Helle had had a lot of bad days, but the day she was told her brother was going to die was definitely worse than anything else she’d experienced. Phrixus had been failing in health for weeks, but she’d always thought - perhaps foolishly - that he’d get better.
“We just can’t seem to figure out what it is,” said the doctor. “We can’t treat something we can’t find.”
“I’m sorry,” another doctor said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
That was when Helle ran out of the room, down the long hallway, sprinting down stairs and more hallways that she’d come to know quite well over the past two weeks. Finally she reached the doors and burst unto the sunlight.
“We just can’t seem to figure out what it is,” said the doctor. “We can’t treat something we can’t find.”
“I’m sorry,” another doctor said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
That was when Helle ran out of the room, down the long hallway, sprinting down stairs and more hallways that she’d come to know quite well over the past two weeks. Finally she reached the doors and burst unto the sunlight.
Now that she was out, the urgency was gone. She meandered around a corner and over to a bench and sat down, trying to clear her mind.
“Helle!” No such luck. It was Ino, her stepmother. “Helle, where are you?”
For a second, she contemplated not answering, but that wouldn’t work for long, and she’d get into huge trouble: not only from Ino, but from her father, who was wrapped around the woman’s finger.
She sighed, and took one last lungsful of fresh air. “I’m here.”
Instantly, a focused click-clacking was headed her way, and Ino poked her brunette beehive around the corner. The rest of her emerged, and Helle saw the usual pinched mouth, hard eyes, taut skin, and designer clothes that somehow looked strange on Ino’s body.
“Helle, that was unacceptable,” Ino barked. She always barked her sentences, like this was the army or something. “You’re making a fool out of yourself, and our family. Don’t get so emotional. It isn’t becoming. You’re brother has some incurable disease, and so what? You still must compose yourself.”
Helle felt a loathing unlike anything she’d felt before course through her, and she’d had plenty of cause to be furious at Ino. Unjust Ino, Phrixus called her. The title fit her, but at that moment, Helle had a few other choice names for her. She clenched her teeth to keep them bottled up inside. They swarmed in her throat like angry bees, stinging when she refused to release them.
Outwardly, though, she forced a smile, and said, “Right.”
“Come back in. We’re leaving, and your father has decided you may give a final goodbye to your brother.” Her tone made it quite clear that if she were in charge, they would just go.
“A final goodbye?” asked Helle.
There was a cruel glint in Ino’s eye. “You heard the doctor. It’s incurable. We’re pulling the plug, so to speak. It’s simply too expensive.”
Helle couldn’t breathe. “You mean… you’re letting him die?”
Irritation flashed across her face. “Yes, you stupid girl. We’re letting him die.”
Normally, the insult would have made her cry. Stupid. It was the one thing that got to her. Her classmates whispered it. Her teachers used euphemisms, saying that all she needed was a little extra push. Whatever it was, no matter how hard she worked, she was always the one staring at the board in confusion, the one who didn’t get it, the one who asked the same questions over and over. But this time, she barely heard it.
Her chest was constricted. Blood was roaring in her ears. Her throat tightened. It couldn’t happen. Phrixus… dead? It just didn’t work. Phrixus and dead were oxymorons.
“Helle! Are you coming or not?” Ino was at the corner of the building, hand on her hip, glaring impatiently.
Mutely, Helle stood up and followed her back in.
~*~
Phrixus was dozing when Helle came bursting into the room. Thankfully, it was a good hour during a good day, but he was still exhausted.
“Oh, Phrixus,” she said. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes. She sniffed.
“Helle,” he said. He sounded bad even to his own ears. “It’s okay.” It was a lame sentiment. Internally, he winced. It’s okay? Of course it wasn’t okay.
Truth be told, Phrixus was more worried about Helle than himself. He was ready. He’d had more than enough time, lying alone in the dark, unable to sleep. But Helle… she depended on him. He protected her.
She walked over to the bedside and tentatively grabbed his hand. Phrixus smiled at his twin and squeezed weakly.
That did it for her. She started bawling. “Shh, shh,” Phrixus soothed. “Helle Jelly, please, I have to tell you something.” He hadn’t called her that in a long time, and it seemed to be effective.
“What is it, Phrixus Butter?” she replied, smiling. He didn’t even remember how they came up with these nicknames. Truthfully, they were pretty stupid. But they were comforting, something to hold onto.
He sighed. “Helle…” he said again, stretching the word out in his mouth. “Helle, I don’t really know how to say this, so I’ll just tell it to you straight.”
“Of course,” she said curiously.
“I don’t think I’m really sick,” Phrixus blurted.
Helle’s pert little nose wrinkled. “What?”
“I mean, I’m definitely unwell,” he amended. “But I don’t think I’m sick.”
“Phrixus, you’re not making sense,” Helle said. She looked worried. “Should I call for a nurse.”
“No!” he said forcefully, almost shouting.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, taken aback.
He rubbed his temples, where the beginning of a headache was building. “No, no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… Helle, listen, I think it’s poison. And I think it’s Ino’s fault.”
