Pegasus and the Rise of the Titans (Pegasus #5) (2 page)

Not even Pegasus remembered their journey. That was the hardest thing of all. Not being able to talk to the winged stallion about it because, for him, it was part of a different time-line, and not one he experienced. Often she would look at the healthy, young winged stallion and suddenly recall the ancient Pegasus that had died in her arms.

Because Pegasus
had
died in her arms – whether he remembered or not.

Emily stopped on a diary entry she had read so many times before she could recite it by heart.

Emily and Joel have grown so much closer. After the death of Paelen and now Pegasus, something has changed between them. They are inseparable – and it worries me. If anything should happen to Joel, I don’t think anyone could contain Emily’s rage. I’m convinced she’ll lose control of her powers. They’ll overwhelm her and none of us will survive it.

I know Emily – talking to her won’t work. All I can do is be there for her and offer whatever guidance or support I can. I’m also going to keep a particularly protective watch on Joel. I’ve spoken with Jupiter and the others about it and we all agree. Nothing must happen to Joel. Not for Emily’s sake – or our own.

‘He was frightened of me,’ Emily mused aloud as she looked down on Mike. ‘He was scared I might go ballistic and lose control of my powers and destroy everything.’ Emily knew that would not have happened.

But then Joel’s handsome face, with its dark, smouldering eyes, high cheekbones and full, sculpted lips, flashed before her eyes and she thought again. Maybe Agent B was right. What if something had happened to Joel, what would she have done? She might well have lost control.

Emily flicked through the pages of the diary and found a sketch Agent B had drawn. It showed Emily and Joel sitting close together, roasting Olympian apples over a campfire. They were laughing as ancient Pegasus rested beside her.

She remembered many nights like that. Time spent with Joel – not always speaking, but saying everything. Knowing each day could have been their last made every moment together that much more precious.

Emily tilted her head to the side. The sketch was good. Agent B had captured Joel so well. Looking at the picture made her heart skip a beat. She felt her face flushing as she recalled their special kiss.

‘
He loves you, you know
,’ Riza said softly within her mind.

Emily smiled. The voice of the ancient Xan living within her had scared her at first, but now Riza was like a twin sister to her and she couldn’t imagine her life without her.

‘Yes, I know,’ Emily responded.

‘
And you love him
.’

Emily blushed brighter. ‘Yes.’

‘
So what are you going to do about it?
’ Riza teased.

Emily shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Joel doesn’t remember telling me.’

‘
You can’t fool me, Emily
,’ Riza chuckled. ‘
The problem isn’t Joel not remembering, it’s you. You are too frightened to tell him everything that happened back then. You should let him read Agent B’s diary
.’

‘I’m not frightened,’ Emily said in a voice that didn’t even convince herself. ‘It’s just that . . .’ She paused.

‘
Yes
 . . . 
?
’

A strange sound from outside her window spared Emily from having to answer. Peering out, she caught a movement that was too quick to follow. Instantly on her guard, she called the winged stallion to the window.

‘Pegs, there’s something strange happening outside.’

Emily pointed when he reached her side. ‘I heard it first, and just as I got to the window, I saw something moving very quickly towards the back of the palace.’

Pegasus nickered softly then sniffed the air. His head bobbed up and down. He peered at Emily and then dropped his wing to invite her on to his back. Without hesitation, Emily climbed up and hung on to his mane. Pegasus leaped gracefully out of the window and started to fly.

The journey was short as the stallion beat his large wings and took them towards the back gardens of Jupiter’s palace. In the starlight, Emily saw they were heading right for the large green hedge maze.

Pegasus touched down at the entrance of the maze and bobbed his head again.

‘In there?’ Emily asked. She climbed down and, with Pegasus at her side, walked into the maze. She had no sense of danger, just a curiosity that couldn’t be ignored.

Pegasus sniffed the air again and started to trot. As they neared the centre of the maze, Emily heard gentle sobs.

Rounding a final bend, she saw what looked like a lion but with a human upper torso and large, eagle-like wings. It was crouched down in the corner of the path, weeping quietly.

‘Alexis?’ she called softly.

The Sphinx of Olympus had her head resting on her paws. Her large eagle wings were drooping to the ground. When Alexis looked up, Emily saw that her lovely green eyes were puffy and red.

