Face of Death (3 page)

“Alex, I’m in charge. We may be in the underworld, and Hades might be calling the shots as far as what happens to us here, but I’m still the leader of the Ophi. I’m the Chosen One.”

“You fulfilled that prophecy, you and Chase, when you destroyed us all.”

Yes, I’d killed them when I kissed Chase and combined our powers, but that wasn’t the entire prophecy. That wasn’t all I was chosen to do. “Medusa appeared to me when you all died. She told me prophecies are never what they seem.
Chase
was meant to kill you all. I was meant to save you. This is how I’m going to do it.”

Alex started to protest, but I stepped forward and took his hands in mine. “I’m going to do this whether you want me to or not, but I’d feel a lot more confident if I had you on my side. Please, Alex.”

He closed his eyes. He wouldn’t even look at me. For a moment, I thought about transferring some of my power to him. It would’ve helped him get past these negative feelings, but if I did that to him, I’d be no better than Chase, using my powers to control people and get what I wanted.

“Alex, I need you. Please. I won’t try to make you understand. I’m just asking you to trust me.”

He opened his eyes. “Where are you going to get a body, and what will happen to this body?”

Tony stepped closer to us again. “I’m only guessing here, but I think Jodi would still have control over both bodies, both parts of her soul. It would be like double vision, almost.”

“That will drive you insane,” Alex said. “And with Hades torturing this body—” He choked on the words, unable to continue.

“That’s why I need you. You have to keep my body safe here. As safe as you can. I can’t let Hades know what I’m doing, so someone is going to have to help me, make sure I’m not acting like a walking zombie.”

Alex’s expression went cold. It was his look of determination. “Tony can watch your body. I’m coming with you.”

“What?” My voice was an octave higher than usual. “You can’t. You don’t have a human soul in you.”

“No, but I did die. Twice.”

“Sorry, Alex.” Tony shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. If it did, Jodi could raise us all right out of here. We’ve all died. But since we were brought back before our souls had a chance to leave our bodies, we don’t have anything for Jodi to raise.”

“Are you sure? Shouldn’t we at least try?”

“Even if it were somehow possible, Jodi would need to have bodies to put our souls into. We’d end up zombies for the rest of our existence. Our bodies would remain here. Just like Jodi’s is going to. Her plan is difficult enough as it is. She’s going to have to tune out her soul here in order to function as a human.”

While they debated the details, I let my mind wander. If I raised my human soul, would I be human again? Would I get to see my mom? Melodie? I owed her a huge explanation for why I’d suddenly become the worst best friend known to femalekind.

“Hang on,” I said over Alex and Tony’s bickering. They stopped talking and stared at me. “If I can do this, will I be human in the body I possess?”

Tony looked at Alex first before his eyes rested on me. “You’re only raising the human part of your soul, so yes.”

Human. I’d get a second chance to be human. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized just how much I missed being human. I wouldn’t be a threat to anyone anymore. I really could see my mom—not that she’d recognize me in a different body, but still. I’d get to see her.

Alex stared at me, looking every bit as hurt and rejected as he had when I’d decided to fulfill the prophecy and join my powers with Chase. I knew he was thinking of Matt, my human boyfriend, but that was silly. Matt was dead. I assumed he was in the Elysian Fields where all the good souls went for the afterlife.

“You’re really going to do this? You want to be human again?” Alex touched my cheek, brushing away a tear.

“I never got to say goodbye to my old life. I just left after you brought my mom back. I need some sort of closure on that part of me. Killing the human half of my soul didn’t kill the feelings I had. They’re still buried inside me, and I think if I don’t deal with them, I’ll never truly be able to lead the Ophi.” It hurt to say the words because I knew how much they tore Alex apart inside. He wanted me—all of me, and I’d never be able to give him that. Not until I did this.

He nodded but didn’t say a word.

“Thank you. I know it’s hard for you to understand.” I ran my fingers through his hair, and Tony coughed behind us.

“Sorry to interrupt, but keep in mind that we aren’t alone here.” Tony turned, and I saw souls wandering aimlessly. It was the first time I’d noticed them. They didn’t look like they were suffering. They didn’t look like they felt anything. It wasn’t a life I could imagine—but then again, it was the afterlife.

“I guess we need to look for a body for you,” Alex said.