“What’s poison?”
“My sickness,” he said patiently.
“You think Ino poisoned you?” She was shocked. Of course she was. His twin would never think anyone capable of poisoning someone, not even Ino. It was one of the things he liked best about her. She saw the good in everyone, believed the best of them no matter what. It was also going to cause the rest of the world to chew her up and spit her out.
“Yes,” Phrixus said simply.
“Why? I mean, how do you know?”
“It’s just… the way she looks at me. The comments she makes. And the fact that she specifically gave me a glass of water the night before I got sick.”
~*~
Aries slid the brush down Golde’s neck. The horse whickered softly in appreciation. Sighing, she rested her head against the creature’s soft fur, which really did look gold. She was Helle’s horse, but what wouldn’t Ari give to have this gorgeous, sweet, and intelligent mount for herself.
Ari had loved horses her whole life, which was how she had ended up as a stable girl for one of the richest families in California. Just three more months, she told herself. Then she was done with the tiny two-year college her parents were forcing her to attend.
She wanted to have a stable of her own. It would be part riding school, part rental stalls, and part home of the most famous show horses in the world. She would ride one herself, of course, and win every competition she entered.
“Aries?” called a small voice. She jumped. She’d been so caught up in her fantasy that she’d failed to notice Helle’s entrance.
“Yes, Helle?” she answered, forcing a pleasant tone. It was stupid, she knew, to be jealous of a twelve-year-old girl, but she was. Not that she would ever tell Helle. Helle was possibly the sweetest girl on the planet, and Ari hated herself for finding any negativity inside herself toward her.
A tear spilled out of Helle’s eye and traced a path down her smooth cheek. She didn’t bother brushing it away. “They’re going to kill Phrixus.”
“What?” Ari said.
She knew about the boy’s illness, but why would they kill him? Helle was probably just confused. This happened a lot.
The twins looked as alike as a boy and a girl could look. They had the same curly, rich dark brown hair, bright brown eyes, and olive skin. They had the same smile, the same lone dimple in their right cheek. Their laughs sounded the same, their cries were indistinguishable.
But however much they looked alike, their personalities were almost opposite. Helle was quiet, sweet, a doormat, and - ah - a little slow. Phrixus was loud, brash, a fierce defender of himself and his sister, and extremely bright. They were both optimists, however, and fiercely loyal to each other.
“They’re pulling the plug,” the girl said now, sadly. “The disease is incurable. They’re going to stop keeping him alive.”
“Ohhh… that’s terrible.” Ari’s heart went out to the girl. This was going to crush her completely. Besides, she liked Phrixus.
“And…” Helle glanced around, as if checking that no one was there, “Phrixus says that Ino poisoned him.”
Ari’s first reaction was disbelief. But as she looked at Helle’s face, which was completely serious, a seed of doubt wormed its way into her mind. She wouldn’t put it past Ino, who had made no secret with her dislike of the twins.
The thing that didn’t make sense: if it was poison, why hadn’t the doctor’s figured it out? They were still calling it an illness, after all. There could only be so many poisons in the world, and wouldn’t the medical world know about and be able to recognize them all? She couldn’t imagine perfect, pristine Ino mixing up some new concoction to poison Phrixus.
But whatever. It wasn’t like she knew anything about poisons.
“They tested for poisons, though, didn’t they?”
“Common ones. Ino wouldn’t use anything common. Plus, they were looking for ones he might have eaten accidentally, not ones that have to come from someone else,” Helle explained. Ari was impressed with her insightfulness.
Later that evening, she turned on her laptop (a graduation gift from her rather wealthy great-great-aunt) and researched poisons. Several hours later, she was weary but certain. Ino had used polonium-210.
“Liver and kidney damage ensue, along with extreme nausea and severe headaches. Victims often experience vomiting, diarrhea and hair loss,” she read aloud. Those were Phrixus’s symptoms to a T. The poor boy was already bald, and was now on a machine that pumped nutrients directly into his body, as anything he ate came right back out at one end or the other. He had complained of nausea and intense migraines - check and check. And the doctors had expressed concern over his liver and kidney. Check, check, and done. It was polonium. No question in her mind.
Gently, she closed the lid of the computer and leaned back, blowing out a long breath. Helle was right. Phrixus had been poisoned. The question was, what was she going to do about it?
~*~
“Phrixus,” hissed a voice. Blearily he tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. He had a pounding headache, and the nausea was back. He retched.
“Phrixus,” the voice came again. He turned his head and saw a shape crouching by the left side of his bed.
He willed his eyes to focus and made out a ponytail, a slim body, dark clothes. “Who are - Ari?”
“The one and only,” she whispered grimly. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“You… you can’t,” Phrixus stammered. He was confused. Why was Ari here, and how exactly did she plan to get him out? “I need the machines.”
“And they’re pulling the plug on those machines tomorrow, no?” Without waiting for an answer, she went on, “I did some research, and I think I know what’s wrong with you.”
