Coils

by Barbara Ann Wright

  They’d had plenty of arguments in Cressida’s head the past few…weeks, she supposed she could call them. As she’d traveled the Underworld fixing it up, she’d spoken to Medusa many times in her head. And they’d ended up in bed in a few of those fantasies, and Cressida had ended up punching Medusa in a few of them, too.

  But she didn’t really want to hurt Medusa, not like that. What she wanted was to go back, to remake their relationship, but her power couldn’t do that. And that would mean changing Medusa on some fundamental level anyway, and she didn’t want that, either. That was a slippery slope even Persephone had never undertaken.

  She’d thought a lot about how she might punish Medusa as she freed the prisoners in Tartarus. She’d told them to behave, or she’d lock them up again. Most of the Titans had stayed down below, taking over the place as their own. Cronos had given her a few looks as if thinking to challenge her, but she reminded him that she didn’t need his sword. She could close Tartarus with her mind, imprisoning him there again. She’d kept the sword anyway, just in case, as a reminder about using caution when it came to trusting people.

  June and Nero had talked with her about it after June had gotten over the initial shock that her niece had become queen of the Underworld. There were already plans for everyone to visit during Christmas, though Cressida didn’t envy June that talk with Cressida’s parents. At least Nero could still feel her lifeline and could always reassure her family that she was all right. Nero had said to forgive Medusa; June had warned her to be cautious, but Cressida anticipated that. June probably wasn’t looking forward to sharing a holiday table with the woman she’d killed in a former life. Talk about an awkward dinner party.

  Cressida had ended up talking about her problems with Medusa to anyone who would listen, and the romantics usually said to go for it, and everyone else either shrugged or said it had to be her decision. Pandora had added, “Eternity is a long time to be lonely.”

  “Do you want me to go?” Medusa asked.

  “No, and I think I should be mad at myself for that.”

  “Because you think I’ll betray you?”

  “Because now that you have your sisters back, I’ll never know.”

  Medusa winced, but Cressida couldn’t be sorry.

  “I want to be happy,” Cressida said. “This isn’t what I imagined for my life, but for the most part…” She grinned. “It’s been pretty awesome. But the idea of spending eternity alone—”

  This time, Medusa put a finger to Cressida’s lips. “Don’t think in eternity. You might get tired of me after you’ve worn me out for a few centuries.”

  Cressida smiled. She took the finger between her teeth and gave it a lick before letting go. “Will I just stay alive down here forever? Or will I die and then pop right back up again?”

  Medusa shrugged. “You’re unprecedented.” She traced the crown. “But I don’t think this will just let you die, and neither will I, Cressida. If you need more time to think, I can suffer through your absence. Only just,” she added when Cressida frowned. “And if you can stand my presence, whatever you want to give me, friendship or love, it will be enough. I will always come when you need me, and I will always be there for you, I swear by the River S—”

  Cressida clapped a hand over Medusa’s mouth. Her heart raced in her ears. “Don’t say that. Something might prevent you from being there or coming when I need you, and you’d still suffer the consequences of that swear.” She dropped her hand. “But I love that you were willing to try.” She had a few tears hovering as she kissed Medusa deeply, and if there wasn’t exactly forgiveness behind it, there was the start of a road.

  When they came up for air, Cressida stretched and discovered she wasn’t quite as melty as she’d thought. “Now that we’ve got a room, we might as well make the most of it.”

  Medusa grinned. “Sure you’re done talking? I’m quite knowledgeable on a variety of subjects if you’d—”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Medusa nibbled her earlobe. “What happened to that harpy, anyway?”

  “Is that shutting up and kissing me? I don’t think so.”

  “Your will, Dread Cressida.”

  As Medusa kissed her, Cressida responded with all the passion she could muster, forcing her brain to stay on task and focus on something that mattered.

  Really, really good sex.

  With the one person in the Underworld she cared for more than any other.

  It was a start.

  About the Author

  Barbara Ann Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories when not ranting on her blog. The Pyramid Waltz was one of Tor.com’s Reviewer’s Choice books of 2012, was a Foreword Review Book of the Year Award Finalist, a Goldie finalist, and made Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels by Female Authors. It also won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best Lesbian Fantasy. A Kingdom Lost was a Goldie finalist and won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Lesbian Fantasy Romance.

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