Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) (15 page)

“No. 
I’m entirely serious.”

“Well,
I don’t think that your parents would want me here, at all.”  He finally got
out.  “God, what sort of family would want me near you?  Just because I know
which end of the violin is up?  I
kill
people, for God’s sake.”  Now, he
sounded insulted on her parents’ behalf.  Like she’d disparaged their memory by
suggesting that they might admire anything about him.

Ty’s
eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  Gion wasn’t being modest or fishing for some
compliments of his own.  He truly didn’t believe that anyone would be impressed
with his abilities.  “Gion, Clea had an amazing talent.  Listening to her was
spiritual.”

He
frowned over that non sequitur.  “I know.”

“Well,
you have that the same sort of gift.  You aren’t supposed to be a warrior. 
You’re an artist.”

Gion
snorted.  “You’re still too young.”  He said flatly.  “Just go back to bed,
Tritone.”  He headed for the door, but Ty moved into his path intercepting him.

She
had no idea where she found the courage for that, and she
really
had no
idea why Gion stopped short instead of just shoving past her.  But, Ty had the
horrible thought that, if she let him walk away, he might never pick up an
instrument, again.  Gion needed to understand his talent.  She felt it.  If he
refused to listen to her, it would be disastrous, somehow.  Another terrible
loss for a world that had already endured too much.

“Play
something else.”  She ordered.

“No.”

Ty
faltered at the unequivocal refusal, not sure what to say next.  “Well, I’m the
queen so you have to do what I want.”

Gion
looked utterly unimpressed with that logic.  “Or what?  You’ll put me in the
stocks?”

That
image actually held a certain appeal.  “Just don’t push me.  I’ll go out and
build some just for you.”  Crossing her arms over her chest, she met his eyes. 
“One song.  Please.  This is important.”

Gion’s
jaw tightened.  He looked over at the tuba.  Ty felt his powers slam out
hitting the keys and rushing Air through the instrument.  The fastest version
of
Mary had a Little Lamb
ever preformed anywhere in the universe echoed
through the room.

Gion
meant it as some kind of wiseass statement, but Ty didn’t care.  It dazzled her
that he could achieve something like that with his energy.  Her own powers were
so slight.  She’d always been too weak to do anything special with them.  Ty
overcompensated by developing her mind instead of her energy, figuring that, if
she couldn’t be powerful, at least she could be smart.  But, Gion’s energy was
limitless.  Without even trying, he awed her.

Instead
of conceit at his skill, Gion just looked discomforted, though.  Ty couldn’t understand
it.

He
arched a brow as the hurried tune ended.  “Satisfied?”  Gion didn’t wait for an
answer.  He started past her, again.

This
time Ty let him go.  She didn’t have the backbone to keep pushing him about
this, even though she knew that her parents would expect her to encourage her
subject’s talents.

Always
too weak.

Ty
pressed her lips together.

She
stared out at the night beyond the glass wall for a long moment.  Then, against
her will, her eyes slid over to the piano.  It was the only instrument she knew
how to play.  Moving closer to it, she brushed her thumb over the keys, checked
the doorway to make sure that Gion was really gone.  Then, she carefully sat
down so she could work the pedals.

Another
quick look over her shoulder ensured that she was still alone.  Ty checked the
sheet music that she’d left on the stand the last time she’d played.  Strauss’s
Blue Danube
.  Ty’s favorite song in the world.

Okay,
she could do this.

Maybe.

Ty
bit her lower lip and concentrated on the keys.  Her energy always seemed so
hard to focus.  She drew some of the water vapor from air and tried to force it
against the piano.  Her face creased into lines of deep focus, struggling to
play the first notes by using her powers to press the key.

It
didn’t work.

Not
that she’d really been expecting it to.  The water vapor was too heavy.  It
slammed against the keyboard, jarring the notes together as several keys went
flat.  Ty winced at the noise.

Damn
it.

