Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

cestus from the world so that all men, Scion and mortal alike,

could finally control their lust. Then he had entrusted Creon with

the same sacred mission.

And Creon had failed.

Creon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket for the fifth time. He

had been ignoring it for a while and he didn?t even want to know

who was trying to contact him, but this time he caved and pulled it

out to look at the screen. It was his mother. He debated answering

for a moment, then finally relented.

?Where are you?? Mildred asked in a low voice.

?Hunting,? Creon replied vaguely, sensing his mother was being

watched, maybe even listened to. It had happened before.

?One of the traitors just called me,? she said in an urgent whisper.

?She told me about your failure in front of the hotel, and she

wants to change sides. She wants her men freed of the cestus. . . .?

Creon heard the crackling sound of his mother?s phone as it

brushed up against fabric, as if it had been shoved into a pocket or

under a sweater. A few seconds passed during which all Creon

could hear was the rhythmic brushing of clothes against the

mouthpiece as his mother walked somewhere else.

?Are you still there?? she finally asked when she got to relative

safety.

?Yes. Mother, what?s going on??

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?Sssh. Just listen. The Hundred are starting to doubt you. I can?t

let them know we?re in contact,? she whispered urgently. ?Where

are you? She wants to meet right now, to make a plan.?

Helen spent fifteen minutes on the phone with her dad, trying to

get him to calm down. He had been just about ready to go down to

the police station, and he demanded to know where she had been