Page 20 of Hekate: The Witch (Goddesses of the Underworld #1)

Asteria, Titan Queen

I had never seen my mother

beg anyone for anything.

For as long as I had known her,

she carried herself with an elegance,

sometimes even an arrogance.

No one could do what she did:

whisper divine secrets to prophets,

give cryptic tales to Oracles,

tell the stars when it was time for them to die,

showing them their way through the skies.

She invented ancient herbs like moly

that one day became legendary.

I remembered her laughter,

cascading rainfall after a drought.

It was said that Asteria was a Goddess

of such elusive things that other Titans

held her in great respect and with fear

of what they did not know she could do.

But that day she looked so small.

When I remembered my mother,

I tried not to picture that day,

but it was burned into my mind.

The moment she said,

‘Please take my daughter.

Give her a place here.

Remember, she is your blood too.’