She
tried, again.  For twenty minutes, she worked on the hitting just one key,
again and again, over and over.  And again and again, over and over, she
failed.  The Water energy just wouldn’t cooperate.

She
obviously didn’t have Gion’s talent, but Ty had hoped that she could practice
and eventually produce
something
.  The Water forces weren’t going to let
her, though.  She could tell.  Gion’s Air energy seemed so fluid and light and
powerful.  Ty couldn’t come close to that control, no matter how much she
wanted to.

Too
weak.

Ty
sat back in defeat and ran a hand through her hair.

She
was always too weak.

Suddenly,
the keys started moving.  All by themselves they went up and down, playing the
opening of the
Blue Danube
in effortless perfection.  Ty’s lips parted. 
She glanced under the grand piano, although she had no idea what she was
searching for.  No one else was lurking beneath her.  And
Ty
, clearly,
wasn’t creating the music, even if she did automatically move her bare feet
against the pedals to match the keys.

In
fact, there was only one way in the universe that the waltz could be playing. 
Ty looked back over her shoulder and saw Gion leaning against the doorframe. 
She didn’t want to say anything to spoil the music, so she just beamed at him.

Gion
regarded her seriously as the song got faster.  He was too far away to see the
sheet music, so he had to be playing it from memory.  But, he didn’t miss a
note.  Ty turned back to the piano, enjoying the way the keys danced under his
powers.  She could feel the Air energy rushing around her as it hit the notes.

More
instruments joined in.

Ty
head swam as Gion seamlessly incorporated a woodwind and brass accompaniment. 
Strings and percussion came next.  All the different instruments she’d been
examining earlier came to life under Gion’s massive talents.  It wasn’t even
close to a full orchestra, but he somehow made the music swell so it seemed
like the waltz filled every piece of the room and palace and world.

Moisture
filmed Ty’s vision.

It
was magical.  He’d brought magic back into the room.

Gion
kept watching her.  His impassive face revealed nothing.  It was as if he
didn’t even notice that he was achieving unheard of artistic heights.  How
could Gion possibly do this?  How could he use his energy to play so many different
instruments at once?  How could he make it sound so…
right
?  No one
should be that powerful.

Gion
created something so incredibly beautiful that there were just no words for it.

Ty
looked back at him and realized that the Water Palace was hosting its greatest
concert ever.  The music rose and twirled in the air.  The joyous passion of it
rushed through her and Ty started laughing even through her tears.  Her parents
would have loved this.

Her
eyes closed as the beautiful waltz and Gion’s powers swept around her.  Deep
inside, Ty experienced the deepest feeling of peace and joy she’d had since her
ninety-third birthday.  Still on the piano stool, her body swayed in time to
the bright, clean melody. 
The Blue Danube
became a part of her.

As
the final crescendo of notes poured over her, Ty opened her eyes, again, and
Gion finally moved.  He stalked into the room and his gliding rhythm matched
the song’s exuberant flourish.  Even his cape seemed like it was dancing.  Icy
blue eyes fixed on Ty and she felt her breath catch.

Gion’s
gaze swept over her modest white nightgown like Ty was wearing nothing, at
all.  That should have frightened her.  Gion
always
frightened her. 
But, it was hard to be frightened of a man who’d just played a waltz for her. 
Ty didn’t move as he prowled closer.  She felt her heart beat speed up and her
stomach clench in excitement.

The
music stopped and Ty didn’t even notice.

All
she could hear now was the buzzing in her head as Gion reached for her, jerking
her off the piano stool.  Ty gasped, her body coming up against his.  Oh God. 
Oh God.  Oh God.  He was big.  He towered over her, swamping her senses.

Ty
waited for a panic attack to kick in, but all she felt the thudding of her pulse.

And
Gion.

His
colossal powers slid against Ty’s, his palm holding her elbow, anchoring her to
him.  Gion pressed her back against the keyboard.  Ty’s eyes locked with his,
reading the intent in harsh expression.  All the things about Gion that usually
terrified her became beautiful.

