Stheno flew to the centre of the throne room and threw back her head in a screeching howl. ‘Jupiter, your reign is about to end!’
Emily studied the gorgons as they awaited Jupiter’s arrival. Her dread grew. She didn’t have a clue what they were going to do or how this would turn out. She reached into her pocket and felt for the reassuring presence of her handkerchief. She pulled it out and checked the hidden pocket again to make sure her tears were still there. If her other powers failed, as least she had these.
‘You are not planning to use those, are you?’ Paelen asked softly as he reached into the cage and poked her gently in the back.
‘I don’t want to, but if I have to I will,’ Emily whispered. ‘We can’t let the gorgons win.’
‘It wouldn’t be much of a victory if we are all killed by your tears,’ Joel added. ‘But I guess it’s better than letting them get control of Olympus and the Solar Stream.’
Emily fell silent. They were right. Her tears would have to be the last resort. But if things got too far out of hand, she would have little choice but to use them. Outside the throne room heavy footsteps drew closer.
Emily felt Joel’s hand tighten in hers. ‘This is it,’ he said softly.
As the sound increased, Emily heard heavy chains rattling and dragging on the marble floor. Soon a stream of large grey Nirads filed into the throne room, followed by several orange-marbled Nirads. Emily spotted Jupiter in their centre.
‘Oh my God!’ Joel cried. ‘What did they do to him?’
The leader of Olympus was wrapped in heavy chains that bowed his back and trailed along the floor. His hands were bound behind him and there was a heavy metal collar around his neck with a thick chain attached to it. The lead Nirad was dragging him around like a dog on a lead.
Emily gasped. His face was badly bruised and there was fresh blood on one eyebrow. His once white tunic was filthy and shredded. Blood streamed down his exposed arms and legs – the result of what must have been a terrible fight.
Emily’s heart sickened. The majestic leader of Olympus had been reduced to a bruised and battered prisoner. Had all this been a cruel trick? Were the Nirads really on their side? Looking at Jupiter, it didn’t appear so. Was this just a ploy to get her to remain in her cage and to keep her from using her powers against them?
‘Jupiter!’ Emily called.
The leader of Olympus glanced slowly back at her with vacant eyes and appeared not to know her. After a moment, he lowered his head again and was dragged forward. Pegasus also called out to Jupiter, but if he heard, he gave no indication.
‘What happened to him?’ Joel asked. ‘The Nirads are supposed to be on our side, but look what they did. They beat him up!’
‘It is not possible,’ Paelen uttered. ‘I have never seen Jupiter look so defeated.’
‘We don’t know what the Nirads did to him before the queen reached them. Maybe they really are stronger than Jupiter?’ Emily suggested.
‘Or maybe the Nirads really aren’t on our side at all,’ Joel whispered.
‘They must be,’ Paelen insisted. ‘We cannot defeat the gorgons without them,’
Joel turned back to Paelen. ‘I sure hope you’re right.’
Emily sat back as she watched the parade of Nirads approaching the thrones. She needed desperately to believe that they were on their side. But looking at what they did to Jupiter, a major part of her was not convinced.
When they reached the dais, Jupiter was dragged forward like a reluctant dog. The tall Nirad pushed down on Jupiter’s hunched shoulders until the leader of Olympus was kneeling, defeated, before the vile gorgons.
‘Not so mighty now, are you, Jupiter?’ Stheno challenged.
Jupiter slowly raised his head. He gasped when his eyes fell on the stone Diana and Apollo standing on the dais beside the thrones.
‘Oh, do you like them?’ Euryale teased. ‘They shall make nice additions to our collection. I wish you could join them in our garden, but unfortunately our powers do not work on you. But we do have other forms of entertainment planned for you.’
‘What do you want, gorgon?’ Jupiter asked coldly. ‘Why have you waged war on Olympus?’
Jupiter may have looked defeated, but his voice was as powerful and commanding as ever. For an instant, fear rose on the gorgons’ faces. It was quickly replaced by anger.
‘From you,’ Euryale finally spat, ‘we want nothing – unless you care to bring our beloved sister back to us.’
‘Medusa died long ago,’ Jupiter said. ‘No one can change that. Not even me. But even if I could, I would not. Medusa got what she deserved.’
