Warrior Rising (Goddess Summoning #6)(80)

Then she raised her hands over the couple and whispered the spell:

Achilles, hero and warrior, I want you to sleep

Well into the morning, soundless, replete.

Wake when the sun is high in the sky.

What Love commands, you cannot deny.

From her raised hand a waterfall of diamond dust sprinkled over Achilles’ body. The warrior smiled and drifted deeply into Love’s magical embrace.

Sighing with self-satisfaction, Venus left their bedside, easily finding the place where Achilles’ famous armor lay discarded in the corner of the tent. With a slight flick of her wrist, she and the armor disappeared. Venus had one more stop to make to sprinkle a little conciliatory magic on stubborn Jacqueline, and then she had only to wait till dawn when she would meet Patroklos, clothe him in Achilles’ borrowed armor and a touch of her power and then this whole war issue would be dealt with. Venus sighed again… It was always work, work, work. When this was over she definitely would treat herself to a much deserved vacation.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Jacky came awake slowly. She was having the most deliciously erotic dream. Spike (from season six of Buffy, so he was still the Big Bad) had his glorious cheekbones between her caffe latte thighs and he was putting that beautiful mouth to excellent use. She’d always believed there was a whole other world in that mouth…

She jolted awake.

There was, indeed, a beautiful blond man’s face between her legs, but her thighs were young, too damn skinny and too, too damn white. Not that that little fact really mattered much to her at that moment.

“Patroklos…” she murmured. He looked up at her and paused briefly in his work.

“Yes, my beauty. Are you awake?”

“Almost,” she said sleepily, considerately spreading her legs so that he fitted more comfortably between them. “Why don’t you see if you can bring me the rest of the way awake?” As he got back to business, Jacky thought it was like he’d been blessed by the Goddess of Love herself, which, she realized, might truly be possible and made a mental note to thank Venus. Then Jacky found that she was having trouble thinking at all…

"Psst! Kat! Wake the hell up.”

Kat’s eyelids fluttered. God, was she having an awful dream? She could swear Jacky was bending over her, shaking her with one hand while she carried a wooden bucket (bucket?) in the other.

“Go away,” she rasped to what she hoped was a dream apparition. “I’m calling in sick—crazy people be damned. Let them counsel themselves today.”

“Get up, fool. You’re not dreaming. I got somethin’ to do and you’re comin’ with me.” Jacky snapped back the bed sheets, exposing all of Kat’s naked body. “Damn, you’re young,” she said, studying her friend.

Kat rolled out of bed and snatched up her underrobe. “Do you mind? You do not need to see all my business.”

“Please. I know all your business. By the by, your thighs are much thinner in this life than they had gotten in the last one.”

“Jacqueline. Your ass is narrow.”

Jacky sucked air and got ready to launch into an all out assault when a deep snore made both of them turn to statues. Kat looked slowly back at the mound of bedclothes and the naked man. Jacky tiptoed and peeked over her shoulder.

Achilles lay on his side, his torso and one scarred but distinctly muscled thigh poking nakedly from the crisp linen sheets. Kat turned back to Jacky and put her finger against her lips. “Shh!” She snatched up the rest of her clothes and grabbed Jacky’s hand, hauling her from the tent. Outside Kat looked incredulously up at a sky that was just beginning to show a hint of rosy dawn’s fingertips. “What in the holy hell are you doing: one—awake at this insane hour, and two—waking me up, too?”

Jacky glanced at the sky and then back at her BFF. Then she fidgeted.

“Oh no, no, no. You woke me up for a really, really stupid reason,” Kat said.

“Maybe,” Jacky said.

“Why are you holding a bucket?”

“We have to get somethin’.”

“Something?”

“Yes, somethin’ for Patroklos,” Jacky mumbled.

“Pardon moi?”

Jacky cleared her throat. “Somethin’ for Patroklos,” she repeated, this time so that Kat could hear her.

“You want to get something for Blondie Bear. So explain why my sleep is being disturbed.”

“Don’t call him Blondie Bear. I’ve decided I adore him for himself, and not for his fortuitous resemblance to Spike. And you have to come with me because you’re my best friend and you love me.”

“Oh, it’s that embarrassing?”

“Absolutely.”

“Can we drink this early?”

“In my professional nursing opinion in the ancient world it’s healthier to drink wine than water.”

“Which means yes?”

“Definitely. I’ll grab a wineskin on our way out the camp,” Jacky said.

“Are there any fried swine sandwiches ready, too?”

“Already thought of that.” She pointed to a cheesecloth-wrapped packet nestled inside the bucket.

“All right. I’ll go with your silly ass.” Then Kat hesitated and glanced back at Achilles’ quiet tent. “But how long are—”