‘Joel, go with Pegasus and Emily, take them to the temple,’ Diana ordered. ‘Paelen and I will do our best to hold back as many as we can.’ She looked back up at Emily. ‘Go now, child. Fulfil your destiny!’
Emily didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Paelen as Pegasus darted forward. Joel struggled to keep up beside her as they ran towards the Temple of the Flame. When they reached the base of the steps, Emily looked back and saw hundreds, maybe thousands, of Nirads charging towards them. Diana threw back her head and howled the loudest battle cry Emily had ever heard. With Paelen at her side, they held up their pieces of gold bridle and charged forward into the mass of Nirads.
At the temple steps, Pegasus hesitated.
‘Take me up, Pegs,’ Emily said softly as tears filled her eyes. ‘If I don’t do this now, they’ll kill you and Joel. Let me do it for you.’
Hesitantly, Pegasus started to climb the marble steps. Emily heard Joel’s sniffles beside her.
‘I’m not sure I can watch this,’ Joel whispered.
Emily looked into her friend’s red, teary eyes. ‘It’s all right, Joel. Really it is. But if you somehow survive this, please promise me you’ll go back to Earth and find my dad. If the CRU still have him, get him away. Bring him back here. Don’t let them hurt him.’
Joel looked up at her, but couldn’t speak. He nodded his head weakly.
At the top of the steps, Pegasus stopped. Emily looked to Joel. ‘Would you help me down?’
Joel helped her climb down from Pegasus, and steadied her on her undamaged leg.
‘Do you want me to help you into the Temple?’ he whispered.
Pegasus snorted and nickered softly. Emily sniffed and shook her head. ‘I don’t think you’re allowed.’ As grief overwhelmed her, Emily threw her arms around Joel’s neck. She hugged him tightly. ‘Please stay well,’ she wept.
‘I’ll try,’ he promised. As he broke down, he kissed Emily on the forehead. ‘Thank you for being my friend, Emily.’ Then, with a final backward glance, he drew out his gold piece and charged down the steps of the temple to join Diana and Paelen in their struggle against the Nirads.
‘Joel, no!’ Emily howled. But Joel gave no sign of hearing her as he ran screaming into the thick legion of Nirads.
‘Oh Pegasus,’ Emily wept.
Pegasus reached back and nudged her gently. She knew he was telling her it was time to go. She had a destiny to fulfill; Olympus to save. When he opened his newly healed wing, Emily used it to support her while she hopped the final distance into the Temple.
The ruined temple was empty except for the huge marble bowl where the Flame of Olympus had once blazed. It had been knocked off its plinth and was badly cracked.
Pegasus slowly drew her up to the bowl. It was there Emily knew she was about to die.
As she hopped forward, she came up to the stallion’s head. Her tears were falling steadily and she could no longer see clearly. ‘I’m glad it was me, Pegs,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I didn’t want you to care for someone else. Even though I’m going to die, I know that deep in my heart, for at least a little while, you were mine. I just wish we had more time together …’
Emily broke down and hugged Pegasus’s head as her voice finally gave out. ‘I love you Pegasus.’
Letting him go, she hobbled to the large, cracked marble bowl. With a final backward glance, she saw the black and brown stallion with the brilliant white wings lowering his head and pawing the ground in grief.
‘Please remember me, Pegs,’ Emily said. She looked away from him and climbed into the large marble bowl.
33
The moment Emily stood upright in the bowl; she felt a searing pain in her heart. She clutched at her chest and cried out in agony. This was it. Death. She was about to be burned alive.
An instant later, huge brilliant flames burst out of her chest. The explosion of flame and energy filled the Temple with brilliant white light and spread like huge ripples on water. Flying in every direction it poured out of the Temple and throughout all Olympus. The flames were coming from each part of her, consuming her and spilling out of her every pore.
As she stood in the centre of the flames, the pain slowly ebbed and finally disappeared completely. Emily looked around. She was searching for her mother. She’s always heard the moment you die, your family come for you. But where was her mother? Her grandfather, everyone she had ever lost?
All she saw was flame and brilliant light. She felt an increasing sense of peace washing over her.