The Helicon Muses Omnibus: Books 1-4

by V. J. Chambers

  “Nora,” said Phoebe, looking surprised. “Are you here to see me?”

  Nora nodded. “That song was absolutely beautiful.”

  Phoebe smiled back. “It’s one of my favorites. Do you sing, Nora?”

  “A little,” said Nora.

  “That’s right, you’re the sculptor, aren’t you?”

  Nora shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet, I guess.”

  “Well, you don’t have to decide anything,” said Phoebe. In Helicon, while some muses chose one enclave to stick to, others never chose and flitted amongst several. “Did you want to talk to me about something?”

  “Can we walk?” asked Nora. “I’m not sure if I want to say it in front of everyone else.”

  “Certainly.”

  They set off over the grass, leaving the music enclave to stroll through the meadow in the center of Helicon. Nora explained what had happened with the flowers and her theory that Owen was somehow able to make things appear in Helicon without actually being there. “I didn’t say anything to anyone else,” she finished. “They all think I’m crazy. Is what I’m theorizing even possible?”

  Phoebe’s smile had faded into a grave expression. “I think it could be possible. And I don’t think I’d sense if it were going on. Helicon has its own magic, you know, and so many muses are using it all the time. It would make it difficult for me to distinguish one from the other.”

  Nora felt relieved. Phoebe believed her! For a while, she’d wondered if she was going insane. Then she felt apprehensive. Phoebe hadn’t outright dismissed the fact that Owen was affecting Helicon. That meant he might really be doing this, no matter what Sawyer and Maddie said, and they were all in danger.

  “You say you touched the flower. You’re positive it was there?”

  “Either it was there, or I’m losing my mind. My friends seem to think it’s the latter.”

  Phoebe chuckled softly. “I know that what happened with Owen was traumatic for you. I’m sure that it does worry you from time to time.”

  “Yeah.” Was Phoebe trying to wiggle out of believing her now?

  “You know Owen better than any of us, however,” said Phoebe. “I underestimated him before, and I don’t want to make that mistake again. You remember telling me before that Owen planned to take over Helicon?”

  Nora nodded. She’d discovered this while spying on Owen. He felt that the security enclave would do a better job protecting Helicon from threats than the council currently did. Nora had to admit that she shared his low opinion of the council, but she didn’t think having Owen run things would solve anything.

  “Do you think he still has that as a goal?”

  Nora chewed on her lip. “He wants me. That’s all I’m sure of. And both of the things that have appeared in Helicon—the message and the flowers—have been meant for me.”

  Phoebe nodded. “It does appear that way. Maybe this is all an adolescent attempt to shake up the girl who jilted him. I hope that’s all it is.” She turned to Nora. “Not that I’m not concerned for your safety and comfort, Nora. I am.”

  “I understand,” said Nora.

  “I’ll ask Coeus to make something that can track any magic coming in from the mundane world. I’m afraid we’re not used to danger here in Helicon. No one’s threatened or hurt us since Nimue.”

  Nimue! Owen’s mother. When Nora had been in the cave, inside the inspiration thread where she’d seen Phoebe, she’d thought there was something familiar about that woman Phoebe had been arguing with. Now she realized what it was. The woman had looked like Owen. Maybe she had been Nimue. “What did Nimue want with Helicon anyway? It didn’t have anything to do with muse children, did it?” It was risky saying something like that. Phoebe could figure out they’d been somewhere they shouldn’t have been. But Nora couldn’t resist. She was curious.

  Phoebe raised her eyebrows. “Been asking around about Nimue, have you? I’m surprised you got anyone to talk about her at all. It’s a pretty painful memory for most muses.”

  Oh. She was right. It had been Nimue. Why would Nimue want a muse child? “What did Nimue do, anyway?”

  “You got someone to tell you about the child, but not about the massacre?” Phoebe narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you never met her?”

  Oh, crap. Now she’d gone and made Phoebe suspicious for the wrong reasons. And what massacre? “Never. Owen never even talked about her.”

