Page 145 of Eryx

Another soldier then bashed him in the face with a shield, sending my warrior to the dirt. I choked out a sob, tears blurring my vision as I reached him. After stabbing one of the men in the gut, the other used his shield to knock away my sword. I then snapped his neck with my bare hands, glaring into his young face before tossing his body aside.

Pulling Axios into my arms and seeing the severity of his wound, another sob tore from my throat. His helmet had been knocked off and his eyes had fallen closed. There was so much blood.

“Do not leave me!” I demanded as tears fell from my eyes and landed on his cheek. I crushed him closer to my chest. “Axios. I beg of you.”

His breathing slowed and he stopped moving.

“Ax?” I brushed the dark hair from his face, a whimper escaping my lips. “Open your eyes.”

But he didn’t obey. He didn’t move. Barely even breathed. He was slipping away from me.

Give me one more day with him,I prayed to any god that would listen.And if I cannot have one more day, then take me instead.

Men were still engaged in battle, swords clanking against shields and shouts filling the air. I gazed at Axios, caressing his jaw. If he was to die on this battlefield, then I would too. My life was nothing without him in it.

“Eryx!” Haden dropped beside me and gripped my shoulder. “You must stand and fight.”

“I cannot.” I didn’t recognize my own voice. “I cannot leave him.”

Haden regarded Axios, and his gray eyes were pained. “He still lives, does he not?”

Just then, members of the Sacred Band attacked us. Haden blocked one of their swords with his shield before jumping up and hitting them with the edge of it.

Bringing Axios closer, I placed a soft kiss to his unmoving lips. “I love you.”

Memories flitted through my head of us laughing as we ran through the valley, me in front of him. He said he’d follow me anywhere. But he was the one who’d gone somewhere now. I touched his chest, feeling the beating of his heart. Slow, but steady.

“Eryx! To your right!”

I grabbed my sword from the dirt just in time, raising it as one had been coming down on my head. And then something snapped inside me. I rose to my feet and faced the enemy hoplites. The ones nearest to me attacked, and I sliced through them with ease.

Blood. So much blood. I saw nothing but red as I then killed countless men. One would meet the end of my sword before I kicked their body off my blade and stabbed another. Yet, no matter how many I killed, the battle was lost. My eyes landed on Quill and Haden, both of them fighting with every bit of strength they had. Though, they were tiring.

The other Spartans who still fought by my side were also weakening.

Axios lay at my feet, his chest slowly rising and falling with his rasping breaths. His skin was pale.

“Bring my brother home,”Leanna had told me.

And so, I did the one thing I had sworn to never do.

“Fall back!” I shouted before kneeling down to grab Axios.

Haden and Quill approached and fended off the enemy as we ran toward the mountain passage. The rest of our men followed.

The Theban force pursued us for a short distance, but then Pelopidas ordered them to return to the battlefield. The sound of their cheers echoed behind us as they celebrated their victory.

***

“Have you seen Theon?” Quill asked, once we reached Orchomenus.

I had taken Axios to the tent for the wounded and was watching as the physician treated his wound. At the mention of Theon, I released a shaky breath and faced Quill. His big brown eyes returned my stare. There was no easy way to tell him.

“He…” I paused, struggling for words.

Quill’s mouth popped open and he shook his head, understanding what my hesitation meant. “No. Theon’s here somewhere. Probably went in search of food the moment we returned.” Even as he spoke, tears fell from his eyes. “He’s alive.”

“I saw him, Quill,” I said, wishing to spare him heartache but knowing I couldn’t. “Theon fell in battle.”