Page 33 of It's In His Hiss

And then I wait because that’s what you do when you’ve turned your girlfriend to stone. You wait, and you hope she understands that love is more than skin-deep, even when that skin is temporarily petrified.

Chapter 12

Alice

Steam still clings to my skin as I perch on the edge of my bed, the towel wrapped around me like a fluffy white cocoon. I’m trying not to think about it, about what I could do to Gordy, and a new thought occurs to me. Something as simple as picturing him in the shower, trying not to drown his snakes, makes me smile. Does he use a shower cap? The image is ridiculous and endearing all at once.

But then the smile fades, and the weight of the world seems to crash down on me. Did I cause his powers to go haywire? Will my unpredictable power be our downfall?

And now, after everything, I’ve got gorgon-hunter blood in me. Just a flicker in the family tree, Gideon said—but enough to tangle with Gordy’s instincts. Enough to turn love into danger. It didn’t matter that I’d already fallen for him when I was stone. I didn’t know then that my magic might be wired to hurt him.

That’s why I ran. Not because I doubted how I felt—but because for one horrifying moment, I couldn’t tell if I was more curse than cure. If loving me meant risking him.

There’s a soft knock at the front door, and I freeze, my heart doing that weird little skip it only does for one person.

“Alice?”

“Gordy?” I manage to keep my voice steady, though inside, I’m anything but.

I quickly wrap the towel tighter and stand, padding over to the door. Taking a deep breath, I open it.

He stands there, tall and imposing and vulnerable at the same time. His hypnotic green eyes, whichI’ve dared to look into more than once, hold a mix of guilt and determination.

“Can we talk?” he asks, his voice low and even. He knows how to do this, to coax out words when silence seems easier.

“Sure.” I step aside to let him in. As I close the door behind him, I’m intensely aware of the small space, of his presence filling every corner of my apartment. I turn and head back to the bedroom, indicating he should follow.

“Look, Alice,” he starts, instinctively touching the knit cap over his snake-laden locks. “I feel terrible about what happened. But I want to make things work.”

“Me, too,” I admit, reaching for the hem of my towel before remembering it’s all that’s between me and complete nakedness—not that he hasn’t already seen, tasted, and touched all the goods. “But I’m scared, Gordy. What if I hurt you?”

He steps closer, and I can smell the faint scent of books and something woodsy that’s intrinsically him.

“Then we’ll figure it out together,” he says firmly. “I’ve got these powers, and you’ve got yours. We’re not exactly your run-of-the-mill couple, but what we have is worth the risk, right?”

“Right,” I whisper. My heart swells with a mixture of fear and affection. This is Gordy. Shy yet brave, intelligent and loving. He’s standing in my bedroom, wanting me despite the chaos our combined energies could unleash.

“Besides,” he adds with a tentative smirk, “I’m getting pretty good at controlling the snakes now. And I trust you, Al. More than anyone.”

“Same here,” I confess. I step forward until we’re inches apart, my bare toes pressing into the cool hardwood floor. His gaze is intense but not frightening. It’s full of promise. “What if I turn you into something worse? Like a whole snake, or make snakes sprout out of your entire body?” I ask, the panic rising all over again.

“Then we’ll deal with it. Together.” He reaches out, his hand hovering shy of touching mine. “We’ll learn to control our powers. Gideon’s managed it. So can I.”

He’s right about Gideon, the gorgon who’s practically mastered the art of not turning things to stone. But then, Gideon didn’t have me accidentally boosting his abilities to contend with.

“Gordy,” I start, taking a deep breath. “I don’t want to be the reason you lose yourself.”

“You won’t be,” he assures me, finally closing the gap and enveloping my hand in his. It’s warm and grounding. “Because I’ve never been more myself than when I’m with you.”

“Me neither,” I admit, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. And they’re true. With him, I’m not simply Alice. I’mmore—someone stronger, braver.

“Okay.” He exhales, relief softening his features. “So, we study. We practice. You learn to dial down your power, and I’ll wrangle my snakes and my gaze.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I squeeze his hand, and the gesture seems to embolden him. “So, how do we test this? Should I—what—flash you?”

Gordy chokes slightly.“Let’s start with prolonged eye contact and work our way up from there.”

I smirk. “Coward.”

---