Pandora's Mistake (Fate of Eros #0) (The Fate of Eros Series) (7 page)

"But maybe they deserved it." His body shook as rage filled him. "I mean, look at how selfish they are. They interfere with all our decisions. They've taken so much from the humans, when they promised me that they wouldn't. We held up our side of the bargain, but they broke the deal."

Hecate crossed her arms. "Who cares?"

"I do!" Prometheus shouted. "He made a promise to me and now he's taken fire away from the humans. They shiver in cold every day. They eat raw meat. They're barbaric and miserable."

Prometheus had created humans to be works of art. They were made to entertain and befriend the gods. Zeus had reduced them to animals.

Hecate narrowed her eyes at him. "That's what this all comes down to? The humans? You can't even be happy for me, can you?"

Prometheus sighed. "It's why I betrayed Cronus in the first place. I was trying to protect everyone."

"Then let's start over. We tried our best to save humanity, but their fate is out of our hands." Hecate grabbed him by both hands and squeezed them. "We have an eternity together. We can create other creatures. We could even raise a family and have children."

"Children?" His eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Are you insane?"

Hecate shrugged. "I don't see how it's so different."

Prometheus crossed his arms. "So are you saying, if Zeus wanted to steal our children's powers and let them suffer, you'd allow it? Because it's all the same thing to you? He did it to humans and those are my children, so he might as well do it to everything I create?"

"I never said that!" Hecate yelled.

"Then you need to understand why I can't allow this either! These humans came from me. They are a part of me!"

Hecate's lips thinned tightly. "That's all you talk about-these humans and what they mean to you. I was the one who followed you when you decided to betray everything I knew and loved. I turned against my sisters and brothers. I betrayed my family and I did it all just so you'd love me. But it's like you don't care about me at all. All you care about are the humans."

"Maybe you're right," Prometheus growled and walked away before she could respond.

*** *** ***

Prometheus was angry. He knew he would eventually forgive Hecate for the argument they had, but in the meantime he needed to cool off. He decided to visit the village and talk to some of the men. Not that they would understand why he was so upset. They were happy to be ordered around by a goddess as long as that goddess slept with them later. Still, they were nice company.

They didn't understand morals or laws, but he would teach it to them. They'd find ways to be strong, even though they were scared. He'd give them structure and a way of life. Things would get better.

He was on a mission. Every time Zeus ruined part of humanity, he would make it better.

When he entered the town, though, he noticed a commotion in the middle of all the tents. He didn't know what could be worse than all the things that had already happened, but people were screaming like it was horrific. He charged over.

People moved out of the way to let him through. A man was lying still in the middle of everyone, facedown. People were poking him with sticks and he wasn't moving. He was so slender that he was barely skin and bones.

Prometheus yanked the sticks out of their hands. He had cuts and holes from being poked so much. "What are you doing? Leave this man alone! Isn't it bad enough that you must go hungry? Don't further Zeus' torture of humanity by picking on one another."

Several people backed out of the way. He'd never harmed a human, but they respected him.

He walked up to the man. "Do you need help getting up?" He tried to grab the man's hand. His palm was cold and stiff.

Prometheus' forehead wrinkled. It couldn't be, could it?

He flipped the man over. It was Ronius; his eyes were open, but he was unresponsive. His pupils were glazed over and he wasn't breathing. Prometheus shook him, but he didn't move.

"What's wrong with him?" one of the men asked.

But Prometheus' words were trapped in his throat. This man was dead. He had heard that it was possible for a creature to cease to exist, but he hadn't created humans to be this way.

He saw parts of animals scattered around and the head of a deer on a skewer. It had infected the animals as well. In the past, humans didn't need to kill the deer they ate. They just ripped off a leg and it immediately grew back.

He heard chuckling ahead of him and saw a large shadow in the shape of a man, hiding and watching. Prometheus threw the body of Ronius to the side, not caring as rage filled his body.

He didn't know how he knew, but he knew. Whatever that creature was, it was why Ronius was dead. And he was going to destroy it.

