Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(19)

Venus shook her head. “First we started the war. Then Achilles can only be killed though his ankle. Now there’s a huge horse that wins the war? It just gets more and more ridiculous. No,” she said firmly. “None of that is true.”

“Okay, so basically even the meager details Jacky and I can remember from our waste-of-time humanities classes are bullshit.”

“Sounds like it,” Venus said.

“All right. So what is the truth? Achilles is not invulnerable, but he is a warrior. That part is right. Right?”

“Achilles isn’t immortal, but the berserker rage makes him extraordinarily difficult to kill. And, yes, he has been a warrior his entire short life.”

“Oh, god, tell me he isn’t a teenager, too,” Kat said.

“No, he isn’t quite thirty. It was prophesied by Zeus that if Achilles chose a life of glory and battle he would not live to see thirty summers, but he would be remembered for thousands of years.”

“What? Achilles chose this? Then I don’t know what you expect me to do,” Kat said.

“He made the choice when he was a boy. He has grown and changed since then. Thetis says Achilles tires of his childish decision and longs for peace, but his fate seems set and he has lost hope of changing the path he is on,” Athena said.

“Okay,” Kat said slowly. “I’ll try to help Achilles. But only on the condition that, win or lose, help or not, Jacky and I are sent back to our world.”

“In the kick ass bodies of our choice,” Jacky added.

“If you succeed in ending the Trojan War, you will each be granted one boon.”

“Hera.” Kat faced the Queen of Olympus. “It really isn’t fair of you to expect me to swoop in and fix a guy I’ve never met before in a situation that is more than a little outside my normal realm of expertise.”

“Nevertheless, that is the deal we offer,” Hera said. “And keep this in mind—the more days that pass since your unfortunate accident, the more difficult it will be for us to seamlessly weave you back into your old lives.”

“So you can’t even guarantee what you say you’re guaranteeing?”

“I can guarantee that we will use all of our vast powers to attempt to do so,” Hera said.

Kat looked from the Queen of Gods to Venus. The Goddess of Love was decidedly unhappy about Hera’s “deal,” but she shrugged and shook her head sadly, making it obvious she couldn’t do anything about changing her queen’s mind.

“Fine,” Jacky spoke up. “Kat will take care of business, and she’ll do it quickly, no problem. You, Miss High and Mighty, just keep your end of the deal.”

“I always keep my word,” Hera said.

“Then we’re set,” Kat said.

“Not entirely,” Venus said. “I think it needs to be made clear that they are under divine protection.”

“Agreed,” Hera said.

“I, too, agree,” Athena said.

“Good. It’s your protection they’re going to be under,” Venus said to Athena.

“Why mine?”

“Well, it can’t be me because, according to Greek rumors, I caused the whole Paris/Helen problem. It can’t be Hera because she just told Agamemnon to take Briseis from Achilles. You’re the only one left. Plus, you have a history with Odysseus, as well as Thetis, who will have told her son that you assured her his war-prize bride would be replaced. So Polyxena has to be under your protection,” Venus said.

“Yes, well, I suppose you’re correct,” Athena said reluctantly.

“You know, I’m not sure that I like the sound of ‘war-prize bride.’ I’m no prude, but I choose who I sleep with. And besides that, I’m no one’s property,” Kat said.

“Ditto,” Jacky said.

“Thetis assured me that her son will not force himself on a woman,” Athena said.

“Okay, well, that still leaves the issue of me being his property.”

Athena’s smooth brow furrowed in confusion. “You are a woman and a war prize. You are his property.”

Kat’s hands went to her hips. “I am no one’s property.”

“Being Achilles’ property will help to keep you safe, and keep you with Achilles,” Venus said.

“Hey, whose property am I?” Jacky asked.

“Polyxena’s,” Venus said.

“Shit,” Jacky said.

“There will have to be an explanation to cover their oddness,” Hera said, giving Jacky a stern look.

“You are right, of course,” Athena said, studying Jacky and Kat as she spoke. “Their strange ways will be noticed.”

“You could say that Kat is your instrument, that you have imbued her with sacred knowledge,” Hera said.

“That’s it! Imply that she’s an oracle; they’re always behaving oddly,” Venus said.

“That explains Katrina, but what about her?” Hera pointed her chin at Jacky.

“Sweet baby Jesus I’m right here! God, it’s annoying when you talk about me like I’ve gone all deaf and dumb,” Jacky said. “Besides, I do not behave oddly.”

No one said anything for several breaths, then Kat sighed. “How about this—I’m a bizarre oracle, so it’s really not a stretch that my serv—” She caught the killer look in Jacky’s eyes and corrected hastily, “That my circle of friends would be bizarre, too.”