The Helicon Muses Omnibus: Books 1-4

by V. J. Chambers

  “Exile?” said Nora. “But he’s powerful, even in the mundane world—”

  “I’m working on a binding spell,” said Phoebe. “He won’t be able to draw on the power of Helicon again.”

  “He’ll want to come back,” said Nora. “When he was talking to Dirk, he called this place home. He still thinks of it that way.”

  “Nora, if you’re suggesting we kill him, we don’t do things like that in Helicon.”

  “But he deserves it,” said Nora. And I’m scared of him. Scared he’ll come back. Scared he’ll come for me. He always wants me.

  “Exile,” said Phoebe. “He won’t be able to get back. He won’t hurt you, Nora. Trust me.”

  Nora pulled her blankets closer.

  Later, Phoebe and Coeus took Owen’s still unconscious body away, leaving Nora and Sawyer in Phoebe’s tent.

  “Would you really have thrown him off the edge?” Sawyer asked.

  Nora took a sip of her cider, which was getting cold. “In the mundane world, people kill each other every day, you know? And in some places, if you kill someone, the government kills you for doing that.”

  “Well, that sounds barbaric,” said Sawyer. “The government’s no better than the killer then.”

  Nora chewed on her lip. “I loved him, you know. He...got inside my head. He used my love against me. He’s horrible. Everything about him is horrible.”

  “Yeah,” said Sawyer. “But if you did that, Nora, you’d be horrible too.”

  She burrowed under the blankets. “Well, I didn’t do it, did I? But I hope I never see him again.”

  “I’m with you there,” said Sawyer. He pulled a chair over next to Nora’s. He studied his fingernails. “Listen, um, about back there? You know, when I saw you were okay?”

  Oh. Right. Sawyer had kissed her. She looked up at him, and at that moment, he looked up too. They stared into each other’s eyes for a minute. Nora hadn’t realized that Sawyer’s eyes were a sort of sea-foam color, or that he had long pale lashes.

  Sawyer looked away.

  “You’re gay, aren’t you?” said Nora. “I mean, or you’re a woman trapped in a man’s body or whatever.”

  “It’s not exactly like that,” said Sawyer. He sat back. “I guess it’s more like I don’t feel like a girl or a guy. Or like I feel like both. Or...” He glanced up at her again. “But, yeah, I’ve always been attracted to men.”

  “That’s what I thought,” said Nora. “You were happy to see me. That’s all.” She shrugged.

  He nodded, smiling. “Yeah. That’s all.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Friends can occasionally kiss on the lips, and it not be weird, especially when they’ve both just narrowly escaped death.”

  “So it’s not weird?” he said.

  “Not at all.”

  “Good.” He sounded relieved.Outside

  * * *

  Phoebe’s tent, the celebration of the Solstice had grown solemn as the muses were all gathered around Dirk’s lifeless body. Alexander stood behind his wife, who had thrown herself onto Dirk’s chest. She was sobbing. Alexander looked blank, stunned. Nora’s heart went out to both of them.

  Maddie and Agler pushed through the crowd to be next to Sawyer and Nora. They both had drawn faces. Nora embraced Maddie.

  Maddie cried into Nora’s dress. “I didn’t mean to do any of that. I swear I didn’t. It was so awful. It was like I was watching myself do things, and I couldn’t stop it.”

  “It was Owen,” said Nora. “Don’t worry about it. You’re all right now?”

  Agler nodded. “Owen’s influence switched off about a half hour ago. I found Maddie, and we’ve been looking for you guys ever since.”

  Nora released Maddie. The four stared at Dirk’s body, half lit up in the fire from the fire pit. Everything seemed horrible right now. Nora swallowed. Tears threatened.

  She felt Agler’s arm on her shoulders, and she gratefully sagged into him, letting him draw her close. She looked up at him to see him gazing down into her eyes. “You’re okay now,” he said. “Everything’s okay.”

  * * *

  It was dark, and Owen couldn’t move his hands or feet. He awoke, thrashing against the ropes that bound him fast. He opened his eyes, but he was blindfolded. Strong hands held his shoulders, pushing him down against the ground.

