Serpent and Stone

Chapter 5

I launched myself back as if burned, toppling over the wooden stool. My snakes hissed even louder at my stunted movement. They turned on the young man with forked tongues darting out of their mouths, as if they suspected he was the cause of my abrupt surprise. Well, they weren't wrong.

For one, horrifying moment I simply stood there, arms hanging uselessly in the air and snakes moving rapidly around my head. I felt utterly frozen with fear, as if I was the one who had been turned to stone. The soldier shifted once again, eyes still closed but moments away from wakefulness. I was jolted back into action.

I launched myself across the temple chamber with all the speed I could muster and hid myself behind the old, white sail draped between two crumbling pillars. My heart hammered loudly in my ears, my breath coming out in short gasps. I itched to peak out from behind the cover of the sail to see if he had woken up yet, but I dared not. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, closing my eyes shut and willing my snakes to be still and silent. With bated breath, I cocked my head and listened.

Those few moments seemed to stretch into a thousand years as I strained to hear any sign of movement from across the room. Every muscle in my body tensed as I made out the sound of the blankets rustling, of the soldier sitting up and groaning as the lingering pain of his wounds returned to him all at once. I heard the commotion as he stood up from the bed and accidentally knocked into the stool, which fell to the ground with a wooden thud. He murmured a curse. He must have knocked into my work table next; the empty vial which had held my mother's healing salve tumbled to the floor and shattered with a high-pitched note.

I exhaled through my nose, forcing the fear down. It was too late now that he was awake. All of my hopeful plans, all of my optimistic ideas had shattered like that glass vial. There was no recovering them. All I could do was move forward.

Somehow, I took a deep breath and found my voice.

"The temple exit is down the passage to your left," I called out. My voice echoed in the wide chamber, bouncing off of the walls. I was pleased that it didn't shake or betray any of my fear, though at my sides my hands trembled like a pair of frightened little birds. "Go quickly, or there will be dire consequences."

"What?" the disoriented reply came. His voice sounded rough and slow, as if he was still trying to break through the haze of sleep. I could imagine the brows that had been contorted in pain just a while ago now drawn in confusion as he struggled to get his bearings.

"I said you must leave this place now," I repeated. My pulse beat so loudly in my ears I could hardly make out my own voice. I swallowed thickly. "If you do, no harm will come to you."

"Who are you?" he demanded. "And where am I?" More muttered curses, the names of the gods uttered low and with frustration. More sounds of clattering objects falling to the ground. I frowned, wishing to peek beyond the curtain of the tattered sail and see what was going on. Was he intentionally destroying my things? But why would he do such a thing? Despite my muddled curiosity and annoyance, I held myself back, remaining safely hidden.

It was only when he cried out in pain again and stumbled that I nearly revealed myself from my hiding spot. My body instinctively moved to help him, to warn him not to strain his body too much or the wounds would reopen. I restrained myself at the last second, pulling back as I silently cursed my own naïve stupidity. He would receive no help from me- only death by serpent and stone.

I waited with bated breath. But he wasn't leaving the temple like I'd commanded him to do. No, instead he seemed to be moving haplessly about the temple, knocking over my things without a care. My shoulders tensed. My snakes whirled around my head frantically, responding to my own panic. Why in the name of the gods wasn't he leaving?

"Where are you?" he demanded once again, his tone unrelenting and unafraid. "Stop this strange magic and show yourself!"

I had no idea what magic he was talking about, but I had no time to ponder it. The sounds of his ungraceful footsteps were drawing closer and closer to my hiding spot. In a few moments, he'd be able to reach out and rip away the sail, revealing me in all my monstrous glory. I inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to keep my breath from coming out in ragged gasps. I only slightly succeeded.

Desperation and fear rose in my chest like a raging flood. I tried one last mad attempt to make him leave.

"Go!" I shouted, making my voice as harsh and menacing as I could. "Go or you will regret it to the end of your days."

It was a mistake. The sounds of his clumsy footsteps louder, closer, and I realized my error. He'd followed the sound of my voice. I had unwittingly led him right to my hiding place. My stomach dropped as the realization hit me like icy water poured over my head.

Searching fingers grasped at the sail, then gripped it tightly in a single fist. "Here you are." There was accusation and suspicion in his voice. He had no inkling, no shadow of a thought, that he was about to ensure his own death. I could already see the terror in his eyes as clearly as if I were a seer looking into the future. He would gasp, shout, stumble back in revulsion and fear. His skin would turn to stone first, and then his eyes and ears and finally his heart, giving one last pitiful beat before it too became nothing more than a cold, soulless rock. Another prize to add to my ever-growing collection of poor, murdered victims. A testament to my cruel monstrosity.

"No!" I shouted, my voice rising with desperation. "Stay back-"

But he didn't listen. His hand grasped hold of the sail. He flung it away and I found myself face to face with the poor, stupid young soldier.