from the sheets and roll out of bed without attracting too much
attention. Cassandra spun on her heel and stomped out of the
room.
Ari, help Helen, Noel said gently as she saw Helens difficulty.
Then she turned and bellowed angrily down the hall. Hector! Get
in here and help your cousin!
Im okay, Helen protested as she stood up on tender legs, only
using Ariadnes helping hand to maintain her balance. She realized
she was wearing that ridiculous scrap of silk Ariadne had the nerve
to call a nightgown, although that detail had escaped her notice the
night before when she decided to take her little stroll.
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Whoa! Thats . . . interesting, said Hector as he arrived and saw
Helen.
Whats interesting? Jason asked as he passed in the hallway.
He poked his head in the door and saw what his brother was looking
at. Aw, damn!
They both stared at Helen, half naked and totally busted as she
got out of Lucass bed. Then they looked at each other, threw back
their heads in unison and laughed.
Okay, okay. Enough, Lucas said defensively. She was worried
and came to check on me, but by the time she made it here she was
practically falling over. I didnt want to wake Cassandra to carry
her back to the guest room, so I had her lay down with me. Obviously,
we just slept. Now, can everyone but Hector or Jase get out
of my room, please? That includes you, Mom. I need a shower.
Helen made it back to the guest room without accepting any
more help than she had to. She was so embarrassed all she wanted
to do was run screaming out of the house, and to do that she was
going to have to prove she was healthy.
No thanks, I got it now, she said to Ariadne when asked if she
needed help bathing.
Okay. Just shout if you need me, Ariadne replied with narrowed
eyes.
Twice Helen had to sit down on the shower floor to rest, but she
eventually managed to clean all the itchy sand out of her hair and
towel off without calling for Ariadne. It took her ten minutes to
struggle into her own freshly laundered clothes alone, but it was
worth it. All she wanted do was say thank you and slip out without
drawing too much attention to herself.
When she got downstairs the whole family was in the kitchen, including
Lucas. His face lit up like Vegas when he saw her. She
automatically went straight to him and sat down, her hopes of a
quiet escape ruined by what felt like a knee-jerk reaction. She
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hadnt intended to stay for breakfast, but it was almost as if she
needed to be near him.
We were just about to send someone up to make sure you hadnt
washed down the drain, joked Noel.
Helens modest. She wanted to dress herself, Ariadne said,
drizzling honey over a bowl of oatmeal and putting it down in front
of Helen.
Modest? Sure she is, Hector said sarcastically as he passed Lucas
the bacon.
That was your sisters nightgown, wasnt it? Lucas asked
without skipping a beat as he served Helen and himself. Hector
wisely shut his mouth.
Yeah, Ariadne replied for him, not getting it. So comfortable!
What? What are you all laughing at?
Nothing, Ari. Just drop it, Jason said in a pained voice, a hand
over his eyes. Everyone was cracking up, including Castor and
Noel.
Helen was torn. She didnt want to laugh at the joke because it
was partly on her, but she couldnt entirely stop herself. She stifled
a giggle and looked down at her full plate. It was the kind of breakfast
that was almost always followed by a nap, and Helen was dying
to go somewhere and hide. She thought about skipping it so she
could get away sooner.
I know youre hungry, Lucas said so quietly that Helen alone
could hear him. Whats the matter?
I feel like I should go home. Ive imposed long enough. . . . She
trailed off as Lucas started shaking his head.
I feel like a jackass! Waking up practically naked in your bed
with half your family standing over us? Not okay, she said through
clenched teeth as a hot blush burned her cheeks. He smiled slowly
as he watched her cheeks stain red.
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If that hadnt happened, would you want to stay? he asked, suddenly
serious, his eyes focused on hers. She looked down and nodded,
still blushing. Why? he persisted.
For one thing, I have questions, she said, hazarding a glance up
at him. He was staring at her with an unreadable look on his face.
Is that the only thing? he whispered.
Enough chat, you two. You both need to eat, Noel called across
the table, making Helen jump, which in turn made Lucas chuckle.
She and Lucas dug in with all the ferocity of two people who were
literally rebuilding their bodies cell by cell. When Helen finally
looked up after a solid hour of determined chewing, everyone else
was done eating but still sitting around drinking coffee and passing
around sections of the paper. It was as if they always spent half of
Sunday sharing an enormous brunch, then the other half hanging
out around the kitchen waiting for dinner to start. Lost in the
shuffle, Helen was surprised to find herself having a good time.
