convinced Lucas would have put up a fight, but he allowed Jason to
lead him upstairs. Everyone else filed out of the kitchen, looking
sad. Everyone except for Pallas, that is. Helen noticed that he
looked satisfied. Even a little smug.
?Sit,? Noel said, pulling out a chair for herself, facing Helen. ?You
don?t understand what?s happening, do you??
Helen shook her head and swallowed. Noel asked another question.
?Ariadne explained the Truce to you, right??
?She said the Houses have to stay separate or the gods will come
back and start the Trojan War all over again,? Helen croaked
through a tight throat.
?Right. Now what does that mean? What would be the simplest
way for the Houses to be unified?? Noel asked sharply. Helen
shook her head again, scared dumb, and Noel continued. ?There
are two obvious ways. One House can destroy the others, or the
Houses can intermarry. Usually this is impossible for Scions because
the Furies keep everyone hating everyone else, but that isn?t
an issue for you and Lucas.?
296/395
Helen let out a giant breath of relief.
?Is that it?? she asked. ?Nobody?s marrying anybody! Lucas and I
are way too young! We?re not that stupid.?
Noel shook her head, as if Helen had missed the point.
?Do you know how marriage was defined in ancient Greece??
Noel said in a calmer tone. ?It?s really simple. A virgin goes to
man?s house with the family gathered as witnesses. The virgin and
the man share a fire, a meal, and a bed. If the girl wasn?t a virgin in
the morning, then the couple was considered married. That?s it.
That?s all it took. You?re still a virgin, right??
Helen blushed furiously, her jaw dropping. ?Yes. But that?s no