by Kate O'Hearn
‘Chiron,’ the woman repeated. ‘The Olympians left this world millennia ago. What are you doing back?’
‘Indeed, dear lady, we did leave. We have returned for a very good reason. I assure you we intend no disrespect and come here in peace. We do not seek trouble with you.’
‘And yet your presence here has caused a disaster. Look what you have done to Oahu!’
Emily was fascinated by this strange, exotic woman. Her dress appeared to be alive. All the flowers on it moved as though in a gentle breeze. Hummingbirds were woven in the pattern, but were drinking nectar from the flowers and flying all around the dress. As she watched, one flew over Pele’s shoulder and disappeared down her back.
Pele’s fiery eyes landed on Pegasus. ‘It was you, wasn’t it? You did this – I can feel your guilt. You flooded Leahi.’
‘Hey, wait a minute,’ Emily said, snapping out of her enchantment with the dress. ‘You leave him alone!’
‘You would do well to show me some respect.’
‘I’ll give respect when I get it,’ Emily challenged. ‘When we all get it. This is Pegasus of Olympus. You will be nice to him—’
‘Or what?’ Pele challenged.
Pegasus nickered and stepped quickly between Emily and Pele. He bowed his head before the Hawaiian beauty.
‘Pegs, what are you doing?’ Emily asked.
‘He is doing what you should!’ Pele paused and her black eyes pierced Emily’s. ‘What is this I feel from you?’ She moved closer. ‘Two in one?’ Her fine hand reached out and grasped Emily’s chin. ‘This makes no sense.’
Emily tried to pull away, but Pele’s grip was unbreakable. She leaned in close to peer into Emily’s eyes. ‘Hmmm . . . Not human and not Olympian. Tell me, what are you?’
‘Get your hands off her!’ Joel jumped to Emily’s aid. ‘Who do you think you are, storming in here and making demands?’
‘Joel, it is all right,’ Chiron soothed. ‘I know who this is. Let me speak with her.’ He turned to Pele.
‘Emily is part of the Xan – an ancient race older than all of us. Long ago, an important part of her crashed on these islands and became trapped in the Diamond Head volcano.’
‘That was you!’ Pele snapped. Her eyes flashed and for a moment flames blazed in their dark depths. ‘You are the one responsible for this ceaseless pain in my side. For an age I have used all my powers to keep your invading Flame from harming me. It does not belong here.’ She gazed around the room. ‘None of you belong here!’
Emily’s temples pounded as Riza responded to Pele’s words. ‘So it’s you who is stopping me from removing the Flame-shard from Leahi or Diamond Head or whatever it’s called.’
‘It is Leahi,’ Pele said. ‘British sailors changed the name to Diamond Head long ago. But that is not its Island name.’
‘Diamond Head or Leahi, it doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that you are keeping the shard prisoner. When I tried to remove it, it couldn’t move.’
‘That’s because I have put protections around it to keep myself safe.’
‘Look, I don’t know who you are, lady,’ Joel exclaimed. ‘But you have to release the shard. Without it Emily will die and the Titans may gain control of Olympus.’
‘Why should I care about this girl?’ Pele demanded. ‘Or that ridiculous struggle between the Titans and Olympians?’ Her accusing eyes flashed on Chiron. ‘Your foolishness nearly destroyed this world ages ago. We all breathed a sigh of relief when you left.’
‘I understand your anger,’ Chiron said respectfully. ‘But you yourself just said that the shard has been causing you pain. If you help us release it, we will take it far from here and it will trouble you no further.’
‘I would be happy to have that thing removed from me. But thanks to you, I can’t.’
‘I do not understand,’ Chiron said. ‘You are Pele and these are your Islands. You can do anything here.’
‘Yes I can,’ Pele agreed. ‘But not while waters continue to flood Diamond Head –’ Pele stared at Emily with a challenge – ‘Is that name easier for you?’
Emily was about to say ‘Yes,’ but a warning look from Chiron stopped her. Chiron obviously knew who this woman was, and they were going to have to trust him.
