Page 32 of Meduso
My snickering was replaced by a stern expression on my face. This was now the second time the man called me by my name, but I realized I never gave it to him. “Wait? How do you know my name?”
It was he who was now smirking, but seductively. “As I have stated, I am the god of the sea. I have been watching you and your family for years. Every step you have taken into my waters throughout your entire life, I have known about.”
I then traced my memory back to all the times I had been in the water, which was here in Athens, when I was younger in the underwater palace, and even at the Island of Seriphos with Perseus. Panic began to strike as I recalled the times Perseus and me dipped into the glistening Aegean Sea in the middle of the night in the bare nude, with the lit-up night sky hovering above us.
Did this man see me… naked? I asked myself.
“You have known about me since I was younger?” I inquired.
He nodded. “Yes, Meduso. I’ve been keeping an eye on your family, making sure they were being loyal and obedient to the new gods. Having watched over you, I became more intrigued as you got older. You have grown into such a captivating man. And as I watched your encounters with the young demi-god in Seriphos, I became somewhat bitter at seeing him touch you the way he did,” Poseidon confessed.
I could not believe he knew of the intimate exchanges between Perseus me. So, it was true. This robust man really was Poseidon. It took me a moment to fully digest this situation and the fact that Poseidon had watched me in the seas throughout my entire life. This meant that the god must have also known of myimpuritywith Perseus. Fear instantly took over me, wondering if Poseidon would share this information with his niece, Athena.
But what also astonished me most was Poseidon admitting that he did not like the way Perseus touched me. “Why were you bitter over Perseus?” I bravely asked, hoping I was not overstepping my boundaries with this god.
Poseidon’s thick hand then caressed my cheek, causing me to shutter. “Because, Meduso, I find you mesmerizing. You are a beautiful young man. When I saw that demi-god kissing you, grabbing you with longing passion, I realized I wanted that. I needed to feel that with you. I continued to watch you in my seas for years thereafter, constantly imagining what it would be like to have you in my arms. It was torment. But I knew I had to wait for the right moment to take form and introduce myself to you.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. Were my ears deceiving me? Did Poseidon just say that he desires me? That he has admired me from afar for many years? I was unsure whether or not to be pleased with myself or feel ashamed. It was difficult to fathom that I could have this effect on an Olympian god.
And here this god was, intimately touching me. I stirred with confusion; my heart being tugged to every corner of my body. Only Perseus should be touching me like this. But Perseus wasn’t here and he hadn’t been around for more than five years. Would I ever see him again?
Still, I became quite uncomfortable with Poseidon touching me. I turned my head so that Poseidon’s hand brushed my cheek and fell off me.
“You know I serve Pallas Athena, correct?”
“Yes,” he affirmed.
“So, you must know what she requires of me and her expectations of me beingpure,” I elaborated.
Poseidon rolled his eyes. “I do question my niece’s beliefs at times. But if you are concerned that I will tell her about your past, then I should inform you that you have nothing to fret about. She will never know about your affairs with that demi-god. However, I do ask one small favor in return.”
I raised a brow, wondering what Poseidon could possibly want from me, but I knew I had no choice but to accept any terms that were thrown my way. After all, if Athena knew I was notpure, I would surely be doomed for lying to her. “And what is this favor?”
“I would like to spend time with you. Get to know you more. I am aware that you come out here to this sea almost every evening. I would hope I could meet you here at night.”
I was torn. I loved Perseus. But as the years went on, with Perseus being absent, a reality continued to pry at me. The fear of being stuck at Athena’s temple for life and never getting to see Perseus again continued to fester like a wound. My patience was wearing thin. I needed an escape, a change of pace from my current turmoil, and Poseidon was exactly that. “Of course. I honestly would like to get to know you more, as well.”
As soon as I confirmed this with him, Poseidon leaned in to grace his lips with mine. His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I was startled and quickly pulled away. “I can’t do this.”
“And why not?”
“Because… I love another,” I revealed to him.
“Tell me. Is it that demi-god?”
I nodded.
“Well, let me tell you something Meduso. I, too, have a keen sense of the future. And I can tell you that you will never see that demi-god again.”
I rose to my feet in alarm, shaking my head. “But that cannot be. Surely he will come and find me.”
Poseidon stood with me, cupping his hands on my shoulders. “The Fates have spoken to me. I am a god, after all. They have told me of two paths for you. Either you will stay with Athena, forever in her servitude, or you can be with me, escaping from her.”
I was perplexed. My heart lied with Perseus, but now that this god informed me that I would never see Perseus again, I felt despondent. More tears began to swell up in my eyes.
Seeing how vulnerable I now was in this very moment, Poseidon pulled me closer into an embrace. “Fear not, Meduso. There is nothing to cry about. You have me now. Let that island boy remain in the past. You have so much to look forward to now.”
It took another month for me to fully come to terms with knowing that I would never see Perseus again. The more time I spent with Poseidon, the more powerful a spell he seemed to cast on me.
