Page 13 of Heroines of Olympus

Medusa’s gaze drops, and she hangs her head. Does she not she have every right to be amongst people now that she has this hood? Her condition is not one of her own making, but can she blame people for assuming she is a horrific beast? A monster? It does not matter who she was before, how kind she was, or how large her heart was. Poseidon ripped that from her in the same breath that he stole her beauty.

A man walks up to her, a smile from ear to ear and, somehow, not a hint or whiff of judgement or condescension.

“Hi there! You must be Medusa. My name is Deonn. I’m going to take you to get settled into your cabin.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but he continues talking non-stop and she smiles to herself. She will happily listen to his chatter if he treats her like an actual person, even if she doesn’t deserve it.

“Yeah, the cap’n has ‘em all riled up, like you’re a ghost story or something. All I know, there’s no way Psyche would have told us to come get you if you were evil.”

She follows the sound of his conversation across the deck and over to a set of stairs.

Before they can descend, a tall man with bronze skin and black hair approaches them. He is dressed in a thick linen overcoat over his tunic, with rings on his fingers glistening as the precious gems catch the moonlight. So this must be Captain Nicodemus.

“Captain, I presume. Thank you for your swift rescue. We are so grateful to you and your crew.” She almost extends out her hand but decides against it. There is no reason to expose herself to his recoil when his hand touches her touch scales. She can see him yanking his hand back, sneering in disgust.

He stares at her for a moment before speaking. Their eyes meet and there’s a hatred there, a loathing, that she cannot place. She is certain she has never met this man.

He abruptly turns and walks away.

She looks to Deonn for any explanation, but he shrugs, and they continue their walk to her cabin, as she cranes her head looking into every room they pass with an open door. Maybe one of these will be Psyche’s?

He turns into a room at the end of the narrow corridor, and she follows him into the tight space.

“I know it’s not much, but there’s a bed and a table for you. Someone will bring you some fresh clothes. I doubt much made it out of the wreckage.”

“Thank you. This is more than enough. I haven’t slept in a proper bed in eight years. It’s perfect.”

His smile falters momentarily, and she sees the sadness in his eyes. For her, and what she has been through. More pity for the monster.

“Get some rest if you can. Alec will be by as soon as possible.”

A jovial voice interrupts from the hallway.

“Alec will be here now. Thanks, Deonn, for getting her down here while I talked with the captain.”

Deonn pats Alec’s shoulder, his broad smile returning. “Anytime, my friend. I’ll leave you to get settled.”

He walks out the door, and she finds herself alone with the only family member she has ever met.

“What was done with the Hero? Is he secure?” she asks Alec.

“Two guards are outside his door, but trust me, he’s in no condition to be of any concern. He’ll be lucky to survive if Psyche doesn’t wake up soon. The healers on the ship have done all they can for the moment.”

She nods, but cannot help feeling uneasy.

A thought lingers on the edge of her mind, and she debates whether she wants to ask him. She agreed to have a little trust in them until they can answer her questions more fully, but this one is nagging and she decides she cannot settle her thoughts until she has at least asked it.

“If you knew I was in Athena’s Temple this whole time, why did you not seek me out? Why did you leave me alone?” She asks, trying to keep her voice even, but it cracks along with her heart at that last word. She hopes he has an explanation ready, something to explain it all away, refusing to think he abandoned her.

His head hangs in shame and she’s worried that his response will cleave her heart in two, but he says quietly, “I can’t give you the entire answer to that yet.”

He pauses as if he is pondering his next words.

“I didn’t know what your new name was. All I knew was which temple you would be initiated into. I tried a few times throughout the years to sneak in and retrieve you, but the Guards nearly caught me every time. I wish I could tell you more, but that’s really all I can say right now.”

She nods her head in acceptance and is desperate to know more, but is grateful for even this bit of information. Her uncle had come for her, more than once. Someone had cared about her. Her heart warms with that knowledge, even as her inner child grieves with regret over the loneliness she had felt without that knowledge.

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