Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

speak like that to her elders, let alone be obeyed, but the boards

were quickly lowered down without a word of comment. Jason and

Ariadne eased Helen and Lucas onto the long planks and told them

to hold still. The twins ran their glowing hands an inch above Lucas?s

body, and Helen saw him grit his teeth as they sped up his

healing. Just when she thought Lucas was about to start screaming,

the twins stopped, looked at each other in silent communication,

and then nodded exhaustedly. They had both lost so much

color their cheeks looked gray to Helen, but they also seemed

strangely happy, like nothing gave either of them more pleasure

than helping someone else. Helen tried to thank them, but Ariadne

told her to save her strength.

Helen and Lucas were kept level as they were raised out of the

crater and loaded side by side in the back of the same giant SUV

that Helen had had so many uncharitable thoughts about. Now

that it was her ambulance, she made a silent promise to never rag

on big trucks again.

Castor was behind the wheel and anxious to get moving. The

longer they stayed on the beach the higher the sun got, and the

more opportunity there was for them to be discovered. Cassandra

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came with them, but Jason, Ariadne, and Hector stayed behind to

fill in the crater and leave the beach looking as normal as possible.

?Can?t we just put a lump of rock in the middle and pretend it

was an asteroid?? Helen heard Hector ask, exhausted.

?Do you think that would work?? Jason put in, perking up at the

prospect of seeing his bed an hour or so sooner.

?No,? Cassandra said decisively. ?This part of the island is a

nature preserve. There are scientists all over the place. They would

know the rock didn?t come from space.?