A/N: My editing gets lazier by the day. Still, the chapter is here so... enjoy some angst! xx

Twenty One: Jealous

Icarus

'What are you drawing?'

'Argh! Elli! Nothing!'

And with that the parchment burnt up to nothing but ash.

Elli stares at the embers in the pit.

'You shouldn't waste resources like that. You know we're all probably going into debt soon, right?'

'No one was using it anyway. What do you mean debt?'

'Its when someone – ah, never you mind. It's my problem now.'

'Why yours?'

'New housekeeper,' she points at herself.

'Therefore, I will be keeping tabs on everything. Might introduce a new rationing system, once he's back to normal weight, Master Narciss here could probably do with less rich meats and more vegetables. He won't keep that stunning figure forever otherwise.'

Stunning… figure…

'Hey, you look like you are boiling, you've gone red. Why are you sitting by the furnace in the middle of the day anyway?'

'Oh, uh, no reason.'

'Oh yes…' her face comes alive,

'Aias told me what happened last night.'

'He did?!'

Aias? He saw?

How?

No one was there but me and –

'Well, yes. How could he not?'

Oh gods…

'Wow, you look like you're about to pass out. No need to look so worried, I think you should go and talk to him. See if you can all come to an understanding, I for one think this stupidity should end.'

Stupidity?

'You can't be walking around in fear for the rest of your days here, can you? Personally, I think Jua's a bully, but that is just my opinion.'

Jua?

'Ah, look who is here. Go on! Talk to him!'

'But-'

'Aias!'

She's out in the hallway before I can say anything.

'Ana. Morning to you. Have you seen-'

'He's in here.'

'What's he doing in there?'

'Trying to avoid all of you.'

'I see. Maybe I should come back another time – '

'I'm, uh, here. What is it?'

I'm in the hallway and Aias looks uncomfortable. We stand there for about five minutes before Elli rolls her eyes and pushes us outside,

'I have work to do in here. Go and be statues somewhere else!'

With that we're left alone. His face twists into a wry grin as he stares after her.

'She's something isn't she?'

'Um, yeah. I guess.'

His head whips around at my reply, like he wasn't actually expecting one. There it is, that suspicious look he gave me earlier.

'W-why did you want to talk to me?'

I stutter quickly, well its not like I meant to stutter but I've been bad at talking lately –

'Hey, no need to be so defensive. Though I get why you'd be like that. We were being jerks last night.'

'Were you?'

He frowns at me, surprised apparently.

'Well, yes, I know that Jua was mainly the one who was trying to… antagonise you. But really it was all of us. I mean it was my idea to invite you in the first place. We really did want to get to know you, we just… our means weren't the best. More like an interrogation than anything.'

He's talking really fast and I don't even know what he's talking about -

'Can you blame us for being wound a little tightly though? I mean, so much crap has happened lately and we've been so out of the loop and then you come in from nowhere and act like you own the place with your heroics and charming everyone you meet with that innocent victim act you've got going, I mean even Narcissus for Hermes sake– '

'Act?'

'Come on Icarus,'

And there's that look of his that I really don't like –

'You can be straight with me.'

'I am being straight, you're the one that's acting weird. Look, I didn't mean to come here. I was… in an accident, and Narcissus saved me, and everything since then has just sort of happened.'

'Right.' He smirks. He's trying something I just don't have any idea what,

'It just happened that right when Narcissus was starting to lose it, you enter the picture and he goes on this random trip to Athens, and comes back worse. Round about the same time as Eliana's mother gets sick and she happens to go straight to you for a shoulder to cry on. And then, when everyone's panicking and the household is vulnerable, you just happen to be there when Narcissus miraculously comes back to his senses, and now he wants to spend all his time with you? If I didn't know any better, I would say you were attempting to dig your way into a certain pit of gold, just as Jua suggested. That being said, I've seen the way you look at Eliana – and I reckon you probably have another agenda on your mind altogether!'

