Pegasus and the Rise of the Titans (Pegasus #5) (10 page)

20

Lorin sat on the edge of her bed, feeling sickened by what she had done. At what Saturn had made her do. She never imagined it would be so simple. Just command the powers to be released and people died.

What wasn’t so simple was dealing with the sounds, sights and smells of what happened after that. In the instant before she opened fire she saw the older night dwellers push the younger boy down and jump on top of him.

They shielded him with their bodies. Why would they try to save the one boy?

It had worked. While many of the others seemed to vanish in a puff of smoke and ash, some further back in the cell survived, but suffered horrendous burns. The sounds of their moans would haunt her for the rest of her life. She could see that the boy had survived, but he too was badly wounded and unconscious. She wanted to help him after, but Saturn refused her request. He’d told her not to feel compassion, not to let the weakness of emotion in. Night dwellers were nothing. They were trash to be swept away.

But his eyes, the pleading in his black eyes right before she unleashed the Flame on those poor people – she couldn’t get that out of her head.

Lorin rose and started to pace the confines of her cell. The door was open, she could leave any time. But go where? Where could she go to get away from the horrors she had committed?

And then there was Phoebe. It was as if she did not care. She said the survivors would be moved into the cell with the Olympians, to act as a reminder of what would happen if they continued to defy Saturn, but she showed no regret. Lorin wanted to go back down there to check on the boy. But Saturn had put guards on the stairwell and had ordered her to stay away.

‘
This is all Emily’s fault
,’ she said bitterly to herself, as though placing the blame on someone else would ease her guilt. If it weren’t for Emily, she would have all her powers, and would not have had to hurt those people. She had to find Emily to become complete. Then she wouldn’t have to obey Saturn and hurt people. With or without Saturn’s permission, Lorin would track Emily down. But how?

Focusing all her energy on that, Lorin drove the memories of what she’d done from her mind. She had heard of the Solar Stream that the guards used to transport food and supplies from Olympus. Now that the Titans had full run of the prison, perhaps she could use the Solar Stream to finally find Emily.

21

Emily stood at the entrance of the cave, watching the sun cross the sky. Deeper inside, everyone was sleeping soundly. Fawn had tried to stay awake to keep her company, but exhaustion and grief over her brother pulled at her until she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

As late afternoon arrived, Fawn woke up and started to scream. ‘Dax? Dax, speak to me – tell me what happened?’

Emily ran back to her. ‘Fawn, it’s all right, you were just dreaming.’

‘No, it was not a dream. Dax is alive, I can hear him. I am awake and I can still hear him!’ She threw her arms around Emily as everyone in the cave awoke. ‘Emily, he is alive!’

‘He has just gone back to sleep,’ Fawn explained after she had closed her eyes and listened to Dax. ‘He told me he is in a lot of pain. He is alive because the elder night dwellers protected him with their bodies while Lorin attacked.’

‘How many survived?’ Chiron asked.

‘Not many. The wounded have been moved into the cell with Venus, Hercules and Mars. They are tending to them as best they can. But Dax and the others need proper medical help.’

‘But he’s alive!’ Paelen cheered.

Fawn screamed in happiness, louder than Emily imagined she could. Feeling her joy, she too started to shout and laugh with the others. The news that Dax was alive seemed to energize everyone and give them hope. Joel whooped and danced around the cave with Chrysaor, while Pegasus, despite his exhaustion, flapped his wings and whinnied in celebration.

Emily pulled out her pouch and produced a celebratory banquet. There were ambrosia cakes, a full Italian meal for Joel and bucket loads of chocolate ice-cream and chocolate bars.

As they ate, Emily had an idea. She pulled out the small blue jewel. ‘Chiron, this jewel,’ she started. ‘It opens the Solar Stream and lets us cross the universe, right?’

‘That is correct,’ Chiron said.

Emily rolled the gem in her hand. ‘Would it work for shorter trips? Like to the Galápagos? And then to Hawaii and maybe Japan?’

‘I believe it might,’ Chiron answered.

Joel suddenly caught on to what she was thinking. ‘So we use the Solar Stream to get us to each point so Pegasus won’t have to fly all the way!’ He ran over to Emily and hugged her. ‘Em, you’re a genius!’

Emily laughed. ‘Only if it works.’

When night arrived, they walked to the beach.

‘I must say, I am not looking forward to this,’ Chiron complained as he moved the strong harness vines into position on his open wounds. ‘I doubt my skin will recover.’

‘I just hope Em’s idea works,’ Joel said. ‘I doubt any of us could make it over a thousand miles of ocean otherwise.’

‘It has to work,’ Emily said. ‘It will work!’

She helped Fawn up on to Pegasus and then climbed up behind her. She looked back. Chiron was ready and gave her the thumbs-up. Joel nodded and Paelen grinned.

