by Linsey Hall
Holy fates.
The spider had talked.
I should have cottoned on to the enormity of that sooner, but I wasn’t at my best right now. But if it could talk, maybe we could convince it.
I turned back to it, the words coming out in a rush. “We’re not here to hurt you or Medusa or anyone. We know her story. About how Poseidon raped her and Athena turned her into a monster. That’s so wrong. We want to help her.”
The spider looked at us, skepticism clear in its gaze. “Why?”
I explained about the Titans and my goal of completing my transition to full Dragon God. “So, you see, this is part of my journey.”
The spider tapped its right front leg on the ground, clearly thinking. Again, the image of a woman’s face flickered in front of the spider’s head.
The dots suddenly connected for me. “Arachne?”
The spider nodded its head once. Arachne had once been a woman. The greatest weaver in ancient Greece, in fact. She’d been so bold about her skill that she had angered the Goddess Athena. The gods couldn’t bear an assault on their pride, and a human being better than them at a skill was one of the worst insults.
I thought it was all rather stupid, really.
Especially since Athena had turned Arachne into a spider.
“It was wrong what happened to you too,” I said. “I might be the Greek Dragon God, but I don’t agree with how the gods have behaved always. They’ve done awful things, especially to women.”
“It’s terrible,” Maximus said.
“We can try to help you,” I said. “Find a way to turn you back to a human. That’s our goal with Medusa.”
Arachne seemed to sigh. She didn’t make a noise, not the way a human would, but her spidery body seemed to relax.
“I do not want to change back.” She raised her two front legs. “I did not like my lot at first, but I enjoy it now. No one can hurt me when I am in this form. I am the greatest weaver in all the land. And there’s nothing Athena can do about it.”
I grinned at her. “Good for you.”
She inclined her head. “You’re really not here to hurt Medusa?”
Maximus shook his head.
“No,” I said. “When I thought she was a monster who enjoyed killing people, I thought I was supposed to kill her. When I learned her true story, however, I couldn’t.”
Arachne tapped her right leg against the ground, clearly her thinking gesture. I couldn’t read expressions on her face other than getting a hint from her eyes, but she seemed to be weighing something heavily.
“I will miss Medusa in this forest,” she said. “But she is not happy here. Not like I am. She hasn’t been happy in forever. If you truly think you can help her, I will let you go.”
“I think we can,” I said.
Maximus tilted his head toward me. “Rowan can do anything with potions. I believe she can help Medusa.”
Arachne nodded her head sharply. “Fine, then. I will release you and help you approach her. It will be difficult to get close, as she startles easily. You cannot let your gaze fall upon her. Or hers upon you.”
“Wait, what?” I frowned. “I thought we were only turned to stone if we looked at her face.”
“No. Over time, her magic has grown stronger. She can now kill with a look.” The spider shook her head. “Honestly, I am no longer needed as her guardian.”
Shit, shit, shit.
This had just become a lot more dangerous.
I looked at Maximus.
He only considered a moment before saying, “We still have to try.”
I nodded. He was right, of course. Not only did the world rely upon us, but I really wanted to help Medusa. She didn’t deserve this.
“I don’t suggest that you approach by normal means,” Arachne said. “She will be expecting it.”
“Would she be waiting to turn us to stone?” Maximus asked.
“I don’t think so,” Arachne said. “At first, she hides. She doesn’t want to turn anyone to stone. But if she must, she will.”
“What if we approach from the sky?”
Arachne nodded. “I think that is smart. I will help you. Only I come from the sky, and I am good. Threats do not come from that direction, so it should buy you time to convince her you are a friend.”
When I’d first seen Arachne, this was not how I’d expected things to go. I looked down at my arms, which were starting to turn numb from being bound so tightly to my sides. “Could you get us out of here?”
“Yes.” Arachne approached, using her front legs to make quick work of untying the webbing.
I stepped away and shook my arms, grateful. She did Maximus next, and once he was free, he stepped back and met my gaze.
Memories of the words we’d said flashed in my mind. They were clearly running through his too.
“Let’s go.” Arachne started through the forest.
I gave Maximus one last look, then followed.
Arachne moved quickly, and we had to jog to keep up. She dodged around trees and took a circuitous route, turning back only once to say, “Follow closely to avoid the traps.”
I saluted her and stuck close.
The trees began to fill out with even more leaves by the time we slowed. Medusa’s forest was different from the rest—carefully cultivated and lovely.
It made sense, though. If she was out here all alone, with just Arachne for company, of course she’d need a hobby.
“I think we should start to ascend here,” Arachne said. “The branches are strong enough.”
I looked up, spotting a thick canopy of large branches.
“Once we’ve reached her home, I will help you descend with my web,” Arachne said. “But you may want to carry some kind of shield to keep her gaze from falling on you directly.”
“I can conjure something once we are up,” Maximus said.
“If she presents you with the back of her head, then it is safe to look upon her. It is only her human eyes that will turn you to stone. The snakes do not have that power.”
Okay, that would make this a tiny bit easier.
