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"What the fuck—" I blinked my eyes open and dashed away tears.
Helene sighed patiently. "As I have said, you know very little. Have you never tried to heal anyone?"
"No." I pushed myself up until I was sitting in thigh high grass.
"Just as well. Neither the priests, nor the witches, would have been able to ignore it if you had. We can heal some things, but not our own deaths."
"Why would the priests care?" I asked. "Surely it's Hades's work?"
Helene grimaced. "Or Proteus. Some see the power as dark work, destined to bring bad luck to the hemitheos, or the injured person. Someone would prefer to die rather than risk their afterlives."
"You don't really believe in the gods, do you?" I asked.
Helene laughed softly and helped me to my feet. "Not really. Most things can be attributed to the actions of people."
"Including having the power in the first place?" I tried to draw in power, but found myself blocked again. I shouldn't be surprised. Whatever this woman wanted with me, I suspected it came with a shorter leash than Dex's.
"I prefer to give credit for my power to my mother, not to a deity I can't see."
"Right." I glanced over my shoulder. "You know they'll come for me."
"No, they won't. Their leader, Bain, helped us."
I blinked. "I beg your pardon. He helped you to do this?" I must be hearing things.
"Why do you think he told his men to hold?" she asked.
"Does he know what you want with me?" The idea he might have helped plan this made my skin itch. The motherfucker.
"No. He was told nothing other than to take you to a place we could retrieve you. He did that quite nicely, don't you think? Kerina knew as well." Helene turned and resumed walking.
Power must have tied me to Helene in some way, because I was forced to stumble after her until I was close enough to walk more comfortably.
"Kerina knew?" That might explain the dark looks she gave Bain, but she had done nothing to help, no warning, no indication I shouldn't accompany them on this hunt. That stung almost as hard as Bain's betrayal. The pair of motherfuckers.
When Helene didn't answer, I asked, "What if I don't help you with whatever you think you need me for?"
Helene barely turned her face. "You will obey, or you'll bemadeto obey. I don't want to break you, but this is too important to let a kid screw it up."
Her words were like an icy wind over snow. She left me in no doubt she would shatter me if she thought she had to.
"If you could just tell me, maybe Iwantto help."
"You'll be told what you need to know in due time."
The hill dipped downward, toward a dozen hobbled horses. A man stood with them, no older than me, but with dark skin and hair. Like the others in his band, he was dressed in black, but wore a bright gold ring in one side of his nose and another in his ear. A chain hung from one to the other, across his cheek.
"Luther, ready the horses and take her bond. I'm weary." Helene wound the scarf back over her head.
Luther nodded. "Sure, Hemathea." He leapt to unhobble three of the horses and drew the reigns over their necks.
At the same time, I felt a shift in the air around me. I tried to draw and still couldn't, but now I felt compelled to follow Luther. If I could get close enough, I could punch Helene, but the damned bond kept me from stepping any closer to the woman.
That might be just as well. I didn't think hurting her would go unpunished. Helene could break my bones into pieces and leave them unhealed.
Would she go that far? I decided she might, but it was best to not try to find out. I would bide my time and wait for an opportunity.
"Do you need help?" Luther asked, his voice smooth like honey. He smelled almost as sweet, but I couldn't place the scent itself.
