Face of Death

Chapter 25

I wasn’t in any condition to deal with Chase right now, so as I stared at Alex, I let myself slip out of my Ophi soul and back into my human one. Back into Liz’s body.

“Jodi?” Matt shook my shoulders. “Can you hear me?”

I opened my eyes and sat up. The sun was lower in the sky. How long had I been gone? “What time is it?”

“Six-thirty. I was getting really worried. You haven’t moved in hours. Were you back there…with him?”

“Six-thirty?” I jumped to my feet. “We have to go. We’re late. Mason is waiting for me, and I have to figure this all out tonight.”

“Slow down.” Matt was on his feet now. He grabbed my hand, holding me back. “Tell me what happened.”

“I’ll explain in the car. Come on. We need to go!” I ran for the car, willing my legs to move faster than they wanted to. Luckily, Liz was in good shape. I flung the door open the second I heard the car unlock. I was in my seat with my seatbelt on before Matt even got his door open. “Seriously, step on it!”

I started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. We raced to Serpentarius and I prayed we didn’t run into any cops along the way. For once, luck was on my side.

“Now tell me what happened.” Matt flashed me a stern look.

“Hades took Melodie, and he’s going after my mom if I don’t agree to his latest deal by tomorrow night.”

“Melodie?” Matt choked out.

“I know. It was awful. I brought her to the Fields of Asphodel, and I told her the truth about me. She blames me for everything, and she should. She died because of me.”

“Don’t do that. This isn’t your fault.”

I really wished people would stop sticking up for me. This was my fault. “Please, don’t defend me.”

He shook his head, not happy that I wasn’t taking his word for it. “What was the new deal?”

God, I really didn’t want to tell him. “He wants me to give him my Ophi powers and go back to being human for good.”

Matt’s eyes widened, and a hint of a smile crossed his lips.

“Don’t.” I turned away from him. “I’m not discussing it. I can’t let Hades take all those Ophi just to save myself. I won’t do it. And if you ask me to, I’ll only end up resenting you for it. Besides, I still have to go back to get Amber out of Tartarus.” I knew he wouldn’t argue with that last part.

He stayed quiet for the rest of the drive. I pulled into the club’s designated lot around the back, and I jumped out of the car as soon as it was parked. I ran for the back door and knocked, hoping that was where I’d find Mason. The door had to be outside his office.

I pounded on the door, yelling, “Mason, it’s Jodi! Open up!”

Matt had caught up when Mason opened the door. “You’re late. I thought…never mind. You’re here now.” He stepped aside and ushered us in.

We headed straight to his office so we could talk without a bunch of Ophi ears listening in on the conversation. Mason had recruited a new group of Ophi after the others came to the school with me. I didn’t even sit. I stood at his desk with my arms crossed.

“What did you find out? I’m on a serious time crunch.”

Mason’s eyes flew to mine. “Did he threaten Carol? Is she hurt?”

“She’s okay. Hades killed my best friend—my human best friend, and he’s going after my mom if I don’t end this by tomorrow night.”

Relief washed over Mason’s face. He sat down and formed a triangle with his hands. “The only way out of this war is to make another deal with Hades. But you need to come up with something so huge and airtight that he can’t get out of it. There can’t be loopholes.”

“What could I possibly offer him that he’d want badly enough to give up the other Ophi souls and promise to stop coming after me?” It seemed impossible. I needed something solid, not more cryptic Ophi garbage.

“I don’t know. No one’s been able to come up with anything big enough. But we all did come to the same conclusion.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to connect to the Medusa statue.”

I had to suppress the urge to scream at Mason. Why had I given him a day, when he hadn’t come up with anything I didn’t already know?

“I’m going to Medusa right after we’re finished, which I guess we are because you haven’t told me anything I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, Jodi. I did the best I could.” He held up a finger. “I did find something that will help you, though.”

“What?” Was he holding out on me? I didn’t have time for this.

“Medusa will recognize your soul, even in human form.” There was more. I could tell.

“But?”

“She will attack you until that recognition is made.” He looked down at me. “You may not survive the initial contact.”

“May not? You’re not sure?”

“No. You are a direct descendent of hers, which means you have a better chance of her sensing your soul, even in human form.”

“What about in someone else’s human form?” I motioned to Liz’s body.

“Yes, that does add to the complication.”

“Still, I don’t have a choice. I have to go see her.”

