Emily was shaking in fear as her new powers surfaced again. She couldn’t let the others know about them. Not now, when the world was at stake. ‘No, Joel, it was me, I hit it. Now, are you going or not?’
He nodded, but continued to inspect the remains of the lamp. ‘Yeah, we’re going.’ Finally he looked at Agent T. ‘Do you know how much money they keep in bank machines?’
‘More than enough,’ the ex-CRU agent said. ‘But they are built tough. I doubt you’ll get into one before the police catch you.’
‘I’ve got this,’ Joel said as he held up his silver arm. ‘All I need to do is get it open. Paelen can do the rest by slipping in and getting the cash.’
Agent T nodded. ‘Try it if you want, but be careful. Those things are heavily alarmed. If that doesn’t work, you’re going to have to go somewhere else. Try to find a pawn shop. They always have a lot of cash in them. But be warned. The owners are usually armed and there are going to be cameras everywhere.’
‘That’s why we’re taking this.’ Joel held up Pluto’s helmet. He looked over to Paelen. ‘The sun is down; let’s go.’
8
When Joel and Paelen left, with little do to but wait, Emily took a bath. As she lay back in the tub, she was glad to finally take off her leg brace. Though it helped her to walk, it was heavy and rubbed her skin painfully.
She dozed in the warm water until Alexis entered the bathroom. ‘Did your father not teach you to knock?’ Emily challenged, repeating the Sphinx’s words back to her.
Alexis ignored the comment. She shut the door and approached the side of the tub. ‘Do you wish to tell me what happened out there?’
Emily looked away and shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘You may fool the others, but you cannot fool a Sphinx. You were angry at me and you caused the lamp to explode.’
Emily gasped. Alexis knew everything. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
Alexis sat beside the tub and put her paws up on the side. ‘You may not wish to, but you are going to. I know you do not like me, and that is your choice. But I took an oath to protect you and this mission. If I see something wrong, I am going to act upon it. So you might just as well tell me because I am going to find out anyway.’
‘Aren’t you going to give me a choice?’ Emily asked. ‘Bargain with a riddle or something? If I get the riddle wrong I tell you, but if I get it right, you leave me alone?’
‘Not this time,’ Alexis said. ‘You must tell me what happened.’
Emily dropped her head and sighed. She looked into the penetrating green eyes of the Sphinx. ‘I have more powers and I can’t control them,’ she admitted. ‘When Vesta first told me about the Flame, she said I’d learn to control it, and I have …’
Emily lifted her hand out of the water. She summoned up the Flame and it burned brightly and painlessly in the palm of her wet hand. ‘I can do anything I want with the Flame now.’
‘But …’ the Sphinx prodded.
‘But these new powers are unpredictable and they really scare me. Sometimes I can move things. Sometimes items disappear and I can never find them again. And sometimes …’
‘Sometimes they explode,’ the Sphinx finished. ‘Why haven’t you told anyone? I am sure Vesta and Jupiter would be very interested to know.’
‘I was going to,’ Emily said.
The Sphinx tilted her head to the side.
‘Eventually,’ Emily finished. ‘But then Dad came back with the papers, talking about Tornado Warning, and that became more important.’
‘More important than making things disappear or destroying them?’
‘I know,’ Emily said. ‘But if I told anyone, I couldn’t have come back here. And look what we’ve learned so far.’
Alexis sat back and dropped her paws to the wet floor. ‘I do understand, Emily. Your dedication to Pegasus and this world is a credit to you. But you have endangered everyone you care for by not telling Vesta and letting her try to help you control these new powers.’
Tears came to Emily’s eyes. Now used to the explosive danger they posed, she kept the sea-green handkerchief with the embroidered Pegasus that Neptune had given to her close. It alone had the power to contain her tears so they couldn’t do any harm. She reached for it and gently dabbed her eyes and watched the tears slipping into the secret pocket. ‘I’m just so scared. What am I supposed to do?’
The Sphinx reached out with her large paw and stroked Emily’s head. ‘This must be very difficult for you; to be a child and yet so powerful. I can imagine your life and Jupiter’s must have been very similar. But he learned to control his powers; I am confident you will do the same. All I can suggest is that until you learn to master them, you do your best to control your temper.’
