Guardian of the Earth House (3 page)

“Parald.”

“No.”  A bit of Teja’s previous passion came back as she scowled.  “Where did it
come from
, Job?  Where the hell did that little piss-ant Parald find something so huge?  Not even Gion could pull off a checkmate like this.  Where did Parald
get
the Fall?”

Job frowned.  He had no idea where Parald got the Fall.  Until now, it hadn’t even occurred to Job to ask that question.  “I don’t know.”

“I don’t, either.”  Teja ran another hand through her hair.  “How did he do it?  I’ve never read or heard of anything like this disease.  Did he
make
it?  He’s not a chemist.  He’s a fucking idiot.  How could he create something like that?”

“I don’t know.”  Job repeated.

Teja’s jaw tightened.  “He had help.  He
had
to have help.  Something bigger than us, or older, or smarter…”  She raised her hand and then let it drop in a powerless gesture.  “
Something.
  I just can’t figure it out.”

“It seems like the Council should investigate.”  Job put in, pointedly.  “We’ll need your support, though, so your wrist slitting plans will have to wait.  Not that that would kill an Elemental, anyway.”  Job was trying to downplay the seriousness of his concern.  Teja
had
to live.  Not just because Job cared for her, but for the good of the world.  She helped to support two Houses.  The Elementals couldn’t lose her.

God, if someone like Teja would even consider suicide, how many other survivors of the Fall would take their own lives out of anguished defeat?

Job couldn’t even blame them.

“Subtle.  Yeah, I’m willing to hold off on the razors, for now.  Don’t worry about it.”  Teja sighed when Job just stared at her in concern.  “Fine.  Look, I’ll help you with the Council thing, alright?”  She started to move past him.  “I’m going home to burn more Phases on an open fire.  Maybe have some s’mores.  You can come and get me when you’re ready to start passing out meeting agendas.  Satisfied?”

“Just don’t kill yourself without telling me first.”  Job ordered.  He needed to make sure that he’d have time to stop her if she really got serious about suicide. Teja was powerful, but no one had Job’s energy.  He could
make
her live if need be.  “Promise me.”

“God, you’re a nag.  Yes, okay?  I promise.”  She lifted one shoulder in an apathetic shrug.  “I’m just really, really tired, right now...” Teja trailed off with a weariness and detachment that broke Job’s heart.  “I am so tired.”  She finally murmured, staring out at the unburied masses.  “And nothing makes any sense.  None of this makes any sense, at all.”

Two Years Later

So, such an extra element, if it existed, would have to be here, alongside

air, fire, earth, and water.  But, we see no such thing.

Aristotle- “Physics”

Tessie was scared.

It took a lot to scare the Keeper of the Quintessence.  Being around since pretty much the beginning of everything made Tessie kind of blasé about the entire world.  But, she was downright terrified as she prepared to flee her home and find sanctuary with those damn Elementals.  She was about to step out of their legends and become their houseguest.

The Fifth Element needed a place to hide.

Tessie’s territory encompassed all the stuff that wasn’t quite an Element, but still needed to be supported.  She controlled the “everything else” in the universe.  Tessie made sure that the Elementals had room to balance their Houses.  She held the Quintessence, the spaces in-between the Elements.  And she did such a good job of it, that the Elementals didn’t even believe that she existed.  Or they
hadn’t,
until now.

For generations, the Quintessence had been a bedtime story for them to tell little Elemental children.  Their whole concept of it was nothing but a fairytale. The ancient Greeks had called it “ether” or “aether.” If you wanted to get all scientific-y, it was called “dark matter.”  If you wanted to be poetic, “the life of the stars” had a nice ring to it.  Sometimes people just called it “Divine.”  Sometime people thought
Tessie
was Divine, just because she was the one who supported it.

Except, Tessie wasn’t Divine.

She really didn’t want that unfortunate truth getting around, of course.  When she was younger, she’d spread a lot of “don’t mess with Tessie” rumors about the Quintessence’s mythical powers.  No matter how annoying it could be to have Phases questing after her, thinking she was magic or whatever, it certainly beat the alternative.  It was far better to be thought of as incredibly magical than incredibly average.  It would mean real badness if the rest of the universe found out that Keeper of the Quintessence was basically a human.

Tessie’s lifespan could stretch on forever and she didn’t get sick, but the rest of the frailties of a human body were hers to enjoy.  An Uzi here, some cyanide there, a drunk driver running a red light… Any of it could be the end of her.  Still, since she didn’t hang out with Rambo, or eat rat poison, and she always wore a seatbelt, she
should’ve
been able to live on for another endless expanse of time.

If it wasn’t for all the people wanting her dead, anyway.