“No way,” Matt said. “You can’t be serious. You might die, and then everyone is screwed. You’re the last hope your people have—that I have—and you’re willing to throw that all away?” His eyes pleaded with me, but I held strong.

“If I don’t try this, everyone will die. There’s no ‘if’ about it.” I looked back and forth between Matt and Mason. “I’m the Chosen One. Even if it kills me, I have to do this. I’m the only one who can.”

Mason nodded. He understood, but Matt was a different story.

“I’m not letting you. I’m sorry, Jodi. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself.”

“You don’t have a choice, son.” Mason was out of his seat and standing next to Matt, threatening him with his poisonous blood.

“Mason, no!” I stared at him in horror. The Ophi from Serpentarius didn’t believe in actively using their powers. They even worked with humans, keeping their distance of course, but still. And yet, here was Mason, ready to kill Matt to save our kind. More specifically, to save Carol.

“Don’t hurt him, please.” I reached toward Mason. “He doesn’t understand. That’s all. But I’ll make him see this is necessary.”

“No, you won’t,” Mason and Matt both said.

Matt crossed his arms. “You may as well let him kill me because I’m not letting you do this.”

Mason held his hand out over Matt’s shoulder, and his other hand reached for the letter opener on his desk. He was ready to shed his blood and end Matt’s life.

“Matt, please. I don’t want you to die. I brought you back to give you the shot at life you were supposed to have. Don’t make all that be for nothing.”

“I don’t want all that. I don’t want to be here. I’m not supposed to be. I died kissing you. Yeah, it sucked that we couldn’t be together and that I missed out on college and finding out who or what I’d become. But this,” he patted his chest, “isn’t me. I wasn’t meant to be immortal. It’s obvious you love Alex. You’re willing to do anything to save him. The few moments we’ve had together have been amazing, but they aren’t who you really are. I’ve felt that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, you went back to Alex while we were kissing. If that doesn’t say it all, then I don’t know what does. You’ve made your choice, and if you’re going to go through with it, then you’re going to have to end my life now.”

My body shook, and since I didn’t have Gorgon blood running through Liz’s veins, I knew it was from the pain of knowing Matt was right. I’d basically turned him into a monster. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting this life.

“I’m so sorry.” I stepped closer to him and took his hands in mine. “I thought I was doing the right thing bringing you back. I wanted to make up for—”

He pressed his finger to my lips. “You don’t have to apologize or try to explain. I know you, Jodi. You have a good heart, and I’ve always loved you for it. I don’t blame you for any of this.”

“Is this really what you want?”

“I want you to be happy.”

I choked back the tears that burned my throat. He really was perfect.

I met Mason’s eyes, and we silently agreed that Matt deserved better than this existence.

I squeezed Matt’s hands. “I want you to know that I do love you. The human in me will always love you.” I didn’t let him respond. I pressed my lips to his, and when I did, Mason cut his hand and gently touched Matt’s shoulder.

His body slumped forward, and I held him up for a second before crumpling to the floor with him. He was dead. For good this time. I cried on his shoulder for several minutes, and Mason stepped out of the office to give me some privacy. This wasn’t just goodbye to Matt. It was goodbye to my human life. I knew now that I couldn’t go back home to see Mom. I didn’t trust Hades enough to believe he wouldn’t take her early if he found me with her.

I let my tears speak for me as I cried for everything I’d lost. The people I loved and would never see again. I could’ve cried all night, but I somehow managed to find the strength to stand, and when I did, Mason was there to help me up.

He held me by the shoulders and stared deep into my eyes. I couldn’t help noticing his hand was already bandaged. “I’ll take care of the body. You go to Medusa and end this thing once and for all.”

“I’ll bring Carol back to you. I won’t let you feel like I feel now. I won’t let you lose someone you love.”

He nodded and let go of me. I turned for the door, but he called my name. “Jodi, don’t forget that, once you stop being human, you have someone who loves you more than anything.”

“I know. Alex is a huge part of why I’m doing this.”

Mason gave me a weak smile, and I left. I had been in such a hurry that I’d left the keys in the ignition. Good thing, too, because I wouldn’t have been able to go back in there and see Matt’s body on the floor of Mason’s office. I drove out of the parking lot and across town.

Finding the school was going to be a little tough. I’d only driven directly to it once with Alex. When I stole Melodie’s car, I’d tried to find the dirt road leading to the school, but it turned out it wasn’t a road at all, and I’d crashed the car into a tree.

