The Mortal Coil by Eris Adderly EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Eris Adderly
- Language: English
- Genre: Greek & Roman Myth & Legend
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 3.1 MB
- Price: Free
I SACRIFICE
MEDOUSA LAY ALTERED ON the steps of Athena’s temple in Tegea. Under a
cruel glitter of stars in the black sky overhead, she pushed herself up on
scraped palms, bruised knees. Raw horror leaked in from all sides,
drowning out even her ability to shift. To flee.
The Lord of the Sea leaned over her from behind. Smeared a sticky hand
down her thigh and took a final squeeze of the flesh there before he rose to
his sandaled feet. Straightened his chiton.
Her shoulders shook, and her eyes burned. “I told you to stop.” She still
did not move her legs for fear of what she would feel between them.
Poseidon’s chuckle was poison. “Is that what you told me? By leading me
a merry chase all day and night? Pretending a struggle once I’ve caught my
prize?” The flames from the braziers on the temple steps painted the sides
of his face in a sinister light, and he drew his trident out from the æther with
the sweep of fingertips.
Blood rushed between Medousa’s ears. The first wriggling heads of anger
sizzled at the back of her neck.
“I never led you anywhere, Pelagaios.” She snarled up at him. “You
followed where no one asked you to go. My father is a child of Gaia, the
same as yours. I was never your ‘prize.’ ”
The god outright laughed at this and struck the butt of the trident twice on
the stone step. Medousa flinched each time, and hated herself for it, but it
didn’t stop the familiar cool trickle in her veins.
“Ah, but your father is long gone from this plane,” he said, “and so is your
mother. The sea belongs to me, now, along with every creature born of it.
Even you.” Teeth glinted in his arrogant grin, even as his hippokampoi came
thundering up the temple steps with his chariot, their hooves clattering on
the limestone, scaled fish tails lashing alongside the wheels.
Scales of her own began to ripple as she came to her feet. Down over her
hips in a climax of wrath. Over her thighs, which became blessedly one in
their massive coil, and Medousa would be content after this night if they
were never parted again.
The tingle at her scalp writhed to a boil as she rose on her tail, the serpents
of her fury peeling forth and wreathing her face, even as her fangs
descended and wings burst from between her shoulders in shards of golden
feathers.
“Oh, darling,” Poseidon said as he stepped into his chariot, “don’t be
angry. You’re so much lovelier when your mouth is smiling.” He flashed
arrogant teeth. “Or making all those sounds.”
Medousa lunged at him, a surge of scaled muscle, but the hippokampoi
reared and struck out with their hooves then launched the chariot into the
sky. The god’s laughter tumbled down in its wake as he took his leave, the
same as he’d taken everything else.
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