Pandora's Mistake (Fate of Eros #0) (The Fate of Eros Series) (2 page)

"Prometheus suffers because of all those people who live down there," Epimetheus said. "The reason they have warmth and food is why he's being tortured, but none of them care anymore."

Pandora's chest constricted painfully. This couldn't be true. Zeus had been such a kind god, explaining things to her slowly when she didn't understand them. He wasn't capable of this.

"Some of them cared at first," Epimetheus said. "But when they tried to loosen his bonds, the crow would devour them instead. Unlike Prometheus, they wouldn't be able to rise from the dead the next day. He begged them to stop, insisting that he could handle it, but I don't like the way they flaunt their fires in front of him. They should be ashamed of what they have, rather than callous.

"Every time someone lights a fire, Prometheus dies a little faster that day. It's why he usually dies at night-people light their campfires and the raven pecks harder. Prometheus gets upset from the pain and those bad feelings make the raven peck harder as well. He dies.

"If all of the humans were to put out their fires and vow to never use them again, Zeus might let him go, but they won't. Prometheus says it's because they die without fire, but I think it's because they're selfish.

"This is why, as my wife, you are never to light a fire. Fire is his curse, not our blessing."

Pandora nodded her head, chewing her lip.

The raggedy pile of a Titan lying in front of them moaned. He had also shrunk himself. It was strange that he should care about making humans more comfortable when he was being tortured like this.

He spoke and his voice was hoarse. "Epimetheus, is that you?"

Prometheus cried out and the fire above their heads grew larger. Epimetheus pushed Pandora close to the ground just in case.

The fire died down and Epimetheus knelt next to his brother. The bitterness melted from his face and gentleness took its place as if he were gazing at a beloved pet or baby. He stroked Prometheus' cheek and the fireballs burning above them calmed. "Shh! Don't speak! You need to save your strength!"

"Please don't be angry." Prometheus' eyes glowed with love in the light. "To see humanity, my creation, at peace, makes this suffering worth it. I'm glad Zeus chained me here. It allows me to witness all the good I've done."

"Don't speak that way," Epimetheus said. "Nothing is worth seeing you like this."

"Humanity is worth it," Prometheus said. "The way their skin glows in the sun is the envy of the gods. They're beautiful."

Pandora looked down at her arms; the silver flecks in her skin shone in the firelight. Most of the time they weren't visible, except when the sun was bright or she was near a campfire. She had heard once that humans had specks of gold in their skin, during a time when they could tell the future and walked among gods. Pandora wished she was from that time, rather than from the age of silver, where the wealth and gifts of Mount Olympus dwelled just beyond her reach. But humans had sunk to a new low ever since Zeus took over, which was why their skin had silver in it now. If only she knew the future, maybe she'd be able to understand her world a little better.

"Humans give the gods something to live for and take care of," Prometheus continued. "They create and love like we do. They are not evil. It's Zeus that is. Never trust anything Zeus gives you. It will lead to your downfall."

Pandora's forehead wrinkled in confusion. She had been a gift from Zeus to Epimetheus. Was he insinuating that she was untrustworthy? How dare he! He didn't even know her!

Prometheus was sweating. His breathing grew heavier and he went into a seizure.

"It's time! He's dying again," Epimetheus shouted.

Prometheus passed out and the inferno above their heads swirled like a tornado. Pandora shielded her face as ashes rained on her. She could feel her arm hair singeing.

"It's getting dangerous-we need to go." Epimetheus' expression hardened as he wrapped his arms around Pandora. She clutched his chest and let him lead the way.

Prometheus awoke the next day to something wet and cool pressed against his feverish forehead. He blinked at the sun, his eyes straining to see. It had been so long since he had experienced this relieving sensation that he was afraid it was a hallucination. Someone opened his mouth and poured a few sips of water into it. It barely quenched the dryness of his tongue, but it tasted like sweet nectar. As a normal man, he would have died several times from the thirst alone.