Emily looked down into the water until Alexis put her paw under her chin and drew her head up. She leaned closer. ‘Emily, people are going to come and go into your life that you may not like and who may annoy or upset you. You must learn to tolerate them. It appears that extreme emotions trigger your powers.’
Emily sniffed and nodded her head. ‘You’re right. I’ll try.’
Alexis shook her head. ‘You must do better than try, Emily. You must succeed – if only to protect your friends.’
The Sphinx rose and moved for the door. ‘I have heard it said among humans that when they are upset, they count to ten. May I suggest you try doing the same?’
As she was about to leave, Emily called to her. ‘Alexis, wait!’ When the Sphinx paused, she continued. ‘Please don’t tell anyone about this. I don’t want my best friends to be frightened of me.’
‘I won’t tell them,’ Alexis agreed. ‘Not unless your powers become too unpredictable. Emily, I am here to protect them too – even if it means protecting them from you.’
When Emily emerged from the bath, she found Earl and Agent T chatting softly on the bed while Pegasus, Chrysaor and Alexis were glued to an old Elvis Presley movie on TV. Alexis was roaring with laughter.
When Elvis started to sing, Alexis sighed dreamily. ‘I am in love. I must find that man …’
While stroking Pegasus, Emily wondered if she should tell the Sphinx that Elvis had been dead a long time. But before she could say a word, there was a soft knock on the door.
Agent T sprang from the bed. He opened the door a crack, peered out and then let Joel and Paelen into the room.
Joel was carrying two large pizza boxes while Paelen had other bags of groceries. Emily immediately noticed that Paelen was covered in hundreds of tiny cuts.
‘What happened to you?’
Joel started to laugh. ‘He was eaten by a bank machine!’
Paelen shot him a dirty look. ‘We had some difficulty getting the money out of the machine. Joel was able to punch a hole in it, but when I stretched out and entered it, the metal cut me to pieces.’
‘Were you able to get any money?’ Agent T asked.
Paelen handed over a thick stack of twenty-dollar bills.
While the money was counted, Emily reached out and touched Paelen. As she traced lines along his deep cuts and gashes, her powers started to heal him. Within moments, his skin was back to normal.
‘Excellent,’ Agent T said. ‘This should get us safely to California.’ He looked around the room. ‘Everyone eat; we’ve got a long night ahead of us.’
The night passed slowly as the group made their way west. Before long they had flown over Louisiana and were crossing Texas. As they finally reached New Mexico, Emily and Earl marvelled at the sudden appearance of clusters of golden light from towns and cities in the seeming endless darkness beneath them.
Eventually they landed outside an old motel. Joel was excited to discover they were on the outskirts of Roswell, New Mexico. ‘This place is famous! It’s where they claim aliens crashed in the nineteen-forties,’ he explained to Paelen.
‘Aliens did crash here,’ Agent T confirmed. ‘Where do you think we get some of our modern technology
and weapons from?’
‘When I was first captured by the CRU, Agent J and Agent O kept calling me an alien,’ Paelen said.
‘That was our first thought,’ Agent T explained. ‘It was easier to believe you were an alien than Olympian because we knew already that aliens existed.’
‘And now?’ Emily asked.
‘Now we know that Olympians exist as well. Though if you ask me, since Olympus is another world away from Earth, technically, you could still be called aliens.’
Exhaustion from the long flight caught up with them as they piled into the small motel room. The sun rose, crossed the sky and finally set in the west while the group slept. As the last of the daylight faded, they awoke and prepared for the final leg of the journey to California.
‘I hope we are not here much longer,’ Paelen said as he ate his last ambrosia cake. ‘You know what happens when we go too long without this. Even with sugar, we become weak and vulnerable.’
‘With luck, we’ll be going back tomorrow night,’ Joel said, munching on his burger and fries. ‘Once we see Tornado for ourselves and prove he’s just a horse, we’re free to go back.’
‘And if he really is a clone?’ Emily asked.
