whole body shook with fear.
Cassandra swung her sword. In that millisecond Helen knew
shed had a good life, because she suddenly loved it so much that
she could have wept with gratitude. Shed had amazing friends, the
best dad in the world, and a strong, healthy body. Shed even experienced
the joy of flight. And once, just once, in the middle of the
night, shed almost kissed the only boy she ever wanted. . . .
Helen felt a strange, vibrating tickle, like someone had pressed a
gigantic kazoo against the side of her throat and blown on it. She
saw Cassandras eyes widen as she pulled the blade back from the
side of Helens neck and looked at it.
The sword was totally mangled in the middle section, all
crunched up on itself like a squeezed piece of tinfoil. Cassandra
stared at Helen in shock for a moment. Relieved tears spilled down
her cheeks.
I was right. She dropped the sword and grabbed Helen in a
hug. Then she started jumping up and down, making Helen jump
with her. Youre not dead! This is . . . You have no idea how happy
I am I didnt just kill you! she squealed.
Ditto, Helen said in a daze. She was alive.
Hang on. We still have to test this, Cassandra said excitedly as
she ran over to a chest of weapons in the corner of the fenced off
court. She threw open the lid and grabbed a bow and arrow. Grinning,
she shot Helen in the chest.
Helen heard Ariadne scream something behind her, and
someone running at demigod speed to overtake the arrow, but it
was too late. The arrow struck her and bounced off her chest, making
a faint twanging sound as it did so. Too late to change course,
Jason plowed into her from behind and knocked her to the ground.
They rolled over together until he was propped up on his elbows
above her, staring at her chest with disbelief.
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I saw that arrow strike you, he said vehemently as if he were
swearing in front of a grand jury.
It did, said Cassandra from the other end of the tennis court,
beaming with pleasure.
I think Cassies finally lost it, Hector whispered sadly, but
without surprise, to Ariadne.
No, I havent lost it, Hector. I saw it, Cassandra said, still smiling
from ear to ear. Helen cant be hurt by any weapon. Try it
yourself. She pulled a sword out of the box, offering it to him.
Cass, just put the sword down, Ariadne said with a hand raised
in an appeasing gesture. We can talk about this.
Im not crazy! Cassandra screamed, suddenly livid.
She isnt crazy, Helen said with conviction. She untangled herself
from Jason and stood. Go ahead, Cass. Shoot me.
Cassandra locked another arrow in her bow and shot Helenin
the head this time. Ariadne screamed again, but the scream trailed
off lamely when they all saw the arrow bounce right off. Everyone
was silent for a moment.
No frigging way! Hector shouted, a touch of envy making him
sound almost angry.
Did that hurt? Jason asked as he turned to Helen, a look of disbelief
on his face.
Maybe a tiny bit, Helen said, but Jason was too excited to really
listen. He ran over to the box, pulled out a javelin, and chucked it
at Helen. It bounced right off.
Okay, that stung, Helen said, smiling and raising her hands to
signal in a friendly way that shed had enough, but Hector had
already picked up a sword and was stalking toward her.
Ill stop as soon as you start bleeding, okay? he said casually before
he started hacking away at her. Four strokes in, and the blade
was ruined.
Helen stumbled back with raised arms and fell down. She wasnt
wounded, but the instinct to protect herself was still there, and
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Hector was absolutely terrifying when he attacked. The rain of
blows ended abruptly when the sword fell apart. She tried to stand
back up, but as soon as she did she was thrown down again as
something fell from the sky and landed violently on top of Hector.
Lucas had rammed into Hector from above, driving his cousin two
feet into the dirt before he reared back on his knees to hit him.
Lucas, stop! Helen screamed in concert with Cassandra and
Ariadne.
Jason didnt yell, but as usual, he dove on top of the other two to
put himself between them. In his rage, Lucas hit Jason accidentally,
and that misguided blow made him stop and look at his cousins
more clearly. Hector lay at the bottom of the pile, covered in
layers of dirt, his hands held up in a surrendering gesture. Jason
lay across his brothers body, bleeding from the mouth and pushing
on Lucass shoulders to keep him back. Lucas blinked and
looked up at Helen.
He was trying to kill you. Lucas lowered his raised fist. He
forced his eyes to focus on Hector and his voice frayed at the edges,
like he was a young boy. I saw it. You had a sword.
Im okay. Look at me, Lucas. No blood. Im fine, Helen said
gently as she moved to the side of the trench. She put her hands on
his shoulders and tried to coax him off his frightened, panting
cousins. Lucas allowed himself to be led up out of the trench, docile
with regret and confusion.
Cassandra briefly explained Helens imperviousness to her brother
as Helen, Ariadne, and Jason pulled Hector up out of the collapsing
ditch. He was injurednot too seriously, but badly enough
that he couldnt walk on his own. Ariadne and Jason took Hector
into the house, having to hold him up as he walked. Lucas watched
his cousin half limp, half drag himself across the yard. He had to
sit down in the sand at the sight.
Three fast-moving shapes came rushing out of the house to see
what was wrong. Pallas helped his children the rest of the way into
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the house while Castor and Pandora briefly conferred with Ariadne
and then moved toward the tennis court.
Why didnt you warn me, Cassie? Lucas pleaded quietly while
Castor shouted questions as he and Pandora entered the tennis
court. Cassandra shrugged, avoiding everyones eyes.
She was afraid, Helen answered defensively, cutting off Castors
questions. She took Cassandras hand and pulled her close, a little
angry that they would try to blame Cassandra for Lucass actions.
