Suddenly she was cast back to the dark days right after her mother had died. Back when the world made no sense and all she knew was pain. She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and couldn’t do much of anything.
Neptune had told her that Pegasus wasn’t really gone. If they found and destroyed the weapon, he would be waiting for her on Xanadu. But there were no guarantees that they would find it. Minerva had made that clear in her report.
Knowing she might see him again in the future couldn’t stop her grief in the present.
Emily used her powers to light Pegasus’s funeral pyre. Joel stood beside her, holding her hand. Agent B stood on her other side. He remained silent and unmoving during the short ceremony, standing with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Most of the people in the large camp knew of the old winged stallion who had lived with Emily and was her constant companion. Only a select few knew who he really was and how much he meant to the Olympians. It was those few who attended the pyre.
Stella, Seren, and Jasmine stood back with Vulcan. When the fire burned down to embers, Vulcan came forward and scooped up some of the ashes. Saying nothing, he and his three assistants slipped away quietly and returned to their forge.
After a long, sleepless night, Emily rose and walked away from the camp. She needed time alone. Mike, however, never obeyed when Emily told him to stay. So, like it or not, the dog remained close at her side.
The large camp was still set up in the meadow. There had been no signs of Shadow Titans, despite them remaining there for some time. Emily had learned to feel when the Shadow Titans were near and knew they were safe for the moment.
She and Mike wandered along a beautiful, trickling steam. The sun was shining brightly overhead. Around them birds sang in the trees, and the huge, car-size butterflies she had always loved on Olympus fluttered from one oversize flower to another.
The day was perfect. But for Emily it meant nothing. She felt lost and alone without Pegasus at her side.
I am so sorry, Emily. I know how much you and Pegasus meant to each other.
“Riza!” Emily cried, shocked at her sudden return after so long. “Where have you been?”
Where I have always been, child. Deep within you.
“But why haven’t you said anything? I’ve called for you, but you’ve been silent. We’ve been through so much. I really needed your help.”
You don’t need my help, Emily, not really. You did fine before I became known to you. You have done fine until now.
“But what happened? Where did you go?”
I never left. But when you received the knowledge of the Xan and Joel touched us, the information was too great and it was killing him. I did all I could to protect him, but it weakened me greatly.
“You saved his life?”
How could I not? Riza asked. He is our Joel. But after that, I was too weak to speak to you. Too weak to warn you away from your actions.
“What actions?” Emily asked. “You mean coming back here?”
Yes, Riza said. It was very dangerous to try. You are playing with time, Emily. Not even the Xan would attempt that. There is no telling what damage could be done to the future with your presence here in the past.
“It couldn’t be worse than what already happened to Olympus and possibly Earth. It was a risk I had to take.”
I know, Riza said. I also know that you are young and need to make your own mistakes. So I have remained silent to let you do what you must. But when Pegasus died, part of you died with him. You must bring that part back if you are to succeed in this.
“You know what we are planning?”
Yes, Riza said. And I have come to realize that you were correct. I believe you were destined to be part of this war. But that does not remove the danger you pose to the future if you are not very careful. You must go to Tartarus to free the Hundred-handers. Then you will go to Titus to destroy that weapon. But heed my warning, Emily. Within you is the power to kill the strongest of Titans. That must never happen. You may destroy all the Shadow Titans you encounter. But if you kill a full Titan, you will alter the future.
“I’ll be careful,” Emily said softly. She sat down in the tall grass. Mike settled beside her, panting happily. He put his paw on her arm, asking to be petted. Emily stroked the dog’s warm fur and pressed her face to him. “I just need a bit of time before we go.”
Time is the one commodity you do not have, Riza warned. You already know this, but your grief over Pegasus is blinding you to it. The weapon is nearly complete. The Titans will use it against the Olympians the moment it is ready. Everyone here will die if you do not stop it now. There will be no future to protect.
