by Kate O'Hearn
Nesso hissed, “He sssaysss he mussst protect Assstraea and Zephyr. Pleassse tell them that he isss loyal and will help them on their misssion. He isss ssslowly learning their language and will mossstly underssstand them.”
“Belis can understand us?” Jake said.
“Yesss. They are all learning. It isss not asss fassst asss I did, but that isss becaussse of our connection. But they are learning.”
“Well, Zephyr,” Jake started. “You might not like him, but it appears Belis likes you. He’s refusing to stay and says he’ll protect you both. Oh, and Nesso says the snakes are learning to understand us.”
“That’s just great,” Zephyr said. “Now Belis will understand me when I insult him.”
“So don’t insult him,” Astraea said.
“He’s a snake, Astraea. What else am I supposed to do?” Zephyr said.
Astraea’s parents arrived on the second floor to say their good-byes. As Astraea held them, she felt a lump form in her throat. This would be her most dangerous mission yet.
“Please be careful,” Aurora said.
“Yes, no foolish risks,” Astraios added.
“We will.” Astraea sniffed. She walked over to the wall with Zephyr and Darek, and Darek held up his ring. “Take us to Titus, at the back of Arcadia One, at night.”
The Solar Stream burst open before them. Astraea looked back at her family and friends and wondered if it would be the last time she ever saw them. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward into the light.
25
THEY BURST THROUGH THE SOLAR Stream not far from the bush where Jake had first hidden. It felt like a lifetime ago that they’d met him. That one night had changed everything.
Astraea took a deep breath, savoring the sweet fragrance of her home world as she gazed around. Everything was quiet. Everything appeared normal. The torches around Arcadia One were lit, and there were a couple of people walking on the path around the large school. Not far away, the night dwellers were out and working silently tending the grounds of the school.
Looking at it, one would never suspect that there was a terrible invasion going on. Unless, Astraea thought darkly, the Mimics had already taken over everything and it was them she was seeing around.
Astraea heard movement behind her and saw that despite their request, Belis had indeed followed them.
“How are we supposed to hide him?” Zephyr complained. “He’s massive!”
“I don’t know,” Astraea said. “We’ll have to figure something out.”
“While you do, I’m going to head out to find some of my friends,” Darek said. “Maybe if they haven’t all been taken, we can warn some of the teachers. Especially Minerva. She was a great warrior.”
“So how will we find each other?” Zephyr asked.
“When I’ve gathered everyone I can, we’ll come back here and wait for you. Just be back before dawn,” Darek said. “If I’m not here, you’ll know something is wrong. Go back to Earth without me. If you’re not here, I will do the same.”
“That’s a good plan,” Astraea said. “Please be careful.”
“You too,” Darek said as he started to walk away. “You’ve got Belis and your snakes. And you’ve got your dagger. Don’t be afraid to use them if you have to.”
“I won’t,” Astraea said.
She and Zephyr watched the brave centaur trot off into the darkness. There was such confidence in his stride. She wished she felt the same. “I hope he’ll be all right.”
“Me too,” Zephyr agreed. She looked resentfully at Belis. “So, now what? How are we supposed to sneak around with him here? I had hoped to fly, but now we’re grounded.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Astraea said. “The Mimics know you fly, and there aren’t that many flying Titans or Olympians. It might be safer to stay on the ground. Besides, we have another problem.”
“What’s that?”
“You,” Astraea said. “Zeph, you are really glowing brightly tonight.”
Zephyr looked down at herself. “You know it gets worse when I’m nervous. I’m not just nervous—I’m terrified.”
“It shows,” Astraea said. “I just hope there aren’t that many Mimics out at night. Since they don’t see well in the dark, maybe they’re all inside.”
“That’s not very reassuring,” Zephyr said.
“I know, but it’s the best I’ve got,” Astraea said. “Let’s head over to Hyperion’s first. It’s closer.”