…

Wow. Okay.

I'll be honest, he looks kinda crazy. He's gone from zero to six hundred in two seconds, his eyes are wide and staring and his face is red and his nostrils are flared – he looks like a bull…

…

'Hahahahahaha!'

Laughing was probably the wrong move here, but the mental image was too funny. I've seen an actual bull-man, Aias' impression just looks silly.

He looks ready to send me to hades. My hands raise themselves; automatic surrender pose–

'Look, you really must have some trust issues if you think I've got some evil scheme. I don't know what half the stuff you just said is even supposed to mean!'

Okay at this point even he must have realised that he sounds crazy, cos he's stopped dead in his rant and is gaping like a fish.

Heheheh, bull-fish.

'You… seriously aren't trying to separate us?'

'Who, you and Narcissus? I had no idea you were so close to start wi-'

'No! Of course not him. Gods you're clueless, how could she ever see anything in you.' His feet shuffle round awkwardly and a hand scratches his temple, before running through his hair.

She?

…

Oh.

OH.

…you know that suddenly makes a whole lot more sense as to why he's been so weird around me – nice one minute and then dying to kill me the next.

He thinks I'm…

Okay. Okay…

'Hey, Aias, Elli's cool and all, but we're just friends. I mean yeah she has hair like the sunrise and sunset all blended into one blazing fire and eyes the colour of sycamore trees and skin like cooked gold, and trust me I've seen a lot of gold – '

Why does he look mad again?

'but that doesn't mean I like her. Yeah, she's pretty and all, but…'

That picture, that feeling comes back to me, that moment on the mountain after Echo's cave, with her hair burning in the sun just like a heliad.

'There were loads of times when we were alone together. I rode a horse with her, trekked into the mountains with her, nearly died with her… but nothing. I felt nothing. After all that, I realised that I didn't get that weird painful twisty feeling in between your lungs that you get when you just don't want to let someone go.'

Aias stares at me for a minute. I stare back, but my gaze breaks before I can appear like I know what I'm doing.

'For a woman-stealer, you sure know how to talk about love. Where'd you learn that from, eh?'

I think and search through my head and try to put my finger on it, but when I find something, the answer seems… wrong.

'I don't know. Somewhere along the way, I just did.'

He shakes his head. I don't know what that means.

'Anyway,' he starts,

'this apology turned into a bit of a nightmare. I can get… carried away sometimes. What I really meant to say was, I'm sorry about yesterday. I suppose now I think about it logically, it's obvious you're just a kid who's way out of his depth. You were an easy target, an outsider. But… you stood up for Jua as if you were one of us. So, thanks for that, it didn't go unnoticed.'

Easy target? Yesterday? Stood up for Jua?

What is he talking about?

'You're… welcome?'

'And I would say I'm sorry for being jealous but… well, we'll just hold the apologies until we see who she chooses.'

He gives a little salute-y gesture as if to say, 'see ya' and then walks further into the courtyard.

'Wait! I already told you, I'm not competition. I don't love Eliana!'

His eyes widen and he glances round before rushing back to me,

'And now the whole bloody household knows. You are clueless. Clueless and loud. Besides,'

He does it again, shakes his head as if he's got some great and vast knowledge that I don't, his lips smirk but his eyes still hold that weird bitter glaze,

'just because you don't have feelings for her, doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings for you.'

What.

'Wait, what?'

But he just shrugs and keeps walking.

Narcissus

'Then there's your network. What you 'spect to do 'bout them, eh?'

Sip.

'I don't know Dareios. This is where you come in.'

'Me?'

Sip.

'Yes, you. I need some sort of brilliant plan to salvage my business, after I so recklessly tossed it in the river.'

'The lake more like.'

A raise an eyebrow. Two actually. My whole bloody forehead could be frozen with the coolness of the glare I'm giving him, but the older man just laughs.

