Jodie’s Reward

Jodie

I moved quietly through the temple, a place I knew like the back of my hand.

I’d cried here, laughed here, prayed here. I’d found my savior in Matheius within these walls. I’d pledged my life to him.

I’d even sworn to kill my brother here.

And now, despite my shortcomings, I was being called back by my Lord.

He hadn’t given up on me, so I wouldn’t give up on him.

“Hello Jodie,” his voice reached me before I saw him.

He was exactly where I knew he’d be—sitting on his majestic throne.

He looked so magnificent there.

I bowed before him, kissing the hem of his blood-red robes that pooled at his feet.

“My Lord,” I cried, “your forgiveness of my mistakes shows you’re the merciful leader I always believed you to be. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Get up,” he snapped, his voice icy and harsh.

I stood immediately.

His gaze was sharp, his eyes devoid of the compassion I’d hoped to see.

“What’s the plan, My Lord?” I managed to ask.

“THE PLAN?” he roared. “What ~plan?~ You’ve destroyed any semblance of a plan!”

“But—but you said—”

A chill ran down my spine as I realized there was no mercy here for me after all.

“I know what I said,” he growled, “but I knew you wouldn’t come so quickly if I told you what was really waiting for you.”

“I would have come no matter what,” I said honestly. “Your wish is my command. It always has been and always will be. Please—”

“Don’t grovel. You’ll only look more pathetic to me—”

“My Lord, I’m sorry. I love you—you must know that. In this darkest hour, I believe we need each other more than ever.”

“DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I NEED!” he yelled. His hand shot out from under his robe, grabbing my neck with a vice-like grip.

I gasped for air as his hold tightened.

Selena

~Jodie.~

~My own descendant.~

~Begging for her life from the very man she chose to trust.~

I wished I could block out the sound. It was too painful.

She’d turned her back on me when she was so young, so vulnerable.

Matheius had exploited her childish whims. He’d captured her heart and with it, her future.

And I’d watched it all happen.

Many nights I mourned for Jodie as if she were already dead.

Yet, there was nothing I could do to stop her.

As a goddess, I had immense power.

It was true that I could alter people’s destinies.

But I couldn't change their hearts.

And Jodie’s heart belonged to Matheius.

Theodore

We stepped into Matheius’ dreadful, vile temple.

Once a vibrant and glorious place, it now looked neglected and dirty—the golden idols erected in his honor completely tarnished.

This place brought back awful memories.

And to make matters worse, it reeked of vengeance, the most foul-smelling phenomenon in the known universe.

For immortals and mortals alike, vengeance is a cancer. Insidious and malignant.

Matheius suffers from vengeance more than anyone.

His condition reminds me of an old proverb I told him the last time he summoned us to his temple.

I heard it from a wise Cherokee chief, and it’s stuck with me ever since:

~An old man is teaching his grandson about life.~

~He tells the boy that inside each person, there are two wolves: an evil one and a righteous one. The wolves are in a constant battle, always at odds with each other.~

~“This war is happening inside of you right now,” he tells the child.~

~His grandson is worried when he hears this. “Oh no,” he says, “but which wolf will win?”~

~His grandfather replies simply, “the one you feed.”~

For years, Matheius had only fed the evil wolf, and it had grown into a strong and powerful beast.

It’s true that you reap what you sow.

He’d sowed nothing but bitterness toward our creator, and for that reason, he lived alone here in his decrepit temple.

~What a pity, really.~

Jaxon

Moving silently through Matheius’ lair, I took in my surroundings.

The ancient building was filled with images of Matheius, in all shapes, sizes, and materials.

~What a self-centered jerk this guy is.~

I'd been a leader for several years. I knew what it was like for power to go to my head. But I always kept people around who could remind me of who I really was.

And of course, falling in love for the first time had saved me from myself.

Once I realized that I could love someone more than I loved myself—that I would risk my life for another person—I was finally able to keep my ego in check once and for all.

Matheius clearly needed to learn that lesson again.

I jumped as a noise suddenly broke the silence.

It took me a moment to realize that it wasn’t coming from the surrounding area, but rather from inside my own mind.

It was Alex. He hardly ever mind-linked.

Alex

Jax, can you hear me?

Jax

Hey buddy!

Alex

Thank Goddess! How are you?

Jax

We're in Matheius’ lair.

Alex

Do you need back-up? How do we get there?

Jax

It’s not easy. Wouldn’t be able to tell you even if I wanted to.

Jax

Hold down the fort for me. Keep everyone together. If anything goes wrong here, you know what to do.

Alex

You can count on me.

Alex

But don’t let anything go wrong…okay?

Jax

Okay.

I swallowed my fear as Alex’s voice faded, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time I would hear it.

Matheius

I held Jodie’s life in my hand.

If I squeezed just a little harder, she would be gone.

I didn’t need to use magic. Just my own bare hands.

And she wasn’t fighting back.

Had she accepted her fate?

Her face was a mask of terror, like she was staring down the grim reaper himself.

Something in my chest stirred as I looked at her.

Was it pity?

She wasn’t lying.

She was the last servant I had in this world.

Maybe she still loved me.

But—~no.~

~NO!~

That couldn’t be right.

If she loved me, she wouldn’t have lost the stone.

If Gilly loved me, she wouldn’t have died.

If Selena loved me, she wouldn’t have let Gilly die.

They all claimed to love me, but in the end, they all let me down.

I was ready to end her life, right there and then.

But then I felt something else—the powerful magical pull of the moonstone. The very one that Jodie had lost.

~Could it be close?~

The feeling was followed by footsteps, and then my name echoed through the room.

“Matheius.”

Quinn

My voice shook as I said his name.

There he was—Matheius, looking worse for wear. His features were gaunt, his skin pale.

And to make matters worse, he had Jodie in a death grip.

She was motionless, but when she heard my voice, she started to struggle against his hold.

“Hello, Quinn,” Matheius said, a hint of glee in his voice. That worried me. “Look who’s come to play the hero.”

Jodie was now clawing at his hands, trying to say something, but her words were choked off.

My stomach twisted at the sight and sound. Matheius noticed my discomfort.

“What?” he said, a smirk on his face. “Don’t like what you see?”

I was surprised at how much I really ~didn’t~ like seeing Jodie in pain.

“This is the aunt who betrayed your family. Who killed your father. Who tried to trick you into working for me. You should be happy to see her suffer.”

Then Matheius did something unexpected. He let go of Jodie’s neck, and she crumpled to the floor.

“Actually,” Matheius said. “I don’t want to rob you of this moment. You should do the honors. Kill her.”

I looked at Jodie, sprawled on the ground, clutching her neck, gasping for breath.

She caught my eye and said, “Quinn, please.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “You’ve come this far. You’re at Matheius’ earthly temple. Join us. Please.”

~How could she still be loyal to the man who was ready to kill her?~

“Please, my niece,” she continued. “I love you.”

How could she say that to me?

After everything she’d done. This woman had murdered my father. How different would my life have been if he was still here?

But now, she looked so vulnerable. So frightened.

And I noticed, for the first time, how much she really looked like—like me!

She had shattered my life, but for some reason, I still couldn’t stand to see her in pain like this. I’m not a killer, no matter how much I wanted to avenge my father’s death.

“So—you can’t do it?” Matheius sneered. “You’re a coward, just like the rest of your family. Kill her now, or I will.”