by Kate O'Hearn
Cupid was right. He was wearing the traditional Olympian tunic with gold belt and sandals. He wouldn’t exactly fit in. Neither would she without a winter coat. Of course, that was nothing compared to Pegasus and his wings. They couldn’t exactly disguise him as a zombie again.
“We’ll have to hide again when we arrive, then try to find some clothes.”
Pegasus whinnied, and Cupid said, “Pegasus hopes we can find an appropriate blanket for him.”
Emily leaned forward and patted his neck. “Don’t worry, Pegs. We’ll figure something out.”
It had been some time since their visit to Hawaii. But as Emily looked down on the moonlit waters of the Atlantic, she discovered that she missed Earth less and less. After this, she doubted she would ever return. What Riza was doing sounded a lot more interesting than constantly coming here and having to hide.
As the long night passed and dawn split the horizon, they saw the outline of land ahead.
“Is that Ireland?”
“It is,” the dot answered. “Shall we go down lower and take a look? I have only ever seen it through the memories of the Xan.”
“Why not?” Emily said. “Pegs, do you want to go down lower to see Ireland?”
Pegasus nickered and tilted his wings. Soon they were descending.
“That’s amazing,” Emily said as they passed over the small country. “It really is the Emerald Isle. Even during the winter, it’s green.”
As Pegasus winged his way over Ireland, Emily saw more water looming ahead. After that they would reach England. Then what? Once again she felt that stirring in her stomach that they were making a terrible mistake. But what choice did she really have?
By the time they reached the English coastline, the sun was climbing high over their heads, well above the solid dark storm clouds that hung sullenly over the country.
“Looks like we’re heading into rain, just like last time,” Emily warned.
“This is a good thing,” Cupid called. “It will give us cover as we head to London.”
“Arious,” Emily said, “would you lead us there?”
“Yes, but it’s still against my better judgment. You do realize the danger you are putting yourselves in.”
“Better us than Jupiter losing his temper and bringing his brothers here to end this world once and for all,” Cupid said.
“That would never happen,” Arious said. “Riza and I would stop them.”
“And that would start a fight between you and them,” Emily added. “This is the only way, unless you can think of another?”
The tiny dot went silent.
“Neither could I,” Emily agreed. “Without Riza, we’re on our own.”
Conversation stopped as they approached the shore. Pegasus climbed higher to hide them in the dark clouds. With Arious Minor to guide them, they headed south toward London. But with each beat of the stallion’s powerful wings, Emily heard a tiny voice nagging at her to forget Agent B and the others and go home. But how could she abandon her friend to the CRU?
After a while Arious Minor announced that they would soon be approaching London.
“Pegasus, I have an idea,” Cupid called. “Would you slow down a bit but keep flying toward London. I will be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Emily called as Cupid dipped down deeper into the dense clouds. “Cupid, wait!” But the winged Olympian disappeared into the grayness around them.
“He’s very headstrong,” Arious Minor said.
“He’s going to get us into trouble, that’s what he’s going to do,” Emily said.
A few minutes later Cupid returned and flew in front of Pegasus. “Follow me. I have a plan that will help us conceal ourselves. It is this way.”
Pegasus nickered and then started to follow Cupid down into the clouds. When they burst free, they were flying over vast swaths of green fields with the occasional home dotting the land. The style was nothing like Emily had seen before, with red tiled roofs and quaint brick houses. A soft, misty rain fell, and by the looks of the sodden land, it hadn’t stopped in quite some time.
“This way,” Cupid called. “There is a place ahead that has horses.”
They followed the winged Olympian down toward a single property with a small house and a large stone barn. Hedgerows marked the property lines, and a few horses wearing coats were standing in a muddy paddock. With the rain falling, there was no one working outside.
At the sight of them, Pegasus nickered.
“Ignore them, Pegs,” Emily said as she patted his neck. “You are much better than they are. They’re just horses and you’re not.”
Pegasus snorted and still didn’t seem pleased. It made Emily realize that her best friend also had to overcome obstacles of perception. Pegasus was not a horse, but to look at him, he appeared to be a big beautiful white horse with wings. It made her own quest for identity seem petty and insignificant.
“We’ll just take what we need and get going again. You won’t even have to talk to them.”
They touched down on the muddy ground outside the barn. Cupid ran forward and pulled one of the big barn doors open, and Pegasus trotted inside. There were three horses in their stalls, and they started to whinny noisily at the winged stallion’s arrival. One chestnut stallion started to rear up and kick at the stall door.
“Easy,” Emily called to the horses as she slid off Pegasus’s back. “It’s all right. We’re not going to hurt you.”
But no matter what they tried, the horses in the barn were disturbed by the presence of Pegasus among them. Their screaming increased by the minute.
“Do you want me to silence them?” Cupid offered. “I could make it painless.”
“You want to kill them?” Emily cried. “No way! Stealing a blanket or two is one thing. But killing beautiful horses is another.”
“But they are noisy,” Cupid said. “They will draw attention to us.”
