EIGHT
If you were to ask me a week ago if I had a chance to travel to ancient Greece, would I take it? I might have said, "hell yes." Who wouldn't want to see what the world was like back then? We had ideas and some evidence, but it wasn't the same thing as seeing it in person: the miraculous architecture, the culture, the simplicity in everything. Greece was the start of democracy, philosophy, and more.
Well, I wasn't in Greece. I was across the Aegean Sea in Anatolia. And it was anything but those romantic ideals instilled in my brain. So, no, I wasn't thrilled to be in the one place I'd dedicated my studies to,
Did I mention I was having the time of my life?
Paris was sprawled on the ground, still unconscious, his normally bronzed skin washed out. His curls, usually so bouncy and full, hung limp and matted against his forehead. If it weren't for the slow rise and fall of his chest, I would have believed he was dead. I was nestled into the embrace of a large tree, my hands bound behind me, my ankles cinched together tight. The ropes chafed against my skin and the cut on my thigh burned, but it wasn't as bad as the way my feet throbbed. Running with them bare and unbandaged had opened up the tender spots once more.
The androphagi were bickering over how to cook us. One was unpacking a bag of terrifying and sharp tools, no doubt to cut me and Paris into bite sized pieces. The others were going through their herbs and spices, because who else but cannibals would think to carry those around?
Altogether there were only three androphagi. In the dark, their numbers seemed greater, though each of them was built like stalky trees. They were solid, unflinching and crude. Their jokes reminded me of the supposed shop talk in my time. Crass, dirty and foul-mouthed. I was rather repulsed by the ones about how they would eat us.
Sickening jokes aside, I was left alone. For now. They didn't even bother offering me any food—not that I really expected it. Since I was going to become a meal, and all that fun stuff. I tried not to be offended, but I was so hungry I didn't care that they might only feed me to fatten me up.
By the burnt orange fire, I assessed my feet. They were caked with dirt and blood. I'd tried to twist them to see the soles, but I managed an awkward slouch. Knees bent, cheek resting on my shoulder. Peeking through the mess of blood and dirt were fresh cuts and bruises. Perfect. All that hard work and they were a ruined again. Even if I wanted to run, I doubted I'd get far on my hobbled feet. And I couldn't leave Paris.
His eyes fluttered, breath hitching. The cannibals didn't bother tying him up. Either they thought he was dead, or he wasn't a threat.
"Paris," I whispered, leaning forward. The strain on my shoulders increased. "Paris, wake up."
I was rewarded with relief as Paris' eyes inched open. Then he screwed them shut again, his face contorting in a silent groan.
"It is decided," the first cannibal declared, "we eat the boy first and save the girl."
"We'll have a chance to play with her, too," the second cannibal declared. He was shorter than the other two, with horrible pockmarks that made his skin look like mouldy cheese.
"Like hell you are," I mumbled, my stomach twisting in a knot.
Sure, right now they were getting drunk, laughing and having a good time. That wasn't going to last forever. The androphagi were hungry and men after all. They were going to want to eat. Gag. I had to get us out of there before things went south.
The bark was rough against my back, and though it might take a while, if I rubbed my wrists against it long enough, it might wear the rope down to threads. I shifted so I could move them, eyeing the cannibals carefully. They were focused on their plans for me and not paying any attention to what I was doing.
"Paris, I need you to get up," I whispered frantically. "Paris?"
Paris' mouth opened and closed, a fish gasping out of water.
My attention slipped to the ropes. There had been a gentle give, just enough to give me hope. I would have missed the conversation entirely if it weren't for the hand yanking my hair out of my scalp as one of them pulled me up.
"Instead of eating her... You think we could get a decent coin for this girl?" the stocky cannibal asked, dangling me in front of his friends. "I mean, she's pretty enough, and the slave market is always looking for pretty things."
"With that hair? She'll be branded a gorgon or a witch," the tall cannibal chuckled. "We should just kill her. Bad luck that hair is."
"Not in Greece it isn't," the cannibal holding my hair pointed out. "They like red hair."
"Some people will pay for a witch," the stocky cannibal pointed out. The way he leered made me shiver. "And she doesn't look all that dangerous."
"Screw you," I spat, which only elicited a round of amused laughter.
My head was jerked backwards to rest on the lead cannibal's shoulder. He reeked of wine, sweat and rotting breath—a horrific combination for my already knotted stomach. When I tried to push away, his grip tightened on my hair, needles of pain jabbing through my skull.
"Don't be too hasty, pretty thing," he said, "we'll get to that part soon. Perhaps it is worth earning some coin. We'll fill up on your friend. Consider this your lucky day."
"Oh, well, in that case," I said through gritted teeth.
