Page 87 of Eryx

“Yes,” I whispered.

Even though it went against everything I believed in, I loved him with every beating of my heart.

I brought our lips together, pressing my mouth gently to his. He softly sighed and pulled me closer. When I deepened the kiss, he opened for me, submitting to me in the most beautiful way. A kiss served no purpose. It granted neither sexual release nor sustenance needed to survive… yet, nothing pleased me more than when we were lost in one.

A kiss said what I had trouble voicing aloud.

I pressed my lips to his once more before pulling away. “Do you wish to know your mother’s response?”

Still dazed from the kiss, he nodded.

I then described the rest of my and Amara’s conversation, telling him all of the colorful insults she’d thrown at me and how amusing I thought they were. I even exaggerated her tone of voice and pretended I was an actor on a stage, performing a show in front of a king.

Axios smiled and leaned closer to me, staring at my lips as I continued the story.

“Are you listening, Ax?” I asked, once I sensed his mind straying. My raven was soaring among the clouds again.

His honey eyes lifted to mine. “Of course.”

“Good,” I said, lightly hitting his arm with my knuckles. “I do not expect your mother to come around us again anytime soon. Even when her confusion turned to disgust, I remained polite toward her.” My blood heated at the memory of her vile words. “But when she insulted you, I might have voiced my abhorrence of her and swore that if she ever spoke so poorly of you in my presence again, it would be the last words she ever spoke. My blade would make sure of it.”

Axios smiled and lay back on the grass. I lay beside him. We both observed the darkening sky, yet I knew we didn’t perceive it the same way. Axios always saw what I failed to see: beauty amongst the dark and wonder in the simplest of things. Years later, I was still learning from him.

“Look!” he exclaimed, pointing upward. “If you look closely, you can see the first star of night.”

I squinted to where he pointed, not seeing it at first. But then I did. It was but a small speck in the distance. “Oh, I see it.”

“What do you think makes the stars?” Axios asked, his expression full of wonder.

Gods, he was beautiful. More stunning than any star in the sky.

“The gods created them,” I answered, grabbing his hand and linking our fingers. “It is a place for heroes.”

“And nymphs who cry,” he added with a smile, referencing the story I’d told him years before.

Smirking, I bumped his shoulder and rested our joined hands on the grass. “I have told you about the rain and the stars,” I said, turning my head to gaze at him. “But have I told you the story of the sun?”

He shook his head, still smiling.

“Our story begins with a boy who possessed golden wavy hair and bright blue eyes,” I said, tucking one arm behind my head. “His name was Phaethon, and he was the son of a god.”

Axios rested his head on my shoulder and eagerly listened to the tale. Halfway through, however, he drifted to sleep. Soft snores reached my ears, stopping me mid-sentence. I turned to face him and smiled as I traced the curve of his jaw.

“My every sunrise and every sunset are yours, my warrior,” I whispered before brushing my lips across his.

As bumps formed on his skin, I took off my cloak and draped it over him. He made a sound in his sleep and nestled closer to my chest. Closing my eyes, I pressed my head to his.

And as the stars awoke in the night sky, shining above us in their splendid glory, we slept beneath them.

***

Days later, Axios and I were walking down the path that led from the training field to the courtyard outside the barracks.

“I have too much energy to sit still,” he said, swinging his arms at his sides. He reminded me of a bored child. He then turned to me, beaming with a smile. “We should journey to theagora. Leanna tells me new merchants have come to Sparta, and I’m curious as to the trinkets they’ve brought with them.”

“You are always curious,” I said, my gaze roaming his body as he continued walking in front of me. Sweat had gathered between his shoulder blades, causing a shine on his skin.

“Knowledge is power, Ery,” he said over his shoulder.