"Who's there?" he whispered hoarsely. The pain on his side was only minimal. He must have died last night. The crow was always gentler when he first started pecking his abdomen than he was once he broke through the skin.

"My name is Pandora," a feminine voice sang.

For a long time, he hadn't felt any form of pleasure, but at the sound, a feeling as cool as the water hitting his stomach spread through his body.

His vision cleared and he saw a female form crouching before him. Her brown hair brushed his face as she leaned over him to press the wet wash-rag against his forehead. She licked her luscious lips as she stared at him with eyes as blue as the sky. Her body was tanned and curvy. She moved with the grace of a dove. She was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen.

He was probably hallucinating, but he might as well go along with it.

"What manner of goddess are you?" he asked. "Has Zeus been overthrown? Are you here to free me?"

But even as he spoke, he knew she wasn't a goddess. She was too gorgeous to be one. She was his dream-a human female. Back when he was free and thought he had all the time left in the world, he had been about to create one, but Hecate had distracted him.

Pandora giggled. "My name is Pandora. I'm a human."

He sighed. He was so sick from dying repeatedly that he was growing delusional, but it was a wonderful fantasy. Not creating a woman had been his one regret. If only he hadn't been foolish enough to fall for Hecate's seduction...

He remembered the way Hecate stroked his neck lightly. A snake coiled itself around her arm and slithered towards her neck. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and lustful. Her dark hair fell like wavy drapes over her shoulders. She watched him, but he didn't look at her.

The spirit dogs that followed her everywhere, creatures that looked as if they emerged from the fog, growled as they sensed her agitation. They had little patience for Prometheus. They were jealous and protective of their mistress.

Prometheus had just formed a ball out of clay. He would shape it until it resembled the head of the first human woman.

He had retrieved it from a lake and was sitting in a field of roses, preparing it.

None of the other Titans understood his obsession with Earth and why he'd rather spend time with the animals than the other Titans. Hecate followed him wherever he went, but didn't get it either. If it wasn't for her nagging, he'd never show up at any of the Titans' parties.

"Leave me alone, Hecate," Prometheus said. "I'm busy." He wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

She nibbled on his ear instead, her warm tongue flicking his lobe.

He groaned. "I'm serious, Hecate."

"Is it because we've been dating a hundred years now?" Hecate asked. "I've been told that the second hundred years is not nearly as romantic as the first."

Hecate had a strange voice that he found seductive. Deeper than most females, it sounded like three women talking at once.

Prometheus rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Hecate crossed her arms and paced. The snake draped itself over her shoulders. "You've been ignoring me ever since you decided that you wanted to create humans."

Prometheus laughed. "I have not." But he was lying.

He couldn't help himself. Humans were so beautiful, with the gold flecks in their skin, their thick shiny hair, and muscular bodies. They were his works of art.

He had never understood what Gaia was talking about when she told him that the greatest feeling in the world was to give birth. He wasn't a woman, but in his own way, he had given birth to all life on Earth. He had created the animals and the humans. He got absorbed in observing their interactions. The way they spoke and moved fascinated him. It was because they were his. Just as a mother looks at her baby for the first time and adores it because it came from her body-he adored humans every time he saw them.

"I'll spend more time with you as soon as I finish doing this," Prometheus said. "I've created female mates for all the animals, but I have yet to create one for the humans."

She wrapped her arms around him and forced him to look into her eyes. "Aren't I enough for you? Can't you spend a little time with me and ignore this for a while?"

"You know I care for you," he whispered. "What I am doing right now has nothing to do with our relationship."

He dropped the clay on the ground as their lips met. Their tongues fought for control of their passions as they entered each other's mouths. That old familiar desire to explore Hecate's body crawled down Prometheus' chest and to his loins. He moaned into her mouth, until he opened his eyes for a moment.

He looked at the ground. The clay was covered in dirt and it had rolled over several flowers. It was misshapen.

He pushed Hecate away, forgotten. He lifted the piece of clay in his hands and tried to dust it off. It was ruined.

