They got to the end of the room, and there was a cage covered with a large cloth.
Minos squealed with delight. “And this one, my favorite piece in the entire exhibit, came in just today, not hours before you yourselves arrived. You should feel most honored, for you are the first eyes to bear witness to the crowning achievement of my menagerie. Behold, a very rare find…”
He grasped the cloth with his hand and tugged.
“A male wood nymph!”
The word “No!” began deep in Theseus’s chest, traveled with urgency to his throat, and reached as far as his mouth before he stopped himself.
There, in the filthy metal cage, was Daphnis.
His beauty was not diminished by the surroundings. Rather, the stark metallic gray seemed to enhance his glow, his perfect unblemished skin, and golden hair. Daphnis
