by Kate O'Hearn
“What?” Cupid cried, jumping to his feet.
“Saturn? Ain’t he the one that started the war?”
“Yes!” Joel cried. “See, Em, it’s a crazy idea.”
“No, it ain’t,” Earl said. “Them blobs plan to attack the Titans as well. The more of them we have on our side, the better.”
Emily stuck her tongue out at Joel. “See? Now who’s crazy?”
“He will never side with us,” Cupid said. “He will celebrate our demise.”
“Not if we tell him they’re next,” Emily insisted.
Stella was seated on a long fallen log. “Shouldn’t we tell the Olympians the plan so they don’t start fighting the Titans again?”
Emily looked at Stella and remembered what a good strategist she was. “You’re right. We should. Besides, Arious is going to give us two gemstones that must be mounted in Olympus and Titus to allow travel between the two worlds—so half of us could go to one place and the rest to the other.”
“Fine,” Agent B said. “Emily and I will engage the Titans. Cupid, you and the others can go back to Olympus.”
“What?” Joel cried. “You aren’t seriously going to do this? It’s insane. I agree with telling the Olympians the plan. It is their world. They should have some say. We can’t just go to the Titans and invite them to the party without asking Jupiter first.”
“All right,” Emily said. “Will it make you happy if we talk to Jupiter first?”
“Yes!” Joel cried. “It will make me ecstatic.”
“Me too,” Cupid agreed. But then he frowned when he and Joel looked at each other, realizing they were both on the same side.
“All right,” Agent B said. “Olympus first. But let’s get moving!”
Earl leaned in closer to Emily. “Hope you don’t mind, but I think Frank and me’ll sit this one out.” He nodded toward Frankie, who was still with the Pegasus clones. “He ain’t doin’ so hot after seein’ them blobs eat you and then Lorin—can’t say I blame him. But bein’ here is doing wonders for him—especially with those two big boys over there.”
Emily and others looked over to Frankie standing with the stallions. “That’s fine, Earl,” Emily said gently. “Stay here with him. You can tell Riza what’s happening when she wakes. Until then, I can leave some extra food for you. If you need anything else, just ask Arious.”
“Remember,” Cupid warned. “This is a world of peace. Do not kill anything here. Not a plant or even an insect. They will not harm you, so you must not harm them. If you are uncertain about anything, ask Arious.”
“Will do,” Earl said.
The team made their way back into the temple and down into Arious’s chamber. Inside, the supercomputer opened a large drawer that held two gleaming brick-size black gemstones.
“These are the stones,” Arious said. “They must be mounted against a solid wall. You will approach them and call out your destination. The Solar Stream will open for you.” The computer paused. “Emily, remember what Yird said. This is a test of your responsibility and trustworthiness. It is part of your metamorphosis. Please do not betray our faith in you.”
Emily looked at Pegasus and nodded. “I understand. You can trust me.”
“Then you may take the stones.”
As Emily lifted the stones from the drawer, Joel came up to her. “What metamorphosis? What’s he talking about?”
“It’s complicated,” Emily said. “I’ll tell you later.”
Joel didn’t look satisfied, but he simply nodded. “We’re all right, aren’t we?”
Emily smiled. “Yes, we are. But right now there’s a lot happening. If we survive this, I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
“If?”
She nodded. “If.”
“Well, on that cheery note, I think we should be going,” Agent B offered.
Emily went up to the computer console. “Arious Minor, are you coming?”
The small dot appeared. “I thought you would never ask!”
Back on the surface, Paelen approached Stella and knelt before her. “I remember you,” he said to her. “We were once good friends. It would be an honor to carry you to Olympus.”
Stella actually blushed as he lifted her into his arms. “I remember you too. But you didn’t look the same. You were very old.”
“I am not old now.”
Stella’s cheeks turned brighter red as she put her arms around his neck. “No, you’re not.”
Emily climbed up on Pegasus. Agent B settled behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Just like old times,” she said to him.
“Very true.”