‘What is it?’ she called, racing to the Sphinx’s side. ‘Has something happened?’

Alexis sat up and tried her best to wipe her eyes with her large paws. She sniffed back her sobs. ‘It – it is nothing.’

‘This isn’t “nothing”.’ Emily reached out and gently wiped away the Sphinx’s tears. ‘Please tell us what’s wrong?’

Alexis sniffed again. ‘It is Juno. She has commanded me to return to the palace. She feels I have been neglecting my duties here. She just does not understand how it is for me and the life I have chosen for myself.’

‘With Tom, you mean,’ Emily said. ‘You don’t want to leave him.’

Alexis nodded, as her tears continued.

Emily sat back on her heels. Tom, once known as Agent T, had been a dangerous agent within the super-secret Central Research Unit. It was his job to hunt down and capture the Olympians to exploit their powers. Then Cupid enchanted him, and the lethal agent changed. But that change wasn’t complete until Tom met Alexis and travelled with them to Las Vegas.

When Agent T met the equally deadly Alexis, it was love at first sight. But then Tom was critically wounded and paralysed. The only way Jupiter could save him was to turn him into a willow tree. From the moment he arrived in Olympus, he and the Sphinx had become inseparable.

Alexis sniffed. ‘Tom is my life. I cannot bear to be away from him for a moment. But when I asked Jupiter to move him here, he said that Tom would not survive the transfer. At Juno’s command, we are to be parted.’

Emily knew how deeply the Sphinx cared for Agent T and how much he loved her.

‘She just does not understand,’ Alexis said. ‘To leave Tom is like ripping out my claws one at a time. But still she insists I must return to the palace.’

Alexis looked miserable as she turned to Emily. ‘Tell me, what am I to do? How do I make her understand? I must not defy Juno, but I cannot stay.’

‘I could talk to her if you want?’

Alexis shook her head. ‘That will not work. She is adamant. Unless we find a safe way to move Tom here, I will lose him.’ Alexis lowered her head to her paws again. ‘It is hopeless . . .’ she wept. ‘Just hopeless . . .’

‘
Emily, there is a way
,’ Riza spoke softly in her head. ‘
I should have thought of it before. Leave Alexis here – I have an idea. But we’ll need Pegasus
.’

Emily patted the Sphinx’s shoulder. ‘Don’t give up, Alexis. We’ll find a way for you and Tom to stay together. I promise. Just stay here for a moment. I’ll be right back.’

Gaining her feet, Emily directed Pegasus out of the maze.

‘So what do we do?’ she asked Riza.

‘
Let’s get to Tom. This might just work
.’

‘Pegs, would you take us to Tom? Riza has an idea.’

The stallion lowered his wing and Emily climbed up on to his back. In moments they were in the air and heading away from the maze. With starlight to guide them, they left the lush green lands of the palace area and crossed over a barren, sandy desert towards the home of the Sphinx.

Pegasus touched down before a tall, green and leafy willow tree. Emily looked up and saw what looked like a large tree house built into the branches of the tree. It had a large flat platform and one wall. The rest was open for easy flight in and out of the tree.

‘Tom?’ Emily called.

‘Emily!’ the tree responded with its high, leafy voice. ‘And Pegasus. How wonderful of you to visit. But if you’re looking for Alexis, I’m afraid she isn’t here.’

‘I know,’ Emily said. She stepped up to the tree and patted the thick trunk in greeting. ‘We just left her in Jupiter’s maze. She was crying.’

The leaves on the tree started to shake. ‘Is she all right? Has something happened?’

Emily shook her head. ‘No, she’s fine. She just misses you. Juno has commanded her to return to the palace but she doesn’t want to.’

‘I don’t want her to go either,’ Tom said sadly. ‘The days and nights will be endless for me. But it is her duty. If Alexis understands anything, it is duty.’

‘Tom, do you remember Riza?’

‘Of course I do. Hello, Riza.’

‘
Hi, Tom
,’ Riza called through Emily’s mouth. ‘
I’ve had an idea that could help you both stay together. But we need your consent
.’

‘Really?’ Tom said, sounding more hopeful now. ‘Tell me, please.’

‘
Well
,’ Riza started. ‘
For many millennia, my people knew how to manipulate matter. Not unlike Jupiter did with you. But he was unable to repair your human body, so he did the best he could and made you as you are now
.’

