?Jase, come in. Cassie can see him now,? he said in a flat,
frightened voice. He listened for just a moment and then continued,
talking over Jason?s questions. ?When we all get back home.
Your father?s waiting for us there.?
Helen felt like she had missed an important detail. ?Who?s
Creon?? she asked Cassandra as soon as she was able to sit up.
?A cousin of ours,? Cassandra answered unhelpfully.
?He?s the one who attacked Hector in Cádiz,? Ariadne said, her
voice quivering momentarily. She glanced over at Lucas, who was
just about to interrupt her, and kept going. ?Okay, they attacked
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each other. Creon is a radical fanatic, and he?s looking for a fight
with any of the moderates, not just us. But it?s Hector he?s really
after. Not even you can deny that, Luke.?
?That guy, huh?? Helen asked, folding her arms over her belly as
she tried to make a joke. No one laughed. Her right hand felt stiff
so she flexed it. A scrap of fabric fell from her balled-up fist.
?What?s that?? Cassandra asked.
?Um. It?s Creon?s. I caught up to him, and when I tried to grab
him I sort of ripped his shirt off,? Helen replied apologetically.
?You chased him, caught up to him, and got close enough to rip
his shirt off?? Ariadne said in disbelief. Apparently, Creon was fast,
even by their standards.
?He saw me trying to fly, okay?? Helen began, sensing that she
had done something very wrong. ?I didn?t know who he was, I just
knew that he?d seen me jump about five stories into the air and I
had to get to him before he got away.?
?Great,? Cassandra said bitterly. ?He came here to check on our
family and maybe pick a fight with Hector, but now that you?ve exposed