‘All right, Pegs,’ Emily said. ‘We’re ready. Get us in the air and I’ll use the gem.’

Emily and Fawn felt every muscle in Pegasus’s body tense in protest as he started to trot stiffly down the dark beach and finally enter a gallop. He flapped his wings and, with a mighty leap, took off.

Behind them, Chiron leaped high in the air at the same time, which reduced the drag on the stallion. Soon they were high in the night sky.

‘Ready?’ Emily shouted. She held out the jewel and called, ‘Take us to the skies over the Galápagos Islands!’

The swirling Solar Stream opened and they flew into it. In less than a blink of an eye, they flew right out again. Emily frowned. ‘Did we just go anywhere?’

Fawn looked around. ‘Yes. The land behind us is gone. Up ahead I can see islands. Some are small and some are large.’ She screamed, ‘It worked! We are at the Galápagos!’

Joel shouted and cheered while Paelen clapped his hands. When they flew closer, Joel called, ‘Em, can you feel the shard?’

Emily closed her eyes. ‘Riza, is it here?’ After a moment, there were two bursts of pain in her head.

‘It’s not here!’ Emily called. ‘We’ll try Hawaii next.’

The second journey through the Solar Stream was a fraction longer than the first. The moment they exited the blazing, swirling lights, Emily felt a slight tingling sensation. Then just as suddenly, pain started in her head and she rubbed her temples.

‘Are you all right?’ Fawn asked.

‘Yeah. It’s just a small headache. I wish I had some painkillers . . .’ It was only after she said it that she realized she had a
headache
!

‘Riza,’ Emily called, excited, ‘is that you making my head hurt?’

A single, painful pound in her temple said, ‘Yes.’

‘Are we close? Is that the shard I’m feeling?’

Emily thought her head would explode from the single shooting pain in her temples.

‘Everyone, listen – we found it!’ Emily shouted. ‘Pegasus, can you hear me? Riza says we’re here! Can you take us down lower?’

After a moment, Joel called ahead, ‘Fawn, can you see Hawaii?’

Fawn leaned further forward. ‘I do not know, but I can see some islands down there.’

‘How many?’ Joel asked.

Fawn counted. ‘There are eight. How many does Hawaii have?’

Joel whooped. ‘Eight!’

22

The Hawaiian Islands lay dead ahead.

As they approached the first and largest island, the tingling Emily felt changed. It became a strange, drawing sensation – pulling her onwards. ‘I feel the shard!’ she cried. ‘Pegs, it’s just ahead of us, calling to me.’

Emily also felt the light pounding of Riza’s celebration inside her head. But when they were over the Big Island, Emily sensed the shard wasn’t there. Disappointment crushed her. ‘It’s not on this one. Maybe it’ll be on one of those middle islands.’

With each wing-beat, Pegasus was faltering. He had pushed himself hard, but carrying the weight of Chiron over the long distances was taking a heavy toll. He shrieked as his left wing tucked in fast and then flashed out again, and they almost stumbled in the sky.

‘He is getting wing cramps,’ Paelen cried. ‘We must land. He will not make it much further.’

‘He doesn’t have to!’ Emily called. ‘Down there, Pegs – I feel the shard! It’s right down there on that smaller island in the middle, the one with the clouds covering half of it. Take us down!’

It was not a smooth flight down. But it became much worse the moment they entered the gathered clouds above the island. Rough winds tore at them and torrential rain made it impossible to see more than what was right in front of them.

Weak from the long flight, the stallion was swept up in a powerful gust of wind which blew him sideways. Pegasus shrieked and screamed, fighting to stay on course. Behind them, Chrysaor squealed as he was buffeted by the winds. Chiron swung dangerously in the harness – destabilizing Pegasus further.

‘Chiron, hold on!’ Joel called.

‘I am trying,’ the Centaur called. ‘Pegasus, we need more speed – I can feel the tension on the vines increasing!’

Deeper into the storm they descended. Emily’s hair whipped into her face and rain blurred her vision. The rain seemed to be blowing in every direction as they fought to stay airborne.

‘Fawn, hold on!’ Emily cried.

Fawn tucked herself into the stallion’s neck and clung to his whipping mane while Emily kept her arms tight around the night dweller’s waist.

Paelen flew up to the stallion’s head. ‘Hurry, Pegasus – one of the vines just snapped. They will not hold much longer!’

Emily turned back and in the weak light saw a second line snap.

A gust of wind caught Chrysaor and flipped the winged boar over, casting Joel off his back.

‘Joel!’ Emily howled. She instinctively reached out with her powers, but a flashing agony in her head stopped her. ‘Riza – no, I need to get to him!’ But the pain would not let up.

Joel somersaulted in the sky. Just as he fell past the Centaur, Chiron kicked his back leg out. ‘Joel, catch my leg!’

