Cleo didn't like telling her friends they couldn't come with her to Petros Islands. Clawdeen had drawn them new outfits just for the sunny vacation. The mummy princess liked the designs very much. She also liked respecting the Gorgons' privacy. She blew her friends kisses goodbye as she boarded the boat that zoomed across the Afrantic Sea to reach Petros Islands. They arrived at night, the white pillars shined against the moon. They were high on the mountain and the stairs were carved into the cliffs.
Medusa hadn't seen her home since Cryptmass, her snakes took deep breathes in. One long serpent watched her son carry the bags behind her while another caught Cleo before she fell down. The rocks fell to the crashing waves, the water looked angry. Cleo petted the helpful hair of Medusa.
"Thank you, Maddy." She let Medusa switch sides with her as they continued walking. "This is great aerobics but please tell me they'll be cucumber-water when we get there."
Medusa chuckled, "Sweetheart, there's a feast waiting!"
"Oh goody, they knew I was coming." Cleo said, putting a hand over her diamond dimple.
Cleo, Medusa and Deuce reached the opening gate. The garden before the marble home was stabbed with stone statues, fruiting trees and shields. Medusa was about to say they had a feast every night but she heard rustle. Medusa put a hand in front of Cleo while Deuce grinned and grabbed a shield stuck in the ground. They heard a cocking noise, Deuce tossed a shield to Medusa and they blocked shots of waters from hitting them.
"We'll never take you alive!" A young ghoul yelled from tree. Cleo saw she was a very furry little snake girl.
"Me first!" Deuce said, cocking his own watergun then dropped the luggage.
"You had that the whole time?" Cleo asked, she grabbed his collar before he sped off, "Hold up, are you choosing fun and games over me?"
Deuce looked at his ghoulfriend, looked back at the shaking trees then slumped. "Let's see the fam."
Medusa watched her son drop his watergun over his shoulder. As he put an arm around Cleo Medusa's snakes twirled into heart shapes.
The mummy heard yelling inside the home, she kept her back straight.
Deuce kissed her head and said, "I promise they'll love you."
Medusa leaned her head on Deuce's, "Not as much as Deuce or me, but they'll adore you, Cleo."
"Or course, who doesn't?" Cleo said as she walked towards to the nest of vipers.
Over the bushes and trees smelled like amazing food, Cleo didn't see it but she saw a crowd of monsters' backs. There was a very large grill and at least three picnic tables. On the ride over Cleo learned Deuce had naga cousins on his aunt Euryale's side of the family. They were very tall on their tales and very hippy. His aunt Stheno was with a lizardman so those cousins had legs and textured skin. One of those cousins was Viperine, the engaged gorgon, who was in the center of the family gathering on a patio sofa with Elissabat.
The vampire was smiling pretty as a silent picture. It was a stage smile because the gorgons around her were screaming advice to the couple.
"My clinic can help you make your first five children, I know excellent donors." said Tai-Pan said, she had wavy snakes with blue spots over her scales.
"No, I know better ones, little cousin." Kraitti, the cobra-hooded gorgon-naga said while holding a plate of loukomades. "But you have to cushion yourself if you're carry anyone any time soon, sweetie."
"Ghouls, please, this is between us-" Viperine tried to begin to say before her lips were covered with the tip of bitten snake tail.
"Viperine, don't bother, listen to the advice and do what you will with it." Daboia, who's hair stood up in all directions, said while pinching her cousin's pink snakes.
Viperine rolled her eyes and gave an apologetic look to her fiancé Elissabat continued to smile, even when a preteen naga-gorgon surprised them from behind. "Did you really put your evil twin in a basement? I know it was a movie but my friend wants confirmation."
Medusa looked over her nieces, great-nieces and in-laws to see her big sister looming over grilled vegetables. Up close Medusa saw Euryale was holding a pink jumper to her face.
"How are you holding up, Yuri?" Medusa asked while they hugged.
"This still smells like her," Euryale said while holding Viperine's childhood jumper. "It's like she outgrew it yesterday."
Medusa smelled took a wiff then patted her sister's shaved head, "I remember she wore it almost every day in the summer."
"Oh sister, my heart is one punch away from shattering." Euryale said, her eyes behind the round reading glasses.
Medusa smiled then did a fox-whistle to get the family's attention. All eyes turned to focus on the Ascaricans.
"Ladies and leeches, may I present with great joy and honor the one and only Cleo De Nile." Medusa gestured to Cleo, who struck a pose and added,
"Deuce's ghoulfriend." Cleo said in a raspy voice as she patted Deuce's chest.
There was a collective gasp before they slithered and swarmed Cleo. The princess smiled and said, "One at a time, ladies, let's work together on this."
Medusa sat next to Viperine and let out a sigh. "You're too beautiful, stop it this instant!"
"Tia Maddy, thank you for calling them off. They were eating us alive." Viperine said while stroking her Elissabat's wavy black hair.
"Miss Von Vamp, can I ask why you'd want to join this circus?" Medusa asked while she examined the ghoul in the lace.
Her fangs are clean as her fancy clothes but does that make her as lovely as Cleo or good enough for Viperine, Medusa wondered.
Elissabat exhaled then looked at her hippy-dressed love, "I'd go to the moon for this one."
Viperine gave a small smile, "We can still elope."
"The circus will hunt you down." Medusa said while grabbing maridha on a plate. "Where's Stheno?"
Elissabat stiffened up as if she was in a coffin. Viperine's snakes began to slither to her love's purple lips.