'Listen boyo, why would you 'spect me to have some brilliant plan up my sleeve?'

'Because, Dareios,' and here's where I lean in, holding his gaze, expecting him to melt at my feet before I realise, my face doesn't work anymore.

Swig.

'Because a little bird told me that before you found yourself in my family's household, you grew up on arable land. That, before Spartans raided and pillaged that village of yours, your family were quite proficient farmers. I suppose that is why you are so good with numeracy. Now, if you had been able to continue carrying the family business on your shoulders, I have a feeling you'd be a very wealthy man by now. Far more so than me.'

Dareios' face is impassive. I continue quickly, before I lose him.

'Now, thanks to being forced to take a gentle dose of humility, I am willing to admit I have made some mistakes in the past in regards to my business – and this was before recent events. Tyndareus was forever trying to warn me to create a backup plan, but I never did, and well, here we are.'

A ghost of a smirk appears on the man's face. I suppose self-depreciation is the key way to curry favour now.

'All this considered, I believe relinquishing control of trade negotiations to an older, more experienced man, would be better for business.'

Smirk gone. I was going for flattery, but it came out somewhat insulting. Calling your employees old is never a good start. Time to change tack.

'Of course, now you have Tyndareus' position, you would get a significant cut of what we make. That is, if we make anything.'

'Huhuhu.'

A chuckle. That's something I guess.

Sip.

'I know what you're tryin' do Narky boy. No point in sucking up to me, I know what you're like. Listen, I already took the position, didn't I? I've made my decision. Course I'll help sort the business out, there's more in it for me than if I sit around doin' nothing. It was just refreshing to see you begging for once.'

… I would be annoyed, but honestly, I saw that coming.

'Wonderful. Glad to have you on board. Now, does that allegiance come with a business plan or not?'

'Well…'

…

'So your wonderful plan is to start selling expensive meat to the people who can't even afford the crappy offcuts?'

'Yes, Narky boy – '

'Don't call me that.'

'Narcissus. That's a mouthful you know, you should consider a nickname.'

'Get to the point.'

'The point is, we aren't going to be selling them expensive meat. We'll be selling them good quality meat, at a lower price than everyone else. If we prepare well for the spring festival, there'll be plenty of demand.'

Gulp.

'And this will help me how? I'm not a mass producer, boar hinds are that price for a reason! I have a troupe of precisely five hunters – of whom a certain bastard now has leadership over because I'm a bloody idiot who went and got cursed!'

He frowns, taken aback by something in my tone.

'Cursed?'

…oh shit, did I just say that?

'Figure of speech Dareios.'

'…Right.'

I'm pretty sure I can hear him state slyly, "Whatever you say." Then again that might just be my imagination.

Sip. Sip. Gulp.

'Sir, with all due respect – '

– he says without the slightest hint of respect in his voice –

'Maybe you should stop drinking. This is your third kylix of the red.'

'Don't you worry yourself Dareios, this wine is well watered down.'

'If you say so, Narky boy.'

'Don't call – oh whatever,'

S-i-i-ip.

'Are you sure you aren't trying to sabotage me?'

'Just listen to me, would you?'

There is a slightly irate note in his voice. I'm getting used to that, and to be honest I'm too pleasantly warm to care. I'm only half paying attention to whatever he says next, but shhh, don't tell him that.

'Right, go on.'

…sneaky sip.

'What I'm proposin' is a mass marketing scheme. You employ more hunters – young hunters – like apprentices. They get paid for a year or two – in training, decent food and board – they can stay at the old slave quarters once we refurbish them and have all the staff settled at the main estate – '

'Everyone's moving in here? I never – giant effing gulp – agreed to that-'

'Sacrifices have to be made. Do you want to have a business left?'

'Ngh.'

