by Kate O'Hearn
‘No they won’t, not this time,’ Joel insisted. ‘Fawn is with them, she’ll get a message to Jupiter. I bet he knows already. They’ll be here any moment.’
‘Then what?’ Emily asked. ‘The Big Three will do to Hawaii what they did to Las Vegas?’ She looked back at her friend. ‘Do you realize wherever we go, we cause destruction? Here, Greece, Las Vegas, even New York.’
‘We’ve never been to Greece,’ Joel said.
‘Yes we have!’ Emily snapped. ‘You just don’t remember it. I lost control of my powers at the Acropolis Museum and accidentally destroyed Athens.’
‘Em, stop,’ Joel said. ‘That won’t happen. I promise.’
‘I want to know how they knew about us,’ Paelen said. ‘We were careful. No one saw anything at the hotel.’
Joel shrugged. ‘I don’t think that family saw Pegasus or Chiron. Gregor was hanging around the balcony a lot, but he was cool.’
‘And he was more interested in the ocean view than us,’ Emily said.
Mickey returned with a tray of drinks. ‘Here, everyone drink up. It’ll help.’
They each took a glass and drank down the cool fruit juice. ‘How long have you been serving Pele?’ Emily asked.
‘Oh, it seems forever.’ Mickey took a seat beside Emily. She could feel him trembling.
‘Are you all right?’
He nodded. ‘Just a bit nervous.’
‘What have you got to be nervous about? We’re the ones they’re looking for,’ Joel said.
‘I know, but I might have been seen helping you. My job is on the line. Maybe even my life, if I’m not careful.’
‘So,’ Emily said, changing the subject, ‘how is it that you serve Pele? I mean, you don’t exactly look . . .’ She stopped.
‘Hawaiian?’ Mickey said.
‘Well, yes,’ Emily admitted.
‘You don’t have to be from the Islands to serve the gods. I was born in Los Angeles but raised on the Big Island. When I was young, I was visited by Pele.’
‘Really? That must have been something,’ Emily said as she finished her drink.
‘It was the worst day of my life,’ Mickey said. ‘There’s a legend here in the Islands that the tour guides tell visitors. It’s more like a warning, really. But basically it’s said that if you visit the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, you must never take away any of the black rocks on the ground. If you do it will anger Pele and bring bad luck. In fact,’ Mickey rose and looked out of the windows nervously, ‘there’s actually a special postal service around here that returns the rocks that tourists take home with them and then send back when the bad luck starts. Those rocks are all returned to Kilauea.’
‘So why was meeting Pele your worst day?’ Joel asked.
‘Because Pele is mean-spirited, vicious and power-mad. Before I knew about the legend, I visited Kilauea and took a large piece of shiny black rock. I thought it was pretty and wanted it for my mineral collection. But Pele appeared. She was furious and threatened me. If it hadn’t been for Nā-maka intervening on my behalf, I’m sure Pele would have killed me. I was just a dumb teenager, I didn’t know any better, but it didn’t matter. She said I disrespected her and stole from her home. From that day forward, I swore service and devotion to her sister. Pele is a monster, just like you and the Olympians.’
‘Wh-what?’ Paelen said. He stood and staggered, looking at his empty glass. His eyes grew foggy and heavy. ‘What was in this?’ The glass fell from his hands and shattered on the tile floor, just as he collapsed.
‘It is a special drink, prepared just for you by Nā-maka. I hope you like it.’
Just then, Joel fell back on the sofa.
‘Joel, Paelen!’ Emily cried. She reached over and checked the pulse at Joel’s neck. It pounded steadily and his breathing was normal. But he and Paelen were out cold. Her eyes flashed to their drinks glasses. ‘What have you done to them?’
‘What I was commanded to do.’ Mickey looked at her empty glass and frowned.
Emily stood. ‘Whatever you put in our drinks won’t work on me. Now, who are you really?’ she demanded. ‘Are you working with the CRU?’