For a second, he forgot about his headache, his nausea, his sleepiness, and - yes - his fear. “What is it?” he asked excitedly.
“Polonium 210. Fatal. Hard to detect. You only need to ingest a tiny dose to feel its effects. And when I say tiny, I mean smaller than a grain of salt.”
“Well,” Phrixus said. “Well. I guess we know why they didn’t find it.”
“Right. Now, drink this,” Ari said, handing him a small stoppered vial. He propped himself on one elbow to accept it.
“What is this?” he asked, pulling out the cork and sniffing. It didn’t smell like anything.
“Just drink it.” When he didn’t, she added, exasperated, “Look, you’re going to die tomorrow anyway. This is your shot to get out. And I’m kind of hurt that you think I’d poison you.”
He had no answer to that. Taking a deep breath, he threw back his head and swallowed the contents of the bottle.
“That’s…” Phrixus coughed. “That’s really…”
His body started to writhe, involuntarily. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to scream.
“Not a sound,” Ari warned. He clamped his lips together.
And a few seconds later, it was over. He lay there, panting, staring at the ceiling while sweat trickled down his temple.
“What… was… that?” he croaked.
“Ambrosia,” Ari said matter-of-factly.
“Ambrosia? Isn’t that the stuff the gods drank?”
“Usually. But a small bit in mortals with simply grant you - let’s call it longevity.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me - are you seriously telling me - that gods… exist?”
“No, of course not,” Ari said scornfully. “But that doesn’t mean that ambrosia is a myth too. It’s very real. Maybe one day I’ll tell you more about it. Right now, we have to go.”
~*~
Helle was pacing nervously when Ari finally emerged from the hospital, her arm wrapped around a distinctly grayish Phrixus.
“Phrixus!” Helle called, but quietly, remembering what Ari had said about being noise. Specifically, not to make any, or at least not much.
“Helle,” he rasped, grinning. She ran the last few steps to him and engulfed him in a hug. Ari awkwardly extricated her arm.
“I see you brought the horses,” Phrixus said, staring over her shoulder. Helle pulled away slightly and looked too. Golde snorted and stamped a hoof. Phrixus’s horse, Godspeed, tossed his head.
“Yes, well, we needed a way to get around, and all the cars are locked in the garage at night, you know, but Ari has the keys to the stable, so…”
“I see,” Phrixus said.
“You and Helle are doubling up on Godspeed. I’m riding Golde with the luggage.” Her voice had a not-so-subtle longing to it. Helle knew that Ari had always wanted to ride her horse (mostly because Phrixus had told her). Of course she could ride Golde. She should have just asked.
After that, there was nothing else to say. They mounted the horses and rode off, each lost in their own thoughts.
~*~
Ari had no idea where they were going. She tried to sound upbeat and certain for the children, but inside, she was wracking her brains to produce any sort of a plan. Think, Ari. Come on.
They eventually found their way to a state park. About twenty minutes into the trees, Ari stopped.
“We’ll camp here tonight,” she announced.
Phrixus practically slid out of the saddle. She was worried about him. She couldn’t give him too much ambrosia, but it was obvious he was still feeling the effects of the poison.
Out of the duffle bag, she pulled a comforter and a quilt. She spread the quilt out on the ground as the twins watched, then put the comforter on top. It was spring, but still very chilly at night.
“We’re going to have to sleep together,” she said breezily. “So get in and squish together.”
The two of them took of their shoes and slid under the blanket. Ari turned to the horses and began her usual routine. Then she pulled out some ropes and tied the horses in place. “Good night,” she whispered, giving them each a hug around their long neck.
Yawning, she turned around and slid into ‘bed’, too tired even to remove her shoes.
When she finally woke up, Helle was already brushing Golde, murmuring, and Phrixus slept fitfully next to her. The sun was high in the sky. Squinting at her watch, Ari realized that it was already 12:30 P.M.
After stretching, she rolled out from the cover’s grasp and headed over to the duffle bag. “Breakfast!” she said brightly, pulling out a bag of beef jerky and three bananas. “Or is it lunch?”
Helle trotted forward gratefully. Ari gave her three strips of jerky and a banana. “Sorry, kid,” she said. “We have to ration.”
The girl smiled, but she still didn’t look very happy. “It’s okay.”
Ari smiled back. “Let Phrixus sleep. He needs it.”
“Okay!” Helle trotted back off and sat a little ways away on a stump. Ari inspected the contents of the bag one more time, trying to plan.
There were five bags of beef jerky, including the one Ari had just opened, seven more bananas, three apples, and several packs of dried fruit. She’d brought a change of clothes for each of them. Nestled in between the clothes were three water bottles. She hadn’t filled them, because of the weight, and now she cursed herself for it. Her mouth was already dry. A flashlight, a radio, some feed for the horses, and - Ari still couldn’t believe it - a thousand dollars in cash.
Rationally, she knew they needed it. But the bottom line was, she’d stolen it. She was not a thief - that was just so not her. But she’d seen the cash, hidden in the back of the cupboard, and she’d just - grabbed it.
