Fugitive of Death

15

 For several tense seconds, all I could do was stare at both men. Phrixos's floppy dark hair was simultaneously sticking up in all directions and clinging to the sweat on the back of his neck. His cheeks were flushed and his lieutenant uniform was nowhere to be seen. He pushed his hair back in a relaxed sweep.

Markos on the other hand didn't move a muscle, hoping maybe if he stood still enough I'd fail to notice the superior officer half-dressed coming out of his tent.

So I took matters into my own hands.

"Sorry, just wanted to see if you'd eaten," I said, barely able to keep eye contact. "I'll be off now."
I turned abnormally quickly, eager to remove myself from yet another stressful situation.

"Bibi wait," I heard Markos call out behind me. No sooner than a few seconds passed before he caught up with me. "That...wasn't what it looked like."

I faced him and he immediately winced at my expression. "Oh, so you weren't bedding your commanding officer? It certainly seemed like it."

Divines it was all falling into place. All those days when he skipped training and left dinner early. He was with Lieutenant Phrixos.

"You've got me there. But Bibi," he caught my wrist in his hand and I fought the urge to yank it back, the taste of mortification and disappointment still fresh on my tongue, "please don't tell anyone."

"Is this why the other cadets haven't been as hard on you as they've been to me?" Embarrassment was quickly replaced by bitter betrayal. "You've been fucking Phrixos for what, protection?"

I was fucking furious. I couldn't believe Markos had the audacity to sleep his way into security. Oh—this was what Iris was feeling when she thought I was sleeping with the Captain.

"No!" he said quickly. "No, it's not like that. Phrixos hasn't promised me anything."

"So what is it then?" I asked. What I really meant to say was what does he give you that I can't?

"Divines, Bibi, he just likes me that's all!" Markos snapped. "We started talking after training one day, and one thing led to another, and now...now we keep each other company. Is that so hard for you to understand?"

I crossed my arms. "I understand it well enough. I had just thought..." I couldn't meet his gaze. "Never mind."

"Had thought...?" His eyebrows furrowed for a moment before rising with realization. "Oh."

"Oh. Joke's on me I suppose."

"Bibi," he said his tone softer. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I just prefer my own sex."

"I see that now." I took a deep breath trying to steady the cacophony of emotions coursing through my body. This was too much stress for one human to take in one day. And I was hungry. "Just try not to get caught."

He offered a half-smile. "I'll see you for training tomorrow morning?"

That I could live with. "Wouldn't miss it."

I was relieved to have Markos back for training—it certainly filled the void Iris had left behind. For the next few weeks, life fell into a steady cycle: I'd wake to a silent Iris, train with Markos, and then subject myself to the daily torture of practice with Master Thalia. Very little information was gleaned during my nights with the Captain other than the simple fact that he had reverted back to his cool superiority I had come to tolerate at best and criticize at worst.

Somehow, he hadn't killed me yet.

Only one cadet was lost during those final weeks during a training procedure in the woods, where Master Thalia's students were required to stealthily locate their straw targets without being spotted by archers in the trees. My size had once again proven to be an advantage.