Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

that the argument was over in her heart. Somehow, she was a

demigod, and she was just going to have to accept it.

In the early morning hours, Helen woke up with a start and

looked around at the dark, unfamiliar room. She had been dreaming

about flying, which was great, until she realized she had no

idea how to land. Her first waking thought was that she would have

to get Lucas to teach her. Then it occurred to her he might never be

able to fly again.

Despite what his family said about him being fine, Helen knew

she wouldn?t be able to go back to sleep without checking for herself.

She needed to see his face tanned and normal, not white and

scared as it was when they were in the dry lands together.

She touched her feet to the floor and tested them, applying more

pressure until she was sure she could stand, and then made her

wobbly way down the hall to Lucas?s room. She had never had shin

splints, had never had any kind of sports injury at all, but as she

crept along she imagined that what she was feeling had to be similar,

if not much, much worse. Her muscles wouldn?t stretch as far as

usual; her joints felt swollen and hot. By the time she silently

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pushed Lucas?s door open she was covered in a thin, sickly sweat.

Lying on his back and staring at the moon in the window, Lucas

spun his head to look at Helen as she appeared in the doorway. A

moment passed.

?Hi,? he whispered.

?Hi,? she whispered back. ?May I come in??

?Yeah. But quietly.? He gestured to Cassandra asleep on a couch

on the other side of the room. ?She was awake for two days

straight.?

Helen made her way into the room, crouching like an old woman