The other two climbed to their feet and approached us. I was a rabbit, my heart racing, my eyes darting around frantically, searching for any potential escape. Paris' eyes were open again, staring at me in confusion and horror. I gave him a reassuring look, thankful the androphagi were focused on me. Despite the warmth of the fire, my body was icily rigid. It would be hard getting through all three of them, but I had one teeny element of surprise on my side. They didn't think I was capable of fighting back.
"Not so feisty now, is she?" the stocky cannibal smirked. He reached out and wrapped a lock of my hair around his finger. "Who gets first dibs?"
"Who do you think?" the androphagi who held me shot back. "I'm in charge here. I get first—ow, gods!"
Yeah, like hell, I'd let them do anything. With as much force as I could muster, I slammed the heel of my foot down, driving it into his sandaled foot. The hit sent a scream of pain through my beat-up soles, but it had the desired effect. The cannibal yelped, his grip faltering enough that I could pull myself away. I shoved the shorter androphagi, the sudden momentum propelling him back toward the fire. The tall cannibal reached for my arm. I spun around, my elbow catching him in the chest. He gasped, and I staggered back, squealing in delight. I threw my arms in the air. I did it!
"Oh, god, I did it," I gasped.
I had never been in a fight before. It had been a life-or-death situation, obviously, but still. The sting in my elbow and foot was proof that I didn't know what I was doing.
I dropped next to Paris and swept his hair back from his forehead. His eyes were clearer, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. When I touched his head, he sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed my hand.
"I'm fine," he whispered. His words were sandpaper against his throat, sending him into a coughing fit.
"Come on, we need to get out of here," I said, easing him into a sitting position.
His eyes found something over my shoulder, but I realized they flashed in warning too late. He reached for me as I was yanked backwards.
"Not quite." A sharp, cool tip of a dagger pressed against my throat while a hand clamped around my arm. The lead cannibal leaned in, his warm breath brushing my ear. "Nice try, but it's going to take a lot more than that. I could let you bleed right here for your little escape plan."
"Let her go," Paris growled fruitlessly.
He barely held himself up on his hands, let alone do anything to fight back. As if to prove that point, the cannibal laughed and kicked the shepherd prince back. Paris hit the ground with a grunt.
"Go to hell," I snapped back, though my fear did little to bolster that threat.
"I don't really know what hell is, but I'm sure it's lovely," the androphagi laughed. His knife bit into my flesh, the pain sharp and malicious. He licked the blood from the blade. "Oh, so sweet. Mm! No seasoning needed."
"Excuse me? I'm a little lost... I was hoping you could give me a hand?"
The voice was not a man's nor unfamiliar. Everyone froze, surprised and confused, as a woman stepped into the glow of the fire.
Athena.
She hadn't bothered concealing her goddess beauty. Her helmet hung low over her brow, and though held casually, her spear glinted dangerously in the orange light. Her stormy eyes were daggers, the smile playing on her lips both predatory and excited. When our eyes met, she winked. A coy, mischievous wink. It sent shivers down my spine.
For everything she put me through, the rush of relief that overwhelmed me was so strong my knees would have given out if not for the cannibal holding me up. I could hug her if I wasn't scared of getting skewered by a spear.
"Well, look at what we have here," the androphagi grinned. "Athena. The goddess of wisdom. You're a long way from Olympus, goddess."
"You have something that belongs to me," the goddess said, pointing at me. "Return her and I'll let you savages go free... even if I don't condone your disgusting habits."
The cannibals weren't bothered by the fact that they stood before a goddess. Or, they were just that stupid. They bled, therefore, they were still men. To Athena, they were nothing more than gnats.
"Finder's keepers," the lead cannibal sneered. His hand around my arm tightened, cutting the circulation to my fingers.
"Well, if you want to do things the hard way," the goddess sighed.
Suddenly, Athena was standing next to the tall cannibal. Her power charged the air, the hairs on my arms standing on end. She caressed the thin man's cheek tenderly. The effect was instantaneous. The androphagi shook violently, his body becoming a rigid board. His eyes darted around as if he couldn't move. His skin paled to a ghostly powder, and Athena's smile widened.
"So, how about I make it a fair fight, hm?"
She snapped her fingers, and the tall cannibal fell limp. When he lifted his head, his eyes were glossed over and vacant. He unsheathed his dagger and spun to face his companions. The stocky androphagi looked between Athena and his friend.
And then Athena was at his shoulder. She dipped her head and brushed her lips against his ear, whispering something only for him to hear. He went through the same process as the tall cannibal, going rigid and then falling limp.
In the next second, the two androphagi were lunging at each other, steel clashing against steel. Once friends, now enemies.
"What did you do to them?" the leader demanded, pressing the dagger against my neck. Athena had disappeared, and he whirled us around frantically. "Stop your witchcraft."