Hecate frowned and grabbed the snake around her neck angrily. Before it had the chance to bite her, it transformed into a golden key. Her face warped and began to change with it.

The dogs' muscles were strained, their bodies ready to spring with a simple command.

Hecate's lips grew fuller. Her eyes became larger. Her body was curvier.

"Perhaps this form of mine will tempt you more," Hecate whispered. Her voices were husky.

Hecate knew he was unable to resist this body the most out of the three she possessed. She could shapeshift between them. He stared at the head of the human woman for a moment before placing it gently on the ground. He could come back for it later.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pecked her on the lips.

"What do you need those humans for anyway?" she asked. "You have three women right here, living inside me, who all wish to sleep with you. I'm like a living, breathing orgy."

That was one of the things that originally attracted him to her.

Their lips met and caressed each other once again, sending heat traveling down their bodies. He squeezed her breasts and her hips. She felt so soft in his arms and she didn't mind getting messy. His hands were covered in clay still and they would have to take a shower later to clean up. He groaned at the thought of her nude figure.

He pulled away, his eyes glowing. "Why are you always trying to get in the way of me working on these humans? Are you jealous?"

She looked away and blushed. Prometheus frowned. Apparently he had hit a nerve.

"I get afraid sometimes that you're so obsessed with humans that you'll forget all about me once you make a human female. Maybe you'll fall in love with her instead."

"That will never happen," Prometheus whispered.

She sighed and frowned. "Is that why you pulled away from me while we were kissing in order to fix your human's face? Humans are obviously more important to you than I am."

"That's not true! I'm sorry I did that. I'm just eager to finish this project. Let me prove that I want you most."

He crushed her chest against his, so their bodies met at every angle. Their mouths devoured each other's as Prometheus pressed the evidence of his lust against her. He stripped her.

He wanted to reassure her that the only woman he desired was her.

*** *** ***

He gazed into Pandora's eyes. She was everything he had ever wanted and more. Hecate had been right. He would never have looked at her again if she had allowed him to create female humans.

"Where did you come from?" he asked.

She blushed shyly and looked away from his intense gaze. "Zeus created me and gave me as a gift to Epimetheus."

Zeus?
He recoiled as if the fireballs that swirled above him had lit his skin. How many times did he have to tell Epimetheus to think things through before he'd stop getting the two of them into trouble? Every deal or discussion they shared with Zeus had ended poorly for them. Zeus wasn't generous. His gifts were vicious lions disguised with ribbons to make you think they were pretty until they ripped open your face.

How cruel Zeus was to create the one thing Prometheus had always wanted and give it to his brother.

"Get away from me!" he shouted.

The fire above him crackled and Pandora was forced to cower as ash rained upon her. Even though Prometheus was terrified of this creature, she looked so sweet and innocent. He didn't wish to harm her.

For the first time, he noticed a pig speared through with a stick. It hung low in one of the trees on a platform in a higher part of the cliff. It was near enough to the fire to cook. She was a clever girl, getting her cooking done while she attended to him. He narrowed his eyes. Her appearance of being foolish and gentle must be a trick.

Prometheus knew Epimetheus had banned cooking for his family. She had to be doing this behind his back.

"Where'd you get that meat?" Prometheus growled.

"I found it on the way here." Her voice was too high-pitched to be real. "After Epimetheus dropped me off, I found a pig trapped in some bushes. All its legs were broken, so I was actually doing it a favor when I cracked its head with a rock. It must have been a gift from Zeus to me, and I didn't want it to go to waste."

Prometheus had been right. This woman looked innocent, but she was violent. She had murdered an animal in cold blood!

Pandora's head tilted sideways as she tried to figure him out. "What's wrong? Do you need another sip of water?"

"Do not touch me! I'm immune to your trickery!"

"Trickery? I just want to help you." Pandora reached for the rag she had been using and pressed it against his forehead once more. He would have knocked it out of her hands if he wasn't tied down.