"No," I said. Medusa looked hurt for a second, but then smoothed her expression out – joyful once more.

"Of course you are m daughter," she said, almost to herself. "I carried you for nine months, I went through an excruciating labour with you, and your father–" she scowled, "– took you away from me. And you favour me. Your eyes, the shape of your face, your power…"

"No!" I realised that she was right, but I was in denial, I guess. Amphitrite and Poseidon loved each other, and Medusa was a monster. How could she be my mother?

"Shall I tell you the story, daughter?" Despite myself, I was curious. How would she explain this one? "Yes, I think I shall," she murmured.

"Once, many thousands of years ago, I was mortal. My three sisters and I were princesses of the kingdom of Athens. I was the most beautiful of all. My pride was my long, beautiful hair. I had many suitors.

"Then the contest of Athens came – Poseidon and Athena each gave the town a gift, to determine who would be the patron for the city. Athena won, of course, but my eyes were full of Poseidon. He was all I could have wanted in a man. He was strong, handsome, and incredibly rich in power. You may think of me as shallow, but that was how royalty worked.

"He saw me then. His eyes found mine, and he smiled at me. When he came to mingle with the audience – a task which he must have hated – he slipped me a glowing note. I read it and grinned. He wanted me to meet him at the temple near the palace at midnight. It was incredibly romantic.

"When I went to the temple that night, I fell deeply in love with him. I was so preoccupied with us that I didn't notice that it wasn't his temple. As you might already know, that was the first night that we made love, although later the muses told everyone that I was raped.

"When Athena found out that we had decimated the purity of her temple, she was furious. Poseidon was untouchable, him being a god, but I was not. She spited me and my sisters, turning our beautiful hair into snakes and making sure that anyone we looked at would turn to stone. She changed our blood, so that one side of our body contained a terrible poison, whilst the other contained the cure to all poisons and disseises.

"The four of us were devastated, but at least we had some company. We all told each other stories from the past. We all worried about Achlys's baby – she was pregnant, and the child was due soon.

"Not long after, we found out that Perseus was after me, to protect his mother. My sisters insisted that I fled, and they fought him without me. Perseus was only expecting to see three gorgons anyway, because Athena did not want to advertise that she had basically killed a pregnant woman - Achlys." Her voice changed, and seemed aged with grief.

"Achlys died in my name. No-one could tell that it wasn't me, we all looked identical to mortals, and the gods really didn't care enough to tell them. We couldn't even kill him in revenge – Athena had made him invisible. Stheno, Euryale and I grieved for many, many years.

"Poseidon and I continued with our affair soon after that. We had learned how to control ourselves, and didn't turn people into stone unless they deserved it, so Poseidon was safe. He made me feel so…special. Like we were the only people in the world.

"And then I fell pregnant with you, not two decades ago." She smiled at me. I felt cold inside – not turn-to-stone cold, but still cold.

"Once Poseidon found out, he persuaded the Olympians to make us not monsters, but revenge goddesses. He had heard a prophecy that said that our child – you – would fight against a great evil, and he wanted you to be a godling, not a monster-spawn. They agreed." She took a deep breath and paused for a moment. I didn't respond.

"Please tell me," she begged, "What are you thinking?"


A/N Hi!

Be proud of me: 2 chaps in as many days. I thought about shortening Medusa's story, but really, it kind of matters.

Empusa will be in the next chapter!

Ok, I have said it many more times than I need to, but please, find it in your hearts to review. Make me happy.

Maddy

P.S. anyone near the Sunshine Coast should stay off the roads - I have a licence, and I'm not afraid to use it!!!