I actually back up a step, shocked by the emotion in her outburst and by what she's telling me.

"I'm only going to say this once," she says quietly. "So listen up. Griffin Blake is head over heels about you. He would never treat you the way you've been treating him." Her voice drops another notch, so low I have to lean in to hear. "He would never doubt you."

"I don't-" I almost say that I don't doubt him, but that's not true. Over the past few days I've proven over and over that I do. Not that my doubts are unfounded. "You're right. I-I don't trust him."

"He doesn't deserve that."

What about me? What do I deserve? Lies and deception?

"Then why won't he tell me what you two have been doing together?"

Adara's gaze is unwavering. "Because I asked him not to."

Doesn't that confirm my doubts?

"Not because there's anything to conceal from you in particular." She tucks her blonde hair behind her ears. "Because I don't want anyone to know what I'm going through."

"What you're-"

"But," she says, glaring at me for interrupting again, "because I care about him so much, I will tell you."

I try not to get hung up on the whole because -I -care-about-him-so-much bit and listen to her explanation. In the few months I've known her, she has never been this serious over anything that doesn't involve nail polish, designer shoes, or a halftime cheer at a wrestling match. An uneasy, my-life-is-about-to-turn-upsidc-down feeling settles in my stomach.

"My mother is becoming a handmaiden of Apollo."

Er, what?

I know I look totally confused.

"Becoming a handmaiden is an honor and a sacrifice. The chosen must pledge to serve the deity unwaveringly for the duration of her term. That means she is leaving me and my father." Her eyes well up again, and her voice catches. "She will serve on Mount Olympus for the next twenty-five years."

"Wow, that's a long time to work for someone."

"The worst is"-Adara gives me a weak smile-"she can't leave Mount Olympus during her service."

Holy Hades. I shake my head, trying to wrap my brain around that idea. Nic told me that no one-not even hematheos-can visit Mount Olympus unless they are in service or on trial. Only an edictfrom the gods can grant a day pass, and that almost never happens. That means Adara won't see her mom for the next quarter century.

I try to imagine what it would be like not to have Mom to talk to for that long. She'd miss out on my birthdays and my graduations and my-sometime in the distant future-wedding. There would be races, maybe even the Olympics, every day there are little things that I talk to her about, ask her about. If she weren't around… it's unfathomable.

I should e-mail Mom when I get home.

"Adara, I'm so-'

"Sorry?" she asks with a sad laugh. "That's exactly why I didn't want Griffin to tell anyone. I'm not interested in a pity party. Besides, this is supposed to be a prestigious honor for the family. I'm supposed to celebrate"-one hand wipes at a tear streaking down her cheek-"not grieve."

"So, Griffin has been helping you, uh…"

"Prepare to lose my mother?" She gives a little snort. "Yeah, pretty much."

I try to wrap my brain around this news. Griffin hasn't been romantically involved with his ex, he's been helping her through a tough time. I can't fault him for that, of course. Besides the whole descendant of Hercules obligation thing, deep down he's a sensitive and loyal guy.

I've been so wrapped up in my own issues that I never thought that someone else might be having problems. Adara's life alwaysseemed so perfect, I never once thought she might be going through a tough time.

But why did he lie to me?We're supposed to be partners. Equal. He should have known he could tell me the truth in complete confidence. But he couldn't-or wouldn't-confide in me, which means he doesn't trust me. Not completely. That means that, while he's not completely in the right, he does deserve another chance. We deserve another chance.

"You gave Griffin a raw deal., she says.

I never thought I'd say this, but she's right. "I did."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll fix it," I vow. As soon as camp is out for the day, I'll be knocking on his door, prepared to work out this whole trust thing.

"You'd better."

When she starts to turn back to the courtyard, I reach out and touch her elbow. "Thank you."

She stiffens. "Whatever," she says, back in old Adara form. "If you're over being pissed at me, maybe we can get on with the neo-factionexercise."

Less than a minute later, she's standing there with a steaming-hot latte in her hand.

I spin around, ready for my accolades.

She takes a sip and then snorts. "Nice try." The cup glows for a second and then disappears. That was decaf."

For a second I think about strangling her. But then my common sense kicks in. First of all, I need to focus on controlling my powersif I'm going to pass the test. And second, I don't fancy spending time in Hades.

Sympathy for Adara has nothing to do with my decision to quietly turn around and try again.

Promise.

* * *

"He didn't mention where he was going," Aunt Lili says when I ask her if Griffin's home.

"Oh," I say, deflated. I want to talk to him as soon as possible. For the first time in a while, I do notthink the worst. Despite my better judgment-maybe it was her tears or the phase of the moon or a curse of understanding-I believe Adara. "Can you tell him I stopped by. And-" I almost ask her to tell him I'm sorry, but that's definitely the sort of thing a girl needs to say in person. "And that I'll try again tomorrow."

And the day after that. And the day after that. And every day until we're good again. Because what we have is definitely worth the effort-and definitely worth my eating some humble pie.

"My nephew isn't perfect," Aunt Lili says as I reach the door. "But he has a good heart."

"Yeah," I say giving her a confident smile. "I know that." Now.

If my trust issues have driven him away, I have no one to blame but myself.

As the door closes behind me, I think about how unfair I was toGriffin-and to myself-for thinking the worst. After nine months, I should trust him-and my instincts-more than that.

Without thinking, I kick into a jog as I hit the edge of the village. My Nikes pound the smooth stone path with a soft thud, every step I take sends more blood, more oxygen, pumping through me. My worries start to ooze away. Griffin and I will be fine. If he can't forgive me right away, then I'll work to win him back. We're fated. That's not the kind of thing a girl can let slip away.

I'll pass my test. My control over my powers is getting better every day. Last week I autoportedand today I materialized-neofactured-a dozen lattes for Adara,even if none of them was to her exacting specifications, she still gave me the merit badge, (this one has an orange ring of color, a yellow background, and a gray factory-building design. I'll line it up on my dresser, next to the other six, when I get home.)

Tomorrow night, I'll meet my mystery e-mailer and find out what happened to Dad. And maybe learn how to keep whatever happened to him from accidentally happening to me.

Running always makes everything so clear.

Maybe this is why I've been so stressed. Most of the running I've done lately is training runs. All business and focus. No time for daydreaming and working through things while physically exhausting myself. Running is definitely my therapy. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to schedule regular fun runs-training-free time.

Before I know it, I'm jogging toward home, following the path that curves around the front lawn of the Academy. But I haven'tfinished exercising my problems, so I steer off toward campus. A hard run around the cross-country course should do the trick.

Nearly two hours later I'm racing up the front steps at home, exhausted in the best possible way.

Giddy on endorphins, I bust in and shout, "Stella, I'm-"

I stop midsentence.

Lying on the living-room couch, feet propped up on the arm and clearly asleep, is Griffin. He didn't stir when I came shouting into the room. Obviously, he's been out for a while.

"He was on the front porch when I got home from camp," Stella says. She's leaning against the far wall, casually stirring up the fruit in a peach yogurt.

My heart melts big-time.

How could I have been such an idiot? He's made it clear every day in a million different ways how much he cares for me. I was ready to dismiss it all because he was talking to another girl. Because he was helping out a good friend.