Page 57 of Prometheus' Priestess

“Why?” Prometheus asked. “What good does your interferencebring?”

“I asked myself the same question when you wouldn’t let that little priestess of yours die. You ruin my plan, I ruin yours.” Dionysus shrugged.

“And how do the goddesses feel knowing that you have ruined their plantoo?”

Dionysus shrugged again. “They’ll get over it. That’s what family does. You wouldn’t know that though, would you? After you sold your family out forours.”

“You always were a petty child,” Prometheus replied with a look of distaste on hisface.

Before Dionysus could retort, Zeus turned back to the table. “Has anyone bar this priestess-turned-mortal been exposed to the whitefire?”

“No.”

Zeus nodded. “Good. Bring her here tome.”

“My friend, you cannot …”

“I am not yourfriend, Prometheus. It isa decree from the King of Gods. If you will not fetch her, in fact − no, you shall not fetch her. I will send Hermes. You are no longer to be trusted. I have given you far too long a leash, but your Titan blood betrays you once again.

You are not to go near this woman until I have spoken to her. That you have betrayed me for a woman, all because you needed to get your cock wet and you wanted her to remember you were a Titan …”

“That was NOT my reasoning.” Prometheus growled, for he knew shouting would get him nowhere but he couldn’t not speak up. The intention of the white fire offering had never been for his own selfish gains.

Zeus stopped and finally looked Prometheus in the eye. In them, Prometheus saw storm clouds, hurt, and betrayal. A deep sadness etched into eyes of cobaltblue.

“Did you or did you not petition me for the white fire on her behalf?”

Overhead, Zeus’ eagle circled and large clouds of thunder began toform.

Prometheus sighed, because, yes, his intention had primarily been to save Amara. He hung his head. Tyche and her good fortune that she’d bestowed upon Prometheus had been wiped out by Dionysus’ cunning jealousy and wounded pride.

He felt Zeus’ arm curl around his shoulder, a friendly gesture as he delivered a killing blow. “Then you betrayed me. And I am sorry for your actions, for you fought bravely by my side once upon an eon. But now you mustpay.”

“Zeus—”

“You will wait with the Gorgons until your mortal arrives.”

With that, Zeus turned on his leather-bound heel and left. Dionysus followed behind him, whistling, after throwing one last I-told-you-so smirk at Prometheus, who collapsed back into his chair, his head in his hands, his eyes racing behind his eyelids, as he searched his mind desperately for a solution.

CHAPTER XXX

After Prometheus had been summoned away, Amara was not surprised to see a tall, lean god waiting for her against a bulletin board, one of his feet cocked and crossed against his other ankle, as she stepped out of the train carriage onto the platform. Well over six-foot five, Hermes was hard to miss. To humans, he must have looked like a basketball player. To Amara, he was the quickest god in history and, from her returning memory, a complete pain in the arse.

His curls had grown long and were looser than usual, though his beard was neatly trimmed close to his jawline. His slim forehead made way for ledged eyebrows of the same brown hair that had tints of orange when the sun hit it right. His nose had a wide bridge, keeping his eyes slightly further apart. The two of them could pass for brother and sister, albeit with one different parent.

Commuters continued to weave in between and behind the pair of them. The bulletin board Hermes was leaning against promoted the same brand of white trainers that were on his feet. In aslanted red were the words “supreme speed”, with the latest Olympic 100 metres winner pretending to dash off in them.

She cocked an eyebrow at Hermes and looked deliberately at hisfeet.

“Trying to fit in with the humans, arewe?”

“Speak for yourself, princess.”

Amara scowled. “I’m not a …”

“... I know what you are. Rumour on the Greek grapevine though is that Prometheus has claimed you as his own.”

Amara said nothing to that, choosing instead to turn to her left and walk along the platform. Hermes didn’t miss a beat, falling into step with her, one stride for her every two.

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