‘Medusa did not deserve to die!’ Euryale screeched. ‘Your son had no right to kill her!’
‘Medusa was insane,’ Jupiter continued. ‘No one, not even you could control her blood lust. She murdered without thought. You know she had to be stopped.’
‘We know no such thing,’ Euryale shot. ‘She was our sister. She did not deserve the punishment your son levied on her. Perseus had no right to take her head. She could have been reasoned with.’
‘Reason?’ Jupiter challenged. ‘What do you gorgons know of reason? I have seen the devastation you have wrought upon this and every other world you have poisoned with your presence. You are as mad as Medusa. You must be stopped!’
Both gorgons started to laugh their horrible screeching laughs. Euryale stood and climbed down from the dais. ‘Stopped? You fool. We are only just getting started. You should be grateful you will not live to see our true wrath.’
She turned to one of the Nirads. ‘Bring Cupid over here. We shall show Jupiter what we have planned for all the people of Olympus.’
Emily and Joel stood and crossed to the bars of their cage as the orange guard approached Cupid. Emily could see the terror rising on the winged Olympian’s face. His worst nightmare was being realized. He was being attacked by the Nirads. As others held him in place, the orange guard caught him by the arm and hauled him forward.
‘No!’ Cupid screeched. ‘Let me go!’
‘Cupid!’ Emily howled.
‘Emily!’ Cupid cried as he opened his wings and flapped them in wild panic, desperately trying to break free of the guard’s grip. But he was no match for the strength of the powerful Nirad. ‘Help me, please!’
‘There is no one to help you, Cupid,’ Euryale said as Cupid was dragged forward to stand before her. The gorgon turned to Jupiter. ‘Watch, Jupiter, watch as we turn the son of Venus to stone!’
In his cage, Pegasus was going mad, whinnying furiously and kicking the heavy bars with his front hoof. Emily’s father was standing back as the stallion raged.
‘Silence, Pegasus,’ Stheno shouted, ‘or you will follow him!’
‘No!’ Emily howled. ‘Please, don’t do it. Let Cupid go!’
‘And you, Flame,’ Stheno shouted back at her, ‘be silent or I will do the same to Joel and then your father.’
‘Em, please,’ Joel whispered at her side. ‘Calm down. You can turn Cupid back later.’
‘How?’ Emily asked desperately. ‘Look at Jupiter, he can’t fight them.’
‘Then we will,’ Joel insisted. ‘We just have to get out of this cage.’
Emily and Joel gazed back to the front of the room as Cupid started to scream. Euryale’s eyes were blazing gold. The snakes on her head squirmed and hissed with excitement as the gorgon concentrated her full attention on Cupid.
‘Emily, help me!’ Cupid howled as the terror on his face was replaced by pain. The feathers on his open wings were the first to turn to stone. They were followed by his arms and then legs as the marble crept through his body. Finally his torso and face were frozen in a stance of pure agony.
Her heart constricted in pain as Emily saw the statue of Cupid standing stone cold at the front of the dais. He had fought for her, done everything she ever asked of him and this is how he was to be repaid: by being tortured and turned to stone. ‘I’m so sorry, Cupid,’ she mourned softly.
/> Her eyes trailed over to Jupiter. She saw no reaction from the leader of Olympus. He was still on his knees looking at the floor, not the gorgons or Cupid. ‘He doesn’t care,’ Emily muttered in haunted shock. ‘Look at him, Joel. Jupiter doesn’t care about Cupid!’
‘You are wrong,’ Paelen called from the floor at the back of the cage. ‘Jupiter cares about all of us.’
‘Then why doesn’t he do something,’ Emily challenged.
At the front of the room, Euryale screeched with delight. ‘Do you see, Jupiter? See the destiny awaiting all the children of Olympus!’
Stheno came forward and approached Jupiter on the floor. She slapped him violently across the face with her bronze hand. ‘First we will watch Olympus fall. Then we will move through the Solar Stream like a raging storm until every world knows our names and worships us!’
Jupiter looked up at the gorgon. Finally he spoke. ‘And if they do not?’
