Page 84 of Styx

Leto blushed and smiled shyly

as Metis and the fox jumped around her.

Asteria beamed and took my hand

then Leto’s hand in her own.

‘I knew you would

become friends one day.’

‘I would not go that far,’

I said bluntly, but then I saw

Metis’s little face turn to me

with big, worried eyes.

‘But it’s certainly a start,’

I conceded, and her smile returned.

A Feast

My father’s palace was widely known

for its banquets, but this was grander

than any other feast he had ever held.

As we stepped past the marble pillars,

it felt like the gilded hall shone brighter

than ever before. Torches lit the corners

of every room and the pearl sheen

of the ceiling made it look bright and open.

One would almost forget parts of

this palace were underground.

I caught the arm of one of my brothers.

‘Who is this feast in honour of?’

I asked him. He stared at me in confusion.

‘Do you not know? Pallas and

Perses have come to stay with us.’

I frowned at this. The God of Weaponry

and his brother the God of Destruction?