air in celebration. ‘Yes! Serves him right!’
‘It was awful!’ Emily cried. ‘He threatened me! Said he’d never stop looking for us. What are we going to do?’
‘They are empty threats, Emily,’ Paelen called. ‘But we do need to find somewhere to stop and gather our thoughts.’
‘Let’s go back to the Red Apple,’ Joel suggested. ‘It’s abandoned. We could hide there and plan our next move.’
Several minutes later they were landing in the dark parking lot of the abandoned rest stop. There were large heavy boards on all the windows and the area was completely locked up. Very little traffic was on the road and there were no neighbours to worry about. They were alone.
‘This should be perfect,’ Joel said scanning the area. ‘No one has been here for ages.’
Emily was still trembling as she slid off Pegasus and approached the rear door. ‘But how do we get in? We don’t want anyone to know we’re here.’
‘Leave that to me,’ Paelen offered. He stepped back to use his one Olympian power. Paelen had the ability to stretch and manipulate his body to fit into any space – even the tiniest of areas. It was very painful and noisy as his bones elongated and cracked while his body thinned. But it had saved his life on more than one occasion. He ordered the winged sandals to take him up to the roof and they watched him squeeze into a painfully narrow kitchen exhaust chimney.
‘I’ll never get used to seeing him do that,’ Joel commented as he shivered and shook his head uncomfortably.
Moments later, they heard stirring from behind the door and the sound of the locks being turned. Finally the door opened and Paelen bowed graciously and grinned. ‘Come in, welcome to my home. It is not perfect, but I like it.’
Pegasus led the way in followed by Emily, Joel and finally Cupid. They were in the gutted kitchen of the restaurant.
‘I don’t suppose there are any lights?’ Joel asked. ‘I can’t see a thing.’
‘Me neither,’ Emily agreed.
Pegasus gently nudged her. He nickered softly.
‘Hold on to Pegasus’s wings, he will lead you,’ Paelen said. He closed and locked the kitchen door as Pegasus led Emily and Joel into the main seating area of the closed rest stop. It was pitch black and cold.
‘Em, do you think you could do something about the temperature in here?’ Joel asked. ‘I’m freezing.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like start a fire so we can see and maybe finally get warm.’
‘I-I don’t think I should,’ Emily said nervously. ‘I set fire to Agent O’s legs and nearly burned the tent down. You know I don’t have any control.’
Pegasus was still at her side and neighed softly. ‘You were frightened back in the tent,’ Paelen translated. ‘This is different. Pegasus says you can control it if you are calm.’
Emily strained her eyes but she couldn’t see a thing. Finally she accepted that they needed light. But more than that, they needed heat. ‘All right,’ she agreed hesitantly. ‘But we need somewhere safe for me to do it otherwise I could burn this whole place down.’
‘Come, Cupid,’ Paelen said as he started to move, ‘help me find something to start a fire in.’
Emily and Joel stood together in the dark and listened to the sounds of Paelen and Cupid going through the restaurant. They heard smashing wood coming from the kitchen and then something heavy being dragged into their area, followed by the sounds of smashing old tables and counter tops.
‘All right, Emily,’ Paelen said as he took her by the hand and led her forward carefully. ‘Just a few steps and you are at the pile of wood. It is waist high. If you start with a very small flame, it should catch easily.’
Emily felt the reassuring presence of Pegasus directly behind her. She tried to imagine herself back on Olympus and the lessons that Vesta had given her. She held out her hands and envisioned a small flame flowing from her fingertips down into the pile of wood.
The
‘It was awful!’ Emily cried. ‘He threatened me! Said he’d never stop looking for us. What are we going to do?’
‘They are empty threats, Emily,’ Paelen called. ‘But we do need to find somewhere to stop and gather our thoughts.’
‘Let’s go back to the Red Apple,’ Joel suggested. ‘It’s abandoned. We could hide there and plan our next move.’
Several minutes later they were landing in the dark parking lot of the abandoned rest stop. There were large heavy boards on all the windows and the area was completely locked up. Very little traffic was on the road and there were no neighbours to worry about. They were alone.
‘This should be perfect,’ Joel said scanning the area. ‘No one has been here for ages.’
Emily was still trembling as she slid off Pegasus and approached the rear door. ‘But how do we get in? We don’t want anyone to know we’re here.’
‘Leave that to me,’ Paelen offered. He stepped back to use his one Olympian power. Paelen had the ability to stretch and manipulate his body to fit into any space – even the tiniest of areas. It was very painful and noisy as his bones elongated and cracked while his body thinned. But it had saved his life on more than one occasion. He ordered the winged sandals to take him up to the roof and they watched him squeeze into a painfully narrow kitchen exhaust chimney.
‘I’ll never get used to seeing him do that,’ Joel commented as he shivered and shook his head uncomfortably.
Moments later, they heard stirring from behind the door and the sound of the locks being turned. Finally the door opened and Paelen bowed graciously and grinned. ‘Come in, welcome to my home. It is not perfect, but I like it.’
Pegasus led the way in followed by Emily, Joel and finally Cupid. They were in the gutted kitchen of the restaurant.
‘I don’t suppose there are any lights?’ Joel asked. ‘I can’t see a thing.’
‘Me neither,’ Emily agreed.
Pegasus gently nudged her. He nickered softly.
‘Hold on to Pegasus’s wings, he will lead you,’ Paelen said. He closed and locked the kitchen door as Pegasus led Emily and Joel into the main seating area of the closed rest stop. It was pitch black and cold.
‘Em, do you think you could do something about the temperature in here?’ Joel asked. ‘I’m freezing.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like start a fire so we can see and maybe finally get warm.’
‘I-I don’t think I should,’ Emily said nervously. ‘I set fire to Agent O’s legs and nearly burned the tent down. You know I don’t have any control.’
Pegasus was still at her side and neighed softly. ‘You were frightened back in the tent,’ Paelen translated. ‘This is different. Pegasus says you can control it if you are calm.’
Emily strained her eyes but she couldn’t see a thing. Finally she accepted that they needed light. But more than that, they needed heat. ‘All right,’ she agreed hesitantly. ‘But we need somewhere safe for me to do it otherwise I could burn this whole place down.’
‘Come, Cupid,’ Paelen said as he started to move, ‘help me find something to start a fire in.’
Emily and Joel stood together in the dark and listened to the sounds of Paelen and Cupid going through the restaurant. They heard smashing wood coming from the kitchen and then something heavy being dragged into their area, followed by the sounds of smashing old tables and counter tops.
‘All right, Emily,’ Paelen said as he took her by the hand and led her forward carefully. ‘Just a few steps and you are at the pile of wood. It is waist high. If you start with a very small flame, it should catch easily.’
Emily felt the reassuring presence of Pegasus directly behind her. She tried to imagine herself back on Olympus and the lessons that Vesta had given her. She held out her hands and envisioned a small flame flowing from her fingertips down into the pile of wood.
The
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