'It'll be no more than five youngsters, there's more than enough room. Anyways, once that's done, you'll have enough hunters to supply meat, without much cost to the household's budget. One you guys get the meat, I'll take care of the market sellers – I have quite a few people who I have connections with. Don't get me wrong, there won't be some grand fortune in this, but it'll at least tide us over so we don't have to deepen our debt. The important thing is getting a new client base, we can work our way up from there.'

'Hahaha, I'm getting déjà vu. You sound just like Meldrichon did when we first started.'

'In which case, I would think you'd know more about this given that you've done it before, Narcissus.'

He doesn't sound impressed.

'Hey, back then, I was the looks, not the brain.'

I just sound defensive now. Ah well, that's life,

'Charming your way into everything is easier when you're blessed. Mel did all the hard work, s'probably why he isn't… never mind.'

'Well you'd better get yourself some brains, cos Meldrichon is gonna be your number one competitor from now on. 'Specially as you just gave him most of your clients.'

'That's it…'

Cogs in my brain are turning – granted they're turning at the speed of a sluggish donkey, but still they are.

'Meldrichon.'

I wonder if it would still work for the bastard? He was always different. We always shared something, there was an understanding there. He may be my biggest rival, but he's also my best friend… sort of.

'Dareios. We'll do all that, that stuff, you just explained. No, you'll do all that. Meanwhile I'll be… uh…'

'Meldrichon?'

'Yeah, yes. Meldrichon. I will liaise with Meldrichon, see if we can't get some of our people back. Great idea. Well done me. Well done you too. You're literate, right?'

'Yes. I haven't magically lost that ability since you checked last week.'

'Brilliant. Draft me some advertisements, some letters, to send out across the islands, and to post in Athens and – you know what? Boeotia! Why not? We have people there, use 'em. Get the apprentices in, we've got this business back on the road!Yamas!'

'…I don't have a drink, Narcissus.'

'Well, here's one – '

This jug doesn't, doesn't want to stay in my hand. Ugh. Irritating little shit.

'It's fine, I can pour it myself.'

'Thank you!'

He pours. Tastes. Sniffs in… what is that, disdain? Are you disdaining on me?

No one disdains me!

'Well-watered my arse. That wine is as strong as the year it was fermented.'

I reach. He pulls back.

'If you don't mind me saying Narky boy, I think you've had enough for this time of day.'

'Ngh, you lie.'

'Like I said before, I know what you're like. You've got plenty left in that there kylix.'

Gulp.

'There. Finished. Y'happy?'

'No means no.'

'Whatever. To us!'

'To us.'

Hey, maybe, just maybe I didn't screw up entirely? This could, this could go well.

Yes.

To us!

Icarus

'Hey, are you busy?'

'What do you think?'

She's knee deep in linen sheets, belts and brooches, pinning the fabrics on a zig zag of lines that stretch across the garden.

'It won't take long. I think. I just wanted to ask you about someth-'

'Ouch!'

A pin clatters to the ground.

'Men. How many times do I have to tell you all to take the chiton pins out of the chitons before you put them to laundry? My fingers are bleeding all over the washing! Maybe I should just let you all wear blood stained clothes. Maybe you'd remember then.'

'You sound like an old lady, Ana.'

A disembodied voice makes me jump. A head suddenly pops around the corner of a sheet – right beside me.

'No need to look so scared, it's just me.'

'Oh, uh, hi Chloe.'

'Hello, Icarus.'

Chloe stands, her blond braid twirling in her fingers. That was a close one. If I'd asked Elli about what Aias told me earlier in front of her, it would be all over the island before sundown. I was hoping I could get Elli alone, but I guess its gonna have to wait.

'You sound disappointed to see me.'

'I-I'm not. Its just, well…'

I don't know who's worse, her or Aias. At least he tells me to my face what his problem is, but Chloe… she's harder to read. I hate people like that. They're all smiles and then as soon as you cross them –

'I see how it is, you wanted to speak to Eliana alone. You know, I've only known one other person who dares to do that. What could you possibly want to say to her that you can't say in front of me?'

