by E. B. Black
Medusa planned her revenge every day. She wanted to chop off his penis, but knew it might grow back the next day because he was immortal. The fantasies comforted her, though. Someday, the victims like her would get their revenge. The Olympians couldn't get away with it forever.
Medusa could never stand watching the gods bicker with one another for long. She always wound up moving on and visiting the three women who were the reason why she went down into the underworld: the Grey Sisters.
They lived near the entrance of Tartarus in a cavern. Few knew of the location because they covered the door with a mirage spell that made it look like solid rock. Medusa looked right and left, and then waltzed through it.
From afar, they were beautiful. They had long gray hair that shone in the moonlight. Their eyes were usually closed in ecstasy and their mouths pouty, but all that was an illusion.
When she neared, their eyelids would open and reveal empty holes where their eyes should have been. The light would grow clearer and show that their hair was actually nappy. They were so wrinkly that they looked older than any other creature that existed in the underworld.
They shared an eye and a tooth. When she approached, they'd hide the eye behind their back to prevent any of them from turning into stone. For once, their deformity worked to their advantage. Medusa loved the blind.
Many people believed that the Grey Sisters were actually siblings of the Gorgons. That was only partly true. All six of them were related, but the Grey Sisters were their ancestors. They were the only humans who had ever been born immortal and they had been kicked out of the world out of fear because they couldn't die. They had lived thousands of years, telling Medusa about how the eyes and the teeth were always the first to go. Their brains, on the other hand, had improved, developing until they possessed the ability to see the future.
Because Medusa was related to them, she was one of the few people not afraid to approach the Gray Sisters. They became good friends and spoke to one another freely.
The youngest sister raised her eyebrows. "Funny that you should come and visit us at this time."
"Should we tell her?" another of the sisters asked.
Medusa raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what?" Their news often wasn't good.
"No, we can't," the last sister protested. "We should let her enjoy what time she has left before it's all taken."
Medusa's heart pounded. "What else is there to lose?"
The first one glared at the third sister with her empty eye sockets. "Now look what you've done. She's worried."
The second one sighed. "She'll be so unhappy once she learns about our visitor."
"Visitor?" Medusa crossed her arms. "Hardly anyone comes to see you but me."
"Today we were unlucky," the third one replied.
"Stop speaking in riddles," Medusa said. "Just tell me what happened."
"All right," the second sister said. "One has come to us. He is looking for you."
Medusa's eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead. "Who?"
The third one licked her lips. "He was a handsome man. If I were young again, I would have loved to be with one like him."
Medusa crossed her arms. "What would a gorgeous guy want to do with me?"
The first sister shuddered. "Oh, it's bad. Athena sent him."
Medusa's world lurched.
"His name is Perseus," the second sister added. "He stole our eye. He demanded the endless wallet from us and made us tell him where the Helm of Darkness was so he could be invisible."
"Not even Hades could get us to tell him where that thing was," the third sister interrupted. "But Perseus is a bad boy. He said he wouldn't give us back our eye unless we told him."
"We didn't want to betray you," the first one apologized. "But we'd never get to see again if we didn't tell him. We hope the nymphs rip him in half–nothing makes them more violent than being robbed. But in case the worst happens, this is our warning to you."
Medusa nodded her head. "I understand and I forgive you."
"Good." The third sister wrung her hands. "Because he's coming to kill you. He wants to chop off your head. We would prefer one of our best friends to remain alive."
Chapter 7
When Medusa was human, she loved to look into mirrors. Her mother owned one whose frame was encased in ivory and gold. Athena's, Aphrodite's, and Hera's faces had been carved into the back. She used to stare at them and trace their features while she daydreamed she was another person in another place. She looked in the mirror and her features would warp in her mind to fit her dreams.
She knew if she gazed in a mirror now the last thing she'd see before she died was how hideous she was. She didn't want to know the truth. Looking down at her mutilated body and seeing lizard skin where she had once been soft was bad enough.
She hated her reflection so much that when she'd drink water from a stream, she'd close her eyes as she sipped.
One ghost's family had buried her with many riches. She wobbled around the Acheron shore, overwhelmed by their weight. Euryale and Stheno couldn't resist when they found her. They took the rings that glittered on her fingers, a necklace wrapped around her slender neck, and a gold mirror she held in her hand.
Charon arrived and she paid him extra to get her possessions back. He chuckled and rowed her away as she shrieked, keeping the rest as a tip.
Euryale and Stheno wanted to use the mirror for a new game. They would hide it to try to trick each other into gazing upon it and turning themselves into stone. They were already waving the mirror above their heads like a trophy.
That night, they piled the riches in the corner of the cave where they slept. Medusa saw the mirror glittering. She shook and clenched her fists. It reminded her of all she'd lost, including little things most took for granted, like the knowledge of her own appearance.
As soon as her sisters fell asleep, she tiptoed past them, grasped the mirror, and shattered it into tiny pieces. She was lucky Stheno and Euryale were heavy sleepers-if gorgons weren't, then the snakes that squirmed on their heads would always be waking them-or they would have jumped up and yelled at her.