Arachne began to climb, and we followed. My heart thundered as we ascended. This was going to be tough.
The tree bark was rough under my hands, thick and knobby. It made it easy to climb, and soon, we were high amongst the branches.
“This way.” Arachne moved as gracefully as a swan in the water, creeping over the tops of the tree branches to reach Medusa’s home.
We were slower and clumsier, but we managed to follow. Soon, a flash of white marble appeared below.
A path. Then a small building. A fountain.
“We’re nearly there,” Arachne said.
Finally, we reached a clearing. I caught the briefest glance of a little settlement before yanking my gaze up. I didn’t want them to fall unexpectedly upon Medusa. I tried to memorize what I’d seen, though, since I’d need that info later. There had been three small marble buildings surrounding it, remnants of ancient Greece hidden deep in the forest. A fountain had splashed in the middle.
“Get your shields,” Arachne said.
“Does it matter how thick the shield is?” Maximus asked. “It’s only meant to protect us from her sight, correct?”
“Correct.”
Maximus grinned and conjured two enormous umbrellas. “These will cover the most.”
He handed me a colorful umbrella. Arachne began to eject webbing from her hind end. It was a bit strange to watch, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
She handed me an end of the fine silver webbing, and I took it, wincing slightly at the stickiness.
“Tie it around your waist.”
I did as she commanded, not daring to look at the ground below. Maximus did the same, and soon we had our umbrellas open.
I glanced at Maximus. “I feel like I’m in the circus.”
He grinned.
“Medusa!” Arachne called. “You have visitors!”
There was silence. My h
eart began to thunder.
“Medusa!”
More silence.
“She can hear us,” Arachne said. “She never goes far from here, so she must be able to.”
“Maybe she is frightened?” I asked.
“Likely,” Arachne said.
“We know your story, Medusa,” I shouted. “It’s dreadfully unfair. We’re here to help you.”
“You know nothing,” a voice shouted. Anger and fear echoed in it.
Dang, those were two dangerous combinations.
“We know about Poseidon and Athena. What they did was wrong.”
“The gods no longer rule,” Maximus said. “You do not have to worry about them.”
Medusa laughed bitterly.
This was going nowhere. I looked at Arachne. “Can you lower us to the forest floor?”
“If you think that’s wise.”
“I do.” I turned back to the forest floor to project my voice that way, though I could no longer see past the umbrellas. “We’re going to join you, Medusa! But we will not attack. Please, just come speak to us.”
“If I look upon you, you will die.”
“I saw no statues when I looked at your home a moment ago,” I said. “You don’t seem to be killing many people.”
“I dispose of the statues. I do not like them.”
I couldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want artwork reminders of all the demons I’d killed in the line of duty.
“Well, either way, we’re approaching. If we meant you harm, we would not announce our presence. And your friend Arachne would not trust us.”
“I do trust them,” Arachne said.
“All right.” Medusa didn’t sound pleased about it, but she didn’t sound super pissed, at least. There might have even been a bit of hope in her voice.
“Let’s go,” Maximus said.
We leaned off the branch, dangling in thin air with our umbrellas pointed downward. Arachne deployed her web, lowering us slowly to the forest floor.
“Nearly there!” Arachne said.
When my umbrella hit the ground below, I lifted it, careful to keep it in front of me.
“We’re here, Medusa! Come out and speak to us.”
“All right. But I will approach you backward.”
I waited, shifting uncomfortably as I used my animal hearing to get a sense of what she was doing. Soft footsteps sounded on the forest floor.
“She is standing in the clearing,” Arachne said. “And she is not facing you. It is safe to lower your umbrellas and look upon her.”
I sucked in a deep breath and glanced at Maximus. He nodded, and we lowered our umbrellas. My heart threatened to beat its way out of my chest, and I had my eyes squeezed so tightly closed that it almost hurt.
Though, in all honesty, it didn’t matter that much if I looked upon her. She could give me one look, and I’d be stone.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
A woman stood with her back toward us. Green snakes writhed on her head, hissing and glaring.
Oh fates, that was awful.
I would hate to live like that.
We had to help her. But how?
Maybe she would have an idea.
“Tell me exactly how you found me,” Medusa said. “What leads you to my lair?”
“Well, I’m on a quest.”
She laughed bitterly. “They all are.”
“True. But this one doesn’t involve killing you. I thought it did, but once I heard your story, I knew I couldn’t do it.”
She shrugged. “Tell me more.”
I explained about the dragons and the claw dagger they’d given me.
“Throw it to me,” Medusa said. “I want to see it.”
Was there excitement in her voice? I dug into my pocket and removed the sparkling opalescent claw. I tossed it to her in a perfect arc, quite proud of myself when it sailed down in front of her, and she snagged it out of the air.
“It is the dagger of choice.” Now it was clear that excitement echoed in her voice. “It could kill me or save me, depending upon your intentions.”
“Oh fates. So if I’d chosen wrong, I really could have killed you.”
“But you didn’t choose wrong,” Maximus said.
“How can it save you, though?” I asked.
