Page 218 of Styx
what my father could possibly be saying.
Then his brow furrowed; he turned
in the direction of Oceanus.
‘My brother Perses leads the Titans,’
his normally gentle voice
quaking with fury I rarely heard.
‘I cannot turn my back on my brother.’
My father turned his tired gaze
onto Pallas. ‘Then do what you will.
But I cannot watch any more of my children
become injured and imprisoned.’
I stepped next to Pallas, my hands in fists.
‘But you are turning your back
on your own brothers. On Perses.
On Asteria.’ My voice broke at her name.
Asteria. I had not seen her in so long.
‘On their infant daughter Hekate,’
Pallas said quietly, and I let out a sharp hiss,
surprise, sadness, and anger at this revelation.
No one had told me Asteria had had a child.
I had received no word from her in so long.
My heart ached to meet her child, for her to know mine.
Oceanus stared at me for a long moment.
‘Your children were meant to herald a change, Styx.
To bring us victory. The prophecy came to me.’
My hackles rose at this. ‘Zelus is fighting
as hard as he can. And my other children
are too young to win wars yet.’
My mother, who had been less mother
and more distant guardian to me, said,