“Ari?” It was Phrixus.
“Good morning,” Ari said, glad to have something else to think about. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“You want some beef jerky?”
Phrixus laughed. “Sure.”
~*~
“Uh-oh,” Ari said some hours later. “You guys better come listen to this.”
Phrixus hopped up from his comfortable position on a log and, one foot asleep, limped over to her. As he and Helle joined Ari on their makeshift bed, he asked, “What’s up?”
Instead of answering, Ari put a finger to her lips, shushing him, and pointed at the radio. “The two children are thought to be in the company of stablehand Aries Temple, who is described as a twenty-year-old female with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slim build. Pictures of all three individuals can be found on our website. And now, over to Jill with the traffic update.”
Ari switched off the radio. “They’ve put out an Amber Alert for you guys. That wasn’t long at all. We’ve got to be careful.” She dropped her head into her hands. “I have to think. Go away.” Helle and Phrixus scurried off.
An Amber Alert? Phrixus couldn’t believe it. He felt a sudden pang of homesickness. How had he and his sister changed from privileged children to faces on a milk carton literally overnight? But it wasn’t overnight, he reminded himself. There were the weeks I was sick - poisoned - too.
A half hour later, she stood up. “We have to turn ourselves in. That’s the only way I can see. We could go on the run, we could make it a few days, a few miles, a few states, but then what? Pack up. We’re going to the police station, and we’re going to tell our story.”
~*~
Truth be told, Ari still wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. What if Ino tried again? And any way you looked at it, it was going to go badly for her. She knew that. She had arranged the whole thing. She was eight years older, of course the twins did what she said. Her only hope was to convince the police that she wasn’t the villain in this story. And the longer she waited, the worse it would look.
They didn’t even make it all the way out of the woods.
“STOP! HANDS IN THE AIR! GET OFF THE HORSE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CHILDREN!”
Ari’s heart sank. Looking closely at the men surrounding them, she noticed that they didn’t even look like regular police. This was some special team. This was bad.
“Listen, I can -”
“GET OFF THE HORSE!”
The man who was speaking waved his gun in a threatening manner. Biting her lip, Ari started to slide her foot out of the stirrup. But her foot caught, and she twisted to look at it, turning her back to the man with the gun.
There was a bang.
An agonized scream followed by another, almost identical scream.
In horror, Ari looked up just in time to see Helle’s limp body slide off the saddle.
~*~
After that, Phrixus went a little crazy. Screaming in rage, he hurled himself off his horse and rushed the nearest officer.
Who caught him neatly, crushed him against an armored chest, and almost casually knocked him out.
When Phrixus woke up, he was in his own bed. Ino stood next to it. “So,” she said, sneering. “The little brat awakens.”
“What… what happened.”
It seemed as if she was waiting for the question. She leaned closer, smiling nastily. “I’ll tell you. Aries poisoned you. She had an antidote. She kidnapped you and your sister, who she used as a human shield when my brave, blameless rescue forces found her.”
“That’s not -”
“Oh, yes it is. And you know what, if you tell the truth like the brave little survivor that you are, I’ll bet that we can find a nice boarding school for you somewhere across the country.” The meaning was clear. Lie, and he survived, he escaped. Tell the truth, and - well, this time Ino wouldn’t fail.
Did he really want to live in a world without Helle, though? Reaching deep inside himself, he was surprised to find that yes, he did. He did want to live. Besides, he had known her best. By staying alive, he was keeping the best memories of her alive. All he had to do was throw Ari under the bus, and wreck her future instead of his.
~*~
It was a strange place to decide her fate, but there they were: the informal kitchen table. Ari was brought in, hands cuffed behind her back, stumbling because she couldn’t use them to keep her balance.
The last eight hours had been pure torture. Being driven back to the house, waiting, locked in a side room, going out of her mind because she didn’t know what was happening. Well, at least now something was happening. And it didn’t look good. Phrixus wouldn’t meet her eyes, and he was chewing his lip, his surefire tell for guilt.
“Why don’t you just tell us what happened, um,” - the intimidatingly large officer consulted a piece of paper - “Phrixus.”
“She -” Phrixus stared at the ceiling, seemingly unwilling to go on.
“Just tell the truth,” urged the man.
“She poisoned me,” he blurted. “Then she - she gave me the antidote and told me to come with her. She had Helle already. We went into the woods. When the - the - the rescuers” - he practically spit out the word - “came, she used Helle as a human shield.” He sniffed, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
Can’t you tell he’s lying? Ari wanted to scream. Look what a bad liar he is! But as she looked at the faces around her, a horrible realization sunk in. They knew he was lying, and they didn’t care. Bought, probably. Maybe one of them was even the man who shot Helle.
In other words, she was doomed. Nothing was going to save her. She would go to jail, Ino would be sitting pretty, and who knew what would happen to Phrixus. Offhandedly, she wondered what Ino had done to make him tell this bald-faced lie.
