Page 81 of The Shadow Gods

“Are you alive?” I asked. I pinched the back of my hand as hard as I could. It hurt. This could be another plane of existence, not unlike Earth.

“What are you doing?” He pushed my hand away. “Where in the world did my brother find you? Not a smart one.” He tilted his head to one side, gaze dropping from my face to skim my body. “And not very pretty. You must be good in bed.”

My eyes bugged out of my head, and he took one look at my face and snorted. “Not a whore, then.”

“No!” I remembered that the last time he had walked the earth, things were very different. But god, he was insulting. Taking a deep breath, I slowly released it, then tried again. “Do you know if you're alive?”

Rather than answer, he plucked a blade of grass from the ground and stuck it in his mouth. “I don't think so. I've never slept or eaten a meal. The only time there was any change in scenery was when Pollux appeared. Then a storm gathered on the horizon. It never came close enough for me to feel the wind, though.” He shut his eyes, as if imagining the sensation. “And now you. Well, you twice. Are you part god like my brother?”

“No, I'm just a woman.”

He huffed. “I doubt that. Perhaps you just don't know which god sired you.”

“I'm not a god or part god. I was once a monster, though, so maybe that's your answer.”

He was quiet so long, I glanced over at him. “I didn't mean you were so ugly that you were a monster. I'm not fond of orange hair or dots. But your shape is pleasing.” Holding out his hands, he traced the air like it was my body. “I wouldn't call you a monster. What are you?”

“Gorgon,” I answered. “Once.”

“I don't know what a Gorgon is,” he replied. “Specifics would be helpful.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, studying him. He held my gaze, green eyes serious, though his lips twitched. “Medusa?”

His eyes widened. “Yes. I know her. Of her. You're her?” Crossing his arms, he drew away from me. “You said your name was Leonora.”

“It is. I—this is a little confusing, but I was brought back by Athena. I didn't know I was Medusa until she told me.”

He let his arms fall to his sides. “She brought you back?” Gazing around the field, he sucked in a breath. “No one returns from death.”

“In stories, mortals ask the gods to bring back their loved ones, like Pollux did, but there is always a catch. In my case, in your brother's case and the others’, the gods wanted us back, and so they made it happen.” I caught his wince.

“What others?” He continued staring into the distance. His crossed arms lifted and lowered with each breath, which seemed to come faster and faster.

It made me wary, and I didn't want to answer. When I didn't, he faced me, dropping his arms. “What others? The gods brought my brother back to life, but he left me here. Why? What others did the gods return to life to make my twin forget my existence?”

“He didn't forget.” I wouldn't say, though. Not when his sudden anger seemed to make him grow two feet taller.

Approaching me, he dropped his arms. “What. Others?”

I pressed my lips together and glared at him. Quick as a snake, he grabbed my upper arms and lifted me off the ground. His strong grasp bruised my arms and made my bones ache. “Let me go.”

“You'll tell me what I want to know.” All likeness to Pollux disappeared. My continued refusal angered him even more, and he squeezed until I was sure he'd break my arms.

I felt the otherness before I heard it. All at once, my body changed. My serpents kissed my cheeks with their cool bodies as they appeared around my head.

Castor gasped, flung me away from him, and stepped back.

But he didn't turn to stone.

He stared at me, eyes darting from one serpent to another. “Medusa.”

The ground was soft, but my arms ached. I ran my hand along my shoulder and down to my elbow. I would have nasty bruises if what happened with Pollux happened to me. “Your brother is going to be so pissed.”

“Has he seen—” His voice choked, so he waved his hand toward me. “This?”

“No,” I replied. I lifted a hand to touch one of the snakes. Its tongue tasted my fingertip before hissing at Castor. “He wouldn't survive it.”

“Because he's alive, and I am not.” Shaking his head, he dropped his gaze to the ground. “I knew it, but I couldn't be certain. There are realms, I imagined, where people could live without food, drink, or sleep. Without aging. I hoped that was where I was. But if that were true, I would be stone, wouldn't I?”

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