and came in for a landing.
His body took on the burden of gravity and his feet touched down
as he went from flying to walking in an instant.
?You?ve been gone a while,? Cassandra said in an insinuating
tone.
?I stayed in her area for a bit, looking around her neighborhood
for any sign of those women,? he said evenly, and he wasn?t lying.
?I told you, you don?t have to worry. She?s safe for a few more
days at least,? Cassandra said, shaking her head. ?I?m not so sure
about you.?
?I didn?t touch her.?
?But you can?t stay away from her, either.?
He couldn?t. Even when he was still possessed by the Furies in
her presence, he couldn?t stay away from Helen. He didn?t know
how to describe it; it was as though it felt wrong to be separated
from her. ?You don?t have to worry. I won?t touch her.?
?That?s not the only thing I care about,? she began in a warning
tone.
He interrupted her, tired of the doublespeak. ?Yeah, sure, but it?s
the thing you and everybody else cares about most, Cassie,? he
said. He unlatched his watch and laid it carefully on his bedside
table. He wouldn?t look at her, and he knew that was cruel, but he
couldn?t stop himself.
?That?s not true. You know that, right?? she asked, suddenly no
more than his sweet little sister. He looked over at her and felt his
heart soften. She carried a heavier burden then he did, he knew
that. Sometimes his bitterness got the better of him, but he trusted
that Cassandra knew he loved her, and that she also knew he
wouldn?t stop loving her even if she told him he had to give up the
one thing he wanted most in the world. That didn?t make it any