Goddess (35 page)

Poseidon turned and walked down to the waves, disappearing beneath them. As the rest of the Olympians dispersed, some with looks of bitterness, others with respect, Aphrodite came forward and took both of Helen’s hands in hers.

“Sister,” she said, kissing Helen on the cheek as if they had just met up for lunch. Helen laughed, shaking her head. Aphrodite had always hated wars and tended to ignore that they were happening altogether. “Come visit me soon. You and Lucas. I’ll let you know where I settle, but I’m thinking Cyprus for the winter.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Helen promised, chuckling and shaking her head.

Even though Aphrodite had caused Helen as much trouble as Zeus, there was no way she could ever stay upset with her for long. Like Claire, no matter what Aphrodite did, Helen knew she would end up forgiving her in about five seconds. Sisters were annoying that way.

Aphrodite pulled back and stroked Helen’s cheek. “That beautiful face,” she murmured, before flying away in a nimbus of golden light.

Helen turned to look at the crowd gathered behind her and saw her father first. Jerry was propped up between Kate and Noel. He looked pale and thin, but he managed to stand up mostly by himself.

“Dad!” Helen said, surprised.

“Hey, Len,” he said. He gave her a lame wave, looking awkward and uncertain—and a little scared of her.

“Are you going to be all weird with me now?” she asked, dreading it.

“No,” he answered a little too quickly.

“You better not,” she said, giving him a hug. It took a second before he relaxed into it and hugged her back, but when he did, she knew that things would figure themselves out between the two of them, given some time.

After she and her father separated, there was a blur of congratulations and hugs from everyone—except for Lucas. She scanned the scene around her, looking for him.

Helen saw Hector ordering people to get busy, directing them to dismantle the camp and lead the dazed mortals away from the multitude of strange bodies on the beach before they woke up from Hypnos’ influence. She saw Pallas and Daedalus trying to explain themselves to Castor, who listened to them in stony silence. She saw Jason and Ariadne rushing to aid as many of the most seriously injured as they could. She even saw Orion and Cassandra. They had broken away from the group and were speaking softy to each other. But no Lucas.

Helen revolved around in a circle, her heart sinking as she searched for him. She found him a few paces behind her, waiting patiently for her to discover him there.

“My turn?” he asked with a small smile. Helen nodded, thinking how strange it was that he and Poseidon looked exactly alike, but Poseidon made her skin crawl, while Lucas made it tingle.

“I think it’s
our
turn,” she said, walking into his arms.

“Finally,” he breathed, and kissed her without guilt or shame or any worry about what it meant for the future. He kissed her out in the open, in front of everyone, and for once there was nothing to hide and no reason for either one of them to stop.

It was like they were kissing for the first time.

EPILOGUE

T
he Patriots won, so Helen’s dad was in a great mood all night. Kate made Lucas and Helen eat way too much at dinner, insisting that since Christmas was three days away, there was no point in trying to eat healthy until after New Year’s, anyway. Kate hadn’t officially moved in yet, but she was there nearly every day. Jerry and Kate were waiting until after the wedding in May to officially live together. For Helen, it was the perfect Sunday night “dinner with the boyfriend” she thought she’d never have. They even argued a bit about politics.

They stayed up late, just hanging out. Helen and Lucas didn’t have school the next morning—not because the high school was still going through major reconstruction (which it was) but because they were on winter break. Despite the fact the high school had been half knocked over, the students had been taking their regular classes, dodging rubble, and wearing their jackets in the freezing-cold classrooms without missing too many days because Whalers are stubborn like that. The drama club had even started rehearsing
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
again even though they had to do it out in the subzero cold and not-at-all-summery parking lot because the auditorium didn’t exist anymore. The show must go on. Hergie would have been proud.

There was still a lot of confusion over what had happened. For the past month and a half, everyone on Nantucket had gone around scratching their heads about the “tidal wave” that had ripped up the beach, killed twelve unfortunate people, and injured many more, so soon after the Halloween riots. It was the only topic of conversation at the News Store and at Kate’s Cakes. Every time a customer asked Helen what she remembered about that day, she’d say she was too far inland to actually see the wave, and she was glad for it. Then she’d hustle off to get them more coffee.

