are safely back here without anyone ever knowing what happened. Do you understand?’
Fear remained on Stella’s face as she nodded. ‘I understand.’
Emily exchanged a glance with Joel. She could see that he still didn’t agree with the plan, but Emily couldn’t see any other way.
It was surprisingly easy to get past the tents. But what Emily hadn’t expected was the number of parked cars further down the hill. There was a crowd of men and women standing around, smoking.
Emily leaned down to Stella. ‘What’s going on here? Who are those people?’
‘It’s the media. They heard about the golden treasure chest. They are all waiting here to see what else my parents will discover. During the day, the police are here to keep them back. They should be here at night too, but it looks like they are gone.’
‘The media?’ Joel said. ‘You mean, like newspapers and photographers?’
Stella nodded.
‘Em, are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
‘I sure hope not,’ Emily said. ‘If the CRU were to find out about this …’
Further conversation was cut short when they noticed one of the journalists looking in their direction. He stamped out his cigarette and started to walk towards them.
‘Em,’ Joel warned.
Emily looked desperately around. They had already been seen and there was nowhere to go. ‘Nothing is going to stop us, Joel,’ Emily said grimly. ‘Even Dad agreed I should use my powers if I have to.’
‘No!’ Stella cried. ‘Please do not hurt them. I swear I will help you. But you must not kill them.’
Emily had no intention of hurting them and she was about to say so when Joel quickly shook his head. ‘All right then, Stella,’ he said. ‘Help us out of this and they will stay safe.’ He looked at Emily. ‘You push Stella and I’ll stand behind you to hide my arm. We can’t let them see it.’
Emily took a position behind Stella’s wheelchair while Joel stood further back. They moved forward to meet the man who was walking towards them. Emily could feel her nerves bunching up in her stomach. It made the Flame deep within her rumble.
The man was of slender build and very tall, dressed in casual dark clothes and an open long black coat. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with dark curly hair and ice-blue eyes.
Stella was the first to speak. She addressed the man in Greek, which made Emily all the more nervous. She could be telling him anything and they would never know. While they spoke, the man kept looking at Emily and Joel. There was something in his eyes – something almost predatory. Behind him all the other journalists stopped talking and were looking in their direction.
Warning bells were going off in Emily’s head. She balled her hands into fists, preparing to summon the Flame. But after a few minutes, the man speaking with Stella smiled and nodded his head.
Stella looked up at Emily. ‘He’s a reporter. I told him you two are here for publicity. That your costumes are to celebrate the discovery of Zeus’s Treasure Chest and that you are just trying them on in preparation for tomorrow.’
Emily smiled back and nodded her head. ‘Yes, yes, we are,’ she said.
‘You are American?’ the reporter asked in broken English.
Emily nodded. ‘My father is one of the archaeologists. He thought it would be fun for us to dress up.’
The reporter nodded. ‘But are you not cold in that light clothing? It is not warm out here.’
Both Emily and Joel shook their heads. ‘No, we’re fine.’
Emily’s heart nearly stopped when the reporter reached out to shake her hand. She reluctantly returned the handshake. But when he reached for Joel, Emily shook her head. ‘My friend doesn’t shake hands,’ she quickly said. ‘He’s afraid of germs.’
‘Germs?’ the reporter said. ‘I do not understand.’
Stella quickly translated and the reporter’s eyes lingered on Joel for several heartbeats. Finally he smiled again. ‘OK, OK, see you later.’
‘Yes, OK,
Fear remained on Stella’s face as she nodded. ‘I understand.’
Emily exchanged a glance with Joel. She could see that he still didn’t agree with the plan, but Emily couldn’t see any other way.
It was surprisingly easy to get past the tents. But what Emily hadn’t expected was the number of parked cars further down the hill. There was a crowd of men and women standing around, smoking.
Emily leaned down to Stella. ‘What’s going on here? Who are those people?’
‘It’s the media. They heard about the golden treasure chest. They are all waiting here to see what else my parents will discover. During the day, the police are here to keep them back. They should be here at night too, but it looks like they are gone.’
‘The media?’ Joel said. ‘You mean, like newspapers and photographers?’
Stella nodded.
‘Em, are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
‘I sure hope not,’ Emily said. ‘If the CRU were to find out about this …’
Further conversation was cut short when they noticed one of the journalists looking in their direction. He stamped out his cigarette and started to walk towards them.
‘Em,’ Joel warned.
Emily looked desperately around. They had already been seen and there was nowhere to go. ‘Nothing is going to stop us, Joel,’ Emily said grimly. ‘Even Dad agreed I should use my powers if I have to.’
‘No!’ Stella cried. ‘Please do not hurt them. I swear I will help you. But you must not kill them.’
Emily had no intention of hurting them and she was about to say so when Joel quickly shook his head. ‘All right then, Stella,’ he said. ‘Help us out of this and they will stay safe.’ He looked at Emily. ‘You push Stella and I’ll stand behind you to hide my arm. We can’t let them see it.’
Emily took a position behind Stella’s wheelchair while Joel stood further back. They moved forward to meet the man who was walking towards them. Emily could feel her nerves bunching up in her stomach. It made the Flame deep within her rumble.
The man was of slender build and very tall, dressed in casual dark clothes and an open long black coat. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with dark curly hair and ice-blue eyes.
Stella was the first to speak. She addressed the man in Greek, which made Emily all the more nervous. She could be telling him anything and they would never know. While they spoke, the man kept looking at Emily and Joel. There was something in his eyes – something almost predatory. Behind him all the other journalists stopped talking and were looking in their direction.
Warning bells were going off in Emily’s head. She balled her hands into fists, preparing to summon the Flame. But after a few minutes, the man speaking with Stella smiled and nodded his head.
Stella looked up at Emily. ‘He’s a reporter. I told him you two are here for publicity. That your costumes are to celebrate the discovery of Zeus’s Treasure Chest and that you are just trying them on in preparation for tomorrow.’
Emily smiled back and nodded her head. ‘Yes, yes, we are,’ she said.
‘You are American?’ the reporter asked in broken English.
Emily nodded. ‘My father is one of the archaeologists. He thought it would be fun for us to dress up.’
The reporter nodded. ‘But are you not cold in that light clothing? It is not warm out here.’
Both Emily and Joel shook their heads. ‘No, we’re fine.’
Emily’s heart nearly stopped when the reporter reached out to shake her hand. She reluctantly returned the handshake. But when he reached for Joel, Emily shook her head. ‘My friend doesn’t shake hands,’ she quickly said. ‘He’s afraid of germs.’
‘Germs?’ the reporter said. ‘I do not understand.’
Stella quickly translated and the reporter’s eyes lingered on Joel for several heartbeats. Finally he smiled again. ‘OK, OK, see you later.’
‘Yes, OK,
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