She had a vision of herself swinging a sword at me and she
thought she was going to kill me. She thought she had to kill me.
Would you have told anyone if you were in her shoes?
Pandora looked at Helen questioningly as if to ask if she was
okay. Helen gave her an uncertain smile in response, relieved that
Pandora had been sensitive enough to keep this exchange silent.
Then they both turned their attention back to Lucas, who was still
shell-shocked.
If you were scared, why didnt you tell me, Cassie? You know
you can always come to me, Lucas said firmly, but she shook her
head.
None of you are qualified to be my confidants anymore. Im the
only one who can decide what to reveal or keep hidden, she said
gently. Cassandra stepped away from Helens side and stood up
straighter. It was as if she was throwing off her childhood with one
painful gesture. She took a wistful breath and turned back to
Helen.
Standing there, waiting for me to cut your head off? said the
newer, older, and slightly more melancholic Cassandra. That was
the bravest thing Ive ever seen.
Thats because you couldnt see yourself, Helen thought.
Cassandra looked down at Lucas who was still in shock over what
hed done. She put a hand on his shoulder and shook it until he
looked up at her.
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Lets go inside and check on Hector, she said as she helped her
brother off his knees.
Helen still felt shaky with adrenaline. Walking back to the house
next to Lucas, she wished he would take her hand like he used to,
but then scolded herself for even thinking that. She sped up and
walked in front of him so she wouldnt be tempted to feel sorry for
herself.
All of them sat down at the kitchen table to hash out the new discovery,
but no one had any answers. They asked Helen if she could
ever remember a time when she had been wounded by a knife, but
Helens childhood was remarkably violence free, especially for a
Scion. She couldnt remember ever getting anything bigger than a
paper cut. That sparked a philosophical debate on what qualified
as a weaponif paper could cut her but a spear couldnt, could you
make a spear out of paper and kill her?
Is a fork a weapon? Jason asked, gesturing to one sitting on the
counter. Ariadne shrugged and stabbed Helen in the shoulder with
it, and it squished up like a soggy ice-cream cone on contact.
Guess so, said Ariadne. Maybe a spoon? She turned to find
one.
Could you stop that, please? Lucas said with a wince. Eventually,
were going to find something that actually can hurt her.
Maybe even kill her. I think we should hold off on the experiments
until we figure out why shes like this.
I agree with Lucas, Castor said carefully. And the sooner we
find out how she got like this, the better.
It cant be something she inherited or we would have seen it in
another Scion before, Pallas said, staring at Helen like she was a
fancy, new bug hed found under a log. Dipped in the River Styx?
He threw it out there, like it was the most logical explanation. She
doesnt seem like a zombie, but maybe Achilles didnt, either.
No. I would bet anything she still has her soul, Castor said,
shaking his head.
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And how would she have gotten to the River Styx? There hasnt
been a Descender in millennia, Cassandra added doubtfully.
Descender? Helen wondered.
What about something more basic, like a gun? Jason asked. He
was still trying to wrap his head around Helens unbelievable
talent.
Since when were bullets ever fast enough to hit a Scion? Thats
why we still use swords, dummy, Ariadne said with a smirk.
Were the only things that can move fast enough to kill us.
Yeah, but what if we had her just stand there and take a few bullets?
Technically, we can be killed by them, if were hit enough
times, he said logically.
It doesnt matter how many times she gets shot. You could drop
a bomb on her and shed be fine, thats what Im trying to tell you,
Cassandra said with tired frustration.
There has to be a reason behind it. It isnt a talent, so she must
have some form of protection we dont know about. Ill start doing
some research and put together a list of possibilities, Pallas interjected,
still staring at Helen.
Ill help you, Dad, Hector said from the doorway. He limped into
the kitchen, his hair damp from a shower. Im dying to know
how Sparky here does her little impervious trick.
I tried to get him to lie down, but he wouldnt listen, Pandora
complained from the hallway behind him. Hector walked straight
over to Lucas.
How are you feeling? Lucas asked guiltily.
Hector clasped hands with him. Its okay, brother. I would have
done the same thing if I were you, he said. Then he flashed one of
his mischievous smiles. Only I would have hit you harder.
They hugged each other, and just like that the whole confrontation
was forgotten. Ariadne started to ask Pandora a question, but
Helen couldnt hold her tongue for a second longer.
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Will someone please tell me why you all call me Sparky? she
burst out in frustration. And if I get stabbed one more time tonight
Im going to lose it! she added, rounding on Jason who was
sneaking up behind her holding a stapler.
You havent told her yet? Cassandra said to Lucas with disbelief.
You should have done it days ago.
I was going to tell her today, but I never got the chance, he
replied, looking at the floor.
Helen thought about how he had hunted her down in the hallway
after school, like he had something urgent to say, and how she had
told him she didnt want to see him. But that was his fault, she reminded
herself. He was the one who was forcing himself to teach
her how to fight and fly, right?
Well, tell me now, then, she said briskly. Lucas looked up at her
sharply. His eyes were angry.
You can generate lightning. Electricity. I dont know how strong
a charge you can create, but from what Ive felt, and what Hector
felt in the grocery store, Im thinking its big.
Lightning? Helen said with disbelief.
She remembered Hector convulsing when he first touched her in
the grocery store, and then she remembered Lucas letting go of her
so abruptly in the hallway the very first time she had seen him. She
had been so afraid of them both, so desperate to defend herself
. . . . Was it possible she had summoned a power she had never
been aware of? Had she created lightning?
Somewhere in the back of her mind she saw a blue flash, and
Kate crumple to the ground. A terrible thought occurred to her.