One of the glass pieces embedded itself in her hand. It didn't hurt because of her thick skin, but she wanted to feel pain. She shoved her palms in the glass until all the little pieces had inched beneath her scales and were inside her.
Plants and bugs grew in a trail across the ground from the blood that flowed out of her as she flew towards her destination. Her claw-like hands were tough enough for her to dig a deep hole. She ripped apart the ground with her fingers, and then ripped each glass piece clumsily from her palm to bury it. She ate or smashed all the plants that she created as she flew back. Her sisters never found out what happened to the mirror. They blamed each other for losing it.
The warning the Grey Sisters gave her kept echoing through her mind. She had trouble sleeping most nights.
She wanted to believe that her curse made her strong enough to fight any mortal, but she knew Athena was giving Perseus presents that would leave her at a disadvantage. If he had successfully taken the Helm of Darkness from the nymphs, then he'd be able to turn invisible whenever he wore it. He could kill her before she even knew he was in the same room.
She heard a scuffling noise inside the cave one night and jumped. She touched her heart as her sisters entered into the room. She couldn't allow herself to give in to fear this way. This was the kind of insanity Athena was hoping to drive her into.
Her sisters curled up together to fall asleep. Because Gorgons were so thick-skinned, rocks felt as soft as pillows to them. She liked watching her sisters breathe evenly while they dreamed. She wondered what color their eyes were beneath those closed lids.
Tears dripped down her cheeks as she realized that she had no future with them. How would they handle her death? She considered warning them of the truth, but decided against it as she remembered some of the words the Grey Sisters had spoken to her. It was better they enjoyed the time they had left with
her rather than worry every moment about whether or not it would be her last. She hoped because they had each other that they wouldn't miss her too much.
She also stroked her belly. The baby would probably die along with her. It made her sad. As horrible as her life was, at least she had been given the chance for a short while to live. This child would never be given the same opportunity.
Medusa lay back down. She needed her rest if she were going to fight off Perseus.
*** *** ***
She awoke to the sound of nothing. Her sisters were breathing heavily, but something felt wrong. She stood and readied herself. Her body tensed as the feeling of someone watching her shivered up her spine.
A man appeared out of thin air in front of her. His muscular back was facing towards her. He held a mirror shield in one hand and with the other placed the invisibility helmet in a sack hanging from his hip. The bag was too small to fit such a large object, but it slid in anyway. Medusa knew the endless wallet was the only thing that could carry an infinite load, but was small enough to fit in a pocket. Athena had given him all the tools he needed to kill her.
She waited for him to draw his sword. She would not kill another unarmed man. He pulled it out quickly and pointed it at her throat, close enough to slice her neck if he swung it forward another inch.
She met his gaze in the mirror and for the first time in her life, found herself changed by a reflection. Her heart melted. He had a strong jaw and brown eyes that were set in determination. His curly dark hair was covered in sweat. The hard muscles of his body were tensed.
She knew she was about to die, but instead of trembling in fear or attacking Perseus, she licked her lips. This was the kind of man she would have loved to seduce when she had been beautiful. Just to gaze at his glorious features for a moment ruined her heart for anyone else. For the first time in her life, she mourned the idea that she could never marry. At least he was a pretty sight to die to.
It took a moment for her to register the surprise on his face. She was shocked that he hadn't turned to stone yet. Instead, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Various emotions flickered inside his irises: confusion, fear, and even guilt.
She didn't understand what was wrong until she gazed a little closer. His lover must have followed him inside. She stood right behind him.
She had pale skin and rosy cheeks. Her eyelids were lowered lustily and her eyes bright. She was naked and the beauty of her body rivaled that of Aphrodite. She had round breasts and pink nipples. Her hips and thighs were curvy and her body luscious. She was pregnant and stroking her belly.
Her face became sad and her pouty lips plumped. Why had he brought such an innocent creature with him here? Did he care to protect her? Not to mention, there was something about her appearance that was familiar. Medusa had to understand why.
Perseus continued to stare. The sword he pointed at her throat trembled. She didn't scream for her sisters. She was tired of being alive and wished to get death over with. Athena would send another man to kill her if it wasn't this one. Now was the time to move on from this phase of her existence.
For the second time that day, a reflection changed her life. She realized that the woman she was looking at in the mirror wasn't just anyone-it was her, how she had looked like back when she was human. It had been so long since she had seen herself that she hadn't recognized the truth immediately. She was more beautiful than she recalled, like a flower against the gray horror of the underworld. She looked delicate as she stroked her belly.
She looked down at her hands to see whether the curse had been broken-maybe true love had fixed everything. But they still had the same claws and coarse skin. That's why Perseus hadn't turned into stone. Her reflection didn't picture her accurately. It showed the world how she had once been when she was human, rather than how she appeared now. It was a nice gift to feel pretty one last time before she died.
Medusa was ready. She swallowed. "Well, are you going to kill me or not?" She raised one eyebrow at Perseus.
He was breathing hard. She watched his pecs move up and down rapidly. "I can't do it."
