Page 25 of Crown of Serpents (Curse of Olympus #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Perseus’s knees collided with the deck, splintering the wood beneath them, as they hauled him and Medusa’s limp form aboard. His body shivered, clothes dripping with saltwater. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his knees trembling. Somebody rushed to steady him, but Perseus snarled: “Stay back! All of you!”
His eyes flashed dangerously as thunder rolled overhead, the sky darkening further. He had had enough. These men had disobeyed his orders, tossing his prisoner into the sea as a barbaric sacrifice to Poseidon — all because of a summer storm. Perseus’s blood roared in his ears. They may have attempted to soothe the god of the sea, but they had incurred Perseus’s wrath in the process.
He retrieved his adamantine sword from where he had flung it before jumping after Medusa into the waves. Perseus drew an invisible line in the air between his crew and the gorgon’s unconscious body. They would not harm her again — not even a single strand of her emerald hair.
“I will only say this once. If you disobey me again, you will suffer the consequences,” he pinned each man with an angry gaze, his voice lethally quiet as he continued. “I am leading this mission, not Linus, not Aetos, I am . It was Kleos and me who captured the gorgon while the noble king’s epetae fled from the cave, pissing themselves in fear.”
He levelled his stare at Linus, who had retreated toward the back of the line of men. Lightning flashed in Perseus’s hazel eyes, a silent threat. The sentinel took another step back.
“Medusa is my prisoner, and all of you are under my command. As such, no one will touch, talk, or even look at her unless I order you to do so. And, in the end, when we will claim her head, it will be me who orders her death. It will be me who wields the blade that kills her. Is that understood?”
None of his men met Perseus’s gaze; their eyes lowered to the ground, shifting uncomfortably. It was not good enough of a response. Their fear was insufficient to calm the storm raging inside him, mirroring the swirling clouds overhead. His limbs were trembling with rage now, not the icy cold from his recent dive.
“Is that understood?”
Lightning crackled overhead, sizzling energy striking the ship between Perseus and his crew. The sailors’ eyes widened as they beheld Perseus’s angry frame, illuminated by the blinding light. Thunder rolled overhead, and they dropped to their knees, muttering that they understood.
Perseus's breath came in ragged gasps as the adrenaline subsided, leaving behind a bitter taste of remorse. The lightning strike had blasted a gaping hole into the middle of the deck, surrounded by an angry scorch mark. Even Linus kept his mouth shut, eyes full of disbelief and apprehension. Perseus had not intended to lead them with fear, but if that was what it took for them to follow his demands, then so be it. Another rumble of thunder punctuated his resolve.
Suddenly, Medusa coughed, spitting saltwater next to his feet, her body convulsing. Perseus sunk to his knees at her side.
He checked her shackles with trembling hands and adjusted her blindfold. “Are you okay?”
Perseus tried to help her up, but Medusa cringed at his touch, scrambling away.
She blindly flung her arms, still out of breath from almost drowning. “Get … away … from me!“
Perseus caught her arm, hauling her to her feet. Her injured knee buckled, but he held her upright, even as her snakes hissed at him.
Medusa twisted once more, sinking her sharp teeth into his hand, drawing blood. Perseus muttered a curse under his breath at the sharp pain but didn’t let go. It seemed that everyone wanted to test his nerves today. What was wrong with this woman? Moments ago, she had begged to be killed rather than be thrown into the sea. She had sounded so vulnerable then, so afraid… He saved her from her watery grave, he antagonised his crew for her, and she bit him?
In one fluid movement, he flung Medusa over his shoulder, gripping her legs to stop her from kicking.
“Mikis, follow me!” Perseus ordered. “The rest of you — back to your stations and control this ship at last! The storm is blowing us South. Stop it.”
Mikis saluted, tailing Perseus toward the stairs. The men parted for him wordlessly, giving Perseus a wide berth as he carried the thrashing Medusa back to her cell. She pounded her fists against his back, but his face remained impassive.
Finally, they reached the dimly lit brig, the metal doors locked, keys scattered to the ground. Behind the bars stood Kleos, his nose bloodied, murder dancing in his eyes.
Perseus sighed in relief, “There you are. Could have used your help on deck!”
Kleos gestured toward his locked cell with a grim smile. “I’m afraid I was otherwise occupied, captain.”
“So, I see.”
“I’ll kill Linus for this,” Kleos grunted, spitting on the ground. ?Sorry, Perseus, I tried to stop him from taking her!”
His friend’s gaze fell on the gorgon flung over Perseus’s shoulder, and Perseus’s gaze darkened. “Not if I kill him first … Give me a hand? ”
Mikis rushed forward with the key, unlocking the cell and stepping aside. Perseus set Medusa down, moving her toward the wall, as her muscles flexed, trying to resist. She snapped her teeth at him again, but he pulled away before she could bite him.
“Let go of me, you bastard! I will end you and your entire crew for this. You hear me? I will kill you all!” She shrieked, but the fear lacing her every word undermined the threat.
Kleos pinned her legs as Perseus chained her against the wall.
“I think you should thank me for saving your sorry ass from drowning rather than threatening me,” Perseus snarled. His jaw ticked, irritation making his skin prickle with electricity.
He had had enough antics for one night — Linus, the crew, and now her.
A bitter laugh erupted from Medusa’s throat, “Does it count as saving someone when you only had to intervene because you could not control your own men?”
Her words hit their mark. Perseus could not bear to be around her any longer. He whirled to Kleos and Mikis. “Let’s go. She can rot down here for a while. We have bigger problems if we don’t want to drift off course entirely.”
As if in response, another wave careened into the hull, throwing them sideways. The wind had picked up again since Perseus had fished the gorgon from the sea. They hurried upstairs as Medusa bellowed after him.
“I will never thank the likes of you! You may wield lightning to threaten your men, but I will never cower before you!”
Perseus slammed the door behind him.