and placing a long lock behind her shoulder. Sorry I was late.
Dont sweat it, she said, her voice still shaking with fear. She
took a deep breath to steady herself and pulled herself together.
You messed him up pretty good. Ive never seen Creon bolt from
a fight like that before, Lucas said with admiration.
I just softened him up for you. She couldnt resist smiling at
him, even though she knew shed spend hours rethinking and regretting
it. Did I miss anything while I was out?
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Just a trip from there to here, he said, pointing over his
shoulder then to the counter. And a quick call to Jason for
backup.
Lennie! Claire shrieked frantically as she barged through the
front door. She gasped at the knocked-over furniture in the foyer.
In here. Dont freak out, Im all right, Helen called out to Claire.
Then she saw Lucass questioning look. Its okay, she knows some
of it, she told him. She pushed him back so she could jump down
off the counter. Claire came in first, followed by Jason, who looked
like he was ready to strangle her.
Sorry, Luke. I was at her place looking for Helen when you
called. I tried to come alone but Five-Two latched on to my arm
and wouldnt let me go without her, Jason growled, nearly tearing
his hair out in frustration.
Um, excuse me? But shes my best friend and I could tell
something was up, Claire snapped at Jason. How could this have
happened? You just flew out my window, like, two seconds ago.
Claire grabbed Helen in a hug.
You know about . . . stuff? Jason asked, surprised, not sure how
much he should say.
I told her, Helen admitted as she pulled out of Claires enthusiastic
hug and rubbed her sore neck.
But Ive always sort of known. I just thought she was undead or
something, Claire said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Believe
me, Im much happier youre all part Greek god instead of
part something disgusting like bat or wolf or mosquito.
Jason and Lucas shared a look over Claires head. Helen explained
what had happened as quickly as she could while Lucas
took Jason outside to look at the tracks, but it was too late to try to
follow Creon. They came back inside with grim looks on their faces
to find Helen and Claire had switched the lights on to assess the
damage in the entryway.
Are those pieces of a knife? Claire asked.
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Yeah. He kinda stabbed me in the heart, Helen said tentatively,
not knowing how Claire would react.
You can still do that? Stop blades? Claire asked, unsurprised.
What about the lightning thing? Can you still do that, too?
How do you know all this about me? Helen sputtered. Claire
sighed.
After I pushed you off the roof . . . she began.
After you what? Lucas yelled.
It was when we were seven! And she wasnt hurt! Claire yelled
back. Anyway. I knew about the knife thing because, well, I tried
to stab you once, too, she continued bashfully. But I already
knew youd be fine because of what happened with Gretchen and
the scissors in second grade. Remember?
Helen grimaced. Oh, yeah! Gretchen and the scissors! She really
was trying to kill me, wasnt she?
Yeah, she was. She was crazy jealous of you. But I never wanted
to hurt you, I just had to be sure I wasnt losing my mind. It was
scary, you know? she asked apologetically.
Helen smiled, forgiving her instantly.
I guess I cant blame you. But howd you know about the
lightning-bolt thing?
Remember when we were nine, we were going off island on the
ferry to see the Boston Aquarium, and that creepy guy with that
huge gut kept trying to talk to us? Remember how he kept accidentally
bumping up against you and stroking your hair?
Helen did remember, even though she had spent a lot of time trying
to forget. There had been that horrible smell of burnt hair, and
the empty look in his eyes. Helen nodded, shivering at the thought,
and dreading where Claire was going.
Remember how he just disappeared suddenly before we docked?
Well, he didnt just disappear. He tried to grab you, Len, and I saw
an electric spark jump from you to him. It blew him right off the
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deck of the ferry. It looked like lightning, except it came out of
you.
I think I killed him, Helen whispered, needing finally to admit
what she had done.
Good! He was a child molester! You should probably get a
medal, Claire insisted. Helen looked at Claires earnest face. The
man probably did mean to do something terrible, but did that justify
frying him?
First, you dont know that you killed him. Second, it was a reflex.
Whether he deserved to die or not isnt the point. You
shouldnt feel guilty about something that was done in self-defense,
Lucas insisted. He touched Helens shoulder. She moved
away from him uncertainly, not knowing how to feel. Luckily,
Jason changed the subject.
So youve always known she wasnt entirely human, Jason said
to Claire with a wry smile. Didnt that ever bother you?
I was a little worried she might try to drag me off to hell and
drain my essence at some point, but I figured that was still better
than having Gretchen for a best friend, Claire said with just
enough honesty to get a laugh. Plus, I dont know if youve noticed
or not, but this island is full of white people. Not exactly easy growing
up Japanese here. But with Lennie around I always knew no
matter how strange I was, she would always be way stranger. So
that was nice.
And you never told anyone else over all of these years? You never
mentioned it to someone when you were little, even by accident?
Lucas asked skeptically.
Come on Lucas, Im not stupid! I saw E.T., you know, and I
know what the men in the white coats did to him and Elliot, she
replied with a disgusted look on her face. Id never tell on Lennie.
Or you, for that matter.
Thanks, Lucas replied, a little confused by the alien metaphor.
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He and Jason shared another look, and this time there was obvious
admiration in their eyes.
You know what I dont get? Helen asked, changing the subject.
Why can she be around when I do Scion stuff but it doesnt affect
me? All of these times she saw me use my powers over the years,
but I dont remember ever feeling pain in my stomach.
