Page 43 of Beggars, Sin, and Wine

We had clothes, toiletries, and stuff to fully stock the bathroom when they needed it. Kat had also grabbed food, but Cas stopped her.

“I’ve got a stocked pantry. Let me cook for you and your mates. I can pick up perishables in the village.”

Kat gave him a nod.

“Thanks, but I’m keeping the creamer. Calamity is twenty-two, and she likes her iced coffee.”

“We’ve got a magical coffee shop. They provide the beans to the coffee shop at the bottom of the mountain. It’s run by a family of witches, so they’ve got extra magic. We’re technically in a valley in the mountains, so we’ve got livestock. We’ve got a dairy farm and there’s a family of shifters that does our dairy. They work with some vampires to do a pretty decent creamer,” Cas said.

“Please don’t tell me this is some kind of cult because your village sounds amazing and I’d kind of like to live there,” Kat moaned.

“It’s not. And it can be arranged. We’ve got one last stop. I want to get her a plant.”

“You can’t get her a plant from here. Even the plants are sad. You’re getting her a depressed plant,” I said.

“She needs to heal and stretch her green witch wings they suppressed. We don’t want Medusa feeling helpless. I’m going to get her a plant to care for while she heals. I know Athena turned her into a Gorgon but she was apparently a green witch first. She can play in our garden, but this plant would be just hers.”

“Ooh, good call. We need the ugliest plant possible. Like, worse than the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Lead on, Macduff.”

Kat was on the other side of the store trying to figure out what coffee creamer would impress Calamity the most. We were sick-plant shopping. Cas pointed out several, but they just weren’t right. We’d gone through the whole garden center and I’d poo-poo’ed several plants Cas suggested because they weren’t the one.

I’d know it when I saw it.

And finally, my eyes landed on the perfect plant. There was a half dead Venus fly trap that just screamed Medusa.

“This is the one.”

“Really? I don’t think this one is going to make it home.”

I flicked Cas’s forehead with my finger.

“Hello, shadow demon. I can get this home to her to heal the plant before you could breathe.”

“What’s it with you and my forehead tonight? I’m still mad about the tampons, Benji.”

“How was I supposed to know that girl lied to me about flavored tampons when I asked why she tasted like cotton candy? What do you think our mate tastes like?”

Cas grunted and adjusted himself.

“Perfection. I want to get back to her, so grab the Venus fly trap and that succulent so we can get back.”

Yes. I desperately wanted to get back to Medusa. It was my nature to care for her and keep her safe.

I hoped I didn’t fuck this up.

This was unreal. I had friends, but I usually lost them when Athena showed up to break my glasses and they found out I was that Medusa. If I didn’t turn them to stone, they were mad I’d hurt someone they cared about. If a Smith had fixed it after I ran, no one ever called me and forgave me.

I had three friends and one mate who never cared. But now it seemed like I had more than that. Jezebel had known this entire time. She wasn’t running. Jezebel told Kat she wanted to come here with me. She could have just come to help stop the Coalition, but she swore we were having that drink and I believed her.

And my new mates! They could have rejected me for what I did to Benji and Cas, but they didn’t. They were perfect.

Pax’s bathroom was amazing. It was painted and tiled in blues and grays. There was a large shower in the corner, but I was soaking in a huge tub underneath a picture window with a beautiful view of their garden. And Pax had good taste in bath shit.

I finally got a good look at myself in the mirror. The Coalition had done a number on me. My snakes were barely active, and I’d lost a ton of weight. I’d been pretty curvy before the Coalition grabbed me when Athena broke my glasses yet again. Di loved my curves. Could he love me like this?

My cheeks were hollowed out and there were dark circles under my eyes. I could practically count every rib. Fuck, I loved my curves, too. This wouldn’t do, but I had a chance to get my body back.

I used to bathe in hot springs, but I’d done it in rivers before. I was much older than indoor plumbing and hot water heaters. We used to heat the water over a fire in winter when we needed to bathe. Some of the places I lived after I left Greece had some pretty shitty ideas about hygiene. I couldn’t believe there were actual humans who treated bathing like the Dark Ages, but then the Coalition took me.

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