Read Medusa's Desire (The Fate of Eros #1) (The Fate of Eros Series) for Free Online

it."
    They didn't have much for dinner, but they shared what little bread and cheese they had. She was grateful for it because she got insomnia whenever she went to bed hungry.
    She had never slept in a pile of hay before, but found the arrangement more comfortable than she expected. She was frightened by the idea of insects hidden inside crawling over her; she'd heard too many stories of bed bugs and lice in hay. The temple didn't take care of their servants well, but they were healthier and cleaner than most in Athens. It didn't seem as bad as sleeping in the brothel on the stone floor.
    She stretched her legs. Staying limber would be difficult, cramped that way every night.
    The candles were extinguished. She heard Bartholomew and Horius breathing heavily as they fell asleep. Medy tried to join them, but she was too anxious to rest. Her life had been turned upside down. She kept imagining herself dying of hunger on the streets every time she closed her eyes. She remembered her mother once spitting on a prostitute who was sick on the side of the road. Would that happen to her?
    She got up, lit a candle that she found, and covered the flame. She was afraid she'd wake someone with her actions, but they continued to snore. She walked out the door, even though she knew it was risky.
    The little flame reflected red against the gold that decorated the building. She gasped as she gazed at all the beautiful images carved into the marble. She recognized Poseidon and Pandora, Zeus and Prometheus.
    She probably shouldn't have wandered this far, but she was addicted to the beauty. She felt like a mortal who had just broken into Mount Olympus–too humble to walk on such holy ground.
    She turned a corner and saw a large statue of Athena. The ceiling was higher than any she'd been under before and Athena's head brushed the top of it. Medy collapsed to one knee. Athena stared down at her, covered in white glory from the marble she had been carved out of. This was her hero. She looked so powerful that it moved Medy.
    She wondered whether this was a life-size replica or not. She heard that the gods looked like humans, but were much taller than them.
    This was a sign. In the morning, she needed to ask the goddess for advice. She had enough drachmas left to buy a humble sacrifice. It would pay for a dove and Athena would grant her the fearlessness and wisdom she needed to move on. Just standing in the same room with her statue was inspiring.
    Feet shuffled behind her, causing her to jump and spin around. She grabbed her heart, expecting screaming men holding swords to burst through the shadows. She had been caught and Cithara's boyfriend could be killed. She'd just have to lie-say she broke in by herself, so that no one else would be punished. If she had been more patient, maybe Bartholomew would have let her peek into this room in the morning.
    When no one emerged, she held her candle towards the corners of the room where the darkness was most thick. "Who's there?"
    No one answered and her heart slowed. She allowed her tense muscles to relax. It must have been a mouse. Virgin priestesses and soldiers didn't like to sneak up on people in the dark. They viewed themselves as worshippers and warriors of the light.
    This was her cue to leave. She turned around to admire the statue once more and blew it a kiss goodbye. Her breath caught in her throat. She wished she could see the goddess in person just once. She didn't deserve such an honor, but knew she'd never be the same again if it happened to her.
    An arm wrapped around her waist and a hand covered her mouth. She tried to scream as she struggled, but every noise she made was muffled. She was lifted from the ground, kicking and punching as a male body pressed into her back. Her face was shoved against the floor and her legs parted. Her body ached as her bones cracked under the pressure of being smooshed against the hard floor.
    Had one of the servants noticed her? They didn't seem like the kind