Walking together, with Belis slithering beside them, they made their way across the Arcadia One field. Looking at the school, Astraea had the eeriest sensation. Everything looked the same. There had been no damage done. There were no signs of war. But it was a war they were fighting. A war they were losing.
Moving away from the school, they noticed just how empty the streets were.
“This isn’t good,” Zephyr said. “It’s never this quiet here.”
“I know,” Astraea agreed. They entered an area where there were no lit street torches at all. “No one’s lighting them. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“If you mean, am I thinking that the Mimics have already completed the takeover and everyone is gone, then yes, I’m thinking what you’re thinking.”
Astraea stopped. “We’re not far from my grandfather’s and no one is around. But this is a busy area, and Hyperion would never allow it to go dark. What if he’s been taken?”
“If he has, we go to Saturn’s palace,” Zephyr said.
“And if he’s been taken too?” Astraea asked.
“Then we try to find them,” Zephyr said. “We’ll meet up with Darek and his friends and maybe head to Tartarus again.”
They kept walking past lovely marble houses with bright lights shining out of the windows. In some houses they could see inside and saw people. But whether they were real Titans or Mimics, it was impossible to tell.
“In all my life, I never thought I’d says this about Titus,” Zephyr said. “But this place gives me the creeps.”
Astraea nodded. “I’m getting really scared that everyone’s gone. Would they take them to Tartarus, or do what they did with Emily Jacobs and the others from Xanadu and take them to their home world?”
“Good question,” Zephyr said.
As they approached Hyperion’s house, Belis rose up and his tongue flicked in and out of his mouth much faster than normal. Hissing loudly, he cut in front of Astraea and Zephyr and started to herd them away from the pavement.
“What’s that crazy snake doing now?” Zephyr demanded. “Look—he’s turned black!”
Belis’s scales were jet-black, his eyes were dilated, and he was pressing against Astraea to get her to move. She saw a dense line of flowering bushes not far from the start of another park beside Hyperion’s house. That seemed to be where he was directing them.
“Zephyr, quiet,” Astraea said. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. But that didn’t mean they weren’t there. “Follow me.” She stopped resisting Belis and ran to the bushes.
“Why are we hiding?” Zephyr whispered.
Astraea was standing beside Zephyr and whispered, “I don’t know. But I think Belis turns black when there’s danger. He did it on Zomos right before he attacked the Mimics threatening me.”
Hidden behind the bushes, Belis rose and draped himself over Zephyr’s back.
“What’s he doing now?” Zephyr cried. “He’s really heavy. Is he trying to squish me?”
“I think he’s trying to get you to sit or lie down. He’s covering your glow.”
“I don’t want to lie down. I’ll get dirty.”
Astraea slapped her hand over Zephyr’s mouth. “Be quiet and lie down. I hear something.”
Zephyr lowered herself to the ground. When she did, Belis encircled both of them and lay across Zephyr’s back again. Her eyes were huge, as Belis’s face was right next to hers.
Astraea peered through the bushes and saw Hyperion and another person walking together. S
he was about to call out to her grandfather, but then stopped. Hyperion was holding a torch. Despite the light, his eyes were squinting as though he was having a difficult time seeing.
Astraea’s hand went to her mouth to keep from gasping when she realized the terrible truth. Her grandfather could see perfectly well in the dark. Why would he need a torch and still squint? The answer was simple in its horror.
Hyperion was a Mimic.
26
THREE DAYS PASSED AND THERE was still no word from Astraea and her team. Jake kept busy working with the snakes and doing whatever he could. But there wasn’t a lot else he could do. He wasn’t strong enough to move the heavy pieces of metal, and Vulcan had organized a crew to work on the weapons, so he wasn’t needed there, either.
The main thing Jake was doing was keeping Tryn from using his Solar Stream ring to go to Titus to check on Astraea.
“Something is wrong,” Tryn insisted as he started to pace. “I can feel it. I told you we should have gone with them!”
