The Sixth Life of Medusa

12. Bite to Kill

Perseus awoke to the feeling of being in a bobbing vessel; there was also the occasional thud of footsteps on the deck above him. Though hard to believe at first, he concluded he was on a ship. The smell of the sea was unmistakable.

A power kept his limbs frozen and his voice sealed. They had also covered his head with a sack and stripped him to nothing but his loincloth. At least he could move his head and his senses were complete. If he could speak, he would yell for something to eat. The ripping hunger in his belly was dizzying.

How did they do it?

Seriphos was under the firm control of his uncle; nothing mortal came or went without Dictys' permission. Yet, his kidnappers had managed to not only kill Antigoni but transport Perseus off the island. They were even powerful enough to dare sea travel.

How would Dictys react to his kidnap? It was easy to imagine Lino's reaction. Lots of tears.

If you succumb to death, weak Linos will take your place in all areas. The memory of his uncle's words planted dread in his heart. He must find a way to escape if not...

If not what? And what strength would you use to escape?

A pair of haughty eyes—eyes Perseus would never forget—flashed in his mind.

"Do you not see that this is all you amount to?"

Since Perseus could recall, whenever berating thoughts tortured his mind, it spoke with her voice.

"A carrier of Zeus' blood is now a captive. The weakness of your father's blood cannot be suppressed after all. Shame!"

Perhaps the voice spoke the truth. The last known ancestor to awaken Zeus' blood was the Island's founder. His mother, on the other hand, came from a long line of Argosian royalty. Blood carriers sprung from their family like weeds. Maybe—

Perseus gave his head a sharp shake, desperate to dispel her words. Be quiet, he commanded within the walls of his mind. I am not weak.

Even though Perseus was clueless on how he would achieve it, he swore within himself to escape.

"Open your eyes," a voice whispered in his left ear.

Perseus whipped his head in the direction as gooseflesh raced across his skin.

"OPEN YOUR EYES, PERSEUS."

Perseus winced at the sudden loudness of the command. There was venom in their tone—as if they were in a black rage but chose to whisper instead of screech.

Blinking hard, Perseus opened his eyes to a great shock.

Around him was a vast expanse of placid black water. The sky was a deep blue stretch that dipped to a darker hue in the distant horizon, and when he looked ahead, a heavy pressure fell upon him.

Groaning under the crushing weight, Perseus fell to his knees and blinked at the hill of bones.

Black skulls, femurs, and ribs burned like coal, and wafting from the pile was a dark aura. What was even more oppressing—a sight that hurt his eyes to the point of stinging—was the being standing at the crest.

Despite being eaten by terror, Perseus was mesmerised—utterly incapable of tearing his eyes away.

Their body, save for one feminine leg, was hidden in a flowing dark robe. Beneath the shadow of her hood were two glowing blue eyes fixed on Perseus.

Perseus gritted his teeth, struggling against a sharp pain spreading from the crown of his head to the nape of his neck.

She began her descent. Bones clattered, snapped and rolled down the hill as she moved.