“You’reimmortal?” she nearly shrieked, flickers of power running up and down her arms as her temper rose.
“You’re utterly bewitching when you’re mad. Ha! Bewitching.” The man was an endless array of smirks, chuckling to himself at nearly everything he said. “I suppose that’s fitting for Hecate.”
“How do you know who I am?” The goddess tossed a stare at the stranger that had been known to melt men…but no part of him seemed frozen to begin with. He shrugged.
“You told me when I was the ram. I do suppose that puts me at an unfair advantage though. I’m Aeëtes,” he made a sweeping bow, “Crown Prince of Colchis, allegedly,” he rolled his eyes, “and son of Helios. Confirmed.” If she had ever doubted him and his claims of immortality, his accompanying smile was so full of sunshine that Hecate didn’t doubt he was Helios’s son.
“Well.” Hecate let out a long breath. “This has been…an experience. Do you remember who cursed you?”
“Yes!” Aeëtes clapped his hands. “It was Hera. That much I remember.” Hecate nodded, having the proof that she needed that Hera was up to something—something that had led her to curse an immortal, one with important ties to the human realm, and that was enough to get the other gods involved. She sighed, straightening her back and lifting her chin in the direction of Aeëtes. Her cool demeanor had returned, and Aeëtes felt himself slipping further into her presence like she had her own tide, and he was dreadfully caught up in it.
“Thank you. Now, you may go. I highly suggest that you go seek refuge in Colchis or with your father. Perhaps, find some clothes first.” She vaguely waved her hand in his direction, “I’ll deal with Hera.” Hecate said it like a command, intending for Aeëtes to feel thoroughly dismissed.
Hecate felt a cold sensation run down her spine when he shrugged, taking a few steps closer to her and settling down against another boulder. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back, closing his eyes while a lazy smile crossed his face.
“I don’t think so, witch. It seems rather serendipitous that I’ve stumbled across your path. You see, I was looking for a new adventure—and I’ve just found it.”
7
Hecate stared at Aeëtes, fighting to keep her jaw from dropping open. There was an easy expression on his face as he relaxed against the rock. He seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that he had been cursed by one goddess and was now sleeping naked in a field next to another.
“This isn’t the place for you, Aeëtes. I’m sure that you’re not used to being denied anything, but you are not coming with me.” He only shrugged in response, not even bothering to open his eyes. Hecate shook her head in ongoing disbelief. She had dealt with men and their attitudes before. Normally, all it took was one swift kick to their ego, and they would shatter. But he seemed entirely unfazed.
“Do you think that you’ve gotten far in life by simply ignoring what’s happening around you?” The words came tumbling out of her before she could stop them.
There was something about the shocking arrogance of Aeëtes that reminded her of every man she had ever met—men who had lived their lives without any disregard for those they left behind them and the women who paid the price.
No one ever stops to think what would happen if a woman acted in such self-interest, the disdain they would pile upon her.
Aeëtes cracked open an eye, a puzzling look crossing his face that Hecate couldn’t quite place. “I’ve gotten where I am in life because I’m not afraid to go where I’m not wanted. Do you only go where you’re called?”
“Yes,” Hecate answered easily, not afraid of Aeëtes’s challenging tone.
“How obedient of you.” He shrugged, as if her answer disappointed him.
“Why would I waste time where I’m not wanted?”
“Does that give anyone a chance to meet you?”
“You presume I want to meet new people.”
Hecate’s voice was clipped, but that feeling in her chest started to churn. His wording was specific. He hadn’t asked if she had the chance to meet other people. Aeëtes had asked if other people had the chance to meether.He tilted his head to the side and sat up a little straighter, Hecate looking away from him as she was faced with his nakedness once more.
“That’s a terribly sad way to live.”
“You’ll get to a point in your long, immortal life where you realize that you’ve met every person already. They will all bring you the same joys, the same heartbreaks. Everything with cease to surprise you.” Hecate sighed quietly, sitting down in front of the fire. “If your stupidity doesn’t kill you first, which is where I’d bet my coin.” Her voice lightened, as if she realized she had been too honest and needed to deflect. If Aeëtes caught onto it, he said nothing.
Hecate stared into the fire, and a shockingly easy silence fell between them. It annoyed her. This man, who was so brazen, so…unbothered was going to end up getting in the way. There was a bigger picture at hand—Hera and the fact that she had cursed an immortal. It wasn’t a rare occurrence; the gods seemed to survive off curses as much as they did nectar and ambrosia. Those curses, however, were normally reserved for mortals. When the gods cursed each other, alliances got called into play. Everyone was related to someone, and it got tricky quickly.
Zeus had passed a moratorium that the gods should attempt to remain somewhat civil to one another, but he had thrown a chalice at Hermes in the same sentence. Which might have been deserved but was beside the point. It might have been a very thin rule, but it was one. Hecate wasn’t above admitting that she would take any reason to legitimately go for Hera. Even if it was a stretch.
The sun had set entirely now, and Hecate watched the smoke from the campfire wind up towards the heavens, knowing that it wouldn’t be long until Hera had caught wind of her interference. Aeëtes had fallen asleep, utterly unconcerned with his nudity, and Hecate struggled to keep her eyes on the fire—something she was above admitting.
There was a sudden rush of wind in the clearing, and Hecate sat straight up, wiping sleep from her eyes as she realized that she must have passed out at some point. She had been slouched over to one side, and she rolled her shoulders to shake off the stiff feeling.
“Hecate?” Aeëtes called out to her, slightly wary, but not quite afraid. Hecate’s gaze snapped over to him and saw that he was looking past her, towards the edge of the woods. She whipped her head around and followed his line of sight, releasing a long breath and shaking her head when she saw it.
The wind had picked up and had not slowed down, beginning to swirl around the edges of the clearing like it would trap them both in the center of a hurricane. The quicker it moved, the more Hecate felt the edges of her himation whip around her ankles as her hair obscured her vision. The fire initially jumped higher with the onslaught of oxygen but quickly died out, leaving them under just the light of the moon as the wind picked up speed.