“I don’t like staying here either,” Jake agreed. “But Jupiter was right to keep us here. We’re both foreigners on Titus and they don’t trust us yet. Me especially because I’m human. Astraea is smart. I’m sure she won’t do anything stupid.”
“But Zephyr is hotheaded. What if she loses her temper and really stomps someone? And Darek is a centaur. They love to fight.”
“They won’t.”
Tryn turned to Jake. “You can’t be certain.”
Could he? Tryn was right, Zephyr was hotheaded, and what he knew of centaurs was that they had a hair trigger. But in all the times Zephyr had threatened to stomp someone, she hadn’t actually done it. And only Cylus seemed to fight.
“They’re going to be fine,” Jake said. “We’re just going to have to stay here and make the best of it. Look at me. I’ve been back all this time and really want to call home to let my mom know I’m okay. But I can’t. None of us get to do what we want until this is over. Tryn, you’ve just got to calm down and trust in Astraea and her small team.”
Jake was surprised at Tryn’s behavior. He was always the calmest of them. At first Jake had thought Tryn didn’t have any feelings at all. He realized now it was the exact opposite. He felt more than Jake imagined and he was terrified for Astraea, Zephyr, and Darek.
Finally Tryn nodded. “You’re right. It’s just that—it’s just…”
“It’sss becaussse he caresss deeply about them,” Nesso said.
“I know. Me too,” Jake agreed.
Tryn spent the rest of day helping Jake draw venom from the snakes. It was dark out by the time they finished. They left the second floor and headed downstairs to see what was happening. Vulcan and his team were still at the forge. If anything, they seemed to be working even faster, producing weapons out of junk metal at astounding speed. Across the floor were the classes on swordplay and fighting. Triana was standing opposite a Titan. They were both holding wooden swords and being coached by a senior centaur on how to use them.
“Want to join the class?” Jake asked.
Tryn shook his head. “My mother would be horrified to see Triana with a weapon.”
“I think she’d be happy, considering what the Mimics nearly did to her on Xanadu. As least now she’ll be able to defend herself.”
Tryn nodded, but he wasn’t convinced.
Across the floor, the loading dock doors were being opened. Aurora and her group of scavengers were returning with a load of scrap metal from the junkyard. Aurora’s beautiful face was smudged with dirt, and her once-white tunic was torn and filthy. The feathers on her wings were covered in dirty oil and rust. But there was the glow of satisfaction on her face and the faces of those with her.
Walking past Tryn and Jake, Aurora smiled, but there were worry lines on her face. She was feeling the same as they were. They were frightened for Astraea and the others.
They dropped their load near the sorting area where the various metals were categorized in order of their usefulness. When she put down the car fender she was carrying, Aurora came back to Jake and Tryn and asked the same question she had asked many times before.
“Have they returned yet?”
“Not yet,” Jake said. “I guess it hasn’t been that long the way time works on Titus.”
“Perhaps,” Aurora agreed. “But every moment is a worry.”
Triana ran over to them. Her face was flushed, and she was still carrying her wooden sword. “Aurora, what is happening outside? What is that white stuff falling from the sky?”
They turned to the doors as they were being closed.
“It is called snow,” Aurora said. “Have you never seen snow before?”
Triana shook her head. “Our father told us all about it, but we’ve never seen it. It looks so pretty. Maybe we can make a snowman?”
Aurora chuckled. “It is just starting, so perhaps not yet. But based on the look of the sky, it could be a big storm.”
Jake hadn’t been out since they’d arrived back as they didn’t want to alert anyone to their presence in the building. Only a few Titans were allowed out to buy food or gather items. Even then, it was only at night. With the blazing heat from the forge warming the whole building, he hadn’t been aware of the temperature change. “Snowstorm?” he cried. “How? It can’t be winter yet.”
“It is,” Aurora said.
Jake shook his head. “See what I mean about the time thing? It feels like only a couple of weeks since everything started. I was taken in the summer, and now it’s snowing out. I must have been gone from Earth for months. My family is going to be thinking I’m dead.”
