The Knife of Narcissus, chapter 1

Twenty-year-old Lucius Sentius, only son of a well-to-do luxury-goods importer, assumes–along with most ordinary people in the city of Rome–that the debauched days of Nero are behind them. Rome has settled down under a sober new ruler, Vespasian, and old-fashioned values rule with him. But as Lucius begins to peer under the surface, he discovers a city of intrigues and manipulation, of seduction and corruption, that make his attempt to create an adult relationship with his lifelong friend Trio much more complicated than he would have imagined.

Trio is reserved and serious, concerned with reputation and what he’s been taught by his pious family. Lucius is impetuous and poetic, and the city’s hidden side just might suit him. The knot of friendship tying them together since childhood had seemed an unbreakable bond, but it might not withstand all that Rome can throw against them.

[[This preview of the first chapter is mildly expurgated (PG-13). Except for a few descriptive words, it's identical to the unexpurgated version. The complete story will be under an R rating for language, themes, and content.]]

Format: serial in 7 parts. Each part will be 3-4 chapters, and each chapter is 3500-10,000 words.

Current status: Writing complete on all 7 parts; in editing with my excellent, excellent editorial team.