“Well,” the big man said, sounding bored, “that’s all we need. Thank you for telling the truth. That was very brave of you.” He sounded like he was reading off a teleprompter. Turning to Ari, his expression hardened. “You’re coming with me.”
~*~
On the first day of school, Phrixus was not in California. He was in Connecticut, trying to adjust to his gigantic new all-boys school.
Ari was in prison, of course. However Ino had pulled it off - money, probably - the jury had unanimously voted ‘guilty’.
But Ari, of course, was not the guilty one. That was Phrixus, and maybe one day, he’d learn how to live with himself.
“Helle!” No such luck. It was Ino, her stepmother. “Helle, where are you?”
For a second, she contemplated not answering, but that wouldn’t work for long, and she’d get into huge trouble: not only from Ino, but from her father, who was wrapped around the woman’s finger.
She sighed, and took one last lungsful of fresh air. “I’m here.”
Instantly, a focused click-clacking was headed her way, and Ino poked her brunette beehive around the corner. The rest of her emerged, and Helle saw the usual pinched mouth, hard eyes, taut skin, and designer clothes that somehow looked strange on Ino’s body.
“Helle, that was unacceptable,” Ino barked. She always barked her sentences, like this was the army or something. “You’re making a fool out of yourself, and our family. Don’t get so emotional. It isn’t becoming. You’re brother has some incurable disease, and so what? You still must compose yourself.”
Helle felt a loathing unlike anything she’d felt before course through her, and she’d had plenty of cause to be furious at Ino. Unjust Ino, Phrixus called her. The title fit her, but at that moment, Helle had a few other choice names for her. She clenched her teeth to keep them bottled up inside. They swarmed in her throat like angry bees, stinging when she refused to release them.
Outwardly, though, she forced a smile, and said, “Right.”
“Come back in. We’re leaving, and your father has decided you may give a final goodbye to your brother.” Her tone made it quite clear that if she were in charge, they would just go.
“A final goodbye?” asked Helle.
There was a cruel glint in Ino’s eye. “You heard the doctor. It’s incurable. We’re pulling the plug, so to speak. It’s simply too expensive.”
Helle couldn’t breathe. “You mean… you’re letting him die?”
Irritation flashed across her face. “Yes, you stupid girl. We’re letting him die.”
Normally, the insult would have made her cry. Stupid. It was the one thing that got to her. Her classmates whispered it. Her teachers used euphemisms, saying that all she needed was a little extra push. Whatever it was, no matter how hard she worked, she was always the one staring at the board in confusion, the one who didn’t get it, the one who asked the same questions over and over. But this time, she barely heard it.
Her chest was constricted. Blood was roaring in her ears. Her throat tightened. It couldn’t happen. Phrixus… dead? It just didn’t work. Phrixus and dead were oxymorons.
“Helle! Are you coming or not?” Ino was at the corner of the building, hand on her hip, glaring impatiently.
Mutely, Helle stood up and followed her back in.
~*~
Phrixus was dozing when Helle came bursting into the room. Thankfully, it was a good hour during a good day, but he was still exhausted.
“Oh, Phrixus,” she said. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes. She sniffed.
“Helle,” he said. He sounded bad even to his own ears. “It’s okay.” It was a lame sentiment. Internally, he winced. It’s okay? Of course it wasn’t okay.
Truth be told, Phrixus was more worried about Helle than himself. He was ready. He’d had more than enough time, lying alone in the dark, unable to sleep. But Helle… she depended on him. He protected her.
She walked over to the bedside and tentatively grabbed his hand. Phrixus smiled at his twin and squeezed weakly.
That did it for her. She started bawling. “Shh, shh,” Phrixus soothed. “Helle Jelly, please, I have to tell you something.” He hadn’t called her that in a long time, and it seemed to be effective.
“What is it, Phrixus Butter?” she replied, smiling. He didn’t even remember how they came up with these nicknames. Truthfully, they were pretty stupid. But they were comforting, something to hold onto.
He sighed. “Helle…” he said again, stretching the word out in his mouth. “Helle, I don’t really know how to say this, so I’ll just tell it to you straight.”
“Of course,” she said curiously.
“I don’t think I’m really sick,” Phrixus blurted.
Helle’s pert little nose wrinkled. “What?”
“I mean, I’m definitely unwell,” he amended. “But I don’t think I’m sick.”
“Phrixus, you’re not making sense,” Helle said. She looked worried. “Should I call for a nurse.”
“No!” he said forcefully, almost shouting.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, taken aback.
He rubbed his temples, where the beginning of a headache was building. “No, no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… Helle, listen, I think it’s poison. And I think it’s Ino’s fault.”
“What’s poison?”
“My sickness,” he said patiently.
“You think Ino poisoned you?” She was shocked. Of course she was. His twin would never think anyone capable of poisoning someone, not even Ino. It was one of the things he liked best about her. She saw the good in everyone, believed the best of them no matter what. It was also going to cause the rest of the world to chew her up and spit her out.
“Yes,” Phrixus said simply.
“Why? I mean, how do you know?”
