Goddess (Starcrossed 3)

“There’s always ice when she descends. But if she went to the Underworld, she’d be back almost instantly. Time stops here while you’re in the Underworld,” Orion said, confused by Daphne’s line of questioning.

“That’s not always the case. At least not for Helen,” Daphne countered. “I don’t know why, but in one instance I witnessed, time passed here on Earth while Helen was in the Underworld.”

Castor looked at Tantalus, who Daphne knew was a Falsefinder. Tantalus nodded. “She’s telling the truth,” he said.

“The Underworld?” Castor whispered, his voice breaking. “Why would she take Lucas to the Underworld?”

They had all felt the terrible heat of Helen’s electrical storm. Except for Daphne, who could handle the intense heat of lightning, the rest of them had raw, red burns on their exposed skin. And Lucas had held on to her while she was in that state. Marry that idea to the Underworld, and they would all come to realize that Lucas was dead or dying.

“Uncle,” Hector said gently. Castor’s eyes darted around, like he didn’t even hear his nephew. Hector looked across the room at Jason and Ariadne. All of them were speechless and searching each other for answers.

“Helen knows the Underworld better than anyone. Maybe she knows a place that could help Luke? Maybe that’s why she took him there,” Jason said, thinking out loud. Really, he was just grasping at straws. They all looked at Orion for confirmation.

“Could that be it?” Castor asked.

Orion shrugged and shook his head as if to say that he didn’t know. He didn’t look very hopeful.

Daphne allowed a few seconds to tick by to let it sink in. “What if she stays down there with him, Orion?” Daphne said quietly, reminding herself not to push too hard.

She saw Orion’s face crumple at the thought of losing Helen forever. He loved her and would do anything for her, just as Daphne had planned when she shoved the two of them together in the Underworld.

It was predictable, really. Two young, beautiful teenagers, faced with incredible odds, teaming up together to fight a common cause. All Daphne had had to do was make a relationship with Lucas impossible, give Orion a chance to hope, and he would certainly fall for Helen. Now all Daphne could do was hope that he loved her enough . . . so that Daphne could truly control him.

“Could you go after her?” she continued, nudging him, trying to work just the right angle in this situation to get Orion to realize what, or rather what role, he was meant to play in the next Great Cycle. “Could you bring her back?”

“From the dead?” Daedalus blurted out before he realized what he was saying. He glanced over at Castor apologetically. “I’m sorry, Castor. But your son didn’t look good.”

Castor nodded. His face was stark white, and his eyes stared blankly at the floor, like they weren’t seeing anything anymore.

“We don’t know what happened yet. Don’t give up hope,” Tantalus whispered in Castor’s ear. He clasped his brother on the shoulder comfortingly while Daphne bit her tongue to keep herself from snarling at the sound of his voice. She wanted to scream at Castor not to trust him, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

Tantalus spoke up so the rest of the room was included, easily shifting into the role of leader in the wake of disaster. He had always been the most charismatic of them all, Daphne thought bitterly. Even when they knew he was evil, they trusted him, anyway. They wanted to trust him, just as Daphne had once trusted him.

“I say we use this meeting to discuss what we witnessed and how we should move forward,” Tantalus said as he addressed the group. His eyes moved to Phaon and hardened. “Starting with how to punish Phaon for attempting to murder the Head of his House.”

Andy sat in the kitchen with the rest of the non-Scions—the rest of the non-Scions who didn’t need to lie down, that is. Kate had taken Noel upstairs after it became clear that she wouldn’t be able to stop crying. Noel was a tough lady, Andy could see that, but after what happened to Lucas, any mother would have fallen apart.

Matt and Claire waited for Kate and Noel to leave before they spoke.

“I never thought Helen would hurt Lucas. Never,” Claire whispered, her eyes blank with sadness. “I can’t believe it.”

“She’s completely out of control,” Matt whispered back.

The two friends sat, their faces unmoving like pale masks. Andy didn’t know Helen like they did, but she did know what malice looked like when she saw it. Having a siren for a mother had ensured that.

“But it was an accident,” Andy said, sticking up for Helen. “She didn’t mean to do it.”

“That makes it even worse,” Matt responded heatedly. “Can you imagine what would have happened if she did mean it?”

Matt, Claire, and Andy sat silently at the table and listened in on the rest of the meeting. The Scions fought over how they were going to carve up Phaon. Apparently, this Phaon guy was extra popular, especially with the older generation. They all wanted a piece of him, but it was Daedalus from the House of Athens who claimed the biggest grievance, and not just to avenge what had nearly happened to his son when Phaon tried to kill him just moments ago.

There was mention of a young girl named Cassiopeia, and the room grew quiet. Then it was unanimously decided that Daedalus and Phaon were to meet at dawn for a duel to the death. After that, the meeting was adjourned. Seconds later, Ariadne and Jason joined them in the kitchen. Ariadne’s eyes filled up with tears as soon as she saw Matt.

“Lucas . . . ,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his chest.

Claire went to Jason and searched his face, wordlessly asking him a question. “It’s bad, Claire. We felt his heart stop,” Jason said tonelessly.

“He’ll pull through, though. Won’t he?” Claire said. Jason shrugged, his lip trembling. Claire pulled his head down and let it rest on her shoulder.