Pegasus and the Fight for Olympus by Kate O'Hearn

he struggled to gain control of the screaming crowds, he pushed the microphone to Emily’s face. ‘What’s your name, sweetheart?’
    ‘Um, Emily,’ she answered nervously. Her heart pounded fiercely and she was certain the announcer was about to discover the truth about Cupid.
    ‘And you?’ he asked moving the microphone over to the Olympian.
    ‘I am Cupid.’
    Once again the girls in the tent roared with excitement in response to Cupid. Emily had never seen anything like it before. She looked across the masses in the tent as everyone worshipped and adored him. But then Emily locked on one particular pair of eyes that weren’t cheering or screaming at Cupid. They were staring only at her.
    ‘No, it can’t be!’ she uttered. ‘What’s he doing here?’
    ‘What is it?’ Cupid asked.
    Emily pointed at the man as he spoke urgently to some young, costumed men around him. She watched him shout into his mobile phone. When he hung up, he and his men started to shove their way through the hysterical crowds. His eyes were locked on to Emily and there was no mistaking the recognition.
    ‘The CRU!’

5
    As the crowd surged and tried to get closer to Cupid, Emily’s eyes searched madly for Agent O. There was no mistaking him – Emily would remember his cruel eyes anywhere. He was one of the agents who tortured her at the Governors Island facility and was going to let Pegasus die when he was hurt.
    ‘We must go,’ Cupid cried.
    He passed Emily her coat and took her by the hand. But as they descended the stage steps, the crowd of girls swarmed around him. Emily was pushed and shoved until her hand was torn free of Cupid’s.
    ‘Cupid!’ she cried.
    ‘Flame!’ he called back. But it was from the rear of the tent. The mass of girls had forced Cupid against the tent’s canvas wall. Emily struggled to reach him, but the crowd was too dense. As she turned to head out, she walked straight into a nightmare.
    ‘Emily Jacobs, what a questionable surprise to see you back here,’ said Agent O as he and two men dressed as aliens blocked her path. His hand closed on her arm with a vice-like grip. ‘Or should I call you Flame of Olympus?’
    ‘No, you can’t be here,’ she cried as she tried to pull away. ‘I saw Pegasus kill you!’
    Agent O shook his head. ‘He killed Agent J, but he left me with this.’ He opened his shirt to reveal a deep, angry hoof-shaped scar. ‘Because of you and that horse, I was transferred upstate to this boring, hick town. My only escape from the monotony has been coming to this Haunted Forest Festival with some friends. But now that I’ve found you, I’ll get my promotion and out of this place. You are my ticket back to New York City.’
    ‘Let me go!’ Emily demanded as she struggled to pull away.
    ‘Let you go?’ Agent O repeated. ‘Never! You owe me, Emily. I had a life back in the City before you stole it from me. Now I’m going to steal something from you: your freedom!’ He started to haul her away.
    Emily looked back towards Cupid.
    ‘Don’t worry about your winged friend back there. My men will take care of him soon enough.’
    As he dragged her towards the exit, Emily spotted the four costumed performers that Paelen and Cupid had attacked. They entered the tent with a group of police and security guards. ‘There she is,’ called Frankenstein as he pointed at her. ‘She was with the others!’
    Emily was losing control. The CRU, the police – it was all happening too fast. Her inner Flame started to rumble and come to life as she began to tremble.
    ‘Let go of me,’ she warned Agent O. ‘You don’t understand. I’ve changed. Please, I might hurt you!’
    ‘Shut up!’ Agent O ordered, forcing her through the crowds.
    As the performers, festival security and police rushed forward, Agent O and his men pulled out their ID badges. ‘Back off ! This is my prisoner.’
    ‘ No, stop it, Em! ’ Emily cried to herself, fighting back the flames. ‘ Don’t do it.