The snakes continued to hiss at me, glaring even more fiercely. If they understood English, they didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking.
“It magnifies your intentions. It could turn back the curse if you so wished.” Her voice turned doubtful at the end of her sentence. “Though I’m not sure that wishes are enough.”
I chewed on my lower lip as I thought. “What if I have a potion that breaks spells?”
I’d only ever used it to break the protection spells on locked doors, but it could work for this.
“That might do it.” Excitement echoed in her voice. “What if you put it on the dagger and pierce me with it?”
“That seems a bit extreme,” Maximus said.
“Living with snakes on your head for thousands of years is a bit extreme. If this gets me out of that, you’re welcome to stab me in the heart.”
“Maybe not the heart.” I reached for my potion belt and pulled out the tiny vial of spell breaker. There was no way it alone could break a god’s spell, but maybe with this fancy dragon claw dagger. “I’ve got the potion.”
“I’ll throw back the dagger.” She lobbed it into the air, aiming closer to Maximus.
He darted left to grab it, snagging it easily.
“Are you sure about this?” Arachne asked.
“I am.” There was a smile in Medusa’s voice. “It’s worth the risk, even if I die. Any hope at all is worth the risk. And think of it, old friend. I’ll finally be able to look at you again!”
“That would be nice. Promise you’ll come visit.”
“I will.”
Oh fates, I hoped this worked. Medusa had been trapped for so long. If I killed her by accident…
I couldn’t live with myself, frankly.
“Okay, I’m going to approach you from behind,” I said.
“Do whatever you have to.” Her voice turned thoughtful. “Perhaps you should stab me in the left arm. I don’t use that one much.”
“All right.” I approached her slowly, Maximus at my side. As we neared the snakes, they began to hiss and writhe more violently.
“By the way, Medusa. I think I’m supposed to bring the heads of your snakes to the dragons to prove what I have done.”
“If you turn me back to normal, you can have the little bastards. They’re not even really alive. They don’t eat or sleep or anything. Pure dark magic is what they are.”
“It’s a deal.” I held out my hand for the dagger, and Maximus passed it to me.
The dragon claw was cool in my palm, sparking with magic. I uncorked the vial of spell breaker and dripped it over the point of the dragon claw. The liquid gleamed blue in the light.
“Okay, I’m going to stab you.” I didn’t usually give a warning.
Medusa didn’t even flinch, though. I had a feeling that she’d accept being skinned alive to get out of this curse.
I raised the dagger over her arm, framing my intentions in my mind. If this dagger was going to magnify them, I didn’t want it getting confused.
Turn her back to human.
I thrust the claw downward, piercing the fleshy outer bit that I doubted had any important ligaments or whatever made arms move.
Medusa winced and hissed in pain. Magic burst from the blade, flowing outward over Medusa in waves of golden light.
The snakes on her head went wild, hissing and thrashing. When the light reached them, they froze. One by one, they fell off of her head, disconnecting from her scalp. In their place appeared golden hair, long and straight.
Holy fates, it was working!
Excitement burst in my chest. I could hear Arachne up above, giving a weird little spider shriek of delight.
“It�
��s working!” Medusa said.
All of the snakes were off her head now. She reached up to touch her face, then gave a little jump.
“My face is back to normal! My nose! My cheeks!”
“Does this mean you won’t turn us to stone?” Maximus asked.
“I think not.” She spun around before I could dodge left or right.
Horrified, I stared into her eyes.
They were a beautiful blue. And her face was beautiful, too.
Even better, I was still breathing. I moved my arms.
Yep, not a statue.
Oh, thank fates.
It was stupid that her beauty made her good and her ugliness had made her bad—they weren’t things that should be equated. But the Greek gods weren’t exactly advanced thinkers. Her beauty had drawn Poseidon to her, and ugliness with a side helping of the stone curse had been Athena’s best punishment.
“You saved me!” Medusa threw her arms around me.
I grinned and hugged her back.
At my side, Maximus conjured a small bag, then bent and collected the dead snakes that lay withered on the ground.
I pulled back from Medusa. “Do you know where you will go now?”
She moved away from me and looked up at the trees, her gaze landing on Arachne. A beautiful smile brightened her face. “I’ll spend time with my old friend. From there, we shall see.”
Arachne waved at her with one of her front legs, and my heart warmed.
Man, sometimes I really liked my job.
“If you ever need help, you can come to the Undercover Protectorate in Scotland. Just go to the Whiskey and Warlock pub in Edinburgh. They’ll direct you there.”
Medusa squeezed my arm. “Thank you. Truly.”
I nodded. “I’m just glad I met the Centaur Chiron so he could tell me your true story.”
Otherwise, I’d have killed her. The idea made my stomach turn. It was so dangerous to run around on quests where the goal was to kill people. How were you to know you were even doing the right thing?
I shivered. Lesson learned for the future.
I looked at Maximus. “Ready to go back?”
“Yes. But how? They transported us here.”
As soon as he said the word, the ether began to pull at me. The dragons were calling us back.
I gave Arachne and Medusa one last look, then the ether sucked me in.
