The Atonement of Prometheus

Chapter 7: Time to Think

Eight hours spent alone and in the dark, with only a sleeping person for company, would seem like an eternity to most. But Prometheus was no ordinary being. He had lived for longer than he cared to calculate, and unfortunately, the night passed in but the blink of an eye.

Prometheus hoped that, when Kassandra woke, he would have answers to her questions. But that wasn't the case. Well, he did have a solid hypothesis, but he would not share it with her. One lesson he had learned in his long life was that sharing mere suspicions never helped.

The slight rustle of cotton sheets drew Prometheus' attention to his sleeping companion. It had taken her a good while to fall into a deep slumber. That wasn't a surprise, though, given the excitement of the night. She slept fitfully, tossing and turning, and muttering about things he couldn't decipher.

As the morning light tumbled in through the worn aluminium venetians, Kassandra looked so peaceful as she lay on the bed. The cheap white sheets were tangled around her body, her hair splayed out on the pillow as her chest rose and fell in soft undulations. Her alarm for work had gone off an hour before, but Prometheus silenced it before she stirred. She needed her sleep.

When Prometheus arrived at the dig site the day before, he sensed a pulse of other-worldly energy. Not unexpectedly, Kassandra was the source of that resonance. He thought it was because she was Pandora's descendant, but after he had heard her story about the shard, he knew there was more to it. Especially since the manticore crashed their dinner. A creature like that did not act of its own accord, not in this modern age. Prometheus had to figure out who sent it.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted Prometheus' train of thought. He winced, looking over as Kassandra stirred in bed. He wanted her to get some more sleep before they had to leave, so he slipped out of his armchair, pushed it aside, and peered out of the peephole.

Outside, Kassandra's colleague Ryan let out an impatient sigh and raised his hand to knock on the door again. Prometheus stood back and cracked it open before those impetuous knuckles could hit timber.

"Good morning, Ryan," Prometheus said in a low voice with a polite nod.

Ryan's expression went from impatient exasperation to wide-eyed, jaw-dropped speechlessness. His mouth flapped opened and closed several times, making Prometheus wonder if he had forgotten how to talk.

"Er, Doctor Demetriou? Sorry, wasn't expecting to uh—" Ryan's eyes dipped down from Prometheus' face to his broad shoulders and carved chest. Then lower, to the towel straining around his hips.

Prometheus frowned. He supposed he should have found something to cover himself with better before answering the door. "I don't imagine you were." Prometheus nodded in acknowledgement. He could understand Ryan's surprise. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Ryan's confusion didn't clear up. "I'm just here to tell Kass to get her arse in the car before we're late for work."

Frowning, Prometheus shook his head. "Kassandra will not be at work today. Please pass her apologies on to your site supervisor."

Ryan stiffened a little, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Prometheus a new light. "Is that so? She's never taken a day off before. She loves her job."

"Well, we had a rather late night and she is still exhausted. I think it wo—"

"Ryan?" There was a flutter and a crash behind Prometheus, and he winced.

Prometheus turned to see Kassandra, tangled in the sheets, face-first on the floor. Ryan tried to push into the room to help her up, but Prometheus held the door shut a little to give Kassandra a chance to recover her legs in dignity.

"Kass, is everything ok?" Ryan stuck his head into the room.

"Uh, yes. No. I'm not sure." She stopped talking and looked at Prometheus, her face blooming with an endearing blush. "Where's your shirt? Oh my god!"

Prometheus looked down at his chest and shrugged.

"We're going to be late for work," Ryan warned her.

Kassandra turned, picking her phone up off the bedside table and swearing as the time lit up on the screen. "I'll be out in ten—"

"Not today. We have plans," Prometheus interrupted.

The look that Kassandra gave him would turn any weaker male to stone faster than Medusa's gaze. Prometheus, however, cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, plans for me to go to work," Kassandra said slowly, looking past Prometheus and giving Ryan a nod of confirmation.

"But we still have so much to explore after last night," Prometheus argued.

Ryan choked on his next breath and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he looked between them. "Well, if that's the case, I don't want to spoil the fun..."

"Oh, for the love of—" Kassandra stopped, rubbing her eyes and letting out a sigh.

From how Ryan was looking between Prometheus and Kassandra, Prometheus figured that this was the most entertainment the poor man had in a while. Prometheus could almost see the wisps of thoughts forming in his mind as he figured out how to share the juicy gossip he got on to the dig site.

"Fine! Fine. Um, Ryan, I'm not coming in today. Please tell Nickolas that I'm not feeling well," Kassandra conceded, flustered. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink. Her eagerness to be out of the situation roiled off her in nauseating waves.

Ryan's face cracked into a smirk. "Right. Sick. What'll I tell him? The Flu? Food poisoning? A UTI?"

"Oh my god. Get out!" Kassandra stepped past Prometheus. She grabbed Ryan's shoulders and pushed him out of the room. "Goodbye, Ryan!"

The poor fellow didn't get to say goodbye before Kassandra slammed the door in his face and turned, sagging back against it and burying her face in her hands. "He's never gonna let me live this down."

"Live what down?" Prometheus looked at Kassandra, not seeing what the big deal was.

"Are you kidding? He's probably thinking that we—that you and I—that—"

"That we had sex?" Prometheus asked, enjoying the endearing way Kassandra's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened as he stated it so plainly. "Surely that's preferable to the truth; that you found Pandora's Pithos, were attacked by a manticore, and that you graciously allowed me to protect your from further danger while I figured out what we need to do next."

Kassandra's mouth open and closed noiseless. She couldn't argue with him on that. Letting her friend think they had an erotic interlude the previous night had to be preferable to him thinking she had lost her mind. Then, she stopped. It looked as though her mind had snagged on something. "Wait... Pandora's Pithos?" Kassandra asked, her head tilting to the side. Her bed-mussed hair fell over her eyes, but she seemed too distracted to notice.

"Yes. Did I not mention that last night?"

"No!" Kassandra straightened, her hands balling into fists at her side. "That's not possible."

"Kassandra... you saw a manticore last night. Are you really going to take issue with the idea of Pandora's Box?" Prometheus chuckled, shaking his head.

Kassandra groan in exasperation and pushed herself off the door. "I'm going to the bathroom." Without waiting for an answer, she stormed off into the small ensuite, slamming the door behind her.

Prometheus merely shook his head and settled back into his displaced armchair. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and chin resting on his steepled fingers. First, he would need to get some new clothes, and then, he would need to convince Kassandra to accompany him to Athens.