“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But could you call your fucking snakes off so we can figure it out?” Pierce spits out, his anger and fear evident.
“Such foul language from such a pretty boy. Don’t worry, they won’t bite you unless I tell them to.”
The mystery woman’s promises mean nothing as the snakes coil around my limbs, cutting off circulation as they squeeze. I grit my teeth, trying to suppress the panic coursing through my veins. The pressure from the snakes intensifies, their scales stinging against my skin.
“Now, tell me where the key is, and I’ll let some of you live. After all, it’s been far too long since I’ve had visitors and my pets are hungry.”
“Are you too weak to fight us yourself, that you have to send snakes to do your bidding?” Pierce retorts.
“Such insolence. You’ll be the first to go. Any intelligent creature uses all available weapons at their disposal.” Her voice drips with venom as several of the snakes begin to rattle their tales, readying to strike.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and see a shadowy figure that looks like Skye, crouching down pressed up against the wall.
“I have the key!” Salem cries out.
“There, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
A blast of light fills the cave, burning my retinas. Shrieking pierces my eardrums as the pressure from the snakes is immediately gone. I can’t see anything but an echo of the light from behind my eyes. I blink furiously to get rid of it so I can focus. The last thing I want is to accidentally piss off one of the venomous snakes that surrounds us.
“My babies! What have you done?” The woman seethes. “I will make you pay for this.”
Light emanates off Skye and the woman comes into view as my vision clears.
“Oh fuck, everyone close your eyes! It’s Medusa!” Salem shrieks, as Medusa’s snakes, rise from her head as if they’re about to strike.
A shrill cackle rips from her lips as I shut my eyes tightly.
“I’ve been trapped here for far too long, little demigod, and Iwillhave that key.”
CHAPTER35
Chapter Thirty-Five
SKYE
SONG: DON’T LOOK AT ME BY POORSTACY
I’m squinting my eyes so hard that the muscles around them begin to twitch with the effort. It’s fine, this is fine. I’m just going toe to toe withMedusa.A Greek Myth that isn’t so much myth. Clearly.One look from her and I’m going to forever be immortalized in my least favoriteNirvanashirt. I could have grabbed the one with the tie-die letters, but no, I pick the one with holes in the armpits and paint splatter embedded into the fabric.
I refuse to be taken out like this.
Reaching for my magic, I tap into the well inside me brimming with power. I feed it through my fingertips, swiping my hand through the air focusing on the feel of the room around me. I can sense where my friends are scattered, and Satan pacing back and forth at the cave entrance.
“Open your eyes, beauty.” My hand grazes a bony shoulder, and a chill runs down my spine. I fight the urge to look, squeezing my eyes together even tighter. Sweat beads down my brow, dripping down my nose and following the tiny bump that detours it to fall down my cheek. Pulling at my magic, my body shakes as I concentrate on both keeping my eyes shut and directing my magic. I can feel her trying to get me to open my eyes and I almost lose out, eyelids fluttering.
“Skye, don’t do it! Don’t look!” Lukas cries out as if he can sense my struggle.
Steeling my spine, I let my magic explode, hitting her directly in the chest and breaking the compulsion to look at her.
Quickly, I focus on my instinct, knowing without hesitation that I can do this. I know exactly what we need to defeat her, and I fashion the weapon in my hands, gathering from the dead snakes that liter the floor. The corpses of her pets becoming the very thing that will bring her down.
I feel the weight of the item I’ve created take shape in my hands. Gripping the edge, I flip it in her face. A scream rips out of her mouth as she gazes upon the mirror. It strangles in her throat as she’s slowly turned to stone.
“It’s alright, we can look now.” I discard the mirror, dissolving it between my fingers.
A flashlight clicks on, beaming enough light that we can make out her frozen form. Her mouth is stuck open in a scream while several coiled snakes stand at attention on the top of her head.
“Fuck, that was way too close.” Lukas says, rushing to my side. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest.