Her fists tightened. Was this Athena's idea of another trick? "Why not?"
He swallowed. "Because I never expected you to look so beautiful."
Chapter 8
Medusa's heart stopped. She had never expected to be called beautiful again. She was unsure of what to say.
Perseus dropped his sword. It clattered to the floor. He raised his arm and mirror shield as a sign of surrender. He began to turn around.
"No," she shouted.
He froze.
She turned to her sisters and saw them stir in their sleep. They were going to wake and regardless of Perseus' good intentions, they'd kill him. She closed her eyes as she thought of the strange things Stheno and Euryale had done to the body parts of the statues they'd created. She couldn't allow them to have Perseus. He was too precious to be defiled in such a way. She didn't move until they were breathing heavily again.
"You can't look at me," Medusa whispered. "If you stare into my eyes, you'll turn to stone. What you saw in the mirror was just an illusion of who I once was."
She intended her words to drive him away, but secretly wished he'd stay a little longer.
He met her eyes again through the mirror. He used his free arm to caress her reflection. Medusa's knees grew weak.
"You really are prettier than Athena is," Perseus said. "No wonder she is jealous."
Medusa felt faint. Was he really this foolish? Why wasn't he listening to her? "My mother was the one who started that rumor, not me."
"It's true, though, which is why it offended Athena so much." Perseus blushed. "If it's all right, I'd like to touch you. It's difficult not to want to stroke your warm skin."
Her cheeks grew hot as her body reacted instantly. Yes, yes! Please touch me all over and make love to me! But she couldn't say that. The two of them could never form a relationship. If he had seen the monster in the mirror instead of her human form, he wouldn't have hesitated in decapitating her.
Her eyes met the floor sadly. "If you touch me, you'll feel my scales. You won't like it."
"I know what you are and I'm not afraid of touching you," Perseus said. "I can see your heart in your eyes. You're different from all the other women I've been with. I can see strength and intelligence from enduring what you have suffered."
"But my sisters are here-they could wake any-time. They'll kill you if they find you."
"We'll be quiet," Perseus insisted.
"You're defying the gods, you know. My life was destroyed under their wrath and I wouldn't want the same to happen to you. Think about your family or anyone that you love. They separated mine and tormented us."
"My mother has already been stolen from me," Perseus replied. "There is nothing left for them to take. I'm not afraid."
"You're a fool."
"The truth is, I've never been able to see so clearly. There are so many rumors out there about your cruelty; I never expected to find someone so human."
Medusa gestured at all the walls and the horrified expressions on the statues' faces. "Do you really think a human could do all of this? Humans are the ones who meet me and die."
"The gods lied to me about who you really are and even you believe their falsehood. They abuse anyone who stands in the way of their desires. If I were to kill you, I'd be murdering an innocent person. It goes against all that I stand for."
Medusa crossed her arms. "But how do you expect to be able to touch me? If you turn around, you'll be stone, not to mention that I have poisonous snakes living on my head that will bite you."
"I'm not worried about the snakes." He reached one arm behind him and Medusa panicked as several snakes lurched forward. She expected them to sink their fangs into Perseus as they had bitten and killed that girl long ago, but instead they wrapped themselves around his hand and tickled his skin with their tongues. He laughed and her eyes widened. Medusa's hair snakes didn't even like her
that much.
"How did you know they wouldn't harm you?"
Perseus smiled. "I am good at reading people and animals. They only attack when they're frightened. They know I'm not a threat."
Medusa tapped her fingers. "That's one problem down, but there's still one left."
Perseus raised an eyebrow. "Do you doubt my ability to solve the impossible? It's what I'm good at, you'll see." He pulled the Helm of Darkness out of the endless wallet and handed it back to her over his shoulder. "Wear this. It will make you invisible. You can't hurt me if I can't see you."
She remembered once believing the same lie and turning a young woman into stone, but she placed the helmet on her head and shoved the snakes inside anyway. She felt no different, but was relieved that the snakes couldn't bite anyone but her, trapped as they were. She felt vulnerable, like he'd turn around, still see her, and perish. For so long, she had avoided touches and gazes. If this didn't work, it would be too painful for her to bear.
Medusa's heart pounded as Perseus' feet swiveled in her direction. She looked away as he approached. He reached forward like a blind man, his face alight with affection.
She tiptoed away from him. "This isn't going to work out."
He paused and she realized that he was trying to figure out the direction her voice was coming from. He lunged for her, his soft skin coming into contact with hers. It burned where he touched and made her stomach flutter. She shoved him before he could react to her dragon-like flesh. She expected him to either run or fight.
He moaned instead. "You feel amazing. Please let me stroke you once again. I've never felt anything like you."
He wrapped his arms around her body and pressed their cheeks together. He was muscular, but he felt so soft and fragile. She could crush his bones if she squeezed him too hard. She moaned as he caressed her up and down.
He stroked her belly and the baby inside her leaped at his touch. She flinched and rubbed her stomach. This child seemed as shocked by his touch as she was, but was calming down because of it.