Page 117 of Styx

Quickly, I walked to Styx’s chambers.

But upon hearing Pallas’s voice inside,

I instead retreated to the seaside,

looking for Perses. Fire made my feet

move faster, the humiliation of being

bartered that way without my permission.

How could he? The shock of it stung

almost as much as the audacity did.

Finally, I saw Perses in the distance

training a spate of young River Gods.

Perses Spied Me and Raised His Hand in Greeting

The sight of him made me feel

like my burden wasn’t a burden at all.

I walked over to him, calmer now.

His tall, muscular form moved toward me,

and in a moment, he had swept me up

within his arms, his lips meeting mine.

I let myself melt into his warmth,

savouring him before I tore our world asunder.

When we finally broke apart,

I ran my hand along his jawline,

keeping his gaze. ‘I went to speak

with my father. I have news.’

Perses’s face creased with trepidation

when he saw from my expression

the anger and sadness I felt within.

‘He has already promised my hand

to Oceanus’s oldest son.’ I felt his jaw

tighten under my caress and his tawny eyes

turned molten hot. ‘And how do you feel