Page 5 of Achille's Earth Angel
Achilles’ brow shot sky-high. “You took care of me?” he asked silkily, ignoring Hercules’ taunts. “If that’s true, then why am I still here?” He reached for her but she dodged nimbly out of the way. He let her go, giving her credit for the moment. Of all the warriors he’d fought, none of them had injured his heel until Paris’s arrow had found its mark. She was a quick thinker and even quicker at staying out of arms reach.
“I made it out of your hands, didn’t I?” she retorted haughtily, looking down her nose at him. “That’s all the advantage I needed.”
Achilles was surprised when she turned and ran around the side of the little cottage. He hadn’t really expected her to run. After all, the outcome was inevitable, in spite of her laudable defense. She had to give into her fate sooner or later. A few good swats on her round little backside would teach her to leave his weak spot alone.
Hercules grinned. “I’ll go around this side, you take that side. She can’t get away from both of us.
When they met behind the cottage, they both stared in amazement at the rumbling contraption on four wheels that was spiriting Ange away. When she looked back and held up her middle finger at them, Achilles scratched his head. “What was that hand signal?” he asked. “And what is that thing she’s in?”
Hercules roared with laughter. “You haven’t checked in much on the modern world, have you?”
Achilles scowled. “Pardon me if I don’t have temples built to worship me so I can,” he replied sarcastically.
“Neither do I,” Hercules replied cheerfully. “But that doesn’t stop me from checking in when someone gets a prayer from time to time. Hades still gets quite a few, actually.”
“I never figured you for a peeper.”
“More like an eavesdropper,” he admitted proudly without shame.
“Same difference,” Achilles argued and huffed. “If you’re so up on the modern world, answer my questions.”
Hercules laughed. “That thing she is in is a motor vehicle. They have all kinds of them in the modern world, even ones that fly.”
Achilles stared skeptically at him. “All right...and the hand signal?”
“That’s more of a gesture,” Hercules replied, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “It means go fuck yourself.”
Achilles snorted. “So, they’ve shortened it from five fingers to one these days?” He held his hand up against the bright sunlight, watching the little yellow car disappear on the horizon.
Hercules turned and started walking back the way they came. “Some of the older Greeks still use the five-fingered salute. Come on, we might as well go back and close her front door. Unless Hermes has lent you his winged slippers, you won’t be catching her today.”
Achilles fell into step with his friend, feeling very disgruntled. “She’ll be back. She can’t run forever.”
As they entered the wide-open front door, Hercules could hear the teapot whistling and headed for the kitchen. “She was right, you know.”
“About what?” Achilles asked, looking around with curiosity at the neat, tidy little living room with sunlit windows. He immediately spied the picture of a man on the wall who looked like his Angel. Was it her father? If so, where was he?
“The only advantage she needed was getting out of your clutches,” he yelled back from the kitchen as he turned off the screaming pot. “You want some tea?”
Achilles stuck his head around the kitchen door and glowered at the irrepressible Hercules. “Of course, I don’t want any tea, we’re trespassing as it is. And the only reason she got away was because of her car.”
“Which just goes to show you can never underestimate a woman,” Hercules replied with a satisfied smirk. “I’d say your little earth Angel is leading you on a merry chase so far.”
Achilles grunted and stepped outside just as Epaphras was running down the flagstones again, leaving more watery footprints. He gave chase and caught up with him on the edge of the water. “I thought I told you to stay away from here,” he snarled. He held Epaphras by the front of his tunic, shaking him in his fury. He couldn’t allow this spoiled brat to endanger Angelina. Maybe he should just finish him now. His grip tightened and the fingers of his left hand closed around the young man’s throat, causing him to gargle in panic.
Hercules’ hand on his arm returned him to sanity. “Easy, Achilles. The brat’s not worth it.”
His red fury slowly passed and Achilles finally dropped his hand, but held onto his tunic and shook him. “If I ever see you on this beach again, even Hercules won’t save you,” he growled. “This is your last warning.” And then he threw him into the sea and watched as he slunk away on the tide.
“He’ll be back, you know.”
Achilles turned with a nod and a light in his eyes. “Then I guess it’s up to us to make sure he doesn’t hurt her. Come on, let’s go find some clothing to fit in here.”
Hercules hesitated. “I can’t do that, I’m afraid. While no one may be looking for you, I can’t say the same for me. Good old Dad is always on my back about something and he’ll be looking for me, even if it’s just to chew me out. Besides, you need someone to cover for you while you’re gone.” He rubbed the back of his neck and studied his friend. “You sure you want to do this? She’s mortal, you know. She won’t live forever and then you’ll be back where you started.”
Achilles once again felt the familiar sorrow envelop him from head to toe at the reminder of Briseis’ death. As painful as those memories were, Angelina was beginning to ease that pain. He was half in love with her already. She was beautiful, fiery, independent, everything he admired in a woman. Just being in her presence took his breath away and created a driving need to possess her body and soul. He would have her. “I know,” he stated honestly. “But I have to have her, Hercules.
Nodding, Hercules held out his arm to his friend and they clasped each other at the elbows. “You know where to find me if you need me. I’ll be at the River Styx on Sundays and Wednesdays, just like we always did.”
