We headed to the palace, one big group of Ophi. The old and the new mixed. Tensions were high, especially since these were the people who had tortured us for countless hours. Well, all except Victoria and Troy. They were still unconscious in Tartarus. As much as I wished I could give Alex his parents back, I couldn’t. Medusa had told me that some Ophi just aren’t good. Victoria and Troy were proof of that. They wouldn’t change.

“You okay?” Alex asked. “Controlling the souls still?”

“Yeah. Medusa and I have this under control.”

“Thanks for letting the others come back,” Lexi said, coming up on the other side of me. “That was pretty cool of you.”

“It was the right thing to do.”

We walked up to the palace doors and paused as a group. We all looked at one another for a moment.

“Understand that, by coming with us now, you are swearing to be on our side. We’re family from here on out. Whatever’s happened before now is done. We move on together. That’s the only way to keep Hades from doing this again.”

Everyone nodded, but I wasn’t satisfied yet. “Anyone have any hesitations?”

Not even Abby spoke up. Arianna took her hand and squeezed it. Abby’s bottom lip trembled.

“Good. Then let’s do this and get the hell out of here.” Seriously, the Hell jokes had to stop, but they were our only source of comic relief in this place.

I opened the doors and stepped inside. The judges were sitting at their thrones, but they weren’t alone. Another god was standing in front of them, and judging by the lightning bolt he held in his hands, I knew it was Zeus.

It always came back to Zeus.

Chapter 34

Why hadn’t I paid more attention in lit class when Tony—or Mr. Quimby as I’d called him then—was talking about Zeus? I racked my brain for anything I could remember. He was like the head honcho of the big Greek gods. He was the one who’d placed Ophiuchus in the sky as a constellation to appease Hades, who didn’t want all his souls being taken from the underworld. Oh, crap! I was still using Medusa and my powers to send souls after Hades. Was that why Zeus was here? Had Hades called him to do something about me? Was I about to earn a spot next to Ophiuchus in the sky?

I let my blood calm and stopped commanding the souls. Maybe I could still talk my way out of this. Zeus was supposed to be the god of justice or something like that. He might listen to reason. Zeus slammed his lightning bolt downward, hitting the ground with enough force to shake the entire underworld. I bet even the Titans in the pit felt it. His long, blond hair flew up in response to the gesture.

“I take it you are Jodi Marshall,” Zeus said, his sky-blue eyes staring directly at me. Somehow I didn’t think it was a good thing that he’d already singled me out.

“Um, yes, sir.” I debated bowing. He was the king of the gods, but I’d never been a huge fan of Zeus. I hoped he wasn’t aware of that little fact.

“You’ve been causing a great deal of trouble for me.”

I braced myself for what was coming next.

“Those souls you raised are wreaking havoc in the mortal plane.”

How could I have forgotten about them? I’d raised them to get Hades’ attention. To show him what Medusa and I could do together—how miserable we could make his existence if he didn’t strike a deal with us. I never stopped to think about what hundreds of zombies would do when they rose from their graves.

“I’m sorry. I had to get Hades to listen to me. To stop torturing me and my friends. I’ll release them now.”

Zeus put his hand up. “No need. I’ve already taken care of it. They are once again under my brother’s control.”

His brother. The way he said it sent chills down my spine. Zeus was Hades’ brother, and he was here to help him.

“Zeus, I never meant to cause a problem for you. Hades has been—”

“A jackass?” Zeus raised one eyebrow at me. “Yes, I’m well aware of what my brother is like.” He paced in front of the judges. “Why do you think I let him rule down here? He has the least impact on the mortal plane this way. It keeps him out of my hair…most of the time. But then you came along and stirred up all sorts of trouble for me.” He stopped and stared at me. Compared to Zeus, Hades looked like a puppy dog. Zeus was downright frightening. “I can’t have you disturbing the balance of things like this. When my brother is upset…well, it’s never good.”

“Are you here to take me away? Put me in the heavens with Ophiuchus?”

Alex grabbed my hand. Obviously the thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

“No.” Zeus walked toward me, stopping only two feet from me. “I’m here to moderate a deal between you and Hades. I won’t allow this sort of thing to happen again.”

Moderate a deal. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. I’d chosen to come to the palace hoping the judges would help us come to a fair arrangement. Zeus could help me make Hades agree to a deal that I liked. Or Zeus, being Hades’ brother, might screw the Ophi over completely. But Persephone had said Zeus asked her to go to the underworld to distract Hades. That had to mean he was on my side, or at least not on Hades’ side, which was good enough for me.

“Ah,” Zeus said. “Speak of the devil.”

A cloud of black smoke swirled in the palace doorway. Hades had arrived. He looked at Zeus, and his eyes widened. “Brother. Did we have a meeting set up for today? Perhaps it slipped my mind with all I had going on here.”

“No. No meeting scheduled, but my presence is necessary.” Zeus motioned to me and the other Ophi. “We have a situation. One I don’t feel you can handle on your own.” He looked around. “I take it Persephone has gone.”

Hades gritted his teeth. Great, Zeus had to remind him that, thanks to me, he’d missed saying goodbye to his wife. “For the time being.”

“Then I was right to come.” Zeus walked past the judges and sat in Hades’ throne. Wow, what a slap in the face. He was asserting his position over Hades.

Hades’ fist clenched. “I believe that is my seat, brother.”

Zeus rested his lightning bolt on Persephone’s throne. “As you are, in a way, being judged here too, I feel your place is down there with the Ophi you’ve created such an unpleasant feud with.”

Did Zeus just say Hades had created the feud? Maybe he didn’t blame me.

“You can’t be serious,” Hades yelled.

“Have you ever known me to joke?” Zeus’ face showed no emotion.

I raised my hand like a little schoolgirl. “Excuse me, Zeus. I have a deal I think would be fair for all involved.”

He sat forward in his chair, lacing his fingers in his lap. “Go on. However, unless the deal includes Medusa’s soul, which I can clearly see resting inside you, you should consider revising it.”

He’d sensed Medusa’s presence immediately. He really was more powerful than Hades.

“Actually, it does.” My voice wasn’t my own at all. It was Medusa’s.

What are you doing? I asked her.

What needs to be done. The gods have wanted my soul for a long time. I need to show them I’m willing to give them what they want in exchange for your freedom.

Medusa. Even my mental voice was shaking with emotion. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you.

I know, my child. I don’t want to say goodbye to you, either, but we must do what is best for our people.

What was best for the Ophi was having Medusa with us. Medusa, do you trust me?

You know I do.

Then let me make the deal.

It is your body. I will not speak through you again.

Thank you, Medusa.

I hoped this would work. “Zeus,” I paused, waiting for him to allow me to continue. He nodded. “I know you and the other gods want Medusa’s soul to move on to the afterlife where you feel she should be. I’ve discussed this with Medusa, and she wants me to take her place. To lead the Ophi and be the one to give them power. I agreed, but now I see I was wrong. I can’t become the next Medusa. There is no such thing.”