Goddess (Starcrossed 3)

The first two hospitals, although closest to Wellesley College, proved to be dead ends. By the time they got to the third, most of the day was spent. As they pulled into the parking structure, Claire pointed at a police car parked near the entrance.

“She’s here,” Claire said with a firm nod. “They’re watching her to see if the stalker comes back.”

Ariadne parked and they went in, splitting up to save time. Helen went right to the trauma ward. She saw a uniformed police officer guarding a door at the very end of the hallway, and texted Ariadne and Claire to meet her.

The officer was a man, and Helen needed him to let her into the room. She walked right up to him and smiled.

“Hi,” she said warmly, and watched the officer’s face get hazy.

Helen had seen a lot of men look at her like that—like they were staring at a shiny brass ring that was too bright for them to look at directly and too high up for them to ever reach. She had always hated this look, even though she knew that it gave her a manipulative kind of power. She’d sworn that she would never use it, but now the game had changed. Helen needed all the power she could get her hands on to protect her family. She had to stop being squeamish, or the Scions didn’t stand a chance against the gods.

“A boy attacked a friend of mine last night,” Helen said. “I think she needs me. May I go in?”

“We’re not supposed to let anyone in, young lady,” the officer said, shifting from foot to foot like he was really sorry to say no to her.

Helen could see he wanted to help as clearly as she could see the police badge on his chest. She could see his anger and compassion like a ball of vivid colors swirling around inside his ribs. Helen noticed he wore a wedding ring, sunk deep into the skin of his finger by time, and she just knew.

“It’s okay, you know,” Helen crooned. She heard and felt Claire and Ariadne join her. They both hesitated, but Helen waved them forward until they were standing on either side of her. “You can let all three of us in. We’re going to take care of her. You have a daughter about our age, right?”

The policeman looked at Helen sharply, wondering how she could have guessed that, and then nodded slowly as he sank deeper into her gaze.

“Then you know that she really needs us. In your heart, you know it’s the right thing to do.” Helen smiled her dazzling smile. The officer smiled back, noddi

ng in a hazy way.

“It is the right thing to do,” he said with a definite nod of his head, and immediately opened the door for them.

“Thank you,” Helen said gently, pulling Claire and Ariadne in with her.

“How did you . . . ?” Claire began, but Helen cut her off with an impatient gesture and turned to the girl in the bed.

She was awake and staring at them. Her pretty face was cut up in a few places, her left arm was in a cast, and her lip was swollen and purple. Helen read the chart on the end of her bed quickly and found her name. Andy Faiakes.

“Oh, crap,” Andy groaned, staring at Helen with a fed up look on her battered face. “So which goddess are you?”

“I’m not a . . . wait.” Helen stared at Andy through narrowed eyes. “What are you?”

“You first,” Andy said in the most melodious voice Helen had ever heard. Helen opened her mouth to reply and had to forcibly stop herself from spilling her guts.

“That’s some voice you got there,” Helen said, gritting her teeth against the temptation to answer the question.

“That’s some face you got there,” Andy said back, her voice ringing inside Helen’s head. “What are you?” she repeated, amping up the seductive quality of her voice.

“Scion,” Claire blurted out, and then slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes got wide, and she mumbled from behind her fingers. “I’m so sorry, you guys. I don’t know why I just said that.”

“Because you’re completely human,” Andy said to Claire with a small smile. Then she looked at Helen and Ariadne in turn. “But they’re not.”

“And what are you?” Ariadne asked guardedly.

“Human,” Andy said. Even though she used her beautiful hypno-voice, the word jangled out of tune inside Helen’s head.

“Liar,” Helen declared, shaking her head once. Andy stared at her for a moment before continuing.

“And half siren. Unfortunately,” she admitted reluctantly. It was obvious that Andy didn’t like to think that half of her was a creature who sang people to their doom.

“So what are you three doing here?” Andy asked cautiously.

“You know who, or rather what, attacked you last night, right?” Ariadne asked bluntly. Andy’s shoulders tensed with fear. She nodded. Ariadne softened her tone and went to stand by the side of Andy’s bed, her big, hazel eyes filling with compassion. “Then you know he’ll be back for you. We came to take you home with us, to our family, so we can protect you.”