Page 76 of Styx

But my own pain was too raw.

‘What does it matter?’ I said bitterly.

‘My mother is used to throwing

daughters away. She has so many.’

Asteria quietly took my hand.

‘I know you are in pain,’

she whispered kindly,

‘but I promise I will care

for your sister as my very own.’

When I did not answer she added,

‘Consider this. She will grow up

as one of three instead of one

of three thousand.’

At these words, my heart leaped,

a piece of hope lodging

in my bones.

After a moment I said,

‘When she is old enough,

will you bring her to the cave?’

Asteria nodded immediately

‘If no other of her birth family,

she will at least know you, Styx.

The best of you all.’ My eyes filled again

but I held my tears back.

Instead, I squeezed Asteria’s hand.

A gentle gesture that she would know

is my only way of saying

Thank you.

A Divine Child Grows

The birth of a divine child is always a holy event, but the growth after is witnessed by only a few. Unlike mortals, we grew at a cosmic pace. Metis was no different. Within days of her birth, Asteria brought her to our cave. She was small, but walking by herself, able to form full sentences. Her white hair fell in waves down her back and her yellow eyes reminded me so much of my own as a child. The difference was that hers were not split eyes like my serpent ones. Instead, they were golden, different from all of our nymph sisters. I knew Metis was special from the moment she walked into our cave and, self-assured, dove gracefully into the water to swim with the eel. When she was done, she reached a hand out to mine for help, and wordlessly, I pulled her up onto the rocky surface. Asteria had brought Leto, whom I would normally treat with the same distrust as my own sisters, but when I saw how she held Metis, her hands brushing her wet hair aside and kissing her brow, my heart softened. Metis in turn bestowed warm embraces upon us and reacted with wonder toward all we showed her. It was here in the cave that I learned what Metis was. How much more important it was that she was kept hidden from Kronos and his decrees. How alike she and I actually were. And how deeply afraid I was that she would one day disappear as quickly as she had appeared.