Page 180 of Styx

Her eyes were narrow,

anger written in the corners of her mouth.

‘Why? You dare to ask me why?

You have all been lying to me.’

Her hands shook. ‘You knew.

You knew and you called yourself

my sisters.’ Leto stepped forward

to take Metis’s hand but she wrenched

it away. ‘And you, Leto.’ Her voice rose.

‘I thought you were my ally, my friend.’

Leto’s eyes filled with tears.

‘I am, Metis. We did it to protect you!

Who knows what Kronos would have done

if he had learned a new Oceanid had—’

Metis threw her head back

and let out a short, bitter laugh.

‘Kronos does not scare me.

And he should not scare you either.’

It was Styx who spoke now.

She rose from where she lay,

handing Zelus tenderly to Pallas.

‘Metis, I understand your pain.

I understand being betrayed by your own.

Please know that we were only trying

to protect you from the rage of the God-King.’

Metis faltered, but her eyes hardened again.

‘That is why the God-King must fall.

A God-King should be fair, not cruel.’

Perses stepped forward now.

‘And what makes you think,’