‘Those idiots?’ Mickey rose and backed away from the sofa. ‘Don’t be stupid. I told you already. I serve Nā-maka.’ He reached to his desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Emily. ‘I don’t know what you are, if the drink didn’t work on you. But I’m sure you’re not bulletproof.’
‘Actually, I am,’ Emily said darkly as she advanced on him. She raised her hand to summon the Flame but even before the thought was finished, Riza shot a pain through her temple. If she was going to survive this, Emily needed a good bluff.
‘Stop!’ Mickey cried. He turned the gun on Joel. ‘I’ll bet he’s not bulletproof.’
‘If you fire that gun, it will be the last thing you ever do.’ Emily pushed past the pain and summoned a very small Flame in her palm. Riza had to understand this was necessary and know she wouldn’t summon any more. ‘Now, drop the gun before I lose my temper.’
Fear rose on Mickey’s face. ‘You’re just like Pele – a fire demon.’
‘I’m no demon,’ Emily said. ‘But I will do anything to protect my friends. Believe me, Flame is the least of my powers. Now, tell me, why have you done this to us?’
‘You really wanna know? Fine, it won’t change anything. For years, Nā-maka has been waiting for the chance to overpower her sister. Your coming here has provided the first opportunity she’s had in a very long time. We are not going to waste it.’
‘Now who’s being stupid?’ Emily challenged. ‘You have no idea what’s happening here. There’s a war going on out there. A big one. Titans versus the Olympians. If the Titans win, they won’t stop with Olympus. Their next move will be to come here and conquer Earth. They will enslave everyone, including the Hawaiian gods. Pele and Nā-maka must stop fighting and unite to help us defeat Saturn. He is their enemy too.’
‘Empty threats,’ Mickey said. ‘Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i is much stronger than your Olympians or Titans. She has promised me eternal life for my service. I will not betray her.’
‘You betrayed us for eternal life?’
‘I would do much more than that,’ Mickey said darkly.
‘So what does she want you to do?’ Emily asked.
‘I am to hand all of you over to her.’
‘What does she want with us?’
‘You’re the one who doesn’t understand what’s going on. Let me spell it out for you. Pele put you under her protection – so her word and honour is at stake. Should anything happen to you, it will weaken her position as leader of the gods, because she couldn’t keep her word. These gods are all honour driven. If her promise is broken, she will lose the respect and support of the others. It will completely upset the balance of power and she will be replaced.’
His eyes lit with a strange kind of madness. ‘I can’t wait to see it! Once she is gone, Nā-maka can take control.’
‘You’re wrong. Pele didn’t offer protection to me. Do you see any flowers? If you really want to hurt her, you need to get Pegasus and the others away from the military. Those are the Olympians she has under her protection.’
The gun in Mickey’s hand wavered and then pointed at Paelen and Joel. ‘No, they’re wearing Pele’s lei. They’re under her protection too. Besides, I can’t reach the others; they’ve been taken to the Honolulu Zoo.’
‘The zoo?’ Emily cried. ‘How do you know?’
‘Who do you think called the military in the first place? When they arrived at the Outrigger, I overheard them talking. The Olympians were being taken to the zoo instead of the base at Pearl Harbor. The zoo is a trap and the others are bait. It’s you they’re really after.’
‘It was you who betrayed us?’ Emily cried. �
��You stupid moron! You don’t know what you’ve done!’
‘I did as I was commanded,’ Mickey said. ‘If they’d taken the Olympians to Pearl Harbor, it would have been easy. That’s right on the water and Nā-maka could have claimed them already. But they’re at the zoo and that’s too far inland for her. I now have two choices. Offer to trade you to the military in exchange for Pegasus or that Centaur, or I make do with you three. If the military wants you, Nā-maka may want you too.’
Mickey paused and looked at her strangely. ‘Why is the military more interested in you than the others?’
‘I’ll tell you if you put the gun down,’ Emily said.
‘Now who’s being stupid?’ Mickey spat. ‘I don’t care what you are. Just sit down and shut your mouth.’