When I knew I was close, I slowed down, peering through every opening in the woods, looking for the road. I passed several trails and almost turned onto one, but at the last second, I straightened out the wheel and kept driving. I was going on instinct, which felt more than a little odd since I wasn’t an Ophi right now. Still, I waited until I got a feeling. It happened about half a mile down the road. I felt a tightness in my chest. When I looked toward the trees, there was a road, barely visible. I slowed even more and turned down it.

The bumpiness was familiar. This had to be it. My poor mom’s car bounced and protested against the rough terrain. I hoped I wasn’t doing any major damage to it. Finally, I saw the cemetery. This was it. I pulled up behind the row of cars. The first two belonged to Ethan and Carson. The third was Chase’s red sports car. As I got out of Mom’s car and sprinted past the others, I resisted the urge to stop and key Chase’s hot little number. I didn’t have time.

I ran up the steps to the front doors and yanked them open. Since Hades had taken us all while we were here, the doors were still unlocked. I stopped when I saw the golden statue. Even though I knew it well, I was still in awe of it. If it wasn’t for the serpents on Medusa’s head, the statue would’ve been gorgeous. Every time I’d been near the statue in the past, I’d felt drawn to it. My blood recognized Medusa’s soul inside, and I felt a pull. Now, I felt nothing, and it made my heart ache.

If I couldn’t feel Medusa, maybe it meant she couldn’t feel me now, either. And what would she do when I touched the statue? She’d killed Abby when Abby insulted her by joining both hands with her. If she thought a human was touching her sacred statue…I couldn’t even think about how she might end my life. For a moment, I wondered if I should try holding just one of the statue’s hands first. Kind of test the waters. Her right hand had life-restoring power. But Medusa knew me by the special connection we had. The way I could hold both her hands instead of one at a time.

I had to do everything exactly as I had when I was an Ophi. That was my only hope of her recognizing my soul. No, wait! There was something else I could do. I ran past the statue and up the stairs, straight to my bedroom. I’d left the locket here. Medusa’s locket. I’d been so angry about everything that happened between Chase and me, and I’d blamed the locket—or at least the moment when I let Chase put it on me. I searched my dresser drawers, not remembering where I’d put it. How had I lost track of something so important?

Chase had done a number on me. He’d made me question everything about myself. The only good part about this situation now was that I wasn’t around him. I hated him for making me hurt Alex, for making me become so consumed by power that I’d lost sight of Medusa for a while.

I ransacked my bed next, remembering that, in my state of sobbing, I’d taken it off there. I flung the sheets and blankets to the floor and even checked in between the mattress and box spring. Nothing. Where was it? I picked up each blanket, shaking them in case the locket was tangled up inside. When I reached the bedspread, something fell to the floor with a small tinkling sound.

I looked down to see my locket. The beautiful bloodstone, which no longer had blood in it, was now mostly green. If only Medusa’s blood was still inside. Maybe I could’ve drunk it and made her recognize me before she stopped my heart. But then again, I didn’t have Gorgon blood in my veins right now, and that meant the locket wouldn’t open for me, no matter how hard I tried. I had to hope wearing the locket would be enough. I put it on, making sure the clasp was tight. I couldn’t take any chances. My life would depend on Medusa sensing her own power lingering in this necklace.

I looked down at the bloodstone, wishing I felt something, anything, now that it was around my neck. But I didn’t.

I walked back downstairs very slowly, gathering my courage. The stairs seemed to go on forever, and the statue looked bigger than ever as I approached it. My heart raced, and my hands shook. It was surreal that I was nervous about talking to Medusa. She was my ancestor, my family.

I stood in front of her and spoke aloud, clutching the locket in my right hand. “Medusa, if you can hear me, it’s Jodi. I know I look a little different right now, but this was the only way I could come see you. I need your help to save the others. I need to connect to your statue so we can talk and figure out how to defeat Hades once and for all. If you could avoid…killing me, I’d really appreciate it. I’m sort of counting on you recognizing my soul quickly, which is why I’m wearing your locket. Our locket. We are one and the same now. Even in this body, you must be able to see me.”

I let go of the locket and inched my hands toward the statue. This was it. I might die. “Please, Medusa,” I pleaded as my hands slipped into hers.

At first, nothing happened. I thought maybe Medusa’s soul had no effect on humans. I opened my mouth to talk to her, but an intense pain shot through my hands, up my arms, and into my chest. My lungs and heart clenched as if they were being shocked. The pain traveled up my neck and to my brain.

My eyes rolled back into my head, and I blacked out.