Nobody in Galatea's chambers was any more startled than Medusa. There was no Aphrodite left to explain, so Galatea and Megara stared at Medusa openly, neither able to offer any commentary.
Medusa walked past them both to gaze at herself in the mirror. "Wow…" She removed her glasses for the first time since Megara used them against her sisters. "I'm… still me."
"I think you're more you than ever," Galatea said. "Talk about a makeover!"
Megara leaned back against the wall, watching the individual snakes of Medusa's hair admire their reflection. "That couldn't have gone any better."
"Thank you!" For the second time of the day, Medusa hurled herself at Megara and wrapped her in a tight hug. This time, however, a wave of positivity flashed through Megara's bitterness-encrusted mind.
What was happening? All her thoughts raced to Hercules, and what he was doing, and whether she looked pretty enough to impress him. These were not thoughts that belonged in her head!
"Are you all right, Meg?" Galatea asked.
Medusa pulled back, checking for any damage her curse might have done.
No sooner did Megara check Medusa's eyes than the wave of romantic feelings returned. "Theoi! Medusa! Look at Galatea right now!"
Confounded, Medusa turned to do as she'd been asked.
Galatea gasped. "Theseus! We've been up here for how long, and I've barely thought about him!" She snatched up a makeup brush and started furiously brushing powder over her face.
"Well, that's my hypothesis proven," Megara shook her head. "You don't turn people to stone, anymore. You just make them think of whoever they're in a relationship with. Malaka!"
Medusa and Galatea stopped what they were doing to turn matching smirks on her.
"You thought of Hercules, didn't you?" Galatea asked.
"She so did."
"Hey, maybe it's because of how he feels about me," Megara suggested, though she was still more self-conscious about her hair, and her eyeshadow could stand to get a touchup. "Or maybe you're the new goddess of inspiring makeovers."
"I guess there are worse jobs. Wouldn't you agree?"
Megara scowled at Medusa in the mirror, but this time Galatea caught it.
"What do you do, Meg?"
"I'm a… negotiator."
"So, a diplomat?"
"Something like that. But anyway, we've got people waiting on us downstairs, and Medusa's gotta make her debut."
Galatea stood to her full height and hooked an arm around Megara and Medusa's necks. "There's no entrance I'd rather make than with my two new sisters. Let's blow some minds!"
Despite Galatea's eagerness, Megara and Medusa both hung back as much as she allowed them. Even Medusa's hair coiled behind her head in what looked almost like a braided updo just to avoid closer inspection.
Galatea swanned down the stairs, right into Theseus's arms. "Oh, you'll never believe it! Our new friend Medusa's been blessed by Aphrodite! She's one of a kind now! Please welcome the only Gorgon who won't turn you to stone, but will remind you of what's important in life!"
Medusa was so shocked by the sudden attention she fought with Megara to be the one standing behind her.
"Oh, no, you don't." Megara grabbed Medusa by the arm and dragged her down the stairs. "Both of us have looked her in the eyes since her transformation and tested Aphrodite's promise before bringing her down here. She doesn't petrify anyone, anymore!"
"And since she's my friend, you'd all better be nice to her!" Galatea added. She took over shepherding Medusa through the partygoers, leaving Megara to fend for herself. She hung back, and waited for the crowd to form around Medusa to fade into the background.
So far, she hadn't seen Hercules. If she could sneak around the outskirts of this party, she might find an escape route while everyone was fixated on Galatea's antics and Medusa's makeover. Sure, he might be disappointed, but he would soon have bigger problems to worry about. There was the issue of Megara getting her regular dress back, but if she was sneaky enough—
"Um…" Hercules cleared his throat, alerting Megara to his presence. Her head whipped around to focus on him, the lingering effects of Medusa's new power. "Hi. You look great. I mean, you always do, but… nobody else has pointed it out, yet…"
She smiled half-heartedly at him and tried to move past him. "It's fine. I was going for invisible."
"In that dress? I mean… I think I get it. I'm not used to attention yet, either. I've usually been too embarrassed to let anyone see what a disappointment I am. But you're different. You've got nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Nothing you can see." Stop. You'll give away too much. "I'm sorry. You're supposed to be enjoying this party with your old friends. You're not obligated to spend any of it with me."
"Who said anything about obligations?" He frowned at her as if she was a series of complex knots. "I've wanted to spend more time with you, and this is my chance. Did you…" color seeped into, then out of his face, "Get my letter?"
Megara checked the area for eavesdroppers. Everyone seemed enthralled by the live music, and even Medusa was loosening up. "Yeah. It was sweet."
It was more than that. It was a sign that she needed to be more careful for both their sakes.
"Thanks." Hercules folded his hands, and a second later, he was chewing his lips. "Did you… have time to reply?" His voice choked to almost nothing by the time he'd forced out the last word.
"I couldn't, but I planned to before coming out here. Now that I'm here, I figured I'd tell you what I was thinking."
