Page 18 of Meduso
He knelt down on the ground beside me.
“See these?” I cupped my hands around the bottom of the vibrant red flowers that were already blossomed. “These are anemone. Do you know how these flowers came to life?”
“No. How did they?” he asked.
“Aphrodite, Goddess of beauty and love, once had a lover named Adonis, who tragically died. She wept for him for days, high up on Mount Olympus. Her tears fell from the sky and spread across all parts of the world. When her tears met the ground, they sprung into this flower, known as anemone. They have ever since been sacred.”
“Oh? And what can these flowers do?” he inquired.
“My mother taught my sisters and me a harmless spell.” I closed my eyes, still holding the flower in my hand. Suddenly, the crimson flower began to shrink back into a budded state. Feeling the petals wrap together to close around one another, I then opened my eyes and tilted my head up to watch the sky. Soon enough, it began to rain.
Perseus covered his head with his arms and hands, feeling the drops of water strike him. “How!? How did you…!?”
“Wait. I’m not done yet.” I stepped over to the spring and dipped my hands into the water, once again closing my eyes. Every drop of rain I had called forth that touched the surface of the spring then transformed into asters. Hundreds of the star-shaped wild flowers of various colors of white, pink, yellow, and purple scattered, covering the entire spring, so that no water was visible. It looked as if it had morphed into a colorful field.
Perseus reached his hand to feel the asters, not being able to believe that they were actually real. “This is beautiful, Meduso! I’ve never seen anything like this.”
I smiled, pleased that he was impressed with the one magical skill my mother had taught me. She was an ocean goddess, so she had many unique powers and skills related to the waters. This was one she was actually able to teach me when we were on the surface for a short time. Even being a mortal, the blood of the sea gods still coursed through my veins, so I did possess some occult abilities, but very few. This was one of them.
I sat on the ground, staring into the lake garden with the peaceful flowers slowly drifting around it, admiring their elegance and delicacy. Perseus proceeded to do the same, right next to me.
“Speaking of Aphrodite, I’ve heard that Aphrodite is the goddess of love. Do you think she is the one who causes people to fall in love?” I asked.
Perseus nodded. “Yes. She and her son, Eros, are said to strike arrows at mortals. These arrows have the power to make two people fall in love.”
“So, that must mean they have yet to strike us if the both of us have never been in love yet?”
Perseus could not help but smirk. “It would seem that way.”
Thoughts of love continued to permeate through my mind. “Have you ever loved someone?” I asked.
Perseus scratched the back of his head, his face slightly blushing by the question. “No. I haven’t really.”
“Well then, how would you know if you love someone if you’ve never experienced it before?”
“I’m not quite sure,” Perseus revealed. “Based on stories I’ve heard and from the experience of others, you get this feeling in your stomach that just won’t go away. It’s like whenever you’re around a person you love, your mind just races with wild thoughts about them, and then when you’re not around them, all you can do is think about them.”
I took in Perseus’s words carefully. Everything that Perseus just described to me was sort of how I was feeling about my relationship with him.
Was I in love with Perseus? No. I couldn’t be. Friends can’t love friends, can they? I sat back and stared at the asters in the lake once more, cherishing the gorgeous display I created. Perseus proceeded to do the same. His hand brushed against my own. Out of natural reaction, we both flinched and moved them away from one another. However, I longed for his touch in this very moment. To be able to feel his skin against mine, with this miraculous scene before us, would be wondrous.
I slyly placed my hand down on the ground between us, just inches away from him. I sensed his hand was slightly moving closer as well. I didn’t dare to make eye contact with him, in fear of trepidation ruining the moment.
He, too, continued to be brave with his movements, and instantly I felt the tip of his finger rest on the top of my hand. I merely let it sit there and remained still, just absorbing the spectacle before us and having the closeness of Perseus. It was all I could ask for.
Chapter 5
There was so much excitement in just a single day. I had learned how to fish for the first time, and I had displayed a raining of flowers for Perseus to see. Eventually, he and I travelled back into town and met Dictys and Clymene at their home for dinner. Danaë had joined us, as well.
“I wanted to share the news with you all, now that everyone is gathered. I received a message from my brother, Polydectes,” Dictys stated.
“That’sKingPolydectes, dear. Need I remind you of the respect he still demands?” Clymene corrected.
Dictys rolled his eyes. “I am in my own home. I can refer to him however I so well please!”
“Yes, but it’s good practice to…” Clymene began, but her thoughts were put to rest by Dictys.
“Enough!” he shouted, slamming his fist onto the table, which was the most irritated I’ve seen him since I arrived. “Now, where was I? Oh yes! My brother has announced that in the coming months, Seriphos will host its first set of yearly Island Games!”
