New Olympus Trilogy: Teenage Goddess Teenage Star Hell on Earth (8 page)

“Can you do something about Jason and the arrow?” I had been thinking on this almost constantly for the last days.

“Eros has been reprimanded, but his arrows are so powerful that even I cannot undo their effect. Only Zeus is strong enough. Maybe you can persuade your father to undo the damage when you get back home.”

That was what I’d thought, but it was still disappointing to have it confirmed.

“So, any more betting up there among the gods?” I asked in a grumpy tone. Aphrodite only smiled; she knew my bark was much worse than my bite.

“Mostly, they’re betting on how long you’ll be able to survive without your powers. Several gods are quite surprised at your endurance.”

“Well – being without my powers is like playing a computer game at a higher difficulty setting. In a way, I’m glad to try it out, though I wouldn’t want to live like this forever
.“

“I don’t know any such game,” Aphrodite said, wrinkling her beautiful brows. “Already you sound more human.”

Maybe I should take a few of my favourite games back to New Olympus and introduce the gods to them. I tried to explain in terms that Aphrodite could relate to. “When we have our powers – as Hell does – everything can be solved very easily, maybe too easily.” I had thought about this just before going to bed. “Of course without Hell around I would have been in terrible trouble several times already, so I’m not truly in the same boat as the humans here.”

“I see,” she said doubtfully.

“Give everybody back home my love. They should all try being human, it might do them some good.”

“We’ve done it in the past, often enough. Before your father restricted our access to the human plane.” That had been about the time they all moved to New Olympus, I knew, about the ninth century A.D.

“But you kept your glamour as you did so, I expect?”

“Well, naturally.”

“It’s not the same. The stakes aren’t high enough. And this modern world is rather different. Never mind, we can discuss it when I get back.”

“Good luck, child. I fear you will need it.”

Aphrodite faded, and I slept without dreams for the rest of the night, or at least without dreams I could remember the next morning.

23

We’d been having a spell of very mild and sunny autumn weather. The school authorities decided to schedule a two-day hiking trip for the older students to take advantage of these ideal conditions, before the inevitable winter snows arrived.

“We do this almost every fall, if the weather’s fine,” Jason told me. He owned top-of-the line hiking gear, and insisted on checking out mine, advising me on what to take along. The shoes were the most important part to get right, according to him, “and a canteen,” he ended his little lecture, “is absolutely essential. Hiking is thirsty work.”

He made sure I only put lightweight and essential items in my backpack. Since I had little experience with hiking in human form, I appreciated Jason’s help. How many precautions weak humans needed for anything remotely risky, and how much ingenuity had gone into inventing all kinds of specialized gear!

When we were done packing, I kissed him on the cheek. I was rewarded with a heart-melting smile, better than any I’d yet seen him use on the screen.

An air-conditioned bus brought our class of 26 students as well as three teachers to a campsite in the forest, where a certified guide was waiting for us.

We’d be picked up in a different spot late the next afternoon. The guide, a weather-beaten, wiry woman in her late forties or early fifties, took a head count and told us not to go off by ourselves. Soon we were all walking briskly behind her on a narrow path.

Hell was staying close to Melinda, I observed, while Jason stuck by me. Christabel was walking all by herself, with angry, jerky steps. One or two of her former friends tried to talk to her, but she refused to answer. Whenever she saw Jason and me together, she quickly turned her head the other way. Ms Cowslip watched her with concern, while Mrs Belling and Monsieur Amande were more focused on the beauties of nature and flirting with each other.

“Have you ever breathed air this pure?” Ms Cowslip asked me. It was very nice for Earth, I had to admit. Of course, on New Olympus we have no pollution at all. I knew better than to say so. These weeks among humans had taught me that most of their questions did not require a literal answer. Instead, they wanted to hear something that agreed with their views or reinforced their mood. It worked a bit like patting a dog on its head.

“It’s a great day, and such wonderful weather,” I replied. She smiled at me and moved on to the next student on the line.

“Is your backpack too heavy for you?” Jason asked. “I can carry it for you if it becomes too much.”

“We’ve hardly started, I can easily manage. Thanks.” How would it feel to have Jason go back to the person he’d been before, focused on his career and agent, and not on me? In some ways I’d miss this new Jason, who put my welfare above his own concerns. He was overdoing it, but I had to admit that I liked him better. And he still was just as attractive as ever.
The hottest teen idol of his generation
,
Time
had recently described him.
Talented to the max…
However it had been achieved, for the moment this spectacular boy, coveted by girls all over the world, was mine. Why not go with the flow and enjoy it while it lasted…

“I’ve checked with Alice this morning,” Jason said, “she got a few emails by fans unhappy with our relationship, but there haven’t been any new hate sites. That’s a relief. “

“Yeah. Good,” I said absently. “Do the fans get on your nerves sometimes?”

“Before this happened, they hadn’t really shown such an ugly side. I didn’t expect anything like their reaction to you, or I wouldn’t have dragged you into that press conference in Atlanta. I guess I just wanted to share my happiness with the world. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“I understand, don’t worry about it.”

“You’re so darling.” Jason gave me a warm look. I already was pretty warm from the sun and the walking, so this made me feel hot under the collar of my cotton shirt.

Turning to check on Hell and Melinda, I caught a venomous glare from Christabel. A shiver ran down my back. Maybe her compulsion to speak the truth should be commuted? Would that decrease her boiling anger? But right now, in this beautiful place, I couldn’t really care about her.

After several hours of hiking, we had lunch in an idyllic meadow with a spectacular view. We munched sandwiches, salad, nuts and fruit (even the food for this excursion was nutritionally balanced) and then had an hour to relax before the next stage of the hike.

