“Take his hand,” Alex said. “He might remember your touch. I would if I were him.” Moments like these made me wonder how I’d gotten so lucky. Alex really was amazing. I was staring at him, and I guess he thought I was wondering if it was a trick because he said, “I’ve seen you hold the guy’s hand before. I think I can handle it without flipping out.”
“I know. That wasn’t it. I was just in awe of you. You’re kind of perfect, you know that?” Perfect. It was the word I’d always used for Matt, but it really did apply to Alex, too.
He smiled, and I swear his cheeks got a little red. Still holding Alex’s hand, I reached for Matt. He didn’t move, so I carefully slipped my hand in his. “Is this okay? Do you mind if I take you to my friends?”
Still nothing, but his fingers curved slightly around mine. That was all the answer I needed. I nodded to Alex, and we walked over to the others. I’m sure we looked like a demented threesome, every bit as awkward as it felt.
The others raised their eyes to us. They obviously had no idea what I was doing. I wasn’t really sure I knew either.
I let go of Matt’s hand. “Okay, so here’s the plan. We need two new souls. I’m bringing Matt with me.”
Arianna looked back and forth between Alex and me. I knew she was checking to see how he really felt about me bringing Matt along.
“Alex and I discussed it, and Matt doesn’t deserve this kind of afterlife. Hades is only keeping him here to punish me. I have to free him, give him another shot at life.”
I couldn’t help feeling like they were ignoring me. All eyes were on Alex. I nudged him, encouraging him to say something and make the blank stares go away.
He let them squirm for another moment before he chimed in. “Matt will be human again, and he’ll help Jodi. I don’t want her to go through this alone. She won’t have anyone who knows who she really is since she’ll be in a different body.”
Lexi raised an eyebrow. “You’re sending your girlfriend to shack up with her ex-boyfriend, and they’ll both be human? Wow, Alex, I didn’t peg you for a complete idiot.”
“Enough, Lexi.” Arianna gave her daughter a long hard look.
“What? I’m trying to help.” She shrugged, and in her own strange way, I think she really was looking out for Alex.
“I trust Jodi.” Alex gave me a small smile.
“And we won’t be shacking up,” I said. “Matt doesn’t have to stay with me at all if he doesn’t want to. I’ll help him get settled, but he’s free to live his life however he wants.”
“Wait,” Leticia said. “You’re going to worry about getting him settled before you figure out how to save us? So, like, you two will be getting all cozy in your new lives while we’re here being tortured.”
“Jodi’s body and half her soul will still be here,” Alex jumped to my defense. “She’ll be suffering right along with us, and it will actually be harder on her because she’ll be able to feel both parts of her soul. It’s going to be hard for her not to lose it, having to deal with that.” He looked around the group, his eyes falling on each Ophi. “So, if anyone wants to question what Jodi’s actually going to have to endure while trying to free us, you can take it up with me.”
Lexi crossed her arms. “Seriously, I don’t know if you are the most romantic guy ever or if you’re a total dumbass.” I was about to flip on her, but she added, “Either way, Jodi’s lucky to have you.”
Lexi had definitely changed since we’d come here. Maybe it was seeing her sister again, seeing what Abby had become, but part of me was almost starting to like Lexi. Almost.
“How do we even go about doing this?” Carol asked. “No offense, but I’d really like to get home to Mason. I’m not crazy about having to wait around in Hell while Jodi figures things out.”
“I know.” I understood how she felt. She missed her husband, and I’m sure seeing Alex stand up for me reminded her of Mason. He’d had no idea that letting Carol come to the school was going to mean losing her to Hades. If I had anything to say about it, they’d be together again soon. “Guys, I know this sucks. I know it’s my fault we’re all here.” Alex opened his mouth to protest, but I shook my head. “I’m the leader. Whatever happens is on my head. I take responsibility. It comes with the job description. But I promise you I will get us out of here. All of us.” My eyes fell on Carol. “Once we’re home, you can go back to Serpentarius and pretend you never met me.”
“I don’t want to pretend I never met you, Jodi. I just want to be with my family again.”
I nodded. “Then let’s find some bodies for Matt and me and make that happen as soon as possible.”
I looked around the group. Everyone was in agreement. We had to get moving. Scope out new souls. The only problem was that no one knew how to get out of the Fields of Asphodel. Hades had dropped us in the middle of this flower-filled field.
“Any chance Matt knows the way out?” Alex asked. “That weird pattern he was walking, do you think it has anything to do with getting back to the Elysian Fields?”
I pictured Matt walking in his circular route. It had seemed like he was wandering in an unending loop, but what if it was more than that? “We don’t really have any other ideas, so let’s try it.”
I let go of Alex’s hand and stood in front of Matt. He had a tendency to get very dazed if he wasn’t focused on something specific. I made sure I blocked his view of everything else. “Matt? Do you want to go for a walk? Find that place you were looking for earlier?”
Instead of answering, he turned and wandered away. We all followed, making sure to stay far enough away so he wouldn’t bump into us if he changed directions.
“Hey.” Alex reached for my elbow. “What if he finds the Elysian Fields? Will you still take him back with you? Raise his soul?”
Let him stay in his own personal Heaven or give him a second chance at life in a different body? It was a tough decision. “I’ll let him decide.” He deserved to make that choice for himself.
Alex let go of my arm and continued walking alongside me. I couldn’t tell if he was upset or just processing everything. As we walked, I kept an eye out for Hades. It seemed like a lot of time had passed since we got here. I hoped Hades wouldn’t show up before we were able to follow Matt to wherever it was he was going.
“This is crazy,” Lexi said, as Matt curved to the right. “He’s not going anywhere. I mean, how can he even know where he’s heading? This place looks the same no matter where you are.”
“Faith, Lexi,” Arianna said. “Sometimes you just have to have faith.”
“Faith in a mindless soul? Great.”
I couldn’t even argue with her.
Chapter 7
Matt led us in a spiraling pattern that had us backtracking almost as much as we moved forward. We were all losing hope until I saw a gate up ahead.
“Look!” I ran toward it, not waiting for the others. This had to be the way out of the Fields. Matt had done it. He’d found the exit.
“Yes!” McKenzie cheered, running up behind me. “Now, maybe we can find a way out of the underworld all together.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Tony said as we slowed down. The gate was only a few feet in front of us, and we all stared at it like it was the most beautiful sight. “There are very few ways to get out of here. I’m sure Hades has them all well guarded. He’s not going to let us walk out.”
“Check it out. Three-Heads is watching us.” Lexi pointed to the three-headed dog, Cerberus, standing on the other side of the gate.
“He must have smelled us coming,” Tony said.
“That means we aren’t going to get past this gate.” I looked around. I had no idea how to distract a hellhound.