Body Language

By Kayla Jameth

Body Language takes place in Lydia—a kingdom in Asia Minor (now part of modern Turkey) that was conquered by Cyrus the Great during the 6th century BC and became part of the Persian Empire.

Years later, Lykos, the son of the king of the Thracian city-state, Aenus, is travelling incognito through the conquered province. To avoid arousing questions as to why he is there, he is only accompanied by the Persian, Narses, a friend of his father. Hearing cries for help, the two men intervene. They are too late to save a merchant and his slave, but they arrive in time to prevent bandits slaying the third member of the party.

Kas recently lost his family and was grateful to be travelling under the protection of Tahmasp. Now the merchant is dead, his future is once more under threat. He would like nothing better than to remain with the handsome warrior, but how can he explain that to a man who speaks little but Greek?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kayla Jameth
• Release date: Nov 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311813596

Kayla Jameth

Kayla Jameth grew up on the family farm in Ohio. An unrepentant tomboy, she baled hay and raised cattle, and her father taught her to weld before she graduated from high school. She attended Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University and later, Texas A&M University in her pursuit of veterinary medicine, taking her far away from her rural roots. But it wasn’t all hard work for her, her sojourn as the princess of the Celestial Kingdom left her with the title “Sir” and a costume closet the envy of many knights, lords, and ladies. After declaring for years that she was not an author, Kayla now finds herself writing m/m erotic romance outside of Houston, Texas. While you can take the girl out of the country, you can’t turn her into a city slicker. Kayla would still rather be outside getting down and dirty with the boys. She shares a full house with her favorite animals: a cat, two guinea pigs, a gerbil, three guppies, as well as her husband, son, and daughter.

Book preview

A Tale of Apollo's Men

By Kayla Jameth

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

© 2014 Kayla Jameth.

Cover Art

© 2014 AB Gayle.

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Author, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Kayla Jameth at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Lexicon

Bio

More from Kayla Jameth

Dedication

Thanks to Deanna and Charley for betaing this story. Additional thanks to Alison for all her help with editing, cover art, and formatting. Without her help this story would not be available to you.

Oh, far wandering muse, Calliope, Mother of Thrace,

Tell me of the young prince of Aenus

And the adventures that befell him,

Traveling the fair kingdom that once was Croesus' pride.

Chapter One

Ahead of Lykos, his guide paused, head cocked to one side. Lykos stilled and held his breath, listening for whatever had caught Narses' attention. There wasn't much in the canyon to see, just rocks and scrub brush and more rocks, shimmering in the heat.

Sand slithered across the road leading to Sardis, rattling as it laid claim to yet another unguarded stretch of arid desolation so unlike Aenus' green spaces and coastline. Lykos glanced around in distaste. Narses assured him once they descending from the barren mountain pass, the fertile Hermus valley would spread out before the great city like a rich spill of costly fabrics.

Lykos certainly hoped so. He'd eaten more than his share of dust on this journey so far. He didn't relish more. While he didn't see any travelers before or behind them, obviously enough feet traversed this path to prevent the growth of anything less hardy than the sparse acacia and similar brush well back in the shadows of the confining rock walls.

He studied his guide more closely. The Persian pursed his lips and squinted eyes as dark as obsidian beneath lined brows. His beard bristled under a light coating of dust as he scanned their surroundings. Shifting the pack containing his half of their supplies, Narses gripped his staff, nodding to himself.

Ever since Lykos was old enough to join the men in Father's court, he'd seen the Persian with his strange clothing and exotic ways, speaking his foreign tongue. At first, Narses had only been a Lydian merchant come to Thrace to trade with the king of Aenus. But as his relationship with the king grew, Lykos saw him more and more frequently.

On those occasions when the man was in Aenus, Lykos had pressed for and received instruction, endeavoring to become familiar with the langue of a possible enemy. Now as they traveled together, Lykos was attempting to further his knowledge of a language so different from his native Greek. The sounds were liquid and the words followed their own rules. He still couldn't speak much more than the necessary pleasantries required for guesting, but at least he wouldn't embarrass himself, or more importantly, offend a host.

Father trusted Narses as both a courier and to conduct business in his name here in the satrapy that had once been the neighboring kingdom of Lydia. Its ruler, King Croesus, had been defeated when he attacked Persia, and thus had destroyed a great empire exactly as the Pythia had prophesied to Croesus prior to the battle. Unfortunately, the kingdom in question had been his own.

Narses still hadn't moved. His long, brightly colored Persian robe hid the bulk of a man well versed in defending himself. Father claimed he had once watched Narses hold off a pack of bandits intent upon relieving him of treasure.

But the way the two men had shared an amused glance and laughed while staring at Lykos made him wonder if Father meant the time Hyllos, Sebastos and he had waylaid Narses for the exotic sweets they knew he sometimes carried. They hadn't been able to get the Persian delicacies, but then they had been mere boys.

Either way, Father insisted Lykos would need more than just a guide in the event of bandits and Narses would be perfect for both.

What had Narses sensed that he was missing? Lykos glanced around but he couldn't see or even hear anything out of the ordinary. Just rock, sand and wind.

The wind ceased and he heard it, a faint shout. The rattle he had thought was wind-driven sand resolved into the clatter of distant swords echoing down the canyon. Narses, more accustomed to this desolation, had recognized the difference first.

Hand on the hilt of his sword, Lykos pivoted slowly, attempting to discover from which quarter the battle raged. Someone was being attacked and doubtless required their assistance. His heart set a faster beat. This is what he'd sought.

He'd been forced to leave his primary weapons and armor at home to avoid drawing too much unwanted attention. Only heroes or mercenaries went about dressed in full battle gear. Without his spear and shield, he would have to make do with his xiphos. He hadn't wanted to risk the Great King of the Persians hearing of his journey, or to tempt bandits with too rich a target. Hence he traveled discreetly with only Narses to guide him.

Narses stepped