Page 232 of Styx

better coming from you, my king.’

How had I never noticed her catlike

features, her sly feline smile as she turned

whole rooms to her favour?

‘We ask all Gods who join us

to fight, Styx,’ Zeus told me.

‘Your father was allowed otherwise,

because he simply offered to reduce

the Titan forces by three thousand Gods.’

I stared at him. ‘But Bia is only young.’

I looked down at my smallest child.

The others were almost full-grown Gods now.

Zeus was quiet. ‘I see. Well, we can allow

Bia more time to grow older.

But if the war still continues,

she must join us. Our numbers

are less that the Titans.

They can keep their Goddesses home.

We need our Goddesses

to fight alongside us.’

I waited. Waited for Pallas to say something,

for Metis to reproach Zeus.

But when none of them spoke,

I took a long, deep breath.

‘No.’ The word was quiet,

holding my every conviction.

Zeus leaned forward,

and I saw the cold in his features.

‘I think you are mistaken, nymph,

about what you get to dictate here.’