“When this is over, remind me to give you your journal back.”
His dark eyebrows rose. “I forgot about that. You didn’t read it, did you?”
Emily grinned at him. “I might have glanced at it . . . once or twice.”
“We’ll have to have a talk about boundaries later,” he said sternly.
“That is definitely like old times.” She laughed.
Earl and Frankie came over to say their final good-byes. “Y’all be careful,” Earl said.
“We will,” Emily promised. She looked down at Frankie. “You’ll take care of the two stallions, won’t you?”
He nodded, and looked back at the Mother of the Jungle. “And Brue, if she’ll let me.”
“She will,” Paelen said.
Emily leaned forward on the stallion’s back. “This is it, Pegs. Let’s go home.”
Pegasus whinnied and pawed the ground. He started to trot and entered a full gallop before opening his white wings and soaring into the sky.
18
THE MOMENT THEY BURST THROUGH the Solar Stream and into the bright skies above Olympus, they could see that something was terribly wrong. The parts of Olympus that had been rebuilt now lay in ruins again, and fires burned and smoldered within the rubble.
“Please tell me this is damage from the old war and not from the mutant Titans,” Agent B said.
Emily shook her head. “It’s the mutants; they’re here.”
She wasn’t the only one who could feel their presence. Pegasus whinnied and started to tremble. The feeling of malevolence was much stronger here than at Charing Cross. Fear clutched her heart as she gazed down on the swath of destruction. Everyone she loved was here: her father, her aunt, and all the Olympians. How many had died?
“Emily . . . ,” Paelen said.
“I know they’re here,” she said. “And they’re so much stronger. Paelen, ask your sandals to take us to Jupiter. We must find him.”
Cupid swooped in close to Pegasus. “I am not going to Jupiter,” he called. “I must find my mother first and make sure she is all right.”
“I understand,” Emily said. “When you do, meet us back at Tom and Alexis’s cave. That may still be safe.”
Cupid nodded and flew harder in the direction of his home.
Emily looked at Paelen. “Lead on. Take us to Jupiter!”
Paelen called down to his sandals. Immediately they circled around in the sky and headed in the opposite direction.
Beneath them, the crisscrossing trails of destruction were everywhere. Emily couldn’t see any dead or wounded on the ground. She didn’t see anyone at all. Had the mutants actually devoured everyone they encountered?
“Where are the wounded?” Agent B mused aloud, as though reading her thoughts. “I can’t imagine a people as strong as the Olympians being defeated.”
“That’s what scares me,” Emily agreed.
They continued through the ruined landscape away from the central city. Soon they arrived at Mount Helicon. Once again, the damage seemed absolute, with not a building left standing.
Not only was there damage to the buildings, but it seemed the mutant Titans were devouring all life in their path. Emily saw huge areas of bare, open ground with no trees, plants, or animals of any kind.
“They’re eating everything!” Joel cried. “Look, there’s nothing but black dirt
down there. They’re even eating the grass!”
Paelen dropped lower as his sandals took him down toward the side of Mount Helicon. They alit on a sharp outcropping that was barely large enough for Pegasus and Chrysaor to land. At first it appeared deserted, but when Emily slid off the stallion’s back, she spied a small cave opening.
“Jupiter, are you in there?”
The opening widened and Jupiter limped out. “Emily child, you’re alive!” He embraced her tightly. “We feared the worst. Come in, come in. The council is here. We are trying to work out a strategy against these monsters.”
At her touch, Jupiter’s many wounds started to heal. He inhaled deeply and thanked her. Then he waved his hand in the air. The entrance widened further until it was large enough to allow Pegasus through. Once they were in, he shut it again.
Inside the spacious cave, Emily was relieved to see many of her favorite Olympians who made up the war council. Pluto and Neptune rushed forward. “Thank the stars,” Neptune said as he embraced Emily and then Pegasus.
The centaur, Chiron, was there. His bare chest bore the scars of battle, and he was grateful to be healed by Emily. Behind him was one of the giant Hundred-handers. He had to crouch down to fit into the cave.