“It’s just… the way she looks at me. The comments she makes. And the fact that she specifically gave me a glass of water the night before I got sick.”
~*~
Aries slid the brush down Golde’s neck. The horse whickered softly in appreciation. Sighing, she rested her head against the creature’s soft fur, which really did look gold. She was Helle’s horse, but what wouldn’t Ari give to have this gorgeous, sweet, and intelligent mount for herself.
Ari had loved horses her whole life, which was how she had ended up as a stable girl for one of the richest families in California. Just three more months, she told herself. Then she was done with the tiny two-year college her parents were forcing her to attend.
She wanted to have a stable of her own. It would be part riding school, part rental stalls, and part home of the most famous show horses in the world. She would ride one herself, of course, and win every competition she entered.
“Aries?” called a small voice. She jumped. She’d been so caught up in her fantasy that she’d failed to notice Helle’s entrance.
“Yes, Helle?” she answered, forcing a pleasant tone. It was stupid, she knew, to be jealous of a twelve-year-old girl, but she was. Not that she would ever tell Helle. Helle was possibly the sweetest girl on the planet, and Ari hated herself for finding any negativity inside herself toward her.
A tear spilled out of Helle’s eye and traced a path down her smooth cheek. She didn’t bother brushing it away. “They’re going to kill Phrixus.”
“What?” Ari said.
She knew about the boy’s illness, but why would they kill him? Helle was probably just confused. This happened a lot.
The twins looked as alike as a boy and a girl could look. They had the same curly, rich dark brown hair, bright brown eyes, and olive skin. They had the same smile, the same lone dimple in their right cheek. Their laughs sounded the same, their cries were indistinguishable.
But however much they looked alike, their personalities were almost opposite. Helle was quiet, sweet, a doormat, and - ah - a little slow. Phrixus was loud, brash, a fierce defender of himself and his sister, and extremely bright. They were both optimists, however, and fiercely loyal to each other.
“They’re pulling the plug,” the girl said now, sadly. “The disease is incurable. They’re going to stop keeping him alive.”
“Ohhh… that’s terrible.” Ari’s heart went out to the girl. This was going to crush her completely. Besides, she liked Phrixus.
“And…” Helle glanced around, as if checking that no one was there, “Phrixus says that Ino poisoned him.”
Ari’s first reaction was disbelief. But as she looked at Helle’s face, which was completely serious, a seed of doubt wormed its way into her mind. She wouldn’t put it past Ino, who had made no secret with her dislike of the twins.
The thing that didn’t make sense: if it was poison, why hadn’t the doctor’s figured it out? They were still calling it an illness, after all. There could only be so many poisons in the world, and wouldn’t the medical world know about and be able to recognize them all? She couldn’t imagine perfect, pristine Ino mixing up some new concoction to poison Phrixus.
But whatever. It wasn’t like she knew anything about poisons.
“They tested for poisons, though, didn’t they?”
“Common ones. Ino wouldn’t use anything common. Plus, they were looking for ones he might have eaten accidentally, not ones that have to come from someone else,” Helle explained. Ari was impressed with her insightfulness.
Later that evening, she turned on her laptop (a graduation gift from her rather wealthy great-great-aunt) and researched poisons. Several hours later, she was weary but certain. Ino had used polonium-210.
“Liver and kidney damage ensue, along with extreme nausea and severe headaches. Victims often experience vomiting, diarrhea and hair loss,” she read aloud. Those were Phrixus’s symptoms to a T. The poor boy was already bald, and was now on a machine that pumped nutrients directly into his body, as anything he ate came right back out at one end or the other. He had complained of nausea and intense migraines - check and check. And the doctors had expressed concern over his liver and kidney. Check, check, and done. It was polonium. No question in her mind.
Gently, she closed the lid of the computer and leaned back, blowing out a long breath. Helle was right. Phrixus had been poisoned. The question was, what was she going to do about it?
~*~
“Phrixus,” hissed a voice. Blearily he tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. He had a pounding headache, and the nausea was back. He retched.
“Phrixus,” the voice came again. He turned his head and saw a shape crouching by the left side of his bed.
He willed his eyes to focus and made out a ponytail, a slim body, dark clothes. “Who are - Ari?”
“The one and only,” she whispered grimly. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“You… you can’t,” Phrixus stammered. He was confused. Why was Ari here, and how exactly did she plan to get him out? “I need the machines.”
“And they’re pulling the plug on those machines tomorrow, no?” Without waiting for an answer, she went on, “I did some research, and I think I know what’s wrong with you.”
For a second, he forgot about his headache, his nausea, his sleepiness, and - yes - his fear. “What is it?” he asked excitedly.
“Polonium 210. Fatal. Hard to detect. You only need to ingest a tiny dose to feel its effects. And when I say tiny, I mean smaller than a grain of salt.”
“Well,” Phrixus said. “Well. I guess we know why they didn’t find it.”
“Right. Now, drink this,” Ari said, handing him a small stoppered vial. He propped himself on one elbow to accept it.
