by E. B. Black
"My family cared for no one but themselves. They were even willing to sacrifice their own daughter to save themselves. I hated it, not only because they weren't protecting me, but because I was the same as them. I watched people suffer around me and go hungry without caring for anything except what delicacy would be served on my table. I didn't treat people the way they deserved.
"Then I met you, Perseus. You're a hero. You help people, even when you don't have to. You've struggled and you've rescued. I fell in love with you that day because you're an inspiration to me. Please don't make me wait around again while everyone else suffers. I want to help this time. I want you to teach me how to be a good person, like you are."
Perseus' voice had softened. "This has never been a discussion of your worth."
"Yes, it has." Tears welled up in Andromeda's eyes. "You've been judging me as if I were some spoiled princess this entire time and maybe I am, but I don't want to always be."
The light above Medusa went dark and she cowered before she realized what was happening. Perseus was reaching his hand down so he could grab hers. She relaxed as their fingers intertwined.
His voice cracked and although he spoke to Andromeda, Medusa knew by the squeeze of his hand that the words were meant for her. "You're a strong woman. I know you're the type of girl who always does the right thing."
Perseus never lied. Andromeda didn't have to know which woman he was really speaking to and maybe it was to them both.
He let go of her hand. "This is not the place to start out, though. I'm going to be fighting a large group of powerful people. Yes, I have the head of Medusa, but there's no guarantee that they will all turn my way when I reveal it. I could die and then my rescue of you will be for nothing."
"But if you don't let me live in a way that would make me proud," Andromeda argued, "then my life that you saved will also be wasted. I'll remain that spoiled girl."
Perseus sighed. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Fine. You can come along this one time, but please listen to me in the future."
Andromeda jumped up and down. "Thank you so much."
Medusa shook her head. Andromeda was much too eager to go to her death. She smirked as she remembered the time she tried to stab herself to save Perseus. Hypocrite, she chastised herself.
The gray walls of the palace came into view as they walked forward. Several guards approached Perseus. They didn't look as if they recognized him. The fiery determination in his eyes and his muscular arms peeking out from the sleeves of his chiton had the guards reaching for their swords.
He was about to tell the guards off and had reached for his sword to fight them when Andromeda pushed him to the side. She lifted her cloak from her head and fluttered her eyelashes at them. She gently stroked the tip of the sword of the guard with the most decorations on his body.
"I hope you don't mind," she said in a sugary-sweet voice. "But my friend and I came here to give a present to your king. He's expecting us and we traveled a long way." Her voice lowered. "And maybe afterwards, you and I could get to know each other a bit better, if you'd like."
The guard melted. He was at a loss for words for a moment. "Sure, go right ahead."
She smiled. "Thank you. I promise to repay you for your kindness." She winked at him.
They were escorted down several white marble hallways with tiles decorating the walls painted to look like the goddesses. Medusa saw Athena and made a face at her. She was tempted to spit in the direction of the image.
The guards opened the double doors to a large dining room. A red rug ran the length of the wooden floors and a long table took up the space in the room. Bread and meat of every flavor sat on silver dishes. Men chattered and chuckled to one another as they drank wine.
At the head of the table, in a slightly raised chair, was King Polydectes. Medusa could tell because of the golden crown that rested on his head. His hair was professionally curled. Because of his lavish lifestyle, his body wasn't in nearly as decrepit as Dictys' was. He must have been younger as well. He had short brown hair sprinkled with gray and white and a long beard. He laughed along with everyone else and seemed to be enjoying himself, but there was also a cruel twinkle in his eye.
King Polydectes turned to them, his face red with wine and rage. "Who are these people that you have allowed to interrupt my conference?"
"They said they were here to bring you a gift, sire."
Perseus lifted the cloak from his head. Everyone turned at the commotion and gasped when they recognized his face. "I'm here to retrieve my mother. You thought you could rape her in my absence, so I'm here to stop it."
King Polydectes laughed at him. "Bring the bitch in." He clapped his hands and several guards waiting in the dining hall marched from the room to retrieve her.
As King Polydectes spoke, the cruel glint in his eye intensified. "I'll let you see your mother one last time before I have you executed. You knew you were never to return."
"You gave me your word," Perseus said. "In front of several people, some of whom are in this very room, that you would spare my life and let me return if I brought you the head of Medusa."
King Polydectes laughed. "Foolish boy. I'm not going to fall for whatever you forged together to look like the head of Medusa. Just ask my sweet daughter what happens when you get too close. She would have died of the snake poison-we found her legs and arms swollen and misshapen-if she hadn't been turned to stone first."
The face of a statue was carried into the room and tears flowed down Medusa's cheeks as soon as she saw it. She recognized the girl as the one she had tried to make friends with right before she realized that turning people into stone destroyed their souls. The suicidal feelings she had experienced during that time returned to her. For all she knew, destroying this man's daughter was what had turned him so evil.
"She wandered into Hades, depressed that her husband had died and abandoned her to raise a child on her own. The child died of illness in her absence and she never reunited with him. This was all my guards were able to recover of her body.
"I sent you there to avenge her death or die yourself. Either way, I won."
