Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

of his breathing, a sound that she already knew so well, and

fell into a deep, nightmare-free sleep.

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HarperCollins Publishers

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Chapter Thirteen

Swathed in black shadows, Creon crouched outside Helen?s

house, his eyes glued to her bedroom window. He could

hear Hector four doors down, slipping through the neighbor?s

yard, searching for him. But Creon knew Hector

didn?t have a prayer. No one could find Creon at night if he

didn?t want to be found.

His little cousin Lucas was up there, in Helen?s bed, holding her

while she slept. Creon shook from head to toe, resisting the nearly

all-consuming urge to leap through the glass and fight his cousin

for her life. Or maybe just for her. Creon wasn?t sure what he

would do anymore, and he didn?t like this newfound uncertainty.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to get control. If he challenged

his cousin, it would be a fight to the death. Creon had no

doubt he would win, but in winning he would lose everything. He

would become an Outcast, and Atlantis would remain lost.

The choice was clear: immortality or Helen. So why was he

sweating with the effort to resist? He heard Helen sighing in her

sleep and Lucas shifting his body under hers, pulling her even

closer. Creon?s legs straightened as if of their own accord. He took

two steps toward the window, his head swimming in the red-lit

haze of bloodlust.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Alerted to the danger, Hector broke into a sprint and headed