Riza’s words cut through Emily’s grief like a knife. They were in grave danger, and she was wasting precious time. Jupiter had said she should take all the time she needed to recover. But that was something they couldn’t spare.
Emily stood, now resolved. “Please tell me, Riza. If this works and if I destroy the weapon, will it reset time? At first I was certain this was the right thing to do. But now I don’t know. Can you tell me: If I destroy that weapon, will Pegasus and Paelen be waiting for us on Xanadu like nothing ever happened?”
Yes, child, Riza confirmed, if you succeed, time will go back to the way it was before the golden box was opened. All you have lost will be restored—including Pegasus and Paelen. But know this. There will be a price to pay.
Emily’s heart leaped. “To get Pegasus and Paelen back, I’ll pay anything!”
Emily returned to camp a changed person. Grief had been replaced by solid determination. Nothing was going to stop her from getting back to Pegasus.
She found Joel and Agent B and told them of Riza’s return. “We have to go now,” she insisted. “The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get back to Xanadu.”
They found the Big Three talking with Venus and Minerva, working out the finer details of the next move in the war.
Emily’s renewed energy was infectious and spread like wildfire. Jupiter called forward the large war camp and suspended himself high in the air so that his voice could be heard by all the Olympians gathered together. “My people,” he shouted, “now is the time to make our move! The Shadow Titans are increasing their numbers on Earth. We will journey back to Delphi and engage the Titans fully. We will show them once and for all that we will not tolerate their assaults on Olympus or Earth. They will experience the power of our new flame-swords. They will feel our strength and determination. It is time for Saturn to stand down. Pack your weapons and prepare for battle. We leave at sunset!”
The crowds roared and cried Jupiter’s name.
Emily and Joel looked at each other. “Delphi—isn’t that in Greece?” asked Joel.
Agent B was watching the crowd. “Something is very wrong here.” He shook his head.
“How do you know?” Joel asked.
“I can feel it,” he said darkly. “Maybe Neptune can enlighten us.”
They made their way through the dense crowd until they reached Neptune, who was locked in deep conversation with Chiron.
“Neptune, what’s Jupiter talking about?” Emily asked softly. “We need to go to Tartarus, not Delphi.”
The two Olympians looked around to be certain no one was within listening distance. “We have been suspicious for some time,” Neptune whispered, “but now we are certain. There are Titan spies living among us in this camp.”
“How can you be sure?” Agent B asked. “Has anyone been interrogated?”
Chiron shook his head. “No. That would give light to our suspicions. But as a fighter yourself, you must realize we have been left untouched far too long. Emily draws the Titans and their Shadow Titans everywhere she goes. And yet after all this time here, we have not been disturbed once.”
Agent B nodded. “I was considering the same thing. Saturn k
nows of the danger Emily poses to him and his people. He also knows about the flame-swords. He’ll be playing for time while they finish the weapon.”
“Precisely,” Neptune agreed. “So we are all heading to Earth. While most of our fighters engage the Shadow Titans at Delphi, some of us will slip quietly away and head to Tartarus and then Titus. This war will be won with stealth, not open battles.”
“Good plan,” Agent B agreed. He turned to Emily and Joel. “This is it. One way or another, our fate will be determined tonight.”
32
IN RECORD TIME THE CAMP was struck and everyone prepared to leave. Even those who had never fought before had been trained and outfitted with weapons. Only the very young would be exempt from fighting. This was to be the final battle in the war. Its outcome would determine everyone’s future.
As the sun set, Vulcan, Stella, and the centaur twins found Emily, Joel, and Agent B. Stella had a large grin on her face.
“Here it is,” she said proudly. She leaned over and pointed to a covered box suspended from her seat. “It’s the golden box, just as I remembered it. Maxine is going to carry it for us.”
Emily and Joel knelt down and pulled the cover from the box. Emily traced her fingers along the imprint of the Big Three. “It’s really beautiful.”