Athena, Juno, and countless other Olympians came forward to welcome them. Their clothes were in tatters and looked like they had been caught up in a ferocious battle. Emily greeted them all, but as she searched among their ranks, she couldn’t see her father or Diana.
“Jupiter, where’s my dad?”
“I do not know,” he answered gravely. “He and my daughter fled in the opposite direction when those strange Titans attacked. We have all scattered across Olympus, trying to escape their onslaught—so many have already fallen to them.”
“How bad is it?” Agent B asked as he slid down from Pegasus.
Jupiter’s eyes widened in surprise. “Agent B, you’re back!”
“Yes, and I’m so sorry. I’m partly responsible for this mess. If the CRU hadn’t imprisoned me, Emily would not have tried to rescue me.”
Emily shook her head. “No, it was me. I created those monsters when I used my powers against Saturn on Tartarus. They were the ones who started the CRU and were using them to gain more power.”
“Blame is irrelevant,” Jupiter said. “What we need is a way to stop them.”
“Can’t you?” Joel cried. “You’re Jupiter, the strongest Olympian there is. You must be able to destroy them.”
Jupiter shook his head. “Their powers are beyond me and continue to grow with each victim they absorb. I have used my most powerful lightning storms without success. Even dropping huge chunks of buildings does nothing to slow them. It passes right through them as though they had no substance at all.”
“They are beyond all of us,” Pluto added. “Nothing we try works against them.”
“How is this possible?” Paelen asked. “You are the Big Three! You have more power than all of us.”
Jupiter nodded his head. “We have, but it makes no difference. Those creatures have no bodies to harm, no minds to manipulate. No amount of lightning, flood, or death seems to touch them. They are consuming our world, and we are helpless to stop them.”
Joel looked at Emily with haunted eyes. “You were right. It’s the only way.”
“What is?” Jupiter demanded. “What can be done? Is Riza coming?”
Emily shook her head and quickly explained that Riza was in a coma and couldn’t help. Then she told them about her idea to engage the Titans in the fight.
Jupiter shook his head. “Asking my father is madness. He would rather see us destroyed than lift a finger to help.”
“Is it any crazier than doing nothing?” Agent B asked. “Jupiter, you’re a smart man. You must realize that you’re as good as defeated by those blobs. What more could Saturn do to you that these monsters haven’t already done?”
“B is correct.” Vulcan emerged from the back of the cave. He was covered in bruises and his face had a deep cut. His artificial legs were missing, and he stood unsteadily on withered, deformed limbs that lifted him no taller than Jupiter’s waist. But despite his height, he was still an imposing sight.
“Vulcan!” Joel cried in greeting. “What happened to you?”
“Those filthy blobs nearly had me. They caught me by my golden legs and tried to eat me. I had to cut myself free to escape being absorbed.”
Emily reached forward and touched Vulcan’s arm, healing his wounds. But no matter how strong her healing powers were, she could do nothing to restore his deformed legs.
“Vulcan?” Stella called. She was frowning as the memories surfaced. “Vulcan, I remember you!”
Vulcan looked up and peered around Pegasus. When his eyes landed on Stella in Paelen’s arms, his face brightened. “My Stella, how I have missed you!” He struggled over to Paelen and pulled her down from his arms to embrace her tightly. His hard eyes went up to Paelen. “Why did you bring her here? It is not safe!”
“Nowhere is safe,” Emily said. “That’s the point. Unless we find a way to destroy those two mutants, they will devour Olympus and then go straight to Titus. We must make a stand against them now, before this whole world is devoured.”
“Jupiter, please be honest,” Joel said. “Does Saturn have more power than you?”
Jupiter glanced at his two brothers. They looked beaten and defeated. He dropped his head. “Individually, yes, he absolutely does. But together we are equal to him.”
Emily mused, “So if we could convince him to join this fight, and if you all united your powers against them, it might be enough to defeat the mutants.”