Helen explained her mothers curse to Claire, but no one had an
answer to her question. They turned their attention to cleaning up
as best they could before Jerry got home. Claire offered to stay with
Helen for the night, in case she was too freaked out to sleep alone,
but Jason nixed that idea right away.
And what are you going to do if Creon shows up again? Throw
your pocketbook at him and give him a piece of your mind? he
said shaking his head. Uh-uh. I know you two are like sisters, but
youre not staying here.
Ill stay. You take Claire home, Lucas said, quietly assuming
control before Claire could start another argument with Jason.
Let me know if you see anything around her house.
Right, Jason said with a nod as he guided Claire toward the
door.
He didnt seem surprised that there might be something dangerous
lurking around Claires house, but Helen and Claire were.
Helen lifted her arm to stop them from leaving, suddenly terrified
again. It was night and any shadow could have Creon inside it.
Sensing Helens fear, Lucas intercepted her hand and held it
tightly.
Jase can handle it, he told her confidently.
Wait, what do you mean, my house? My parents are home,
Claire said, her anxiety resurfacing as well. You dont think the
guy who did this . . .
Dont worry, Jason said with a sensitivity he usually reserved
for everyone in the world except Claire. Im not going to let anything
happen to you or your parents.
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Thank you, she said slowly, looking a bit surprised that she had
any reason to say those words to him.
She turned and waved at Helen, who thought to herself that the
impossible had just happened. Claire had finally run out of nasty
things to say to Jason. Helen shut the door behind them and took a
deep breath. Then she glanced over at Lucas, and prayed to a pantheon
of gods that looking at him would get easier someday.
You look tired, she said, realizing it was true as she said it.
So do you. I hear youve been having a lot of nightmares, he
said back, completely unashamed to admit he was asking his cousins
about her.
Why do you care? Please, Lucas, just go away, she begged, rubbing
her face with her hands.
I cant. I wont, he said, moving forward and pulled her into his
arms.
She felt too fragile to fight him off. She melted into his chest and
rested there for a few moments.
Why do you smell like the ocean? he said suddenly, pulling
away from her to get a better look. He studied her bedraggled
clothes speckled with sand, and asked suspiciously, What
happened to you today besides Creon?
How is that fair? she demanded. She pushed him from her with
a bitter laugh. If I lie to you youll know, and if I stay silent youll
assume something worse than the truth.
Then just tell me as much or as little as you want, he said
quietly, stepping away from her to allow her some personal space.
But tell me something. What happened?
I was dodging practice because I couldnt bear to see you. Hector
found me hiding on the beach, I got in his face, and he nearly
drowned me to teach me a lesson in humility, she blurted, tears of
exhaustion brimming in her eyes. Then I went to Claires to cry on
her shoulder and tell her I was a Scion. Then I flew home, where
Creon attacked me, tried to break my neck, and stabbed me in the
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heart. You pretty much know the rest. Now I just want to take a hot
shower and lie down because Im freezing cold and itchy and I
dont think I can handle anything else happening today.
Okay. You go shower, Luke said, nodding tightly as he stepped
out of her path. Ill wait for you in your room.
Helen staggered up the stairs and ran into the bathroom. She got
into the shower and began to cry. Sitting down in the tub with the
spray fanning out all around her she couldnt stop the tears any
longer. She tried to be as quiet as she could, and hoped that the
droning rush of water would mask the sound of her crying.
When she finally got it all out she dried off, put on a sweetsmelling
tank top and pair of sweatpants fresh from the laundry,
and went back into the foggy bathroom to finish her evening ritual.
As she flossed and brushed her teeth, she heard her dad come
home and turn on the TV in the living room. She went to the top of
the stairs and shouted a good night down to him. He grunted a
good night back, but he was too engrossed in the Red Sox race to
October to start a conversation. Helen went into her bedroom.
Lucas was waiting for her in there. When Helen saw him, lying
on top of her covers fully dressed with his shoes kicked off, she
stopped and stared at him from the doorway. He was too long for
her little-girl bed, but even so he looked just right lying in it. He
stared back at her for a moment before he swallowed painfully, lifted
up the covers, and motioned for her to get in. When she
paused, caught between arguing that her father could walk in at
any second and asking him to take his clothes off, he spoke.
I only have so much willpower, Helen, he whispered. And
since you apparently sleep in the most ridiculously transparent
tank top Ive ever seen, Im going to have to ask you to get under
the covers before I do something stupid.
The blood rushed to Helens face, and she immediately crossed
her arms to cover her chest. She ran and jumped under the covers.
Lucas just laughed and folded the comforter up over her as if it
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were some uncrossable line that would magically keep the two of
them from doing something stupid. As she snuggled down, he
wrapped an arm around her and rubbed his face into the back of
her neck.
No need to be embarrassed. After seeing you in my cousins
nightgown, youve got nothing to hide. But why were you crying in
the shower? he murmured into her hair. She could feel his lips
moving against her scalp, and feel the press of his hips through the
covers, but his arms were an unyielding cage. She tried to turn over
to face him, to welcome him under the covers with her, but he
wouldnt let her.
I was crying because Im frustrated! Why are you doing this?
she whispered into her pillow.
We cant, Helen, was all he said.
He kissed her neck and said he was sorry over and over, but try
as she might, he wouldnt let her face him. She began to feel like
she was being used.