Agent B joined them. “I told you it was a piece of art.”
“You were right,” Emily agreed, “but I can’t wait to bury it in the ground.”
“Amen to that!” Joel said.
When they stood, Vulcan handed out several small packages. “I myself do not believe in luck. However, I hope these bring us all the best of it.”
Emily opened her gift. Inside was a small silver Pegasus charm on a braided chain. The stallion was in flight and looked as young and powerful as he always had.
“I made these from the ashes of Pegasus,” Vulcan explained, “so that he might be with us in this final battle.”
Emily was too touched to speak. Joel had always cared a great deal for Vulcan, but she had never known just how quietly thoughtful he really was. She threw her arms around the grimy Olympian and hugged him tightly.
“I’ll never take it off!” she cried. “Now we can’t lose. Pegasus will protect us!”
Joel also gratefully received his pendant. He helped Emily put hers on before fastening his own.
Emily watched in surprise as Agent B also put on his pendant. When he caught her watching him, he shrugged. “It can’t hurt.”
Emily raised her hand in the air. “To Team Pegasus!”
The others cheered. “Team Pegasus!” they cried.
“Now, if you are ready to go,” Vulcan said, becoming serious, “we have been asked to join Jupiter. He wants us all to stay close together.”
“We’re ready,” Emily said. “Let’s finish this.”
The Olympians arrived on Earth in the thousands. At Delphi the locals greeted their arrival with relief and gratitude. The Titans had been killing everyone they caught and destroying village after village.
Emily and Joel looked around in wonder. They were halfway up a high mountain, surrounded by other, even taller, tree-covered mountains. Delphi looked nothing like Athens or even Cape Sounio. It was hard to imagine they were even in Greece. It looked more like the mountain ranges in West Virginia or the Carolinas.
“I haven’t been here since the accident that crippled me,” Stella said. “It looks so different. There are no ruins.”
“What ruins?” Seren asked.
Stella pointed to a large marble temple farther down the mountainside. Its tall pillars climbed high into the sky, and it had solid sides and a marble roof. It looked very much like an Olympian building. “The ruins were there.”
“How?” Jasmine asked. “This place is new. The humans have only just completed it.”
“It’s a long story,” Stella said, “but one day there will be ruins here.”
“What is that temple?” Emily asked.
“I know it as the Temple of Apollo at Delphi,” Stella explained. “It is in there that the Oracle sat to foretell the future. It was said she could channel Apollo and speak to all the gods.”
“Who is Apollo?” Jasmine asked.
Emily started to explain about Jupiter’s son, but Agent B stopped her. “That’s enough, Emily. Remember, what you say can affect the future. It’s best not to say more.”
“Sorry,” Emily said to the twins, “he’s right. I shouldn’t say any more.”
A shouted warning came from farther down the mountain. There were thousands of Shadow Titans converging on them. The sky above was filled with the dark-winged Blackbird Shadows, and mixed amongst them were monsters of all shapes and sizes. Some walked, while others crawled, slithered, or flew.
Agent B cursed. “Neptune was right. There were spies in the camp. The Titans have been waiting for us. It’s a trap.”
“This is perfect.” Jupiter sounded unfazed as he turned to Emily. “You, my brothers, and I will engage the flying Shadows. We will destroy as many as possible while our other fighters take up their positions in the mountains. The Titans must believe we are making our final stand here.”
Vulcan and Chiron approached Joel and Agent B. “Everything is set. We are just waiting for our armor to arrive. We have sent several crabs to collect it all. We will leave the moment it gets here.”
Higher on the mountain Emily stood shoulder to shoulder with the Big Three. Jupiter was on her right. When he caught her looking at him, he winked and grinned, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “This is going to be good!”
On her other side Neptune and Pluto weren’t quite as enthusiastic as Jupiter, but their excitement showed as they gathered their powers together to take on the Shadow Titans.