Emily stood before the armed man, weighing her options. She could try to summon whatever was left of her powers, but would they work? How much could she use before she destroyed herself and Riza? Would it be enough to save Joel and Paelen? What would happen then? Lorin would get the shard and then there would be no stopping her or the Titans. Could she risk it?
No.
Emily lowered her hands and sat down. ‘Please, Mickey, listen to me. If you do this, Nā-maka may defeat her sister, but to what end if the Titans enslave Earth? Please, help us stop them. Then Pele and her sister can go back to their own war.’
The madness returned to his eyes as he pulled a roll of duct tape from a drawer. ‘You’re so convinced that your Olympians and Titans are more powerful than the Hawaiian gods. But you’re wrong. Nā-maka can raise a wall of water to drown these Islands if she wanted. She commands all the oceans.’
Emily was tempted to say that Neptune could do the same thing, or that the Big Three could destroy the Earth without even coming here. But she chose to stay silent.
She sat still as Mickey bound her arms behind her back. She hated surrendering to him, but with Joel and Paelen unconscious and her powers all but gone, there was little she could do on her own. She would use the time to think up a plan.
Emily watched Mickey bind Paelen’s hands and then move to Joel. But when he pulled off Joel’s glove to reveal the silver hand, he frowned. ‘What’s this?’
‘Vulcan made it for him. The Olympians are very clever and generous. If you help us, I’m sure Jupiter will grant you eternal life. You don’t have to do this to us.’
His eyes grew dark and stormy. ‘Are you asking me to betray my oath?’
Emily shook her head. ‘I’m asking you to think. You are in the middle of two big fights: the Olympians versus the Titans, and Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i versus Pele. If it continues, no one will win.’
‘I told you to shut up.’ He came back to her and put a strip of tape on her mouth. He leaned in close to her face. ‘You are not changing my mind.’
The angrier Mickey became, the rougher he was with Joel and Paelen as he put tape around their hands and then legs. He hoisted Paelen up on his shoulder and carried him away. He then did the same with Joel.
When he came back, he lifted Emily on to his shoulder. She mused on how easy it would have been to defeat him with her powers. But now, she couldn’t even stop him from carrying her through the small house. She felt completely helpless as they passed through a door and into the garage. Emily was deposited roughly in the back of an old white van in between the unconscious bodies of Joel and Paelen.
Mickey showed her the gun as he slipped it into his waistline. ‘Listen to me. Don’t go trying any of those fire tricks. If I smell even the tiniest smoulder, I swear I will put a bullet in Joel’s head. Do you understand me?’
Emily nodded as Mickey climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Soon the automatic garage door opened and the van was pulling out of the driveway.
Emily struggled to sit up and peered out of the front window as the van made its way through the neighbourhood. There were lush green mountains directly ahead of them as Mickey manoeuvred the van on to a highway. Wherever he was taking them, it was away from Honolulu.
Mickey reached for his mobile phone and dialled a number. ‘Yeah, Kono, it’s me. I’ve got ’em. Two of them are out cold. The girl is still awake . . .’
A voice at the other end asked a muffled question.
‘Of course I gave it to her, but it didn’t work. I don’t know what she is, but I don’t think she’s normal. She can make fire just like Pele. It doesn’t matter anyway. If Nā-maka won’t take her, we can trade her for one of the other animals – either that flying horse or the pig. I doubt they’ll let that Centaur go. But she’s the one they’re really after.’
Another muffled comment came from the mobile. ‘Yeah,’ Mickey answered. ‘I’m on Highway Three right now, crossing the island. We should be there within the hour. Get the boat ready. I want to go the moment we arrive.’
So Mickey wasn’t working alone. Emily nudged Joel, trying to get him to wake up. When that failed, she tried Paelen. But he remained unconscious. Whatever Mickey had given them must have been powerful if it was strong enough to knock out Olympians.
Time stood still as Emily lay in the back of the van. They were in deep trouble. Mickey and his accomplice planned to hand them over to Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i. If her temper was anything like her sister’s then what the CRU was doing to Pegasus and the others would pale in comparison to what they were facing.
