Serpent and Stone

Chapter 29

Ever so slowly, I awoke and fluttered open my eyes.

I frowned at the ceiling above me. Instantly, I knew that this was not my home. This was not the temple on the island of Sarpedon, where I had lived my entire life. The ceiling I stared at was not made of rough-hewn stone, but of dark, paneled wood, dulled and worn by age. It was not something that I recognized.

Ever so slowly, and still feeling strangely lightheaded, I sat up. I was in a bed in a small, wooden room. No, not a room- a cabin. My heart raced as I realized that I could feel the gentle swaying of the ocean all around me, the tilt of the room as it flowed with the waves. I was on the sea. I was in a ship on the sea.

A soft snore caught my attention and I swiftly leaned over the side of the bed. Perseus leaned against the wall next to the bed, his arms crossed and head drooping as he slept soundly despite the apparent discomfort of the position.

My heart leapt into my throat at the sight of him safe and unharmed, and still beside me, not completely lost to me yet. I could not fully comprehend all that had happened since I'd lost consciousness, and I struggled to grasp at memories. There had been soldiers, horrible men come to kill me. Perseus and I fought them and then- and then Athena-

I hissed, placing my hand against my temple as my head pulsed with a sharp ache. It felt as if I had been hit with a club, and it ached fiercely.

"Medusa?"

I stiffened. Medusa, he called me, not Andromeda. It was jarring to hear my true name from his lips. Cursing myself for having woken him up from his slumber, I turned to face Perseus as he moved to kneel by my bedside.

I froze at the sight of him, shock stealing the breath from my lungs.

When my eyes met his, I was struck by them. Not just because of how beautiful they were, but because they were- different. Bright. Intently focused. He did not look blankly in my direction, but met my eyes directly without any doubt. He saw me. He could see again.

My mind was so muddled, so confounded, that my initial reaction was to grin widely at him as happiness bubbled up in my chest. I reached out and cupped his cheek, leaning forward a bit to truly look into his eyes, searching his gaze for the very first time.

"Perseus," I breathed. "You can see."

The smile that broke out across his face in return was so full of warmth, it stuttered my heart. But then the veil of happiness was ripped away. I froze, my smile transforming into a mask of dawning horror. He saw me. Medusa, the monster cursed to turn everyone who looked upon her to stone. His gaze upon me sealed his death.

I stumbled back, moving to get away from him, to hide myself, even though I knew it was too late. He'd already seen me, already met my eyes.

"No, no," I muttered hopelessly as I covered my face with the blanket. Tears welled in my eyes. "The curse. You can't-"

"It's alright," his voice was soft, unworried. Didn't he realize he was about to turn to stone because of me? Didn't he realized I had killed him, the one person I had grown to care for? How could he bear to look upon me?

But he merely grabbed a corner of the blanket, gently taking it from me so that my face was uncovered again- exposed. I blinked away my tears, meeting his gaze with growing confusion. I must have been dreaming. Why wasn't he turning to stone? Yes, that was it- the soldiers had hit me across my head and I was currently in a dream.

But Perseus wasn't ready to let me believe it was all a dream. "The curse is broken," he said firmly. "You're free now."

He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I stiffened in shock. My hair. I raised a hand to my head, searching for the familiar serpents swirling around me, cold and scaly to the touch. To my astonishment, I found none. Instead my hands met soft curls. Real hair. I combed my fingers through it as if in a trance. I tugged on a lock and brought it before my eyes. Black. I had black hair. I let out an incredulous laugh as I looked at it, hardly daring to believe what I was seeing.

"Athena removed the curse back in the temple," Perseus explained, as he watched my growing fascination on my hair with amusement. "She healed you and gave my sight back as well. We're on my men's ship now, still in the harbor of Sarpedon." He hesitated, peering at me with uncertainty in his gaze. "I didn't want to leave before you woke. You can still choose to stay if you wish, Medusa. I don't want to make that decision for you." He reached out and gripped my hand in his, his calloused fingers warm against mine. "But if you choose to go, I'll be with you. You won't be thrust into the world alone. You'll have me by your side, always."

The curse no longer posed an obstacle to all my dreams of leaving and seeing the world. I was free to go where I pleased, to do what I wanted- and to meet anyone at all without fear of killing them instantly.

I let out an astonished laugh once again, still running a hand through my new hair in amazement.

"I'm not staying on this island for another minute," I answered unflinchingly. I had made up my mind, and I had no desire to turn back. "I have no reason to stay and every reason to go. I want to leave with you." I gave Perseus a hesitant smile, one that he matched with a wide grin.

"I'll show you Seriphos first," he said fervently, excitement coloring his every word. "I have to go back to confront Polydectes and free my mother. But then I will show you whatever place you desire- Argos or Athens or Delphi... Anything you want. We'll see the whole world."

His smile was infectious, making my heart beat fast in my chest, but my joy faltered as my thoughts continued to tumble. It was kind of him to offer to show me the world, to do whatever I wished, but Perseus had his own life to live. Athena had said it herself; he had a golden thread, a destiny to be a hero. I knew that he meant the offer kindly, from the goodness of his heart. He pitied me that I knew so little of the outside world, and he still felt he owed me for saving his life. But this offer was too generous. How could I ask him to put his entire life on hold just to satisfy my curiosities? I couldn't do that to him.

I averted my gaze from his, searching for the proper words.

"Perseus..." I shook my head. "You don't have to come with me."

He scowled. "What do you mean?"

I straightened my back, forcing myself to meet his gaze again. "I mean, you don't have to help me anymore," I told him gently. "I saved your life, and now you've repaid that debt. You're free of your obligation to me."

His eyes darkened as I watched, his gaze searching mine with simultaneous sorrow and compassion. He reached out and placed a hand on my cheek, his touch making my stomach flutter.

"You think that's why I offered to go with you?" He asked softly, his blue eyes seeming to look straight into my soul. "Out of obligation?"

I frowned at him, my brows furrowing. "Of course. Why else would you-"

His lips pressed firmly against mine, cutting off my words.

"I tried to tell you in the temple," he murmured. "Before everything started to go wrong."

I blinked. I felt like I was moving through honey, slow and dumb. "What?"

"I want to go with you," Perseus said slowly. "Because I don't want to be parted from you. Because every moment I spend with you feels like a gift of pure happiness. Because I love you, Medusa."

I blinked again, certain I was becoming delusional. "What?" At Perseus' arched brow and small smile, I struggled to come up with a response. "No, I mean, I heard you— at least I think I did— I just... don't understand." I moved closer, lowering my voice to a whisper as if we were discussing some sort of scandalous secret. "I'm the gorgon Medusa. You know that now, don't you? You aren't supposed to love me."

Perseus tucked a piece of strand behind my ear. "But I do."

Somehow, those words finally got through to me. I blinked again, this time in a futile attempt to keep the tears from spilling down my face. "Oh," I rasped. "That's– that's good because I think I love you too. I want to spend every day with you and travel the seas with you and never be parted. Is that okay?"

He let out an incredulous laugh, and then we were embracing, arms wrapped around one another, so tight that I wished to never let go. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes, that's perfect."

I pulled him closer to me and, for the first time, allowed myself to believe it.