He lunged forward, his eyes flashing and his mouth foaming with bloodlust. The creature squealed in terror as Prometheus ripped him apart, limb from limb. He stood, satisfied over the bloody mess, until the muscles twitched and it started regenerating.

He grabbed it by the neck and held the creature down. It bit into his arm until he was gushing blood. He pressed against his chest, until he noticed there was no heartbeat. He thought this man was immortal at first, but he wasn't even alive. He was undead. He bit into Prometheus' neck and more blood gushed from him. He could feel himself growing lightheaded.

"You can't kill Thanatos!" the creature's deep voice threatened.

So his name was Thanatos, was it? Prometheus' body painfully regenerated as he continued to wrestle Thanatos. His limbs sewed themselves back together as he came up with a plan.

He'd breathe life in this creature just as he had breathed life into the humans. He'd make it alive. Its power must come from the fact that it was dead and he would take his power away. Then he would hide it in a pit of hell. One that Cronus hadn't told Zeus or Hades about. Only Prometheus knew about it because he had created it as a place to hide if the other gods grew out of control. He'd trap Thanatos there. Cronus was too insane for anyone to get the information from him.

*** *** ***

With the blood of Thanatos still dripping from his body, he entered Mount Olympus. It had been a difficult battle and he was still regenerating from it, but he felt high on adrenaline. He didn't want to bathe. He didn't want to rest. He had to fix everything before it was too late, no matter the consequences. He'd make Zeus keep his promises, whether he wanted to or not!

He knew the gods were asleep. Taking care of Thanatos had taken so long that he knew Zeus was resting his head. He entered inside on tiptoe and stuck to the shadows. No one would question his presence inside Mount Olympus, but they might be frightened by all the blood.

In the center of the main room was a flickering light. It cast dancing shadows across all the white walls.

Prometheus walked closer to it. The beautiful flames that flickered inside the fireplace were brighter and more enchanting than any he had seen before.

This was where Zeus had trapped all the flames in the world. He wanted to keep them for himself, so he could be special and powerful. He said the sun was enough to keep humans alive, but they were dying because of him.

Zeus had been intent on destroying Prometheus' creation all along. He wasn't that different from his father, but Prometheus wasn't going to put up with it.

They would die faster than he could create them if he didn't do something.

He reached inside the flames and screamed because his entire body felt as if it were on fire and melting. He wanted to pull away. He needed to make it stop, but instead the fire filled his veins like lava. It was changing him.

Prometheus awoke. He hadn't even realized he had collapsed. He looked down at his hands that were zinging with a new feeling of power, one he had never possessed before. He glowed in the dark and when he snapped his fingers, flames burst upon them.

Next time, maybe he would sneak lightning bolts. Humans would be strong with this fire, but with the power of lightning they would be unstoppable. They would use it to light their houses and harness its energy to get better at farming. It probably had all kinds of applications that were positively electric.

*** *** ***

"I'll never forgive myself for betraying Cronus. I faced trial for stealing the fire and I was condemned to where you see me now. It was in humanity's best interest to stop Zeus. I die daily for my mistake, but you continue to mock me anyway."

Pandora's mouth was hanging open. She was speechless for a moment. "I'm sorry." She bowed her head. "I didn't know."

She looked so frightened and frail that all of Prometheus' anger rushed from him. "I told you this story for a reason. You need to stay away from me and start doing your job. You have a responsibility to humanity, just like I do."

"What do you mean?" Pandora asked. "Epimetheus gave me the responsibility of taking care of you and I'm trying to do a good job, but you keep getting so excitable and undoing everything. I can't help that."

Prometheus' mouth tightened into a straight line. "That's not what I mean. It's your job as the first woman to create more people."

Pandora giggled so hard that tears poured down her face. "What are you talking about? I'm not a goddess; I can't create things like you do."

"Have you and Epimetheus made love?" Prometheus ignored it, but his stomach tightened with something more than the pain of the raven pecking through his abdomen. His heart hurt. He wanted her to say no.