  A voice. Female. Cold. “Owen Asher, you have violated the sanctity of Helicon.” Phoebe Rain. Owen’s lip curled in disgust. He reached out for her mind, intending to force her to untie him, but he ran into a barrier. She was safe from him.

  Her cold voice continued. “You have used the power of Helicon to hurt and manipulate. You have threatened violence and performed violence. You have taken the life of another person. For all these reasons, we do hereby exile you from Helicon, the world of the muses, and strip you of any access or power connected to our realm. May the Fates guide you now, you lost soul.”

  And suddenly, Owen felt as if every part of his body was being compressed. His lungs squeezed together, and he struggled to breathe. Everything hurt. He shrieked in agony.

  A thud. His body hitting something hard, like concrete. Car horns. Conversation. Owen opened his eyes to find he was no longer tied or blindfolded. Instead, he lay on a sidewalk in the mundane world. He sat up. He sighed.

  This was a setback.

  GOODBYE BLUE SKY

  Goodbye Blue Sky

  The Helicon Muses, Book Two

  by V. J. Chambers

  Nora Sparrow wants to feel safe now that her crazed ex-boyfriend Owen has been exiled from Helicon, the land of the muses. She wants nothing more than to sculpt, dance, and play, the way a muse should. But her fear of Owen casts a shadow over everything. She can’t even commit to a relationship, because she fears being smothered and controlled.

  Everyone else thinks the threatening message in the snow was a joke. They think Nora’s anxious mind conjured up the bouquet of dead flowers in her tent. But Nora knows that Owen is still after her. Nothing will stand in the way of his obsessive desire to possess her.

  Not even exile.

  Goodbye Blue Sky

  The Helicon Muses, Book Two

  by V. J. Chambers

  CHAPTER ONE

  Nora Sparrow was lying on the floor of her tent, dangling a piece of string in front of her pet cat-duckling, Catling. Catling was half-duckling, half kitten. Her head and neck were a cat, but her bottom quarters were a duck, even though she was covered all over in soft black and white fur, not feathers. Catling had the instincts of a cat, and she wanted to bat at the string, but her webbed feet couldn’t manage it, so she was attacking it with her mouth, seizing the string with her teeth. Nora giggled, watching the cat-duck hop around on her duck feet as Nora pulled the string further and further out of her pet’s reach.

  Someone pulled aside the opening of her tent. “Nora?”

  Nora rolled over and scrambled to her feet. “Hey Agler,” she said, facing him.

  “Can I come in?” Agler asked.

  Nora debated. She was in the middle of a very confusing relationship with Agler. A month ago, her ex-boyfriend Owen had been exiled from Helicon, the land of the muses, where she and Agler lived. Owen had left a dead body in his wake, and he’d manipulated the minds of several of the muses. Afterwards, Nora had been pretty upset. Agler had been comforting. So, maybe she’d sort of heavily made out with him a couple times. But Nora didn’t think she was ready to actually date anyone, not even Agler, who was nice and intelligent and had freckles. She took in his tall form, his long sandy dreadlocks, and his easy-going smile. Did she want him to come in? She decided to leave her tent instead. It might be less awkward if they weren’t in an enclosed space together.

  Agler stepped out of the way to let her out.

  “What’s up?” Nora asked.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You weren’t at the council meeting tonight.”

  Every night in Helicon, the muses met for a meeting of the muse council. M
ostly, it was boring talk in which certain enclaves complained about other enclaves, and more often than not, Nora skipped it. Agler seemed to find it fascinating, however, and he attended council meetings pretty regularly. She shrugged. “I wasn’t feeling up for it.”

  “They announced that it’s going to snow tomorrow,” he said.

  The muses had control of the weather in Helicon. Most of the time, it was summer there, but once a year in January, there was a week full of snow. Nora grinned. “Cool.”

  “I was wondering if you wanted to go to the clothing and fabric enclave to pick up snow stuff,” he said.

  Last year, Nora hadn’t been prepared, and her best friend Maddie had hiked through the snow to bring her boots and warm clothes. Maddie loved the snow. “Sure,” said Nora. “Maddie’s going to be so excited. I’ll get her to come with us and Sawyer too.” Sawyer was her other best friend. He was gay and fond of wearing women’s clothing.

