Daphne said, frustrated to the point of cruelty. ?Now, as a kinkiller,
he?s an Outcast, and he can?t have contact with anyone from
the House of Thebes without the Furies revealing his sin to you.?
?Pallas,? Castor said gently. ?Didn?t it ever bother you that our
brother stayed hidden even when there were no other Houses left
to fight??
?But there were other Houses, and there still are!? Pallas
shouted, pointing to Helen and her mother. ?He must have known
she was still alive, and that she can seduce anyone, even us, to help
her get to him.?
?I haven?t used the cestus on you, Pallas. Not even to get you to
believe me,? Daphne said tiredly. ?I want you to know in your own
heart who killed Ajax. I need you to believe that I wasn?t the one
who killed my husband.?
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?Everything she?s saying is true,? Lucas said, locking eyes with
Helen. ?She hasn?t used the cestus. And sh
e and Ajax were
married.?
Helen looked away, although she could feel him studying her
face.
?The Fates have done this many times,? Cassandra intoned, a
hint of the Oracle?s glow in her eyes and voice as she momentarily
peeked through the Veil. ?The Star-Crossed Lovers are in the warp
and weft of the pattern, and my mothers are compelled to repeat it
again and again. Symmetry must be maintained or the fabric of the
universe will be ruined. All Four Houses have been preserved this
way.?
?All four?? Lucas repeated as his eyes sought out Helen?s. A glimmer
of hope flared up in him, but instead of seeing his own elation