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"Really?" Kat kept her voice carefully neutral "So you didn’tshit out of Briseis?"

Her words had the desired effect on hie his eyes faded and he let loose her wrists as if she’d burned him

"No," he said shortly "I never touched the e to rub at the marks he was sure to have left on her wrists "You didn’t touch her, but she was scared of you anyasn’t she?"

"She was"

"Okay, this is so you need to understand once and for all I Am Not Like Briseis Actually I’m not like any of the wo--and I think we are--you’re just going to have to accept that and quit judging me like you would other woh of relief when she saw another goblet sitting on the bedside table "God, I need a drink" Kat got up, grabbed the goblet and headed for the pitcher of wine she’d already started to eauze curtain back at Achilles "Mind if I have a glass of wine?"

He looked perplexed Again "Of course not"

"Good" She poured a full goblet and then, carrying the pitcher with her, went back to his bed She set the pitcher on the bedside table next to the lantern, then this tie of the bed like she was a deeon scared of a statue (aka Achilles) who had suddenly cos under her co drink of the excellent red wine before she spoke "Okay, here’s the deal I think I can help you Not just with your nonsleeping issue, but also with your, well, nontouching-of-a-woave hi that you really are attracted to me"

His mouth twitched in his little almost-smile "I aain I’, includes stuff like theto have a proble from you"--Kat pointed to him and then off into the distance, kind of like he was part of a PowerPoint presentation--"to that other you I al"

"Then you don’t see me as him"

The tension in Achilles’ voice was beyond obvious, and Kat reached out slowly to rest her fingers lightly against a puckered scar that ran the length of his left bicep

"No, I don’t How could I? Odysseus explained what happens to you, and I witnessed the beginnings of it What you were turning into is definitely not what you are now"

For a ht had just been lifted from him that he had to bend to bear the absence of it Then slowly, htened and his head lifted Achilles met her eyes

"You are the only woman I have ever knoho has understood that It is notthat possesses me I cannot control it I can rarely stop it I cannot even summon it at will" He made a derisive sound deep in his throat "If I could I would not have had to make myself hideous with these scars"

"They don’t ers still rested on the ridge of the old scar on his bicep "They’re a part of you In my mind they’re just the physical evidence of how hard you’ve had to work" She smiled at hi your name"

"You’ve said it correctly It is my price My penalty My burden and, ironically, ainst his ariven the choice of my fate I was asked to choose happiness and love and a life that would be full, but forgotten, or a warrior’s life of battle and death too soon, but eternal glory I chose glory I wanted enerations" Achilles’ deep voice was bitter with self-loathing "Do you know that I will meet my death here, before the walls of Troy?"

"I’ve, uh, heard the rumor that you would" Of course Kat had heard about it She rey Achilles, the warrior as invulnerable except for his heel, was killed by an arrow through said heel, near the end of the Trojan War Kat felt a jolt of panic Why the hell hadn’t she thought hting the Trojans?"

"Alrabbed his hand "I don’t want you to fight anymore"

His brow lifted "Did I not just proclai?"

Kat felt a ridiculous surge of relief that was extraordinarily short lived Wait… in Ho Iliad hadn’t Achilles withdrawn from the battle, too? But then he’d rejoined it and ended up being speared through the heel But why? What had ain?

"Goddaain "I so should have paid better attention in school"

"School?"

She shook her head, brushing off his question while her ical to believe the reason he rejoined the war, and was eventually killed, had soe Fine So she’d work on helping hie and then, voila! He wouldn’t be uncontrollable He’d actually stay out of the fighting and wouldn’t be killed

"Okay, yes I’ve heard you’re supposed to die in the Trojan War But I’ve been sent here by Athena tointernally Athena and the other two goddesses didn’t want hi were practically the sa her with an intent expression in his cos of hope

"I aates of Troy after the death of your brother, Hector"

Kat felt a terrible clutching in her sto about Achilles killing the King of Troy’s son, who just happened to be the brother of the body she was te

"Well, then ill just have to be sure you don’t kill Hector, won’t we?"

"You believe a god-ordained fate can be changed?"

"I know a goddess who believes it Actually I know several goddesses who believe it, and I’ve found that women are usually more reasonable about subjects like war and violent death thanfate, shall we?"

Achilles’ expression was absolutely serious "There is little I wouldn’t give to change et started" Kat soblet out to hi to talk to you about relaxation"

An hour and two goblets of wine (rab his wide shoulders and give hiht it would have done any good Achilles was lying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling His body was rigid and he was definitely not relaxed

"Look, you’re never going to relax if you don’t believe you can"