"Perseus is stronger than a young girl," Andromeda yelled. She had gone unnoticed until that moment. "Don't underestimate him. He even rescued me using Medusa's head when a sea monster was about to devour me. I've seen the evidence. His claims are true."
Medusa almost groaned out loud. It seemed everyone was determined to remind her of all the mistakes she had made in her life. Was it necessary to bring her mother's death into the conversation? Medusa's moment to "shine" would come soon and she wasn't sure she was ready. What if she accidentally turned Perseus' mother into stone? Would he ever forgive her? Could she even live with herself?
"And who do we have here?" King Polydectes gestured towards the guards and they grabbed Andromeda.
One of the men at the table who had beady eyes and a mustache eyed Andromeda. He licked his lips. "Let me have her. I'll pay you double whatever anyone else offers you."
"Let her go." Perseus growled and drew his sword. The guards stood at attention as well. A brawl would have broken out if Perseus wasn't still waiting for his mother to make an appearance.
The guards dragged Andromeda up to King Polydectes. He murmured appreciatively. "It's too bad you hate me so much, Perseus. You're certainly good at bringing me beautiful women to play with. If we weren't enemies, I would hire you to fetch them for me."
He stroked Andromeda's cheek as she tried to wrestle from the arms of the guards.
"This one is exotic and dark," Polydectes purred. "Unlike any other I've seen in the area. She's not for sale."
A few of the men at the table swore in response.
The doors opened and a dark-haired, wide-eyed woman who didn't look old enough to possibly be Perseus' mother was thrown into the room. She fell to the floor.
She had Perseus' good skin and curly hair. The way her toned arms moved as she defiantly glared showed that strength ran
in the family.
King Polydectes got up and stood over her as she brushed herself off and got to her feet. Medusa could feel Perseus clenching his teeth and shaking.
Polydectes grabbed Danae by the arm roughly and pulled her until her back was pressed up against him. He massaged her breasts. She beat the air with her free hand and he ignored her punches, even the ones that landed on him.
Whether or not this turned out the way it was supposed to, Medusa knew she had to do it. She couldn't stand to see another woman violated as she had been. She would do anything to make this man suffer for his crimes.
In fact, the more this went on, the more the world faded and turned red. Polydectes' face warped into Poseidon's. He was laughing and ready to rape again.
"As soft and feisty as ever, I see," King Polydectes said. "And all mine as soon as I kill your good-for-nothing son."
Perseus growled so ferociously and Medusa was surprised for a moment that the sound hadn't come from her. "Everyone who is with me, turn away."
"Why?" King Polydectes mocked. "Are you going to show me the head of Medusa? There's not a sword on earth that could cut easily through that monster's neck. I'll enjoy watching you die and fucking your mother in celebration afterwards."
Both Andromeda and Danae turned their heads and shut their eyes.
A rush of adrenaline shot through Medusa's body as Perseus pulled the helmet from her skull.
"I hope you enjoy your present." Perseus' words dripped with venom.
Everyone else in the room laughed and turned in the direction of Perseus as Medusa lifted her head from the wallet. She walked out of the bag slowly, certain that there must be a dark mist surrounding her because she felt like a monster emerging from hell.
Their expressions of joy quickly turned into horror. Several of them were cut off mid-scream as their vocal cords froze. Some tried to run and wound up awkwardly toppling and breaking into tiny pieces. They had all transformed by the time Medusa's two feet were touching the ground.
A shudder ran through Medusa's entire body. Even though a part of her knew it wasn't real, every bit of rage she felt towards destroying Poseidon cried out in pleasure as she watched King Polydectes' statue stare on. It was a shame what happened to his daughter, but not what happened to him.
Medusa didn't want to put her helmet back on. She wanted to savor the power she had over these tyrants. She wished they'd turn back into humans, so she could hurt them again. For once, she understood why her sisters reveled in the attention turning people into stone gave them. This was why they were addicted.
An innocent guard ran into the room, saw the men who had become decorations, and then screamed and turned into stone. Sure, she could have averted her eyes, but what would be the fun in that? She was untouchable.
Finally, she replaced the helmet on her head. The snakes had chewed into her face several times, but the pain added to the pleasure. She hurt like they had been hurt. Her bleeding allowed her to taste the suffering she had caused their families.
Luckily, as always, her snakes hadn't bothered to even touch Perseus. In the absence of their wiggling, though, he knew she had covered her head with the helmet again. He told Andromeda and Danae that they were safe. The two of them looked around at all the statues and let out shrieks of laughter.
They ran up to Perseus. They were both crying and hugging him. Danae pressed several kisses on Perseus' cheeks, telling him how she was so frightened that she would never see him again and how she wished he wouldn't always risk his life trying to save her.
Medusa's heart swelled as she imagined her own mother-what she would give to be reunited with her like this again. Finally, she had done something right.
She was free to destroy this world and everyone evil in it if she liked. In fact, she could kill all the good people, too, if she wanted to. It wasn't until that moment that she understood why Zeus had locked her away in Hades. She had been controlled, but now, she had ultimate power in any given situation.
She quenched the feeling. Something was wrong with her. She shouldn't be having these kinds of responses. She was supposed to be the good sister.