“What is this?” he asked, pulling out the cork and sniffing. It didn’t smell like anything.
“Just drink it.” When he didn’t, she added, exasperated, “Look, you’re going to die tomorrow anyway. This is your shot to get out. And I’m kind of hurt that you think I’d poison you.”
He had no answer to that. Taking a deep breath, he threw back his head and swallowed the contents of the bottle.
“That’s…” Phrixus coughed. “That’s really…”
His body started to writhe, involuntarily. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to scream.
“Not a sound,” Ari warned. He clamped his lips together.
And a few seconds later, it was over. He lay there, panting, staring at the ceiling while sweat trickled down his temple.
“What… was… that?” he croaked.
“Ambrosia,” Ari said matter-of-factly.
“Ambrosia? Isn’t that the stuff the gods drank?”
“Usually. But a small bit in mortals with simply grant you - let’s call it longevity.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me - are you seriously telling me - that gods… exist?”
“No, of course not,” Ari said scornfully. “But that doesn’t mean that ambrosia is a myth too. It’s very real. Maybe one day I’ll tell you more about it. Right now, we have to go.”
~*~
Helle was pacing nervously when Ari finally emerged from the hospital, her arm wrapped around a distinctly grayish Phrixus.
“Phrixus!” Helle called, but quietly, remembering what Ari had said about being noise. Specifically, not to make any, or at least not much.
“Helle,” he rasped, grinning. She ran the last few steps to him and engulfed him in a hug. Ari awkwardly extricated her arm.
“I see you brought the horses,” Phrixus said, staring over her shoulder. Helle pulled away slightly and looked too. Golde snorted and stamped a hoof. Phrixus’s horse, Godspeed, tossed his head.
“Yes, well, we needed a way to get around, and all the cars are locked in the garage at night, you know, but Ari has the keys to the stable, so…”
“I see,” Phrixus said.
“You and Helle are doubling up on Godspeed. I’m riding Golde with the luggage.” Her voice had a not-so-subtle longing to it. Helle knew that Ari had always wanted to ride her horse (mostly because Phrixus had told her). Of course she could ride Golde. She should have just asked.
After that, there was nothing else to say. They mounted the horses and rode off, each lost in their own thoughts.
~*~
Ari had no idea where they were going. She tried to sound upbeat and certain for the children, but inside, she was wracking her brains to produce any sort of a plan. Think, Ari. Come on.
They eventually found their way to a state park. About twenty minutes into the trees, Ari stopped.
“We’ll camp here tonight,” she announced.
Phrixus practically slid out of the saddle. She was worried about him. She couldn’t give him too much ambrosia, but it was obvious he was still feeling the effects of the poison.
Out of the duffle bag, she pulled a comforter and a quilt. She spread the quilt out on the ground as the twins watched, then put the comforter on top. It was spring, but still very chilly at night.
“We’re going to have to sleep together,” she said breezily. “So get in and squish together.”
The two of them took of their shoes and slid under the blanket. Ari turned to the horses and began her usual routine. Then she pulled out some ropes and tied the horses in place. “Good night,” she whispered, giving them each a hug around their long neck.
Yawning, she turned around and slid into ‘bed’, too tired even to remove her shoes.
When she finally woke up, Helle was already brushing Golde, murmuring, and Phrixus slept fitfully next to her. The sun was high in the sky. Squinting at her watch, Ari realized that it was already 12:30 P.M.
After stretching, she rolled out from the cover’s grasp and headed over to the duffle bag. “Breakfast!” she said brightly, pulling out a bag of beef jerky and three bananas. “Or is it lunch?”
Helle trotted forward gratefully. Ari gave her three strips of jerky and a banana. “Sorry, kid,” she said. “We have to ration.”
The girl smiled, but she still didn’t look very happy. “It’s okay.”
Ari smiled back. “Let Phrixus sleep. He needs it.”
“Okay!” Helle trotted back off and sat a little ways away on a stump. Ari inspected the contents of the bag one more time, trying to plan.
There were five bags of beef jerky, including the one Ari had just opened, seven more bananas, three apples, and several packs of dried fruit. She’d brought a change of clothes for each of them. Nestled in between the clothes were three water bottles. She hadn’t filled them, because of the weight, and now she cursed herself for it. Her mouth was already dry. A flashlight, a radio, some feed for the horses, and - Ari still couldn’t believe it - a thousand dollars in cash.
Rationally, she knew they needed it. But the bottom line was, she’d stolen it. She was not a thief - that was just so not her. But she’d seen the cash, hidden in the back of the cupboard, and she’d just - grabbed it.
“Ari?” It was Phrixus.
“Good morning,” Ari said, glad to have something else to think about. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“You want some beef jerky?”
Phrixus laughed. “Sure.”
~*~
“Uh-oh,” Ari said some hours later. “You guys better come listen to this.”
Phrixus hopped up from his comfortable position on a log and, one foot asleep, limped over to her. As he and Helle joined Ari on their makeshift bed, he asked, “What’s up?”