Hercules held his breath, watching her as if she could destroy him in an instant, but he'd let her.
"I would've told you how sweet you are, and that I don't deserve you."
"What do you mean? You're so brave, and interesting, and so much smarter than me. Who do you think would deserve me? The way I see it, I don't even deserve you, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to be with you. I've always had to strive to be worthy of anything. Why should this be any different?"
Megara walked backward to put some space between them. "I don't want to hurt you, and I don't see this going well. I'd rather you gradually lose interest in me. But I also haven't figured out how to stay away, even if I should."
The hurt was already clear in his eyes. She'd done a great job protecting his emotions so far. "So don't. Stay with me. Instead of worrying about when I'll lose interest, what if you let me love you, and it… I dunno… stuck? Maybe then you might love me, too."
He'd said the word out loud now. Perhaps under the influence of Medusa's power, images rushed through Megara's mind of what life could be like if hypothetically, she could give up her self-defense mechanisms for Hercules. If Hades wasn't an issue, what excuse would she have to skulk around like she did? The answer surged through her mind.
Overcome by a full-body cringe, Megara twisted away from him. She couldn't forget the harsh realities of her life for a bit of fun. This would mean the world to Hercules. It wasn't just a fantasy to him. She still had enough of a heart not to lead him on.
"I can't do that. I'm sorry. This has gone on too long, and it's my fault. I probably should've been clearer with you early on so you'd realize…" A wave of dizziness distracted her from what would've become a monologue. She pressed a hand to her brow and noticed Medusa aiming a look of concentration at her across the room.
"Is something wrong?" Hercules asked. He gingerly reached for her in case she was about to fall.
"I'll be fine," she lied. When she ran, it wasn't really from Hercules, but from everything. A royal mania the size of a Hydra drove her toward the nearest door, which she slammed behind herself. This wasn't her palace to slam doors in, but from her limited experience, Galatea would understand.
She'd found herself in a back room reserved for servants. They stared at her with their arms full of food trays.
"Forget I was here," she instructed. She picked her way past the servers, ignoring the food, and searching for nothing but escape.
There was no way Hercules could navigate this place half as well as she did. She'd find a small, dark corner and sit there until Hades came to get her. She was in too deep. Teiresias had warned her of this. She wouldn't bring Hercules down with her, and she wouldn't force herself to imagine the impossible.
That would do. Megara curled up behind a row of tall oil jars, where she could fit herself neatly into the shadowed corner. She'd wrecked her opportunity to dive into the fantasy life Hercules believed in. It was for the best. He'd never have a chance to break her heart, not when she'd gotten there first. She'd already lived her life with a shattered heart. The process of healing it would hurt more than leaving herself as she was. That little bit of mending Hercules had inspired with his kind words was dangerous. She had to remind herself that good things weren't meant for her if they were meant for anyone.
Hadn't Teiresias warned her about this? She wasn't the sort of girl who could afford to be weak like this. She had to repair her walls and put her armor back on. The next time Hercules saw her, she would be pleasant but distant. She would find a way to redirect him.
If she walked back out there, admitted she'd panicked, and apologized, he'd probably forgive her, but the damage was done. She could never maintain the illusion that she was worthy of him, or go back to before she hurt him.
This was over.
That was supposed to be a good thing.
Megara wept into her own wretched shadows, smothering her sobs so that nobody would hear and track her down. She needed to handle this on her own. The tears could flow just so long as she could pretend that she'd never shed them. If there was one thing she did more often than sass off to her boss, it was discreet weeping. There was comfort in knowing that nobody would come to ask any questions. She could push all the emotion out, and when she was a hollow husk, she could pretend she'd never felt any of it.
Gradually, the shaking slowed, and the ache in her heart surrendered to the knowledge she would not try to heal it. There was no point sending out the signal, anymore. It served her right. She'd forgotten the dangers for too long. By the time she left this room, someone would have comforted Hercules. Whoever it was, he might be lucky. It might be a girl who was worthy of him.
Stop that.
She had to get her story straight. Was she afraid to be with him because he would be like him, or because she would die if she loved him too much, or because she had too much baggage and would ruin his life? Which of these was an excuse? The answer must lie somewhere in the middle. Whatever it was, she'd gone past the threshold of whether it mattered.
Hades had another plan for the night. Who knew what it would be?
All of this was her fault. Hades only knew about the fundraiser because of her, and he only knew that he should make a second move in one night because of the report she gave him. Out of the trifecta of reasons to leave Hercules before it was too late, the very fact of her loathsomeness had to be high on the list.
She was so engrossed in clawing at the fabric of her psyche that she didn't hear the door gently ease open. With her face curled in toward her knees, she missed the light that spread into the room, too.
"I'm sorry if I said something that hurt you." Hercules's gentle voice reached her hiding place.
Megara froze. How had he found her?
