Page 33 of Prometheus' Priestess

“The regent of the city … I forget his name … well he asked for the use of one of Artemis’ hounds, Laelaps, to capture the fox causing havoc in the farmers’ fields.”

Amara scrunched up her nose. “I should know that name.”

“She’s the hound destined to catch whatever prey sheseeks.”

“Who won?” Amara stopped dead, turned and faced him square on and folded her arms across her chest. He couldn’t help it. He laughed and picked her up, swooping her around.

“You are a bad-tempered witchtoday.”

“Only because you are deliberately dragging out the story,” she replied, but she didn’t tell him to let her go. Something deep within him growled in delight.

“Zeus didn’t like the paradox it created. Two creatures designed to forever chase each other? It seemed to defeat the purpose. He turned them both to stone and set them in thestars.”

“And you callmebad tempered.”

Prometheus laughed again. He loved this side of her. And his arm was now casually around her shoulders and still she didn’t shrug him off.

“Isn’t that what humans do though?” Amaraasked.

“In whatsense?”

“Well, we’re always chasing something forever, aren’t we?” Her tone held a wistful note and Prometheus briefly thought of why she had come to Edinburgh in the first place. How she hadn’t found the answers she sought. He wondered how much it ate at her. Unanswered puzzles drove him to distraction.

“Women who chase men, men who chase careers, those who chase freedom,” she mused, warming to her theme.

“Crumbling struggles,

toils to betoyed,

grappling withgrace.

Perhaps that is the curse of the humanrace.

Oh I blessed you with foresight,

But I burdened you with it too.”

Amara stopped, looking at him with an inscrutable look in her eyes.

“Prometheus?” Amara hazarded aguess.

“Yes?” He momentarily forgot himself. Luckily, Amara took his tone as surprise.

“I have been listening you know,” she nudged him with her shoulder playfully.

He shook his head clear. “Of course youhave.”

“What made you think of thatpoem?”

“I think that’s why humans chase freedom,” he answered quietly. “I think they know something better awaits them. It causes them to stop enjoying the moment and forces them into a perpetual loop of becoming better. It makes them the greatest creators of all time. And it steals the magic of their lives in the process.”

Amara stopped once again and really looked at him then. Prometheus saw the pain in his own eyes reflected in her much younger ones. He went to tell her then, who he really was, why she was here, but then she stole his breath. Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his lips gently until he tentatively returned it. Then, burying his hands in her wild mane of hair, he kissed her back like a man drowning. It was a desperation that had both of them wanting more, until Amara’s fingers curled into the grooves of his wool sweater and all he wanted was her hands on his skin. Eventually, Prometheus released her lips and allowed them to both catch their breath.

CHAPTER XVII

The pub Prometheus had planned on celebrating in with Amara was packed. He must have forgotten that it was a Saturday when the rugby was on, a true sport he could get behind. However, he couldn’t stand the boisterous grown men who were childishly taunting each other as beer spilled over glasses, and angry voices were raised as the visiting team scored another try. The home team were getting their arses handed tothem.

“I apologise for this.” He noticed Amara’s acute uncomfortableness as they moved through the bar. There wasn’t much space between shoulders that continued to drunkenly try and barge into them. And there was only so much fending off he could do to protect Amara’s small frame before they simply ran out of room.

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