When Emily woke again, she was alone in her room. Her leg was pounding mercilessly from where that awful man had squeezed it. She remembered his prying questions and the cruel look in his eyes when he told her they’d shot Pegasus. Was he lying? Had Pegs really been shot? Was he dead? What about the others?
Worry weighed heavily on her as she lay alone in her room. The CRU were as bad as her father had told her. Worse, even. Agent J was the most evil person she’d ever met. The last thing she remembered was the cruel smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes as his hand crushed her wound.
Emily took in her surroundings. While she had been unconscious, they had disconnected her from the heart monitor and other machines. But she was still connected to the IV as several bags of fluid fed down into her arm. Whatever was in that stuff was working. She was feeling much better. Though her leg ached, her fever was down and her head was clearer.
In the silence, she became aware of odd sounds coming from above her bed. Looking up, she jumped when she saw fingers quietly pushing through the air vent. The vent came silently away from the wall and two strange long hands came through.
‘Hello?’ she called out.
She watched, mesmerized, as two extra long, thin arms slid out of the vent; then a mop of dark brown hair and the top of a very strangely shaped head. These were followed by painfully narrow shoulders. Moment by moment more of the snake-like thing seemed to pour itself into her room.
Emily’s eyes darted to her door. She wondered if she should call out for help. Was this some new type of creature come to kill her? Had it been sent by the Nirads?
As she opened her mouth to scream, the snake-like thing spoke.
‘Do not be frightened, Emily, I am here to help you.’
Biting back her cry, Emily realized it was wearing a hospital gown just like hers. But what was in the hospital gown was the strangest thing Emily had ever seen. It was almost human, with two arms and two legs and a head. But it was profoundly distorted.
The creature landed softly on her floor. Emily heard the sickening sound of cracking bones as the creature shrank back to a more human shape. A young man now stood beside her bed. He was almost handsome, in a strange kind of way. He looked a bit older than Joel but not nearly as big, with warm, smiling brown eyes. As she looked at him, Emily was certain she’d seen his face before. Then suddenly it hit her and her eyes flew wide with recognition.
‘Paelen!’ she said. ‘You’re Paelen, aren’t you? I saw you steal the bridle from Pegasus. Right before you were both struck by lightning.’
A look of complete shock crossed Paelen’s face. ‘How do you know me?’
‘Pegasus showed me,’ Emily said. Then her voice grew angry. ‘I saw what you did to him! He wouldn’t have been hit if you hadn’t stolen his bridle and attracted the lightning.’
‘I know. I am very sorry,’ Paelen said, dropping his head. ‘But I am trying to make up for what I did. I am here to help. Listen to me please as I do not have a lot of time. I have already spoken to Diana—’
‘You’ve seen Diana?’ Emily cut in. ‘Is she all right? What about Pegs? They said they’d shot him. Did they? Is he alive? I’m so frightened for him. What about my father? Have you seen him and Joel?’
Paelen held up his hands to silence the stream of questions. ‘One question at a time, please. Yes, I have seen Diana. She is here in this place with us. She appears unharmed but is in chains. I have not yet seen Pegasus, but I will find him after I leave you. Nor have I seen your father or Joel.’ Paelen paused and took a step closer to her. ‘I just came to check on you. I was hiding up there,’ he pointed up to the vent, ‘and I saw what that agent did to your leg. He is a cruel and dangerous man. I have had more than one unfortunate encounter with him.’
Paelen came closer, eager to get his message across. ‘Listen to me, Emily,’ he said. ‘When that man comes back in here, and believe me he will, tell him anything but the truth. But make your claims sound reasonable. Do not refuse to answer his questions. He will hurt you again, much worse than he already has. Diana told me what you did for Pegasus and how you were wounded trying to protect him. She says you and Joel are going to help us save Olympus. But to do that, you must get well. We cannot leave until you are ready to travel.’
‘Diana told you that?’ Emily said.
Paelen nodded. ‘I must now find the others. Tell them what is happening. Then we will make our plans for escape. But only after you are well enough to leave.’
‘I’m well enough to leave right now,’ Emily said. She reached forward to undo the straps holding her wounded leg in the air. As she did, she started to feel dizzy.
‘Stop, you are not well enough!’ Paelen said.