'…'

Crap, she knows, she knows, she knows –

'Fine. I'll leave. You're alright doing the rest of this yourself aren't you Ana?'

And with that, she's off. I turn – right into Elli's glare.

'Great. She's been looking for an excuse to get out of that all day. Now I'm stuck doing the rest of this, alone.'

Oops.

'Uhm, I could always – '

'You'd better.'

She shoves the nearest sheet into my hands, and I stand there dumbstruck for a second, before starting to peg it up. I hear a groan, and turn to see that Elli's got her face in her palm.

'That's a himation. You're putting it with the bed linen.'

'…So?'

'Argh! Men!'

She yanks the sheet from me and puts it in the right place. Well now I'm just standing here awkwardly which isn't any good to anyone. She disappears in all the hanging clothes and sheets. A moment later, a sigh bounces out from the other side of a linen wall.

'So how did it go with Aias? Did he apologise?'

'Well, um, yeah. Sort of.'

'Sort of?'

'Well he explained a lot of things, so everything make a whole lot more sense now.'

Her head pops over the line.

'More sense? What possible reasoning did he give you for Jua's behaviour?'

Jua's behaviour?

'Why, what did Jua do?'

'Hello. Last night?'

'I didn't see Jua last night…'

Is she trying to tease me? Trip me up? What's with her and Aias going on about last night this and last night that and –

She frowns at me.

I know that look.

It's the same look Narcissus gave me when –

'Oh no. It happened again.'

'What did?'

'I can't… remember.'

Comes out from behind the sheet, in my face –

'What do you mean you can't remember? You can't remember what?'

She's frowning. Is she angry? Closer and closer. She's coming for me.

'I… I don't… maybe I should go.'

I should go, I can't breathe and there's walls all around me, walls of white, a maze, I need to get out, they shift and change and they'll keep me here forever if I don't move. Move!

'Icarus, wait! Wait – '

Hand, grabs me, shoulder, holding back, pulling me – no no no –

'Don't touch me!'

'Argh!'

…

Her arm. She holds it. In pain. Her eyes are down.

My hand is a fist.

I hit her.

I hit her.

'Oh. Oh crap, I'm sorry – '

Her eyes are up. Fire, like her hair.

'I'm sorry – I didn't mean to – I'm sorry – did I hurt you, did I? I didn't mean to –'

'What in Sheol is wrong with you?'

Her voice, growling. Like a she-beast, a monster, I'm surrounded by monsters and they all hate me, they're going to – they all –

'I'm going, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I need to leave – '

I didn't mean to, it just happened. Things just keep happening. They need to stop happening I need to be somewhere where things stop happening stop happening stop it stop it stop it –

Narcissus

Something's digging into my arm.

I'm trying to have a nice sleep, and some twat is poking my arm.

'-sus. Narcissus.'

Yes, that's my name.

'Don't wear it out.'

That's right, you tell them.

'What?'

'He's had a few too many.'

'Oh for goodness sake, that's the last thing we need. Narcissus, wake up!'

Eh?

Desk. Fell asleep at the desk. Head up, world spinning. Room spinning. Dareios' here. And –

'Eliana why are you screaming in my face for? That is highly rude.'

Ugh, need to keep my eyes open. Whose grand idea was it to get wasted mid-afternoon? Must have been out for a while, it's dark now.

'This is urgent. Icarus is missing.'

Okay. Missing. Icarus.

Wait, what?

'What do you mean, missing?'

'I mean just that. We were talking, just like normal. And suddenly he freaked out, hit me, and ran away. I tried to follow him, but he was gone in seconds. I thought he'd come back, but he still hasn't.'

Shit. Shit.

'How long have you been searching?'

'About three hours.'

'And you've checked everywhere?'

'The whole estate, town, even my village.'

'What about the woods?'

Silence.

'What about the lake?'

More silence. My blood runs cold.

'No one dares to go near that place.'