  Phoebe was quiet for a moment. “Well, you’ve let me know about your suspicions. I’m sure you’ll feel better knowing I’m keeping my eye on you.”

  But why did it sound as if Phoebe wasn’t sure if she trusted Nora anymore? Before Nora could say anything, Phoebe had turned and begun walking quickly back to the music enclave. Nora was confused. Why had saying something about a muse child made Phoebe say she’d be keeping an eye on Nora? And what was this massacre that Nora had never heard about?

  * * *

  The next morning Nora woke up feeling apprehensive. She planned to eat breakfast with her best friends. She always had. And she was pretty sure that Agler was going to want to eat with his best friend, Jack. So they would probably be eating together. She didn’t have any problem eating with Agler. It wasn’t like she was mad at him or anything. But the last time they’d talked hadn’t been pleasant, and Nora was sure seeing him was going to be awkward. But she wasn’t going to let that keep her from eating with Maddie and Sawyer, so she headed for the food enclave just like always.

  She ran into Agler on the way. She wasn’t sure what to do. To ignore him would be rude, but she didn’t have any idea what to say to him. So, she let her step match his so that they were walking together. “Hi.”

  He looked at her and stopped short. “Nora.”

  He knew her name. She glanced around, hoping for some idea of what to say to come to her. “Nice weather today.” As if the weather weren’t always the same in Helicon.

  He shook his head. “You confuse the hell out of me, Nora Sparrow.”

  “Because I said hello?” Was she supposed to have ignored him? Except for Owen, Nora had never really dated, so maybe she didn’t understand the way breaking up was supposed to work. Of course, they hadn’t technically been dating, so they hadn’t actually broken up.

  He sighed. “Maybe it would be easier if we didn’t, you know, talk for a while.”

  Oh. Nora dropped her gaze.

  “Unless, I mean, you’ve... changed your mind?”

  Nora fidgeted. “It’s not that I don’t like you, Agler—”

  “I’ve heard all of this.” He jammed his hands in his pockets. “Look, I know it’s only been two months since Owen left Helicon. But this thing with us started way before that. If Owen hadn’t screwed with my head, we’d already have been together since last summer. So I can’t help but feel that it’s not really about whatever you keep talking about. Maybe you just don’t really like me anymore.”

  “He killed Dirk!”

  “He was a controlling dickwad before that,” said Agler. “You liked me at Halloween. Something changed between then and now.”

  “Yeah, my ex became more than a dickwad. He became a murderer.”

  “So if it’s all about that, then why is that never what you talk about? Why is it always about being tied down or whatever?”

  Nora chewed on her lip. Was he right? Had something changed between Halloween and now? When she thought back on that time, she realized she would have been happy to be Agler’s girlfriend. They’d come back from the mundane world kissing. She’d been carried away by her feelings for him. Was she really standoffish because of Owen murdering Dirk or was it about something else?

  “Yeah,” said Agler, “that’s what I thought.” He started walking again.

  When she got to breakfast, Agler didn’t sit with them. Jack didn’t either.

  Since she wasn’t sure if Sawyer would want to talk about it in front of Daryl, she waited until after breakfast to ask him about Jack’s absence.

  They were walkin
g away from the food enclave, towards the fabric and clothing enclave. Nora had decided to hang out there for the day. She wasn’t in the visual art mood.

  Sawyer shrugged. “Jack can sit where ever he wants for breakfast. I don’t own him.”

  “Well, you guys aren’t still having problems after the argument you had on Valentine’s Day, are you?” Nora would feel very guilty about that, considering that it was her they were arguing about.

  “We, um, didn’t really talk about it.”

  Nora cringed. “This is all my fault.”

  Sawyer looked at her sidelong. “How do you figure that?”

  Nora sighed. “Maybe I do want to date Agler.”

  “I’m sure you do. When you’re ready for that.” Sawyer put an arm around her. “He needs to stop pushing you. He’s got to see that he’s only pushing you away.”

  Nora rested her head on Sawyer’s shoulder as they walked. “But he said something today that made me think. I wanted to date him after Halloween. Why did things change?”

