Page 167 of Styx

The uneven mouth of this hollow gave me shivers

for what lay within it. The darkness sang

with a cruelty I could not yet name.

I looked to the other immortals with trepidation.

‘How do we rescue her if she is trapped?’

asked Leto softly, worry in her gentle eyes.

‘Then we will undo the trap,’ Perses said.

‘If anything stands in our way, I will

destroy it.’ Pallas cleared his throat.

‘We will destroy it.’ I was too tired to argue,

knowing that what had taken her was immortal too,

and we had very little chance of their destruction.

Asteria and I held each other’s hands tight

and then the five of us began to descend

into the cave.

Hollowed Mountain

It was as though the whole mountain

was carved out on the inside.

The caves descended downward

forever. But we could tell

someone had certainly been here.

Torches hung across the uneven walls

shone the way for us

through the darkness.

A thought occurred to me.

If something malevolent is present,

how would I protect my child?

I laid a hand on my stomach

and felt the life inside me move.

The answer came to me.