I was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen. No, not lack of oxygen. I was losing my connection to my human soul. Drifting away.
Matt pulled back slightly. “Jodi?”
My eyes met his for a split second before they closed.
“No, don’t go back to him. Stay with me.” He pressed his lips to mine again, but I only felt them for a second before I was back in the underworld.
I shook my head, trying to focus on my surroundings. I was in the palace. The judges stood before me.
“Melodie Chambers, you will spend your afterlife in the Fields of Asphodel.”
Melodie? I stared at the girl, taking in every feature. Brown hair, blue eyes, athletic build. My blood simmered. She turned toward me, seeing me for what must have been the first time.
“Jodi?”
My blood boiled now, making my skin ripple. She stared in horror.
“Escort her to the afterlife,” the middle judge said.
I stepped toward Melodie, stopping two feet in front of her. “Mel.”
“It is you.” She stared at my arms, still rippling with the power of my blood. “What’s happening to you?”
“It’s a long story. Mel, I’m so sorry. For everything. For waving you down that day. For taking your car and leaving you stranded without a phone. For being the reason you’re here.”
“What do you mean, the reason I’m here? I died, didn’t I? You couldn’t have been responsible for that. If you’re here, then that means you’re dead, too.”
“No. It’s different for me. But forget about that. How did you die?”
“This truck came out of nowhere. I was at a traffic light, and it turned green. But when I drove through it, this truck barreled right into me.”
Oh, God, Hades had made it painful. I was going to kill him. Could you kill the god of the underworld?
“I said, escort her to the afterlife,” the middle judge said, his voice so loud it shook the palace walls.
I turned to him, allowing my blood to surge and bubble in my veins. “No. She shouldn’t be here. If you’re going to judge souls, then you should know how they arrived here. You don’t have all the information. Hades isn’t playing by the rules. He’s taking people. People I care about, just to get back at me. You can’t let him do that. You’re here to fairly judge people.”
I couldn’t see their faces under their hoods, but since they weren’t stopping me, I went on. “Did you know he took a soul out of the Elysian Fields and had me move her to Tartarus?”
The hooded judges turned their heads back and forth, checking with each other.
“What proof do you have of this?” the middle one asked.
“I took her there. She was my human boyfriend’s sister. She died a month ago from a brain aneurysm. You determined she belonged in the Elysian Fields, but he overruled your judgment to punish me.”
They murmured among themselves for a few minutes. Hades was in charge here, so maybe appealing to these three was pointless, but it seemed like I’d struck a nerve.
Finally, the middle judge spoke. “Hades is the ruler here. We are meant to pass judgment. That is all. If Hades desires to have a soul moved, he has that right. While we stand by our decision, we will not speak against our lord.” He motioned to Melodie. “Now, please escort this soul to her afterlife.”
“You don’t even care that Melodie wasn’t supposed to die? That Hades killed her?”
“We do not determine who dies or when they die. We only judge the life they lived and decide what afterlife would be most suitable.”
This wasn’t working. If I wanted Hades to bring Melodie back, I was going to have to talk to him directly and be prepared to offer something big in exchange.
I took Melodie by the arm and led her through the palace doors.
“Jodi, what’s happening? Where are you taking me? What are the Fields of whatever they called it?” Her voice was riddled with panic.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to get you out of here. You weren’t supposed to die. Hades was looking for me, but he found you first. He’s using you to get to me. I’ll talk to him, make him fix this.” I wasn’t sure I could, but what else was I supposed to say to her?
“Is the place I’m going bad? Did I do something wrong to end up here?”
I stopped walking and hugged her tightly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re a good person. I’m going to make this right.” I still wasn’t sure how, but I wasn’t going to stop until she was out of this place. Maybe Amber’s time really had come, but Melodie’s hadn’t. I’d find a way to fix this.
Her tears wet my shoulder, but I let her cry. She had every right to be upset, and I wasn’t going to rush her off to the Fields of Asphodel where she’d forget who she was. When she finally pulled away and wiped her eyes, she gave me a questioning look.
“Why did you steal my car that day at the park? You were acting so strange. Not at all like yourself.”
“I know. A lot’s happened. I’ve changed. I’m not the same person anymore. I didn’t mean to steal your car, but you wouldn’t keep away from me, and I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You don’t think stealing my car and abandoning me in the park without a cell phone hurt me?”
“I know it did, and I’m so sorry. But believe me, Mel, I saved your life that day. I can’t explain how, so I need you to just take my word for it. I love you. You’re my best friend, and I did what I needed to do to protect you.” I look down at my shoes. “I’d do it again if I had to.”
“Was I supposed to die sooner or something? Did you take my car so I couldn’t get into a car accident? Are you psychic?” She wasn’t going to stop questioning me.
“Remember I said I found my dad?”
She nodded.
“Well, I found out he’s not quite…” I took a deep breath, and on the exhale, I blurted out, “…human.”
Her head jerked back like someone punched her in the jaw. “Is this a joke?”
“Look where we are. Do you really think I’d joke at a time like this?”
She sighed. “Okay, explain.”
“My dad is something called an Ophi. It’s a type of necromancer descended from Medusa and born under the thirteenth sign of the zodiac.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you mean what Mr. Quimby was teaching us about?”
“Yes! Tony—I mean, Mr. Quimby is an Ophi, too. And so am I.”
“Whoa.” She raised her hands between us. “You’re telling me you’re a necromancer?”
I nodded. “Remember Mr. Quimby taught us about the blood on the left side of Medusa’s body being poisonous? Well, my blood is poisonous to humans. That’s why I left you in the park. I was afraid I’d hurt you.” My body shook as I breathed. I had to tell Melodie the truth about Matt. I had to tell her I killed the guy she was in love with when he kissed me.
“This is crazy, you know that.” She said it as a statement, not a question.
“There’s more. When I found out what I am, I was planning to break up with Matt. I didn’t want to risk hurting him. Only when we went outside—”
“The day he died?” Her face contorted, twisting in an expression of sheer horror. “You? You killed Matt?”
“Mel, I’m so sorry. He kissed me, and before I could stop him…it was too late. I tried to use the part of my powers that can raise the dead, but I didn’t know what I was doing. Please, believe me. I never meant to hurt him.” I reached for her, but she backed away.
“Don’t touch me.” She looked at my hands like they were radioactive waste.
“I can’t hurt you here.”
“Apparently, you can.” She was right. I’d broken her heart…again. First, I’d stolen the guy she was in love with, and then I’d killed him.