Something shifted on the other side of the room, and she heard the heavy sound of him sitting. "The servants told me you're in here. It's been a while. I'm sorry. Did I put too much pressure on you? I know I can be… a lot. Too much. I'm really bad at holding back, and…" he sighed. "I thought maybe this time I shouldn't restrain myself. I should give my heart to you, so you'd know how much you mean to me. You are in here, right?"
Should she answer? She felt queasy. Could she answer?
"Meg," he said, voice heavy with pain. "Can I just ask you… Is there any way I could help you? Please tell me. If there's anything that hurts you, I want to help. I know I've said this before, but maybe you still need to hear it."
"Can't you go back to the party and let someone help you feel better?"
He shuffled. "I've been out at that party for a little while, trying to relax and wait for you to come back. I even tried to dance, but… I don't think the muse of the dance is with me tonight. I just kept thinking of you and if you needed me."
"I'm fine." Megara was fairly certain she'd never told a more clearly false lie, or less convincingly.
"But if you weren't, you may do better than hiding in here by yourself. You might tell someone what was really bothering you and let them hear you out. There's still time to enjoy the party if… if I haven't ruined it for you." It was so counter to his personality to do any harm, Megara traced the dip in his voice to his own self-recriminations.
"And you really can't enjoy yourself without me? You're not going to try it again?"
"It was tough before. But now I know you're here, and it's because of me. I may never enjoy a party again. I can't believe I did this to you."
"You didn't. I'm here because I couldn't be who you want me to be, and I'm a lowlife disappointment. I hate that I'm me. It's always easiest to deal with who I am when I can't hurt anyone else."
He shifted once again and moved quietly to sit on the opposite side of the wall of oil jars she'd placed between them. "I'm kind of the opposite. I need to know I'm not alone that someone accepts me. I'm so sorry you see yourself like that. You don't deserve to."
"Yes, I do…" Megara buried her face in her arms. He wasn't leaving. Hades would attack soon. It was all her fault… "You don't know everything about me, because there are some things I don't think I can ever tell you."
"Let's start with one. Did you ever sink an island? I've done that," he laughed nervously as if it was he who'd revealed a deal breaker.
"Never done that… not yet. You've got to know I'm from a cursed bloodline. It's more than just being from Thebes. Most Thebans are unfortunate, but I shouldn't exist."
Hercules shifted one of the massive oil jars away to reveal her in her hiding place. "That's not true. I'm sorry, I can't leave you in there thinking that." Even in the darkness, Megara felt as if he were shining a brilliant light on her. Even though it was so dark, she only saw half his face. He reached past the remaining jars but left his hand open for her to take rather than forcing his touch on her. "Come with me. Let's go back to the party. You can make up any lie you want about where we've been. I'll back you up. I won't tell anyone you're hurting if you don't want them to know. But I can't leave you here, not when I know your friends are out there, and you spent all that time getting ready, and you saved my life tonight. Do you know how rare that is?" He chuckled softly. "It's usually the other way around, you know?"
Her hand was in his before she had a good excuse for why. "What happens when a damsel's the one to help the hero?"
"I think it's Hero Rule Number seven hundred and whatever, it says something about how the hero has to do whatever the damsel wants until she loses interest in him."
"I wouldn't want you to break the rules."
"Thanks. I do have a reputation, y'know?" Hercules kept his hold on her hand to guide her back to her feet, then scooped her into his arms. "It was sort of a joke, but at the same time, I really mean it. I'll do anything for you."
Megara patted his cheek. "Get me into the light and tell me if my makeup is a mess."
"You look perfect to me."
"It's dark in here, Wonder Boy. You're sweet, but even I won't believe that."
"I'll just have to prove it to you." He didn't put her down on the way back through the kitchens, and Megara was too stunned by this turn of events to even ask.
It didn't make any sense to her that he wouldn't lose interest the moment she was out of sight. He was in deep. Either her fortifications had serious structural problems or he'd vaulted over them. She looked up at him, and a remarkable sense of trust flowed into the empty spaces dried up from years of disappointment. It made her lightheaded. Or was that the scent of him? She closed her eyes. The rhythm of his steps, the scent of his skin… He couldn't have any idea what it was doing to her mental stability. He wouldn't, because she'd never tell.
Hercules set her down next to a polished bronze shield and stood behind her while she checked the alignment of her eyeshadow. Luckily for her, she hadn't put any makeup under her eyes, so it was more or less preserved. In the light of perfumed braziers, nobody would notice a small smudge. Except maybe for Hercules, and she had a feeling he wouldn't care.
"Do you… want to try dancing? I mean, I know you can dance, but do you want to dance with me?"
She was in this deep, and he had yet to toss her to the wolves. "Why not? You won't step on me, will you?"
"If you're worried about that, I could just hold you up the whole time… That… might make it hard to dance, but I promise not to drop you!"
"What? A clumsy wannabe like you? Making promises not to drop a lady? I'm surprised you haven't scared her off already, Jerkules!"