Instead of answering, Ari put a finger to her lips, shushing him, and pointed at the radio. “The two children are thought to be in the company of stablehand Aries Temple, who is described as a twenty-year-old female with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slim build. Pictures of all three individuals can be found on our website. And now, over to Jill with the traffic update.”
Ari switched off the radio. “They’ve put out an Amber Alert for you guys. That wasn’t long at all. We’ve got to be careful.” She dropped her head into her hands. “I have to think. Go away.” Helle and Phrixus scurried off.
An Amber Alert? Phrixus couldn’t believe it. He felt a sudden pang of homesickness. How had he and his sister changed from privileged children to faces on a milk carton literally overnight? But it wasn’t overnight, he reminded himself. There were the weeks I was sick - poisoned - too.
A half hour later, she stood up. “We have to turn ourselves in. That’s the only way I can see. We could go on the run, we could make it a few days, a few miles, a few states, but then what? Pack up. We’re going to the police station, and we’re going to tell our story.”
~*~
Truth be told, Ari still wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. What if Ino tried again? And any way you looked at it, it was going to go badly for her. She knew that. She had arranged the whole thing. She was eight years older, of course the twins did what she said. Her only hope was to convince the police that she wasn’t the villain in this story. And the longer she waited, the worse it would look.
They didn’t even make it all the way out of the woods.
“STOP! HANDS IN THE AIR! GET OFF THE HORSE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CHILDREN!”
Ari’s heart sank. Looking closely at the men surrounding them, she noticed that they didn’t even look like regular police. This was some special team. This was bad.
“Listen, I can -”
“GET OFF THE HORSE!”
The man who was speaking waved his gun in a threatening manner. Biting her lip, Ari started to slide her foot out of the stirrup. But her foot caught, and she twisted to look at it, turning her back to the man with the gun.
There was a bang.
An agonized scream followed by another, almost identical scream.
In horror, Ari looked up just in time to see Helle’s limp body slide off the saddle.
~*~
After that, Phrixus went a little crazy. Screaming in rage, he hurled himself off his horse and rushed the nearest officer.
Who caught him neatly, crushed him against an armored chest, and almost casually knocked him out.
When Phrixus woke up, he was in his own bed. Ino stood next to it. “So,” she said, sneering. “The little brat awakens.”
“What… what happened.”
It seemed as if she was waiting for the question. She leaned closer, smiling nastily. “I’ll tell you. Aries poisoned you. She had an antidote. She kidnapped you and your sister, who she used as a human shield when my brave, blameless rescue forces found her.”
“That’s not -”
“Oh, yes it is. And you know what, if you tell the truth like the brave little survivor that you are, I’ll bet that we can find a nice boarding school for you somewhere across the country.” The meaning was clear. Lie, and he survived, he escaped. Tell the truth, and - well, this time Ino wouldn’t fail.
Did he really want to live in a world without Helle, though? Reaching deep inside himself, he was surprised to find that yes, he did. He did want to live. Besides, he had known her best. By staying alive, he was keeping the best memories of her alive. All he had to do was throw Ari under the bus, and wreck her future instead of his.
~*~
It was a strange place to decide her fate, but there they were: the informal kitchen table. Ari was brought in, hands cuffed behind her back, stumbling because she couldn’t use them to keep her balance.
The last eight hours had been pure torture. Being driven back to the house, waiting, locked in a side room, going out of her mind because she didn’t know what was happening. Well, at least now something was happening. And it didn’t look good. Phrixus wouldn’t meet her eyes, and he was chewing his lip, his surefire tell for guilt.
“Why don’t you just tell us what happened, um,” - the intimidatingly large officer consulted a piece of paper - “Phrixus.”
“She -” Phrixus stared at the ceiling, seemingly unwilling to go on.
“Just tell the truth,” urged the man.
“She poisoned me,” he blurted. “Then she - she gave me the antidote and told me to come with her. She had Helle already. We went into the woods. When the - the - the rescuers” - he practically spit out the word - “came, she used Helle as a human shield.” He sniffed, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
Can’t you tell he’s lying? Ari wanted to scream. Look what a bad liar he is! But as she looked at the faces around her, a horrible realization sunk in. They knew he was lying, and they didn’t care. Bought, probably. Maybe one of them was even the man who shot Helle.
In other words, she was doomed. Nothing was going to save her. She would go to jail, Ino would be sitting pretty, and who knew what would happen to Phrixus. Offhandedly, she wondered what Ino had done to make him tell this bald-faced lie.
“Well,” the big man said, sounding bored, “that’s all we need. Thank you for telling the truth. That was very brave of you.” He sounded like he was reading off a teleprompter. Turning to Ari, his expression hardened. “You’re coming with me.”
~*~
On the first day of school, Phrixus was not in California. He was in Connecticut, trying to adjust to his gigantic new all-boys school.
Ari was in prison, of course. However Ino had pulled it off - money, probably - the jury had unanimously voted ‘guilty’.
But Ari, of course, was not the guilty one. That was Phrixus, and maybe one day, he’d learn how to live with himself.