Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) (25 page)

I have left almost to
the last the magic of water, an element which owing to its

changefulness of form
and mood and colour… has, like music, a mysterious

influence over the
mind.

Sir
George Sitwell- ‘
On the Making of
Gardens’

Ty
watched from her bed as Gion fitted the new sheets of Plexiglas over her
windows.  “You really think that’s necessary?”  Ty’s head was feeling much
better and it annoyed her that Freya said she had to stay in bed for the rest
of the day.

Still
the view was nice.

Gion
had taken his cape off, so he looked leaner.  Ty could see the muscles outlined
under his shirt.  His black hair was tied back, highlighting the strong line of
his jaw.  He had a screwdriver in his hand.

It
was absolutely wrong to find him standing there with tools so incredibly
attractive.

Very,
very wrong.

Ty
licked her bottom lip.

“It’s
extremely necessary, because I don’t feel like attending your funeral.”  Gion
retorted.  This was the first room where he was installing the Plexiglas.  “An entire
afternoon will be wasted, listening to people lie about how wonderful you
were.”

“But,
you already own so many black clothes.”  Ty thought that remark was actually
sort of clever.

Gion
apparently didn’t agree.  He adjusted the screwdriver and attacked the window
frame, fastening the plastic into place with violent twists of his wrist.

Ty
would have preferred to keep her own handmade glass windows, but Gion seemed
obsessed with the plastic.  It wasn’t worth arguing about.  Besides, this
project gave Gion something to occupy himself while he angrily brooded.

He
really wasn’t pleased that she’d been in the Agora investigating their
connection.  His jaw stayed set like granite as he worked, his voice
vacillating between frigidly sarcastic and outright accusatory.

Gion
was furious.

For
the life of her, Ty couldn’t imagine why that had always scared her before.

He’d
been incensed with her for over an hour now and she wasn’t least bit
intimidated.  Ty sat crossed legged on her mattress, wearing nothing but a
nightgown and a
Hello
Kitty
Band-Aid on her forehead, and felt completely
safe surrounded by his obvious rotten mood.

She’d
become immune to Gion’s badassery.  In fact, it was sort of… cute.

Truthfully,
Ty took it as a good sign that Gion was so open about his unhappiness.  He must
feel fairly secure with his position in the Water Kingdom.  Nobody who thought
they might get evicted from a palace would be so snappy with its queen.

“Do
you want to hear about what Freya and I discussed?”

“No.” 
He said flatly.

Ty
made a face.  “You’re being unreasonable.  I explained what happened.”

Gion
positioned the plastic onto its track and did his damnedest to ignore her.

“I
didn’t break my promise to you.  I told you that.  I did not, and
will
not, try to sever our connection.  I was just doing research.”

Nothing.

Ty
began to have a real understanding of how Gion must’ve felt when she refused to
talk with him for so many years.

“Gion?” 
That always worked to get his attention.

He
paused for a moment, his shoulders tightening.  Swearing, he flashed her an
aggravated look.  “Yes?”

“I’ll
think you’ll like what I discovered in my research.  You shouldn’t be so
pessimistic.”  Ty adjusted her glasses.  “Besides, I know you’re curious.”

He
grunted and turned back to the window.

Ty
bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling and waited.

“Alright.” 
Gion turned back around.  “
What?
”  Icy blue eyes had gone molten with
temper and Ty was once again struck by how stunning he was.  Standing in her
pastel bedroom of gauzy fabrics and mosaic pillars, he looked like the villain
from an old black and white movie.  Someone mysterious and deadly, who lured
the heroine into the deepening shadows.

And
who the hell would blame the girl for following such a man?

“Freya
doesn’t know why we have the connections.”  Ty reported.  Her gaze measured the
width of his chest.  Gion was so gorgeous.  “She has some theories, but nothing
concrete, yet.”

“Wonderful. 
A thrilling advance for medical science.”

Ty
leaned back on her hands, so that her body was pushed forward.  Her breasts
pressed against the silk of her nightgown.  Gion’s gaze flicked down and she
saw his throat working.  Ty really, really loved that he wanted her.

“Freya
doesn’t think she can fix it.”  Ty continued.  “That’s the bottom line.  Even
if one of us wanted the connection gone, what’s between us probably can’t be
changed.”

Gion
dragged his eyes back to her face.  “Good.”  He intoned.

Ty’s
body clenched at the darkly erotic tone.  “In her medical opinion --and this is
a direct quote-- we should accept it.”

“I
have
accepted it.  You’re the one who’s trying to take the connection
away.”

“I
am not!  I told you.  I feel like something’s wrong and I’m trying to find out
what it is.  I just want to understand.”

“There’s
nothing
wrong
with the energy, Ty.”

“There’s
something wrong inside
of me.  I feel it.  There’s a block.”

He
looked down at the screwdriver and Ty saw his jaw tighten, again.  “So, what
are you going to do, now?”

“Well,
Freya suggests that we try…
being
with each other and see what happens.”

Gion’s
attention snapped back up to hers.  “‘Be with each other?’  Sex?”

“Doctor’s
orders.  If you’re willing, we just need to go slow.”

He
digested that for a long moment.  “That is a
fantastic
prescription.”

“I
had a feeling you’d gain a new appreciation for Freya’s skills as a physician.”

“The
woman’s a medical genius.”  Gion gave his head a quick shake and went back to
installing the window.  He started sealing the steel screws into place with
silicone caulk, probably incase Chason decided to “visit.”  “Of course, you’ll no
doubt want to test the ‘sex for science’ hypothesis on someone who doesn’t feel
wrong
.”

