Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(56)

Her mind was working clearly—her panic had subsided. Kat understood that had something to do with the poison that was filling her system. Just the same, she was grateful for it. It had only been moments since she had screamed into the locket, but already it was probably too late. Even if Venus showed up the poison would more than likely kill her. Kat was just deciding to close her eyes and give in to the inevitable when the world exploded.

Achilles materialized from a cloud of diamond smoke. Utterly detached, she watched him leap into the water beside her and slice through the tentacles binding her numbed body.

“Ah, Goddess! Please no. Polyxena! Listen to me. Do not close your eyes!” Achilles seemed to be shouting at her from very far away, even though logically she knew he was touching her—pulling her from the water.

The lazy tempo of the creatures instantly changed. Five membranes snaked out and wrapped around Achilles’ sword arm. She knew the moment they stung him. She saw the jolt of white hot pain enter his body. As his eyes began to glow he literally tossed her onto the beach and then, with a feral snarl, he waded back into the deadly water.

Achilles changed. She watched the whole thing, crumpled on the beach, gasping for breath. Unbelievably his body actually got bigger. When his face turned so she could glimpse it, Kat saw a stranger—and one who looked more demon than human. His eyes blazed red. His lips were pulled back, baring his teeth. The sounds he made were terrible, more like a furious animal than a man. Kat thought he looked like a surreal photograph in which one person’s body had been superimposed over another.

He was inhumanly fast, slicing through the undulating mass of creatures that had swarmed him. Obviously he was immune to their poison. Kat managed a small scream when the hundreds of little tentacles were replaced by one huge, snaking arm, thick as Achilles’ waist. The panic fluttered alive inside her as she realized that must have been what they had been trying to pull her out to. Achilles sliced through it as if it were made of jelly. There was an earsplitting, hissing scream and then all the tentacles withdrew in a seething mass of blood and foam.

Achilles lunged out after them, roaring a challenge, but they disappeared quickly into the depths. Then he turned toward her. His eyes were still glowing red—a red that was reflected in the blood and gore that covered his body.

“Princess…” His voice was utterly changed—lower, guttural and completely not Achilles. He started to walk from the water toward her, his lips twisted in a dangerous smile.

Kat wanted to talk to him—to try to reach her lover, who she knew was still inside the monster. But she couldn’t speak—she couldn’t move. All she could do was watch as the monster who had been a man approached her, engorged, enraged and deadly.

There was a flash of silver from the sea behind him, and then a sweet, calm voice drifted across the waves.

“Achilles, son, you need to come to me.”

The monster paused, breathing hard. He turned around slowly, as if fighting against himself. Kat could see that a lovely woman with silver-blond hair had risen from the waves.

“Thetis.” He growled the word.

The sea goddess’s voice hardened. “Be gone berserker! My son has no more need of you today.” She flipped her fingers at him and a crystal wave crashed up over Achilles, covering his entire body. When it receded, it had taken with it the blood and gore that had spattered the warrior, as well as the monster who had possessed him.

Instantly Achilles rushed out of the water to her. Kat was glad his eyes weren’t glowing red anymore, and he definitely looked like himself again—scarred and imperfect, but hers. She tried to smile at him. She tried to lift her hand to touch him. But everything was very far away and gray around the edges, and her body wouldn’t obey her.

“Mother!” she heard him call. “Please help her!”

Then the silver goddess was kneeling beside her son. Kat thought her smile was the most tender, loving expression she’d ever seen. “Of course I’ll help her, my golden one.” The goddess touched Kat’s forehead and she felt a rush of warmth and love, and then everything went black.

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kat heard Jacky’s muttering before she opened her eyes. She was saying something that had to do with “Christ on a cracker” and “no goddamn sense.” Kat smiled. If she’d died and gone to hell, at least Jacky had come with her. Again. She opened her eyes.

“Hey,” she croaked. “I thought you watched your language when you were on duty.”

Immediately Jacky bent over her, simultaneously taking her pulse and wiping her face with a cool cloth.

“Katrina, honey, are you back with me?”

“If you’re calling me honey it must be bad. Did I lose a leg or something?”

“Oh, thank the sweet weeping baby Jesus, it is you.” Jacky kissed her square on the lips. “Don’t you ever, ever scare me like that again.”

“Well, hell, Jacky. It’s not like I asked those disgusting things to attack me.”

“Okay, I want you to count my fingers.” Jacky held up three fingers like a baseball umpire.

“You have three fingers, just like Yoda. By the by, if you don’t get a manicure soon and trim those things you’re going to resemble him even more closely.” Kat batted weakly at her friend’s hand. “Do I have to sleep with you to get something to drink?”