  “You went through a lot. And, through no fault of his own, Agler wasn’t around for any of it.”

  “No, you were. You were the only one.” Owen’s mind tricks hadn’t worked on Sawyer. “I was lucky to have you.”

  “You always have me. That’s what friends are for. And if Agler were being a friend, instead of a jerk, he’d know to give you time.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want to give me time. Maybe he doesn’t want to wait. Maybe I’m not worth it to him.”

  “Then he’s an idiot. Because you’re way worth it.” Sawyer squeezed her shoulder, and she hugged him back.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I’m so glad you’re coming with me,” said Maddie as the two of them walked amongst the tents in the food enclave.

  “Why couldn’t Daryl come again?” asked Nora. She was going to dinner with Maddie’s family in the place of Daryl, who had backed out at the last minute.

  “He got recruited to help engineering repair toilets in the story enclave and he said Coeus wouldn’t let him out of it.”

  Nora raised her eyebrows. “That doesn’t sound like Coeus.”

  Maddie shrugged. “Apparently, he’s a hardass. And he never lets anyone out of toilet repair duty, no matter what. I guess people try to get out of it a lot.”

  Nora guessed that made sense. If Coeus went around making exceptions, everyone would take advantage of that. “It’s too bad, though. Has he even met your parents?”

  “Once or twice in passing,” said Maddie. “But this was supposed to be our first big, sit-down dinner.”

  “Sorry,” said Nora, “I’m a poor substitute for a boyfriend.”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Maddie. “I’m just glad not to be going there on my own. I can’t handle seeing my mom these days.” She made a face. “I’ve lost ten pounds or so, but I bet she won’t even notice.”

  Nora had seen that her friend was getting quite svelt these days. “You look great. But I thought you looked great before, you know.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to say stuff like that after I’ve lost weight.”

  Maddie had always been a little on the pudgy side, but Nora had always considered it a pleasant pudge. Maddie’s roundness was part of her personality. Nora wasn’t sure she’d be quite the same if she was super skinny. But she wanted Maddie to be happy, and if this was what it took, then so be it.

  Maddie pointed out a big tent made of patched blue and green fabric ahead of them. The tent wasn’t the typical, small cone shape that Nora was used to seeing in the tweens and rebels enclave. Instead, it sprawled over a wide area with five or six peaks of various heights poking out of the top. There was even a chimney in the center, with smoke pouring out. Nora pointed at it. “Doesn’t your family get hot?”

  Maddie nodded. “All the time. But my dad is so proud of having his own wood-burning oven, there’s not much we can do about it. We just stay out of the kitchen.” She smiled wryly.

  Nora followed Maddie into the tent. They emerged into a pleasantly disordered room. Two sagging couches sat at right angles to each other. They were both covered in pillows and tapestries. The floor was swathed in the special fabric that the clothing enclave made—the kind that repelled water. A fat orange cat lazed on the arm of one of the couches.

  Maddie strode through the room without giving it a second glance. She led Nora deeper into the tent, past other cluttered rooms full of stacks of paper, furniture, and hammocks. Eventually, they came out into a round circular area that was open to the sky. Vegetables were growing inside a wire fence. In one corner, there was a belching wood stove, and a man with a round belly tended it. He looked up when the two entered and ran to Maddie, engulfing her in a big hug.

  “Maddiekins!” he exclaimed, planting a big kiss on her forehead.

  Maddie rolled her eyes sideways, clearly uncomfortable. “Hi, Dad.” She extricated herself from his embrace. “This is my friend Nora.”

  Maddie’s dad pumped Nora’s hand energetically. “James. Nice to meet you.”

  Nora smiled. She found herself liking James right away, even though it was obvious that he embarrassed Maddie.

  “Your mom’s out behind the tent, working on setting the table, I think. You two can give her a hand,” said James.

  They had to go through the other side of the tent to get outside, but once they did, they found Maddie’s mother Doreen bustling over a wooden table laden with steaming dishes of fragrant vegetables. She gave both Maddie and Nora hugs. “It’s so good to see you, Nora.” She turned to Maddie. “I’m sorry your beau couldn’t come.”

