Page 156 of Eryx

“Yes, and Thebes returned this morn to renegotiate those terms,” he responded with a low growl. “Our king then struck Thebes from the list of signatories. War between us will resume.”

As I left the hall and headed home, I clenched my hands at my sides and fought the tears stinging the corners of my eyes. Hope was such a cruel beast. My spirits had been high the night before as Axios and I spoke of our plans. But those plans would never come to pass.

We were destined for war. Nothing else.

Axios was in the courtyard when I returned. A rabbit hopped from the bushes before seeing me and scampering away. He watched the rabbit before meeting my gaze, and his smile instantly vanished.

“What is it?” he asked in alarm, standing from the grass and nearing me.

The news would break his heart. Much like it had done to mine.

“Thebes rejected the demands,” I said, focusing on the ground. I didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes.

“You told me all the leaders had agreed on it,” Axios said in a hard tone. “That war was at its end.”

“At first, yes, they had. And it had been.” I finally looked at him, mourning the loss of his light. He didn’t look disappointed like I’d expected. I saw no emotion whatsoever in his eyes. “But Thebes requested to re-negotiate several of the terms, and their demands were unreasonable. King Agesilaus refused them, so they were excluded from the treaty. The peace went into effect for the other leaders, and it is now just us and Thebes at war.”

“What does this mean?” he asked.

“The ceasefire has ended, and an army will be sent to invade Boeotia once more,” I answered as a chill snaked through my veins. “It has not been decided when we will go… but I feel it will be soon.”

Axios shifted his gaze to the right, staring at the place we’d wished to plant trees for our orchard.

“Ax?” I stepped closer and slid my hand to his nape. He didn’t react to my touch. There was a burning sensation in my sternum, as if I’d swallowed hot iron from the forge. “Please say something, my warrior.”

His eyes found mine, and I saw desperation in them. As if he was being swept away and needed something to hold onto.

“Do you think the fighting will ever stop?” he asked.

“All wars eventually end,” I answered, smoothing my hand up and down his bicep in an attempt to comfort him. “Just as the ice from winter eventually melts. It matters not how dark and cold the days are. It will pass when spring arrives.”

Axios swallowed and pressed his head to mine. “So we must wait for spring?”

I nodded and brought him to my chest. We stayed that way for minutes. Hours. No amount of time would ever be enough.

Chapter Thirty-Six

371 BC

It took time to prepare the army for the invasion. Armies garrisoned in other cities had to be sent messages to return to Sparta, and weeks turned to months. Therefore, King Cleombrotus decided to wait until winter passed before having the army depart.

The day before we were expected to leave, Axios went to see King Agesipolis’ grave. He was struggling with his views of the war; knowing he needed to fight, yet also tired of the conflict and thinking it pointless. The king had shared his views while alive, and I knew that was why Axios wished to visit him. I gave him privacy and let him go alone.

I lay in the grass outside of our home, arms resting behind my head as I stared at the sky. The rabbits rustled in the bushes, sometimes brave enough to hop toward me, sniff my arm, and then hop back. Clouds drifted overhead, momentarily blocking the sun. The cool breeze swept my bangs into my face, and I closed my eyes.

Spring had arrived. But not the spring I had discussed with Axios… the one that would end the war and allow us to live in peace. I fearedthatspring would never come.

When Axios returned, he lay beside me and propped his head up on his arm. He didn’t speak as his gaze roamed my face and trailed down my chest. I didn’t sense lust from him, though. It seemed as though he was memorizing every detail, much like I had often done to him when he was asleep.

“This is our last day in Sparta,” I said, glancing at him. “It feels different this time.”

“I feel it too,” he whispered, resting his head on my bicep. “I do not wish for the sun to set this day. I wish to stay this way with you, in this moment, until the end of our days.”

I shifted to put my arm around him, and he snuggled closer to my side. Then, I studied him just as he’d done to me. Tanned skin and dark lashes. Plump lips. At thirty-five years of age, he was just as beautiful as he’d always been. Perhaps even more so.

I glided my fingers through his black hair, my vision blurring as I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to see gray color the dark strands. If I’d ever see wrinkles at the corners of his eyes from how often he smiled.

If we’d ever grow old together.