Tony sighed, still obviously conflicted. “We’ll have to wait for a new soul, meet up with her when she arrives. The fresher the body, the easier the transition will be for you, Jodi.”

All this talk about fresh bodies to possess was making me queasy. I was going to be doing to myself what I had done to the souls in Tartarus—the ones whose bodies Hades stole, thinking I wouldn’t be able to raise them anymore. The ones like my dad.

“Having second thoughts?” Tony asked.

I shook my head and swallowed my fear. “No. I have to do this, no matter how gross it’s going to be.”

“Gross isn’t the word.” Alex ran his hands through his hair. “You’re going to be torturing your own soul. Do you really think you’ll be able to hold on and raise half of your soul when you’re in that much pain?”

Great question. There was one way to make sure I pulled it off. That I continued to rip my soul out no matter how much I was suffering.

“Don’t even think it.” Alex grabbed my arms and looked me square in the eyes. “Chase is not helping you do this. That scumbag would probably kill you the first chance he got.”

“What if I can’t do it by myself? What if I don’t have enough power?” I looked to Tony for help. “Chase may be my only chance.”

“I thought I heard my name.” Chase walked around the row of asphodels and into view.

Alex was on him quicker than I could blink. He rammed into Chase, knocking him to the ground.

“Alex!” I rushed to them as Alex grabbed an asphodel and brought it down toward Chase’s mouth. “No!” I pushed his arm away, throwing myself between him and Chase. I landed face down, inches from Chase’s lips.

Chase smiled. “How sweet. You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” Speaking of hands, I pressed my palms to his chest and jolted him with a dose of pure poisoned blood from the left side of my body. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out.

I pushed myself off him and reached for Alex’s hand, pulling him up, too. “We aren’t killing anyone. Got that?”

Tony stared at me. “Jodi, I’m glad Chase isn’t a threat anymore, but do you really think you should be giving in to your power like that? I do believe this is the sort of thing Hades was talking about. The thing that made Chase turn evil.”

“No.” I crossed my arms. “Chase was jealous of my power and wanted more to make up for it. I only did what I had to. Yes, I hurt him, but I did it to save his life.” I turned to Alex. “And to save
your
soul. Don’t let
him
—” I pointed to Chase’s limp body, “—turn you into a monster. That’s not you, Alex. I get that you’re trying to protect me, and I love you for that, but I won’t be the reason you become evil. I won’t let you turn into your parents.”

“I’m going to round up the others,” Tony said, motioning over his shoulder. He wasn’t one to pry.

“Thanks.” I smiled at him as he turned and walked away.

“You don’t know what it was like.” Alex’s voice was small, barely more than a whisper. I knew he was talking about what had happened between Chase and me—how Chase had become a wedge in my relationship with Alex—but I let him get out whatever he’d been holding inside. “I wanted to rip the guy’s head off. I’ve never wanted to kill anyone before, but I wanted him dead. The way he…and the way you…”

I threw myself at him, pressing my lips firmly against his. He couldn’t even talk about Chase without going crazy. I’d thought getting that anger out would’ve been therapeutic, but it was killing him inside. I wanted him to forget about Chase. To forget about everything but me and how much I loved him. He returned the kiss as if it was the last one we’d ever have—and considering we were in the underworld and Hades could very well kill us, maybe it would be.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. I could feel his heart beating against my chest. Thumping. I wanted to take his pain away, so I allowed my blood to mix and sent some of my power to him through every part of our bodies that were touching. His eyes opened wide in response and then closed as he pressed himself against me. This was what he’d been talking about earlier. This was how Chase used to make me feel. How Chase used to control me. Only I wasn’t controlling Alex. I just wanted to make him happy.

“Oh, come on!” Lexi’s voice shattered the perfect bubble Alex and I had created for ourselves.

As I pulled away from him, he pouted and tried to find my lips again. “Alex, we have company.”

He opened his eyes and looked shocked to see everyone watching us. “What’s going on?” He was still dazed from my power.

“Jodi,” Arianna said, “I’m not sure that’s good for him. Remember, too much power is never a good thing.”

“I’m not complaining.” Alex had a big dumb grin on his face, and I couldn’t help smiling. At least he wasn’t angry anymore, or thinking about killing Chase.