Her vulnerable state was a painted target on her back and all the wrong people knew it.  Tessie held one of the most powerful things in creation, but she’d be real easy to kill if she was discovered.  Over the millennia, people had tried to take the Quintessence from her.  None of them had succeeded, but there had been some close calls.  Real close.  She’d always found it best to keep a low profile.

Tessie did
not
want to be found.

Sadly, her laidback, incognito, life at the beach was blown to pieces.  The damn Elementals were to blame.  She’d been trying to
help
them.  She’d felt guilty that they were dying out.  She’d wanted to point them towards the humans as a new source of Phase-Matches.  Tessie knew better than anyone that humans could sometimes mate with nonhuman.  Look at her parents!  And she’d achieved her goal.  The Phases now knew they could interbreed with certain humans.  So, Tessie’s science lesson had alleviated a lot of their little extinction problems.

But, in the process, she’d drawn too many eyes towards Mayport Beach, Florida.  It wasn’t safe for Tessie to stay here, anymore.  It might never be safe for her to stay here, again.  The thought made her blink back angry tears.

Mayport Beach had been her home for eighty-seven years and now her home had been corrupted and infiltrated and stolen.  She was definitely going to lose her job as a bartender at the Wastin’ Away Bar and Grill when she never showed up for work, again.  Not that it mattered, since she’d have no rent to pay or bills to deal with while she was on the run from her sister.  Everything was ruined.

Damn Elementals.

They’d caused this problem and now they could solve it.  Or at least their fearless leader could.

Job, of the Earth House.

Righteous, powerful, dignified. 
Not
a screw-up or a failure.

Parson had told her many stories about the greatness that was Job.  If the rumors were true, Job was the all-purpose backup plan for everybody in the universe.  He was the one guy who Parson had always insisted that she go to if she ever got into trouble.  Like, for instance, the
very
deep trouble she was in, now.  Tessie had never met Job, but she was predisposed to dislike him on his reputation alone.  Perfect people bugged her.

But, she needed him.

Tessie stuffed an iPod into her zebra striped backpack, along with some faded Levis and halter tops.  Looking around her bedroom to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything, she zipped the bag up and swung it over her shoulder.  Urgency was beating at her, telling her to hurry up and vamoose before the bad guys found her.

Tessie swallowed as her gaze swept over her colorful, cluttered room for the last time.  Tiki headed twinkle lights surrounded the mirror she’d salvaged from somebody’s trash.  The walls were covered with vintage travel posters and painted a shade of flamingo pink that she’d gotten half price from the mistake cart at Home Depot.  There were stacks of books and magazines everywhere.  Her bedside lamp was shaped like a hula dancer.

Tessie loved her room.  She’d miss it.  She’d had so little that was really
hers
; so few places where she had peace.  It broke her heart to lose this haven.

A sudden, gigantic surge of Elemental energy filled the room.  The hula dancer’s light bulb exploded in a small fireworks display of sparks that nearly caught the grass-skirted shade on fire.

The bedroom door slammed open and blackness loomed there.

Tessie’s head whipped over around to stare at the intruder who’d materialized in her private sanctuary.  Her heartbeat kicked into overdrive as she identified him.

Gion, of the Air House.

Gion was one of the few Phases powerful enough to jump into the human realm alone.  Usually, two or three of them were needed to make the trip.  Only the oldest and/or strongest could solo mission from the Elemental realm.  Powerful people annoyed her, even when they
weren’t
jerks.  Needless to say she wasn’t thrilled to see Gion, who managed to be
both
and a condescending, heartless, assassin, as well.

The Darth Vader of the Elemental realm swept into Tessie’s pink, flea-market chic world.  Gion’s cape swirled around the tops of his high-polished boots, the solid black of his uniform making him look like a refugee from some low budget horror flick called
Night of the Vampire Nazi Ninjas
or something.  Icy blue eyes took in every inch of her bright, happy bedroom and clearly found it disgusting on every possible level.

That actually made Tessie sort of happy.  If she ever discovered that she and Gion agreed on something, she’d have to change her mind just on principal.  He was such a sarcastic, dissatisfied bastard.  “Don’t you know how to knock?”  She demanded.

The golden streak in his black hair shone brilliantly even in the sudden darkness of her bedroom.  Gion was a good-looking guy, if you went in for serial killer types.

Tessie didn’t.

“I apologize.”  Raising a fist to her wall, Gion mockingly rapped a few times.  “Am I interrupting?  I’d hate for visitors to disrupt your busy schedule of drinking Mai Thai’s and channel surfing between soap operas.”