‘Pele, please,’ he continued. ‘There is more at stake here than you know.’
The Hawaiian turned on him. ‘If you truly know me, Chiron, you would understand why I can’t go near that volcano now. Those waters give access to my ocean sister. I can’t risk it.’
‘Are you two still fighting?’ Chiron asked.
‘What business is it of yours?’
Emily had no clue what that meant, but whatever it was, they would still need Pele’s help. ‘Then we’re stuck,’ she said to Pele. ‘I can’t remove the shard because you’ve put a spell around it. You can’t remove it because there’s water in the crater.’
‘Pele, hear me,’ Chiron pressed. ‘You may not care about our struggle against the Titans. But you must realize what Saturn will do if he has his way. What transpired here in the past will be repeated, only much worse. This squabble you have with your sister will mean nothing.’
Chiron paused and took her hands. ‘If Saturn conquers Olympus, he will not stop there. You know him – he will set his sights on Earth once again. You will all be enslaved if we are not there to fight for you.’
Pele pulled her hands free and focused hard eyes on him. ‘What are you suggesting?’
‘Make peace with your sister – if only for a short time during this crisis. After we remove the shard, you can go back to warring as you always have.’
‘I doubt that Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i will care. Should Saturn come here to conquer Earth, the seas and oceans will remain intact. She will stay safe. It is the rest of us who will be enslaved.’
‘Or worse,’ Paelen added.
Pele nodded. ‘Yes, or worse.’ She walked to the windows and threw back the curtains. ‘I have stopped the earthquake you started. There will be no tidal waves.’ She turned and faced Emily. ‘But you have chosen a bad place to hide your shard. This is Oahu – it has the largest military presence in the Pacific.’
‘Military?’ Joel asked, flicking a nervous look at Emily. Military often equalled CRU.
Pele nodded. ‘Have you heard of Pearl Harbor? It is not far from here. It was bombed during the Second World War. After that, Oahu became the biggest military base in the Islands – which is why I live in Kilauea on the Big Island.’
‘You haven’t heard of the CRU, have you?’ Emily asked, hoping the answer would be no.
‘Of course I have heard of them. I would be a fool not to. I have managed to stay “under their radar” as the saying goes. My family and I remain safe by masquerading as humans. We draw no attention to ourselves. Even so, we do not risk exposure by living on this Island. But this earthquake and the flooding at Diamond Head will not go unnoticed as an unnatural event. You must be on your guard.’
‘What do we do?’ Joel asked. ‘Where can we go?’
Chiron answered. ‘We wait to see if Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i will cooperate and remove the waters in Diamond Head. Then we get in there, get the shard and get away from here as quickly as possible.’
‘And if she refuses?’ Pele said.
‘Then we wait for Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto to arrive. Neptune will no doubt have the power to halt the waters, which will free the volcano for you to open.’
‘You already know how I feel about Olympians,’ Pele said. ‘You expect me to welcome more to my Island?’
‘If you want that shard out of your side you will,’ Emily said.
Pele looked around. ‘I don’t think I like you very much or your attitude.’
Emily opened her mouth to retort, but Chiron stopped her with a raised hand.
‘Pele, please,’ he said, ever the diplomat. ‘Without your help, we will have no choice but to ask the Big Three to come.’
Pele sighed heavily. ‘Fine, I’ll talk to my sister. I am assuming none of you have checked in to this hotel?’
‘No,’ Joel said. ‘We don’t have any money. We thought we’d get the shard and go. We didn’t expect this trouble. But we’ve been lucky so far – no one’s discovered us.’
‘This is Honolulu in the tourist season. It’s unlikely this suite will remain empty for long,’ Pele said. ‘I will arrange for you to stay here. You will not be disturbed.’
‘You can do that?’ Emily asked.
Pele nodded. She walked up to Pegasus and pulled a floral lei from around her neck. She placed the wreath of bright-red flowers around the stallion’s white neck and kissed his muzzle. ‘Aloha, Pegasus. I welcome you to my Island and place you under my protection. This lei is part of me. If you need my help, I am bound to give it to you.’