Neptune shook his head, and his blue eyes were dark as a stormy sea. “He will not do that. Our father will celebrate our demise, not help to stop it.”
“Even if he knew Titus was next?” Paelen offered.
Jupiter looked to his brothers, then to the rest of the war council. “You have been with me from the beginning. We have seen off two Titan wars and a Nirad invasion. But now, I fear, this could be our undoing. Tell me your thoughts. Do we seek the assistance of the Titans, or try to evacuate Olympus?”
Emily shook her head. “I am sorry, Jupiter, but evacuation won’t work even if you could get everyone to Earth or Xanadu. Those mutants will follow you. They already have their sights set on Xanadu after Titus. Then Earth. After that, who knows where? They must be stopped here or there will be no future for any of us.”
Vulcan was holding Stella and nodded gravely. “Emily is correct. I have seen their power up close. They are unlike any enemy we have ever faced before. None of us can stand against them, and no weapon can stop them—it is like using a sword to fight the sea. We are actually feeding them with each and every Olympian they absorb. Soon they will grow too large for any of us to defeat.”
“What are you suggesting we do?” Jupiter asked.
Vulcan shrugged. “The only thing we can do—appeal to Saturn for help. I would rather sit in Tartarus, if that is what he demands, than watch Olympus be devoured.”
Agent B came forward. “Come on, Jupiter, you know this is the only solution. Those blobs are eating Olympus alive. I for one don’t want to see the same thing happen on Earth. And we all know it will.”
“We have to give this plan a chance,” Pluto said. He looked at Emily, and his dark eyes were filled with sadness. “Go to Saturn. Tell him I will surrender myself to him if he helps us defeat these monsters.”
Neptune lowered his head. “I will do the same. I too will hand myself over to him in exchange for his help.”
There were grumblings of agreement from the full war council. Finally Jupiter nodded. “It is agreed, then,” he said softly. “Go to Titus and ask for our father’s help. Tell him we will accept whatever terms he sets. But he must save Olympus.”
“Do you want to come with us?” Emily asked softly.
Jupiter shook his head. “No. I must stay here and fight, or at least die trying.”
“Don’t do anything stupid. That’s what those blobs want,” Agent B warned. “You and your brothers are very powerful. If they absorb you, there’s no telling how big or strong they’ll become.”
Jupiter chuckled, and it was filled with irony. “A human is telling me what to do. . . .”
“Yes!” Agent B said. “Because right now your emotions are ruling you. You are seeing your world imperiled and are paralyzed by it. Stop it! Get mad and start to fight like you did thousands of years ago. I was there, remember?”
Jupiter nodded and looked at the whole war council. “It is up to us now. Emily needs time to reach Titus and enlist Father’s aid. We must remain here and fight to stop those creatures, or at least slow them down until help arrives.” His sad eyes landed on Emily. “It grieves me that you must face my father alone.”
“She’s not alone,” Joel said as he laid his arm across Emily’s shoulders. “We’ll be with her, all of us, her team: Pegasus, Chrysaor, Paelen, me, and Agent B, just like it’s always been and always will be.”
Emily breathed a great sigh of relief. It was just like long ago. Her whole team was back together. And together they would be unstoppable.
“Just promise me you will be careful,” Jupiter said. “My father is tricky.”
“I remember. It’s just like . . .” Emily stopped midsentence and her heart started to pound. She looked back to the cave opening “They can feel me. I am leading them here.” Emily leaned forward and kissed Jupiter on the cheek. “We must go now. Please, find my father and keep him safe until we return.”
“I will,” Jupiter promised.
As they prepared to leave, Vulcan handed Stella back up to Paelen. “Take my girl to Titus and keep her safe.”
“I will,” Paelen promised.
Stella shook her head. “No, I am going to stay here with Vulcan.”
“No child,” Vulcan protested. “You must go to Titus with Emily. You will be safer there.”
“I’m not leaving,” Stella insisted. She looked at Paelen. “You may need to fight. But you can’t do that while holding on to me. Let me stay with Vulcan. It is safer for you.”
