Part 27 (1/2)

Alex gently grazed my arm with his hand. ”Anything?”

I shook my head. ”Wherever he has her, she can't hear me. Either that, or she's in so much pain that she can't respond.”

”You think she's in Tartarus?”

It was a good bet. I nodded.

”Let's go.”

We had no plan other than finding her. If Victoria had her, I'd have to use my powers to knock out Victoria. My blood was already boiling under my skin. I had enough emotion running through me to wipe out every Ophi here with my poison. Chase was lucky he wasn't around anymore.

Chase! ”Alex.” I grabbed his arm, stopping him just outside the gate. ”Chase might know where Medusa is. He must have seen something.”

”I don't know. He was on the ground and in a lot of pain. Besides, Hades didn't go by us, so how would Chase have seen him? Hades may have part of Chase's soul, but that doesn't mean Chase has access to it or that he knows what Hades is up to.”

That was true. Hades had hurt Chase in the palace, too. If Chase had any insight into what Hades was going to do, he might have avoided that.

”All right. We'll check Tartarus and hope for the best.”

Finding strength in each other, we walked hand in hand, an army of two. We were almost to the entrance to Tartarus when Bristol came walking up behind us.

”Jodi!” Her voice was a loud whisper.

I turned to see the fear on her face. ”What is it? Did something happen? Did you see Medusa?”

”Medusa?” Bristol's head jerked back. ”She's here?” Even she knew that wasn't good.

”Yes, and we have to find her soon.”

”She's not in there.” There was more. ”The others are. All of them. Hades said he wants us to torture them until there's nothing left.”

”You don't mean...”

”Until they're dead.”

No. My hands shook. Alex yanked his hand from mine.

”Jodi, you're on fire.”

My power was out of control.

”What's going on? What are we going to do?” Bristol's eyes pleaded with me. ”I don't want to kill anyone. I've been taking care of that girl Amber for you. I've been doing everything you asked. I just want to get out of here. I don't belong here. I'm not evil.”

Now she was losing it. I reached for her but thought twice about it. I didn't want to burn her with my touch. ”Calm down. I'm going to figure this out.”

”You better do it soon. They can't hold on much longer.”

”What is Hades having you do to them exactly?” They couldn't have been in Tartarus for that long. Hades had only left us moments ago.

Her body shook as she took a deep breath. ”He's making them relive every death and raising they ever caused, all at once.”

That was how Hades killed an Ophi. It was supposedly the worst way you could die. He wanted to end this quickly. No savoring the moment this time. He was done playing around.

”Please, Bristol, do whatever you can to slow things down. I need to find Medusa. Once I do, I can save us all. I'll get you out of here, but I need your help right now.”

Her eyes teared. ”But how? I don't know what to do.”

”Create some sort of distraction. Anything. Get the focus off the others. Pretend you're hurt, in pain.”

I calmed my blood for a moment, focusing on the life-restoring power alone. I gently touched Bristol's arm and sent a wave of the energy to her.

”What is that?” Her eyes widened, and she smiled. ”That's amazing.”

”Think you can handle this now? I gave you a power boost.”

She nodded. ”Yeah. I can do it.”

”Good. Go!” I pushed her toward the entrance, and she ran in.

”Great,” Alex said, ”but we still don't know where Medusa is.”

”Yes, we do.” There was only one place she could be. ”In the palace. She's with Persephone.” I took off running toward the palace.

Alex easily kept up with me. The guy always had been fast. ”Why do you think she's there?”

”Because it's the one place that has been off-limits to us. Hades keeps Persephone guarded from everyone and everything.”

”You're right, but then how are we going to get to her?”

I pictured the look Persephone had on her face when we were all in the palace. She hated Hades. ”Hades told me Persephone came here on her own, but I don't believe it. Something is up. Persephone will help us because she'll do anything to get back at Hades for imprisoning her here.”

Alex smiled. ”That's crazy enough to actually work.”

”Yeah, but we need to find Persephone's chambers in the palace first. I think I know where to go. I saw her walk away during the argument earlier.”

We raced the rest of the way. The palace entrance was quiet. Hades was gone, which wasn't good for us. That probably meant he was with Persephone, guarding Medusa.

”What now?” Alex asked, catching his breath.

I pulled him off to the side and out of view of the judges, not that they really cared that we were there. Their only concern was judging new souls. Still, we ducked behind a pillar. ”We need to find Persephone and see if Hades is really with her. He might be somewhere else. We have to know for sure because we don't have time to waste.”

”I know what you could do,” Chase said, walking around the pillar and facing us. His nose was still crooked, and he had dried blood caked on his face.

”Get out of here!” Alex yelled, shoving Chase in the chest and sending him slamming into the pillar.

”Would you two stop it?” I grabbed Alex's arm. ”We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves right now.”