grass. As he wove his story, Helen could hear how honest he sounded, how convincing. She nodded every time he looked at her, knowing that she needed to keep her mouth shut or she’d ruin the whole thing. Since the fire was obviously electrical and the only possible source was the exit sign, the story was believed.
Helen and Lucas insisted they were uninjured, but as a precaution they were told to go to the nurse’s office for a quick checkup. Just before Lucas led her away, Helen spotted Zach staring at them from the crowd, his eyes frightened and resentful. He knew they’d caused the fire. Helen touched Lucas’s shoulder and pointed Zach out, and Lucas nodded, understanding her meaning perfectly.
“So much for letting it blow over,” she murmured ruefully.
“We’ll discuss it tonight with my family. Cassie will know what to do,” he whispered, taking her sooty hand in one of his and texting his cousins with the other as they walked down the hall to the nurse.
Mrs. Crane checked them over, shook her head in wonder, and declared them both perfectly well enough to go home, or even back to practice if they wanted, though she gave both of them a nonsensical lecture about hanging around under electrical death traps.
Then she looked at Helen’s necklace and smiled sweetly. “I’ve always loved butterflies,” she murmured, lightly touching Helen’s charm, before shooing them both out of her office in her stern but kindly way.
Helen and Lucas beat everyone else back to the Delos compound, deciding once they arrived that they were entitled to a few moments of relaxation before they began what Helen had started thinking of as her superhero lessons. They stopped in the kitchen to get Helen another bottle of water and then went for a little fly.
“Jase and Hector will call when they’re home from practice. We’ve still got about another hour or so,” Lucas said confidently when they touched down in the dunes. They walked down to the half-damp sand that was flat and firm and perfect for a stroll.
“We’re supposed to have our first track meet next weekend,” Helen said suddenly, biting her lip with worry. “I don’t know if Coach’ll let me run after missing so many practices.”
“Yeah, about that,” Lucas said, sighing heavily and making her stop and face him. “You need to quit track.”
Helen stared at him for a moment. “Quit track? Are you nuts? How else am I going to get a scholarship?”
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Lucas said, shaking his head.
“Doesn’t matter? Lucas, this is my life you’re talking about.”
“Exactly. You’ve been attacked, how many times now? We still don’t know who those women are. And I don’t think you realize just how big a threat Creon is even with me standing right next to you, let alone when you go running off by yourself across the island. This is your life we’re talking about, not just an athletic scholarship,” he said evenly, calmly. “I want you to quit. For now, anyway.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” she replied, completely deadpan.
“I’m not. Quit track. Until we figure out how to deal with Creon, it’s too dangerous.”
“What if I just walked up to you and told you to quit football?” she asked sarcastically.
“Done,” he said, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. “I told you once, and I meant it, that I’d never ask you to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. We’re in this together.”
“You’re . . . That’s . . . I can’t believe you’re putting this on me!” she yelled, pointing a finger at him childishly. She stomped around in a circle, kicking at the sand and trying to figure out why she was so upset.
“I’m not putting it on you! It’s on both of us! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” he urged, raising his voice in frustration.
“I’ve always felt stuck on this island, and I always thought track would be my one way to get off of it. Now you’re telling me to give up on all of my plans like it’s the easiest thing in the world!”
“It’s easier than dying!” he shouted at her, but there was a humorous lilt creeping into his voice and a smile tugging at his lips. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but you can fly. You’re not going to be stuck anywhere again!”
Helen didn’t want to laugh. In fact, she was working very hard to give him a penetrating glare, but no