190. When Pallas Came Home Many Nights Later
When Pallas Came Home Many Nights Later
he arrived with harsh news.
‘Even with inferior weaponry
the Olympian forces are strong,’
he said bitterly, as I gently
washed his soot-filled hair.
‘Zeus’s lightning bolts are so powerful
they can crack through adamantine.’
His voice held a tremor I had
never heard before.
‘I cannot keep up with the demand.’
I listened to him and replied,
‘But our Gods are more numerous.
Surely the sheer strength of numbers
should be enough to destroy them?’
Pallas shook his head.
‘A number of Titans have turned.
But we are fortunate your father
has so many children. I am
not sure what we would do
without the Potamoi.’
A cold chill ran through me at his words.
‘What about Zelus?’
I asked softly. Pallas turned
to look me in the eye.
‘I promise no harm
will come to our children.’
I touched his face tenderly.
‘I understand you mean that,
but we are in a precarious time.
If Zelus or you are captured…’
I stopped, not even wanting
to consider or think about it.
I had never seen myself as maternal
until my children were born.
Now they were everything to me.
Before he could answer,
there was a knock and a nymph’s voice from
outside our chamber door.
‘Styx, Pallas, you are being
summoned before Oceanus.’
I did not know which sister called.
But I knew that if my father
was summoning us both
this late in the night,
something was wrong.