Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) (39 page)

Job
sent his nephew a “not helping” sort of frown.

“Alright. 
Alright.  Gion?”  Cross cleared his throat and tried, again.  “It took me two
years to find Nia.  I knew I had a Match, but I didn’t know who she was.  I
went out of my mind wanting her.”

“I
knew that Ty was my Match.  I just… screwed up.”

“You
couldn’t have known.”  Job insisted.  “I was there with Ty and Parald, in the
same room as them, and I didn’t think that their Match was fake.”

“But,
I should have.  I just
left
her with him.”  It killed Gion to think of
it.  “I abandoned my Match with a rapist and I didn’t even know.”  Ty hadn’t
even been of age when Parald met her and began his manipulations.  Innocent and
helpless against that kind of evil.  Gion had just thrown her to the wolves. 
“I screwed up.”

“Gion,
no
.  The Tablets of Fate are the most powerful objects in the universe. 
They can be twisted.  They created the Fall.  They nearly killed me.  They’re
not some stupid trick you should have seen through.”  Job leaned closer to
him.  “They altered the Phazing energy.  You were a victim, as much as Ty. 
God, Parald just did the same maneuver with you and Randa and none of us picked
up on it.”

“Parald’s
copying his own arch-criminal plots.”  Cross muttered.  “It’s just lazy.”

“I
can handle Randa.  That’s hardly the problem here.”  Gion’s energy connected
with that woman, but it just felt… wrong.  He wasn’t worried about it.  He
could deal with whatever Parald threw at him.  Not even Gion could kill some
woman while she wept at him, but he could get rid of their connection somehow. 
All he could think about right now was Ty.

Job
wasn’t giving up on his intervention.  “You aren’t to blame.”

“I
screwed up.  I let Ty down.  She’s not going to forgive me for this.”

“There’s
nothing to forgive.  Ty didn’t detect the fake Matching, either.”

“No,
she’s been saying all along that’s something’s off.  I didn’t pay close enough
attention.”  Gion pressed the heels of his palms into his eye-sockets.  “She
was a baby, Job.  Barely ninety-three and she knew that Parald was wrong.  And
I didn’t.”

“You
did
know that it was wrong.”  Cross nodded.  “I’ve never even
heard
of anyone faking a Phazing before, so how could you think up that part?  But,
you felt that Ty was yours and you focused on getting her to Bind with you. 
That actually makes sense.  I would’ve done the same thing.”

All
Gion could see was Ty looking up at him in the Council Hall, wanting him to do
something to save her from Parald… and Gion being completely oblivious.

She’d
had to save herself.

He’d
screwed up and his Match had suffered.

The
Air powers started twisting into a tornado.

“Gion.” 
Job’s voice rapped out like hammer.  The total authority in it had Gion
instinctively looking at him like he was eight years old, again.

Job
put his hands behind his back, military “at rest” style.  “Shit happens.”  He
said succinctly.

Gion
blinked.  Job didn’t swear very often.  The novelty alone had him paying
attention.

Cross
snorted in amusement.  “Oh man.  You’re so getting a ‘Shit Happens’ t-shirt for
your birthday, Job.  Be ready.”

Job
ignored that promise.  “Life’s not fair, Gion.  But, there’s nothing you can do
about it.  I waited a thousand years for Tess and, when she got here, I didn’t
even recognize her as my Match.  You think that I didn’t call myself an idiot?”

Gion
couldn’t imagine Job ever questioning himself.  A big part of him would always
see Job as infallible.  A paragon of Elemental manhood.   The kind of Match
that Ty
should
have had.

“Focus
on the present.”  Job instructed.  “You have a Match, now.  And not just
a
Match.  You have Ty.”

The
cyclonic funnel eased.

“The
woman’s a gift, Gion.  Do you love her?”

“Of
course, I do.”

“Then,
this is
good news
.  Didn’t you always want Ty as your Match?”

“Yes.” 
Gion had only ever prayed for two things in his life: forgiveness and Ty.

Maybe
they were the same thing, actually.  If Addom was up there holding a grudge,
Gaia wouldn’t have given Ty to Gion.  Ty wouldn’t be Matched with a murderer. 
He should have seen that before.  Gion believed in God, and no force for Good
would give someone like Ty to
Parald
.  It was a blasphemy to even think
it… and yet, Gaia had Matched Ty to Gion.  Wasn’t that proof that he’d been
forgiven?

