Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(61)

“Oh, my lady! Forgive me! Please forgive me! I had no idea I was sending you into danger.”

Kat exchanged shocked looks with Jacky as she tried to extract herself from Aetnia’s fervent and wet embrace. “Aetnia, it wasn’t your fault. You were just trying to help me find Achilles. You couldn’t have known about those sea creature things.”

“No! It was my fault. I shouldn’t have listened to her. I am so sorry, Princess.” She sobbed brokenly.

Achilles grabbed the maidservant’s arm and lifted her roughly to her feet. “You should not have listened to whom?”

Aetnia shrieked and cringed away from Achilles, holding her hand out pleadingly to Kat. “Princess! Don’t let him kill me.”

“Don’t be silly, Aetnia. He’s not going to kill you.” Ignoring Achilles’ dark look, Kat tugged on his arm so that he let the girl go while she took Aetnia’s hand and guided her to the bench to sit between her and a scowling Jacky.

“I wouldn’t be too free with the no-one’s-killing-her promises until we find out exactly what she had to do with the attack against you,” Jacky said.

Aetnia made a mouselike squeaking sound and scooted closer to Kat. “Don’t let the witch bespell me, Princess!”

Jacky hissed at her. Aetnia screamed. Kat thought she heard Achilles growl.

“Okay! Enough! Everyone just settle down.” Kat clamped a hand on Aetnia’s shoulder to keep her from literally crawling into her lap. She pointed at Jacky. “She is not a witch.” Then at Achilles. “And he is not a monster. Now, you are going to take three deep breaths and then explain, slowly and without hysterical crying, what you’re talking about. Breathe with me.” Even though Kat would much rather shake the ridiculous woman, she led her in taking three cleansing breaths. “You’re fine. Now talk to me.” When the maidservant’s eyes skittered nervously to Achilles and Jacky, Kat did shake her shoulder. “No. Talk to me.”

Aetnia’s gaze snapped back to Kat’s. “It—it was w-when I went to the Greek camp to get your tea.”

Kat nodded encouragement. “Yes, I remember. It was nice of you to get the tea for me.” Kat also remembered that it was shortly after that Aetnia had sent her to the seashore where she was supposed to have found Achilles, but she carefully kept her expression and voice neutral. “What happened when you were in the Greek camp?”

“I saw Briseis. She was talking with a group of war brides at Acalle’s campsite. She—she was talking about you and—” Aetnia hesitated, glancing fearfully at Jacky, who curled her lip at her.

“Briseis was talking about Melia and me,” Kat said, squeezing the girl’s shoulder and forcing her attention away from Jacky. “What was she saying?”

“And why does that have anything to do with the princess being attacked?” Achilles added, in a voice he was obviously trying to keep reasonable.

Kat could feel Aetnia begin to tremble under her hand. “Just talk to me. It’ll be fine,” she said soothingly. “What did Briseis say?”

“She called Melia a witch and said she has bespelled Patroklos and might even be trying to teach you spells, too.”

Kat heard Patroklos snort and Jacky had a minifit of coughing.

“Is that all Briseis said?”

“No. She heard me ask Acalle for some of her special tea for you, and she told me that if I wanted to save you from Melia’s evil that I should be sure you go to the seashore so that Achilles’ mother, the sea goddess Thetis, could gift you with immunity to witchery. That is why I told you Achilles was at the shore. I thought only to save you, my lady! Please believe me!” And she dissolved into sobs again.

“That bitch set you up,” Jacky said. She gave Aetnia a disdainful look. “And I don’t mean this bitch. I mean Briseis.” Then she waggled her brows at Patroklos, who was standing beside Achilles. “And did you know I’ve bewitched you, Blondie Bear?”

Patroklos grinned. “Completely, my beauty.”

Jacky made kissing noises at him.

Kat ignored them, looking instead at Achilles, whose expression had become masklike and unreadable. “Wow. Briseis must really have a thing for you. She wants me out of the way big time.”

“She couldn’t want me. She didn’t. She was as all other women toward me,” Achilles said, then his expression softened for an instant. “All other women except you, Princess.”

“Would you have known it if she wanted you?” Jacky said. “Not to be insulting or anything, Achilles, but you don’t exactly strike me as an expert on what women want.”

“Don’t be mean,” Kat said.

“I’m not! I’m just tellin’ the truth. Briseis might have had a major thing for Achilles and he was clueless about it. Didn’t you say she gave you massively dirty looks in Agamemnon’s tent?”

“She did,” Kat said.

“It’s not Briseis. It’s Agamemnon,” Achilles said.

“Huh?” Kat and Jacky said together.

“Go on. Go back to the campfire and prepare food for the princess,” Achilles told Aetnia before he continued. She shot out of her seat on the bench and ran, stumbling, to the campfire. “Briseis didn’t send you to the seashore and what she believed would be your death because of desire for me. She has no power to summon sea creatures to do her bidding.”