Pegasus and the New Olympians (23 page)

Emily inhaled deeply. She gazed out over Las Vegas in the direction of Fremont Street. ‘Forgive me, Joel,’ she said softly as she looked back at Alexis. ‘Let’s go.’

Emily’s heart was sitting heavy in her chest as Pegasus carried her away from Las Vegas and deeper into the dark desert. Joel would never have abandoned her. Would he ever forgive her?

As they approached the area where they had left the Nirads, Emily saw a glow rising from the ground. Fear knotted her stomach. Nirads didn’t use fire. The closer they got to the glow, the bigger and brighter it became. Pegasus tilted his wings and glided lower in the sky.

On the ground beneath them they saw the burning debris of two destroyed military helicopters scattered around the cluster of trees where they had left the two Nirads. One of the trees was ablaze while the grass smouldered and burned. Pegasus circled the area a few times searching for activity from below. They saw nothing. He landed a few metres from the trees.

‘Tobin!’ Emily cried as she slid off the stallion’s back and started to search the area. ‘Tirk! Are you here?’

Alexis joined in but after a few minutes of calling and searching, they received no answer. Emily approached the tree where she had last seen the Nirads and found a dark stain on the ground. Her heart dropped.

Emily bent down and summoned the flame to her hand. Lowering it down to the ground, she discovered the liquid was bright red. It was blood. Human blood. Not far from the stain, she saw a large piece of desert camouflage fabric.

‘Pegasus, Alexis, over here!’ Emily pointed at the ground and held up the fabric. ‘That’s human blood and this is part of a uniform. Those are military helicopters.’

Alexis surveyed the area. ‘There must have been a ferocious battle here if the Nirads could bring down two of those machines. I pray neither of them was wounded.’

Emily straightened and looked at the burning helicopters. ‘The soldiers must have attacked them right after we left. But how did they find them?’

Frankie was still seated on Alexis’s back. ‘They have radar,’ he answered softly. ‘I’ve read about it on my computer. This whole area has big radars. This is all part of the Nellis Air Force base. They track anyone who comes here – on the ground or in the air. I bet they’re tracking us too.’

As Frankie’s words sunk in, Emily realized the truth. ‘We led them into a trap!’ She looked at Pegasus. ‘We’ve just handed Prince Tobin and Tirk over to the CRU.’

Pegasus reared up in rage and screamed into the night while Alexis cursed and started pacing. As the full ramifications hit Emily, she felt the power of the Flame rising uncontrolled within her. Turning away from the others, she held up her hands and released the pent-up power.

Wild flames shot from both her hands and rose for hundreds of metres into the air. Emily threw back her head and howled in fury, ‘I have had it with the CRU!’

Emily charged over to Pegasus. ‘That’s it! This is
war
! Pegasus, ever since you first came to my world, the CRU have been hounding us and doing all they can to destroy us. They’ve captured us, tortured us and took my father away. They’ve created clones that just may get this world destroyed and they killed Agent T when he was trying to warn them.
No more
. If they want a fight, they’ve got it!’

‘Calm down,’ Alexis ordered. ‘You must think before you act.’

‘No,’ Emily cried turning back on the Sphinx. ‘We have been thinking all along and look where it’s gotten us! They’ve just captured the Nirad prince. I promised Queen Segan that I would keep him safe. But I didn’t! Why have I got all these powers if not to protect us from the evil that is the CRU?’

‘Emily, stop!’ Alexis shouted. ‘Remember your other powers. You have no control when you are angry.’

Emily stomped up to Pegasus. ‘This time they’ve pushed me too far. You can stay here if you like, but I’m going in and demanding they release Tobin and all the other Nirads. And if they don’t, they are going to see just what the Flame of Olympus can do!’

The journey to the secret CRU facility at Area 51 was short. But even before they made it to the mountain range that surrounded the large base, military helicopters were rising in the air and coming to meet them.

‘Emily, you must wait!’ Alexis cried. ‘This is a dangerous approach.’

But Emily clung to Pegasus’s mane and told the stallion to put on more speed.

‘Take Frankie away from here,’ she called to Alexis. ‘This fight is between the CRU and me!’

‘No, foolish child, it is not,’ Alexis called. ‘It is between Olympians and the CRU. I was wrong not going back to Jupiter. We must return to Olympus. The others must be told what has happened here. Jupiter will be furious if he knew I allowed you to do this alone.’

