focus their magic and have familiars.

Immortal University - An organization created thousands of years ago to protect Mytheans and keep them secret from mortals.  It was initially founded as a true university, hence the name, but over time it morphed into an institution with greater power and responsibility. The university’s primary goal is to maintain the secrecy of Mytheans and to keep the gods from warring to obtain more followers. They do this primarily through diplomacy. The university also provides services to Mytheans that they can’t get elsewhere, lest mortals figure out that their clients never die. Things like education, health services, and banking. 

Mortals - Humans. They are unaware of the existence of Mytheans or that all heavens and hells truly exist. They are immortal in the sense that their soul will pass on to whatever afterworld in which they believe.

Mythean - Supernatural individuals created by mortal belief. They are gods and goddesses, demons and monsters, witches and other supernatural creatures. They are immortal in the sense that if they live on earth, only beheading or grievous injury from magic can kill them. If they are killed their soul will pass on to an afterworld. Secrecy from mortals is one of their highest priorities. Some Mytheans, particularly species of demons and some gods, are trapped in their afterworlds. Others have access to both earth and the afterworlds.

Mythean Guardians - Powerful mortals made immortal, or other supernatural beings who serve at the Praesidium. They protect those mortals and Mytheans who are important to the fate of humanity.

Sila Jinn - Derived from Arabian mythology, a Jinn is a supernatural spirit in a class below that of angels and devils. A Sila is a female Jinn who can shapeshift, aetherwalk between all afterworlds, and manifest some types of magic.

Soulceresses - Mytheans who fuel their power by draining the immortal power of other Mytheans’ souls. When fueled by the power of others, they can manifest their magic with a thought. They are hated by other Mytheans because of this. They also have the ability to see the evil in a person’s soul.

Vala - A Norse sorceress who uses Seidr magic. Vala use a staff to channel their magic and when they are threatened or fighting, an apparition of a blue cloak appears around their shoulders. The first Vala, Sylvi, was trained by the Norse goddess Freya. All other Vala were trained by Sylvi. 

Warlock - Immensely powerful Mytheans, also known as Oath Breakers. They specialize in magic that is destructive and are capable of the greatest magic, but they pay a great price  by becoming Oath Breakers (any oath or promise they make will be torn apart by fate). They can draw unlimited magical power from the aether. They are made, not born. To qualify for the apprenticeship, one must be a Mythean with enough magical ability to be accepted by a master warlock. If one passes the apprenticeship, they must break their greatest oath to transform into a warlock/Oath Breaker. They cannot love because they are Oath Breakers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It takes so many people to create awesome books, and mine are no exception.

Thank you, Ben, for everything you’ve done to support the creation of this book and all the others. Thank you, Emily Keane Smith, for reading every story I’ve written and for sharing your great ideas. As always, your comments have improved this story. Thank you to Carol Thomas for sharing your thoughts. The book is better because of you! And Doug and Veronica, for helping me with the historical details for Hatshepsut.