Emily was fascinated by Pele. She held the respect of the Olympians in the room, but spoke like an ordinary, modern woman. She also appeared to be wearing only one lei, yet each time she gave one away to the Olympians, there was always one still around her neck.
Pele approached Joel. She lifted on to her toes, pulled the lei around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Joel blushed bright red and smiled at Pele. ‘Thank you.’
‘You are most welcome, Joel.’
Pele stood before Emily now. ‘As you are the cause of my pain, I don’t feel inclined to welcome you. I wish you no ill, but offer no protection.’
Emily shook her head. ‘But that’s not fair! This isn’t my fault.’
‘Maybe not, but the shard is yours. Until it is removed from my side, I can feel no warmth towards you.’ She started towards the door. ‘I will try to reason with my sister and will let you know the outcome. You will be safe for the time being. But watch yourselves – there are military eyes everywhere. And I warn you, don’t abuse my generosity.’
Pele waved her hand and the door magically opened. It slammed shut after her. When she was gone, Emily shook her head and asked Chiron, ‘Who is that woman and why did you bow to her?’
Chiron looked down on the lei resting against his bare chest. He sniffed the fresh, fragrant flowers. ‘I have known of her, but this was our first meeting. She is Pele. The simplest way to describe her, for you to understand, is that she is the most powerful god of these Islands. Volcanoes are her domain and, just like you, Fire is her power. She and her kind have been on Earth since the beginning of time.’
‘So you’re not the only gods?’ Joel said, confused.
Chiron shook his head and chuckled. ‘Oh heavens, no. Each culture has its own gods. We are one kind. Pele, her ocean sister and their family are another. But unlike Jupiter and his brothers, as you heard, Pele and her sister do not get along.’
‘Why?’ Fawn asked.
Chiron sighed. ‘Like many family squabbles, it starts out simple and then escalates. In this case, they were fighting over a man. It was said that Nā-maka-o-Kaha‘i saw him first and fell instantly in love with him. But then Pele saw him swimming with her ocean sister and used her powers to charm him away from her.
‘After that, the fight grew. Now, if Pele creates a volcano, Nā-maka, as we knew her, stirs the oceans to extinguish it. This is why Pele resides in the Kilauea Volcano. She used to live in Diamond Head. But it was too close to the shore and Nā-maka extinguished it. Her current home is too tall for her sister to reach with her waves – though she does cool the lava that reaches her shores.’
‘No, no, no,’ Joel insisted, shaking his head violently. ‘Volcanoes are caused by gases building up in the liquid core of our planet. It’s science. Pele can’t create them. That’s just a myth.’
Pegasus nickered and seemed to be laughing. Chiron joined in. He patted Joel on the back. ‘Joel, you do amuse me at times. Not everything has a scientific explanation. Yes, volcanoes are formed by gases and lava building up and leaking through breaks in a planet’s crust. But it is Pele who makes that happen here.’
Emily frowned. ‘Does that mean Pele creates all the volcanoes on Earth? Like the one in Italy that destroyed Pompeii or even Mount St Helens, that erupted in the US?’
Chiron shrugged. ‘I do not know. Among those of us with power, we tend to respect each other’s territories and do not interact. But I do not believe her powers would extend to all the volcanoes in the world. Pele is an Island god.’
Paelen elbowed Joel. ‘What she is, is beautiful.’
‘She sure is.’ Joel grinned and lifted the lei around his neck to sniff the flowers. He tried to lift it off his head, but it would not budge. ‘Hey, it’s stuck.’
Chiron nodded. ‘These are Pele’s promise of protection. No one can remove them but Pele.’
‘Really?’ Joel asked. ‘But she came in here only wearing one. Where did these others come from?’
‘They came directly from Pele,’ Chiron said. He looked at everyone in the room. ‘I need each of you to remember your manners around her. Pele is known for her power, passion, jealousy and capricious nature. She has a ferocious temper! This is her Island and we are only visitors here. We must respect her laws.’
‘What if she doesn’t respect us?’ Emily said.
Chiron sighed. ‘Then when the Big Three get here, we could have a very large problem.’
