Warrior Rising by P. C. Cast Read Free Book Online Page A

Eleithyia cried, but she didn’t let loose her grip on the glowing goblet.
    â€œIt is the heat of the breath of life. Quickly, child, pour the wine within the lips of the princess and her servant,” Hera said.
    Eleithyia immediately did as her goddess commanded. She bent and carefully poured half of the wine into Polyxena’s slack and bloody lips, and the other half into the young maidservant’s still mouth.
    â€œI don’t know if this is going to work.” Venus frowned as most of the wine ran down the pale cheeks of dead women. “Maybe we should—”
    Polyxena gasped and then drew a deep, almost painful sounding breath. Shortly after, Melia’s chest began to rise and fall, too.
    â€œKeep focused,” Hera reminded them before completing the spell.
    â€œWounds mend—health return the spark of mortal life within them burn!”
    As the goddesses and the priestess watched, the terrible gash on Polyxena’s head faded, and then disappeared at the same time Melia’s gaping chest wound shimmered and closed so that the two women lay perfectly healed, though the only movement in their eerily still bodies was their slow, steady breathing.
    Eleithyia fell to her knees and bowed her head. “It worked! You have healed them.”
    Hera touched her priestess’s cheeks softly. “Only their bodies, child. Their souls are journeying to the Elysian Fields. They are but empty shells.”
    â€œWell, it just so happens that I have two mortal souls in desperate need of shells,” Venus said. “Shall I get them?”
    â€œYes, but Athena and I need to make our visits to Agamemnon and Thetis first.”
    Athena frowned at the newly healed bodies. “Shouldn’t you do something about all that blood and such before you put the mortal souls in there? I’m no expert on modern mortals, but I do believe that any woman would be quite upset awakening to this mess.” The goddess made a general gesture at the blood-spattered temple.
    â€œUgh. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right.” Venus sighed. Then she fluttered her fingers absently at Athena and Hera. “Go on, don’t worry about this. I’ll conjure some satyrs to take care of it.”
    â€œSatyrs?” Hera said. “Aren’t they rather messy?”
    â€œOf course—nothing makes a mess like a rutting satyr, which is why they’re so good at clean-ups. They’re used to it.”
    Hera and Athena gave Venus twin looks of confusion.
    â€œYou don’t think I clean up after all those orgies, do you?” Venus shook her head in disgust. “I’m their goddess, not their mother.”
    Athena snorted.
    â€œLet’s leave this to Love, shall we?” Hera guided Athena from the room before the goddesses could start bickering again. “Have the little beasts clean quickly—this shouldn’t take long,” she called back over her shoulder.
    â€œWhy is it that Love always gets stuck with the mess?” Venus muttered.
    â€œCould it be because love can be so messy?” Eleithyia asked with a sweet, innocent smile.
    â€œDarling, you’re obviously new to this whole priestess thing, so I won’t blast you into nonexistence for calling me messy.”
    Eleithyia gasped and looked like she was going to burst into tears.
    Venus sighed. “Not to worry. That was just a little divine humor. Let’s get the satyrs to work, shall we?” The goddess glanced down at the two bodies that awaited souls. “And while I’m thinking about it I better come up with some new clothes for these two. All that blood will never come out. . . .” She continued to mutter to herself as she conjured an entire herd of industrious satyrs and began putting the temple to order.
    Hera materialized within the innermost chamber of Agamemnon’s voluminous tents. Except for the young, hairless boy who was oiling the king’s dark,