All Pandora did in response was blush brightly and Prometheus' stomach tumbled.
Oh no, they have slept together.

But instead Pandora responded quietly, "I don't know."

Prometheus closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Then you probably haven't."

Pandora shrugged.

"Men and women reproduce through sex," Prometheus continued. "It's how the gods do it and I created humans to resemble them. You and Epimetheus are supposed to make little people that look just like you to take your place once you die. I can't keep a human from death, but I can make sure as a whole, humanity lives on."

"Little people?" Pandora's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Yes. They will be like you, but small and helpless. Similar to how the animals birth little versions of themselves. Haven't you seen their babies?"

Pandora smiled. "Yes, of course, but they are animals. They do all kinds of silly things, like walk on all fours. That doesn't mean I should do the same."

Prometheus frowned gravely. "It's the only way for humanity to survive. Zeus made you to destroy the relationship between me and my brother, but we can use you for great things instead. It's why he didn't teach you what sex is. He doesn't want you to have it."

"Will sex hurt?" Pandora asked.

"There are parts that are painful at first," Prometheus admitted. "And birth isn't comfortable, but most of it you'll love."

Prometheus struggled to shut off the image that immediately ran through his head of Pandora on her back, naked, with her breasts pressed against his chest. He would enter her and she would sigh in that sweet, high-pitched voice of hers as he filled her. Soon, he would have her moaning as he explored the inside of her body. He'd spill his seed into her and eventually, she'd get pregnant.

She'd make a wonderful mother someday. She was argumentative at times, but also nurturing. The way she fed him that broth made the pain almost tolerable.

Prometheus was shocked with himself. He told Hecate that he never wanted to have children and he assumed that never would change. What was happening to him?

Pandora interrupted his thoughts. "What was it like for you to have children?"

"Humans are my only children."

"So when Epimetheus and I make love, a baby will pop out of clay like I did when I was created?"

Prometheus shook his head.
Was she serious?
"No. It will come out from inside you."

Pandora scratched her chin. "Hmmm, so that's what Epimetheus means about entering inside me. He will crawl in and pull out a child! But I don't know how he'll fit and I don't think there's a child inside me for him to retrieve."

Prometheus sighed. "My brother didn't explain sex to you, did he?"

Pandora shook her head.

Prometheus chuckled. "Of course not, because that would involve thinking beforehand and he'd rather surprise you with the truth.

"You need to talk to him and ask him all these questions. I'm too tired to answer them and it isn't appropriate."

Prometheus felt like the blood pooling beneath him was his energy escaping his body. The sicker he got, the harder it was to control himself and he didn't think he could talk to Pandora about sex without wanting to demonstrate it to her as well.

"How do you speak when you are in so much pain?" Pandora asked. "I remember when you burned my arm. I could do nothing except think about how much it hurt."

"You get used to it after a while," he murmured. "But there's a limit to everything."

Pandora picked up a rag and dipped it into some fresh water. She gently washed his chest. Each rub sent goosebumps through him as he imagined her grabbing his penis and stroking it slowly. Soon he passed out.

Epimetheus walked Pandora back to the cave a little while later. He carried a deer carcass over one shoulder and a bag of wild berries in a pouch attached to his hip. With his other hand, he also carried the pot full of the lamb she had been cooking.

Pandora broke the silence once they neared the cave. "Prometheus told me that it's my duty as the first female to create new people, so I would like to have sex with you."

Epimetheus almost dropped everything he was holding. His eyes widened and he looked her up and down slowly. Pandora didn't like the predatory gleam in his eyes. She resisted the urge to cover herself with her hands.

"Are you sure that you're ready?" Epimetheus asked. "Don't tease me." His voice was hoarse. "I've been hoping you would come around, so I didn't have to force you. It's always more pleasurable when the other person enjoys it."

Pandora's heart pounded. She backed away from him a little, although she wasn't sure why. "I'm ready." Would it hurt when he crawled inside her? What if he didn't shrink-what if she was somehow supposed to stretch to fit him? She shuddered.