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A man’s curses filled the air, followed by the sound of something hitting metal, solidly.
The dog snarled, breaking into a long howl.
Then it whimpered sharply, and fell silent.
Her hand slid from Ariston’s face and she backed away, slipping into the shadows that filled her lonely home. She would not make this easy for him, even if the Gods had sent him to kill her.
She pressed herself against the wall. The urge to run gripped her, but the tell-tale rhythmic sway of her companions and the sudden lightness of her head told her running would do no good.
He was inside. The scattering of pebbles upon the flagstones told her as much.
Another sound, faint but audible, caught her ear.
Some steady tapping, rhythmic and wet, pricked the hair along her neck. He must have shifted, she thought, for the sound stopped suddenly.
A stone slid free, rolling towards her across the floor with a resounding racket.
Enough of this, she would see this finished.
“Perseus? Are you Perseus, then?” she asked lightly, testing his nerve. “Are you the boy come to set me free?”
Silence fell.
“I am.” His voice was strong, but unsteady.
She laughed, a bittersweet sound. He thought he was brave, did he? “What is it you want with my head? Gold? Power? Or do you wish to be a hero, celebrated by the Gods?”
“No,” he mumbled, but his words were lost amongst the clang of metal and stone.
He was nervous, moving without the stealth or skill of a proven warrior.
“No?” She laughed again. “You’ve made me curious now, brave Perseus. What brings you to hunt such a dangerous trophy?”
She heard his indrawn breath and smiled. He was more than nervous, he was afraid.
“Something you know nothing of, Gorgon. I come in the name of love. For the love of my lady.” His voice rang out, echoing off the walls.
His words pierced her calm. She had no words, no witty retort or set-down for this impertinent whelp.
No, she thought, perhaps not so impertinent as naïve and foolish. She would know the truth of the matter. It was fitting that love would end this, for it was the cause of it all.
“Love?” Her voice broke. “Well, then, Perseus, you must heed my directions if you are to take my head without turning yourself into stone. I will have you succeed on your quest…for love.”
Silence greeted her announcement. She understood. She would be wary as well.
“And, if the Gods are finally done with me, I might at last find peace in Tartarus…or Hades before this day is through.” She laughed sadly, praying she spoke the truth. “Listen closely, boy.”
She heard him shift, heard his harsh breathing.
“You come with the Gods’ favor?” she asked softly.
He was silent.
“Tell me of your love,” she coaxed.
His hesitation was brief. “Andromeda… She will be sacrificed to Poseidon’s beast for her mother’s treachery.”
Medusa’s heart was not stone. His voice was full of fear and yearning. She understood. “How will you defeat this monster?”