Job
was right.  Ty was a gift and, amazingly, she’s been given to
him
.

“You
have what you want.  She agreed to Bind with you
and
she’s your Match. 
Ty loves you.  You said that you’ve been waiting for her for eleven years and
now you have her.”

Gion
shook his head.  “Yeah, but…”

Job
cut him off.  “No.  Don’t get bogged down in the rest, right now.  Don’t do what
you did when Addom died and start blaming yourself for what might have been. 
You don’t have the luxury of self-indulgence, anymore.  You have a Match to
take care of.  That’s a lot of responsibility.”

Cross
grunted.  “You scare me when you pull out the duty and honor lecture, Job.  I
always wanna salute.”

“I
wouldn’t mind.”

Cross
chuckled.

Gion
reached into his pocket and found Ty’s hair barrette.  He felt the Air energy
coming back under control.  “This is real.  No one can ever take Ty from me,
again.”

“Exactly. 
Now, go and be a Match to her.”  Job’s hand came over and thumped Gion on the
shoulder.  “Ty needs you.”

Gion’s
thumb traced over the plastic daisies.  “Ty’s my Match.”  He couldn’t let her
down, again.  Job was right.  This was actually… good news.  “Ty’s really
mine.”

“She
is.  And I’m glad.  You deserve to be happy.  That’s all you have to worry
about screwing up, understand?  Don’t sabotage this.”

Ice
blue eyes met lawn green.  “Thank you.”  That was the first time Gion had ever
thanked Job for anything.

Job
looked shocked.  As shocked at Job
could
look, anyway.  Both eyebrows
shifted upward slightly and he paused for a beat.  “Well… you’re welcome.”

Cross
pointed towards the house.  “Are we done holding hands, now?  Can you go
comfort your Match?”

Gion
shot him a glower and stalked back into the living room.  He hesitated at the
doorway, his eyes going to Ty.  She was sitting on one of the striped sofas,
between her cousins, sobbing against Tharsis’ shoulder.

Shit.

Gion
had the very real feeling that he wouldn’t be welcomed in the family circle. 
“Ty?”

Her
head snapped around.  “Gion,
that’s
the block!  The Tablet put the block
inside me.”  She scrubbed at her cheeks.  “I told you there was something
stopping my energy.  He did something to me.  It’s not natural.”

“I
know, angel.”  Gion crossed the room, kneeling down in front of her.  “We’ll
fix it.”   He promised, plagiarizing Cross.  “We’ll fix everything.”

“That’s
why our memory sharing was so weird.  It was reacting to the…
whatever
that
Parald did and it was trying to show us the truth as best it could.”  Ty made
frustrated gesture with her hand.  “I thought there was a double-Match.  I knew
my connection to you was Phazing energy, somehow.  I just didn’t put it
together quick enough.  I’m sorry.”

“Stop
apologizing to me.  God, Ty! 
I’m
the one who’s sorry.  And I can’t
stand that you’re crying.  I can’t even imagine how traumatized you must feel,
but…”

“I’m
not crying because I’m traumatized.”  She interrupted with an amazed expression. 
“I’m
happy
.”

That
stopped Gion for a beat.  “You’re… happy?”

“Yes.” 
She gave a laugh.  “I’m
happy
, you dummy.  What do you think?”  Ty
pushed herself off the sofa cushions and landed right in his arms.  “I knew you
were supposed to be my Match.”  She kissed the side of his jaw.  “I’m happy to
be free of Parald.  And I’m happy that you would have wanted me, anyway.  You
make me so happy.”

Gion
felt the back of his eyes burning.  “You make me happy, too.”  He whispered.

He
had Ty.  After eleven years, he finally had her.  Gion was holding her too
tightly, but she didn’t seem to mind.  Job was right.  He wouldn’t sabotage
that.  It was more than he’d ever hoped for.  Over the top of Ty’s head, Gion
met Nia’s gaze.

“I’ve
decided to keep you on as King of the Water House.”  Nia told him seriously. 
“Congratulations.”

Gion
had never considered that part of being Ty’s Match.  “King?  I don’t want to be
king.”

“Well,
you have to be.”  Ty pulled back to grin at him.  “Otherwise, I’ll have to step
down as queen and then Thar will be king.  He doesn’t want that.”