Aurora put her hand on Jake’s shoulder and shook her head. “No, Jake, your mother will not be thinking that at all. No mother would. We hold on to hope much longer than you can imagine—perhaps even longer than we should. She knows you are out there somewhere. She can feel you. I am so sorry that you must put your family through this. They do not deserve it. But it is for the best that you not contact them.”
“I know,” Jake said softly. “But it’s hard, especially as I’m here on Earth and just a phone call away.”
Aurora nodded. “When this is over, you will have the gratitude of everyone. Perhaps Jupiter will allow you to bring your family to Titus to show them what you have helped to save.”
“Really?” Jake cried. “That would be awesome.”
Aurora smiled. “I will talk to Jupiter about it. I am certain we can work this out. In the meantime, if you would like to see the snow for yourselves, I am sure you could go up on the roof. There are sentries posted there, but they should let you up.”
“That would be cool,” Jake said. He looked at Tryn. “Do you want to?”
Tryn shrugged, but Triana jumped up and down with excitement. “Can we?”
“Of course you may,” Aurora said. “But you are going to need more to wear than that. Being from a warm world, you will feel the cold. All the clothing we have been scrounging is on the third floor. I am sure there is plenty that will fit you.”
Triana squealed with joy. “Come on, Tryn, let’s go!”
Triana was talking a mile a minute as she walked with Jake and Tryn to the stairwell. On the top floor, they found the stash of extra clothing.
“Snow is really cold,” Jake said. “You’ll have to wrap up warmly.” He petted Nesso. “You too. I don’t want you getting cold.”
“I won’t get cold if I am with you,” Nesso said.
“Thanks, but this time you will.”
Tryn said very little as they went through the clothing and pulled out several choices. As they put on the layers, Jake was surprised by the differences between Tryn and Triana. They were brother and sister but couldn’t be more different. Then he thought of his own moody sister, Molly, and realized they were just as different.
Jake was wearing three tattered sweaters, including a black turtleneck that completely covered Nesso until she poked her head out one of the holes in the neck of the old garment.
When they were dressed, they made their way to the stairs leading up to the roof. The door was unlocked. They walked out onto the roof and were hit with a blast of cold wind. The snow was coming down hard and starting to collect.
As Aurora said, there were several Titans already up there, posted at each corner of the large roof, keeping watch. One Jake recognized was Themis, who was the principal of Arcadia One. The first time he met her was in Tartarus when they freed her from a cell. She waved and called a greeting to them, then returned to her duty. All the guards were wearing heavy, dark coats and looked like ordinary humans.
“Wow!” Triana squealed. “It’s so beautiful up here!” Like a child, she tried collecting snowflakes in her hand, but they melted on contact.
Even Tryn was impressed by the sight of snow. “I know it’s just frozen water, but I never imagined it would look like this.”
“It’s awesome,” Jake said. “When I was younger, we went skiing. That was the best.”
“Skiing?” Triana repeated. Her head was back, and she was catching snowflakes on her tongue.
“Yes. A ski is like a thin, polished board. You clip them on to your boots. Then you slide down a hill on them. You can go really fast and it’s really exciting.”
“I want to go skiing!” Triana said. “I have to ask Dad to take us.”
“I don’t know if it snows anywhere on Xanadu,” Tryn said softly.
“Then I’ll ask Riza if she can make us some.”
Jake shook his head. “I’ve really got to meet Riza. She sounds amazing.”
“She is,” Tryn agreed.
They walked up to the edge. A brick ledge ran around the entire roof to protect visitors from falling off. Peering over, they saw that the road down below was empty. The lack of tracks meant no one had driven down the road since the storm started. The falling snow hushed the sounds of the distant traffic—filling the area with a quiet calm.
“It’s very peaceful up here,” Tryn commented.
“It’s the snow. It always deadens sounds. That’s what I really like about it.”
“Tryn, look how bright the sky is even though it’s nighttime,” Triana said.
