3. Medusa #2
“There could be any number of delays. The area is quite remote, away from popular treks and circuits. There’s weather, landslides, closures, and you might need more rest stops to acclimatize?—”
“Excuse me?” Her voice pitched higher than she wanted it to, but she couldn’t help it. “What do you mean I need to rest?”
“This is serious mountain trekking we’ll be doing,” he said sternly. “Not a hike in the woods.”
Her snakelets hissed at the implied insult. “For your information, I’m not exactly a weakling.” She wasn’t as tall as him, but she towered over most other mortals. “Serpentara is surrounded by mountains, and my sisters and I regularly need to hike to get to surrounding towns.”
“I didn’t mean to imply anything. But this is the Himalayas we’re talking about and your physical?—”
“Gorgons are naturally athletic. I won’t have any problem keeping up.”
Thankfully, Charlotte interrupted them by clearing her throat. “May I clear your soup bowls and serve the mains?”
“That’s fine, thank you,” Perseus said. “Alright then, if you can keep up, then all the better.”
“I can and I will,” she said with a sniff.
The rest of the meal passed with relative silence and awkwardness, at least on Medusa’s part.
Perseus didn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation, and he ate with ruthless efficiency, like he couldn’t wait to finish all the courses.
Meals with her family were quite the opposite—boisterous and loud and lots of chatty gossip.
She’d only been gone a few days, and she was missing them all.
Not feeling like having dessert, she waved away Charlotte’s offer of a slice of cake and stood up. “I think I’ll get ready for bed.”
“No problem, Miss Medusa.” Charlotte pointed to the door toward the front of the plane. “The bathroom with the shower is over there. We only have lavatories in the rear.”
“Thank you.” Wordlessly, she retrieved her bag from the other cabin, then retraced her steps back.
The dinner table had been cleared, but Perseus remained in his seat, tapping at his phone.
He didn’t even look up to acknowledge her.
She was squeezing by his seat when the plane suddenly lurched violently, sending her forward.
Crying out, she braced herself to hit the floor, but instead, something snaked around her waist and pulled her back.
What the ? —?
To her utter horror, Medusa found herself planted on Perseus’s lap. The look on his face pretty much confirmed he felt the same.
“Sorry, uh—” She squirmed around, but with her legs hanging over the side of his chair, she was pretty much stuck. Her hands flailed around, but she couldn’t find anywhere to brace herself so she could get off him.
“Medusa—”
“I’m trying to?—”
“Medusa—”
“Just give me one?—”
“ Medusa .” His voice sounded strained as he said her name through gritted teeth. “For fuck’s sake. Stop. Wiggling.”
She did, and then she figured out why he wanted her to keep still. Something hard poked at her ass.
Oh my.
Thank goodness for her mirrored glasses, or he would have seen her eyes grow to the size of the moon.
“Perseus, I—hey!”
Medusa hurtled forward as he stood up unceremoniously.
Her feet landed on the floor, and she regained her balance.
She managed to steady herself and hurried to the bathroom without so much as a glance back to Perseus.
As soon as she got in, she slammed the door shut and covered her face with her hands, the heat from her cheeks warming her palms.
Gods, that was mortifying .
Still, a smidgen of satisfaction had her smiling to herself. Perhaps Perseus didn’t hate her all that much.
Don’t be ridiculous.
Erections were perfectly normal male reactions. He surely would have gotten one no matter who fell in his lap.
Like Charlotte, the leggy flight attendant.
Blowing out a breath, she pulled her hands away from her face and checked her reflection in the mirror. Finally alone, she removed her scarf, sending her snakelets sighing with relief as they uncoiled and stretched.
“Hello, girls,” she greeted. “I’m sorry you have to be under there all day.
” One snakelet slithered down her cheek and rubbed against her.
“Hi, Thalia darling.” She patted its tiny head with a finger.
“Thank you for your patience. All of you. I know this is a great sacrifice for you all, but I just need your cooperation for the next couple of days so we can get our sisters back.”
There was a collective hiss of distaste.
“I know,” she soothed. “We will get them back from those fiends.”
Fear gripped her chest. Were they safe now? Fed and warm? Reaching into her purse, she fished out her phone.
She’d sent a message days ago, and there was no reply, and she doubted they would, but she had to try anyway. They were alive; she knew in her heart they were. But still, she knew they must be terrified.
