Touch of Death(20)

"No." I pretended to look at a bird in the distance. "But I've decided that I owe her one last family dinner. We're cooking a big meal when I get home. Then-well, I don't know what, but I'll leave somehow. I can't risk anything happening to my mom. Breaking her heart is better than stopping it for good."

"I can help you if you want."

"How?" I faced him again. "What would you say? You're the guy who stalked me, but you only wanted to tell me that I can raise the dead and that my blood, tears, and saliva are poisonous to humans? You think that will make it easier for her to let me go with you?"

"Okay, point taken. I have my cell on me. Call me when you're ready to go." He walked away, stopping at Matt's grave and placing a rose on top. I hadn't even noticed he was holding it.

I made it home with two minutes to spare.

"You're lucky," Mom said, taking out a frying pan. "I was about to get my car keys."

"I'm surprised you weren't warming up your vocal cords." It felt good to act normally. I wanted a normal night. Something nice to remember when I was gone.

"Green peppers and onions are on the counter. Could you chop them up and fry them for me? I need to finish seasoning the chicken."

I grabbed the knife and started chopping the onion. It hurt like hell thanks to the cuts on my fingers.

"How was it?" Mom asked.

"What?"

"The funeral. I'm figuring you went and sat in the back where no one would see you."

I stiffened, jerking the knife in my hand. I felt it slice into my thumb. No! Blood dripped a thin red line down my left thumb and onto the cutting board. I stood in shock. I didn't want to make any sudden moves that would let Mom know what had happened. I had to get my blood cleaned up before she saw it and wanted to help. My heart thumped so loudly I barely heard Mom saying my name.

"Jodi! You could at least acknowledge that you heard me. Even if you don't want to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I squeezed my finger and reached for the roll of paper towels.

"The funeral. Is everything okay? Do you need help chopping those?"

"No!" I answered, way too quickly. "I, um, broke a nail. That's all. I'll finish chopping in a second." It was the lamest excuse ever.

Mom put the chicken in the oven and then reached for the cutting board. "Here. Give me the knife, and I'll finish these. You go-" It took me too long to remember I'd bled on the cutting board.

"Mom, no! Stay back!" I grabbed the cutting board, pulling it toward me. I slid it across the counter and into the sink, onion and all.

"Jodi, you cut yourself. Let me see."

"It's nothing." I squeezed the paper towel tighter around my finger, willing my blood to clot already.

"I have to make sure you're okay. You're bleeding."

"I'm fine. I'll just go wash it off in the bathroom sink." The knife was still on the counter, and the edge was tinted red. I reached for it.

"I'll clean that," Mom said. "Go rinse your hand."

"No! Really, I got it." I grabbed the knife and put it in the sink. I ran the water, watching my blood go down the drain. It didn't look any different than normal blood. How could it be so poisonous?

Mom reached for the paper towels and started wiping the counter. "Stop!" I reached for the paper towel. As I turned, I smacked my hand on the faucet. I cried out as my thumb hit the cutting board in the sink. The paper towel fell off my thumb and landed in the sink.

Mom stopped trying to clean the counter, her eyes falling on my hand. "We have to take you to the emergency room. You might need stitches." I thought about Dr. Alvarez. He died because of me. Another one of my victims. I couldn't let that happen again. I grabbed the paper towel Mom had left on the counter and wiped the surface, making sure none of my blood was lingering anywhere. I threw the paper towels in the garbage and tried to tie it shut. I wasn't sure if dried blood would be able to kill, and I wasn't about to find out when Mom got rid of the trash. Tying one-handed wasn't easy, especially since both hands had cuts on them.

"Honey, what are you doing? Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it later. Right now I only care about getting your hand checked out."

She wasn't going to let up. I was hurt, and all she could think about was helping me. If I didn't tell her the truth fast, she was going to end up getting killed.

"Mom, there's something you don't know about me. Something you aren't going to like."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me after we go to the emergency room." She went for her purse on the kitchen table.

