New Olympus Trilogy: Teenage Goddess Teenage Star Hell on Earth (27 page)

Hell’s family look around modern Greece with a mixture of longing and disgust. This was their realm long ago, but from their disparaging remarks, they find the current reality depressing. His mother has also come this time, and wrinkles her beautiful nose at a line of electrical masts marring the landscape. “We can do better than that,” she tells Hell.

Even Zeus has come this time, to my surprise. As this is their original stomping ground, they must be feeling very strong. My glance passes from Hades to Apollo to Pallas and Poseidon. I cannot begin to fathom the power assembled here. I am the only human present, but nobody remarks on my sticking to Hell’s side. Are they getting used to seeing us together? I hope so.

Hell has explained that this new world must be far better than yesterday’s effort, even though he plans to go on perfecting it for a long time to come. I have promised my help, such as it is. But this initial step is the basis on which everything else will rest, so I wonder that he doesn’t look at all nervous. Keyed up, maybe, and I can only tell because I know him so well.

To my surprise, Zeus lets Hell direct the proceedings. All the deities present exchange surprised looks. I smile at Hell encouragingly.

We join hands – I have Hell on my right side, Artemis on the left – and Hell calls up an alternate dimension that split off from the current earth millions of years ago, before mammals even developed. This is the canvas on which we will work. An enormous current of power passes through my hands and my small body tingles with the effort to contain and transfer it – but at the same time it gives me an incredible high, better than nectar and ambrosia. If Hell had not strengthened me in that dark cave, my body would burn to a crisp under the assault of so much divine power.

We work for hours, and I find myself contributing my own ideas and experiences to the new world. It is beautiful already, and will be more beautiful over time. I cannot wait to explore it with Hell.

There are continents and oceans, but not quite the same as on our current earth. The air has a higher oxygen content, and the vegetation is a fascinating mixture of the known and unknown – we left much of the original plant life intact for now, also the animals. The water has a more purplish tinge than our oceans. A continent near where Argentina would be today houses some truly weird large species that Hell assures me look scarier than they are. I want to observe them on a safari from a safe distance, but we have more work to do first.

At last we are done. All the Gods lower their hands and congratulate Hell. There is a babble of technical talk about geology and biology.

“What will you call it?” Hera asks him.

Hell looks at Zeus. “Do you have a suggestion?”

“It is your world, you name it, son.”

“New Eden,” Hell decides. “That’s what I want it to be like when I’m done, though it may take a bit of doing to get the lion to lie down with the lamb.”

“When I said it’s your world,” Zeus adds in his carrying voice, “I was speaking literally. The job of governing it, and peopling it, is all yours. Unlike my own father – he glances at a nearby hill for a moment – I know better than to hold back my children’s ambitions.”

“Good luck,” Hera adds wryly, and Apollo claps Hell on the shoulder. “You’ll manage. When you need some advice on culture and music, you can call on me.”

“I am also ready to consult,” Pallas offers. “The most important part is picking your colonists wisely, and not letting their technology get out of hand.”

I have some ideas about that. What uranium New Eden contains will remain safely in the ground. In fact all mining will be severely discouraged, if I have anything to say about the matter.

“It will be fun to recruit humans ready to live in Eden,” I tell Hell.

We look at each other. “It’s a bit bigger than the wild life preserve you were hoping to manage,” Hell says, “but really the same thing,  when you get right down to it. I cannot do it alone.”

I kiss his dear laughing mouth, ignoring the ribald looks of the Greek deities.

“You don’t have to. As long as you want my help, it is all yours.”

And from the warm look in his blue eyes, I know that my offer is welcome and accepted.

THE END

Copyright © 2014
by May Burnett. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons or institutions would be unintentional and mere coincidence.

Besides this YA trilogy, May Burnett is also the author of fantasy stories and romance for adults as Mary Burnett.
Her stories about a werewolf detective are collected in
A Werewolf in Asia
, and
her first regency romance,
The Impostor Debutante
, is due out in late June 2014. As her “twin brother” Jay Burnett she has also published non-fiction and collections of proverbs from various languages.

She has loved reading since her childhood, when she first came across the fascinating Greek myths.

The
Children of New Olympus
trilogy was first published as three novella length singe volumes, beginning with
Teenage Goddess
(Myra’s story)
, continued in
Teenage Star
(Jason’s story)
, and concluding with
Hell on Earth
.

May plans to write at least one more story set in Hell and Melinda’s universe.

Copyright
© 2014
May Burnett. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons or institutions would be unintentional and mere coincidence.