It’s all my fault.
She was supposed to have been watching over them.
It was a normal market day. As was the gorgons’ custom, the older women took the younger women with them, taking them under their wing and showing them the ropes. In the gorgon commune, everyone looked out for each other, all sisters of the heart if not the flesh.
Medusa’s charges for the day were two young girls.
Stheno and Euryale were filled with the excitement of youth, chattering on and on about what they were going to buy at the market.
She was there to watch out for them and guide them.
There was much to learn—what items were worth their price and how to bargain, which sellers were trustworthy and who to avoid.
But she had failed. One moment she was arguing with a fruit seller over the price of apples, and the next, the two were gone. She searched for them for hours, but couldn’t find them.
Then she received a message from the unknown number. A picture of her charges, tied up and their mouths gagged, streaks of tears down their cheeks. She was about to reply when the phone rang. Hands trembling, she tapped the green button on the screen.
“If you want them to live, follow my instructions carefully,” the voice said.
“I’ll do anything,” she cried. “Tell me.”
“Oh yes, you will.”
“What do you want?”
“First, you’re going to call the God of Love and Desire and tell him you’ve changed your mind. That you will take the job he offered.”
“That’s it?”
“For now. Wait for further instructions.”
Her other sisters said it wasn’t her fault, but Medusa knew the truth. She was to blame.
So she would be the one to save them.
A soft knock shook her out of her thoughts.
“Miss Medusa? Are you okay?”
“What? Oh, uh, yeah. I’m fine.”
“Sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if you needed help with the onboard shower or other facilities.”
“No, I’m good, Charlotte, thank you.”
“Just press the call button if you need help.”
“I will.”
Quickly, she did her business and prepared for bed.
Once dressed in her pajamas, she put on a thinner head scarf made of a breathable fabric so her snakelets could be more comfortable.
Exiting the bathroom, she made her way back to the main cabin.
The lights had been turned down low and the two rows of seats had been turned into single beds.
The one to her right was perfectly made with crisp, expensive-looking linens.
The other one? A large lump lay under the thick duvet.
Only a glint of golden hair peeking from the edge indicated that Perseus was in the bed.
He did say he was turning in right after dinner.
Pulling her own covers aside, she slipped under the luxurious covers and pulled them over her shoulders.
She faced toward the windows, away from him, removed her glasses, and placed them under her pillow before closing her eyes.
Despite not seeing him, she could still feel his presence, and even though they weren’t in the same bed, there was still something intimate and vulnerable about sleeping in the same room as him.
She snuggled deeper into the soft mattress, said a prayer to Hestia for her sisters, then allowed herself to drift off.
The smell of coffee roused Medusa from her sleep, though truth be told, she hadn’t slept soundly anyway. The constant hum of the plane’s engines kept her sleep shallow, and the cold, manufactured air made her snakelets shiver and coil up tightly against her.
Her hand crept under her pillow to reach for her glasses. Turning to face the other way, she put the specs on, then blinked sleep away. She was about to push the covers away, but froze as her gaze landed on the bed across from hers. Or rather, the occupant of said bed.
Perseus.
Or to be exact, a half-naked Perseus.
As he sat up in bed, the covers fell revealing his bare chest. The sunlight hit his bare skin, making him appear even more golden. She couldn’t help but stare at the well-formed muscles of his chest, the sprinkle of hair covering the pecs, and of course, the abs peeking just above the sheets.
Stop ogling him!
She turned away, waited five seconds, then pushed the covers away as she let out a loud yawn. “Good morning,” she greeted.
“More like good afternoon.” His back was still turned to her, but he already had a shirt on.
“Right.” They had changed time zones, a concept alien to her, but she understood the basics of it.
“We’ll be landing in about an hour. Charlotte should have breakfast out, better get ready if you want to eat.” Without another word, he strode off to the other cabin.
After a quick stretch, she rose from the bed and got dressed, then went to the bathroom to refresh herself and do her business.
“Would you like tea or coffee, Miss Medusa?” Charlotte asked as she exited the lavatory. “And perhaps some breakfast? I can whip you up some bread, eggs, any way you want, and maybe some bacon?”
“Coffee, please. And just some toast.”
“Of course.”
Medusa sat down in front of Perseus as he read on his tablet and sipped on some coffee, not even looking up to acknowledge her presence.