Brittania,” he told me.
“You want me to wake a Roman god?” I asked in confusion.
Arminius shook his head. “It was given to us by the priestess of the local gods in an attempt to sway us to keep her people safe. The defeat of Boudicca made it clear that Romans were there to stay, but I always wondered if the priestess hoped her gods would wipe the land clean of us.”
“Roman legions weren’t there forever,” I said absentmindedly as I examined the coin. I was holding something almost two thousand years old – something that could lead me to actual gods.
Arminius chuckled. “True.” He stood and motioned for me to follow him over to an old map displayed on the wall. “But no victory lasts forever.”
The map was an old version of Europe, the borders of countries shifted from what I recognized, their names written in Latin. When Arminius pointed to Great Britain, I at least recognized the basic geography of the current country.
“This is where you want to go,” Arminius told me. “Where you seek won’t be on any map, and you won’t be able to access it from the sky. You’ll have to make a gateway close to this mark but walk until it finds you.”
“Until what finds me?” I asked nervously.
Arminius smiled. “Insula Avallonis. It’s a place of old magic and doesn’t always exist in the same place on this earth. The coin will draw it to you when you hold it and focus on your need.”
“And once I’m there?”
“You find the sleeping gods, wake them, and invite them to the battle,” Arminius said with a smile.
“Right, easy stuff,” I said sarcastically. It definitely wouldn’t be that simple.
Arminius laid his hand on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t give this to you unless I was confident that you’ll succeed.”
Austin frowned and looked pointedly at where Arminius was touching me. Arminius seemed amused by Austin’s irritation, but he removed his hand from me.
“Thank you,” I told Arminius genuinely.
I looked down at the coin that was probably priceless. I hated to ask for anything else, but Arminius seemed like the only person who would be willing to answer my questions.
“I sense there’s something else?” he asked curiously.
I clenched the coin tightly in my hand. “You seem to know a lot about the fae,” I said before hesitating.
“Somewhat,” Arminius agreed before taking his seat again.
Austin held my chair as I followed Arminius’ lead and sat.
I let out a breath, unsure of how much I really trusted Arminius. My eyes met his, and I took his measure. He was ancient, and I could feel the weight of that as I sat across from him. He’d seen so much over the years that he had to know something that might help me.
“Have you ever heard of the fae marking someone?” I blurted out.
“Hmmm,” he said thoughtfully. “I wondered how you escaped your encounter with the Morrigan. Was it a mark from your father?”
Arminius shook his head before I could decide whether I wanted to answer him honestly.
“No,” Arminius said. “That wouldn’t have stayed her hand. It would have to be from someone that has significance to her. One of the princes, perhaps? My guess is Drake.”
I swallowed nervously because his sharp eyes saw too much. Arminius knew too much.
“What does it mean, and how would I get rid of it?” I asked him.
“I recommend you don’t,” Arminius answered. “At least, not yet. We may be able to use that connection to get close to her once we’re ready.”
Austin’s hand tightened on the back of my chair. “We won’t be sending Anna into danger.”
“Of course not,” Arminius said absentmindedly as he tapped his fingers on his desk, gazing off into the distance.
I shared a quick glance with Austin, unsure of what Arminius was planning now. He hadn’t really answered my question, but he was thinking about how he could use the new information to his benefit. I was sure of it.
“Has Austin ever shared my story with you?” Arminius asked me abruptly.
“Um, no,” I stammered before shooting a glance at Austin. He gave me a slight shrug in return.
Arminius leaned forward in his chair. “I was born in what used to be referred to as Germania, east of the Rhine.”
I nodded, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken.
“Rome didn’t just conquer with their military,” Arminius told me with a bitter smile. “Their goal was to assimilate everyone into their culture. I was taken to Rome as a child and raised in a Roman household.