Ty
watched the wide width of Gion’s back and thought of what Job had told her. 
How no one had ever wanted this man for more than just his talent for killing. 
How could so many people not see how desperate Gion was to have someone care
for him?  How could Ty have not seen it for so long?

“
You
don’t feel wrong, Gion.  The block in my head feels wrong.”  She shifted
trying to see his face.  “You’re the only man who feels right.  Don’t be mad at
me.”

Gion
stopped working.  “I need you, Ty.”  He whirled back around.  “What the hell
would have happened if Freya
could’ve
separated us?”

“Nothing. 
I told you, I wouldn’t have severed the connection.  Why would I ever want
that?”

“Why
wouldn’t
you?”  He shot back.  “You’re scared of me, so…”

“Not
anymore.  Now, I think we’re… friends.”  That was a massive understatement,
really.  Ty was coming to care for this man on a level she didn’t understand.

He
gaped at her.  “
Friends?!
”

“Well,
don’t you think that?”  She asked tentatively.  Aside from desiring her, Ty really
didn’t know how Gion felt.

“I
don’t have any friends.”

Ty
glanced away, hurt by his cold answer.  “I think you’re just being a jerk,
right now.”  She accused.  “I’m mostly doing the research for
you
, ya
know.”

“For
me?”  He scoffed.  “Oh, this should be good.”

“You
refuse to listen when I explain this to you.  You.  Could.  Have.  A. 
Match
.” 
Ty carefully spaced out each word.  “When that happens, you won’t want this
connection.  You won’t want me.  You’ll want
her
.  And unless we can
figure this out…”

“I
don’t want a Match, Ty.  I can’t be any plainer than that.  I’ll
always
want you.”

Ty
didn’t believe him.  Right now, Gion thought that he didn’t want a Match, but
he’d change his mind once she actually showed up.  All Phases wanted their
Match.

Except
Ty.

She
was always the one left standing alone when the music stopped.

Gion
stared at her for a long moment, taking in her doubtful expression.  Then, he
sighed and most of his anger seemed to fade.  “It’s just… you
promised
me that you wouldn’t fuck with our connection.”

“I
didn’t
.  I was researching.  Researching isn’t… messing with.”  Ty had a
hard time really swearing.  It didn’t sound right when she did it.  In order to
curse properly, you had to say the words without hesitation.  Ty always
faltered, making the language sound stilted and thereby ruining its
effectiveness.

Gion’s
eyebrow arched at the word substitution.  Through his lingering sardonic
annoyance, she saw amusement appear.  His mouth curved in that reluctant way Ty
loved.

Ty
seized the opening and pushed forward.  “I made you a promise and I won’t break
it.”  She told him earnestly.  “Unless we both agree, the energy will stay just
as it is.”  She sniffed.  “Even if we’re
not
friends.”

“We’re
not friends.”  Gion stared at her.  “If I had friends, I probably wouldn’t
spend so much time picturing them naked.  What you and I have is… more.”

More
.

Ty
liked that.

She
tilted her head, so her hair fell back and watched his pupils dilate.  “You
picture me naked?”  She asked enticingly.

“Absolutely,
I do.”

Ty
smiled, as Gion’s gaze traced over her.  She wasn’t an aggressive person by
nature.  Even before the Fall, she’d been painfully shy.  With Gion, though, Ty
felt different.  He made her bolder, drawing out further and further.  Maybe it
was because Ty knew they were both wary and broken.  She and Gion had so much
in common.

And
he wanted her.

That
was Ty’s safety net, making her feel more secure.  Even when Gion was angry,
their connection was pure and strong.  That gave her courage.  Ty could feel
his desire for her in the Air itself.

“Gion?” 
Ty wasn’t exactly sure what to say next.  For once, she didn’t drop her eyes
away from his, though.

She
felt the Air energy move as his focus got more intense.  “Yes?”  He leaned a
shoulder against one of the pillars and watched her.

“Can
you come here?”  Ty restlessly shifted.  “Please?”

His
mouth curved, again.  “I’m working, Tritone.”

Ty
frowned, thinking that Gion wanted to keep the argument going.  For a second,
she just blinked at him in disappointment.  Then, she noticed the gleam in his
eye.  “You’re teasing me.”  He’d never done that before.

Ty
realized she like that, too.

“If
you want something, you’re going to have to give me some incentive.”  Gion
absently tossed the screwdriver, so it twirled in the air, and caught it,
again.  “I have a tight schedule.”

“I’m
your boss.  You don’t have to keep to the schedule.  You can take a break”

“And
what would we do on this break?”

Ty
wasn’t sure how to play this game, but the energy was driving her crazy. 
“Well, what do
you
want to do?”

“You.”

Ty
swallowed.  “Good answer.”  Her eyes cut over to the open door.

Air
powers blew it closed and it was just the two of them.

“You’re
not well enough for much.”  Gion said softly.

“Yes,
I am.”

“No,
angel, you’re not.  I’ll take care of you, though.  Lose the nightgown and I’ll
do the rest.”

Ty
had never taken her clothes off in front of a man before.  She bit her lower
lip in consideration.  Gion had already seen her partially naked last night and
she wanted him really, really badly.  She could do this.

Gion
crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

Gathering
her nerve, Ty started unbuttoning the white lace.  “You’re really just gonna
stand over there?”

“If
I get close to you, right now, it might go too far.  You’re still hurt.”  He
studied her progress with hooded eyes.  “Freya said go slow, remember?”

“I’m
fine.”  In a fit of flustered annoyance, Ty gave up on the buttons and just
pulled the nightgown over her head.  Her bare breasts tightened in the open air,
mostly from the weight of Gion’s gaze.  Kneeling on her mattress, Ty faced him.