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Chapter Forty-Five

Hebe

I whirl around to face the monster who tormented my husband smirking at us like he expects me to cower.

My hands, still stained with Prometheus’ blood, clench into fists.

Oh, no, it is him who should beg for mercy. “Actually, O great Zeus , you will be releasing my husband and calling off your war.”

“ Hebe, ” Prometheus hisses.

Zeus just arches both his golden brows. “No, little mortal, I think not.” Then he lifts his hands, sparks charging in the air. “It seems only fitting to avenge my beasts by first slaughtering Prometheus’ pet.”

Prometheus tugs at his chains. “Hebe, run!”

“No.” With that announcement, I tug the lion skin off my back and whirl to face Prometheus. I nearly fall against him as I hold the skin up so that it shields both of us just as the onslaught begins.

Powerful pressure bursts against me, no doubt bruising my back. But I do not feel sparks nor do I smell burning. The lion skin is invulnerable to even Zeus’ lightning, it would seem.

After several tense moments, the onslaught finally dissipates into nothing.

Slowly, I lower the lion skin and turn to find Zeus where he stood before. Except now he is leaning slightly, like he is too tired to stand upright. He doesn’t even seem to have the energy to open his eyes all the way.

Yet his gaze is focused on me anyway. “Who are you?”

“I am the wife of Prometheus, and I’ve come to reclaim him.”

Since Zeus doesn’t look like he plans on pouring out more of his wrath— or like he even could— I slowly edge around the stone. I inspect the chain binding Prometheus and search for vulnerabilities.

“Hebe, I appreciate everything you’ve done,” Prometheus says. “But there’s nothing else you can do— these chains are cursed.”

I touch them and a lesser form of lightning courses through me. “Cursed how?”

“To bring suffering upon whomever seeks to break them.” A sick grin returns to Zeus’ face. “For every moment you struggle against those chains, you shall bear the pain of the one they bind.”

“It’s not worth it, Hebe,” Prometheus calls. “You delivered me from the Eagle. Nothing more is required of you, my love.”

“You really love me?” I whisper.

“More than anything.”

I finish rounding the stone, finding no obvious vulnerability in the chain. I cannot even see where it begins or ends. Whatever this it, it’s not mortal-made.

But the claws at my throat are powerful enough to slice through the hide that shielded me from Zeus’ wrath. They must be capable of slicing through these as well.

Undoing the leather necklace, I take the claws to the topmost chain.

Lightning surges from the claws and into me. I drop to my knees in surprise.

“Hebe!” Prometheus cries as Zeus chuckles darkly.

I push myself to my feet. The power Prometheus gave me still flows through me despite my mortal vulnerability to pain. Focusing on the power, I aim my hand so that when I slice at the chain again, some of my strength carries through.

The first chain snaps apart as I fall back to my knees.

“Hebe, please ,” Prometheus whispers.

I turn to him. “I am willing to endure suffering for a little while to enjoy eternity with you.” With that, I snap the second chain.

This time, I can’t help but scream.

Zeus falls strangely silent while Prometheus calls out to me again. I can’t hear his words exactly, though, because my ears are ringing. But my vision returns, and I count four more chains.

Pushing myself back to my feet, I give a war cry. Then I shatter the third chain.

I fall to my knees so hard I nearly collapse. Tears stream down my face.

It takes a moment, but I drag myself back to my feet and slice the fourth chain.

In the next moment, I’m on the ground being sick. My dress clings to my sweat-drenched body.

Behind me, Prometheus struggles to escape the final chain, but it continues to restrain him.

Wiping off my mouth, I stagger back to my feet. Then I stumble back to the rock. I take a deep breath, and then I slice through the last chain.

Prometheus catches me before I can collapse into the pool of his blood.

I smile weakly up at him as he stares down at me in concern.

As abused as my mortal body feels, the Primordial magic in my bloodline still surges with power. I push away and stand on my own.

Prometheus stares at me before his eyes widen. He glances around before turning back to me. “Hebe, you freed me!”

“Well, I said I would. And we both know you’re the trickster in our marriage, not me.”

Grinning, Prometheus pulls me into his arms, embracing me tightly.

“I don’t understand.”

Lifting my face, I find Zeus gaping at us. I had forgotten about him.

Zeus glances between the broken chains and us. “A mortal shouldn’t have survived breaking those bonds.”

Prometheus holds me more tightly. “She is no mere mortal. She is like us now.”

The hostile Primordial stumbles backward. “An Ascendant ?!”

“No, an Awoken .” Prometheus turns so that we can both better face Zeus. “I willingly gave her a share of my powers. And in return, she has both healed and freed me.”

Zeus’ gaze falls to Prometheus’ stomach before turning back to me. “Were your powers fading without him? Is that why you returned to him?”

“No, I retained my full strength when we were parted.” I lean my head on Prometheus’ shoulder.

“Then why did you return? Why did you choose to suffer ?”

“The same reason he suffered for me.” Pulling away, I beam up at Prometheus as I wrap the lion skin cloak around his shoulders, since there isn’t much left of his chiton . “Love.”

Prometheus smiles down at me before turning back to Zeus. “Your war is over nothing, Guardian of the Firmament. You have driven us all to weakness because you fear those we were charged to protect.”