Some people remembered the Kraken, but they were slowly being talked out of the so-called hallucinations. When someone got belligerent about what they saw, the Delos family would make sure that Andy got together with them for a little “talk.” Her powers as a siren came in handy when it came to making sure no one panicked and gave a story to the reporters who had started hanging around Nantucket. Helen had tasked Hypnos with rehabilitating the worst cases—hypnotizing them into re-remembering the whole thing as something else. It worked for the most part, but there would always be stories about the giant squid that had attacked Nantucket Island. A new myth had been born, and Helen wondered if this was how most of them had gotten their start.

Like Hypnos, the other small gods were eager to get on Helen’s good side. They’d bet wrong when they’d sided with Olympus and now they were doing whatever she asked to make it up to her—starting by cleaning up the mess that the battle had left behind and helping to sell the tidal-wave cover story. Helen couldn’t give those twelve people their lives back; she was just happy that the mortal casualties had been so low.

The Scions hadn’t been so lucky. Every House had suffered severe losses, but mostly the House of Thebes. Castor was now Head, and there were many supporters who whispered that he always should have been, regardless of which Delos brother was born first. Daedalus had somehow talked his way out of being overthrown. He’d given a great speech, agreed to share leadership with Orion, and his House had forgiven him. All the Houses would rebuild, as would the army of Poseidon’s creatures, unfortunately. Helen knew that someday the Scions would have to deal with that threat again. Poseidon and the other Olympians couldn’t curse her friends and family, but they could still find ways to work against them. The Scions would have to always be ready for that.

Just like Helen would have to be ready to repay those three tasks she promised Hecate. Helen hoped that the Titan didn’t ask her do anything immoral. But even if she did, someday Hecate would call in the debt, and Helen would have to pay no matter what was asked of her. Her debt didn’t worry Helen as much as Lucas’s did.

They were both painfully aware of the fact that Lucas could still be called to serve in the Underworld at any moment. He’d insisted that Helen stay on Earth while he went to Hades, which she thought was a ridiculous idea. It was an argument in process, but Helen was pretty sure she’d win. There was no way she was ever going to live without him again, and she knew that he couldn’t live without her, either. She figured in another century or two, he’d give up.

Unlike the Myrmidons. There were only three of them left, for which Helen was grateful. She knew they would hunt her forever, always seeking a way to get rid of her. Hector watched the family like a hawk and kept on the alert for Myrmidons. Helen had the sneaking suspicion that he liked it that way. Hector was always happiest when there was someone close to him who needed protecting.

The one person Hector couldn’t save was Ariadne. She was devastated about Matt and was starting to pull away from the family. Helen checked in on her every day, but she knew there was no solution. Ariadne would miss him always. At least she and Helen had that in common.

Things were still a bit shaky between Lucas and Orion, despite the fact that Orion did little more than hold Cassandra’s hand. Helen knew from experience that Orion would wait as long as he had to for Cassandra to be ready for something more, but Lucas was still keeping his eye on the situation. Helen supposed a big brother was a big brother, especially when the guy that’s following his little sister around like a puppy was an actual Adonis, like Orion. Eventually, Lucas would come around. Cassandra and Orion were opposites in a lot of ways, but they obviously adored each other more and more with every passing day. Helen couldn’t think of two people who deserved happiness more than they did.

Except maybe Daphne.

Helen knew her mother had done some terrible things; most of them to Helen herself, but Helen didn’t feel anger when she thought about Daphne. She felt sadness. She truly hoped that Hades gave Daphne her wish and reunited her with Ajax in the Elysian Fields. She’d earned it, after all. In the end, Helen’s wicked witch of a mother turned out to be quite the hero.

Last on Helen’s list of never-ending worries was Zeus. She could still feel him in Everyland when she turned her concentration to it, which she did several times a day, just to make sure.