"Mama's getting the lamb." Viperine told her aunt. "She's also been very quiet since we told her."
Medusa smirked, "She can't keep her mouth shut for long. Until then, eat."
Scared and stuffed Elissabat looked at Viperine who rolled her eyes, "They always say that."
Deuce shifted to the side of the swarm. His cousin Tai-Pan slithered over to talk to her baby-boy cousin.
"Dude!" Tai-Pan said with her arms open.
"Dude." Deuce said while hugging her.
Tai-Pan shook her head, "I can coil completely around you! You're scales and bone, Baby, you need food."
Deuce nodded, "Dude, I know, where's Aunt E ?"
"Ma!" Tai-Pan yelled over the crowd to his aunt. "Look who's here."
"And look who he brought! Deucey, where did you get this gorgeous chiqueta?" Viperine's father asked, his red eyes bright with joy.
The male gorgon smirked as his ghoulfriend who was being fawned over. Cleo smiled at the sky while her ego swelled to cover the island. Euryale watched her only nephew look at Cleo like she was Atlas holding the planet.
"Aunt E, I'd like you to meet someone very important, I-" Deuce was about to say before seeing his aunt begin to whine.
Euryale's eyes began to water, she twisted the jumper in her hands and ran into the arms of Kraitti.
"Aww Ma." Tai-Pan said sympathetically then gently slapped the back of Deuce's head.
"What was that?" Deuce asked while rubbing his head.
"Ya-ya is crying because you brought your pretty princess over the same weekend Viperine is marrying a lesbian." Said the tweleve-year-old-naga Nicki, her hair was pulled back in a copper ponytail and shaking their heads.
"So she's crying tears of joy." Cleo stated while the naga-troll fusions examined her manicured hands and jewelry.
Trumpeting turned the heads of the whole family. Crotaline, Viperine's older sister, had a dead 300-lb lamb slung over her shoulders. Viperine had a pink diamond birthmark on her forehead. Crotaline had a maroon birthmark covering the left side of her face. Their mother, Stheno, was rubbing her stained hands in anticipation.
"I give the eyeballs to the one who helps Auntie Stheno skin this beast for the grill." Stheno said, folding her mighty arms.
The children raised their arms and slithered towards the lamb.
Viperine nudged Elissabat, "Come, Bae, let's help Mama with that lamb."
"Oh, um, my Darling, I haven't seen fresh blood since Chicaghoul in the 40s. I'd only be a bother to them." Elissabat said while crossing her legs.
The vampire was about to offer an alternative when two red eyes caught her attention. Crotaline's eyes took away her will and she felt herself numbly lost into a pleasant vortex.
"I'll see how I can be of assistance." Elissabat said as she walked towards the lamb, a knife in her hands.
"I thought vampires could do that too." Medusa mused out loud.
"Auntie Mads, you should know better. Not every vampire has the same powers." Crotaline's pink-eyed sister tsked the mesmerizing method.
"Then tell what her powers are," Medusa nudged her niece, "Come on, details."
Viperine's snakes went to cover her blush.
"I think this is going to be a very nice weekend." Cleo said as Deuce put their luggage on a bed. They were in Deuce's room; it was a mess with surfer posters and strange sporting things.
"Yeah right." The deflated Deuce said.
The mummy rubbed his leg with the tip of her shoe. "Tell Cleo what's wrong."
"I was looking forward to you meeting my Aunt Yuri, instead she's like miserable." Deuce said as Cleo rubbed his green snakes.
"Sweetie, look at me. I'm a lot to take in. Plus putting a wedding together over night must be tough for her. Let's give her a minute to breathe." Cleo said while massaging his shoulders.
"You're right. Dude, I'm happy you're here." Deuce said as he melted in her lap. Cleo was sitting on the bed and Deuce was leaning against it while sitting on the floor.
"And I always will be. Except, why are my bags and your bags in the same room?" The mummy princess asked.
In Medusa's room she was teaching her great-niece Zeta who to tie their type of hair. Medusa's long and thick snakes criss-crossed themselves into two big braids. Zeta's hair was crossing over but she lost concentration and began giggling when they went got dizzy. Medusa took Zeta in her arms as she answered the knock on the door. Cleo stood in the doorway with Deuce holding her bags.
"Care for another roommate?" Cleo asked.
"You don't like-like each other anymore?" Zeta asked, her troll ears waited to hear their answer.
"We like-like one another very much, but I need grown-up ghoul-time." Cleo explained to the fuzzy little monster.
Medusa handed Zeta to Deuce. Deuce thought the pierced star earrings were a cute edition to the big ghoul she was becoming.
"Wanna build a fort?" Deuce asked his second-cousin as they left.
Medusa closed the door, "I can't wait to hear what they hiss about you tomorrow. Not spending the night with that boy."
"Maddy, I'm trying to be a charming guest. I need sleep for that. And a clean sink." Cleo said as she took her night-kit to Medusa's bathroom.
"Okay, okay. But Cleo, honey, everyone in this house changed that boy's diapers and they all want details about how he's grown up since then." Medusa explained as she moved pillows around in the bed.
Cleo made a small shriek then stuck her head out. "Maddy! Shouldn't we be gossiping about Viperine and Elissabat?"
"Yes, well, this generation is a reach for me. Back in my day I would've settled for someone who chewed with their mouth closed. These days they're dating elites." Medusa said as she applied moisturizer to her snakes' faces.