‘Then we are all in trouble,’ Agent T said darkly, ‘not just the Olympians lacking their food.’
The final comment settled heavily in the air as the group used Pluto’s helmet to exit the room without being seen. They gathered together behind the old motel.
‘All right,’ Agent T said, ‘by my calculations, if we put on more speed, we should arrive at Ramona before dawn. That will give us time to find the Double R Ranch to see Tornado Warning for ourselves. What happens next is anyone’s guess. I don’t like not knowing, but we don’t have much choice.’
As Emily climbed on Pegasus, it felt like lead settling heavily in her stomach. This was it. Within a few hours they would discover the truth. But even before they saw Tornado for themselves, somehow, Emily already knew the answer. He wasn’t a horse. Tornado Warning was a clone of her beloved Pegasus, created by the CRU.
9
With each powerful wingbeat, Emily felt her tension grow. She looked at the others flying around her and, in the dim light of the stars, was able to see their expressions were the same. Paelen was leaning forward as his winged sandals carried him onward. His arms were crossed over his chest and his expression grim. Even Earl stopped chatting and sat quietly behind her on the back of the stallion. They were all sharing her fears.
As they flew over mostly desert with very little population, without the fear of being seen, Alexis directed the group lower in the sky. Up high, the temperatures were much colder and it was hard on Joel, Earl and Agent T. Emily was no longer bothered by the cold, but for most of the trip when they travelled over populated areas, she had felt Earl shivering behind her.
Continuing through the night, the landscape beneath them changed. From the sharp cliffs and mesas of Texas, New Mexico and then Arizona, they were entering a region of rolling mountain ranges that were the entrance to California. It was still all desert terrain, and yet, it looked so different.
Ahead of them, Alexis and Agent T continued to lead the way. The ex-CRU agent was holding his compass in one hand and struggling with a map in the other. He gripped a small flashlight in his teeth. Despite how she felt about him, she was grateful he was here. It was true. He did possess skills they needed. Without him, the trip to California would have been much more difficult.
After they had been flying for several hours Agent T directed everyone lower. They were surrounded by mountains on either side that climbed high in the sky. Though it was still dark, they could now make out shapes and structures.
Soon they came upon a small town. Most of the lights were off and there was no traffic on the road. But almost immediately Emily felt a change in Pegasus. The stallion was snorting and his ears flicked back.
‘Are you all right?’ Emily called forward.
Pegasus didn’t react. Peering closer she could see his nostrils were flared and his eyes were wide and bright. She also noticed his glow increased. ‘What is it, Pegasus?’
‘We are near Tornado Warning,’ Paelen explained as he flew closer. ‘Pegasus can sense him and he does not like it.’
Beneath her, Pegasus started to tremble. Chrysaor flew on the other side of the stallion and started to squeal at his brother.
‘What’s happening?’ Joel called.
‘Pegasus can feel Tornado Warning. We’re getting close.’ She leaned forward and patted his neck again. ‘Just take it easy, Pegs.’
‘I don’t like this,’ Earl said. ‘He may be an Olympian, but Pegasus is still a full-blooded stallion. We may be in for a lot of trouble.’
Earl voiced what Emily was trying hard not to. For the first time ever, Pegasus was starting to frighten her. Something was driving him on. If that something was Tornado, what would he do when they met?
Emily got her answer much quicker than she expected. Pegasus sped up. He left the others far behind as he tore through the town and started to follow along a dark road. In the pre-dawn light, Emily saw a chain-link fence surrounding a large property. They flew over a tall gate that was the entrance. Emily barely had time to read the sign, Double R Ranch.
Directly ahead were multiple paddocks. Further in the distance, they saw several dark shapes that were buildings. But Pegasus kept going. He flew right over the top of the first set of stable blocks and outbuildings without slowing down. Finally Emily saw their destination. It was a large, squat and circular stable at the very centre of the property.
Even before Pegasus landed, they heard sounds coming from inside the stables. The horses were awake and screaming. It was almost like the first time they visited the carriage stables in New York. But this was different because one voice rose higher and more furious than the others.
‘That’s got to be Tornado,’ Emily said. ‘He knows Pegasus is here.’