  “He wanted to,” said Maddie.

  “Well, I told James that maybe we should talk to Coeus ourselves,” said Doreen. “After all, we had this planned for weeks. He thought I’d embarrass the boy though, so I didn’t.”

  A tiny boy streaked across the grass, heading for the tent. Doreen moved into his path and caught him. She pulled several toys out of his hands and grabbed him by the chin. “You need to scurry to the bathhouse and wash up for dinner.”

  The boy grimaced. “Mom!”

  “Scrub your face while you’re at it. You are positively filthy.”

  He made a swipe for one of the toys she’d taken from him.

  She held it out of his reach. “Scrub.”

  With slumped shoulders, the little boy trudged off.

  “My brother Mike,” said Maddie.

  Nora was feeling a little wistful. She’d never had a family really, unless you counted Owen, who Nora was determined not to count. In the mundane world, she’d been shuffled from foster home to foster home. And when she got to Helicon, she discovered that her real mother had left her in the babies and toddlers enclave and never claimed her. While she was never made to feel different or inferior in Helicon for not knowing her family, she did sometimes feel like she’d missed out on something.

  Doreen put them to work right away, putting silverware and plates on the table and pouring drinks. Nora wasn’t surprised to see that everyone in the family was being served meade. The muses weren’t particularly uptight about alcohol, even though flagrant public drunkenness was frowned upon outside of feasts and festivals. Of course, in the tweens and rebels enclave, there didn’t seem to be nearly the same amount of disapproval.

  Within a few minutes, James came back in with stacks of flatbread from the oven, and little Mike returned as well. As they sat down to eat, Doreen fussed over the fact that he hadn’t done a particularly good job washing his face.

  The food was divine, if simple. They were dining on vegetables in flavorful sauces, with crusty bread straight from the oven as a vehicle into their mouths. Nora closed her eyes as she chewed, enjoying the deliciousness.

  Little Mike was getting sauce all over his face. Doreen scolded him about it, but he only laughed. Flaring her nostrils, she turned on Maddie. “I must say it’s nice to be seeing our only daughter for once. You only come into the food enclave to eat these days.
”

  James winked at her. “Oh, Doreen, seriously. You remember when we were in the tweens and rebels enclave, especially in those early days. We weren’t thinking about our parents.”

  She sniffed. “Well, maybe not, but I do remember giving a serious amount of thought to being creative, and I don’t see how Maddie’s going to be a cook if she never actually cooks.”

  Maddie swallowed the bite she had in her mouth, a sour expression overtaking her features. “Can we not do this right now, Mom?”

  “When else would we do it? I hardly see you as it is.”

  Maddie sighed heavily. “You know that I don’t cook in the food enclave because I don’t want to be a cook.”

  Doreen took a drink of her meade. “Not this dancing business again.”

  Maddie drew in a shuddering breath, as if she was having trouble keeping herself under control. “You saw me at the May Day festivities last year, didn’t you?”

  “I did, and it was not lost on me that you were probably the plumpest of those dancers. You stuck out like a sore thumb.”

  Nora was starting to feel uncomfortable. She generally liked Maddie’s mother, but the woman was far too harsh on Maddie. “I thought she looked amazing. You should also know that Maddie picked up the dance the quickest out of all of us.”

  James smiled. “We were very proud of you, Maddiekins.”

  Mike ripped off a large chunk of flatbread. “Maddie can’t be a dancer because she is too fat.”

  Doreen snatched the bread away. “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, young man. There is no way you’ll eat that much.” She gave him half of what he’d taken.

  When no one else said anything, Nora burst out, “Maddie’s not fat.”

  “Of course not dear,” said Doreen. “She’s beautiful the way she is. But she doesn’t have the body of a dancer.”

  Nora wanted to protest, but she didn’t want to be rude. She shoved bread in her mouth to keep from saying anything.

  “I’ve lost weight,” Maddie said defiantly.

  “Have you,” said Doreen.

  Nora chewed and swallowed. “This sure is delicious, Mr. and Mrs. Salt. Thanks for having me over.”