Chapter 20 – Medusa
MEDUSA
“My vagina hurts. And my ass. And my throat.”
Byron’s hands tighten around me as we fly through another thick cloud. “Sorry about that.” But he doesn’t sound too sorry.
He sounds a little proud of himself.
I snuggle closer against his chest. “I wasn’t complaining. If all my holes are going to hurt, I can’t think of a better reason for it.”
He laughs, a surprisingly husky sound.
I look up at him as I feel his erection against me. “How can you be horny? Again?”
I’m pretty sure the big gargoyle would be blushing, if he wasn’t stone. “It’s the wind.”
“Still sticking with that turbulence crap? I can’t decide if you’re brave or an idiot.”
He smirks down at me. “Has anyone ever told you just to stay quiet and be polite?”
“The ones that have got kneed in the groin.”
He shakes his head. “You are the most frustrating woman I’ve ever encountered.”
“You’re not the first to tell me that.”
“You talk all the time,” he says, but there’s humor in his tone.
I smile. “It’s probably because of my time in exile. When I got around people again, I just couldn’t stop myself.”
Something subtle changes in his demeanor. “You were exiled?”
Oops. That’s not exactly a sexy story.
“Boy, you guys really need to research your monsters more before you kidnap them. Haven’t you heard all about the stories of me on Horror Island? The island covered in statues of dead warriors?”
His hands pull me even closer. “I guess I knew about it. At least I knew warriors had been sent to kill you, and all but one of them had ended up dead.”
“Perseus,” I say his name softly. “He was the only warrior to ever escape my island alive.”
“Why did you let him live?” His tone is neutral, but I can sense tension behind his question.
“I never wanted to kill any of them. I was alone on my island, a young woman trying to survive after being raped and cursed. Men would sneak up on me, I’d turn, and they were dead. But Perseus was smart. He used a mirror to see me without getting himself turned to stone.”
“I remember that story. But didn’t it end with him cutting off your head?”
I smile, remembering those days as clearly as if they were yesterday, because they changed my life forever.
“That’s what he told people to get them to leave me alone.
Instead, he made my first pair of sunglasses.
He stayed on the island with me for a while and taught me how to fight.
He told me about the world, the Gods, and the monsters.
He helped me to understand how I could survive in it, without ending up dead.
” For some reason, tears form in my eyes. “He was also my first love.”
Byron stays silent for a long time, and I wonder what he’s thinking. “So what happened to him?”
I shouldn’t tell him. I’ve never told anyone this story before, but I do.
“He was a king. He had responsibilities. He couldn’t just sneak off with a monster.
There was a woman—Andromeda—we stumbled upon her.
She had been offered as a sacrifice to a sea monster.
I turned the beast into stone and saved her life.
Perseus freed her. That gave him a chance at a real life.
So, I left. People worshipped him as a hero for killing the sea monster. They believed he used my severed head to kill it, and he married Andromeda. They lived a happy life until he died of old age.”
“You’re a better person than I am.”
I startled and glanced up at him. “And why’s that?”
“I could never let someone else end up with the woman I love.”
There was something strange about his tone. Something that made me uncomfortable. Maybe because the pathetic part of me was hoping he was talking about me.
Yup, I’m a loser.
“It was the right thing to do,” I told him. “Being with me was dangerous. And like every other man I’ve ever been with has said, just not worth their lives.”
Byron snorts. “Sounds like you’ve dated a lot of cowardly bastards.”
“I’m Medusa,” I tell him, like he’s lost his mind.
He leans forward and brushes a light kiss against my lips. “I know.”
I snuggle against him, my mouth tingling pleasantly from his touch. There’s just no words for the way I feel right now… maybe content? I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m going to cherish this moment. If there’s anything I’ve learned in life, it’s that happiness is fleeting.
I’m not sure how long I sleep when I’m startled awake by Byron’s voice. “We’re here.”
Slowly sitting up, I see that Forrest, Harold, and Marcus have all closed in around us. I can sense their tension like something palpable.
“Where are we?” I ask, feeling nervous.
“Our home.”
I stare far below us. There’s nothing but a massive tangled forest. “That’s where you live?”
“Let’s go,” Marcus orders our group, not bothering to answer my question.
He goes first, follow by Forrest, then Byron and I, and Harold behind us. With each second that passes, I feel more and more uneasy.