Cupid was right. The horses were being very loud. But killing or even hurting them was out of the question. “No, Cupid, you won’t touch them! We’ll think of something else.” Emily walked back to the door and peered out. Despite the noise of the horses, no one was coming out of the house.
“I don’t think anyone is home. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Emily left the barn, to the loud protests of Pegasus and Cupid. She ran across the muddy ground to the front door of the house. Pressing the doorbell, she waited for an answer. When no one came, she knocked forcefully on the door. After a couple of minutes, she was convinced no one was home.
Emily pushed against the door, and the wood frame creaked and then started to crack. A moment later the door burst open as wood fragments scattered along the floor.
“Well, that was one way of getting in,” Arious Minor said as the dot hovered in front of her.
“Could you have opened it?”
“No,” the dot said. “But you might have considered that open window over there.”
Emily looked at one of the windows near the door. It was slightly ajar. Had she seen it, she wouldn’t have had to force the door. “You know, you could have told me about that before I destroyed the door.”
“I didn’t think you would listen to me.”
“Of course I would. You’re part of the team,” Emily said. “Next time, if you see a better solution, please say something.”
“You consider me part of your team?” the dot asked incredulously.
“Of course. Don’t you?”
“I must admit, I never thought of it. When I traveled with the Xan, I was expected to remain silent and simply observe. I only spoke when told to.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not Xan.”
“But you contain parts of the Xan. I know what Riza did when her father was creating your body.”
“Maybe so,” Emily admitted. “But still, if you need to tell us something or see us heading into danger, please speak out. Don’t wait to be asked. Being part of the team means we all work together.”
“I will,” the dot said.
Emily noticed how Arious Minor glowed a little bit brighter. “Now, would you do me a favor and tell Pegs and Cupid that no one is home and that they can come in.”
“Of course.”
The dot of light shot out of the house and across the yard. His words disturbed her. For as benevolent as the Xan were, it didn’t sound like they treated Arious Major or Minor very well. In fact, they weren’t big on emotions at all. That’s what set Riza apart and why she and Riza were so close.
While she waited for Pegasus and Cupid, Emily walked farther into the house. Near the door was a coatrack with several long, dark green rain slickers, which would be perfect for hiding Cupid’s wings.
Deeper inside, she saw the home was modestly furnished. The smell of coffee lingered in the air, and when she entered the kitchen, she saw the remnants of a pot still simmering. That smell brought back memories of her own home when her mother was still alive and always had coffee simmering. That smell meant home.
From the kitchen, Emily passed into a small den and off of there, to a neat but cramped room that worked as an office. A computer hummed on the desk, and papers were scattered all around. Taking a seat at the computer, Emily reached for the mouse. Just then, Arious Minor returned.
“Would you like me to help you with that?”
“Sure,” Emily said. “Can you do that interface thingy you mentioned and find out where we are and how far we are from Charing Cross?”
“No problem,” Arious Minor said. “I would like to see what the technology of this world can do.” The dot vanished into one of the USB ports.
Suddenly the screen burst to life with images that flashed faster than Emily could follow. Whatever Arious Minor was doing, he was doing it very quickly.
The sound of shattering glass coming from the other room made Emily jump from her chair.
“Pegasus, be careful,” Cupid complained. “You are wrecking the place!”
By the time she reached the den, Pegasus was standing in the middle of the tiny room, taking up most of the space, while Cupid was bending over and picking up the pieces of a broken lamp. The floor was covered in muddy prints from all of them.
“Why are human dwellings so small?” Cupid complained as he put the pieces down on a lounge chair. “I cannot even open my wings in here. I have no idea how Pegasus is going to get back out again. Look, he cannot turn around.”
“I don’t think they were expecting winged Olympians to visit when they built the house. Why don’t you look around for some clothes and I’ll stay with Pegs. Arious Minor is using the computer in the office. Just be as quick as you can.”
While he was gone, Emily looked around in the small den. Cupid was right. They were going to have to move furniture so Pegasus could turn around and get out.
Standing at the stallion’s head, Emily stroked his smooth mane. “It won’t be long now, Peg. Are you nervous?”
Pegasus bobbed his head.
“Me too. I just wish Riza were here. She could get Agent B and the others out of there in no time. Then we could go home. Or maybe we could join her on some of her journeys. What would you think of that?”
Once again, Pegasus bobbed his head. “I’m glad. So when this is over, I’ll talk to Dad about spending more time with Riza.”
“Emily,” Arious Minor said as the dot of light returned to the room. “At Pegasus’s average speed, we are just over an hour’s flight from London. I have downloaded the maps we need to find our way around the city. Did you know there was something called the Internet?”
Emily chuckled. “Yes. What about it?”
“It is amazing. Filled with so much data. There are some wonderful things on there, but some terrible things too. Humanity has evolved into a very complicated and, I’m sad to say, destructive species with as many people doing terrible things to the environment as there are others trying to save it. Earth has lost too many species because of humanity. I believe Riza should be told. Perhaps it is time we removed some of the more endangered species from this world and brought them to Xanadu for protection. After all this time, it appears humans are not learning from their mistakes.”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea at all,” Emily admitted. “But did you find anything on there about the CRU?”