“There’s a waterfall just a few minutes from here,” Jason told me. “I’d like to show it to you, if you aren’t too exhausted.”

“I’m still quite fit. Lead the way.”

After telling Ms Cowslip where we were going, Jason and I climbed a tiny path, almost straight upwards. In less than ten minutes we came to a pretty waterfall over the rocks. At its bottom there was a small clear pool. In between wicked-looking rocks, I could make out fish sunning themselves. Some were pretty big. They must have had a wonderful life in this clean cold water.

We sat down on the steep slope above the pool, to the right side of the waterfall, and just looked and listened. Far above us, a falcon was turning lazy circles.

“I love you, Myra,” Jason said after a few minutes of silence. “There’s no place I’d rather be, than right here, alone with you.”

I had to smile. “What about L.A., about to accept an Oscar?”

“Not even that. But to accept it with you at my side would be wonderful.”

“Well, I hope you win it, sooner or later.”

Jason had drawn closer during out short conversation and now put his warm hand on the nape of my neck. A moment later, his warm lips pressed on mine. This kiss was different from what we’d shared before. It went further, meant more. I should have stopped it, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Under his damp polo shirt, I could feel Jason’s heart beating strongly, quickly. He probably felt mine. I knew I would remember this place, this moment, forever.

24

We’d stood up and turned back towards the path, when Christabel came hurtling over the crest just above us and blocked our path, arms akimbo, panting from the climb.

“Hello, Chris -” Jason started to say, but she interrupted him.

“How could you, Jason? You first came here with
me
. Now you bring her, this foreign witch.”

“It’s just a waterfall, not private property.” Jason was getting annoyed. “Are you stalking us? It won't do any good.”

“Jason, think about it. You’re a star, famous, talented,
special.
” She was talking fast, her pitch unnaturally high. “Why are you wasting your time on someone who simply isn’t in your league? You need someone with connections, money, and the right attitude to fit into your lifestyle.”

“You, I suppose?” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. “I guess he had the chance, but just isn’t that into you.”

“She’s already ruined my life, now she’s doing it to you,” Christabel ranted, raking me up and down with hot eyes. “She’s poison, she has bewitched you. What has she got that I haven’t?”

“Me,” Jason replied.

Jason’s single word made Christabel lose all reason. With an inarticulate cry, she rushed down the few yards separating us and shoved at my chest with all her strength. I found myself tumbling backwards, searching in vain for a handhold on the steep slope, and then leaving the ground altogether, falling head first over the cliff towards the rocks in the pool. It happened so fast that I couldn’t summon any useful thought or even become scared, although I may have uttered a curse.

I wish I could say I lost consciousness right away, but if I did, it only lasted a moment. Then all was brain-splitting pain. I had never felt anything even approaching such intensity. In contrast to the explosive pain of my head, I couldn’t feel most of my body. There was blood and water in my eyes and throat. I could not breathe properly. Feebly I tried to move my arms but couldn’t even tell if I was successful.

Dimly, from far away, I heard Jason’s anguished cry, “Myra!”

There was no air… my head felt as though an elephant’s foot had stepped on it. I knew I had to call on someone for help but couldn’t remember who, or how. Jason was close by…..Hell…? After an interval that felt endless but probably was not more than a minute or two, all went black.

Was this death?

25

I awoke in my own bed in New Olympus, unhurt and whole. In fact, I felt better than I had for weeks. A quick check told me that my powers were restored.

Although highly welcome, this change was disorienting in its suddenness. I went back over the last few minutes of my time in Colorado, and was surprised that I could remember every detail of the accident – attempted murder, rather. Or was it manslaughter, in the heat of passion? When I’d been helpless in that pool, I had believed that my human experiment would be the end of me. I hadn’t been in any condition to call on Pallas in Old Greek, as I should have, theoretically. The shock and hurt had been too strong, too sudden.

So who or what had saved me? What happened to Jason and Christabel? Lovers affected by Eros could do stupid, irrevocable things if they suddenly lost their beloved. The historic Romeo was one famous example. I needed to make sure Jason was all right. And was Hell back home, too?

I quickly threw on a fresh tunic and left my chambers, barefoot. From the hall I could hear a loud argument between my parents, behind the library’s tall doors. I pushed them open. Both of Zeus and Hera turned around and looked at me.

“There, you see, she’s quite all right again,” Dad said to Mom, and to me, “Welcome back, Myra. You had quite an adventure.”

Mom came and hugged me tightly. “She nearly died! I knew it was too dangerous to send her down to Earth without powers. I told you so.”

“Who saved me? What’s happening down there?” I asked, hugging my mom back. She rarely is demonstrative. This hug showed how deeply my near-demise had affected her.

“It took far too long-
“ Mom said, scowling.

“I’ll admit that much.” Dad was looking sombre. “Jason pulled you out of the water, at considerable risk, and then went for help.”

“Did he leave me alone with Christabel?”

“No, he dragged her along with him. That cost another few precious minutes.”

“I’m surprised I was still alive. I didn’t feel my limbs in the water.”

“You had broken both your skull and your back, and were bleeding heavily. There were also internal injuries. You would have died within thirty minutes at most.”

That sounded almost optimistic, given what I remembered of my injuries. Now, immortal again, it was difficult to clearly recall the actual hurt. It felt as though I was talking about another person.

“So, in effect, Christabel murdered me.”

“She would have finished the job right then if Jason had left her with you. When he got to the rest of the group, the guide restrained her. She was ranting and crying with frustration.”