This speech seems wasted on Zeus alone, so I twirl my arms.

A new rift opens behind Zeus. A large one that has us hovering over his temple.

There’s a small army of mortals inside his courtyard now. Are these the men who laid the trap in Atum’s temple that ended my life?

Standing as far from them as possible are half a dozen of beautiful beings who must be Primordials. Mortal and immortal alike stare up at our rift in confusion.

Zeus doesn’t seem to notice the rift behind him, though, as he glares at Prometheus. “The mortals are capable of killing us.”

Prometheus straightens more as some of his own strength returns. “And you have seen with your own eyes that they can also heal us.”

“They can steal our power.”

“We can give them the power freely so both parties flourish.”

Zeus snorts. “Why should we trust such a hateful species?”

“You saw with your own eyes what my wife suffered to save me.” Prometheus tugs me close and presses his lips to mine.

When we pull away, Zeus is staring at me hungrily, like he wants a mortal bride of his own.

With a flick of my wrist, I expand my portal so that Zeus falls through.

As he plummets— not to death like he deserves, but to pain and humiliation, at least— Prometheus and I step closer to our audience. Though Prometheus is looking at me rather than at them, a wide grin on his face.

“What?” I ask.

“You are radiant when you’re victorious.”

Biting my lip to keep from smiling too wide, I open another rift. Together, we step onto the top of Zeus’ temple.

Everyone watches in stunned silence.

It’s up to me to fill it. Except, I loathe speaking.

I glance at Prometheus and he nods. Then he turns to those listening. “You have followed Zeus into war, which has caused an ambrosia drought.”

Turning to the mortals, I add as loudly as I dare, “And for us, it has caused both drought and famine.”

“Our suffering has multiplied the more we struggled against each other,” Prometheus adds. “But you have witnessed the power my bride— born a mortal— possesses. She humbled the one you made your king with a flick of her hand!”

I glance back to see Zeus struggling to pick himself off the ground. Will his rage give him power?

Prometheus follows my gaze. “His body will be too busy healing itself to feed his wrath for some time.”

“How do you possess this power?” demands a frightening male Primordial standing beside the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

My husband turns to me.

Sighing, I lift my voice. “Because the Creator assigned your kind to be guardians over my people, but you have disobeyed Him and suffered the consequences. However, I have always served my people, and I have yet to fail them. That is why my strength is great— and yours can be, too.”

The Primordials whisper excitedly amongst themselves.

“A mortal has become a goddess!” someone yells.

Turning, I see that the cry has come from the mortals. One drops to his knees, and the rest hurry to follow. “Goddess of youth. Goddess of immortality!”

I hold up my hands. “No, no— none of that. I was born a mortal, just like you. I seek only to learn and to teach. To discover knowledge and to pass it on. Do not worship me; just follow me as I seek the path the Creator laid out for us.”

Prometheus’ grip on my waist tightens, his gaze on me like I am the only one here. “I like the sound of that, wife.”

“Enough to open up your temple to the public so we can share your collections with learners?”

He sucks in his breath, but he doesn’t say no.

When I turn back to the Primordials, they are all tossing aside their kylixes filled with Zeus’ ambrosia. All except the first Primordial who spoke— until the beautiful Primordial snatches it out of his hand and tosses it aside.

Prometheus smirks as he watches the exchange. “It looks like love overcomes war this time.”

“Speaking of which . . .” I lean toward him. “Remind me, when we get back to our temple—”

“‘Our’ temple?”

“Yes. Our temple. Anyway, there’s another mortal bonding ritual I haven’t shared with you yet.”

His eyes widen. “Then let’s be off posthaste!”

I gesture toward our audience. “We should probably secure peace in the form of vows while the Primordials favor still us.”

Prometheus groans. “And then we’ll go straight to the temple?”

“Of course— after we should inform Atum that you are free, that his scheme for peace worked, and that Zeus has been removed from his false throne.”

“I’m sure Sia is flying around here and can pass that on.”

I pat Prometheus on his chest and adjust the lion skin. “In person would be polite. Oh, and you’ll also need to set up protections on the temple against Zeus in case you haven’t already.”

“And then ?”

“Then you promised to bring my cousin and his family there.”

Prometheus scowls. “That was before you secured their safety. It would please me to enjoy the temple with just you and me for a moment at least.”

“Well, there’s already a Nymph running around the temple who we should probably send home.”

“ What ?”

I press a lingering kiss to Prometheus’ lips and then tug him through another rift that deposits us in the courtyard where the Primordials are waiting. Prometheus and I have an eternity ahead of us . But first, we have a peace treaty to draw up between our peoples.

Prometheus sniffs, indignant. “Well, don’t expect me to share my Ren with you anytime soon with that attitude.”

Despite his words, I can’t help but grin. We have so much to share with each other the moment we are alone.

When I was a mortal, I believed the best way I could serve my people was to sacrifice my otherwise inconsequential life. Even when I transformed into an immortal and death became elusive, I never imagined how I would actually live.

Bringing an end to the bloodshed I once hoped to take part in alongside the husband I loved.

We may not be remembered for the peace that shall be forged from this day onward, since only fallen heroes’ names are worth repeating. Yet . . .

I squeeze Prometheus’ hand and share another smile and steal another kiss.

Yet, I wouldn’t exchange this fate for any other.