Chasing Terpsichore (Muses Across Time) by Maggie Mitchell

forward and tripping over him as she landed.
    “What are you doing, woman?” bellowed Prometheus.
    Corey struggled to right herself only to be hauled back upright by her captors. Prometheus’ face was a thundercloud. He hated unpredictable behaviour but bad luck. That’s what she had planned for him. It drove him nuts and she hoped it worked.
    “Tell me where your sisters are!”
    She shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea.”
    Prometheus charged forward and slapped her across the cheek “Don’t play games with me, Terpsichore. You will not win. So tell me—where are your sisters?”
    Her cheek was hot and it stung. She covered it with her hand to soothe it. “I’m telling the truth. We all disappeared at the same time. I have no idea where they are.”
    “Liar! How did Eros find you then?”
    Oh crap. She didn’t want him to turn on her friend now. “He found me by accident. Everyone knows he comes to Earth to play. It was a lucky coincidence is all.”
    He turned to Eros, who was trying his best to look nonchalant as he sat tied up on the cave floor. “Is this true, spawn of Aphrodite?”
    Eros yawned. “I don’t know if I should answer you after you insult my mother.”
    The soldiers turned and kicked him in the side.
    Corey screamed. “Erie!”
    He coughed, sat up straight and glared at her. “Don’t worry about me, cuz. I’m fine.”
    “You won’t be for long if you continue to defy me. Answer the question, you kopros eater !”
    “All right. Jeez. Yes, it’s true. I was scanning the area looking for a new love couple to play with and bam there’s my Terpsichore dancing up a treat in downtown Sydney. No one was more surprised than I.”
    Prometheus shook his head. “I don’t believe a word that comes out of either of your mouths.” He started walking away from them. “Tie her up again, and make sure none of them can get out.”
    “Wait!” Corey called after him. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I told you what I know!”
    He laughed. “Yes but you didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear.”
    Ouch! The soldiers had made quick work of retying the ropes and one of them shoved her back to the ground. James just stared at her, confusion in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hands to stop him, while Erie just rolled his eyes.
    When she was certain they’d understood, she turned her head towards the mouth of the cave and listened. After about fifteen minutes of silence she shuffled closer to James and turned her back on him.
    “Quick. Grab the knife and cut me free,” she whispered.
    “Holy shit—where’d that come from?”
    “I grabbed it when I faked falling over.”
    He laughed. “Good thinking Ninety-nine.”
    “Huh?”
    “I think he’s referring to an old TV show.”
    “Never mind,” said James. “Let’s just get out of here.”
    “Can’t disagree there,” said Erie as he shuffled closer to the others.
    James took the knife from her trembling hands and started hacking. It took him a few tries to get it in the right direction to start cutting. “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said.
    “Just do it. I can cope.”
    “Not something I’m used to hearing from you, sweetie.”
    She grimaced. No, it wasn’t. What a selfish self-centred prat I was. “I guess my priorities have changed a bit lately.”
    “I hate to interrupt, but can you spread your hands out a bit more, Corey, so I don’t cut you?”
    She did as he asked, her hands straining against the rough rope as he scissored the knife back and forth. Finally she felt it give and fall away and she pulled her hands free.
    She turned and took the knife from James to untie her feet. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before starting on the ropes at his wrists. As she worked, she heard a sound.
    Someone was coming back.
    She gave the knife back to James, who slid it under his sleeve as she returned to her place and wrapped the rope around her feet and hands, hoping like hell they wouldn’t