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know, Gig.” Helen looked over at her best friend. Claire was pale with fear and lack of sleep. “But if any of them try to hurt any of us, I’ll fight them with everything I’ve got.”
    Claire smiled, finally relaxing a little. “Eat your soup,” she admonished suddenly, like it just occurred to her.
    Helen snickered and obeyed. She knew this was Claire’s way of reassuming her usual role as the boss, and she dutifully reached for her spoon while she thought about the gods. They might not be smiting any mountaintops just yet, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t out and about. After thousands of years in a prison, they had to be back on Earth, but where were they? The Scions were weak and scattered. If the gods wanted to fight them, now would be the time to strike. What were they waiting for? Helen took a few sips of soup before noticing Claire’s wide eyes.
    “What is it?” Helen asked around her food.
    “You never picked up your spoon,” Claire responded, her eyes unblinking as she stared at Helen’s hand. “You held out your hand, and it just flew to you.”
    Helen looked at the spoon and tried to remember picking it up. She remembered reaching for it, but that was it. She put the spoon down and held her hand over it. Nothing happened.
    “I think you need to go back to bed, Gig,” Helen said with a dubious smile.
    “Yeah. Maybe you’re right,” Claire said, but she didn’t look convinced.
    When Helen finished her large breakfast, Claire helped her back upstairs and into the shower. While Helen scrubbed away the last of the blood and dirt, Claire sat on top of the sink rubbing lotion absentmindedly on her legs and feet, keeping herself handy in case Helen got woozy.
    “Are you sure you don’t need help?” Claire asked for the tenth time.
    “I’m sure.” Helen laughed as she toweled off. “Honestly, I feel pretty good.”
    “You really are the strongest, aren’t you?”
    Helen looked away. Although she and Claire had showered together after track meets a million times and were not the least bit shy around each other, Helen suddenly felt naked. She didn’t like Claire thinking she was some kind of . . . well, demigod. They were more than best friends. They were sisters, really, and Helen hated to be reminded that there was anything unequal about them.
    “What makes you say that?” she asked in a tense voice. Claire pursed her lips.
    “You should see the guys as soon as you’re done.”
    “My dad first,” Helen said with a definitive nod.
    Claire helped Helen dress and then let Helen lean on her as they made their way down the hallway. The door was open so she could see Jerry lying in bed, and Kate sitting up in a chair next to him. Both of them were fast asleep. Jerry was so thin and wan that Helen didn’t want to believe it was her dad. She had to remind herself that she should be grateful, but it was difficult to feel anything but fear when he looked so ill.
    They walked a few paces down to Hector’s room. Helen could hear deep, male voices behind the door. It sounded like all the guys were in there. They knocked and went in to find that Hector had moved Jason and Lucas in with Orion.
    Helen had another vision or memory, or whatever it was. All the men were bunking together in a tent at the middle of a large, dusty camp—the siege camp just beneath the great wall of Troy. She shook her head, and the vision cleared.
    “Aren’t you all a little old for a pajama party?” Claire teased.
    The guys laughed gingerly at Claire’s joke.
    “I got sick of running up and down the hall to check on them, so I just carried all the beds in here,” Hector admitted sheepishly.
    Hector the Protector, Helen thought. He could never bear to be away from any of his men when they were injured—whether they were indispensable generals like Aeneas, or simple foot soldiers. That’s why every man in his army loved him and followed him to certain death.
    Helen shook her head and tried to blink