“What’s it like?” Jared’s eyes lingered on me a little too long. If he thought I was going to show him, he was dead wrong.

“Okay, let’s talk about my plan before this gets any more awkward.” I motioned for the group to huddle up. The other souls in the Fields of Asphodel were pretty oblivious, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I wasn’t putting it past Hades to send souls to watch over us while he was busy doing who knew what in some other part of the underworld. I tried to sound confident as I filled everyone in on my plan.

Arianna wrapped her arm around my waist. “Honey, I have to tell you that I don’t like this idea at all. I’m afraid we might lose you if you try this.”

She was sweet to care so much about me. I often wondered if she felt so attached to me because her own daughters weren’t exactly the caring type. Abby had gone completely evil and power-crazed, and Lexi was… well, not exactly Miss Congeniality.

“Arianna, I appreciate your concern, but this is our best shot. I know it’s risky, and it’s going to hurt like hell to rip my soul in half, but if it means saving all of you, I’m doing it. You guys are my family now.” Family. I thought of Mom and how, if my plan worked, I’d get to see her again. I held back my tears.

“What can we do?” Carol asked. She owned Serpentarius, the Ophi nightclub, along with her husband Mason, and I was sure she missed him like crazy.

“I’m going to need help from all of you. My body will still be here with half my soul inside, but Tony said I’ll have to tune it out. Otherwise, the double vision is going to drive me insane.”

Carson, our Ophi doctor, readjusted his glasses and nodded. “You need us to watch over your body, make sure nothing happens to it.”

“More than that.” I looked around the group. “I need you all to make sure Hades doesn’t notice I’m not all here.”

“How on earth do we do that?” Leticia asked, already looking defeated.

I wished I had a clue.

Tony put a reassuring hand on Leticia’s shoulder. “We talk to her, and if necessary, we pretend she’s talking back.”

“What about when the others are torturing us?” Lexi asked, and, for once, she actually sounded like she was trying to be helpful. Arianna smiled at her, no doubt proud that her daughter was choosing to do the right thing instead of following in Abby’s footsteps. Maybe the fact that Abby had been the one torturing her had finally knocked some sense into her.

“There’s nothing you can do about that,” I said. “I’m sure my body will respond to the pain, so it will look like I’m suffering just as much as the rest of you.” I hoped the torture wouldn’t send me rushing back to this body. I had to be strong enough to keep my soul divided and figure out a way to save us all.

Leticia stared at me, and any sign of the fights we’d had in the past—the times when she didn’t quite believe I wasn’t screwing up on purpose—had all melted away. She was scared for me. “It seems like there’s an awful lot that can go wrong with this plan.”

“That’s because there is.” I gave her a weak smile. “Leticia, I told you I never intentionally did anything to harm our group. Yes, I’ve made mistakes, but I never meant to hurt any of you. If you have any doubt in your mind, I plan to erase it now, by doing this. I’m putting my soul on the line to prove I want to be your leader. I want to be the one to save us all.”

She rushed toward me and threw her arms around my neck. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve believed you. I know you were only trying to do what was best for us.”

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize.”

“Yes, there is. I blamed you. For Randy dying, for my own failures, for everything that happened with Chase. When I saw what he did to you, I realized I was wrong. And now, seeing how you’re going to risk everything for us, I have to tell you how sorry I am.”

“What’s this? Group hug time?” Abby stood with one hand on her hip, glaring at me. She always had been good at sneaking up on me.

Leticia squeezed me even harder, terrified of Abby and the torture she could inflict upon us.

Arianna looked at her daughter with nothing but disappointment in her eyes. “Abigail, this doesn’t concern you.”

“Mother, didn’t you miss me? I asked Hades if I could spend a little extra time with you. You know, to make up for all the time we lost when you shipped me off to the school and dismissed me as Victoria and Troy’s problem.” Abby was trying to maintain her composure, but I could see her fingers trembling. I remembered how much it hurt her that her own family had abandoned her. But I also knew Arianna had been trying to scare Abby into changing. It was a tough-love kind of situation—a last effort to show her how dangerous it was for her to crave power the way she did. That was the difference between the Ophi at the school and the Ophi at Serpentarius. The ones at the school actively used their powers. The ones at the Serpentarius were Ophi more in theory. They didn’t believe in using their blood to raise the dead.