“Nope.” 
Tharsis chimed in.  “Not gonna happen.  I called it first, Guy.”

Ty
nodded.  “He really did.  Don’t worry you’ll be a fine king.  People always
respect your leadership abilities… Hey!”  Her expression lit up.  “I know! 
Wouldn’t you like to sit for the Water House on the Council?  Then, Nia could
sit for the Shadow House.  Thar and I just dread the idea of Council meetings,
but you’d be great at it, Gion!”

Gion
realized that he’d been a Match for four minutes and he was already in over his
head.  “Whatever you want, angel.”  He didn’t really care.  Whatever she wanted
was fine with him.  He’d never seen Ty so excited.  Not even when he played the
Blue Danub
e for her.  She was crying and laughing and hugging him.  Gion
would dig ditches if she asked.

“If
Guy’s gonna go to the Council meetings, Nia, you need to videotape it for me.” 
Tharsis drawled.

Gion
stroked Ty’s red curls.  “I love you.”  He said quietly, mostly just she would
say it back to him.  He wanted to hear the words, again.

“I
love you, too.”  She gave her hair a toss, because she knew that he liked it. 
Gion could tell from the gleam in her eyes.  “Can we still do the Binding
ceremony?  It’s so important to me that we chose each other, before we knew we
were a Match.”

“Yes. 
We can do that.”  He would have died for her.

“I
don’t want to stand in front of the Council, again, either.  For our Phazing
Day, I want it to be just you and me and our family…”  She trailed off.  Gion
could actually see reality coming back into her gaze.  “Gion?  What if whatever
Parald did is permanent?  What if the block won’t go away and can’t I Phaze
with you?  What would happen, then?”

Gion
watched her gravely.  “Then, I’d leave you for another woman.  I’d miss you,
though.”

Ty’s
mouth parted.  For a second, she just gaped at him.  Then, she started
laughing, again.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she giggled like crazy. 
“You have a terrible sense of humor.  You’re lucky you found me.  No one else
would have you without a supernatural spell getting involved.”

Nia
and Tharsis rolled their eyes in perfect unison.

Gion’s
mouth curved.  His gaze slipped over to Isaacs.  He detested the bastard, but
they had worked together for the past century.  It was automatic.  In the other
man’s milky eyes he could see the knowledge of what was about to happen.

“You
want me to get Amarna?”  Isaacs mouthed as if he could feel Gion’s attention
fix on him.  Maybe he was used to working with Gion, as well.

“Yes.” 
Gion said emphatically.

The
Air House rebels just got themselves a brand new member.  Parald was about to
learn that he’d made a big fucking mistake when he targeted Gion’s Match. 
There had never been a deader Phase in the annals of Elemental history.

“Yes?” 
Ty repeated blankly.  “Yes, what?”

“We
need Tessie.”  Gion decided, instead of answering.  “She knows the Tablets
better than anyone.  She can tell us how to fix the block.  Don’t you think?”

Ty
bobbed her head.  “Good idea.  Tessie can help.”

“I’ll
call her.”  Job volunteered from the doorway.  “Something tells me that she’ll
want to be involved.”

She works
by charms, by spells, by the figure, and such daubery as this is, beyond our
element

William
Shakespeare-‘The Merry Wives of Windsor
’

“You
want to put Plexiglas in the Earth Palace?”  Uriel, of the Wood House glanced
over at Tessie.  “You’ve heard the rumors that this structure inspired the
human Renaissance, correct?  They copied it, even though it predates…”

“I
so
don’t care about the history lesson.”  Tessie interrupted.  “I lived
through the Renaissance and it was boring enough the first time.  Now, Gion’s
replacing the windows in the Water Palace and I want some plastic here, too. 
It’s a damn good idea.  He’s going to put them in the Shadowland, next, I
think.”

Uriel
frowned.  “Cross will not like that.”  He’d been Ty’s bodyguard for years,
until he was Matched with Sullivan’s cousin, Melanie.  He still had a
proprietary interest in all Water House goings on.

Nobody
wanted one of the only Phase-Matches in the universe risking his life as a body
guard, so Uriel had been forced into early retirement by the Council.  Being a
Wood Phase, he couldn’t stop his soldiering completely, though.  Uriel spent
his time doing freelance consulting work, complaining that Melanie refused to
quit her job as a policewoman, and looking for any trouble that he could
“accidently” engage in.