“For all the information out there, the CRU are strangely silent. I did find a kind of Dark Internet with information not readily available. I have my suspicions that the CRU work within that darkness. Unfortunately, that computer was not strong enough to help me access it. It would mean me leaving here to follow the trail. I thought it best not to.”
Cupid returned to the lounge. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and was tearing slits in the back of a shirt to fit over his wings. His tunic and belt were tucked under his arm. “Whoever owns this place is bigger than me. His shirts are massive, and I am swimming in these trousers. I had forgotten how much I hate wearing human clothing.”
Emily reached for his Olympian garments. “It’s better than these for the moment.” She stopped and looked at Cupid’s belt. It was finely woven Olympian gold with a diamond set in every other link.
“Cupid, would you mind if I left your belt for the people who own the house?”
“My belt? No. Mother gave that to me.”
“I know, but look around. We’ve stolen their clothes, destroyed their lamp, and dirtied their house. And I broke down their door. We should at least leave them something to pay for the damages.”
“But why my belt?”
“Because it has diamonds in it, and they are very valuable here. Besides, I don’t have anything to give them.”
Cupid grumbled for a bit but finally handed over his belt. “I certainly hope they appreciate the sacrifice I have made.”
Emily grinned. “I’m sure they’ll be blown away.”
Cupid pulled on the flannel shirt and maneuvered his wings through the slits. He tucked it in and sighed. “Before we leave, I want you to write a note to let them know the true value of the gift and that it came from me.”
“That sounds fair.” Emily went back into the office and wrote up a quick message to the homeowners. When she finished, she offered him the pen. “Do you want to sign it?”
“No, I do not wish to sign it,” Cupid said irritably. “I want to get moving before these people come home and find us here.”
“I agree,” Emily said. “I’ll just go get a blanket for Pegs and we can leave.”
When they were ready to go, Emily pulled two of the rain slickers down from the coatrack and gave one to Cupid and kept the other for herself. She pulled it on over her clothes.
Cupid wrinkled his nose. “This smells like the barn.”
“Yes, it’s a farmer’s coat,” Emily said. “But it’s better than being seen.”
“Are you sure?” Cupid complained.
They made their way outside and found that the rain was now coming down harder. But Emily didn’t mind. Rain meant people rarely looked up—which gave them a better chance of not being seen as they made their way to one of the world’s busiest cities.
Emily climbed up on the stallion’s back and patted Pegasus’s neck. “All right, everyone, next stop—London. Let’s go!”
5
PAELEN WAITED UNTIL LORIN RETIRED to her bedchamber in Vesta’s home before leaving. He walked back to where he was staying in the caves of the night dwellers and felt guilt settle in his chest.
Seeing Emily’s disappointment at the silver lake was still weighing heavily on his mind. He knew that beach was her special place where she and Pegasus went whenever she was troubled. So why had he let Lorin talk him in to taking her there? It had been a terrible mistake. He had given in to Lorin because it was easier than saying no to the Titan, even though he knew what could happen if Emily found out.
But Emily did find out, and seeing the hurt on her face was worse than anything he could imagine. Yet for all of Emily’s pain, Lorin seemed oblivious. Perhaps it
was because she had not yet learned how to read expressions, or—and Paelen really hoped this wasn’t it—that she enjoyed making Emily suffer.
Whatever the answer, Lorin still had a lot to learn. One of the biggest things being that Pegasus was a free individual and not Emily’s pet. Somehow she couldn’t grasp that and was always asking him to tell Emily to give Pegasus to her.
Not even Jupiter giving her Tornado Warning was enough. She may have loved the winged horse, but Lorin still wanted Pegasus.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he repeated to himself as he smacked his head. “Why did I do it? Why did I take her there?”
Ever since the events in Hawaii, nothing was the same. Emily had changed completely. Riza was a separate and powerful Xan, and Lorin was in his life. The Titan was beautiful and smart, and for reasons he could never understand, she seemed to care deeply for him. But Paelen wasn’t sure what he felt. There was so much he liked about her and some parts he even loved. But there were other parts he didn’t like.
Lorin’s overwhelming jealousy of Emily was one of her biggest faults. It was almost out of control, and because of it, he had been put in charge of teaching the Titan instead of Emily.
Paelen felt conflicted. Emily was his dearest friend. She was the first person ever to show him that he was more than just a thief. That he had value and belonged. But now he was neglecting her because of Lorin.
In all his life, he’d never understood the complications of relationships. He’d never really wanted to until he’d met Emily. Part of him was happy that she had found something special with Joel. But another part of him was sad because he always wished she had chosen him instead.
Emily hadn’t, but Paelen took pleasure knowing that at least she was happy with Joel and that she was his friend. But after Hawaii, that also changed. Emily and Joel weren’t spending time together anymore.
As happy as Paelen was about his relationship with Lorin, he also grieved because his friendship with Joel and Emily was different. Why did it have to change? Why couldn’t they all be friends?
It was getting late, but Paelen couldn’t sleep. He looked down at his winged sandals and sighed. “Take me to Vulcan’s forge.”