Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

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?And too noble, and tender, and generous, and brave,? Daphne

said, raising her voice to talk over Pandora. She was blinking repeatedly

as her eyes squeezed at dry tear ducts and came up with

nothing. Her body was crying, but the moisture was missing, and

somehow that made it hurt more than it usually did. ?Since Ajax

left the world nineteen years ago, there has been no good in it for

me,? Daphne whispered.

?What about Helen? She?s good. And she?s at least a part of

Ajax. . .? Pandora trailed off when Daphne?s eyes begin to drill into

hers.

?Helen?s birthday was yesterday?her seventeenth birthday,?

Pandora whispered in shock. ?But why? Why would you want to

make her think that Lucas is her cousin. . .?

Pandora looked away, shaking her head with grief. She couldn?t

understand how Daphne, how any mother, could hurt her own

daughter like that. But they had run out of time. Creon was coming

up the beach, behind Pandora?s back. Daphne had tried to win her

over, had honestly hoped to spare her, but there had never been a

real chance for that. Daphne could only pray that Ajax would forgive

her in the Underworld.

?That?s right, Pandora, Helen isn?t his child. I have nothing of

Ajax, and so I have nothing in this world that?s of any value to me.

Even you, the baby sister he loved so much, the one he made me

promise to protect, even you have been polluted beyond hope. You

know, it would kill Ajax to see you like this.?

?Don?t you dare tell me what my brother would feel!? Pandora

screeched as something snapped inside of her, just as Daphne

knew it would. She dove for Daphne, her fingers hooked into claws,

trying to scratch her eyes out. Daphne rolled under Pandora, protecting