Page 19 of Eryx

“You will be flogged, you shit!” Gaius snarled, reaching for Axios.

Felix blocked his path, holding an arm out to stop the other man. “No.” Then, he studied Axios. “I knew there was strength in you somewhere, boy. Your own life may not be of concern, but his,” he nodded to me, “he is what you will fight for.”

The words bounced around inside my chest and it took a while for them to settle. Axios would fight for me. Die for me.

Without a doubt, I knew I’d die for him too.

Chapter Four

“Explain it to me,” Axios whispered as we lay in the barracks. It was the night before thediamastigosis, and his troubled mind kept him from finding sleep. “How did it begin?”

Oh, my dear friend. He needed to know the reason behind everything. If he placed as much effort into his athletic training as he did his curious mind, he’d be unstoppable.

“Do you wish to hear another story?”

He softly smiled and rested his cheek on my shoulder. “Please.”

“Many years ago, two men were at the sanctuary of Artemis,” I said, keeping my voice low so the other boys wouldn’t be disturbed. “While there, an altercation occurred. One man attacked the other, and they clashed near the altar with fists and blades. The spilling of their blood was a sign of disrespect to the goddess. How dare they visit her sanctuary and behave like animals?”

“Did she punish them?”

I brushed a strand of dark hair from his brow, staring into his wide, curious eyes. “They were bound and whipped to appease her.”

“And she wasn’t appeased?”

“No,” I answered. “From that day on, human sacrifices were made once a year to atone for the men’s disrespect. The people feared the goddess’ wrath otherwise. Eventually, Lycurgus, after reforming our laws and military, had another idea. He did away with the human sacrifices and replaced it with a festival. Now, those of us going through theagogeare scourged upon the altar one day a year. Over time, it’s become the spectacle it is now, not only appeasing the goddess but also showing Spartan strength.”

Axios moved closer to me, and I put an arm around him. It had become common for me to hold him this way. Late at night, he sought comfort and I could deny him nothing. And if I was being honest with myself, it also comforted me, but in different ways.

I liked feeling his heart beat against mine. Liked the tickle of his breath on my skin.

There were moments when the brutal training and the need for success took away my humanity—turned me into a mindless beast of flesh and muscle, set to destroy anything and everything standing in my way. But then Axios stood in my way, begging me to show mercy to a helot or asking me where the birds fly when they soar above us. He never failed to bring me back to myself.

Axios kept me grounded. Kept me human.

“You must sleep,” I whispered.

“How can I sleep when the morn seems so dark?”

“Because I’ll be with you.”

I couldn’t guarantee he’d survive thediamastigosisunscathed. None of us would. But hewouldsurvive.

He closed his eyes then, and I ghosted a finger over his bottom lip. The feelings coursing through my body made very little sense. He was my greatest friend, and yet, he meant so much more. All I knew was the gods had brought Axios into my life for a reason. That reason would become known with time. I was sure of it.

Soft puffs of air reached me moments later. Axios had fallen asleep in my arms, and he nuzzled my shoulder as he tightened his hold on my torso. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me too.

I woke before the sun rose in the sky. Sometime during the night, Axios had rolled away from me. The distance made me feel…unpleasant. I flung my arm around his stomach and tugged him back to my chest. His rapid breathing and the way he shifted on the bed of reeds told me he wasn’t asleep.

Knowing him, he’d probably been awake for a while dreading the moment we had to wake and begin the day.

“I can sense you overthinking,” I whispered at his nape.

Axios leaned against me and exhaled. I waited for him to say something, but all I heard was the shuffling from the other boys as they moved on their beds. With his head turned away, I couldn’t read his expression.

“Axios, face me.”

He obeyed my request and flipped to his opposite side, meeting my gaze. I searched his face and saw the tell-tale signs of his worry—the wrinkle in his brow and the downturned angle of his lip as he frowned.