Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

something horrific, possibly even evil, which made her the way she

was.

?Huh?? she blurted out stupidly, so confused she had stopped

crying. Her view jiggled, and Helen realized that Lucas was

laughing.

?Ouch. Don?t make me. Laugh,? he said even though his chest

kept bouncing up and down.

It felt funny to have her head bobbing around like that so she

started laughing, regretted it, but couldn?t seem to stop. It was almost

as if the pain was so awful she had to laugh it off.

?This really hurts,? he said as he started to get hold of himself.

?If you stop, I?ll stop,? she said, her fit winding down as well.

In between recurring snickers, they went back to quietly managing

their pain and waiting for their bodies to knit themselves

back together. Despite the pain, the time ticked by soothingly. Out

of one ear, Helen could hear the steady thump of Lucas?s heart,

and out of the other she could hear seagulls. Dawn was on its way,

and she felt completely safe for the first time in weeks.

?Why don?t I hate you anymore?? she asked when she felt like her

head bones were solid enough to enunciate properly.

?I was just wondering the same thing. I think the Furies are

gone.? Lucas sighed deeply, like a huge weight had just been lifted

off his chest, even though Helen knew her head was probably as

heavy as a bowling ball. ?I was scared for a moment when we were

in the air. It was very hard not to engage you.?

?We? Oh, you can fly!? Helen said, realizing.

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She remembered how Lucas had a habit of appearing and disappearing

so suddenly, and how she had heard the thuds and scuffs

of his takeoffs and landings. She had never seen him fly because