‘Then we will turn their worlds to stone as well!’ Stheno screeched. ‘But you need not worry for those worlds, Jupiter, for you will not live long enough to see the glory to come. All that is, will become gorgon!’
Euryale stood before the kneeling Jupiter and caught hold of his long beard. She wrenched his head back. ‘You are taking your final breaths, Jupiter. Savour these moments, for the hourglass of your life runs short.’
‘You can not destroy me, Euryale, and you know it,’ Jupiter said. ‘No weapon can kill me and not even your strongest Nirad is capable of my destruction. Surrender now and I shall spare your lives.’
Emily listened to the cackling laughter of the two gorgons as they stood before the defeated leader of Olympus. They stroked his head and tugged on his beard, teasing him. ‘Are you so certain we can not destroy you? If so, you are in for a big surprise.’
‘We’ve got to do something …’ Emily looked back to Paelen, but he wasn’t there. He was slithering behind her cage towards the front of the throne room.
‘Paelen, no,’ she whispered tightly. ‘Come back.’
‘Paelen,’ Joel added softly, ‘stop, they’ll kill you.’
Paelen paused. ‘No one else is coming. It must be us who saves him. Trust me, I have an idea.’
Emily wanted to call to him again, but feared exposing him. Instead she split her attention between him and Jupiter in the centre of the throne room. She was certain the gorgons would see him. But for now they were concentrating solely on Jupiter. Emily’s eyes then went up to the queen. She was following Paelen, fear etched across her young face.
Across the room, Pegasus and her father also watched. Pegasus started to whinny, ensuring his aunt’s attention was kept away from Paelen.
‘Not now, Pegasus,’ Euryale said irritably. ‘Be patient, you will be out of there soon enough.’
But Pegasus would not stop. He kept whinnying and pounding the floor of his cage.
‘I said stop!’ Euryale stormed as she flew over to Pegasus’s cage. ‘Do not make me destroy you so close to our victory!’
‘Leave him be,’ Stheno called to her sister. ‘I grow weary of all this chatter.’ She fluttered her tiny gold wings and flew across the room to Emily and Joel’s cage. She looked at Tange. ‘Open the door. It is time for the Flame of Olympus to end this.’
Tange looked at Emily as he unlocked and opened the door to her cage.
‘Child, you can not fight your destiny,’ Stheno said.
Emily hopped to the back of the cage and shook her head. ‘I won’t do it. You can’t make me kill Jupiter.’
‘Leave her alone!’ Joel moved to block Emily from the gorgons and Tange. ‘Just leave her alone.’
Stheno waved her hand at Tange dismissively. ‘Kill the boy and bring Emily out of there.’
Tange stooped down and entered the cage. His mouth was working hard to try to form the word ‘Please’. There was desperation in his face.
‘No! Tange, please, don’t hurt Joel!’ Emily begged.
‘Then stop fighting us,’ Stheno said, ‘and the boy will live.’
‘Em, don’t do it,’ Joel said to her. ‘Forget about me. Whatever happens, don’t kill Jupiter!’
Emily looked at Joel, fearing it was for the last time. They had been through so much together, but now their time was at an end. This was the point where she had to make her choice; a choice where there could be no winners. She gave him a fierce hug and hoped he didn’t feel her trembling.
‘It’ll be all right, Joel,’ she whispered softly, knowing full well that she was lying. She kissed his cheek, gave him a final hug before turning to face Tange. ‘I’m ready.’
Tange lifted her gently into the air. He carried her past Joel and out of the cage. Emily saw that Tange hadn’t locked the door after her. Joel was free to leave the cage any time he wanted. Joel had noticed this too. He moved to the door and waited.
Please let him run when he gets the chance, she prayed silently.
Emily looked up and saw the queen sit bolt upright in her chair, anxiously. She too knew the end was drawing near.
When they stood in front of the thrones and faced the kneeling Jupiter, Tange put Emily down on her good leg and helped to steady her. He wrapped one thick arm around her shoulders for support.
‘Jupiter,’ Emily begged, ‘help me, please. I don’t want to do this.’
The leader of Olympus raised his bruised and bloodied face to her. She could see the pain and defeat in his dark eyes. Jupiter suddenly looked very old and frail. He was too tired to fight. ‘You will do what you must for the good of Olympus, Emily.’