He’d
already missed the Battle in the Agora today, so Uriel was eager for some new
fight.  Gion proved an irresistible target.

“And
I do not think Gion is the best Phase to take advice from, Quintessence.  I
know him.  He is my kin, so I have some understanding of the man.”

“You’re
related to
Gion?
”  Tessie liked Guy, but she’d been picturing a “born
from a jackal” kind of back story for him.

“My
grandmother was his cousin.”  In the Wood House, that qualified as family. 
Especially, since there were only a five Wood Phases left.  “He is… troubled.”

“He’s
doin’ better, now.”  Tessie enjoyed gossip more than anything, except soap
operas and sleeping with Job.  “He’s with Ty.”

“Yes,
I know.  It is unsafe to have him at the Water House.  I do not know why Brokk
allows...”

“No,
blockhead.  He’s
with
her.  Gion loves Ty.”

“Ty?” 
Uriel held up a hand at chest level.  “Little and…”

“Is
there
another
, Ty?”

Uriel
actually thought about that as if it might be a trick question.  Apparently,
Gion’s “family” wouldn’t be forming a line to fill up his side of the Council
Hall come the Binding Day.  ‘Cause there
would
be a Binding.  Tessie had
known Gion for almost thirty years.  The guy didn’t know how to fail.

Tessie
gave up on explaining romance to a Wood Phase.  “Just measure my windows for
the Plexiglas, please.”  She should have just done it herself, rather than use
it as an opportunity to alleviate some of Uriel’s boredom.  Maybe she could get
the guy interested in golf or something.  That would be a less aggravating way
to amuse Mr. Unemployed.

He
obligingly pulled out a tape measure and began his work.  “Does Job know about
this plastic idea?”

“No.”

Uriel
nodded.  “When he becomes the first Phase in history to succumb to a massive
heart attack, remember that this was not my idea.”

Tessie
rolled her eyes.  First of all, she was right to replace the windows.  Secondly,
she was the Earth Queen, now, so this was her home, too.  And finally, her
Match adored her.  If there was one thing that Tessie absolutely didn’t worry
about, it was Job freaking out on her.

Tessie
started to explain that she could’ve blown up the Earth House, just for kicks,
and Job would only wince a little.  Before she could do more than open her
mouth, though, she felt a surge on energy.

Job.

Tessie
turned, a bright smile on her face, as her Match appeared in the nursery.

The
room had been prepared for Cross, back when he was a boy.  Not that Job’s bitch
of a sister had ever let the kid come and visit Job.  Instead, the cute little
space, filled with tin soldier wallpaper and every toy imaginable, had been
sitting empty for two hundred years.

It
was Tessie’s favorite spot in the house.  She was working hard to bring color
and life into the subdued, tasteful Earth Palace, but this room was already
perfect.  It was like a peek into Job’s wishes and dreams.

“Hey,
honey.”  She went on tiptoe to kiss him.  “Back from the trenches?”

“The
Water House, actually.”  Job looked over at Uriel, his eyebrows rising ever so
slightly in surprise.  “Uriel.”  He glanced down at the tape measure, obviously
wondering what the Wood Phase was doing, but too polite to ask.  “How are you?”

“It
was Tessie’s idea.”  Uriel pointed at her.  “She asked me to do it.  I told her
you wouldn’t want plastic windows, but she insisted.”

“I
see.”  Job murmured, even though he clearly didn’t.

“Plexiglas
is a good idea.”  Tessie repeated stubbornly.  “For security.”

Job
caught up pretty fast.  “You want to replace our windows with plastic?” 
Jumping on board with Gion’s plan really didn’t thrill him.  Job was used to
being the one with all the good ideas.  Tessie thought that his pout was
adorable.  “I maintain excellent security.  No one has ever gotten past my
barriers.”  Job complained and then paused.  “Well, except you, Tess.”

She
batted her eyelashes.  “There’s a next time for everything and I believe in
being prepared.”

“Well,
why are you preparing
this
room?”  Job looked around the nursery and
then back at her.  “No one ever comes in here.”

“Well,
I’m not pregnant,
yet
.  But, I figure it’s just a matter of time, don’t
you think?”

Job
blinked.

Tessie
grinned.  “And I want to make sure our unconceived baby is super protected. 
This is his room and it needs to be secure.  I’m not taking any chances.” 

