fine,’ Emily agreed, nodding and still grinning. ‘See you later. Have a good night.’
They watched the reporter heading back to the group.
Stella looked back at Emily and Joel’s tunics. ‘If you are going to spend any time in Greece, you must change your clothes. We do not dress like that any more.’
‘We’re only going to be here a short time,’ Emily said. ‘As soon as we destroy that rock we’ll go.’
Stella directed them towards her parents’ car. ‘I do not have the keys and there is no one to drive it.’
‘I can drive,’ Joel said.
‘And I can open it,’ offered Emily. At the driver’s side, she placed her hand on the lock. She concentrated and thought ‘Open’. Moments later, they heard a click and the door opened.
‘That’s a neat trick,’ Joel said as he lifted Stella out of her wheelchair and helped her in to the front passenger seat. ‘I just hope it works to get the engine going.’
They stored Stella’s wheelchair in the back and Emily used her powers to start the car engine. Joel put the car in gear and drove out of the parking area, past all the reporters’ cars and out on to the main road.
The journey started in silence, only broken when Stella gave Joel directions. ‘What happened to you?’ Joel finally asked her. ‘Were you always paralyzed?’
Stella shook her head. ‘No, it was an accident when I was eight. I went on a dig with my parents to Delphi. I wandered off and fell down into a pit. I landed on a rock and broke my back. I’ve been paralyzed ever since.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Joel said.
Stella shrugged. ‘I am used to it now. But because of the accident, my parents won’t let me do anything or go anywhere without them. They do not think I can take care of myself. I did not want to come on this dig, but they would not let me stay home alone.’
‘At least you’ve got parents,’ Joel said softly. ‘Mine died in a car accident. If it weren’t for Emily and the Olympians, I’m sure I would have ended up in prison.’
Emily sat in the back, listening to Joel and Stella. She pulled out Pegasus’s feather and spun it in her fingers. ‘Hold on, Pegs,’ she whispered softly. ‘Just hold on.’
‘Are you talking to that feather?’ Stella asked.
Emily nodded and gazed lovingly at it. ‘It belongs to Pegasus. He is very sick.’
‘Pegasus?’ Stella said. ‘The flying horse?’
‘He’s not a horse,’ Emily barked. ‘He’s Pegasus!’
‘Sorry!’ Stella said quickly. ‘I do not wish to make you angry.’
Emily sighed heavily. ‘No, I’m sorry I yelled. I’m just frightened. Before the gold box was opened, Pegasus and I would fly everywhere together. Now, because of it, he’s very ill. A lot of Olympians have died and the few survivors are dying.’
‘How can this be?’ Stella asked. ‘I still do not understand. The gods are immortal. How can a simple rock be so dangerous?’
‘It’s not a simple rock,’ Joel answered as he drove the car along the empty rural Greek roads. ‘It was a weapon created by the Titans.’
‘The Titans!’ Stella repeated. ‘They are real too?’
‘They were,’ Emily said. ‘Jupiter defeated them. But right before he did, the Titans created a weapon that could destroy the Olympians. Luckily, Jupiter and his brothers got to it first and sealed it in the gold box. It has remained undisturbed all this time.’
‘Until we found it,’ Stella mused. ‘What happens after you destroy it?’
‘We don’t know,’ Joel answered. ‘The survivors are old and sick. I hope by destroying it, we will reverse the damage. If not, then even if we do destroy it, we may be too late to save them.’
Joel had said the words that Emily had been dreading. She’d thought the same thing herself time and time again. Could the damage be reversed? And if it could, what would happen to the survivors?
It was approaching midnight when they reached central Athens. Like any big city, there were a lot of cars on
They watched the reporter heading back to the group.
Stella looked back at Emily and Joel’s tunics. ‘If you are going to spend any time in Greece, you must change your clothes. We do not dress like that any more.’
‘We’re only going to be here a short time,’ Emily said. ‘As soon as we destroy that rock we’ll go.’
Stella directed them towards her parents’ car. ‘I do not have the keys and there is no one to drive it.’
‘I can drive,’ Joel said.
‘And I can open it,’ offered Emily. At the driver’s side, she placed her hand on the lock. She concentrated and thought ‘Open’. Moments later, they heard a click and the door opened.
‘That’s a neat trick,’ Joel said as he lifted Stella out of her wheelchair and helped her in to the front passenger seat. ‘I just hope it works to get the engine going.’
They stored Stella’s wheelchair in the back and Emily used her powers to start the car engine. Joel put the car in gear and drove out of the parking area, past all the reporters’ cars and out on to the main road.
The journey started in silence, only broken when Stella gave Joel directions. ‘What happened to you?’ Joel finally asked her. ‘Were you always paralyzed?’
Stella shook her head. ‘No, it was an accident when I was eight. I went on a dig with my parents to Delphi. I wandered off and fell down into a pit. I landed on a rock and broke my back. I’ve been paralyzed ever since.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Joel said.
Stella shrugged. ‘I am used to it now. But because of the accident, my parents won’t let me do anything or go anywhere without them. They do not think I can take care of myself. I did not want to come on this dig, but they would not let me stay home alone.’
‘At least you’ve got parents,’ Joel said softly. ‘Mine died in a car accident. If it weren’t for Emily and the Olympians, I’m sure I would have ended up in prison.’
Emily sat in the back, listening to Joel and Stella. She pulled out Pegasus’s feather and spun it in her fingers. ‘Hold on, Pegs,’ she whispered softly. ‘Just hold on.’
‘Are you talking to that feather?’ Stella asked.
Emily nodded and gazed lovingly at it. ‘It belongs to Pegasus. He is very sick.’
‘Pegasus?’ Stella said. ‘The flying horse?’
‘He’s not a horse,’ Emily barked. ‘He’s Pegasus!’
‘Sorry!’ Stella said quickly. ‘I do not wish to make you angry.’
Emily sighed heavily. ‘No, I’m sorry I yelled. I’m just frightened. Before the gold box was opened, Pegasus and I would fly everywhere together. Now, because of it, he’s very ill. A lot of Olympians have died and the few survivors are dying.’
‘How can this be?’ Stella asked. ‘I still do not understand. The gods are immortal. How can a simple rock be so dangerous?’
‘It’s not a simple rock,’ Joel answered as he drove the car along the empty rural Greek roads. ‘It was a weapon created by the Titans.’
‘The Titans!’ Stella repeated. ‘They are real too?’
‘They were,’ Emily said. ‘Jupiter defeated them. But right before he did, the Titans created a weapon that could destroy the Olympians. Luckily, Jupiter and his brothers got to it first and sealed it in the gold box. It has remained undisturbed all this time.’
‘Until we found it,’ Stella mused. ‘What happens after you destroy it?’
‘We don’t know,’ Joel answered. ‘The survivors are old and sick. I hope by destroying it, we will reverse the damage. If not, then even if we do destroy it, we may be too late to save them.’
Joel had said the words that Emily had been dreading. She’d thought the same thing herself time and time again. Could the damage be reversed? And if it could, what would happen to the survivors?
It was approaching midnight when they reached central Athens. Like any big city, there were a lot of cars on
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