1 Chapter 1: Playing With Strays

<strong>*Eris Vasilia’s POV*</strong>

The dress that I had inherited from my older sister, Asteria, was a bit too tight in the ribs. It felt as if I was having all the air squeezed from my lungs as I walked briskly to the market. Luckily, it was a nice day which meant fewer layers were needed. Though, as I walked, I began to notice a few too many eyes on me. I was arguably attractive and so a few looks here and there weren't uncommon. But, this was getting to be a bit much.

Quickly, I tucked into a tight alleyway and looked down. I gasped and threw my arms across my chest in embarrassment. Without the bodice that went with the dress, I was slightly more exposed than ideal.

I giggled and looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching. Then, I pulled a small shawl out of my basket and clasped it across my shoulders. It wouldn't fully cover my chest but it was better than nothing.

When I exited the alleyway, I walked straight into the chest of someone. Stumbling back, my basket fell to the dirt as I just barely was able to catch myself.

"Watch it," a deep voice snarled.

"Excuse me?" I picked up my basket and snapped up.

When I looked up into the face of the person that had just slammed into me, I was met with a cool glare from a set of handsome brown eyes. Though, they looked almost amber the way the sunlight caught them. At first glance, he was a noble. At second glance, he wanted to murder me.

His full lips tugged down into a frown as he looked me up and down. "Yes, excuse you. Move."

A woman came up beside him, her hand covering a smile as she giggled. “Are you playing with strays again, Kyros?” She wore a soft lilac chiton with gold accessories on every limb.

The man she called Kyros sneered at me and then looked at her. “Just some trash someone left in the street.”

I was baffled by the sheer audacity of these two. I shook my head back and forth as I side-stepped out of their way with my mouth hanging wide open.

"That's a good look on you, pet." It was another noble man just behind the first two. He grinned at me wickedly as he followed the others close behind.

I snapped my jaw shut and glared at him. He simply laughed and turned away, his dark curls dancing in the breeze.

Without a single hesitation, I picked up a rock and cocked my arm back, ready to loose the stone like an arrow at the back of their heads.

Seething, I inhaled loudly as I squeezed the rock until I was sure it might crumble to sand in my grip. But, I couldn't release it. Shamefully, I dropped it to the ground and kicked at it.

‘Coward,’ I thought to myself.

As much as I wanted to bring someone like them down a peg or two, I couldn't risk it. Not if I wanted to be one of them some day.

*Deimos Andretis’ POV*

"I'm bored," I said for the hundredth time in as many minutes.

Atlas stared at me from over his book as I lounged on the couch like a lazy house cat. "Why don't you go fuck something?" He asked in a monotone.

I rolled over onto my back. "I've already done that."

He made a tsking sound and pulled the book back up. "The sun hasn't even reached its peak yet. I'm sure something will come up."

With more drama than necessary to prove my point, I rolled again until I landed on my back on the hard marble floor. With an arm draped over my face, I groaned. "If something doesn't turn up soon, I'm liable to kill myself. It's as simple as that, Atlas."

He chuckled. "Don't be such a baby. You'll survive until nightfall. I do believe that event at the Kimon estate is tonight."

That perked me right up. The Kimon family always had the best events. There would be no shortage of things to eat, drink and fuck. "What are you going to wear?" I asked from where I laid on my back.

"I believe the dress code is comfortable." Which meant that we wouldn't be clothed for long.

"Do you think Heiro and Kyros will go?" The four of us were thicker than thieves. We went everywhere together, did everything together. Though, as I looked around the lofty sitting room of Atlas' private estate, I noticed they weren't here.

"I doubt they'd miss out on an excuse to get drunk and high." Atlas closed his book, giving up on whatever he'd been trying to read. "Why don't we go to the bathhouse?"

I rolled onto my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows, looking up at Atlas with a lopsided grin. "Are you feeling dirty?" I asked, a bit tongue-in-cheek.

"You keep barking up that tree."

"One of these days, Atlas. You'll give in to me." It wasn't that I truly wanted to fuck my best friend, but teasing him sure did pass the time. And truth be told, if he ever gave me the chance, I’d take it.