His
body kept her trapped.  The stance was aggressive, but he didn’t go any further
with his hands.  Gion’s powers continued caressing her, though, touching places
no one else had ever touched.  Ty had no idea how he could do that.  Only
Matches should be able to feel each other’s energy so completely.

Except,
Gion could do anything.

Ty’s
eyes drifted shut under the erotic pressure of his powers stroking hers.

Gion
shifted closer, not touching her any further physically, but radiating energy. 
He wasn’t going to force her.  Gion, the supposed pinnacle of selfish, “take
what you can carry and then burn the rest” evil-ness, was trying to coax her.

And
it was working.

He
wanted consent.

Ty
gaze fluttered back up to Gion’s savagely refined face, giving it to him
without saying a word.  Neither of them had spoken since he’d come back into
the room, because they simply didn’t have to.  At this moment, they were on the
same exact page.

Triumph
flashed across Gion’s features and then his mouth was covering hers.  A
whirlwind of power swirled around them.  The delicate fabric of her
nightclothes drifted against the black of his cape as Gion pulled her against
him.  Ty’s world became nothing except heat, and want, and sensation.

She’d
never been a big fan of kissing before, but now Ty realized that her earlier
experiments had been faulty.  She hadn’t tested a large enough sample to render
a legitimate, scientific opinion.  Parald’s lips had been wet and disgusting,
but Gion was a very different subject.  His mouth felt incredible.

Surrendering
to the moment, Ty gripped the front of his shirt and kissed him back.  Her bare
feet went on tiptoe, so she could reach his lips.  And then she wasn’t touching
the ground, at all.  Ty found herself lifted up off the ground, so that Gion
could set her right down on the piano.  The cacophony of noise from the keys
barely even registered.  Ty’s energy felt like a band, pulling tighter and
tighter.

She
moaned as Gion threaded his fingers through her hair, angling her head for
deeper penetration.  Even sitting on the keyboard, he dwarfed her.  Gion
must’ve liked the submissive sound Ty made, because his free hand grew more
insistent.  The tie of her robe was yanked free, with an erotic jerk.  He pulled
back to stare at the neckline of her nightgown, his fingers very deliberately going
to the pink bow at the neck.

He
pulled the ribbon loose as if he had every right to.

And
Ty let him.

This
couldn’t happen naturally outside of Phazing.  All her research confirmed that.
 The urgency was too overwhelming.  Too consuming.  It swamped Ty’s senses.

And
it couldn’t be Phazing.

Ty
couldn’t Phaze with anyone, except Parald and she would
never
do that. 
No matter what, she’d never let her energy combine with that sociopath’s.  So,
that meant Ty was immune to all Phazing energy.  She’d
never
feel it. 
So, why was this happening with Gion?  She couldn’t think straight.

Oh
God.

The
buttons of Ty’s nightgown gave way, exposing her breasts to his view.  She lost
her frenzied train of thought at Gion’s hungry expression.  Ty had never been
half-naked in front of a man before.  Most Elemental men liked curvy women
best, but what if Gion didn’t?  Ty wasn’t thin.  She uncertainly moved to cover
herself with her arm, but Gion caught her wrist, holding her back.  His full
attention was on her bare skin and Ty’s nipples got even harder under his gaze.

Oh
God.

Even
after his exertion with the music, Gion had so much energy.  Ty felt it cascade
over her as Gion’s desire grew.  She didn’t tug her wrist free, even though she
could have.  His grip wasn’t that tight.  Instead, Ty just let him look at
her.  And touch her.  He released her wrist and carefully brushed her nipple
like he expected her to retreat.

Only
she didn’t.

Ty
was spellbound.

Gion
created a symphony inside of her.

His
touch grew firmer at her acceptance, but he was still so gentle.  He had the
hands of a musician.  Long, elegant fingers tested the weight of her breast and
Ty felt the Water energy swirling to get free.  It wanted to find Gion.  To
combine with the Air forces.