Alexis of Sparta (Book II) - Unedited, first draft*

ιε′ - Dekapente

Fifteen

"You're alive," I whispered. "How...?"

The blade fell away from my neck, though I noted she didn't put it away. "I'm not so easily killed as humans."

A tumble of emotions fell upon me. She was alive but I'd left her to die on that boat. I abandoned her and now she stood before me, not as the slave I remembered, but as a warrior. She'd lied to me, made me think she was helpless. She spun a tale about a brother, a poor family...

"You lied to me," I snapped, pulling my arms back. To my surprise, she let me and I tumbled backwards, hitting the ground with an oomph.

She stepped over me, grabbed my arm and yanked me up again. Our faces were so close I noticed a trace of a small birthmark under her left eye. It was so faint and concealed by her dark skin but it resembled an arrow.

"And you left me to die. I think that means we're even."

"Far from it."

"I did what I was ordered to do." She cocked her head. "Besides, I am not the only one who lied, time traveller."

Her words only added fuel to the raging fire in my gut. It didn't even matter how she knew my secret. I was so overcome with anger, relief and guilt, they were spilling over the edges. I wrestled free from her again and shoved her.

"We were friends! You know what? Take your orders and shove them up your—"

A sharp, hot pain flowered in my cheek from where she slapped me.

"Be quiet," she ordered, "I was ordered to keep an eye on you. To ensure that you made it safely through this difficult task. You couldn't know about me."

"You didn't have to lie," I whispered, biting back tears. My cheek pulsed with heat and the embarrassment of losing my temper. My ranting arguments surfaced into a tangled mess. There was nothing I could say except a defeated, "you could have told me..."

"I can say the same." Zoisme's expression softened and she dipped her head apologetically. "Alexis, I'm sorry. If I were permitted to tell you, I would have–"

Dismissing her apology, I shoved past her. "Forget it. Just take me to your leader, or whatever."

I rubbed my eyes with my arm, surprised to find the tears had broken free. Zoisme had known all along that I didn't belong here. She knew and let me carry on thinking she was an escaped slave. The list of people who betrayed me kept growing. Even if I had abandoned her, she still knew who I was.

I clenched my hands into fists, still fighting with my tears as she led me back to the river. There was no point in resisting. She would only force me back to the other Amazons with her superhuman strength or whatever. But, as we walked, I glanced over my shoulder, my heart aching. I'd come so close to freedom. And now I was back where I was before—a prisoner.

The river bank was bursting with activity. Towering women scurried about, scouring the area for more people, preparing to leave. Thetis lay on the ground near the river, so still I feared she was dead. But then I saw her wrists and ankles bound. Nausea twinged with relief washed over me as Zoisme led me past the nymph. Everyone who helped me wound up in danger, but they wouldn't bind her if she was dead. I wanted to ask Zoisme but the words fell away when I saw Achilles.

He knelt on the ground, blood and dirt and sweat painted across his face and hair. The Amazons had overpowered him after all. Judging by the amount of Amazons nursing an assortment of injuries, he hadn't gone down easy.