Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(21)

Her first thought was that she understood why he scared maidens. Her second was that she wondered how, in this ancient world without penicillin and blood transfusions, he had ever lived through so many wounds. Kat kept her expression carefully neutral. She heard Jacky’s muffled “huh” from beside her, but knew the ER nurse’s reaction wasn’t shock or fear, but that she also had to be wondering how the hell he’d survived such horrible injuries.

Kat needn’t have worried about fixing the expression on her face. Achilles didn’t have so much as a glance for anyone except Athena.

“By your presence here I assume Thetis has spoken to you,” Athena said.

“She has, Goddess,” Achilles said.

“Agamemnon has taken your war prize.”

Even though Athena didn’t frame the words as a question Achilles gave a tight nod and said a clipped, “He has.”

Kat noticed that the men behind him scowled at this and stirred restlessly.

“Then I shall replace that which you lost. I bring to you Polyxena, Princess of Troy, Daughter of Priam!”

Athena made a grand gesture and stepped aside. Achilles’ gaze turned to her and Kat thought her feet had grown roots and sunk into the marble floor of the temple. He had the most incredibly blue eyes!

Jacky coughed, and as she covered her mouth managed to push Kat forward.

“Princess Polyxena, greet Achilles, Leader of the Myrmidons,” Athena prompted.

Thankfully, Kat managed to put on her therapist face. She smiled politely and, in a perfectly modulated, perfectly calm, perfectly fake voice said, “Hello, Achilles. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Then she walked purposefully forward and, still smiling, held her hand out to him.

Achilles hesitated. He looked from her hand to her face and then back down at her hand again. Kat kept the smile plastered on and the hand hanging out there in the breeze. Finally he took it, gingerly, and bowed quickly over it as if he would kiss her, but stopped well before his lips touched her skin. Then he dropped her hand and took a quick half step back.

“I greet you, Princess,” he said, but his gaze had already shifted back to Athena.

“I must return to Olympus. Achilles and Odysseus, let me make it clear that Polyxena is unique. She will never be a normal war prize—she is much more. I have decided to imbue her with sacred knowledge. Think of her as you would my beloved oracle. She and her maidservant are under my protection. Anyone who would dare harm them shall evoke my eternal wrath.” Athena raised her voice so that the power in it brushed physically against the kneeling men.

“We understand, Goddess,” Achilles said.

“Be sure you keep her safe,” Athena said. “Odysseus, a word.” The goddess motioned for Odysseus to follow her out of hearing range, leaving Kat and Achilles standing awkwardly together. Kat wanted to stare at him. Of course staring was what all women probably did when they first met him. Or they wouldn’t look at him at all. Just like she wasn’t looking at him at all. God, she was acting like an idiot. Resolutely Kat looked at Achilles to find him staring over her shoulder at nothing with his jaw clenched.

He must hate first meetings like this, she thought.

Kat cleared her throat and, almost reluctantly it seemed, Achilles’ gaze met hers.

“Achilles, I’d like to introduce you to my servant,” Kat stumbled just a little over the word. “This is, uh, Melia,” she blurted, almost forgetting her best friend’s new name.

Jacky stuck her chin in the air and made a weird little half-curtsey, half-bow. “Pleased,” she said.

Ignoring Jacky completely, Achilles said, “You would introduce me to your slave?”

“Well, yes,” Kat said.

“Jesus god, it’s like I’m not here again,” Jacky muttered.

“Highborn!” Athena’s commanding voice made all of them jump. The goddess walked briskly back to them. “Melia was highborn—a princess in her own land before she was abducted and sold to Troy. Polyxena has chosen not to break her spirit. As I told you, the princess is unique.” Athena turned her back to the warriors so that she could give Kat and Jacky severe looks. “I depart now.” She faced the men again and raised her arm majestically. “Be forewarned that I will be watching, and one never knows when I shall return.” The goddess disappeared in a glittering cloud of gray smoke.

“Such a drama queen…” Jacky whispered to Kat.

“Come, Princess. I will show you to your new home.” Without waiting to see if she followed him, Achilles marched away, leaving his soldiers to form a column around the women and follow behind him.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Sweet Jesus on a cracker, will you look at that,” Jacky whispered to Kat.

They stood on the edge of an enormous trench, dug between the grassy plain that sloped down from the plateau on which Troy had been built, and a wide, white sand beach kissed by a turquoise sea so clear and blue it almost hurt Kat’s eyes. But it wasn’t the bizarre trench or the beauty of the sea that had made Jacky whisper and stare. To their left, as far as they could see, the beach was crowded with brightly colored tents and men. Just offshore the sweetly rounded harbor was filled with ancient wooden ships.

“This way, Princess,” Odysseus said, breaking the spell the sight had cast.