by Creon, his son and Heir, who would receive the honor for the capture. And maybe he would also be given the hauntingly beautiful prize that he deserved—his quarry’s daughter.
Ariadne and Helen drove to the compound in total silence. When they stopped behind Matt at a light in town Ariadne waved. They could both see his eyes and forehead pinched up with worry as he stared at Helen in his rearview mirror.
“I know you’re sad, but you shouldn’t ignore Matt like that,” Ariadne said with a little heat. “He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met, and you’re hurting him.”
“You’re right. I’m being selfish,” Helen said. She felt blank inside. Empty. “I know it, and I hate it, but I just can’t seem to stop.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Ariadne stammered apologetically, her eyes on the road. “I know what you’re sacrificing, and I know why. But you know what? I think you need to cry, even just once. Maybe then you could let it out and feel a little better.”
Helen had tried to cry, but no tears came. Instead, all that she felt was this creeping nothing inside her. She knew she should care about how Matt felt, but she didn’t even care how she felt, not even when she was fighting for her life against Hector on the mat. Their workouts had become brief and brutal. Now that Helen no longer had an emotional block against using her bolts she was learning how to control them and let them out bit by bit. Only someone who didn’t mind getting fried could fight her hand to hand. Now, coupled with the power of the cestus, which made her impervious to any weapon, Helen had become nearly undefeatable.
Toward the end of their session that day Hector tried to put her in a Kimura and she electrocuted him for the third time. He dropped unconscious to the mat. After a moment, she approached him and nudged him with her toe.
“Are we done here?” she asked him with raised eyebrows when he came around.
“You still don’t know how to fight,” he mumbled as he wiped blood off of his lips.
“You bit through your tongue,” Helen said flatly. “You should probably take a break.”
Helen went to her corner to drink some water. She saw Claire, Jason, Cassandra, and Ariadne all staring at her from outside the fight cage. Jason was the first to move. He took two long strides, jumped fluidly over the metal fence, and landed next to his shaking brother.
“I think that’s enough, Hector,” Jason said. “She doesn’t need any more training.”
“She can’t even throw a punch!” Hector protested, slurring his words.
“She doesn’t need to,” Cassandra said with finality. “She doesn’t need to learn to punch or hold a sword or shoot an arrow to defend herself. She’s already ten times more lethal than you are, Hector, and if you keep trying to find a way to beat her you’re going to end up brain-dead. These sessions are over.”
Cassandra stood up and walked out of the dojo.
“She’s still vulnerable!” Hector shouted after Cassandra’s retreating figure. “There are a million ways to subdue her once you find a way to get around her bolts!”
“Enough, Hector,” Jason said gently. “Cassandra’s right. Figure out her vulnerabilities and train her to deal with them, but the dojo work is done. Hand-to-hand combat is not something she ever has to fear.”
“So no more chaperone?” Helen asked, raising her eyes from her empty water bottle. The Delos kids looked at each other, shrugging.
“I guess not,” Hector finally concluded. “At least not until Cassandra foresees a threat. Then, I don’t care how lethal you are, one of us will be with you at all times again.”
“May I go until then?” Helen asked, looking at Hector and waiting politely for permission. He nodded. She bowed to him and then jumped into the air.
“Wait, Lennie!” Claire shouted up at her. “We were going to throw you a party. Kate made you a cake!”
Helen saw Claire, saw how worried she was, but she couldn’t do what Claire wanted. She couldn’t pretend to be cheerful. Not for a few hours while everyone threw her a party, not for half an hour to let them at least sing “Happy Birthday” and scarf down some cake, and not even for the five minutes it would take to explain to Claire why she couldn’t do any of those things.
“Love you,” she called out to her best friend before she flew away. She thought she