‘That is sound advice,’ Stheno agreed as she moved up beside Emily. ‘The time has come. Your choice is simple. Summon up the power of the Flame and destroy Jupiter, or my sister over there will turn your beloved Pegasus and father to stone.’
Emily glanced over to the cage. The stallion was shaking his head and snorting loudly, while her father mouthed the word ‘No’ to her.
She looked again to Jupiter. Then back to Pegasus and her father. Her eyes trailed over to Joel, who was also frantically shaking his head no. Finally they returned to Jupiter. But the leader of Olympus had lowered his head and would not face her. Was he doing this to make the decision easier? It wasn’t working. Every instinct in her body told her not to do it. But then her emotions exploded. What about her father? Pegasus and Joel? The gorgons would kill them if she refused.
‘Do not try my patience, child,’ Stheno warned. Emily was close enough to hear the snakes on her head hissing in wild anticipation of the violence yet to come.
In his cage, Pegasus continued whinnying frantically and waving his head back and forth. She didn’t need to understand him to know what he was saying. Pegasus was begging her not to do it.
‘Silence, Pegasus,’ Euryale ordered. ‘You cannot tell her what to do!’ The gorgon looked at Emily. ‘Must I turn another of his legs to stone to prove I will not hesitate to kill him?’ she asked. ‘How would your father look with stone legs?’
‘No, please don’t!’ Emily cried.
‘Then use your powers!’ Stheno ordered. ‘Kill Jupiter!’
‘Emily, no!’ Joel shouted.
‘I-I-’ Emily stuttered as she faced Jupiter.
Finally the leader of Olympus raised his head. ‘You know what you must do, Emily. I understand.’
Emily looked around in wild desperation. She had hoped and prayed for a miracle. That somehow all the Olympians would burst into the throne room at the very last minute and rescue them. She could no longer see Paelen in the room and had no idea where he was or what he was planning. But if the others were trying to get into the palace, they were too late. The moment had come. Right or wrong, her decision was made.
Emily took a deep, unsteady breath. She closed her eyes and felt the tingling of the Flame’s powers deep within. Her pain-filled emotions were fanning the barely contained flames. They wanted out with or without her permission. The power was alive, rumbling and growing, moving steadily from the pit of her stomac
h to along her arms.
‘Forgive me,’ she muttered as she raised her hands to Jupiter and released her power.
29
Paelen was hiding behind one of the Nirads. The huge creature knew he was there, but gave no alarm. Instead he opened his thick arms further to offer him more protective cover.
He watched as Emily stood before Jupiter, wrestling with her decision. There was only one she could make, but did she have the strength to make it?
Paelen held his breath. She wouldn’t do it. Would she? Would Emily really kill Jupiter to save the others? He watched her raise her arms. He heard her soft plea for forgiveness. He saw her let the flames go …
Two sharp beams of deadly light flew past Jupiter’s head and burned the lock on Pegasus’s cage door. The laser-like flames shot past Pegasus through the cage, the wall behind it, the outer walls of the marble palace and continued out over the land of the Nirads.
‘I won’t do it!’ Emily shouted as her fury stopped the deadly flames before they flew out of control. She turned towards Stheno. ‘I won’t kill Jupiter!’
Paelen cheered Emily’s defiance. He saw her father burst through the melted cage door and run at Euryale, howling in fury. Pegasus limped behind him, flapping his burned wings and dragging his heavy stone leg.
Euryale spun around, her eyes turning brilliant gold. Emily’s father’s agonized scream was cut short as he and the stallion turned instantly to white marble. Only then did everyone in the room understand. The gorgons could choose how long it took for their victims to turn to stone.
‘Dad, no!’ Emily howled.
Emily’s father was frozen beside the marble Pegasus. In the centre of the room, Emily’s pain-filled howls turned to roars of rage. She raised her hands to fire at Euryale.
Beside her, Stheno’s eyes blazed gold as she faced Emily. ‘If you will not kill Jupiter, I will extinguish the Flame of Olympus myself!’
‘Emily, watch out!’ Paelen shouted as he burst from his cover and lunged at the gorgon. He launched himself into the air and landed on Stheno’s back.