Emily grasped her new Pegasus pendant, brought it to her lips, and kissed it for luck. “For you, Pegs!”
“Now!” Jupiter shouted.
With the most powerful Olympians at her side, Emily unleashed the Flame and fired great blasts of fire beams into the sky, which instantly vaporized every Shadow Titan they touched.
Beside her, Jupiter shot lightning and thunderbolts at flying snakes, dragons, and Shadow Titans as they swooped down toward them.
Neptune and Pluto directed their powers at the creatures climbing up the sides of the mountain, taking out large groups of monsters with every blast.
Farther below, the battle intensified as Olympian went up against Titan. Giant crabs fought dragons. The Hydra took on a flying snake and made quick work of it. The Furies and Harpies caught hold of Titan monsters and carried them away. Even the smallest satyrs raised their flame-swords against the Shadow Titans.
“Emily, look!” Joel cried.
On the neighboring mountain the most terrifying monster Emily had ever seen was cresting the top. No creature from any horror movie could compare to the “thing” that was coming for them.
Its overwhelming hugeness made the tall mountain look like a tiny hill. It was shaped like a twisted octopus with at least twenty tentacles, which flashed and flew in the air around it. The creature had an undulating, bulbous body that moved like a half-filled water balloon. Its wet, slimy, mottled brown skin left a trail of smoldering acid behind it. There were no eyes that Emily could see. But the monstrosity had vision, as it tore up huge trees and tossed them at the gathered Olympians.
“What is that?” Agent B cried.
Jupiter turned and sucked in his breath. “It is the Copac-ra!”
“No, you must be wrong,” Neptune argued. “It is locked deep in Tartarus. Not even the Titans will approach it.”
“And yet there it is,” Pluto said.
“How could Father get it here?” Jupiter asked. “No one can command the Copac-ra.”
“It doesn’t look like anyone is,” Emily cried. Above them the Copac-ra caught a flying Shado
w Titan and pulled it to its moving body. A hole opened, and the Shadow Titan disappeared into a grotesque mouth. Another tentacle snatched up a screaming human fighter, who suffered the same fate.
“It’s eating everyone it catches,” Joel cried. “It doesn’t matter what side they’re on.”
Emily raised her hands in the air and prepared to fire at the monster.
No, Emily, you must not! Riza cried. The Copac-ra is the last of its kind. It must be protected. In the future it will live peacefully on Xanadu.
“That’s the future!” Emily cried. “Right now that thing is about to eat all of us.”
Use your powers, child, Riza called. Send it to Xanadu. Set it free.
“How?” Emily said.
Trust me, Riza said softly. You know what to do. Just focus on sending it to Xanadu. I will do the rest.
Lifting her hands again, Emily summoned all her powers. “Xanadu,” she called. “Go to Xanadu!”
Emily felt Riza working with her and guiding her powers to send the Copac-ra to Xanadu. The air around the monster sparkled, and the creature vanished.
“Father is sending everything at us,” Jupiter cried. He looked around at the monsters and Shadow Titans swarming the mountains around them. The Olympians and humans were badly outnumbered. “This war will not be easily won.”
“We need the Hundred-handers,” Chiron called. “Keep the Shadow Titans occupied while we collect the last of our armor.”
Emily and the Big Three focused their efforts on stopping as many Shadow Titans as possible, while lower down the mountain the Olympians engaged others in hand-to-hand combat. The glow of flame-swords rose from the mountainside as they used their weapons against the Shadow Titans.
As the long day progressed, Emily feared they would never beat the relentless Shadow Titans. They never tired, but the Olympians and humans did. Despite their best efforts, on sheer numbers alone the Shadow Titans were gaining ground against them.
Chiron appeared behind Jupiter, wearing part of a Dragon Shadow’s armor. If the situation had been less desperate, Emily would have laughed. The front half of the centaur looked just like a Dragon Shadow Titan. But when he turned, his back end was still that of a chestnut horse.