was a bright, momentary glimmer, and he twitched away from her,
his body convulsing spasmodically.
Helen smelled the nauseating combination of singed hair and
ozone that always made her think that she had done something
wrong. A brief thought of the Nantucket ferry flashed through her
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mind as she studied the blond monster in front of her, trying to figure
out what had happened. After a stunned second, he collected
himself and leaned closer to Helen with an evil grin on his angelic
face. He was near enough that Helen could feel the heat coming off
his body.
Hector! commanded a familiar voice. Helen had only a moment
to register that it was Lucas before she felt him grab her arm and
pull her away from the Goliath that was his cousin. Instantly furious
instead of frightened, Helen rounded on Lucas and threw off
his arm.
Dont touch me, she hissed. She felt light-headed. Why cant
you just stay away from me?
Why cant you just stay at home? he shot back at her. Didnt
you have enough fun last night in the alley?
I have errands to run! Its not like I can hide in my bedroom for
the rest of my life just because some woman . . . Helen realized
she was starting to yell. She stopped herself and lowered her voice.
A thought occurred to her. Are you still following me?
Youre lucky thats all Im doing. Now go home, he growled, and
grabbed her arm again.
Careful, Luke, Hector warned, but Lucas just smiled.
She cant control it yet, he replied.
Cant control what? Helen choked out furiously, her patience
pushed past the limit.
Not here. Not now, said Jason in a low, clipped voice. Lucas
nodded in agreement and started pulling Helen toward the door.
Helen ripped her arm out of Lucass grasp again. Undeterred, he
just grabbed her by the hand and held it hard. Helen had two
choices. She could put up a fight in front of the entire store, or she
could go quietly holding the hand of the most despicable boy in the
free world. She was so frustrated she could feel a repressed scream
squeezing her lungs shut, but she had no choice.
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Lucas frog-marched her past a chestnut-haired beauty that Helen
guessed was the other cousin, Ariadne. She tried to smile at Helen
compassionately even though she was clearly just as inflamed by
the Furies as everyone else was. For a second, Helen considered
smiling back, but she didnt possess Ariadnes self-control. She was
too angry to manage it. Fleetingly, she thought that Ariadne had to
be the nicest person in the world if she could attempt to be kind in
that moment.
Dont even look at my sister, Lucas growled through gritted
teeth, jerking brutally on Helens hand as they walked past tiny
Cassandra. Cassandra opened her mouth to say something to her
brother and quickly shut it, turning away.
I have no food in the house. What am I supposed to do for dinner?
Helen growled through her closed-off throat.
Do I look like I care? he replied, dragging her out of the store.
You cant treat me like this, she said. He was leading her across
the lot. We hate each other. Fine. Why dont we just stay away
from each other then?
And how has that worked out so far? Lucas asked, sounding
frustrated rather than sarcastic. Do you always come to this same
store at this same time every Saturday, or did you come today on a
whim?
No, never. Its the busiest day of the week. But I needed groceries,
Helen sputtered. He laughed incredulously and squeezed her
arm even harder.
Helen suddenly realized how many random events and raw impulses
had driven her decisions these last few days. When she
thought about it, it was as if she had stopped choosing for herself
days ago.
The Furies wont allow us to avoid each other, he said in a dead
voice.
Then we can make a schedule or something . . . Helen began,
but she knew it was a lame suggestion and trailed off before he had
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a chance to shoot it down. An ancient, supernatural force was compelling
her to kill Lucas. It probably wasnt going to be deterred by
something as prosaic as a time-share.
My family hasnt decided what we want to do about this, about
youyet. But well be in touch, Lucas said. They got to her car. He
shoved her against the drivers door, as if he couldnt stop himself
from trying to hurt her one last time. Now go home and stay
there, he ordered again, and stood over her while she fumbled
with the keys.
For a moment as she backed out of her parking space she considered
gunning the engine and hitting him with the car, but she
didnt want to mess up Kates paint job. Angry tears started pouring
down her face as soon as she was out of the parking lot, and
they didnt stop until she was at home, splashing cold water on her
face in the kitchen sink.
She felt humiliated in a dozen different ways. Some of that humiliation
she had brought on herself by attacking Lucas at school, but
he seemed determined to belittle her. She wasnt even allowed to
go grocery shopping now. How was she going to explain that to her
father?
The thought of Jerry derailed any nascent plan of escape. She
was hopelessly outnumbered, and unless she was willing to leave
her father behind to fend for himself she had to wait until the
Delos boys were done deciding how to handle her. She leaned
against the kitchen sink and stared at the block of knives on the
counter. If she had Lucas cornered the way he did her, she would
have already picked out which knife to use. What she didnt know
was why. Why did they hate each other so much? What purpose
could all that anger possibly serve?
She suddenly thought about Hector, about the way he had smiled
at her, and a carpet of goose bumps unrolled down her arms. If she
was ever alone with him she knew he would kill her. Not just bully
her like Lucas did, but actually, joyfully, kill her.
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She was still leaning up against the sink half an hour later when
her dad finally made it home. He froze midstep and looked around
the kitchen, giving the entire room a fast once-over.
Did I do something wrong again? he asked, his eyes wide.
Why do you keep asking me that? Helen huffed.
Because the past few days every time I come home you look at
me like Ive forgotten your birthday or something equally
unforgivable.
