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“Completely agreed,” Alyx says, stretching out his back legs with a yawn. “As Kalistratos’s only friend, I now give you complete permission to rib the hell out of him. Within reason, of course.”
Airos takes my hand. “And if you decide he’s not the one for you, then I shall be here waiting.”
I snort a laugh and get to my feet. “Yeah, in your dreams. Alright. That bath is calling to me.”
As I leave the room, I slip my hand beneath my shirt and touch the swell of my belly. It’s warm—almost hot. There’s no trace of the mysterious glow that had surrounded my skin.
I don’t know what had happened, but a strange thought floats out from the darkness of my mind.
Phoenix fire.
12
KALISTRATOS
The night is cool, and a thin veil of mist hangs over the pool. I toss my robe aside and step in, exhaling as the heat surrounds my sore muscles. There’s a wooden sign hanging next to the lionhead spout warning of the spring’s temperature. Steam pours off the water flowing from the lion’s mouth, and I sit myself right beneath it so the scalding water pours deliciously over my head. I wish it could be a little hotter, hot enough to burn away these frustrating feelings that have me under a spell of confusion.
It annoys the hell out of me to see that damn phony monk getting close to Tyler. Is he not supposed to be celibate?
I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way about a fellow Phoenikos. We’re not enemies. But I’m jealous. There’s no getting around it. It’s not something I’m accustomed to. I live my life in a way where jealousy should have no purchase. But Tyler ignites this possessiveness in me, eventhough I know I have no right or claim to his attention, or to demand who he gives it to.
I never asked to feel this way about him. To want him so badly. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, and it’s terrifying. I want it to stop, but I know I’m powerless against it. I can slow the world to a halt, but I can’t keep my feelings for him from brimming over.
This is why it’s better to be alone.
A group of librarians enter the baths, chatting amongst themselves. They see me and lower their voices, sticking to the opposite side of the pool. I turn away from them and tuck into a corner.
My mission has not changed. I’m going to find the Great Phoenix, and I’m going to track down my family. And I’m going to keep Tyler safe until he can find his way home. I won’t allow the way I feel to change that, even if the monk claims his affections. It will be painful for me to withstand, but I know how it feels to be abandoned. I won’t do that to him.
The librarians finish their bath, and the clap of their sandals on the wet stone fades with their voices as they leave. I wade to the edge of the pool and dig into my pile of clothing. My hand closes around the little wooden carving tucked into the sleeve of my tunic. I close my eyes and sigh.
I can’t believe I left ten drachmae for this, but I just wanted to make him smile. I feel like an idiot.
I hear more bare footsteps on the stone behind me, more librarians out for a bath. Their footsteps come to a sudden stop. I tuck the carving back into the sleeve and turn around.
Tyler is standing there. The thick steam swirls around his naked body like a ghostly veil that barely hides the shadowed silhouette of his manhood beneath the beautiful swell of his pregnant belly. I hadn’t realized how much bigger he’d grown. The folds of his cloak must’ve hidden his shape. The soft flames from the wall lamps gleam off the smooth curve, and his navel protrudes like a tiny knot on his stomach.
Need pulses through my cock and I engage in an impossible battle to keep it from rising to attention beneath the water. The sight of him is just too much for me to take.
“Sorry,” he says. “I should’ve looked to see if anyone was here.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, turning to the spout and splashing my face. “It’s a communal pool. Anyway, now we’re even. You’ve seen me naked. I’ve seen you naked.”
“We’re keeping score?” Tyler laughs, and I hear him step into the water behind me. “Phew. Jesus. Isn’t that too hot?”
I scoop a handful of water from the spout over my shoulders. “This? Not for a phoenix. Heat is good. Heat is rejuvenating.”
The water ripples around me with the splash of Tyler dunking himself into the water. I keep my back firmly to him, not wanting to lose my fight. It won’t take much. The image of him standing amongst the steam is burned into my thoughts.
“Kalistratos,” he says. “I have something I need to tell you.”
There’s a ring of hesitation in his voice. He’s nervous. I immediately forget my self-preservation and turn around. He’s standing just a few feet away from me, the water hugging his belly. My concern for what could be distressing him is enough to dampen my stubborn cock. He doesn’t try to hide his body from me.
“What is it?” I ask.
The foolish jealous part of my mind tells me that he’s going to say he doesn’t need my help, that he and Airos will go on together. It defies all sense, and yet I still completely believe it.
“I’m…I…” He trails off and then sinks into the bath. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been very good at this.”