Joel’s silver hand shot out and caught hold of Chiron’s hoof. His added weight put too much strain on the stretched vines and more started to break.

‘Pegs, take us down now before they fall!’ Emily shouted.

They were still high above the water but approaching the shoreline. Buildings with blazing lights were built up all along the beach. There was nowhere private or secluded to land.

With the added weight of Joel, Pegasus could take no more. He whinnied and started to fall out of the sky. He stretched his wings fully and tried to glide. But when another gust of wind struck them, Pegasus was too exhausted to fight it.

They half glided and half fell over the beach and towards the roof of a tall, rectangular building. Lights shone from the windows and the sides were lined with balconies. With his last bit of energy, Pegasus gave one final, mighty flap of his wings to get them close to the building.

They were coming down fast. Emily closed her eyes and braced for impact. Pegasus hit the roof and tumbled, uncontrolled. Behind them came the explosive sound of shattering glass.

Emily and Fawn were thrown from the stallion’s back and hit the rooftop several metres away. They rolled to a stop and when Emily sat up she found she was facing what looked like the entrance to an apartment with sliding glass doors. They had landed in the penthouse apartment’s patio area. The windows were dark and she prayed no one was home. But their crash had been noisy. Had anyone else heard them?

‘Chiron!’ Fawn cried. She was on her feet and running towards the railing that ran around the rooftop.

The harness! Emily realized.

It was dangling over the side of the building. She looked at the vines still around Pegasus and watched as he was dragged slowly back towards the edge of the roof by the weight of Joel and Chiron.

Emily ran to Fawn at the railing. Chiron was swinging against the side of the balcony on the floor beneath them. He was looking down at Joel and trying not to move.

‘Joel, hold on!’ Chiron called. He looked up. ‘Paelen, get down here. Help Joel!’

Joel was clinging to the Centaur’s back hoof and dangling above at least a fourteen-storey fall. He had a gash on his forehead that was bleeding into his eyes.

Paelen flew down and was by Joel’s side in an instant. He wrapped his arms around him. ‘Joel, I have you, let go.’

Emily held out her hand to use her powers to draw them up, but a shooting pain in her head drove her to her knees. ‘Riza! Please, I need to help them.’

But the pain would not stop.

‘Up!’ Paelen commanded his sandals. ‘Take us to Pegasus!’

The tiny wings on the sandals obeyed. Paelen carried Joel up so that Fawn could help haul him over the railing. As soon as they were safe on their feet, they leaned over and pulled the vines to lift up Chiron. But for all their strength, and with the whipping rain making everything slippery, the Centaur was too heavy for them to lift.

‘Joel, look!’ Emily cried as another vine snapped. There were now only four vines holding the Centaur. As another started to fray, Chrysaor flew down to Chiron so that he could catch hold of his rear legs.

‘Go!’ Chiron cried to the winged boar. ‘Fly!’

Chrysaor squealed and flapped his wings, straining to lift Chiron. From above, the others struggled to pull up the vines. But their combined strength wasn’t enough to pull the Centaur up to the roof.

‘You are not strong enough,’ Chiron called. ‘Get Pegasus!’

‘He’s going to fall!’ Joel cried.

‘No he’s not! Stay here and hold on to him!’ Emily ordered. She ran back to Pegasus. The stallion was barely conscious and lying on his side. Rain splattered his face and closed eyes. ‘Pegs, please, get up! Chiron is going to fall. We’re not strong enough to lift him. Please, you’ve got to pull, you’re his only hope. Get up and pull, before the last vines break!’

Pegasus lifted his head and Emily saw he was close to collapse. Blood poured from his nostrils. At first she thought it was just a cut from the fall, but the flow was too heavy. The strain of the long flight was too much and his heart was on the verge of bursting.

But hearing that Chiron was in danger was enough to get him to rise. As he climbed to his feet Chiron’s weight pulled him backwards towards the edge of the roof.

Joel jumped between the railing and the stallion’s rump and started to push Pegasus away from the edge and back towards the middle of the rooftop.

Paelen flew back over the side of the building and hovered beneath the Centaur to support his weight.

With Emily, Fawn and Joel now pushing Pegasus from behind, the stallion started to pull.

Little by little, Chiron was lifted up closer to the railing. Emily dared to steal a look back and saw the Centaur release Chrysaor and catch hold of the lowest bar on the railing.

‘Almost there,’ Chiron strained as he climbed the railing. ‘Just a bit more . . .’

‘Keep going, Pegs,’ she cried. ‘It’s working. He’s almost here!’

Pegasus whinnied against the strain. The sounds of his screams mixed with twanging sounds as another vine snapped. Paelen cried from below as he pushed the Centaur up. But with one more final, heaving shove, Chiron made it over the top of the railing and fell to the roof.

‘They’re safe!’ Joel panted.

With those final words, Pegasus screamed and collapsed.