Page 77 of Eryx

“You hateful ass.” He punched my arm. “Where is your lover? I need to boast of the incredible time I had with his beautiful sister.”

“If Gaius is finished with them, I suppose he’s with Theon and Quill,” I answered, trying to shove aside my hurt that Axios hadn’t met me here as he usually did.

“He’s not with us,” Quill said as he appeared at Haden’s side.

Theon approached next, his body glistening with sweat. “No, he is not. Though, a marvelous thing happened during training. Axios and Gaius fought one-on-one, and our dear friend held his own against the beast. He even earned Gaius’ respect.”

Pride swelled in my chest. “It must’ve been a glorious sight.”

“I suppose,” Quill said. “I never thought the fight would end. It went on and on, much like Haden’s snores at night.”

Haden shoved Quill before the two started rolling around in the dirt like children. Not in the mood for their stupidity, I left the field in search of Axios. After training on a hot day such as this, I suspected he had traveled to the stream to wash and enjoy the coolness of the water. Yet, when I reached the stream, he wasn’t among the men present.

I then checked the barracks, thinking he had already washed and returned there to wait for me. He wasn’t there, either.

“Have you seen Axios?” I asked Melias.

He shook his head.

Ian sat beside him and looked up at me. “Haven’t seen him since training.”

It was unlike Axios to wander off without telling me. He wouldn’t be in the dining hall, because evening meal wasn’t set to begin for another hour. He was not in the courtyard or near the soldiers’ barracks.

As fear tried to take root, I shoved it away. I had upset him earlier. He probably needed time alone to calm his anger. Perhaps he decided to visit Leanna or maybe he had gone to the valley to hide in the tall grass and gaze up at the sky. After washing, I walked down into the valley in search of him.

He wasn’t there, nor was he at his sister’s home.

I then searched the only other area I could think of—our secret place by the stream. I found the barely visible path through the trees and stepped out into the small meadow. The sound of the water as it rushed through the center added the only noise in the otherwise silent wood.

I saw the grass by the bank we’d lie on while enjoying our time away from everyone. I saw the rock in the ground Axios had said looked like the tip of a spear.

But I didn’t seehim.

My worries heightened at dinner when he still didn’t appear. The men in our herd gathered around the table, their voices blending together as they spoke of their day, and I could only stare at the empty seat beside me.

Where have you gone?

I understood Axios was angry with me. I even felt I deserved that anger. However, he would’ve never skipped evening meal.

“Worry not, Eryx,” Haden said, catching my eye from across the table. “Axios more than likely became distracted by a pretty flower and lost track of time.”

Theon laughed. “Or a pretty boy.”

I snapped my head toward him. “What do you mean?”

Theon’s eyes widened. “I’m sure it’s nothing of concern.”

Quill dropped his gaze to his bowl of broth.

They were hiding something from me.

“Tell me,” I growled, glaring at Theon with the fires of the underworld blazing in my chest.

“Well, after Gaius excused us from the field, I…” Theon paused and focused on the piece of bread in his hand. “I looked back to see Axios speaking to a man.”

“Who?” Blood rushed through my veins and traveled up my neck, heating my face and the tops of my ears.

“I… I did not get a good look at him,” Theon said, still not meeting my gaze. “They were only speaking. Nothing more. Forgive me for causing you unnecessary worry, my friend. I only meant it in jest.”