28
Each day Saturn’s fighters delivered more captured Olympians to Tartarus. Lorin often sneaked into their cell-blocks to peer curiously at them.
Olympians looked just like Titans. They weren’t the monsters she had been led to believe. They came in all shapes and sizes, just like the Titans – and on more than one occasion, she discovered that there were many Titans among the prisoners who were actually fighting on the side of Olympus. When she’d questioned Phoebe about it, her guardian spat and called them traitors, saying that some foolish Titans actually preferred Jupiter to Saturn. Those traitors would face the harshest punishment of all.
None of it made any sense.
Not long after another group of prisoners arrived, Lorin was summoned to the throne room. She tried to ask her escorts what it was about as they passed through the maze that was Tartarus, but they said nothing. They wouldn’t even look at her.
‘He’s waiting for you in there,’ one of her escorts finally said as they stopped before the throne-room door.
He was anxious to get away from her, like the rest of the Titans. Those that did speak to her used short, clipped sentences and ended the conversation as quickly as possible. Even Phoebe was starting to avoid her and had moved out of the cell they shared. When she asked why, Phoebe would only say that, as servants of Saturn, they must do as they were told.
It was then that Lorin realized the truth. She wasn’t like the other Titans. She was like the Olympians – just another prisoner in Tartarus.
‘Ah, child,’ Saturn called when he saw her at the door. ‘Come in, come in.’
A line of wounded Olympians was standing before the throne in chains. One satyr looked far too young to be fighting. His eyes were filled with terror and he was shaking.
‘I want you all to meet my servant – Lorin, the Flame of Titus!’ Saturn said with relish. ‘She is infinitely more powerful than your Flame of Olympus. And unlike Emily, Lorin does as she is told.’
By the look on the Olympians’ faces, they knew of her reputation. Some showed fear, but others looked at her with pity.
‘Lorin, come closer,’ Saturn commanded.
As Lorin stepped up to Saturn’s throne, a feeling of dread, deep inside, warned her that something very terrible was brewing in their leader’s mind.
Saturn stood and put his arm around her possessively. It was a show for the Olympians, nothing mo
re. Lorin wished he’d continued to ignore her, as he had before he’d learned of her powers.
‘Look here, Lorin. Look at these filthy traitors who betrayed me. See how they refuse to kneel before my authority. They serve my ungrateful son. But not for long.’
Saturn called to one of his guards. ‘You there, bring that young satyr to me.’
No! thought Loren. Not him. It was as if Saturn had picked the youngest, most vulnerable prisoner on purpose. She wasn’t going to do it. He couldn’t make her hurt him.
The guard raced forward and undid the chain connecting the satyr to the other prisoners. The boy’s face filled with terror as he was dragged away from the others and delivered to Saturn. ‘Please,’ he begged.
‘Please?’ Saturn mocked. ‘You wish to die with the others?’
Gasps escaped the prisoners as Saturn escorted Lorin and the satyr closer to the line of Olympians – his hard eyes focused on the satyr. ‘Watch this, boy,’ he spat. ‘Watch and learn.’
With his arm still around her, Saturn looked down on Lorin. ‘Show them what you can do.’
Lorin frowned and did nothing.
‘Show them!’ Saturn commanded. ‘Use your Flame. Burn them up! They are traitors and must be punished!’
‘You want me to kill them?’
‘That is what you do to traitors!’ Saturn shouted. ‘Now, do it!’
His hand started to tighten around her shoulder and squeeze painfully. Lorin looked up into Saturn’s wild pale eyes and then over to the line of Olympians. ‘Why must they die?’
‘Why?’ Saturn boomed. ‘You question my authority?’
‘No, but – but I do not understand why I must harm them.’
‘Because I am your leader and I command you to do it. Now, show them!’ he boomed. ‘Jupiter must be taught that he cannot win against me. I have the power and I possess the Flame of Titus!’
Lorin had never seen Saturn like this before. His eyes were crazy with bloodlust. His hand on her shoulder shook with rage and squeezed even tighter.