  Agler looked at his shoes. “I was kind of wondering if it could be just the two of us. We haven’t hung out alone in a while.”

  Right. Not since a few weeks ago when Nora had found herself smashing her face up against his. The whole thing was awkward. She liked Agler a lot. And he was a really good kisser. But she was wary of making any kind of commitments in regards to boys. She didn’t want to be tied down. She didn’t want anyone telling her where to go and what to do. She was free now, without a boyfriend, and she liked it. But she guessed that kissing Agler occasionally was sort of leading him on, and it probably wasn’t very nice. She chewed on her lip, unsure of what to say.

  “We could pick clothes up for them while we’re there.” He grinned. “I’m not asking you to let your friends freeze.”

  Maybe it would be better to simply clear the air and let him know how she truly felt. “Look, Agler, I really like you, but I’m not sure I really want to jump into anything serious right now.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware that walking to the clothing and fabric enclave was something serious.”

  She felt embarrassed. “You said you wanted to be alone with me, so I thought...”

  He shrugged. “If you don’t want to go—”

  “No, it’s fine,” said Nora. “That would be great. I’ll need snow clothes. Let’s go.”

  They set out from the tweens and rebels enclave, where they both lived, past the greenhouses of the food enclave, towards the clothing and fabric enclave. They walked in silence for a long time.

  Finally, Agler said, “Have you been playing the drums much anymore?”

  Nora had been avoiding the music enclave specifically so she wouldn’t have to see Agler. “I’ve been working on sculpting.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t been doing music much either,” said Agler. “I’ve been in the philosophy enclave almost every day since the Winter Solstice.”

  So she could go to the music enclave, then, if he wouldn’t be there... “Philosophy makes my brain hurt,” said Nora, smiling.

  “Whatever,” said Agler. “You’re a born philosopher, Nora. You’re always thinking things through, getting to the heart of what’s going on around you. And Themis keeps asking about you.”

  Themis Branch was the head of the philosophy enclave. He’d confused Nora once with a discussion on the existence of God. “I think sculpture’s more my speed,” said Nora.

  They were quiet again, still walking. Nora supposed she should think of something to say. After all, that would be the polite thing to do. She wracked her brain for topics to discuss with no success until they reached the clothing and fabric enclave.

  Thankfully, she was saved from any further conversing by talking to the muse there, who was sitting by a table covered in piles of snow clothes. The muses had this amazing suede-like fabric that was very warm and somehow managed to repel water completely. Nora and Agler told the clothing muse what sizes they needed, and then turned back to the tweens and rebels enclave, laden with fur-edged coats, boots, gloves, and pants for both themselves and Maddie and Sawyer.

  Carrying the clothing was a little difficult, since they could hardly see over the piles in their arms, and it was also a little hot, having the warm things in their face. They walked faster on the way back, and Nora thought maybe there wouldn’t be any more conversation at all.

  But Agler stopped her, just before they got back to the enclave. “So, um, when you say you’re not interested in something serious, what does that mean exactly?”

  She peered around her bundle of snow clothes to look at him. “Uh, you know, I don’t think I’m ready for another boyfriend quite yet. Not after what Owen did.”

  Owen had controlled Agler’s mind for months last year, keeping Agler from pursuing Nora. Owen had been jealous and horrible.

  Agler’s head bobbed. “Yeah, I guess I can see that. Owen’s a jerk.”

  Nora felt relieved. It was nice that he understood.

  “If you, um, start feeling ready anytime, though, let me know?” He grinned at her.

  Nora smiled back. Agler really was a nice guy.

  * * *

  Maddie’s nose was red inside her furry hood. She was practically jumping up and down outside Nora’s tent the next morning. Actually, she probably would have been, but it was hard to jump in two feet of sparkling white snow.

  Nora had a solar-powered heater from the engineering enclave, which she left on for Catling as she joined her friend. “Geez, Maddie, it’s early.”