Lucas was still bent over his plate, so Helen took the sports section
when Hector put it down, and read up on her beloved Red
Sox, who were battling their way through September. She must
have been muttering to herself out loud because when she finally
put down the stats sheet she had the attention of all the men at the
table.
Pitching wins pennants, huh? Castor asked with a delighted
smile.
Weve got too many injuries and no closer, do we? Jason repeated
back to Helen, then looked at Lucas. Okay, you win, he
said cryptically.
Thank you, Lucas said through a shaky grin. He leaned back
and closed his eyes, and Helen saw a sweat break out on his forehead.
She touched his head to see if he had a fever, but Jason was
already standing up.
I got him, Helen, he said as he came around the table. Jason
went to pick Lucas up, but Lucas wouldnt let him. Instead, he
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threw his arm over his cousins shoulder and allowed Jason to prop
him up.
Just to the stairs, okay? Lucas asked, and Jason nodded back,
the bond between them so strong they didnt seem to need words
to communicate. Helen saw Noel throw up her hands in frustrated
helplessness.
Let him find his own pace, Castor said gently to his wife. She
nodded, like it was something they had been over a million times.
Then she turned her attention back to the brunch leftovers.
Hector! Its your turn to clear the table!
Helen noticed Noel had a tendency to parse out her anger as judiciously
as she possibly could. She needed a good yell, but she
couldnt scream at Lucas because he was hurt, and she couldnt yell
at Jason because he was helping Lucas, so she picked the next boy
she could find. It was the same thing Noel had done when Helen
was just waking up, speaking softly to Helen and then yelling for
Hector. Poor Hector seemed to get the brunt of her frustration, and
from the way he slunk into the kitchen shaking his head, Helen
had the feeling hed been Noels favorite whipping boy since Lucas
got hurt. For a moment she almost felt bad for him, but when she
saw the way Noel stared worriedly after Lucas as he winced his way
out of the kitchen, she couldnt blame her.
Lucas paused before he left the room.
Dad? he called back without fully turning around. Helen has
questions.
Still seated at the head of the table, Castor nodded, deep in
thought for a moment, and then stood up. I thought she might,
he said, smiling kindly at Helen. Would you like to join me in my
study?
Castor took her to a quiet end of the sprawling house and into a
half-unpacked study with a spectacular view of the ocean. Leather
chairs and boxes of books in a dozen different languages fought for
floor space with rolled-up carpets and un-hung paintings. Two
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large desks stood on opposite sides of the room. The tops of each
were already covered in various papers, envelopes, and parcels.
Along the back wall was a row of French doors that opened up to
a patio bordering the beach. In front of the doors were two sofas
and a big armchair, all three set up facing each other.
Cassandra sat in the oversized armchair reading a book, which
she put aside when Helen and Castor entered. Helen expected her
to leave, or at least be asked to leave, but after a few moments it
was clear that Cassandra had been waiting here for Helen and
Castor to come to her and have this conversation. How Cassandra
knew there would be a conversation at all was beyond Helen, but
Castor didnt seem surprised.
Castor offered Helen a seat on one sofa and then sat down on the
other. He glanced at Cassandra, dwarfed by her giant chair, and
then began.
How much do you know about Greek mythology? he asked.
You mean, like the Trojan War? Homer and all that? she asked
in return. When Castor nodded, she shrugged. I know bits of it. I
was supposed to read the Iliad but there was this chemistry exam
. . . Her excuses were interrupted by Cassandra passing Helen
the book she was reading. It was an anthology containing both the
Iliad and the Odyssey.
Keep it. Weve got plenty of extras, she said with a wry smile.
It was the first attempt at a joke Helen had ever seen Cassandra
make, so she forced a smile in response.
Im pretty sure my son has already told you that we are descendants
of what are known as the Greek gods, Castor began. When
Helen grimaced uncomfortably, he nodded with good humor. I
imagine its hard to grasp, but you have to understand that Homer
was a historian, and the Iliad and the Odyssey were accounts of a
real war that took place thousands of years ago. Most of the ancient
myths and great dramas are based on real people. Hercules
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and Perseus, Oedipus and Medea. They all existed, and we are
their descendents. Their Scions.
Okay, Helen said, hearing how frustrated her laugh sounded.
Say I believe you, and all this did happen. Gods had babies with
humans? Fine. But wouldnt all that magic, or the god-ness or
whatever, been bred out of us by now? That was a really long time
ago.
