‘By stealing the bridle?’
Paelen nodded. ‘I thought if I took it from Pegasus, but then gave it back, he would like me. He might even let me ride him. Then everyone else in Olympus would see that I am as good as the rest of you. Perhaps you might even respect me and see me as more than a thief. I swear I meant no harm.’
‘You did that to gain our respect?’ Diana said incredulously.
Paelen nodded. ‘I just want to be like the rest of you,’ he muttered.
Diana shook her head. ‘You foolish little boy. You did all of this just to prove that you are like the rest of us? Can you not see? Are you so blind? Paelen, you are an Olympian, just like me. Just like my father and just like my brother was. We are no better than you. But now, the damage you have done is immeasurable. You have single-handedly condemned us all.’
‘Me? How?’ Paelen cried. ‘What have I done other than flee the battle and take the bridle from Pegasus?’
Diana shook her head. ‘We needed that bridle to fight the Nirads.’
‘I do not understand,’ Paelen said helplessly. ‘What can it do that Pegasus himself cannot? I have seen what his hooves did to a Nirad. They have a dead one here in this place. He died because of Pegasus, not his bridle.’
‘It is not the bridle itself then, but the gold,’ Diana explained. ‘I did not know that Pegasus could kill them with his hooves. But back on Olympus, we discovered that the gold of his bridle was poisonous to the Nirads. One brief touch and they are weakened. Longer contact will kill them. That bridle was our only hope to make weapons against the Nirads. But now it is gone. Olympus has fallen and my father is in chains. Perhaps now, even dead.’
Paelen sat back on his heels and looked at Diana. In all their long history, he had never seen her look so defeated. As she lay there in chains, the look of despair on her face was more than he could bear.
‘You are wrong, Diana. The bridle is not lost. It is here, in this strange place. I have Mercury’s sandals. They can lead me to it, just as they led me to you. We can still forge those weapons and defeat the Nirads. Please, let me help. Let me prove to you and everyone else that I am more than just a thief.’
Diana shook her head sadly. ‘It is too late. These people have Pegasus as well. They shot him. I saw him go down. He may be dead.’
‘He is not dead,’ Paelen said. He told Diana what he had heard in the vent above Emily’s bed. ‘Agent J insisted Pegasus is alive. I know the sandals could take me to him if we want.’
‘And Emily? You have actually seen Emily?’
Paelen nodded. ‘Her room is very close to mine. But she is gravely ill. Her leg has been badly wounded. Agent J said she almost died.’
‘The Nirads got her,’ Diana said. ‘She and another boy, Joel, bravely fought them to protect Pegasus.’
‘That human girl fought a Nirad?’ Paelen repeated incredulously.
‘She is a very special child,’ said Diana. ‘When we leave here, we must take her and Joel with us. We need them to save Olympus.’
‘I do not understand,’ Paelen said. ‘How can simple humans save our home?’
‘It is too complicated to explain,’ Diana said. ‘But we need them both if we are to succeed.’
Paelen shook his head. ‘That will be difficult. The man, Agent J has already tortured her once to get her to answer questions about us. I have no doubt he will do more to get her to speak.’
‘He tortured Emily?’ Diana cried. ‘I will kill him!’ She reared up and strained against the chains that held her. ‘He has no idea what he is doing. Without her and Joel, we are all doomed!’
She struggled to pull her hands free of the shackles, but they wouldn’t give. ‘I have gone too long without ambrosia. I am weak and cannot break these chains.’ She looked up at Paelen. ‘I wish I could change my body as you do. It would be little work for you to get out of these.’
Giving up, she lay back down on the bed. ‘Paelen, listen to me. If you are sincere in wanting to help, you can. You must use Mercury’s sandals and find everyone. Tell Pegasus what has happened and that you wish to help. Tell him about Emily and what Agent J did to her. Then you must find Joel and her father, Steve, and tell them both what you know. We must leave here as soon as Emily is well enough to travel. There still may be time to save both our worlds. But, Paelen, you must be careful. Use all your thieving skills. Do not get caught. If you fail, we all do.’
‘I will be careful,’ Paelen promised as he stood up. ‘I will do this for Olympus.’
Standing proudly before Diana, Paelen stretched out his bones. He tried to hide the pain it caused him so she wouldn’t see his weakness.
‘I will not fail,’ he promised as he lifted himself back into the vent.
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