Emily called an answer back, but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the heavy rotors of the approaching military helicopters. As they neared, Emily felt the power of the Flame anxious to be freed.

‘Be careful, Pegasus!’ Emily called.

Emily tucked in her knees to hold on and raised her hands. The Flame was ready, but she held back on releasing it until she knew what the military intended. Within seconds, she had her answer. Without giving a warning, or the opportunity to surrender, the nearest helicopter fired at them.

There was no time to think, only react. Emily released the Flame. Against the dark sky it shot white-hot from her hands towards the approaching helicopters. The bullets they fired melted into liquid burning metal and glowed like fireflies as they fell, harmless, to the ground.

Emily never wanted to hurt anyone. But when the helicopters continued firing, she had no choice but to turn her full powers on them. One by one, the helicopters exploded in the air and rained fire down on the dark desert floor.

Soon they were alone in the sky. Within moments, Pegasus was cresting the mountains surrounding Area 51. Up ahead, Emily saw the lights of the two super-long runways burst to life as jet fighters taxied out of their hangers and down the runway.

‘Too late!’ Emily shouted in a fury. She raised her hands again and let the Flame go. Instead of hitting the jets, her target was the two long tarmac runways. When the heat of the Flame struck them, the tarmac melted instantly and burst into flames. The jets on the ground scattered and were forced on to the desert floor.

‘Emily, be careful!’ Alexis warned.

Emily looked over and saw Frankie clinging to the back of the Sphinx. Both his hands were gripped around Alexis’s wings where they emerged from her back. His head was tucked down and he wasn’t watching the fight.

Down on the ground, all the lights of Area 51 burst to life. The place was massive! Agent T had said only part of it was the CRU facility. But what was the rest of it? There were multiple large, squat buildings with flat corrugated steel roofs. She could see a parking area filled with cars. There were the two large hangers the jets had emerged from and three full-sized airliners parked at the side. Further along she spied several other military helicopters still on the ground. She hoped they stayed there.

As Pegasus flew closer, she saw the white chalk bed of the dry Groom Lake. Agent T wasn’t kidding. It had once been a huge lake. Suddenly her eyes caught movement. Soldiers were emerging from the squat buildings. As she approached lower Emily got a closer look at them and sucked in her breath. Nirads! They were wearing the desert camouflage uniforms of the military and carrying rifles. It was true. The CRU had created a Nirad army.

‘Pegasus, look,’ she cried. ‘Nirad soldiers!’

Alexis swooped closer. ‘Why are you not firing? Look, they all have weapons!’

The easy solution would have been to burn Area 51 off the face of the Earth. But despite her fury, Emily couldn’t do that. Prince Tobin and Tirk could be down there somewhere.

‘I can’t! Not until we get the others away. Stay behind us!’ Emily concentrated on Pegasus. ‘Take us down, Pegs, right in the middle of them. If they fire at us, I’ll shoot back.’

The soldiers crouched down on the ground and trained their weapons at them. But they did not open fire.

‘Don’t shoot!’ Emily called. ‘Please, don’t shoot!’

Pegasus stopped flapping his large white wings and glided silently over their heads. He landed on the ground and trotted to a stop near the large group of soldiers.

‘Put your hands in the air!’ A human soldier demanded.

‘Listen to me,’ Emily cried. ‘Earth is in terrible danger. I must speak with your commander right away!’

As she slid off Pegasus, she heard the urgent clicking sounds of soldiers preparing their weapons. Emily held up her hands. ‘Please, don’t fire. We need to speak with your commander!’

The soldier held up his weapon. ‘Get down on the ground. Now!’

‘You don’t understand!’ Emily took a step closer. ‘Jupiter is going to destroy this world. You can stop it!’

‘Stop!’ The soldier cried. ‘Don’t move another step!’

‘Please, listen to me,’ Emily begged, holding her hands up. ‘We don’t want to fight. We’re here to warn you.’

Behind her, Pegasus was pounding the ground and snorting. His wings fluttered. Alexis let out a soft growl. She folded her wings to cover little Frankie and warned him to keep his head down.

‘Foolish humans,’ Alexis spat as she concentrated on the soldiers. ‘Listen to the child. She speaks the truth! Jupiter of Olympus will destroy this world if you do not stop creating these clones.’

