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"Yes, yes, you’re quite right You were doing very well together" Venus had materialized in an al, shapely legs as she stood at the edge of the surf, letting the soft sea waves flow over her bare feet and calves "I particularly liked when you cast that little spell over hiasm Well done you!"

Kat felt her face flame "Let’sat " Venus smiled "You didn’t have your clothes off"

"You knohat I round out between her clenched teeth

Venus sighed prettily "Yes, of course, I understand Actually the reason I atching was to be quite sure Achilles wouldn’t change when he became aroused by you, as he almost had earlier on the beach"

"And he didn’t," Kat said

"No, not while he was under your spell"

"Venus, it’s not a spell You must know that It’s just hypnotism--a trick that can be played with the subconscious estions can be i hypnotism, too, like don’t smoke Or don’t eat so much"

"Or only remember what happened if you want to?"

"Yes, like that And, again Noof--did you happen to listen in when he toldto marry?"

"Achilles did not do that The berserker did You know they are not one and the same," Venus said

"I understand that, but it doesn’t change the girl’s outcoer a berserker possession"

"Katrina, darling, I don’t believe you will" The goddess paused, studying Kat carefully "And I don’t think you believe you will, either"

"Actually I believe that he can learn to control what triggers the possession I ured out what it is that has to happen to call the berserker to hi physically aroused or emotionally excited It has to be a very specific combination of the two," Kat said

Venus nodded "So you simply need to make sure both don’t happen at once"

"Well, it’s not so simple And both are bound to happen at the saet hie of the berserker’s possession, but he doesn’t trip over into it"

"And all of this will take time and keep him away from the battle-field so that a quick, decisive Trojan victory can be orchestrated Excellent! I will report everything back to Hera and Athena" Venus’s sht choice for this job"

"Thanks I think" But she couldn’t help soddess

"Oh, and you should know that I would never allow Achilles’ berserker to harht, I would have protected you So feel free to experioddess raised her shapely ar ready to disappear

"Wait! Okay, not that I’ you’ll be sure the berserker doesn’t rape and pillage me, but can ork out so on oddesses do not spy We watch attentively and oversee our adoring subjects"

"Fine, let’s just have your watching be not so personal, and your overseeing be slightly less attentive Can’t I have like a panic button I could press or so?"

"What a lovely idea! And I saw the perfect thing on display at one of Tulsa’s exquisite jewelry boutiques on Brookside called Nattie Blue My mortal friend, Pea Chamberlain, and I have recently discovered the delicious Garlic Rose restaurant there Their food is fit for a goddess" Venus laughed "And, of course, I would know!"

"The panic button Re" Venus lifted her arant fingers causing dialitter to forolden heart locket was suddenly dangling froers Venus held it up in front of her face and frowned "Well, it’sthen I remembered But not a problem I can fix that" Venus closed her hand around the locket and then blew gently into her fist When she reopened her hand Kat saw that the locket was the saed Now it reaoddess motioned for Kat to turn so she could fasten it around her neck

Kat looked down at the heart that rested between her breasts "Venus, it’s pretty, but how does this helpIf you need me you open the heart and call my name I’ve inserted an oracle within it I will hear and come to you"

"And you’ll only hear me when I open the locket?"

"Yes, of course"

Kat lifted the locket and studied the outside of it "And it won’t let you watch me oh, so attentively?"

"You shouldn’t be so cynical, Katrina It really isn’t attractive," Venus said

"You didn’t answer the question"

"No, it’s not the seeing kind of oracle, only the hearing kind And only when it’s open Now go back to your Achilles and reers and disappeared in a puff of glittering smoke

Kat walked slowly back to Achilles’ tent She’d meant what she’d said to Venus, she did think that she and Achilles had been doing well together Kat actually liked spending time with him Yes, he was very alphaand sexy But now here they were, back where they’d started last night with her being warned off by him

Kat paused outside the tent, drew a deep breath and straightened her spine Well, last night hadn’t been so bad Tonight she had the backup of Love herself and maybe she could work on a rerun… maybe even one with a twist…

He’d already dimmed the lanterns when she entered the tent Kat could see his shape in bed, and that he was sitting up and definitely not asleep

"I thought you ht not return"

"Where else did you think I’d go?"

"If the servants helped you to escape, I wouldn’t stop them," he said

"Nice to know you want me here so badly" She made no attempt to hide the sarcasm in her voice

"What I want is not the point"

"Well maybe it should be" Kat strode across the chamber and pushed aside the bed curtains "Today when Diomedes accidentally wounded you, did you want the berserker to possess you?"

"No, of course not"

"And so he didn’t"

"It’s not that simple"