Serpent and Stone

Chapter 25

The young dryad's face was a mask of terror as she took in my hideous form. My stomach dropped. She cried out in their language, pointing at me as the others each caught sight of me as well.

The dryad's sisters followed where she pointed, and horror dawned in their pretty green eyes. My blood turned to ice, my body momentarily frozen as the dryads' singing suddenly transformed into horrible cries of fear. The melodious voices, so beautiful moments ago, twisted into something ugly and grim. As always, my curse turned all good things into tragedy and torment.

Perseus looked around in shock and confusion at the sudden screaming, his expression completely bewildered. A stab of regret jolted me as I looked at him. I had wanted to give him a gift, something sweet and beautiful to remember me by. Instead I had given him nothing but memories of fear and revulsion, the dryads' cries ringing in our ears even as they began to dash away from the clearing.

Perseus squeezed my hand again, a clear signal of his utter confusion, a fearful question in his gaze. That was enough to push my frozen body back into motion. I jumped to my feet and pulled him after me, sprinting away from the meadow as fast as my feet could carry me. The screams of the dryads reverberated in my ear, refusing to fade away no matter how much distance we put between us and the meadow. Their horror, their disgust and fear... I could sense it so clearly. Tears pricked the corner of my eyes.

"Wait- slow down!" Perseus tried to protest as I pulled him along faster than was safe for him. In that moment, I didn't care- I just wanted to go home, to be safe in my solitude once again. Back to the walls of my temple, where the outside world and all of its miseries couldn't touch me- and where I couldn't touch it.

I released Perseus' hand once we passed through the columned entrance of the temple, my legs numbly carrying me further inside. The small pool at the back of the stone chamber beckoned me with its calm dark waters, and I fell to my knees beside it, leaning over the edge. I stared at my reflection in the water. I felt as if I was hypnotized by its gruesome ugliness. I couldn't look away. Unnatural golden eyes stared back at me, swirling with the dangerous magic of my curse. Above them, the snakes of my hair twisted and slithered languidly, unconcerned by the pain squeezing its unforgiving fingers around my chest. Inhuman. Monstrous. They were my curse manifested, the ugly horror of it personified.

This is what the dryads saw tonight, a low voice murmured in my head. This terrible monstrosity. Is it any wonder they ran screaming?

I dragged my gaze away from the dark reflection, squeezing my eyes shut as if that would block out the images of the dryads' terror. No, I thought. They were right to run. They simply fled from a monster.

I felt a feather-light touch on my hand, hesitant but sure. My eyes snapped open, my head whipping upward. I had been so consumed by wallowing in my own suffering and self-pity that I had not even noticed Perseus approach me. In truth, I had barely remembered he was still here. But there he was- sitting beside me, his eyes dark with worry, as he wordlessly gripped my hand in his. I barely choked back a bitter laugh as I stared at our hands, our intertwined fingers. You try to comfort a monster, I imagined telling him. But I did not. I still could not bear the thought of him knowing. For better or worse, my foolish heart held back my tongue before it could betray me.

"I'm sorry," I said instead, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I wanted to give you a parting gift. Something beautiful to remember me by, but I... The dryads spotted me and were frightened away. I ruined your gift."

"You didn't ruin anything," he said fervently, his brow furrowing low over his eyes in clear frustration. "I loved the gift. I love that you chose to share their song with me. It isn't your fault that they were startled away." I smiled sadly at him, a smile he couldn't see. He had no idea what he was talking about, no idea that it truly was my fault, but even so his attempts to comfort me made my heart sigh with longing. He had a good heart. He deserved to be back with his people, where he could become the hero he was meant to be. I was meant to stay here, hidden away on my island, where I could not hurt anyone. Neither of our destinies could be changed.