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.She shrankaway from her mother.Thegesture was not lost onDaphne. What, Helen? What is it? she asked. Your heart s gone, Helenanswered, too overwhelmedby the unnatural hole inside Daphne to remember toconceal her new talent. It died the day Ajax did, Daphne replied simply. But there s nothing there.Not even a broken heart, Helen said, shaking her head. You re not sad or angry orhurt.You feel nothing.Thatcan t be natural. She lockedeyes with Daphne andgrabbed her wrist to keep herfrom moving away. What did you do, Mother? Daphnetried to pull away from Helen,but her daughter was toostrong. Whatever was left of myfeelings I traded in order toaccomplish a goal.Women doit all the time.Scion womenswear it before Hecate, Daphne said, her eyesnarrowing with suspicion as athought occurred to her. Buthow can you know what I don t feel? Daphnemurmured, more to herselfthan to Helen. Helen? Andy said as shetapped on the door. Are youin there? Yes, Helen replied.Shereleased her mother andquickly turned to the door. Come in. Andy pushed the door opententatively and peeked intothe room. Noel is getting. ah.antsy is the only politeword I come up with rightnow.She says you and yourmom need to get your buttsdownstairs before somebodymurders somebody else andgets blood all over her cleanfloors. She smiled and heldup her hands. I m quotingher, by the way. I ll bet. Helen chuckled. We re coming. There was still so much she and Daphne needed to talkabout, but as usual where hermother was concerned, Helenwas going to have to waituntil later to get any answers.She and Daphne followedAndy out of Ariadne sbedroom and down thehallway toward the stairs. My, my, Daphne saidquietly as she followedAndy s graceful silhouette. Aren t you a rare fish? Helen saw Andy s backstiffen at Daphne s taunt andher gait taper off to a stop. I m half siren, Andy said.She turned to look Daphnedead in the eye. Do you havea problem with that? No, Daphne replied.Shemet Andy s gaze and stoodfirm. But you obviously do,and it s time you got over it. Daphne brushed past Andy.Helen followed reluctantly, giving Andy an apologeticlook as she passed by. Hector isn t Apollo, Daphne added when shereached the stairs. It s timeyou got over that, too. You have no right, Andybegan angrily. Hector is one of the bestmen I ve ever known, littlehalf siren who hates herself, Daphne interrupted, silencingAndy.Helen saw Daphne s eyes harden until theysparkled like diamonds. Youdon t deserve him. Helen mouthed the wordsI m sorry to Andy as she wentdown the stairs, but Andy hadturned on her heel and gonebefore Helen could finish.Still thinking about Andy,Helen followed her motherinto the tense living room.Her eyes went immediately toa big, blond man who stood in front of Castor and Pallas inthe place she knew wasreserved for the Head of theHouse of Thebes.He had to be Tantalus, andalthough she had never methim before, she recognizedhim.She pictured his face,red, sweaty, and twisted withrage as he tried to beat herchild out of her.Tantalus stared at Daphne.It was the same way that Menelaus stared at Helen ofTroy.With Helen s new talentshe could see his chestcrawling with need.For amoment, his eyes darted overDaphne s shoulder to land onHelen.She shivered withrevulsion, rememberinganother life when she hadbeen forced to be his wifeafter Troy fell.Then his eyeswent back to Daphne, wherethey stayed until the Oracle entered.As soon as Cassandra glidedinto the room, her bell-bracelet tinkling delicately,Lucas, Hector, Orion, andHelen moved as one to joinher.Cassandra sat in her giantchair.Orion stood at her left,Helen at her right.Hector andLucas stood behind Helen,one to either side of her.The outburst from theassembled host was immediate. Helen! Get back here! Daphne scolded.Helen gladlyignored her. Lucas.son, Castorsaid, clipping his wordssharply. You are to standbehind your uncle Tantalus. Lucas looked away from hisfather, eyes forward and faceexpressionless like a trainedsoldier, and didn t leave hischosen place behind Helen. You see? I told you! hissed a slender man with fulllips.He was older, aboutHelen s mother s age, but hewas the kind of guy who justgot more handsome as heaged.Definitely someonefrom the House of Rome, shedecided.Helen didn trecognize his face, but fromthe way Orion and Daedalusstared daggers at him, sheknew he had to be Phaon. Phaon turned his back onthe group and addressed hisfaction. Orion won t evenstand with us.He doesn t careabout the House of Rome, butyou still call him your Head?Do we need any more proofthat he is unfit to lead? Helen glanced down at thesuppurating gash that shouldhave been his heart, and herstomach churned.Phaon sface and body might be beautiful, but this creature shelooked at was rotten to thecore.She saw Orion s heartflare with anger.She caughthis eyes and pleaded with himsilently, trying to calm himdown. Enough, Cassandracommanded in a low voice.An obedient hush descendedas everyone s attention turnedto the Oracle. The days ofdivision are over.The Houses are one, and we have formed acoalition of our own toexpress that union.EachHouse is represented by itsHeir, and we ve chosen Helenas our leader [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.She shrankaway from her mother.Thegesture was not lost onDaphne. What, Helen? What is it? she asked. Your heart s gone, Helenanswered, too overwhelmedby the unnatural hole inside Daphne to remember toconceal her new talent. It died the day Ajax did, Daphne replied simply. But there s nothing there.Not even a broken heart, Helen said, shaking her head. You re not sad or angry orhurt.You feel nothing.Thatcan t be natural. She lockedeyes with Daphne andgrabbed her wrist to keep herfrom moving away. What did you do, Mother? Daphnetried to pull away from Helen,but her daughter was toostrong. Whatever was left of myfeelings I traded in order toaccomplish a goal.Women doit all the time.Scion womenswear it before Hecate, Daphne said, her eyesnarrowing with suspicion as athought occurred to her. Buthow can you know what I don t feel? Daphnemurmured, more to herselfthan to Helen. Helen? Andy said as shetapped on the door. Are youin there? Yes, Helen replied.Shereleased her mother andquickly turned to the door. Come in. Andy pushed the door opententatively and peeked intothe room. Noel is getting. ah.antsy is the only politeword I come up with rightnow.She says you and yourmom need to get your buttsdownstairs before somebodymurders somebody else andgets blood all over her cleanfloors. She smiled and heldup her hands. I m quotingher, by the way. I ll bet. Helen chuckled. We re coming. There was still so much she and Daphne needed to talkabout, but as usual where hermother was concerned, Helenwas going to have to waituntil later to get any answers.She and Daphne followedAndy out of Ariadne sbedroom and down thehallway toward the stairs. My, my, Daphne saidquietly as she followedAndy s graceful silhouette. Aren t you a rare fish? Helen saw Andy s backstiffen at Daphne s taunt andher gait taper off to a stop. I m half siren, Andy said.She turned to look Daphnedead in the eye. Do you havea problem with that? No, Daphne replied.Shemet Andy s gaze and stoodfirm. But you obviously do,and it s time you got over it. Daphne brushed past Andy.Helen followed reluctantly, giving Andy an apologeticlook as she passed by. Hector isn t Apollo, Daphne added when shereached the stairs. It s timeyou got over that, too. You have no right, Andybegan angrily. Hector is one of the bestmen I ve ever known, littlehalf siren who hates herself, Daphne interrupted, silencingAndy.Helen saw Daphne s eyes harden until theysparkled like diamonds. Youdon t deserve him. Helen mouthed the wordsI m sorry to Andy as she wentdown the stairs, but Andy hadturned on her heel and gonebefore Helen could finish.Still thinking about Andy,Helen followed her motherinto the tense living room.Her eyes went immediately toa big, blond man who stood in front of Castor and Pallas inthe place she knew wasreserved for the Head of theHouse of Thebes.He had to be Tantalus, andalthough she had never methim before, she recognizedhim.She pictured his face,red, sweaty, and twisted withrage as he tried to beat herchild out of her.Tantalus stared at Daphne.It was the same way that Menelaus stared at Helen ofTroy.With Helen s new talentshe could see his chestcrawling with need.For amoment, his eyes darted overDaphne s shoulder to land onHelen.She shivered withrevulsion, rememberinganother life when she hadbeen forced to be his wifeafter Troy fell.Then his eyeswent back to Daphne, wherethey stayed until the Oracle entered.As soon as Cassandra glidedinto the room, her bell-bracelet tinkling delicately,Lucas, Hector, Orion, andHelen moved as one to joinher.Cassandra sat in her giantchair.Orion stood at her left,Helen at her right.Hector andLucas stood behind Helen,one to either side of her.The outburst from theassembled host was immediate. Helen! Get back here! Daphne scolded.Helen gladlyignored her. Lucas.son, Castorsaid, clipping his wordssharply. You are to standbehind your uncle Tantalus. Lucas looked away from hisfather, eyes forward and faceexpressionless like a trainedsoldier, and didn t leave hischosen place behind Helen. You see? I told you! hissed a slender man with fulllips.He was older, aboutHelen s mother s age, but hewas the kind of guy who justgot more handsome as heaged.Definitely someonefrom the House of Rome, shedecided.Helen didn trecognize his face, but fromthe way Orion and Daedalusstared daggers at him, sheknew he had to be Phaon. Phaon turned his back onthe group and addressed hisfaction. Orion won t evenstand with us.He doesn t careabout the House of Rome, butyou still call him your Head?Do we need any more proofthat he is unfit to lead? Helen glanced down at thesuppurating gash that shouldhave been his heart, and herstomach churned.Phaon sface and body might be beautiful, but this creature shelooked at was rotten to thecore.She saw Orion s heartflare with anger.She caughthis eyes and pleaded with himsilently, trying to calm himdown. Enough, Cassandracommanded in a low voice.An obedient hush descendedas everyone s attention turnedto the Oracle. The days ofdivision are over.The Houses are one, and we have formed acoalition of our own toexpress that union.EachHouse is represented by itsHeir, and we ve chosen Helenas our leader [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]