“I’m really drained. I need to go visit Medusa before lunch.” I tried not to sound as disgusted with Chase as I actually was.
“Sure, babe. No problem. I’ll go with you.” He didn’t let go of me. He clearly didn’t trust me and was only acting sweet to keep up appearances with the others.
“No, you missed training this morning. Stay. Finish up with the group. I’ll be fine.”
I looked to Tony for help, hoping he’d back me up the way he usually did. He clearly seemed upset and confused by my behavior, but he nodded. “I could use your help, Chase.”
Chase wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear. “Don’t do anything foolish, Jodi. I’ll find out if you do. I promise you that.” He kissed me, dosing me again with his power. He was seriously going to kill me.
I wobbled back, still feeling the effects of his touch. Why couldn’t anyone else see what he was doing to me? If Alex were here, he’d notice it. He’d put an end to it. I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that came with thinking about Alex. I turned toward the school and walked inside. I hurried to Medusa and squeezed her hands.
“My child, what’s happened to you, now? Your power is all off balance.” Her expression was one of worry. “You need to release my left hand. You have too much poison in your blood right now. You need the blood from my right side.”
“But if I let go I won’t be able to talk to you, and I need to talk to you.”
“I can still appear to you. Go on and release my left hand.”
I did as she said, and the life-restoring power flowed through me, replenishing my energy. I sighed, relief washing over me. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Now, tell me what’s happened.”
“Chase. He’s evil, Medusa. He’s trying to kill me. He keeps sending me waves of power, but somehow he’s only sending me power from the left side of his body.”
“I can tell. You are filled with it. Jodi, I must warn you that, if you allow this to continue, you will turn evil. You’ll become like Victoria and Troy. Only worse.”
“Worse?” I was practically screaming in my mind. “How is that possible? They were awful.”
“You must stay away from Chase.”
“How? He drove Alex away—or I did because my stupid blood was attracted to Chase’s power.” Attracted to his power. Did that mean I was evil? If I was craving the evil in Chase, that had to mean I was evil, too.
“No, Jodi,” Medusa said, reading my mind. “There is more going on here.”
Again she was keeping something from me. “What do you know? I keep getting the feeling that you’re hiding something. What aren’t you telling me, Medusa?”
She shook her head. “I see more than you think, but I’m bound to the deal the Ophi made with Hades when they rescued my spirit. I cannot reveal to you what’s truly happening. If I do, the deal will be broken, and Hades will claim my soul once more.”
I couldn’t let that happen, but if she knew what was happening to me, there had to be a way for me to find out. “Can you give me a clue? Anything?”
“All I can say is this: That which has the power to save, has the power to destroy.” She shook her head again. “I’ve said too much already, and you’ve had enough of my power for one evening. Be careful, my child, and good luck.” She vanished, and I let go of her hand.
That which has the power to save, has the power to destroy. What did that mean? All Ophi had the power to restore life or to kill. This wasn’t anything new to me. Ugh! A hand pressed against my back, and I knew it was Chase before he even transferred his power. I whipped around.
“Don’t. Please. I finally feel like myself again. Please, don’t do this.”
Chase grinned at me. “Don’t you see? I’m trying to show you who you really are. Your true self is who you become with me.” He pulled me to him, hitting me with his life-restoring power, making my body tingle and crave his blood. I couldn’t fight it. I gave in, and before I knew what I was doing, I was kissing him.
The door opened behind us, and Lucas stumbled in. He was clutching his throat and choking. Not again!
I pulled away from Chase and reached Lucas as he fell to the floor. “Lucas?” I felt for a pulse, but there was none. He was dead.
“Chase, help me.” I couldn’t believe I was asking him for help, but no one else was around, and with the way my energy level had been roller coasting, I wasn’t sure I could raise Lucas alone.
Chase bent down next to Lucas while I mixed my blood and focused my power on bringing Lucas back to life. I reached for his soul. It was still in his body, so it should’ve been easy for me to bring him back, but his soul wouldn’t listen to me. Something must have happened when Chase and I connected. He’d affected my power somehow. I struggled, feeling my body shake. I reached out for Medusa’s hand, but Chase grabbed me instead.
“Chase, what are you doing? I need help. He’s fighting me. I can’t bring him back alone.”
Chase laced his fingers through mine, and I waited for the tingling feeling that came with Chase’s power. I didn’t feel it. He wasn’t helping.
“Chase! Please!”
“I’m trying, Jodi. I’m giving you everything I have. Why isn’t it working?” His voice was strange, as it had been in the cemetery when he was putting on a show for everyone.
“Oh, God!” McKenzie gasped.
My eyes were closed, focused on Lucas’s soul, but I knew the others were here now. They were watching. Chase was determined to have them see me fail. He was pretending to help, but really he was letting me fail. Letting Lucas die. He couldn’t get away with it.
“Chase, you jerk. You’re not helping me! You’re not giving me any of your power.”
He squeezed my hand, sending his poisonous blood to me in such a concentrated form I instantly crumbled under the strength of it. I fell to my knees as it burned through me. He was going to kill us both. I had no choice. I stopped focusing on Lucas, letting his soul leave. I concentrated on pulling free from Chase. I jerked my hand from his and fell to the floor sobbing.
“No!” McKenzie screamed. “Lucas!” She threw herself on his body and wept.
I pounded my fist against the floor before glaring at Chase. “Why? Why did you do that? You poisoned me! You let Lucas die! We could’ve saved him.”
Chase faked sadness. “Oh, Jodi. Don’t do this. Don’t look for someone to blame. We weren’t strong enough. You couldn’t save him. I don’t know why, but you couldn’t. No one blames you.” He bent down and reached for me, but I backed away.
“Don’t touch me!” Everyone was staring at me now. Looking at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. I’d lost Randy and Lucas. Alex had walked out on me. Chase was poisoning me, and no one would listen. It was driving me mad.
“Let me take you to your room.” Chase was still pretending to be the perfect boyfriend.
“Jodi,” Tony said, “maybe you should let Chase help you.” Oh God, Chase even had Tony fooled.
“No.” I turned to Arianna. She was my last hope. “Please, Arianna. Will you help me?”
She nodded and extended her hand to me, but Chase waved her off. “Lunch is ready, right? You all go eat. I’ll take care of Jodi.” Chase turned to Mason. “Uncle Mason, will you take care of Lucas’ body?”
“Of course,” Mason said. He looked at me and shook his head. “Jodi, I suggest you listen to Chase, before things get even more out of hand.”
They were all turning on me. All but Arianna, and Chase wouldn’t let her near me. How had this happened? Chase reached for me, giving me a small pleasurable dose of power. The one I couldn’t fight. Instantly, I became a different person. I knew I was angry with Chase, yet when he touched me like that I wanted nothing more than to be with him. Yes, I was definitely crazy. Arianna gave me a puzzled look, no doubt completely baffled by the change in my reaction to Chase.