As the Sphinx took a step closer to Emily, one of the human soldiers panicked. He raised his weapon and fired. His reaction caused the others to do the same. Nirad soldiers roared and charged forward. They dropped their rifles and opened their four arms. Their bead-black eyes were wide and their mouths hung open, showing rows of sharp, pointed teeth.

Pegasus shoved Emily forcefully in the back and knocked her to the ground. He reared up, spread his wings and whinnied angrily. He struck one of the Nirads in the chest with a golden hoof.

The Nirad soldier howled in pain and collapsed instantly to the ground as the gold of Pegasus’s hoof poisoned it. Suddenly more Nirad soldiers ran at them. The frightened human soldiers lost control and fired their weapons.

Emily reacted instantly. She rose to her feet and summoned the Flame. As it flowed down to her hands, she turned them on the soldiers. But before she could release it fully she felt her body exploding in pain as several bullets found their mark. Thrown backwards, she hit her head on the ground with an explosive impact.

Her thoughts flew at light speed. The soldiers were firing. Pegasus and Alexis were in danger. She had to save them! She sat up and raised her hands to release the Flame, but she was hit with more bullets and knocked backwards just as her powers let go. There was a blinding flash and tremendous peel of thunder.

And then they were gone.

Alexis and Pegasus had vanished!

It took Emily a moment to realize what had happened. Her hands must have been aimed towards Alexis and Pegasus when she released her powers.

‘Pegasus!’ she cried. ‘Pegasus, no!’

More bullets tore into her and Emily howled as she realized what she had done. Suddenly her body burst into flame. She glowed brilliantly and melted the bullets within her, healing the damage done by the soldiers.

Emily’s heart blazed in agony, but not from the flames.

Pegasus was
gone
!

Overwhelmed by unbearable grief, Emily welcomed the approaching darkness that always accompanied self-healing. She no longer cared what happened to her. She had destroyed the very best thing in her life. Now all she wanted, all she deserved was death. She prayed it would come with the darkness. The CRU could do whatever they wanted to her now.

Without Pegasus, there was nothing.

‘Come on, son, drink it all up.’

Paelen awoke in terrible pain, cradled in strong arms and with a cup being pressed to his lips. He tasted the blissful sweetness of nectar and started to gulp down the healing drink. He opened his eyes to see Steve Jacobs pulling the cup away. He was lying in his bed at Jupiter’s palace. Through the open windows he could smell the sweet, warm Olympian breeze.

He tried to focus on the figures standing around his bed. Diana and Apollo were standing at his left. Pluto was at the foot of the bed, his face a picture of anger. And then his eyes moved to his right and landed on Jupiter. Paelen’s heart started to pound in fear. The leader of Olympus’s eyes were like thunder and his mouth held in a thin, tight line.

Chrysaor was crouched on the ground beside Jupiter, looking downcast and defeated. The boar was terrified and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Jupiter stepped closer. His expression was dark and threatening. ‘Chrysaor caught you as you fell from the window. He brought you back to Olympus. But by the time I am finished with you, you will wish he had not.’

Paelen dropped his eyes. ‘Forgive me, Jupiter. I deserve everything you will do to me. But before you do, I must go back to Earth. Joel is in jail and I fear that Emily, Pegasus and Alexis are about to take on the CRU by themselves.’

There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone in the room. As Paelen devoured ambrosia and drank several more goblets of nectar, he started to speak. He told them everything that happened, starting with the arrival on Earth to the moment his clone threw him out of the window of the tall black building.

‘So you do not know where Emily is?’ Jupiter demanded incredulously. ‘The Flame of Olympus is on Earth and facing down the CRU alone?’

Paelen felt the furious intensity of Jupiter’s stare. ‘She is not alone,’ he stammered. ‘Pegasus, Alexis and – I believe – Prince Tobin is with her!’

‘What?’ Jupiter cried. ‘Are you telling me the prince of the Nirad world has left the safety of his people to join this inane quest?’

When Paelen nodded, Jupiter was furious. He walked over to the window and released a lightning bolt and peal of thunder that shook Olympus to its core. ‘Deliver me!’ he howled as he released more lightning and thunder.

With his fury spent, Jupiter returned to the bed. ‘How many of these creatures, these …’ He looked to Emily’s father for the word.