Page 113 of Hekate: The Witch (Goddesses of the Underworld #1)

‘I Thought I Said No Visitors, Hekate’

Charon and I both turned to see Styx

… but something was wrong.

Pallas had a protective arm around her

and she rested her head on his shoulder.

‘We bring news,’ he said quietly,

and for a terrible moment, I thought

that Styx may cry. Instead, she moved

her head from his shoulder and said,

‘I think it is news that should be shared

with a cup of wine.’ She walked to the kitchen

as Charon raised an eyebrow and I frowned

in deep confusion. She always told me

I was too young to drink wine.

But she reappeared with four cups

and placed one before each of us

before the wine rose and poured itself.

‘It’s about Prometheus,’ Styx said.

Prometheus the clever was our cousin

who had invented mortals out of clay.

He had sided with the Olympians,

even though he was a Titan, and now

held the position of Zeus’ closest friend

and confidant. We waited for Styx to explain

what had happened. But when she didn’t,

Pallas slowly told us, ‘Prometheus stole

Zeus’ divine fire to give to his beloved mortals.

And when Zeus found out, he punished him.’

His voice broke slightly and he took

a long sip of wine. Charon and I waited

for him to continue. He put his cup down.

‘Zeus had him brought to his halls,

chained to a pillar and whipped till he bled.’

A gasp escaped my throat, but Pallas

continued, ‘He made us all watch.

And when it was done and Prometheus

lay bleeding, he had him bound to a rock

on the mountains and his liver was eaten

by Zeus’ eagle.’ My stomach sickened at this

but Pallas was not finished.

‘Every night, his liver will grow back

only to be eaten again.’

A long, numb silence followed.

‘Was what he did so awful?’

I asked in a small, trembling voice.

Styx spoke softly, ‘It was not

what he did, but who he did it to.’

Charon’s eyes flashed as he looked up.

‘It was a message for the rest of us.’

‘Charon,’ Pallas warned quietly,

but my friend simply glared.

‘Tell me this is not a message from Zeus?

Tell me that this was not to warn

any Titan who works against an Olympian

that they will be destroyed in the worst way?’

Neither Pallas nor Styx spoke.

And I knew then that the war

may have ended, but Zeus still saw

every single one of us as a threat to his reign.