Page 29 of Crown of Serpents (Curse of Olympus #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Two guards led Perseus, Kleos, and Medusa from the empty throne room toward the armoury, where they would meet the sentinels, who had pledged their support to the rescue mission. These Joppan men would officially join forces with Perseus’s crew accompanying them back to Seriphos, for they would be banished for committing treason — if one could commit treason in the king’s name. Their loyalty belonged to Cepheus, not the kingdom, and they were willing to lay down their lives to rescue Andromeda. Perseus admired their bravery. Still, that meant he would be responsible for even more lives on their way back to Seriphos.
As the guilded doors closed behind them, a forceful shove interrupted his thoughts.
Medusa’s eyes flashed dangerously as she seethed, “You cannot mean to go through with this!”
Perseus blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Medusa’s behaviour was just as puzzling to him today as the day they had met. Why had she stormed off the dance floor earlier? Had his question about Poseidon offended her? He wouldn't have judged her for breaking her oath for love. But if that wasn't the case, what did she mean when she said Poseidon had claimed her? Had she dedicated herself to a different deity? But then, why had she been so utterly terrified when Linus had threatened to throw her into the Aegean Sea? She had begged the guard not to give her to him .
Medusa’s angry snarl pulled him back to reality, “Don’t interfere with this ritual. The princess decided to sacrifice herself for her kingdom; you should respect that.”
“You would have us stand by and do nothing when an innocent girl is being slaughtered?”
He couldn't fathom her stance. It wasn't right for Andromeda to die for her mother's vanity. Was Medusa's twisted relationship with Poseidon – whatever that looked like – clouding her judgment?
“At least, she would have died a truer hero than you will ever be. It was her choice to —”
A muscle ticked in Perseus’s jaw.
“Her choice? What choice did Andromeda have? Sacrifice herself or watch her kingdom starve and bleed? Nobody should be forced to make that kind of decision. And when there is a third option where she can live, shouldn’t we take it?”
His breath caught. Wasn't that what he secretly yearned for himself? A third option, a way out of his own impossible choice between condemning his mother or becoming a murderer.
Kleos, who had watched their argument with arms folded in front of his chest, interjected, “Why do you care anyway?”
Medusa’s head whirled around as she met his glare. “I care because I know what it’s like to be your captive. A swift death would be much preferable rather than being a hostage on that wretched ship.”
“Who said anything about taking Princess Andromeda hostage?”
“Whether you call it kidnapping or forced marriage … in the end, it boils down to the same thing, don’t you think?”
Perseus shook his head in confusion. “I don’t intend on forcing Andromeda to marry me!”
Now, it was Medusa’s turn to fall silent. She stared at him with wide eyes, bewildered by his answer. For a heartbeat, it was as if something shifted between them, her expression softening ever so slightly.
Then, Kleos cut in with another spiteful remark, “Sounds like someone is jealous …”
She cut him off, keeping her gaze fixed on Perseus. “I— I thought that’s what you bartered with the king for?”
Did she genuinely think him so selfish? So greedy? So cruel? Suddenly, Perseus understood her indignation. He would have probably reacted similarly if he witnessed someone demand the girl’s hand in marriage in exchange for agreeing to save her.
“I bartered for a new ship, not a princess.”
“Then, what will happen to Andromeda after you rescue her?” Medusa pressed on.
Kleos snapped his head around to him, the same question written on his face.
Why did they always expect Perseus to have all the answers?
One of the guards, waiting for Perseus to continue to the armoury, cleared his throat, “She must accompany you back to Seriphos. It must appear as if the princess was truly sacrificed if the curse is to be broken. No one can know that she is still alive.”
Right, they could not simply slay the sea serpent. It was not the only horror under Poseidon’s rule. If he found out that his creature was killed on the order of King Cepheus, who knew what else the lord of the seas would send to plague the Joppan shore? Ideally, they would rescue Andromeda and flee without killing the beast — if that was even possible. Otherwise, they had to make it appear that Perseus and his crew had hunted the creature without the knowledge of the Joppan rulers and only after they had already fulfilled their sacrifice to the gods.
Either way, it was a considerable risk the king and queen were taking. If this was the punishment for comparing their daughter’s beauty to the nereids, what would the curse be for defying Poseidon’s direct order and attacking him instead? But Cepheus and Cassiopeia knew what they were risking, which is why they had asked Perseus to take their daughter with him .
“So, you will take her with you?” Medusa asked.
“Yes, but not as a captive … or my betrothed.”
Medusa pursed her lips and folded her arms.
How many more times did he have to explain to her that he meant no harm to the princess? What would it take for her to believe he only wanted to save her?
Perseus sighed. He had enough of her questioning him about his intentions. “I don’t have to justify my actions to you, especially not when we have a battle to plan. Kleos, could you go back to the dock to retrieve Aetos? I need to discuss our attack with him —”
“Oh, suddenly, we are asking for help?” Kleos asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
Not him, as well. Was his friend still sour that he had insisted on entering Medusa’s cave alone?
Perseus snapped, “Seeing as I’ve never fought a sea serpent before —”
“You also never fought a gorgon before.”
Why had everyone picked tonight of all nights to test his patience? He groaned, exhaustion suddenly weighing on him, “Will you just get them? And return Me—Lady Irene to the ship while you’re at it.”
Perseus glanced at the guards, but they did not seem interested in their bickering. Instead, the sentinel on the right shifted his weight impatiently while the other slumped against the wall, biting his nails.
Kleos sneered at Medusa. “Come along then, priestess .” He moved to grab her elbow, but the gorgon was faster.
She snatched his hand, twisting his wrist as her eyes glowed with green fire. “Touch me, and I’ll add new scars to your face.”
Kleos bared his teeth and opened his mouth to say something, but if Medusa tackled him to the ground, that would certainly catch the guards’ attention.
“Mind your tongue,” Perseus hissed as he stepped between his friend and his prisoner. He leaned closer to Medusa, his breath a warm whisper against her cheek. “Or do I need to put you in shackles again?”
Her gaze flicked toward the adamantine cuffs at his belt, a momentary furrow marring her smooth brow. Then, the defiance returned, her voice a silken purr against his ear. “Do you truly believe those can hold me? Do you believe Kleos and I would meekly return to the ship if left unsupervised? Remember our last encounter?What fate would have awaited your friend if you hadn't intervened?”
A shiver ran down his spine at the image of Medusa astride Kleos, her bloody fingers prying at his eyes.
“Why would you tell me this if you truly thought you could escape?”
As the words rolled off his tongue, he paused to wonder. The evening was waning, and so far, Medusa had not tried once to escape. Walking alone back to the ship would have been her best opportunity to flee with only one pair of eyes watching her — especially considering her boast of besting Kleos. Why, then, had she offered him this information? It was as if ... she wished to remain.
Perseus studied Medusa more carefully, but the smooth lines of her face were utterly unreadable. He stared into the ocean-green depths of her irises as if he might find some answers there. They were truly hypnotising.
Could there be any harm if she stayed for their meeting with Aetos and Cepheus’s sentinels? It would only mean that more eyes were watching her. Maybe he could discover that way what she was up to.
Finally, he heard himself say, “Fine, you can stay, but keep quiet during the meeting. You are a prisoner, not crew — no matter what charade we played tonight.”