instead of killing each other, there was a terrible accident. We
ended up saving each other?s lives. When we did that, I paid my
debt to the House of Thebes. And he paid his debt to the House of
Atreus. After that, Ajax could be with my family without inciting
the Furies, and I could be with his. How could I stand in front of
you if this weren?t the truth?? Daphne motioned to Helen and Lucas.
?You?ve seen it happen again, right in front of your eyes, and
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you all already know what the outcome is. Once the Furies were
gone, Ajax and I fell in love.?
?Liar!? Pandora hissed.
?No,? Lucas said, shaking his head with a stricken, almost fearful
look in his eyes. ?She?s telling the truth.?
?I touched his body with my own hand,? Pandora screamed, tears
tangling her pretty pixie face into a snarl. ?He was dead!?
?I think we were both dead for a few seconds,? Daphne said compassionately.
She was trying to get Pandora to listen to her, but in
vain. Pandora shook her head at everything Daphne tried to tell
her. ?Ajax and I never really understood exactly what happened,
but I swear to you, I didn?t kill him.?
Pandora whirled away from Daphne, turning her back and still
shaking her head in denial. Ariadne went and stood next to her and
took her hand, but Pandora would accept no comfort. She dropped
Ariadne?s hand and crossed her arms tightly across her chest, like
her insides hurt, her left hand cupping the cuff-locket on her right
wrist.
?Oh, how typical! The House of Thebes thinks it knows
everything because it?s the House of the Oracle,? Daphne said to
Pandora?s back, almost pleading with her. ?And the irony is that
it?s because you think you know it all that the other Houses have