"No!" I had to get her attention. Make her listen. "I have to tell you now. Before anyone else dies because of me."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I think you're losing too much blood. You aren't thinking straight. No one has died because of you."

"Yes, they have." I couldn't get into the details. I couldn't risk crying on top of bleeding. Mom came back into the kitchen. "Please, Mom. Don't touch me."

"What is with this ‘no touching' thing you have going on lately? I don't understand, Jodi. Please, fill me in. What's going on with you?"

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm something called an Ophi. It means I have different blood than you do."

She shook her head, and her nostrils flared. She thought I was making this up, and she was getting angry.

I continued before she could yell at me. "Remember that guy who was following me? The one who needed to talk to me? Well, he's the one who told me this. He's like me, and he wants to help me."

Mom cocked her head to the side. "Wait, is he the reason you and Matt broke up?"

"What? No!" I squeezed my thumb in anger and winced in pain.

"We don't have time for stories right now, Jodi. You need a doctor."

"No! My finger isn't that bad."

"Then why won't you let me see it?" Mom slammed her hand down on the counter.

"Because if you touch my blood, you'll die. You'll die just like Matt did when he kissed me. Like Dr. Alvarez and Nurse Steingall. My blood is like poison." I was shaking, probably because I was holding back, fighting every urge to cry.

Loud knocking on the back door interrupted whatever Mom was about to say. I moved around her, making sure we didn't come in contact, and opened the back door.

"Now are you ready to come with me?" Alex asked.

"Were you watching me again? You're like a peeping Tom."

"I'm trying to save your life, and apparently your mother's, too. Are you going to let me in so I can help you explain all this to her?"

I stepped aside and let him pass. "Ms. Marshall, I'm Alex. I'm like your daughter. An Ophi. Only I was raised into a very different kind of life. My parents are Ophi, too. I want to take your daughter to a safe place where we can help her learn to control her abilities." He was blurting it out, like he knew he was only going to get one shot at this.                       
       
           



       

"Control her abilities?" Mom asked. "Okay, this has gone on long enough."

"She's a necromancer," Alex said. "She can bring back the dead."

Mom looked Alex straight in the eyes. "Do you know a boy died here two days ago? He was put in the ground today. How dare you make jokes about bringing back the dead after what Jodi's been through?"

"I wish I were joking."

Mom glared at Alex. "Jodi, get your coat. I'm taking you to the emergency room right now."

Alex stepped between us, blocking Mom's way. "She can't go there. She needs an Ophi to take care of her. Anyone else will die from touching her blood."

"Her blood is my blood. I'm her mother!"

"I know. And I don't want Jodi to have to live with being responsible for your death. She's already-"

"You put those crazy ideas in her head." Mom turned to me. "That's why you were so upset about Matt." She nodded her head at Alex. "He said you were to blame for Matt's death." I'd never seen Mom so angry. She lunged forward, pushing Alex out of her way, and reached for me. "There is nothing wrong with your blood. Your blood is my blood." Before I realized what she was doing, she grabbed my cut hand in hers.

"No!" I screamed, as my blood came in contact with her skin.





Chapter 14

I yanked my hand from hers and stared at the red blood staining her palm. She choked, her face turning red as if she were drowning. Alex rushed over to her, reaching his hands out as her eyes fluttered and she collapsed into his arms. He lowered her to the floor, cradling her head in his lap.

"No, no, no! Please!" I shrieked, my whole body convulsing. "This can't happen. Don't let her be dead."

Alex looked up at me with sadness in his eyes.

I bent down to him, gripping his upper arm, not wanting to touch Mom and inflict any more of my poisoned blood on her. "I'll come with you. I'll do whatever you say. Just please bring her back. Please!" My sobbing was uncontrollable.

Alex nudged me back and lowered Mom's head to the floor. "Stay back. Don't bleed or cry on her body. I need room."