“I’ll read it aloud,” said Alec. “But I’ll need a minute to translate accurately. Bear with me.”

Marie perched herself on the edge of his desk and I moved around to look at the papyrus as he translated.

“ ‘Medea was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, beloved niece of the sorceress Circe, and most importantly, the—’ ” Alec paused. “The word is illegible here. We know from other ancient texts that Medea was a devotee of Hecate and those words might fit, but so would a hundred others.” He jotted down a few notes and continued. “ ‘Medea was gifted with the power of immunity to any and all poisons.’ ”

I dropped my phone. Marie was at my side, handing it back to me before I could blink.

“Are you all right?” Alec asked.

I nodded, but no, I wasn’t all right.

He continued, looking between the computer screen and the document. “ ‘Medea became the most powerful sorceress in the land. Her brother, Absyrtus, was her ever-present protector.’ ” He stopped, double-checking his work. “Here, the word ‘δηλητήριο’ is in conjunction with the word ‘μάγισσα.’ ‘Poison’ and ‘witch,’ but I don’t recognize the way it’s being used here.” He made another note, then continued reading while I tried not to hyperventilate.

“ ‘Medea was known throughout the land, so it was only natural that powerful men seeking money and power came to her, hoping she would lend her talents to their quests. She could not be bought. She could not be convinced.’ ”

I’d been gripping my phone so hard my palm had become sweaty, and pieces of the already-fractured screen flaked off on my palm. Medea wasn’t just a woman in an old portrait. She wasn’t just a character in a bunch of old stories. She was a person who came from a place called Colchis, who was immune to poison, who had a brother named Absyrtus.

“ ‘Jason, commander of the Argo, sought Medea out and devised a plan to deceive her. Jason told her Absyrtus and her father plotted against her, intending to marry her off to a man of their choosing. Medea was devastated. Jason professed his undying love for Medea and told her that he would protect her from Absyrtus and her father, but that in order to do so, he needed to find the fabled Golden Fleece, which would allow him to become king.

“ ‘Medea agreed to help him find it, and after abandoning her home and her family, they sailed the world in search of the Golden Fleece. But after many years and the births of their three children, they had turned up nothing and Jason grew weary.’ ”

Alec paused again. “Do you know the story of Medea?”

“I read it,” I said. “But the version I read isn’t like this.”