the kitchen, his hair damp from a shower. ?I?m dying to know
how Sparky here does her little impervious trick.?
?I tried to get him to lie down, but he wouldn?t listen,? Pandora
complained from the hallway behind him. Hector walked straight
over to Lucas.
?How are you feeling?? Lucas asked guiltily.
Hector clasped hands with him. ?It?s okay, brother. I would have
done the same thing if I were you,? he said. Then he flashed one of
his mischievous smiles. ?Only I would have hit you harder.?
They hugged each other, and just like that the whole confrontation
was forgotten. Ariadne started to ask Pandora a question, but
Helen couldn?t hold her tongue for a second longer.
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?Will someone please tell me why you all call me ?Sparky??? she
burst out in frustration. ?And if I get stabbed one more time tonight
I?m going to lose it!? she added, rounding on Jason who was
sneaking up behind her holding a stapler.
?You haven?t told her yet?? Cassandra said to Lucas with disbelief.
?You should have done it days ago.?
?I was going to tell her today, but I never got the chance,? he
replied, looking at the floor.
Helen thought about how he had hunted her down in the hallway
after school, like he had something urgent to say, and how she had
told him she didn?t want to see him. But that was his fault, she reminded
herself. He was the one who was forcing himself to teach
her how to fight and fly, right?
?Well, tell me now, then,? she said briskly. Lucas looked up at her
sharply. His eyes were angry.
?You can generate lightning. Electricity. I don?t know how strong
a charge you can create, but from what I?ve felt, and what Hector