Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

would mean now. ?If the Trojan War was so destructive with

only swords and arrows, what would happen if it was fought with

today?s weapons??

?Yeah. That crossed our minds,? Ariadne broke eye contact and

looked at her lap. ?That?s why my family?my father, uncle Castor,

and aunt Pandora?separated themselves from the rest of the

House of Thebes. Even if Tantalus is right, even if unification is the

key to immortality, we didn?t think it was worth the total destruction

of the earth.?

?That?s a lot to give up. I mean, it?s the right thing to do, obviously,

but immortality . . .? Helen shook her head at the thought.

?And Tantalus and the Hundred Cousins just let you go?? she

asked incredulously.

?What choice did they have? They can?t kill us because we?re all

family, but lately they were starting to threaten us, trying to bully

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us back to the fold, and some of us?okay, Hector?were starting to

fight back. He was looking for fights, taking the bait when they

called him a coward for not wanting to fight the gods. In our tradition,

to kill your own kin is the worst sin imaginable, and he came

so close, Helen. My family left Spain be

cause Hector got into a terrible

fight and nearly got killed, but worse, he nearly killed

someone of his own blood. There is no forgiveness for a kin-killer,?

Ariadne said in a hushed voice.

?But yours isn?t the last House. Mine is,? Helen said, the whole

truth beginning to dawn on her.

?No one knew about you. About two decades ago there was this

?Final Confrontation? between the Houses. All Four Houses attacked

one another, each of them trying to eliminate the others.