Page 39 of Courting War
Theo’s heart shuddered as a realization hit. She might have made another mistake.
Mistakes.
That was all she did lately. First, the girls on the boat, then the accidental deal with Love, and now this . . .
Hot coals burned in her throat, and she tried to bury the guilt deep down within her chest. But it wouldn’t budge.
Theo had spelled Medusa to save her—to help her. The God of the Sea had violated her, and Theo gave her snakes and power as protection. So that no man could ever touch her again. Instead, she would turn all men who looked upon her to stone. It was sweet revenge.
Perfection.
But what if it wasn’t . . . What if Medusa didn’t see it that way? What if the spell was actually a curse? Was this where Medusa’s despair stemmed from?
“I cannot affect you,” Medusa said, and it was unclear if the words were a malediction or a boon. It was unclear how the gorgon felt at all. “Even in your mortal form.”
“Wonderful,” Theo said under her breath, taking a moment to view her surroundings.
She was in a grand room with a giant cypress tree at the base of the far wall. Books were strewn over tables, snakes coiling in and around them. Snakes were everywhere, clinging to the walls, hanging from chandeliers, and slithering along shelves and the floor.
Directly across from Theo stood a massive stone structure with a seven-by-six grid of circles cut into it.
Interesting.
A game of stones.
But Theo had no time to worry about the challenge or Medusa. Right now, she needed the book.
Aware of the chain cutting into her wrist, she slowly walked away from the stone boy. The chain had given her a long leashbefore; maybe it would now. She made it six feet before it pulled tautly. “Perfect.”
Medusa laughed, her eyes lighting up at the predicament.
Theo growled and pulled at the links, trying to break them. The stone should’ve weakened the metal. But no, of course, it didn’t. This was Love’s magic.
Theo glared at the foolish boy. He had to look. Curiosity was a curse. It ruined lives and toppled nations. This mortal had it in abundance. With one more useless pull, Theo exhaled sharply and considered toppling the statue as she did in her palace rooms.
Considered destroying the boy.
She was a villain, but she had a code. Destroying the statue would forever kill him. While that would free her, it wasn’t an option she’d take.
The rotten human deserved his fate, but he hadn’t hurt anyone. So she wouldn’t kill him.
Circling her arms around his stone torso, Theo tried to haul his statue down the hall and get him into the spell room.
Medusa chortled. “This is wonderfully entertaining.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Theo grunted, tugging the stone champion, and gritting her teeth.
It was an impossible task. She only made it three steps before sweat dripped down her face and her muscles gave out. With a huff, Theo slid to the ground and used the stone as her backrest. She was stuck and absolutely wasn’t going to save the boy. Yet she had to get the spell book and make it out of the first challenge.
Perhaps, she could bargain.
“You want something,” Medusa said before Theo could formulate a plan.
“Of course I do.”
“So?”
“So . . .” Theo said, extending the word out.