‘And I am grateful to him,’ Tom said. ‘I wasn’t much of a human, if I’m perfectly honest.’

‘You were fine,’ Emily said, taking over.

‘And you’re a terrible liar, Emily Jacobs,’ Tom chuckled. When he laughed, his long leaves rustled gently, with a pleasant brushing sound. ‘Emily, you know as well as I do that I’m better now as a tree than I ever was as a man.’

‘But you’ve changed,’ Emily argued.

‘I’d like to think so.’

‘
Tom
,’ Riza said seriously. ‘
Jupiter didn’t have the power to restore your wrecked body. We do. But only if you want it
.’

‘You can really do that when Jupiter couldn’t?’

‘
Yes
,’ Riza said.

‘You mean it?’

‘
Yes
.’

There was a long pause. Finally the willow tree asked hesitantly, ‘If you have the power to restore me, could you turn me into something else instead?’

‘
That depends on what you want
,’ Riza responded.

‘You want to be a Sphinx,’ Emily guessed.

‘Yes,’ Tom agreed. ‘So I can be just like my Alexis.’

‘
No problem
,’ Riza said. ‘
It will be so
.’

‘Are you sure we can do this?’ Emily asked.

‘
Yes
,’ Riza said aloud. ‘
But we need something from Alexis. Something that will help us replicate her pattern with Tom
.’

‘You mean like her DNA?’

‘
Exactly
,’ Riza said.

‘Like hair?’ Tom offered. ‘Her hairbrush is up here on her platform.’

‘
Perfect!
’

Emily climbed up the small ladder leading to the platform that Alexis called her home. Overstuffed satin pillows were scattered in one corner where Alexis lounged. On the other side of the platform was what looked like a dressing table with a mirror. Laid out in a neat row were different-sized combs and brushes that Alexis used to groom herself.

Emily frowned. ‘How does she use these with her big paws?’

‘It’s not easy,’ Tom answered. ‘It takes her ages, but Alexis is very determined.’

Emily lifted one of the brushes and pulled out strands of long, dark hair. ‘Will this do?’

‘
Absolutely
,’ Riza said. ‘
We’ll also need a handful of new leaves from Tom
.’

Emily looked up and saw some opening buds. ‘Is it OK for me to take some of these new leaves?’ she asked Tom.

‘Take as many as you need.’ He sounded excited. ‘I can’t believe this. You’re sure you can do it?’

‘
We are
,’ Riza said.

‘You are, you mean,’ Emily corrected. ‘I’d have never thought to try.’

Riza chuckled softly. ‘
That’s because you still don’t understand the depth of our powers
.’

Emily climbed down the ladder and stepped away from the tree. With Pegasus at her side, she looked up at the tall willow. ‘So what do we do now?’

‘
Emily
,’ Riza said seriously. ‘
You must let me take full control of us. This will take a lot of concentration – we can’t risk a mistake. Will you give me your full cooperation?
’

Emily didn’t hesitate. ‘Sure. How do I do that?’

‘
As I rise to the surface, I want you to relax. Don’t speak and try not to think. Just imagine yourself floating in a peaceful lake
 . . .’

Emily felt Riza growing stronger within her. The Xan’s calm presence was lulling her into a gentle, peaceful state of mind. Emily felt no fear as Riza took full control of her body and mind.

Through foggy, dream-like eyes, Emily watched Riza lift ‘her’ hands. She could feel immense powers course through her, almost like a kind of static electricity from rubbing shoes on a carpet. She felt that if she were to touch anything, there would be a big spark.

Riza merged their powers together and then used them to intertwine the strands of hair and the willow leaves.

‘
Here we go!
’ Riza called to Tom. ‘
Don’t be afraid; you will be safe
.’

Energy coursed through Emily like she’d never felt before. Every nerve was electrified as Riza used their combined power to command the tree’s physical matter to change.

As Riza drew more and more power, Emily started to feel peculiar. At first it was just an odd, tingling sensation. Not painful, but strange. Her calm feeling was fading away . . .

‘Riza . . . ?’ Emily knew she shouldn’t speak but she had to warn the Xan. Something was going wrong. Pain started, deep in her mind. It was bad – very, very bad. ‘Riza, stop!’