Everyland. The loss of it still hurt like crazy, but even setting foot there would be impossible for Helen now. She’d taken Zeus by surprise when she’d tricked him, but she had no illusions about what would happen if she tried to go back to Everyland. Zeus would be ready for her, and he’d send her to Tartarus before she took three steps. That didn’t stop Helen from dreaming of it every night. When she closed her eyes, Helen could smell the wildflowers and hear the wind.

“Helen,” Lucas whispered, waking her. Her head was in his lap, and his hand was stroking her hair. “I have to go.”

Helen sat up on the couch and nodded, rubbing her forehead and trying to shake off the dream. Lucas narrowed his eyes, studying her.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently. “Was it Everyland again?”

“Always,” she admitted, looking down at her hands.

“Helen! Come upstairs, now,” her father called down impatiently. “It’s time for Lucas to go home.”

Helen and Lucas grinned at each other and stood. They both thought it was adorable when Jerry got overprotective.

“I’ll be right back,” Lucas whispered in her ear, brushing his lips across the sensitive skin on her jaw before pulling quickly away.

“Tease,” Helen whispered as he went to the door.

“Good night, Mr. Hamilton,” Lucas called upstairs as he left.

“
Good night
, Lucas,” Jerry replied testily.

About an hour later, Helen heard a tap on the window that Mr. Tanis had finally fixed about a week earlier, and she rushed to open it. Lucas soared into her bedroom silently, dusted with snow. Helen started kissing him before he even had a chance to land, guiding his weightless body to her bed and pulling him down over her.

“Hold on a sec,” he said with a warm smile. Lucas held up a wrapped present and gave it to Helen. “I couldn’t wait for Christmas.”

She peeled the wrapper off as quietly as possible, both of them listening for the sound of her dad waking, and found a framed picture of a single white flower. When Helen looked closer, she saw it was actually a dried wildflower, pressed and mounted behind glass.

Tears filled her eyes instantly. It was the only thing from her world that existed in this one—the only souvenir she had of Everyland.

“Thank you,” Helen whispered, clutching the frame to her chest.

Lucas nodded, wiping her tears away. He took the picture out of her hands and placed it on the table next to her bed before standing.

“Where’s your swimsuit?” he asked, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

“W-why?” Helen replied, confused. It was twenty degrees out. And snowing. Helen was immortal, not crazy.

“Because you’re going to need it when we get to Puerto Rico. It’ll still be dark for a few more hours, but we can swim, watch the sunrise, and be back before your dad wakes up.”

Helen jumped off the bed and rushed to her dresser. She pulled out a little red polka-dot bikini and waved it in the air like a flag before grabbing her coat and stuffing it in the pocket.

“Live every day like it’s our last day on Earth together,” she said, beginning their new motto as she jumped out the window.

“For forever if we can get away with it,” Lucas finished, joyfully following her.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This is hard. It takes a small miracle to get a trilogy out into the world, and there are a lot of people who have worked very hard to make that miracle happen for me. I’m just about to forget half of them. Two people I can’t forget, mostly because they call/text/email me about every ten minutes, are my amazing agent, Mollie Glick, and my fearless manager, Rachel Miller. They have been my guides, my cheerleaders, and my champions every step of the way, and I am blessed to have them in my life. Stephanie Abou, Rachel Hetch, and Kathleen Hamblin have been my go-to team for all things foreign and confusing, and I can’t thank them enough for their expertise and support. Heather Toth, the Chancellor, has proven her infinite patience by answering all of my dumb questions and keeping track of my crazy life. My ever-understanding editor, Barbara Lalicki, and her ninja of an assistant, Alyssa Miele, have helped both shape my story and shepherd it through the vagaries of the publishing world. Many thanks to them both. I want to give lots of love to my beta readers and fellow “Elevensies” authors, Amy Plum and Tara Hudson, for their encouragement and support. The past two years have been quite a trip, and it’s been a joy to share it with them. My friends and family know the drill at this point, but just in case, I want to send them my love. And lastly, I want to thank my husband, Albert. Quite simply, there would be no
Starcrossed
trilogy without him.