"Highly doubtful. But I guess a jug of wine can pave the way for all manner of possibilities." Teasing Atlas was one of my favorite pastimes because he always teased back.

As if summoned by my curiosity, Heiro and Kyros strode through the threshold.

"Thank fuck," I groaned as I finally sat up with my back against the couch. "What's eating you, cranky-man?" One look at Kyros' face told me he wasn't having the best morning.

"Some dirty little street urchin ran into me in the market." He kicked his sandals off dramatically and fell into the couch beside me, his hand immediately tangling itself in my hair.

I leaned my head against his knee lazily and looked up at him. "Did you beat her?"

"I should have. Sniveling little ape."

Heiro took the other end of the couch on my other side. "It was the tavern keeper's daughter. The younger one."

I knew vaguely who he spoke of. The local tavern keeper had two daughters, though I didn't know their names. They each had long brown hair and bright, curious eyes. The older one was wispy and looked as if she were carved of something hard and immortal. The younger one was soft and supple; like a fat, ripe fruit.

Thinking of her brought forth images of her biting into a ripe, soft, summer fruit – juice dripping down her throat into her breast. I felt the saliva pooling under my tongue.

"I want fruit," I declared, unprovoked.

Kyros tugged roughly at my hair. "Want, want, want. That's all you ever do."

Gasping at the sting of my scalp, I turned and bit his leg until he released me. "I'm going to the bathhouse. Would anyone care to join?"

There were a few groans of dismay but one by one, they all rose from their seats and put their shoes on.

“Wait,” I paused right as we were about to leave. “Weren’t you with that woman? Oh, what’s her name?”

“Klytia.” Kyros shrugged his shoulders. “She wanted to go to some small get-together that she and her husband got invited to. She asked if I wanted to go but you know how I feel about married couples.”

“Shame,” I said. “Oh well.”

*Eris Vasilia’s POV*

With my basket full of herbs and spices, I returned to the tavern that my father owned. The Tipsy Olive was one of the nicer places to sleep in the city for weary travelers. That, and we also boasted the best wine in the city, all crafted in house.

"Where have you been?" Asteria hissed at me as soon as I walked through the side entrance. She was at the sink, scrubbing out some cups with too much vigor.

I set down the basket and rubbed the marks the wicker had imprinted in my arm. "The market was busy today, I was as expedient as I could be."

Asteria flicked the water from her hands before wiping them on her apron. "It's the middle of the day, Eris. We're too busy for you to be dawdling around town." Per usual, she didn't listen to a word I said.

I took off the shawl and tied on my apron, ignoring the glare from my sister.

"One of these days, you're going to have to remove that branch that's stuck up your ass." I spun and vanished into the crowded bar before she could respond.

The day went by quickly and I raked in a handsome sum from tips thanks to my partially displayed breasts. I simply pretended not to know what Asteria was talking about when she confronted me about it. But, I started to consider making a habit of under-dressing for work.

Every now and then, my mind wandered to the stranger that had bumped into me at the market. He was rude and nasty but he was everything that I wanted to be. He was wealthy, had status, and most of all – he had the luxury of doing as he pleased. I couldn’t help but think about how good he looked while doing it either. Asteria threw me a stare when she found me blushing for no reason.

At the end of the evening, I climbed the stairs to our loft above the tavern, my legs shaking from how sore they were. I needed to soak but didn't want to bother with filling the small tub we kept for washing up.

"Want to go to the bathhouse?" I asked Asteria as I entered our shared bedroom.

She was already in bed with a cup of hot herbal tea steaming on the bed side table. "I couldn't possibly move from this bed." She threw her head back dramatically, already in better spirits now that we weren't working.

I squeezed myself out of the tight dress and pulled on a more appropriate dress for the evening. It was sheer and light, perfect for feeling the evening breeze as the sun set over the hills that surrounded our city.

"Well then, I'll be back eventually. Don't wait up."

"I never do," she said as she picked up her cup and took a sip. "Have fun."

I took the stairs down with a slightly renewed vigor. I loved going to the bathhouse.