Page 25 of Eryx

“Do you see what they’re doing?” I asked, pointing to one girl at the end of the line. She thrust her arm forward before jumping back and spinning on her heels. “They’re imitating the soldiers. There’s a story to the dance, you see. Half of the girls are the Persians, and the other half are the Spartans. It’s truly remarkable.”

Axios sighed so softly that I couldn’t tell if it was a mere exhale or something more. “So you stare because you enjoy the story their movements tell?”

“Yes.”

Why else would I stare?

“The girls are very beautiful,” he said, dropping his gaze to the bread in his hand.

With ever growing confusion, I focused on the dancing girls. Beautiful? I hadn’t noticed. I appreciated their athleticism and talent, but their appearance meant nothing to me. And then a sinking happened in my gut.

Did Axios find them beautiful? And why did the thought cause my hand to tighten into a fist?

“I hadn’t noticed their beauty,” I responded, less interested in them now. “But I suppose they’re appealing to some.”

“But not to you?”

I kept my attention forward. “No.”

The dance ended and men applauded. The girls bowed their heads before going over to their own table. They would rest before performing again. In the meantime, a man who recited poetry was followed by a woman who sang a melancholy song of battle and loss. Hope filled the words, though, showing that no matter how dark the night seemed, we’d rise again like the sun.

After the feast, we headed for the barracks. The meal had been plentiful, and my belly ached at the sensation of being so full. Eating too much made a man sluggish, and I fully understood the reason they kept us half-hungry all the time.

“Axios?” I said, stopping before we reached our sleeping quarters. He halted in step and peered at me. The question had been burning in my mind—and my chest—for much too long. “Didyoufind the girls beautiful?”

His brow lifted. “Very much so.”

The center of my chest cracked a little, and I didn’t know why.

Axios cocked his head. “You’re angry.”

“I am not.”

“Your hands are in fists, Ery.” He stepped closer to me, searching my face for something. “I find many things beautiful. But do you know the most beautiful of all?”

I shook my head.

He smiled and touched my arm. Just as he began to speak, Gaius shoved his shoulder and sent Axios barreling into me.

“Get to bed,” Gaius spat. “Or I’ll re-open those wounds on your backs.”

Axios and I ducked inside the barracks and found our mats. My friend never did tell me what he found most beautiful. Moments after lying down, he turned to his side and fell asleep.

I studied the lashes upon his back. Strange how I viewed each of my scars as a mark of pride, yet I felt differently when seeing Axios’ soft skin marred in such a way.

Beautiful.

I barely understood the word. Yet, it was the only word that came to mind when I thought of a certain set of honey eyes. And with that thought, I closed my eyes and surrendered to the exhaustion taking over my body.

Chapter Five

392 BC – Two years later

Laconia was my home. From the view of Mount Taygetus to the bank of the Eurotas River, I found an indescribable peace. The wind swept through the olive trees as we walked along the footpath south of the Acropolis. The dirt warmed the soles of my feet. I breathed in the air, smelling the earth and catching faint whiffs of the hyacinths growing on the nearby hill.

Axios often spoke of traveling the world. He was almost desperate to escape Sparta.

And I never wanted to leave.