She remembered when she had looked in the mirror and saw a flash of her real body. Guilt washed over her. The situation was getting worse. She was becoming more of a monster. She had finally gotten to the point where she was killing people and enjoying it.
Chapter 18
They hadn't realized the mess Perseus had made until the moment they stepped outside. The flowery courtyard was empty, except for a dirty beggar who collapsed at their feet. Medusa leaped out of the way when he almost landed on her.
He was trembling. "Perseus, I had no idea you had returned. I never would have taken King Polydectes' side against you. He was a tyrant and he had no right to kick you off the island."
Perseus frowned. "Darius? Is that you?" He lifted his hand in greeting. "Why are you on the streets like a beggar? Did Polydectes kick you out of your house?"
Darius flinched. "Don't hurt me. I know you have the head of Medusa, but I will bow to you as king. You don't have to threaten me."
"I wasn't threatening you and I don't want to be your king."
Darius whimpered. "Is this some kind of trick? Why else would you have killed the king and most of his guards?"
"Where did you hear that?"
"The guards have been roaming around the town for the last few hours, stealing food and raping the women. They said that the king was dead and you killed him. They claim that they are the law now and that they're following you."
Perseus sighed. "I guess my work here isn't done yet."
They wandered into the town. Women closed their shutters as Perseus passed; children covered their eyes. The few merchants still in the marketplace, abandoned their goods when they spotted him.
"Please!" Perseus cried out. "I don't want to hurt any of you!"
A man with a long beard and beady eyes emerged from the shadow of a house and charged towards Perseus. He raised a sword above his head. "Traitor! Your men raped my wife!"
Medusa grabbed him by the throat. Spit gurgled in his mouth.
A woman screamed. "It's even worse than we thought! The gods are protecting the tyrant, Perseus!"
From their point of view, an invisible force had stopped him. She used the claws of her hands to rip out his eyes and slice his face open. High-pitched shrieks echoed in Medusa's ears from the villagers. A pool of blood spread across the ground and the warm pleasure of killing someone without destroying their soul spread through Medusa's body. He wasn't an innocent person, so it wasn't a bad thing that she didn't feel guilty for killing him…right?
She expected Perseus to reprimand her, but Andromeda and Danae looked on in shock instead. Perseus remained silent, his eyes expressionless. Medusa had spared their lives. This man wouldn't have given up until they were dead and now, no one else would attack them.
"The gods really are on your side, aren't they?" Danae's breath came out in a shudder.
Men and women, with their children, ran to the streets and fell to their knees.
"King Perseus, we pledge our allegiance to you," one brave man shouted. "But please spare our lives!"
The corners of Perseus' mouth drooped. "Do not bow to me!"
The crowd responded by cheering for their "king."
"Don't cheer for me-you're only doing it because you're afraid not to," Perseus said.
"Such a humble man," someone said.
"And handsome as well," one woman agreed.
"We have to get to Dictys," Perseus announced to his mother. "He's the only one who can restore order."
The citizens of the town fell to their knees in a wave as they passed through, until they reached the tiny wooden shack where Dictys lived.
He was chuckling and dancing inside. The floorboards creaked as he moved. "There you are, Perseus! I've been waiting for you to return. I heard what happened."
Medusa would have never expected the old man to be so full of
life. His feet were prancing about like a young boy.
Perseus grabbed him by the hand, halting him in place. "Then you know what needs to be done."
"Of course." Dictys chuckled. "My boat is small, but it can get us far from here. Now that your mother is safe, we can sail anywhere and let this horrible island implode upon itself."
Perseus pulled away and glared at Dictys.
Dictys' laughter was cut short. "What? This is what we always wanted."
"No, it isn't," Perseus said. "I'm ashamed of you. You taught me to take responsibility for the good of others, even if I wouldn't like it and here you are, partying while everyone else suffers."
Dictys' posture straightened as he met Perseus' gaze. "Don't speak to me that way! I'm your elder! It's Polydectes' own fault that he lost his only heir. This would have happened even if you hadn't been the one to end his life. I am too old to become king now. They need someone young with a wife who can give birth to strong men."
"You're the only one with royal blood left." Perseus' voice remained even. "There are many innocent people in Seriphos and it's not their fault that Polydectes perished without a son."
Dictys' shoulders drooped and he sighed. "I'm just a fisherman and that's all I ever wanted to be."
"And I only wanted to help you and Mom." Perseus unsheathed and swung his sword. "But here I am now, anyway, playing the hero at Athena's bidding."
Dictys shook his head. "You're too smart sometimes."
Perseus grabbed Dictys by the hand and led him outside. He told a young boy to spread the message through the town that there would be a meeting in the marketplace.
When enough people had gathered there, Perseus pushed Dictys forward and they stood on a platform that had been erected in the middle of the square for announcements and debates. Everyone fell silent, too afraid to chat when Perseus wanted to speak.
Medusa stood to the side of the platform next to Andromeda and Danae. She ignored their whisperings to each other. They were getting along too well. Medusa wondered whether Danae would have liked her as much as she liked Andromeda if she had met Medusa when she was human.