  “It’s snow!” said Maddie. “You have to be up early, or you miss the pristine perfect layer of it, before everyone tramps through everything and screws it up.”

  Nora had to laugh. “Did you wake up Sawyer yet?”

  “I tried,” said Maddie. “He started cursing at me. I figured I’d let you give it a shot.”

  Nora looked across the fire pit in the tweens and rebels enclave at Sawyer’s tent. “I don’t know. He was up late talking to Jack last night, wasn’t he?”

  Maddie shrugged. “I went to bed early when I heard about the snow.”

  “Maybe we should let him sleep?”

  “He’ll miss everything,” said Maddie.

  Nora started over to Sawyer’s tent. “What’s going on with those two, anyway? They’ve been ‘talking’ for months now.”

  “I know,” said Maddie. “And it’s obvious that Sawyer likes him.”

  Nora poked her head inside the opening of Sawyer’s tent. “Hey, Sawyer, you awake?”

  “Go away,” said a voice from inside the huddle of blankets in Sawyer’s hammock.

  “Maddie won’t let me,” said Nora. “She says that you’re going to miss everything.”

  Sawyer’s blond head popped out of his covers. His hair was messy, and his blue-green eyes were bloodshot. “Cold,” he said.

  “That’s why I brought you snow clothes,” Nora replied.

  Sawyer rubbed his face. “You guys aren’t going to leave me alone until I get up, are you?”

  “Nope,” said Maddie from behind Nora.

  “Fine,” Sawyer grumbled. “Let me get dressed.”

  Nora retreated to outside the tent. When she turned around, a snowball hit her square in the face. She screamed at the burst of icy coldness against her skin, and brushed it away with her gloves.

  Maddie was giggling.

  “In the face?” said Nora. “No fair.”

  Maddie held up another snowball and launched it at Nora.

  Nora ducked, scooping up snow herself. “You were out here building ammo while I was talking to Sawyer, weren’t you?”

  A snowball slammed into Nora’s leg. More giggling from Maddie.

  Nora hurled the snowball she’d just made at Maddie, but it missed her completely.

  Maddie laughed harder, throwing another snowy missile at Nora. This one exploded against Nora’s shoulder.

  Nora glared at Maddie. “I’m going to get you. When you’re least expecting it, I’m going to have a snowball ready, and—”

  Maddie threw another snowball, hit
ting Nora’s stomach.

  “Ceasefire,” said Sawyer as he came out of his tent, dressed in his snow clothes. His eyes still looked bloodshot.

  Maddie raised her arm to throw another snowball.

  “I mean it,” said Sawyer, pointing at her.

  Pouting, Maddie dropped it.

  “It’s early,” said Sawyer.

  “That’s what I said,” said Nora.

  “You guys are no fun,” said Maddie. “It’s snowing!” She twirled amongst the flakes that were falling from the sky, her brown eyes glowing.

  “I need coffee if there’s going to be this much excitement,” said Sawyer.

  “Yeah,” said Nora. “Let’s go to breakfast.”

  “Breakfast?” said Maddie. “We’ve got to get started on an epic snow sculpture.”

  “Breakfast,” said Sawyer.

  Later, their coats dripping as they hung on a rack next to the door in the main kitchen, the three watched as Sawyer made coffee.

  He dumped a heap of dark grounds into a French press. “We’re up so early that no one’s bothered to make breakfast yet.”

  “I said I’d make French toast,” said Nora.

  “And yet you’re sitting here staring at me,” said Sawyer.

  Nora got up and wandered through the kitchen to one of the large stainless steel refrigerators. She opened it and pulled out a carton of eggs.

  “I still say we don’t need breakfast,” said Maddie.

  Nora returned, setting the eggs on the counter. “We need fuel,” she said. “Hand me the bread by you, Maddie?”

  Maddie got up to grab a loaf of raisin bread. It had probably been baked yesterday. Nora loved it. It was always moist in the middle and brown and crusty at the edges. The food in Helicon was to die for.

  “Besides,” Nora continued, “I think Sawyer’s hung over.”

  “I am not,” said Sawyer. He gazed longingly at the kettle of water which he was warming over the stove as if he could force it to boil faster with his stare.