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“I don’t know,” she mumbled in a lost way as they reached out and wrapped their arms around each other. “Nothing helps.”
“You have to move on, Helen,” he said desperately.
“I know that!” she cried, resting her chin on his shoulder. The more she thought about letting him go, the tighter she squeezed him. “But I can’t.”
“Forget about me,” he insisted. “That’s the only way either of us is going to survive this.”
“How am I supposed to forget you?” Helen asked, laughing weakly at such a silly suggestion. “You’re too big a part of me. I’d have to forget who I am to forget you.”
Holding Lucas the way she was, she caught a glimpse of their reflection in the vanity mirror opposite her bed. It startled her. Just as she was saying the word forget, she was staring at the word REMEMBER.
She’d totally forgotten she even had a vanity.
She hadn’t looked at it or even acknowledged that it was in her room for over a month now. Written on the mirror in viper-green eyeliner were the words THE RIVER I CAN’T REMEMBER and I SAW IT AGAIN. That’s funny. She and Orion were looking for a river, right?
“Wait,” Helen said, pulling back and looking at Lucas. “Is there a river in the Underworld that makes you forget everything?”
“Lethe,” Lucas answered immediately. “The souls of dead Scions drink from the River Lethe to forget their former lives before they are reborn.”
“The Furies define themselves as ‘the ones who can never forgive and never forget,’ right? But what if they were forced to forget everything, even who they are?”
“They would forget all the blood debts. The Scions would be free,” Lucas said, so softly it was like a sigh.
A moment later they were both looking around the room, confused. Helen’s entire train of thought had derailed and went skidding off the tracks.
“What river was that again?” she asked through an embarrassed grin. “It’s this thing with how I navigate down there. I have to be really specific, or I’ll never get there.”
“Ah . . . I know it. . . .” Lucas wavered for a moment, laughing at himself for being so absentminded. “Lethe! You want to get to the River Lethe!”
“Lethe. Right! Okay . . . so. What do I do once I get there?”
“I don’t know,” he said, a hint of fear creeping into his voice. “Do you see what’s happening?”
“Yeah,” Helen said, balling her fists and trying to stay on point. “This river won’t let me remember anything once I start thinking about it. That means I shouldn’t try to think about it, right?”
“That’s right. Don’t think about it, just do what you need to do.” Lucas turned and fished through Helen’s nightstand, taking out an old pen. He scribbled the words Lethe and Furies on her forearm and then he sat and stared at her in confusion. “I have no idea why I just did that.”
“Okay. Great. I’m going to descend now,” Helen announced tersely, already getting confused and deciding that she should act before she had a chance to think about it too much. “And in case I forget everything, including to come back, I want you to know that I still love you.”
“I still love you, too.” A smiled tugged at his lips. “Are you late for something?”
“I think so. I’d better go.”
Helen lay back, looking up at Lucas, who was smiling peacefully down on her. There was nothing here to fear, but Helen had a sneaking suspicion she should be afraid.
“Don’t tell Orion!” Lucas said urgently, like it had just occurred to him. “It’ll make him forget. You just remember where to go and then let him remember what you need to do once you get there.”
“Okay,” Helen sighed as she snuggled down into the covers. She was so cold. “Compartmentalize. That’s the key to winning the battle.”
“It is,” he said in a distant voice. He stared at her face, smiling softly.
“Why are we even trying to stay away from each other?” Helen wondered aloud, trying to keep her heavy eyes open. “We’re perfect together.”
“We are,” he mused. Lucas shivered suddenly. “It’s getting colder, like the temperature just dropped suddenly.”
“It’s always so cold in here.” She pouted, brushing at the ice crystals forming on her blanket. “Why don’t you get under the covers and keep me warm?”
“Okay,” he said, and although he frowned like something about getting into bed with Helen bothered him, he did it, anyway. He spooned against her back, and Helen sighed as he pulled her tightly against his chest. She tried to turn around and kiss him, but he stopped her, his teeth chattering as he spoke. “You’re tired. Go to sleep, Helen.”
