Part 22 (1/2)

Alex rushed to me, taking my hands. ”What did he whisper to you? And what was with the image of Matt?”

”He wants to make a deal with me.”

Alex's eyebrows rose. ”Another deal?”

”I know. I'm getting really sick of them.”

Alex's face hardened as he pieced together what the deal was. ”He wants you to choose Matt and stay human.” He nodded. ”Maybe you should do it.”

”What? No!” I cupped his face in my hands. ”Alex, I won't leave you here.”

”You do know that's not the same as telling me you love me.” He was questioning my feelings for him. He thought my human emotions had taken control of me. That I wanted Matt now.

Arianna turned away, giving us a little privacy.

”I do love you. Nothing is going to change that.” Change it, no, but it wasn't exactly that simple, either. I'd been kissing Matt before I came here. I couldn't deny I had feelings for him. Even though it was my human soul acting on those emotions, I'd still technically cheated on Alex. After the whole thing with Chase, I didn't know if Alex could handle this too.

”Alex, there's something I have to tell you. It's been eating me up inside.” I wasn't sure which shook more, my voice or my hands. Alex laced his fingers through mine, giving me the strength to continue. ”When I'm focused on my human soul, it's like I'm a different person. The person I would've been if I hadn't come into my powers.”

He stared at me, letting me get this out in my own time.

I felt my blood bubbling under my skin. G.o.d, how could I ever give up that feeling? The power? Alex? All of this? ”I'm like two people. When I'm here with you, I want nothing but you. I want to be Ophi for the rest of my life.” Tears trickled down my cheek, and Alex raised our hands to wipe them away. ”But when I'm human, I can't help having human emotions. I feel what I felt before all this happened.”

”You feel what you felt for Matt.” His voice was soft and full of hurt.

He knew? ”How did you-?”

”Tony told me. He said all your feelings for Matt would resurface. That the longer you two were together, the more you'd remember how you used to love him. And when he saw you with Matt's sister...”

”I didn't love him, at least not like that. I think I could have. No. I know I could have if I hadn't met you. But I did meet you, and I love you, Alex.”

”It's okay, Jodi. I'm not mad. That's not who you are anymore. This is you. Right here, with me.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I melted into him. This was what I wanted. I deepened the kiss, wanting to lose myself in him.

He gently pulled away, looking off into the distance. ”Unless you want to take Hades up on his offer. You'd be free from all of this. He'd leave you alone.”

”No. I don't ever want to be free from you. Not having you would be worse than being in h.e.l.l.”

He pulled me to him again, wrapping his arms around me. ”You're running out of time. The longer you're away, the more p.i.s.sed-off Hades gets.”

”I know. I'm going to Mason and then straight to Medusa. I'll have an answer tonight.” I had to. Otherwise, Mom was dead. Hades would take her, and I'd be parentless.

”I wish there was something I could do to help you. Do you think there's any way you could raise me? I mean, I've died before.”

”No way. It would probably kill you, and in a way I wouldn't be able to fix.” I rubbed his arms. ”I refuse to lose you, too.”

”I can't imagine Matt's really been a help to you.”

No, it was more like I was helping him, and he was confusing the h.e.l.l out of me. ”He's trying to get used to being human in someone else's body. While I'm waiting to hear back from Mason, I'm getting Matt set up for his new life.”

”Does he understand you won't be in it?” That was the million-dollar question.

I lowered my eyes. I couldn't lie to him.

”That's what I thought. Even the nice guy can become that guy when the girl he loves is on the line.” He sighed, trying to stay calm.

”He feels lost right now. He's scared, and I understand that. He's going to outlive everyone around him. It's depressing. I can't help wondering if I made a mistake bringing him back. Maybe he doesn't want this for himself. Maybe I'm just torturing him more.”

Guilt welled up inside me. Here I was in the underworld, where Alex and my friends-no, my family-were suffering. They were in real pain, and I was worried about making my former human boyfriend immortal.

Alex didn't say anything. He was trying to handle my feelings for Matt the best he could, but it was tearing him up inside. Once again, I was hurting him.

I leaned into him and pressed my cheek to his chest. ”This will all be over soon, and then we'll be together again.”

I wasn't sure if he believed me. He didn't agree or disagree. He didn't stroke my hair or try to kiss me.

I stepped back, studying his face, trying to judge what he was feeling.

He nodded over my shoulder. ”Chase is coming this way with a soul. You should go.”

I knew he meant back to my human soul. Tune out everything here and return to my plan to free us all. Of course, that meant returning to Matt and all those feelings, too.

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.”