something horrific, possibly even evil, which made her the way she
was.
?Huh?? she blurted out stupidly, so confused she had stopped
crying. Her view jiggled, and Helen realized that Lucas was
laughing.
?Ouch. Don?t make me. Laugh,? he said even though his chest
kept bouncing up and down.
It felt funny to have her head bobbing around like that so she
started laughing, regretted it, but couldn?t seem to stop. It was almost
as if the pain was so awful she had to laugh it off.
?This really hurts,? he said as he started to get hold of himself.
?If you stop, I?ll stop,? she said, her fit winding down as well.
In between recurring snickers, they went back to quietly managing
their pain and waiting for their bodies to knit themselves
back together. Despite the pain, the time ticked by soothingly. Out
of one ear, Helen could hear the steady thump of Lucas?s heart,
and out of the other she could hear seagulls. Dawn was on its way,
and she felt completely safe for the first time in weeks.
?Why don?t I hate you anymore?? she asked when she felt like her
head bones were solid enough to enunciate properly.
?I was just wondering the same thing. I think the Furies are
gone.? Lucas sighed deeply, like a huge weight had just been lifted
off his chest, even though Helen knew her head was probably as
heavy as a bowling ball. ?I was scared for a moment when we were
in the air. It was very hard not to engage you.?
?We? Oh, you can fly!? Helen said, realizing.
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She remembered how Lucas had a habit of appearing and disappearing
so suddenly, and how she had heard the thuds and scuffs
of his takeoffs and landings. She had never seen him fly because