And then, below us, I see something shimmering in the morning light. Like a massive translucent bubble surrounding hundreds and hundreds of acres of woods. We fly lower and lower, and I see a little opening in the bubble. We shoot through it, and I gasp.
Inside, the air is warmer, and everything is different.
There’s a tropical feel to all the plants, and a crystal blue river flows through the entire enclosure and feeds into tiny pools with waterfalls.
I spot houses built into the tops of the massive trees.
Some are spread throughout the enclosure, but I see a collection of them all in one area, not far from the largest waterfall.
There, perhaps a dozen little houses dot a clearing in the woods beneath the treehouses.
“What is this place?” I ask Byron, in awe.
“Our sanctuary. The home of the gargoyles. It's a place protected from the outside world.”
“I love it,” I say, and I mean it.
He stiffens. “You do?”
“It’s beautiful.”
I can tell my compliment makes him happy, but the tension radiating through our group doesn’t dissipate.
“Things are going to get worse for me, aren’t they?” I ask.
He takes too long to answer. “We have a plan to protect you, but you’ll need to trust us.”
I look at the handsome gargoyle that holds me, and then my gaze scans over our group. All the men are watching me. Do I trust them?
“If you want to leave—“ Forrest begins.
I guess I trust them more than anyone else I’ve met. “No, I can handle it.”
But I’m pleased he even made the offer. Forrest might seem like all fun and games, but I can tell he’s ready to kick ass when he has to. And right now he’s got that look—like he wants to beat the shit out of someone for me.
Which is sweet.
“The prejudice against monsters runs deep here,” Harold explains. “We’re going to fight for you, but we want you to be prepared.”
I laugh, trying to sound confident. “This isn’t my first rodeo, boys. Everywhere I go someone wants me dead. Someone despises me. It’ll be a walk in the park.”
None of them look convinced.
“I’ll trust you guys that you won’t let me die, but you guys trust me that I can take what they throw at me, okay? We can’t have brawls breaking out with you and your people because of the things they say or do. That won’t help anyone.”
Marcus raises a brow. “You’re just going to take it?”
“You bet.”
He does that annoying thing where I know he’s analyzing me again.
But then I remember our night together, and I realize he’s not nearly as annoying as I first thought.
He’s just one of those guys who is wound so tight that when you get him in the bedroom, he snaps like a horny rubber band.
I mean, hell, he was insane last night. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man talk that dirty to me… or say the f-word that much.
And it really turned me on.
Oh, and then there are his tattoos. The one on his arm was the most bad-ass looking pair of wings, and the rest of his chest was covered in even more.
Yeah, Marcus has a tight ass. But he’s not as much of a tight ass as I first thought.
So, I wink at him. “Relax, I got this.”
Byron holds me a little closer as we soar over the amazing jungle. I see tiny fairies drifting through the trees. Sparkling fish flip and dive in the waters of the river. The flowers seem to bend toward us as we fly past.
I realize for the first time what I didn’t know before: this place is magical.
I wish I could stay here forever. Magic makes you feel different, full of hope and possibilities. Magic exists out in the real world, but places like this are rare… and they certainly aren't places I’m allowed inside of.
When we spot gargoyles ahead of us, I think they’re going to fly out to greet us. Instead, they shoot away toward the village.
My happy feelings crumble and my nerves scream back to life. I told my gargoyles I could do this. So I need to. I will. I have to.
By the time we reach the village, there are dozens of gargoyles on the ground. We land not far from them, but my men don’t move. They remain in place, still in their stone-forms.
“Welcome back,” someone greets.
The man looks entirely human… but older than any human I can imagine.
His wrinkles have wrinkles, and his eyes are so pale, I’m almost certain he’s blind.
His back is bent at an uncomfortable angle, and he inches toward us using a staff carved out of dark woods.
When he nearly reaches us, he stops and cocks his head. His strange pale eyes fall onto me.
“Good, you got her!”
Murmurs rise up in the people behind him. Groups of gargoyles cluster around three very pregnant females, who look human. They stand as if warriors, protecting the women from me. But there’s also curiosity in their expressions as they try to look around my men to see me.
“Bring her to the hall,” the old man orders, then turns and starts right back the way he came.
We follow him slowly. My men say nothing. We pass the groups of gargoyles, and I can’t help myself.
“Hey, I’m Medusa. I’ll be your prisoner this morning!”
No one laughs.