Alexis of Troy (Book I)

κβ′ - Eikosi Dyo

And you, Alexis, needed to stop getting so close to him. That was not going to help either.

"Maybe not, but I still need to do this." Paris turned to me and gave me a small smile. "Enough about that. You shouldn't have to worry about such things. I hadn't had the chance to tell you how lovely you look."

My cheeks flushed with heat and I shrugged, trying to act casual. I prayed he couldn't hear the way my heart fluttered in its bony cage like a frantic hummingbird.

"Oh, this old thing? I just threw it on."

He crossed his arms and his eyebrows raised with amusement. "It is good to see your humour is still intact."

"What can I say? Humour is the best medicine."

Paris had succeeded in distracting me. It was easy to forget where we were and all the pressure of my plan and his new role. It was easy to get lost in each other's orbit—I had to stop. Focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, that meant using Paris. The least I could do was not toy with his emotions.

I stepped back a bit and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Right, well, I should probably go do whatever it is that women do around here."

Only when I turned had I noticed that everyone else had gone. Not even Zoisme was around. The training grounds were eerily silent, though I couldn't help feeling relieved that we were the last two there. It felt like walking around on eggshells around the royal family.

"Wait." He hurried to step in front of me, the gesture reminiscent of what he did the first day we met. "At least have lunch with me first."

"Paris you should really go be with your family," I sighed but he shook his head.

"I'll have plenty of time to be with them," he said, "the only company I want right now is yours."

How could anyone possibly say no to that?

That and I actually was quite hungry.

"I could eat," I relented.

Paris' smile was bright enough to light up an entire city. It was hard not to smile back. There was no way he didn't realize what kind of draw he had.

We walked side by side in silence, the occasional slave cleaning, birds chirping or water fountains the only sounds floating around us. There was a magical quality to the palace. It wasn't as bustling as I thought it'd be. We never saw anyone roaming the halls except for the palace slaves. Paris had said that there were other wings that were busier, but the living quarters were more private. Women weren't expected to be seen in the other wings, which I gathered were for governmental affairs. I was expected to stay in and around the living quarters, much to my annoyance. Being in an ancient city provided a unique opportunity to get an insider look into how life worked. But, I couldn't really go anywhere without being pestered. There was a pesky little thing called gender standing in my way.

Typical.

"What made you decide to travel to Ilios?" Paris asked suddenly.

He glanced at me with that open curiosity he had every time he tried to pry open my life.

"I didn't have much of a choice, really," I sighed. "I made a terrible decision and this was the price. I guess. I don't know, it's complicated."

"Why don't you try and explain it? Maybe it'll uncomplicate things."

I glanced at him and, not for the first time, considered spilling the beans. But it was too risky right now. Maybe when we arrived in Greece.

"Like how you know the goddesses?" he continued. "Or how you have the most unusual way of speaking? And what about that outfit you wore when we met?"

"Okay," I said, waving his words away, "I know I'm being cagey and I know what that looks like but if I could tell you I would."

"Why can't you?"

A stray breeze drifted by, cool enough to make me shiver despite the stream of sun that came through the opening. A bird landed on a nearby tree. Someone had plucked that beautiful creature out of a painting because there was no way it was a real bird. It looked as though it had been carefully and precisely crafted with gold, blue and gray. Its beak was small and pointed, an elegant slope for an elegant bird. Along the side of its neck were four dashes, each framed with a blue border. Slowly, it turned its head and plucked at its feathers.

On instinct, my thumb twitched and I reached up to my hip. Only to find I didn't have pockets. Nor my phone. Nor anything from my world save my pyjamas, which I had to get rid of at Paris' farm.

That was the moment that I wished I had my phone with me. I could snap a picture and capture that image forever. Post it on Istagram, show off the gorgeous bird I was so lucky to see.

"Alexis?"

"Hm?" I turned to find Paris staring at me expectantly. He was still waiting for an answer. And I didn't have a good one to give him.

If there is one thing that always seems to be on my side, it's the timing of others. As we rounded the corner, we saw Zoisme standing at the entrance to one of the courtyards. Her back was to us though it appeared she was speaking to someone. Someone who was either blocked by the pillar beside her, or invisible. Whatever the case, she seemed agitated and not at all like the girl I've known the past couple of days. In fact, she looked quite fierce. Her back was rigidly straight, her muscles taut. For a slave she was quite fit and nourished. I'd noticed that before, but seeing her there before me, she was intimidating.

"You do not know what you are saying," she snapped.

"Ah, but I do."

Paris and I exchanged glances. That crystal clear, smooth voice belonged to Cassandra.

"I know who you are, though I still cannot see why you're here," the priestess continued.

"You keep to your business and I will keep to mine," Zoisme said, the snarling words low and threatening.

Cassandra seemed unperturbed by the slave's tone. "I have my eyes on you, savage."

At that moment, Zoisme felt our presence. Her head snapped around and her eyes widened as if caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. Instantly, there was a shift. As she staggered away from the pillar and scrambled to compose herself, her shoulders slouched, and it was as if her body shrunk back to its usual diminutive state.

When we approached the pillar, I peeked around it hoping to see Cassandra. But there was no one behind the pillar. No one lingering in the courtyard. It was as if Cassandra had just disappeared.

Not at all weird.

"Where is Cassnadra?" Paris asked, his eyes roaming the courtyard as well.

Zoisme looked up, startled although, for a brief moment, I swore a spark of irritation darkened her eyes. It was gone faster than a passing storm but I felt unease creep its way under my skin.

"Cassandra?" she stammered, glancing at me. Whether it was a plea for help or not I couldn't tell. "You are mistaken... I wasn't speaking to anyone, Despota."

"No, we heard her," I insisted, "didn't we, Paris? She called you a savage, what did she mean by that?"

Paris nodded, his expression troubled. His eyes never strayed from Zoisme, who hunched her shoulders with her usual meekness. Only now, I wondered if she was being meek for show. Paris had insisted something was up with Zoisme. Now, I wasn't so sure he was wrong.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean, I was just admiring the view." She dipped her head, hands clasped in front of her. "Excuse me, I have to return to my tasks."

Zoisme dipped her head again and as she rushed out of the courtyard. I could have sworn I saw her peek up at us again, a dash of that darkness streaking across her eyes. It had to be a trick of light. I was reading too much into all of this. So many people have proven not to be trustworthy that I was searching for reasons not to trust her.

So, why did I still feel uneasy?