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A flash of her uncle appeared, his face lined with concern. He’d called to her, leading her to her chambers. And then…his face changed. There had been shock, then horror on his face. And his features faded.
Medusa shook her head, clasping her forehead to shake the strange images from her mind. “My head…”
“You fell, Medusa, on your way back from the temple,” Euryale explained.
“And injured your head,” Stheno added. “Do you remember what happened there – in the temple?” Images and words swirled about, but she could make sense of none of them. Only one image was clear.
Athena’s face as she’d cursed her, Athena’s rage.
The Goddess had cursed her.
“Athena…” Medusa gasped. “We quarreled.”
“You challenged Athena?” Euryale laughed. “At least now there is a reason.” She added the last harshly.
“I did not challenge her,” Medusa argued.
“You did something to displease her,” Euryale bit back. “Greatly.”
“Sleep, sisters. We’ve delayed our journey long enough. If Medusa is well, we must leave tomorrow,” Stheno interrupted.
The sound of her sisters’ voices was muffled, as if something covered her ears. Her hands searched the dark. Her head was wrapped, bound by layers of fabric and tied tightly. It ached unbearably, and her neck and shoulders felt bruised as well.
She lay still in the dark, weary beyond measure. But her mind refused to cooperate. Images, flashes of brief recollections – or dreams, of words and sounds, overwhelmed her. Some were disturbing and painful, glimpses into some sort of nightmare.
She opened her eyes, but she could see only the faintest hint of what was inside. Her sisters leaned together, one hump against the cave wall. They slept, the low rumble of one’s snores reaching her muted ears.
There was no fire or lantern.
Were they in danger then? Had those who attacked Athens posed enough threat to make even her fearless sisters hide?
She sat up slowly.
What was left of the city? Had Galenus and Xenia made it safely away?
And Elpis? Her heart twisted. Had her beloved companion made it from the city before it fell?
It took effort to stand, bracing herself against the wall of the cave. She would see for herself.
She followed along the cavern wall, shuffling, her hand pressed flat against its cool surface. Her head was too heavy, forcing her to lean against the wall and rest. It took so long to find the cave’s entrance she wondered that her sisters did not wake, refreshed and alert.
It was not night as she’d believed. The mouth of the cave, at the end of yet another long tunnel, glowed brilliantly with Apollo’s sun.
Why sleep now?
Perhaps the Persians lingered. It might make more sense to travel at night. Stheno was right. Even as hidden as they were, they would eventually be discovered. While Euryale and Stheno might be able to defend themselves against men, she knew she was not so well equipped.
Sunlight spilled into the tunnel, forcing her to wince, illuminating its sudden narrowing and the downward slope overhead. She stooped, moving forward on unsteady feet. The bindings of her head brushed the tunnel’s curved ceiling.
The sun blinded her. She paused, bracing herself against the wall to cover her eyes. Still they burned from the light, soothed by the tears that sprang forth. She shielded her eyes and moved closer, leaning against the cave opening to steady herself.
A soft gasp escaped her. Athens was gone.
The Temple of Athena Polias, or what was left of it, smoked in the distance. The wall that surrounded the base of the Acropolis smoked too.
Medusa could not look for long. The glare of the sun forced her back into the dimness of the cave – a relief to her vision.
But she had to see, and risked looking out once more. She shifted, catching the bandages of her head on the roof above. Pain lanced through her, forcing her to lean heavily against
