Would she be cast into Tartarus? She knew better than to hope she might see Ariston.
A shout rose, a man’s voice, carried to her on the winds.
Persians? Did it matter now?
Her head throbbed, her eyes burned and the grief in her heart consumed her. Whether at the sword of a Persian or the poison of these snakes, this life was almost over. She was ready… No, she was eager for death to find her.
But she did not fade. The sun continued to torture her with its luster, and her head felt as if it was being pulled every which way. She hugged herself, lying still on the dirt and rocks that littered the mouth of the cave. She could not move, the pain in her head would not allow it.
The snakes did not leave her, though they ceased their assault. Instead they coiled about her head and shoulders, filling her ears with their whispers.
She stiffened, but had no will to fight or move.
A breeze blew over her, lifting her robes and cooling her scorched skin. Her heart, pounding in her ears, did not still. Her lungs ached, but did not falter. Those wounds the asps had inflicted throbbed in time with her heart. Each bite sealed a molten needle under her skin, skewering her muscle with fiery intent.
But still she lived.
A voice, a man, was close by. He was coming. She could hear him. The ground seemed to reverberate around her. He was not alone. No, two…maybe more.
The serpents stirred, filling her ears with their whispers. She swallowed, relaxing as one slippery tongue touched her neck, flicking the skin. Apparently satisfied, the serpent moved forward, sliding atop her neck towards the sound of the approaching men.
As their footsteps grew closer, the vibration of their steps shook her. The men’s words made no sense to her. She knew nothing of the Persians’ language, but the man sounded angry, speaking harshly to those accompanying him.
She must try to move. She must, for her sisters’ sake.
She forced her eyes open, ignoring the searing white heat that sliced through them. She lifted her arm, wary of the snake that sat upon her. It stared at her face, angling its head to regard her with interest. Its head bobbed while its tongue flicked out to touch her chin. She winced.
The voice was closer, almost to the top of the hill, where she still lay.
The serpent turned towards the voice, hissing and undulating.
It seemed eager – almost as if it were waiting for them, these men.
She moved ever so slowly, shielding her eyes with one raised arm while rolling onto her side. They could only bite her again, and she was beginning to suspect they weren’t fatal, but the pain in her head prevented her from moving quickly.
The wrappings her sisters had tied about her head lay beside her, but she would not bother with them now. If the wound opened, there was little she could do. Her death was imminent.
As she rose, the snake moved too, lifting from her neck with sudden fluidity. She shivered, startled by its speed.
She forced herself into a sitting position, closing her eyes long enough to gain her balance.
Surprisingly her head felt lighter now, as if some great weight had been lifted.
The voices were almost upon her, so she opened her eyes…to discover a most peculiar sight. Her shadow.
The snakes had not been suspended from the caves walls, or its ceiling. They had not been hanging off exposed roots or out of crevices her eyes could not discern. These serpents, they clung to her.
All about her their bodies and heads weaved in constant motion. Their sounds muted all else, their number was so great. She stared at them, though their attention remained unwavering as they peered at the cliff’s edge.
They were waiting for something.
Her head swayed in time with them, she realized, though she felt steady for the first time.
One dipped down, sliding across her cheek to dangle by her chin. The hand that shielded her eyes wavered, but the snake seemed not to notice.
Athena’s words ripped through her.
“Wisdom will rule you from this day on, your constant lullaby their serpent’s song. Only those with an innocent heart, women and children, are set safely apart. A heart of stone is your curse to bear as they turn man to stone with their ruby stare. Keep them safe and keep them whole, or to Hades you will send their soul. Your disloyalty causes man’s life to end, but through your death they live again.”