“I drink margaritas, genius.” Tessie’s fingers tightened on the strap of her backpack.  She could feel more Elementals closing in on her house and trampling her yard.  Driving her from the only space where she’d ever felt at home.  Fucking Parald.  Fucking Chason.

Fucking Kay.

Tessie glared at Gion for a beat.  “Air Phase or Reprisal?”  She demanded.  The Air House was after her, but so was Chason, of the Magnet House.  The Reprisal, Chason’s own private army, wanted vengeance for the Fall, even if it destroyed the world.  They thought Tessie could help them with her “super-powers.”  If the Reprisal ever found out the truth, they were going to be one
really
unhappy group of armed, vendetta-crazed, mercenaries.  “Seriously, who’s out there?”

Gion arched a brow.  “Does it matter?”

No, it didn’t, but she wasn’t giving him an inch by admitting that.  “Asshole.”  Tessie’s fingers went to the chain around her neck, twisting it around her fingers.  “What about…?”

Someone broke her living room window. Tessie heard the glass shatter as Phases tried to get into her home and snatch her.  They had no idea what they were doing.  They were going to burn the universe to ashes and they weren’t even smart enough to know it.

Idiots.

She actually took a step towards the living room, furious and ready to tear into the Phases with whatever small amount of power she could generate.

Gion moved, blocking her way.  “It sounds like the Reprisal.  You may want to reconsider attacking them, since they apparently brought bricks.  Not even
your
head is
that
hard.”

Tessie swore and glowered up at him for a beat.  “Fine.  I’m gone.”  She snapped and jumped out of the human realm.  She landed in the Earth Kingdom with a thud.

“Shit.”  Tessie had no problems jumping into any House’s territory.  The barriers they erected against other Phases didn’t work on her.  But, her energy wasn’t strong enough to land with Gion’s graceful athleticism.  She wound up sprawled, face down, on the ground.

Damn Elementals.

She pulled herself to her feet and brushed her hands over her body to clear off the dirt.  It was night in the Earth Kingdom, but the flickering street lamps illuminated her surroundings.  She could see the Earth Castle, in all its neat and tidy glory, just ahead of her.  Good, she hadn’t accidently sent herself to the wrong side of the kingdom, at least…

Tessie’s thoughts trailed off as her eyes fell on the wall directly ahead of her.  Or, more specifically, on the graffiti
marring
the wall directly in front of her.  She stepped closer to it, frowning in confusion.  Black, spray-painted letters spelled out “Your Fault!” in bold, block print.  The paint was chipped and faded in places, as if it had been there for a long time.

Why?

Tessie looked around at the boxy hedges and orderly flowerbeds. Why would someone who kept immaculate, flawless gardens let the defaced wall remain?  Why not clean it off?  What did it even mean?

It didn’t make any sense.

Tessie gave her head a baffled shake and hefted her backpack further up her shoulder.  Whatever.  Elementals were an odd bunch.  She’d given up trying to understand them years before.

It didn’t take Tessie long to reach the castle.  She jogged up the tidy walkways, ignoring the stinging bits of white gravel that slipped between the foam of her flip-flops and the tender bottoms her feet.  Tessie kept looking over her shoulder, scanning the darkness for threats.  She’d spent most of her existence looking over her shoulder for threats.

She never felt safe.

Plus, since the Fall, the Elemental realm was just a spooky place to be.  The staggering loss of life meant there were abandoned houses and buildings everywhere.  And the
silence
.  The unrelenting quiet of the place kind of freaked her out.  Maybe Mayport Beach stopped short of reaching the “bustling metropolis” mark, but Tessie was used to the noise of the bar and the protective anonymity of crowds.  She felt exposed, as she headed for Job’s house, and the vulnerable feeling just fed into her anger.

Damn Elementals.

She walked right into the Earth Castle without bothering to knock.  Which, granted, she’d just bitched at Gion for doing, but so what?  Tessie was scared and sad and furious.  And Job --a guy so secure that he didn’t even need to lock his fucking
door
, apparently-- was about to feel the brunt of her emotional maelstrom.

She stomped through the house, easily finding Job even in the cavernous space.  She could feel the energy pouring off of him in waves, drawing her towards the study.  God, what she wouldn’t give to have that kind of power.

Job probably had no idea what it felt like to be afraid.

Tessie glowered at him from the doorway for a beat.  At ten pm, in the quiet and solitude of his own home, the guy wore a suit.  A friggin’
suit
!  With pinstripes and an Old Money tie.  His white blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which somehow managed to look elegant and patrician even with the vivid green streak

Stacks of files covered his desk, all neatly piled.  For some reason, that especially irritated her.  She wanted to go over there and push everything off of his desk just to mess-up his perfect little world.