Some sort of bitter taste fills my mouth.

'Well then, that's where he'll be.'

Cloak on. Out the door. Everything inside me is screaming as we head towards the courtyard. Screaming to turn back and stay in the nice, safe mansion. With its manmade pillars and patterned mosaic and walls of marble and smooth wood floors, not like the dark damp forest with its dead leaves and dead wood and dead flowers all smelling like –

Through the gate. If he's in that gods forsaken place… what is he thinking? He's not thinking. We barely just made it out alive last time. What is he doing?

Dareios and Eliana are lagging behind. They're as reluctant as I am to enter this part of the forest, but we have no choice.

He's going to get himself –

Oh.

Oh, thank Zeus!

A figure pops out from behind an aspen a little way off. Once he gets closer, he gives a wave. As if he didn't just scare me half to death.

'What are you doing here?'

He gives a small flinch, then pouts.

'So I'm not allowed to go out the house anymore?'

'Bloody hell Icarus, not without telling anyone. These guys have been looking for you for hours!'

'You smell funny.'

The two behind me catch up, bringing the second torch so there's more light.

'Well you can talk, you're covered in mud. Look at the state of you, where've you been? Don't roll your eyes at me.'

He brushes past me, but suddenly stops at Eliana. He shrinks back, is that fear glinting in his eyes?

'Sorry. I just needed some space,' he says this looking at the ground, presumably talking to me.

But suddenly, his eyes flick up to her, gazing at her, as though no one in the world exists but her.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – '

'It's okay. I know.' She replies. Her hand reaches out for his shoulder, but he moves away, a wild rabbit in a trap. She stops. Said hand falls to her side.

Heat rises from my gut and rushes throughout my chest, until everything is burning. Strange feeling. After effects of strong wine. Yes, that must be it. That must be why my lungs feel like they've just been crushed, watching those two.

'Maybe we should get out of this place perhaps?' Dareios' voice cuts through the thick air. I can tell his gaze is fixed on me. Accusing, as if he thinks everything that happened here was my fault -

Oh, wait, it is.

My mouth works into pointless action,

'Good plan. Let's go, we can talk back inside, without the midges breathing down our backs.'

The others nod. Icarus takes off, practically running back up the path and through the gate. Dareios gives me a look, shrugs, and follows. Eliana's the last to move. I've approached her without realising.

'Eliana,'

Her eyes flick up, cool and unreadable.

'You said he panicked and ran off earlier. What is it you said to him to elicit such a reaction?'

My words emerge accusing, sharp. I can't help being on guard, not after their cruelty towards him last night.

Ugh. Last night. Still have to deal with that aftermath.

Her gaze moves back to the path.

'You talk like I upset him on purpose. Aias told me about yesterday, and I was angry with them. You as well, but mostly them. I told him to apologise to Icarus.'

'Yes, and how did that go?'

'That's when things got weird. Icarus came to me this afternoon, said that nothing happened last night. It's like it dropped out of his memory.'

The heat vanishes. The cold is back.

'Again?'

'Again? This has happened before?'

Losing track of time like that? Not normal. Far from normal. That being said, my entire concept of normal crashed and burned months ago. Crashed and burned…

This kid has just fallen from the sky, broken his body and very probably his head as well.

'Narcissus? Hello?'

'What?'

This small girl-woman is more mature than most her age. Yet now, it appears as though she's lost all her years, her confidence, and regards me with eyes that are no longer cool. They're wide and deep. Concerned. A child, looking for answers. Wanting their world to be okay.

'I asked if this has happened before,' she states quietly. She rubs a hand up her skinny arm. A fresh red bruise is visible, even in the dim torchlight.

…He did that?

'Yes, Eliana, it has.'

She looks down again.

'You think there is something wrong?'

'Yes, Eliana, I do.'

I begin walking.

'And with all the shit he's been through, it's a wonder it's taken this long to show.'