Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

?Thank you. And thank you again for the stuff you sent my father

and me,? Helen said. She knew immediately that this was Noel

Delos, and she could also tell that Noel was a normal woman

without an ounce of demigod strength. A big, bubbling pot of guilt

boiled over in Helen?s chest. She had threatened this fragile human

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in a family of superheroes?threatened her to her son and her

nephews, no less. Noel smiled knowingly at Helen?s penitent face.

?You?re very welcome. Now, first things first. How do I contact

your father to let him know you?re okay??

?I?d rather keep my dad out of this,? Helen replied nervously.

?You?ve been gone all night and all day. Don?t you think he?ll be

worried??

?He?s in Boston for the weekend. He won?t be back until tomorrow

night.?

?All right, it?s up to you, but I want you to know I think it would

be better if you and your father had a long talk about all this,? Noel

said with piercing eyes. Then she whirled around and got busy with

dinner. Helen had the feeling that she may have been granted a

stay of execution, but she wasn?t pardoned yet. ?Are you ready to

eat now?? Noel asked, buzzing around.

?I don?t think I?ve ever been this hungry,? Helen replied

truthfully.

?It?s the heal,? Noel said, smiling at some internal thought as she

laid down bread, salt, and oil in front of Helen. She poured a tall

glass of milk before gesturing impatiently. ?Eat. This isn?t the time

to be shy, Helen. You need it.?

Helen ripped into the bread like a medieval glutton with low

blood sugar. Noel smiled again and asked Hector to go get some

hard cheese out of the fridge. He grudgingly did as he was told. As