Emily heard Paelen start to stir. She leaned close to his face and his eyes fluttered open. Emily shook her head, warning him not to move. She nodded towards Mickey in the driver’s seat.
Paelen nodded and closed his eyes again. But though they were closed, she could feel his subtle movements as he tore through the tape binding his hands behind his back.
Once free, he slipped his hands beneath her and used his power to stretch out his arms. He reached for the tape binding her hands. With little effort, she was freed.
Just as Emily reached for Joel, they felt the van turn off the highway. It slowed and turned on to what sounded like a gravel road and then bumped on to a softer surface which Emily guessed was sand. She lifted her head to look out the window again, and gasped. The ocean was in front of them. A rowing boat was bobbing on the shore and a large Hawaiian man was standing beside it.
Mickey turned back and looked at her. ‘Remember,’ he said, showing her the gun, ‘you try anything and I’ll start shooting. Don’t move a muscle – I’ll be right back.’
As soon as he left the van, Emily turned back to Paelen. He reached forward and gently pulled the tape away from her face.
‘He’s working for Nā-maka,’ Emily quickly explained. ‘He’s going to hand us over to her to use against Pele.’
‘He is going to try,’ Paelen said darkly. ‘But he will fail. I do not think he understands who we are or what we can do.’
‘I can’t do anything now,’ Emily said.
‘Why do you say that when you know you can fight?’ Paelen said. ‘You are more than just your powers. Diana has trained you well. You just have to believe in yourself.’
‘But I’ve never put my training into practice. I hardly even paid attention!’
‘You did not have to. Now you do.’ Paelen gave her a crooked grin and his eyes sparkled. ‘You will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Look at me, I am small for an Olympian, but fighting humans is easy – they are so squishy.’ He reached past Emily and started to shake Joel. ‘Wake up, Joel, there is a fight coming!’
‘Whatever he gave us to drink, it’s really powerful. I don’t know if Joel will wake up any time soon. I’m just so glad you’re awake.’
Paelen grinned again. ‘So am I.’
They heard voices as Mickey and the other man returned to the van. ‘They’re all tied up in here, Kono.’
Emily and Paelen immediately lay back down. Emily remembered to put the tape back on her mouth. When the v
an door opened, she squinted at the bright sunshine pouring in.
Kono reached for Joel, roughly hauled him out of the van and carried him over to the boat. When he returned, Mickey caught hold of Emily. ‘Your turn – out you come. We don’t want to keep the lady waiting.’
In the same instant, Kono reached for Paelen. ‘What the—’
Paelen struck with a blow so fast and powerful, it knocked the Hawaiian against the inside of the van. Paelen leaped out and grabbed him. He lifted him easily over his head and slammed him down to the sand.
As Mickey looked on in shock, Emily used the opportunity to turn her anger on him. Pulling the tape from her mouth, she roared like Diana and kicked out at him with a surprise blow to his stomach that knocked him down to his knees. Emily tried to remember everything Diana had taught her, and tested out her fighting moves.
Before Mickey could land one punch on Emily, Paelen appeared and gave him a bone-crunching blow to the chin. ‘That is for Joel!’ The hit was hard enough to lift Mickey off the ground and send him flying several metres in the air before crashing down on a sand dune.
‘See, Emily?’ Paelen grinned. ‘Humans are squishy!’ After another punch, Mickey collapsed on to the sand, unconscious.
As Emily and Paelen crossed the beach to the rowing boat where Joel lay, the ocean stirred and started to swirl and a large waterspout rose high into the air. A beautiful woman emerged from the side of the spout. Her hair was as green as the clearest ocean waters and her face was pale like sea foam. She had webbing between her long fingers and wore a gown of seaweed that had tiny fish swimming in the air around her. Her eyes were as black as Pele’s. Around her neck was a lei of pearls and tiny colourful seashells.
She held out her arms to them. ‘Come to me!’
Paelen caught hold of Emily’s hand and held her back. ‘Who are you?’
‘I am Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i! You, who wear the lei of my sister, will come with me now. Pele will know my wrath!’