‘You were there?’ Emily said incredulously. ‘How? I didn’t hear you in the vent. Don’t they miss you when you leave your room?’
‘You forget I am a thief,’ said Paelen. ‘Keeping silent is one of my special skills. They gave up checking on me once they discovered that they can not make me speak. They leave me alone for most of the day and all night. They seem to have concentrated all their efforts on you. Though I must admit Joel has not had it easy either.’
‘You’ve seen Joel?’ Emily asked anxiously. ‘How is he? How is my father?’
‘Joel is relatively unharmed,’ Paelen said. ‘But I am sorry to say they have used violent force on him to get him to speak. Much to his credit, so far, like you, he has told them very little. But I do not know how much longer he can hold out against their torture. He is angry, but also very determined. He attacked me the first time he heard my name.’
‘Sorry, that was my fault,’ Emily said sheepishly. ‘I told him what you’d done to Pegasus with his bridle. But Joel is really nice once you get to know him. He’s angry on the outside, but really gentle on the inside.’
‘He has calmed somewhat.’ Paelen pushed the dinner tray back to Emily. ‘Now, please eat. You will need your strength for what you are facing.’ Paelen saw the fear rising in her eyes. ‘Whatever happens, Emily, I will be there with you. Please don’t give up.’
‘I won’t,’ Emily said as she picked at her food. She reached for the bowl of chocolate pudding and handed it to him. ‘Here, you need this more than me.’
Paelen gratefully accepted the pudding. He had been back to the kitchens several times, but most of the sugary foods he’d stolen had gone to Pegasus and Diana to build up their strength. He had kept very little for himself.
‘How do you think Pegasus is doing?’ Emily asked as she ate without interest.
‘Recovering,’ Paelen said. ‘He is eating well and his strength is returning.’
‘He looked dead when I first saw him today,’ Emily said. Her voice shook. ‘It really scared me. But then his breathing became steadier and he moved a bit.’
‘Pegasus really cares about you,’ Paelen told her. ‘I have no doubt that seeing you today did more to help him than all the ice cream I have been taking to him.’
Emily smiled and it brightened her whole face.
‘He sure does love his ice cream,’ she said. Then her expression dropped. ‘We’ve got to get him out of here. You and Diana too. You don’t belong in this world. If we don’t go soon, I’m afraid they will kill Pegasus just to see how he works.’
‘I have a similar fear,’ Paelen admitted. ‘I have pushed my luck to the limit. They are furious at me for not cooperating. If I am not careful, I am sure they will try to kill me too.’
‘OK,’ Emily said. ‘So when do we go?’
Paelen studied her in fascination. He could see the ideas spinning around in her head. ‘Soon,’ he answered.
‘You must get Pegasus’s bridle to Diana so she can make weapons with it to take back to Olympus,’ Emily said. ‘That’s the only thing that can kill the Nirads. Then we’ve got to get my dad and Joel out of their rooms.’
Paelen sucked in his breath and held it. Finally he let it out slowly. ‘Emily, there is something I must tell you. Your father is not here.’
A frown creased the smooth skin between her brows. ‘What do you mean he’s not here?’ she asked. ‘He has to be here.’
Paelen shook his head. ‘Mercury’s sandals will take me anywhere I tell them to,’ he told her. ‘Last night I instructed them to take me to your father. They carried me out of this place and high up into the night sky. We crossed over the water and were moving away from this small island.’
‘Where is he? Where did the sandals take you?’
‘I do not know,’ Paelen admitted. ‘I told the sandals to stop. I had them bring me back so I could help all of you.’
‘Wait,’ Emily said puzzled, ‘so you were out of here? You were free?’
Paelen nodded.
‘Why didn’t you go? Diana said you were a thief that only thought of yourself. I don’t understand.’
‘I could have left,’ Paelen said. ‘I must admit, I did consider it for a moment. But then I thought of Pegasus and Diana. What would happen to them? And then I thought of you. I realized I could not leave you to the mercy of these people.’
‘So you came back for us?’
‘Yes,’ Paelen admitted. ‘I am the only one who can reach everyone. It is me who can help free all of us from this wretched place.’
Paelen saw the deepening confusion in her face. Could she really think so ill of him that she couldn’t imagine he could change?
‘I am so sorry I could not find your father.’
Tears were rimming Emily’s eyes. ‘Do you think he’s dead?’
‘I do not think so. The sandals were taking me to him,’ Paelen pointed out. ‘I doubt that they would have done so if he had died. For reasons I do not know, they are holding your father elsewhere.’