“Oh.” 
Job’s eyes had gone wide.  He glanced down at her bare midriff, peeking out
from under her camisole top.  “I would love a child.”  The words were almost
inaudible, but Tessie still heard the wistful yearning in them.  Job would
never think that he was worthy of a family, but he’d make such a wonderful
father.

Tessie
leaned forward to hug him, resting her head against his shoulder.  “And in the
meantime, Nia’s daughter could stay in here when she comes to visit.  That’s
our
niece
, after all.  Plexiglas is such a simple thing and it could
keep her just a tiny bit safer.”

Job
turned back to Uriel.  “Rip out the windows.  All of them.  Anything she
wants.”  He looked down at Tessie.  “Of course.  Yes.  Plastic.”  He touched
the side of her face and gave her one of his almost smiles.  “Thank you.”

“You’re
welcome.”  Tessie kissed him, again.

Uriel
rolled his eyes.  “Melanie and I will have children, but I do not want them
sealed in plastic.  You must let the young have freedom.  That is why I am not
stricter with Sullivan.”

The
Wood House treated their thirty-five year old, part-human member like a four
year old at Christmas time.  Lots of indulgent smiles and not telling him
things for his own good.  The poor guy had no idea that Elementals even
existed, let alone that the Wood House thought that he was now under their overprotective
protection.

Tessie
liked Sullivan.  It was so,
so
wrong to enjoy the Wood House’s absently
condescending attitude towards him.

But,
she couldn’t help it.

She
bit back a snicker and glanced at her Match.  “So, why are you home so early,
Joby?  I figured you’d be late, what with the fight in the Agora and everything.” 
She usually nagged Job into a strict nine to five schedule.  Left to his own
devices, he’d work thirty hours a day.  He needed her to regulate his goof-off
time.

Tonight
they were supposed to be watching
Manos: The Hands of Fate
, because Job
loved bad sci-fi movies.  Tessie
had
been willing to give him a rain
check, seeing as how much had happened in the realm that day.  But, if he’d
blown off working late… so much the better.  Maybe her bad influence was
finally rubbing off on him.

He
flashed her an exasperated look at the nickname.  He didn’t like it when she
called him “Joby,” except he kind of
did
.  For all his senatorial taste
in clothes, Job loved to play.  Teasing him always brought a warm glow to his
lawn green eyes.  “I need your help.”

“Really?” 
That was a change of pace.  Usually, it was Job fishing her out of trouble. 
“Sure.  Anything, honey.”

“Would
you come and examine Ty?  We think Parald did something to her with the Love
Box and you’re the only one who can tell us how to fix it.”  No one understood
the Tablets better than Tessie.

“Parald
hurt Ty?”  Uriel dropped the tape measure and shoved his way into the
conversation.  “Is she alright?”

“Physically,
she’s fine.  Parald,” Job’s mouth tightened, a sure sign that he was seriously
pissed, “he did something to her energy.”

Uriel’s
jaw dropped as Job explained that Parald had disrupted Gion and Ty’s Match. 
“He did that to my cousin!?  To the Wood House!”

“Ohhhhh.” 
Tessie drew out the word, her mind going back to Gion’s uncharacteristic besotted-ness
around the redheaded Water Queen.  “Well, that explains a lot.”

Of
course
,
Ty was Gion’s.

She
was the only person who ever got past Gion’s icy guards.  The only thing that
he even openly loved.  In the three decades that she’d known the arrogant
bastard, Tessie had never seen Gion wear his heart on his sleeve the way he did
with Ty.

Tessie
cared for Gion a lot and it worried her that he was so isolated.  She’d often
thought that, one day, he’d just… quit, unless someone came and saved him.  And
now she knew why it had taken such a long time for his rescuer to show up.

Parald
had basically kidnapped the girl.

Jesus! 
He could’ve
killed
Gion.  A Phase deprived of his Match was capable of
all sorts of crazy, suicidal shit.  Look at Chason.  If Parald’s plan had
actually worked, Gion could have imploded.  Ty Phazing with another man would
have driven him insane.  And he was already nutty, enough.

Tessie
shook her head, annoyed that she’d missed the obvious and that Parald had
endangered her oldest friend.  “Parald stole Gion’s Match, huh?”  She snorted
and looked on the bright side.  “Well, that asshole’s as good as dead.”