Well, have you?
No! I havent done anything! Nothing wrong, he said with a
straight face, but the red flush rising up his neck gave him away.
Should I ask about you and Kate or would I be too grossed out?
Hey. Theres nothing going on there. Were just going to be
friends, he said, his expression grim. Helen could tell there was a
lot of backstory behind that decision, but she didnt really want to
hear it at the moment.
Your loss, Helen responded with a disinterested shrug. Jerrys
head jerked up quickly, stunned by the bitterness in her voice.
You didnt used to be so mean, Helen.
She crossed her arms and looked off to her left at absolutely
nothing, too ashamed of herself to meet her fathers sad gaze. She
could handle the fear of being pursued by vengeful spirits from
Hades, but not if turned her into a bitch. Whatever the Delos family
decided, she hoped they would do it quickly. She started to
mumble an apology, but was saved from having to explain herself
by a knock at the door. Jerry went to answer it and after a few moments
he called out to Helen to come and join him.
What is it? she asked, coming out of the kitchen. There was a
delivery boy at the door with bags and bags of groceries.
He says these are for you, Jerry said, holding out a note with
Helens name on it.
I didnt order these, Helen said to the delivery boy.
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The order was made by a Mrs. Noel Delos to be delivered to a
Miss Helen Hamilton. Its all paid for, he replied, anxious to be on
his way.
Jerry tipped the kid and took the groceries into the kitchen while
Helen read the note.
Miss Hamilton,
I am so sorry for my sons appalling behavior toward
you at the market today, and I ask that you accept these
few things Ive sent, even if you are unable to accept an
apology. I understand what it is to try to put dinner on the
table with no groceries, although apparently my Lucas
does not.
Noel Delos
Helen stared at the page for far longer than it took to read it. She
was touched by the gesture. It was a ridiculously decent thing to
do. Helen got the impression that there was something different
about Noel Delos, but she had no idea what it was.
What does she mean, appalling behavior, Lennie? Jerry asked,
reading over her shoulder. Helen could see outrage beginning to
build in him. What did that Lucas kid do to you now?
No, Dad, its okay. Shes exaggerating, Helen said, trying to
make as little of it as possible.
Then we cant accept these. This is over a hundred dollars worth
of groceries, he argued.
Oh, for crying out loud! Helen moaned at the ceiling. She took a
deep breath and launched into an explanation. Okay, you win. Lucas
and I had another fight today at the market, but it was a small
one. In comparison, at least. Anyway, the point is that he started it
and I couldnt go shopping like I needed to and one of the other
Delos kids must have told his mom that I didnt do my shopping
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and she took it the wrong way and sent all these groceries because
shes obviously a really nice woman but I dont want you to say
anything to her and can we please, please, drop it?
What the hell is it with you and this Lucas kid? Jerry said after
a moment, completely flabbergasted. Then a thought occurred to
him. Are you two dating? he asked in a terrified voice. Helen
burst out laughing.
No, were not dating. What were doing is trying to not kill each
other. And that isnt working out too well, she responded, trusting
that the absolute truth would be so inconceivable he would think it
was a joke. She was right.
He got a pained look. Youve never had a boyfriend. Is it time for
us to have that talk about what men and woman do when they love
each other?
Absolutely not, Helen replied firmly.
Good, he said, relieved. They stood in awkward silence for a
moment. So . . . we can eat the groceries, right?
Heck, yeah, she said as she turned on her heel and made for the
kitchen while Jerry practically ran to the living room and the dependable
comfort of SportsCenter.
As she put together some bruschetta with the amazing bufala
mozzarella, fresh tomato, basil, and crazy-good Spanish olive oil
Mrs. Delos had sent, she thought about her father and how oblivious
he was to the forces pulling her life apart in hunks. With all
that was happening to her, she knew she might not have many
more nights of dinner and baseball to look forward to, but the
thought didnt bother her as much as it would have a week ago. If
the Delos family wanted her, they could try and take her. She was
sick of being angry all the time. Fight and kill or fight and die, she
really didnt care. As long as she could keep her father out of all of
this Greek tragedy nonsense, she would deal with whatever came
her way.
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HarperCollins Publishers
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Chapter Five
The next week at school was nothing short of torture. On
Monday, Helen tried to stay away from the Delos family,
but every effort she made to avoid contact seemed to lead
her right to them. She went to school early to try to beat
them there, only to see them pull up behind her in the
black Hum-Scalade she had seen at the market. She rushed to lock
up her bike and get her bags together, but her rush only put her in
stride with Jason and Hector. Slowing down to let them get ahead
of her, put her next to Lucas who was helping his little sister get
her cello out of the back. Helen took a flustered step forward, then
went back toward her bike to stand and wait there as long as it took
for them to go inside and get out of her way.
Later that day, she got permission to eat lunch outside, only to
find Cassandra was already out on the patio practicing the fingering
without using her bow on her cello. When she saw Cassandra,
Helen pulled up short. As she turned to go back inside, she
smacked into Ariadne. The contact made Helens skin prickle so
tight that her pores hurt, and although she tried to be gracious and
smile apologetically, Ariadnes hands balled into fists around her
violin case. Helen stumbled to get away from her, both of them
mumbling apologies.
Cass and I got an outdoor pass to practice. Well be out here