Page 78 of Eryx

I stood from the table and left the dining hall without another word to any of them. The candles flickered as I walked down the corridor. Countless images haunted my mind; Axios smiling as another man kissed his neck, him giving another man his body. My chest tightened and I slammed my fist against the wall before continuing forward.

I had told Axios that I was his and his alone.

But was he mine?

Chapter Fifteen

Sparta at night was peaceful. A multitude of stars lit the sky, twinkling in their dark net, and the moon shone bright. Yet, I could not find peace within my heart. Axios had not returned to me.

Was he with another man as Theon had suggested?

I snapped the stick in my hand and tossed it onto the grass. I sat beneath a tree in the courtyard, battling an ache in my chest that no healing salve could cure. Axios and I had disagreed in the past. We had fought, both physically and verbally, but at the end of the day, we had realized that what we shared was stronger than any quarrel.

And now I sat alone under the stars, remembering the anger in his eyes before he’d walked away from me. I wished I could go back and spare him the grief my words had caused.

Men spoke nearby, their voices carrying from their quarters and spilling into the square where I sat.

“Antalcidas was just appointed as commander of the fleet, and the Athenians thought to intercept the ships carrying him to his new post,” one of them said before laughing. “The scum surrendered and retreated when they discovered they couldn’t win. Then, we took four of their triremes.”

The other men laughed with him. I even managed a smile, though it was small. Anyone who opposed Sparta had to be prepared for our fury. The Athenians would learn the lesson over time.

The favorable news improved my mood, even if only a little. Antalcidas was the Spartan diplomat Belos and hissyssitionhad spoken of when we’d attended the dining mess all those years ago. He had fought hard for peace and had been dismissed from his position. With him reappointed, I hoped an end to the war drew nearer.

As the men ceased their talk of war and shifted to tales of bedding women, the hollowness returned to my chest and I stared again at the stars.

A dark shape slowly passed on my right.

I focused on the shape and jumped to my feet when I recognized the man it belonged to.

Axios snuck along the path in the courtyard before veering into the grass near the high shrubs as a group of soldiers passed. He remained oblivious to my presence. Seeing him reignited my anger from earlier.

I barreled toward him and tackled him. Surprised by the attack, he swung at me as we fell to the grass. He stopped struggling when he realized it was me.

“Where have you been?” I asked, my voice filled with both fury and devastation.

Axios met my glare with one of his own. “I do not have to answer to you, and I’mnota piece of property for you to do with as you wish.” When he shoved against me, I grabbed his arms to pin him down. “By the gods, release me, Eryx!”

Knowing he was safe and not lying in the field somewhere with his throat slit open made me tremble with relief, yet it also made my blood boil. He’d been so inconsiderate by keeping me in the dark about his whereabouts.

“Do you realize how crazed I’ve been at not knowing where you were?” I asked, despising the weakness in my voice as it cracked on the last word.

He shoved against my hold, and I loosened my grip on his arms. Once he was free, he rolled out from under me and sat up, still pinning me with a sharp glare. He was still so consumed by rage, and it hurt to have him look upon me this way.

“You truly wish to know where I’ve been all day?” he asked, scowling.

Dread coiled in my gut, but I nodded. Surely Theon had been mistaken. Axios wouldn’t have gone off with another man.

“With the king,” Axios answered, rising to his feet and looking down at me on the grass. “He watched me train and asked me to accompany him for a walk. I accepted.”

After standing, I closed the gap between us and backed him up against a column. King Agesipolis? The king who favored men and was known to enjoy the company of beautiful soldiers such as my Axios?

Gods, I could’ve killed someone in that moment.

“With the king,” I repeated, carefully watching his face. “What transpired between you?”

Axios held my gaze and said nothing. I studied his sharp jawline and wondered if the king had studied it too—if he had caressed it all the way to Axios’ lips and stolen a kiss. The king wouldn’t have taken Axios for a stroll for any other reason but to seduce him.

And I’d thought my heart couldn’t break any more.