Pegasus hit the ground in a full gallop. Emily had to cling on to his mane to keep from being thrown off. Earl wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and did his best to stay on the stallion’s back.
‘Stop, Pegs,’ Emily cried as the stallion charged forward. ‘Let us down!’
Pausing only long enough for Emily and Earl to dismount, Pegasus charged forward. Glowing brilliant white, the stallion ran up to the locked stable doors. He reared high in the air as his golden hooves tore through doors like they were made of paper.
‘Pegasus, stop!’ Emily screamed as she watched him losing control. The stallion threw back his head and screeched in fury as the doors came free of their hinges. Without a pause, he stormed into the stable.
Emily and Earl charged in behind Pegasus just as the others landed on the ground behind them.
‘Emily, wait!’ Joel called. ‘It’s too dangerous!’
But Emily had to stop Pegasus before he did something to endanger them all.
Pegasus’s glow lit the darkened stable enough to see that it was a huge circle with an open centre ring for training. Countless stables lined the circular walls. Their stall doors were solid on the lower half with bars on the upper. There were horses at the front of the stalls. Eyes bright, they were shrieking and kicking at the tall doors to get out. But despite their strength, the doors were holding. All but one.
Light blazed through the bars at its occupant glowed almost as much as Pegasus. He was kicking at the sealed door and large cracks formed on the outside.
‘It’s Tornado Warning!’ Emily cried. ‘Look, he’s glowing just like Pegasus!’
Pegasus was on the outside of the stall door, kicking at the wood in fury. His eyes were wild and enraged. This was not the stallion Emily knew and loved. Pegasus had gone insane.
‘Pegasus, no!’ Emily cried. ‘Stop!’
If he heard her, he gave no sign. Within moments, the wood of the door shattered and Tornado Warning charged out of his stable. Rearing up, the two glowing stallions attacked each other with all th
e fury they possessed.
Pegasus’s wings opened and smashed at Tornado’s head, knocking him into the large open training ring.
‘Pegasus, stop!’ Emily howled as she ran closer.
‘Emily, no!’ Alexis cried. Racing forward, the Sphinx slammed Emily to the ground and pinned her down with her large paws. ‘They will hurt you if you go near.’
‘Let me up!’ Emily howled. ‘I’ve got to stop them!’
‘You cannot stop them!’ Alexis shouted. ‘Not even Jupiter could!’
‘I’ve got to try before they kill each other!’
‘How?’ Paelen ran up to her. ‘Look at them! I have never seen Pegasus fight with such fury before. He is unstoppable. Even his brother cannot stop him!’
Chrysaor was in the middle of the fight, squealing and trying to separate the two deranged stallions. But all his presence achieved was to infuriate Tornado Warning further. The grey stallion rose high in the air and came crashing down on Chrysaor with his powerful front hooves.
Driven to the ground, the winged boar squealed in pain. His cries fed Pegasus’s fury as he launched a new attack on Tornado Warning and drove him away from Chrysaor.
‘Joel, help me get Chrysaor,’ Paelen called. They dashed into the ring and dragged the boar away from the fight. Chrysaor squealed and left a trail of blood behind him.
‘Please, help him,’ Alexis said as she let Emily up.
Emily nodded and knelt beside Chrysaor. She saw two deep gashes on his back where Tornado’s hooves had cut deeply into his skin. One wing was badly damaged. The boar moaned in pain.
‘It’s all right,’ Emily soothed as she gently touched the boar’s wounds. ‘You’ll be fine in a minute.’
As she healed the damage caused by Tornado, Emily realized that when Chrysaor and Pegasus had fought at the Red Apple, Pegasus had held back. Tornado hadn’t. Looking at the wound, Emily understood Alexis’s warning. One good kick from Tornado Warning could kill.
When she finished healing Chrysaor, Emily looked up and watched the deadly fight continue. She felt helpless to stop it as Pegasus reared up and kicked at Tornado Warning. But the grey stallion would not back down. He was also rearing and biting at Pegasus as murder flashed in his bright eyes. Each time the stallion’s hooves made contact with the other, they cut deep gouges in their opponent’s skin.