The gifts dont dilute, Cassandra responded. Some Scions are
stronger than others, and some have a broader range of powers,
but the strength of those powers isnt dependent on how strong
their parents were.
Castor nodded and took over to clarify.
For example, my wife is entirely mortal, but both of our children
are stronger than I am. And I am very strong, he said without
boasting. We think it has something to do with the fact that the
gods are immortal. They never fade, so neither do the talents
theyve given us, no matter how many generations pass. In fact
he started, but broke off, looking at Cassandra.
We are getting stronger, and each successive generation of
Scions are being gifted with more and more talents than their parents
were. But there is still some argument as to why this is so,
Cassandra finished.
Okay, Helen said mostly to herself. I knew I had to be
something not entirely human, but can I ask another question?
What are the Furies? And why arent they bothering us anymore?
This question earned a long pause. Cassandra and Castor made
eye contact as if they were trying to read each others minds before
Cassandra began to speak.
We arent completely sure why they went away. In the past,
there have been rumors about pairs of Scions, usually a man and a
woman, who have found a way to be together and not see the Furies,
but its never been proven. As far as we know for sure, you and
Lucas are the first to manage it. I think it might have something to
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do with saving a life. I think somehow you managed to save each
other, and this freed you from the cycle of vengeance, but I cant be
certain about that, she said.
Helen had a fleeting thought about Lucas in the dry landsblind
and lost and unable to get off his knees. She pushed the horrible
image aside.
Vengeance? Helen questioned. Castor saw her confusion.
The Trojan War was very long with many casualties. It was the
worst the world had ever seen at that point. A blood feud started. It
began as a punishment for one single family who returned from
the war, but as the years passed it spread to all of the Four Great
Houses and set them against one another.
Houses are what we call the four different bloodlines of
Scions, Cassandra interjected when she saw Helen frown at the
term. They were royalty in ancient Greece.
The Furies are our curse, our punishment, Castor said quietly.
They compel members of opposing Houses to kill each other to
pay a blood debt we owe our ancestors. Its a vicious cycle. Blood
for blood for more blood, Cassandra whispered, and Helen
shivered at the empty gleam in her eyes.
I know that part. Orestes had to kill his mother because she
killed his father because he killed their daughter, Helen said. But
I read those plays and they had happy endings. Apollo talked the
Furies into forgiving Orestes.
That part was pure fiction, Castor said, shaking his head. The
Furies never forgive, and they never forget.
So basically, our families have been murdering each other since
the Trojan War? Helen asked. There cant be many of us left.
There are
nt. The House that our family belongs to is called the
House of Thebes. It was thought to be the only House leftuntil
the Furies led us to you, of course, Castor responded.
What House am I from?
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We wont know that until we know who your mother was, Cassandra
said.
Her name was Beth Smith, Helen said, hoping Lucas was
wrong and that his father would remember her somehow. But
Castor shook his head kindly.
Whoever she was, she obviously told you and your father a fake
name to protect you. You certainly look like someone I used to
know, but Scions dont always hand down physical traits the same
way mortals do, Castor spoke haltingly as he shifted in his chair.
For instance, Lucas looks nothing like mehe doesnt even look
like a typical Son of Apollo, like my brother or me. We Scions are
half human, half archetype, and every now and again the way one
of us looks has more to do with the historical figure the Fates
destined that Scion to model his or her life after than who the parents
were.
So who do I look like? Helen asked.
We dont want to jump to conclusions. Maybe you have some
pictures, or some video of your mother? Then we might be able to
confirm who she was, Castor said eagerly, like they were close to
figuring out a huge puzzle that had been troubling them.
I have nothing. No pictures, Helen replied in a flat voice. Cassandra
exhaled sharply and nodded her head at some internal
thought.
To protect you, probably. If she severed all ties with you and
made sure you grew up on a small island with a limited group of
friends it was less likely that a rival House would discover you,
Cassandra observed as if she was a detective gathering together all
the clues.
Apparently, that didnt work, Helen scoffed.
It did for a long while, but the Furies would not allow it forever,
Castor said quietly.
Helen ran the charm of her necklace along its chain, and held it
out for Castor and Cassandra to look at. This is all I got from her.
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A piece of jewelry. Does it mean anything to you? she asked
intensely.
A part of her had always hoped that her necklace was important
that maybe someday it would answer all her questions. In her
wildest daydreams she imagined it being the talisman that would
someday guide her to her mother. Cassandra and Castor studied