Page 33 of Crown of Serpents

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 adjustedher 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 shebithim?

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 nowher.

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.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The incessant crashing of waves against the hull had finally ceased, replaced by the cries of seagulls and the bustle of activity on deck. Medusa heard her captor barking orders. The ship shuddered to a halt, the ropes thrown and tied to the dock. The ground beneath Medusa was still at last. They had reached shore.

Medusa would have felt relief if not for the approaching footsteps. They signaled Perseus’s return.Perseus. Her enemy finally had a name. The enemy, who had jumped into the Aegean Sea to save her from drowning. Why had he done that? Had he not called her a monster that deserved to be culled from this earth? Had he not claimed right after pulling her from her watery grave that he would be the one to speak her death sentence? Yet, when Medusa had awoken in her cell, shivering in her drenched clothes, a woollen blanket had appeared beside her.

It was infuriating that she could not figure out his intentions.She needed to understand her enemy if she wanted revenge. Especially because he couldn’t be fully mortal — not when lightning responded to his temper. A shiver went down Medusa’s spine.

Perseus’s voice broke through her thoughts, “We’ve reached Joppa. We’ll restock here for a few days.”

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