Page 16 of The Gods Forbid

It was the smart thing to do, prey on Persy’s obvious optimism and ill-placed trust and try to take a portal right out of this fucking place. But I was learning that along with that pesky trust and optimism, came a quiet intelligence that surely would have prepared for me to try to escape.

It was only that, and not the way that Persy’s hair brushed against her lower back, that had me following her out of the dark, damp section of Prometheus and out into the open air.

And the second I stepped out into the dim light, I felt my chest pang with missing power. I was used to sun blasting me in the face, and the sun felt distant and obscure here.

That wouldn’t do.

I basked in as much light as I could get here for a second, letting the warmth seep into my skin and make me feel an inch closer to life. Something slithered through my middle. If I was forced to give it a name, it would be relief.

When the relief settled, it opened up room for a thought to cross my mind. A promise, really, to do what Persy asked so that I never ended up back in a cell like that again.

But that would be far too close to remorse, to guilt. So I chased the thought away, clearing my vision.

Only to find Persy smiling at me.

What the fuck?

“What?” I barked, harsher than I’d intended.

Persy didn’t so much as flinch at my tone. “You look happy in the sun.”

“You call this a sun?” I returned, jerking my chin towards the horizon. As part of Prometheus’s magic, the sun looked farther away that it did elsewhere on our planet, almost half the size and strength. Fucking awful place.

I didn’t know how Persy did it. The sun matched the brightness of her personality, and there was little of that here.

Persy laughed, a quick little titter that was lower than I’d expected. It didn’t matter what I’d expected anymore, now I knew what her laugh sounded like.

“I think you like it,” she said, holding her ground with a smile. Her specialty, it seemed.

I changed the subject instead of lying to her. “Please,” I said, gesturing her forward. “Lead me to the rest of my torture.”

Persy turned on her heel, flicking her hair over her shoulder. I was finding her shampoo and destroying it. Nothing had any right to smell that good.

I followed her through a series of garden pathways, all covered in flowers and rare fauna I was sure only survived in this specific climate. Through an open square that seemed to be the center of Prometheus, filled with residents and staff alike.

Everyone openly stared as we passed, looking at me with fear or hate or disdain or a mixture of a million negative emotions I’d grown long used to feeling. I smiled at those who dared to make eye contact with me. They’d best learn soon that I enjoyed fear more than I did most other emotions.

Everyone looked at Persy with respect and love and admiration. Even the people who were clearly struck by her beauty seemed to push respect in front of any desire.

The gardens mirrored each other on either side of the square, and Persy led us through another stretch of hedges and bushes. It was only then, when we were isolated from the crowd, that I realized Persy was speaking to me.

Certainly not having a conversation with me, because that would require me to actually respond to her. No, no, she was chattering on about someone we’d seen in the square, mentioning something about art that went in one ear and out the other.

I was the sorry bastard who had to listen to her calming voice assault my senses.

And when we popped out of the hedges, I stopped listening to her completely.

We’d come to the edge of Prometheus, where the landscape was nothing but rolling hills that looked like they went on forever.

The only building was a small cottage nestled into a flat part of the countryside, the walls an earthy neutral with vines climbing up the side. Behind it was a shed, which looked like a smaller version of the house.

It wasn’t until I damn near tripped over a stone that I realized we were walking on a path made of uniquely shaped rocks, like each one was handpicked.

“I picked all of these stones myself,” Persy said, her steps light as she hopped from one to the other with ease.

I had to keep my eyes on the ground. As I tried not to trip and fall on my ass, I said, “I bet you did.”

“It’s my house. I wanted an input.”