"Oh, I'm not done yet."
She was so close I smelled the sky, crisp, clear. Intoxicating. Dangerous. The lead cannibal fell still, the prey caught by the predator.
"I think you need to settle the score, fair and square," Athena whispered.
What sent shivers down my spine was the hypnotic lull in her tone. It brushed against me, as if wanting to control me too, but held at bay. She was in control of the men and their actions. She was exerting her might, showing just how powerful the gods could be. It was terrifying.
"Give me the girl."
Instantly, the androphagi's hands went slack. I didn't hesitate to scramble away from him, just in time to see him race to join the fight. The stocky cannibal had fallen, his stomach split open in a gruesome, fatal wound I'd rather not describe, while the tall cannibal and the leader fell upon him with feral hunger. The tearing of flesh, the squishy sounds caused my stomach to lurch and I threw up whatever precious contents were left.
"Gods, I despise androphagi," Athena grimaced, mirroring my disgust. "These two will sort themselves out."
She raised her eyebrows as she faced me fully. The fight behind her didn't exist anymore, though I could barely keep my gaze away from it. God, how I wanted to ignore it, but it was a car crash. Impossible to look away. The way the two cannibals lunged at each other, teeth bare, mouths stained with their companion's blood and guts.
"You are more trouble than you are worth, Alexis. I left you for a few hours, and you got yourself kidnapped. Foolish girl."
Um, excuse me? I snapped out of my shock to glare at her. "What? No, you don't get to patronize me. I did what I had to because someone decided to abandon me. I didn't plan on getting kidnapped."
"No, of course not." Athena pointed at Paris, who was struggling to stay upright. "But you did choose to go with him. This could have been avoided if you had stayed with me."
The androphagi had fallen into a heap, the leader pinning the tall cannibal to the ground. The leader was gnashing his teeth, which inched closer and closer to the tall cannibal's jugular. The brutal violence was worse than anything in movies. The sounds alone would haunt me, but the smell. The smell would be burned into my mind for all eternity. Iron, burned wood, burning flesh. I swallowed and dropped next to Paris. His forehead rested against his knees, his breathing heavy and laboured.
"Yes, well, you weren't getting out of this mess either if it weren't for me." Athena adjusted her robe. "A thank you would be appreciated."
"Thank you?" I sputtered.
"You're welcome," Athena grinned. "Come along now. We must figure out what to do with you since you clearly can't be left alone."
I couldn't believe I said the words that toppled out. "I'm not going with you."
Athena glanced over her shoulder and actually rolled her eyes. "Alexis, this isn't the time to be stubborn."
"No. I'm not leaving Paris." I crossed my arms and jutted my chin out. After seeing what she was capable of, I was worried she'd turn her powers on me, but I couldn't back down now. "And I want to go home. No more games. Take me home; otherwise, I'm not going with you."
"That's a pathetic ultimatum." The goddess crossed her arms as well. "You know I can't send you home."
"So, take me to Zeus."
"That's not possible either."
"Then I'm not going with you."
With a sigh, Athena looked up towards the heavens as if praying to herself. "You'll risk his life, and yours, for your own selfish agenda? Or, are you thinking about striking out on your own?" She nodded to where the cannibals still sluggishly hit each other by the fire. "I think we can both agree that's not a good idea."
"I wasn't the one who left me with him in the first place." She was insufferable! "If you think this guilt tactic is going to work, think again. You stuck me here. You left me alone with Paris. You can't just waltz back in at your convenience and take all of it back. The only way I'm coming with you is if you take me to Zeus. Or home."
I narrowed my eyes. This was a dangerous game I was playing. Athena was definitely my best bet at getting out of here, and she was probably more helpful since she knew what was going on. But I wasn't going to play her games on top of the one I was already in.
"How do you know Paris will live through this?" Athena asked. "You both need medical attention."
The question had the intended effect. I felt the blood drain from my face as I squeezed Paris' shoulder. He leaned against me, a sheen of sweat against his pale skin.
"I just know," I whispered, "he's not supposed to die yet."
"Well, if you're so certain about it."
Athena drew a deep, frustrated breath and crouched down to tuck my hair behind my ear. Or, she would have if I didn't jerk away from her touch. After what she did to those men, I wasn't going to let her get any closer than necessary.
"If you think your pathetic shepherd prince will live, I suggest tending to him," she warned. "This might be the end of his story as well."
She frowned over my shoulder. "Well, that's a pity. I was hoping they'd carry on a lot longer. Humans are so fragile, even those corrupted by sin."
I followed her gaze and saw the androphagi were no longer fighting but lying in a bloody, messy heap near the fire. In the end, they met their end the way they had killed others. Oh, the irony.
When I looked back, Athena was gone and Paris had fallen unconscious again.