?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
102/395
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