Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) (38 page)

Gion
sensed a trap.  He studied her warily.  “You already promised me, remember? 
You promised that you’d say yes.”

“I
said
if you asked
, though, didn’t I?”

“Gion,
wait.”  Randa chimed in, again, as if she realized that Ty was done making all
her arguments for her.  If Ty had been in her position she would have been
throwing a fit.  Randa just looked suddenly scared.  “You’re not
really
going to do this, are you?”

Gion
spared her a quick look.  “What you want, I can’t give you.  Find someone
else.”  He looked back at Ty and his jaw tightened.  “Will you accept the
Binding, Ty?”

“Yes.”

“You
can’t just…”  Gion was apparently expecting a refusal, because he stopped his next
argument short.  The instant agreement knocked him off balance.  “Yes?”  He
echoed.

Ty
nodded.

“You’ll
Bind with me?”  Gion still didn’t look convinced.

“Yes.”

“Oh.” 
Gion seemed dazed.  “Well… good.”   He hesitated, again.  “Why?”

Ty
grinned at his suspicious tone.  “It could be because I love you, too, I
guess.”

Gion
blinked rapidly.  “You do?”

“Yes.”

“That
doesn’t seem possible after everything I’ve done.”

Ty
shifted closer to him.  “Well, I guess you should try to be less lovable.”

Cross
snorted.  “I don’t see how he could manage that.”

Nia
made a “shhh!” sound.

Gion
ignored them.  “Ty, I didn’t think that… uh…”  He trailed off as she stood on
tiptoe and pressed her lips against his.

“I
love you.”  Ty said very distinctly.  “Don’t ruin the moment.”

Blue
eyes met hers, so filled with hope and wonder that Ty could’ve cried.  “You’re
really going to Bind with me?  Just like that?”

“Yes,
I really am.”

“Oh
thank Gaia.”  Gion smiled the most beautiful smile Ty had ever seen.  He caught
her up in his arms, lifting Ty right off the ground and holding her close.  “Right
now.  We have to do this
right now
, before you change your mind.”

“You’re
such an idiot.”  Ty buried her face in the curve of his neck.  “You’re the one
who should be backing out.  Please don’t, though.”

He
started laughing.  “Are you insane?  Do you have any what I’d risk for just a
chance
at this?  I’m not going anywhere.”

“But,”
Randa shook her head, “this isn’t how it’s supposed to be!”

Ty’s
happiness dimmed, guilt taking its place.  The poor woman.  Gion couldn’t be
with someone that he didn’t love.  It would be wrong for everyone.  But, still,
this had to be so hard on Randa. 

“I’m
sorry.”  Ty tried to let go of Gion, but he wasn’t cooperating.  “Randa, I…”

“Randa?” 
Isaacs’ voice came from the doorway.  “What the hell is she doing here?”

Job
squinted.  “Isaacs is visiting?  Why?”

Randa’s
beautiful face went slack with shock.  “Isaacs!”  Her eyes widened in something
like horror.  “No.”  She backed up away from the doorway.  “What are
you
doing
here?”

“I
live here.”

“No,
he doesn’t.”  Cross and Gion chorused.

“You
can’t be here!”  Randa started crying.  “Why is this happening to me?  Why does
everything always go wrong for me?  Why is my life such a disaster?  Job,” she
sank to the ground, “please help me.  Don’t make go back.  I can’t.”

Job’s
eyebrows climbed.  “I see.”  He said, even though he clearly didn’t have a clue
what was going on.

“Isaacs,
do you know her?”  Nia gestured to Randa.

Randa
started sobbing.  Her hands covered her face as she rocked.

“I
know her.”  Isaacs smirked.  “You people ready to talk amnesty, yet?”

Happiness
cannot be passed around like cake, for in

almost
every case it is the product of two elements

Frank
Chapman Sharp- ‘The Aesthetic Element in Morality and Its Place in a
Utilitarian Theory of Morals’

“I’ll
give you amnesty, Isaacs.”  Ty said.  “Of course, I will.”

“Oh,
come
on
.”  Cross looked over at his uncle.  “Job, would you talk to her,
please?  Binding with Gion is crazy enough, but now she’s starting a halfway
house for the whole friggin’ Air Phase army.”

Job
shrugged.  “I’m certainly not advocating this plan, but I do think we need to
find out what’s going on with Randa and I don’t think she’s capable of talking,
right now.”

The
woman continued to weep like a silent movie heroine.

Only
she wasn’t silent.

“We’re
not granting Isaacs amnesty.”  Gion couldn’t believe Ty would even suggest it. 
“Isaacs will tell us what he knows without us having to give him a damn thing.”

Isaacs
glared at him.  “Bite me.”  He used the wall to steady himself, his eyes trying
to focus on Gion.  “I’m not telling you anything.  It’s a deal between me and
her.  Ty knows I’m good for my part.”

“I
do.”  Ty agreed.  “Isaacs can stay.”

“Angel…”

“He’s
wounded, Gion.”

“So?”

“So,
you know as well as I do that Parald will kill Isaacs if we leave him out there
on his own.”

“So?”

“So,
if nothing else, I won’t give Parald the satisfaction of destroying another
life.  Especially, not on a day where I’m so happy.”  Ty kissed him.  “I love
you and I’m so happy.  I won’t do anything to spoil that.”

Looking
into her glowing face, Gion forgot what they’d been arguing about.

Ty
loved him.

She’d
agreed to Bind him.

The
hell with the rest of it.

He
could always kill Isaacs later, when Ty wasn’t smiling at him like he’d
arranged all the stars just for her.  “I love you, too.”  Gion kissed the
turquoise streak at her temple.  “You can have whatever you want, angel.  Even
if it’s something insane.”

Nia
snorted.  “Great.  And
now
he’s making me like him.”

“Amnesty,
then?”  Isaacs pressed.  His face looked strained and Gion realized that the
smug son-of-a-bitch was actually worried.  He’d never seen Isaacs worried
before.  Usually, the guy was all crazy smiles and wiseass remarks.

“Amnesty.” 
Ty nodded.  “Welcome, Isaacs.”

“Don’t
screw up or we’ll have Gion explode you like a balloon.”  Tharsis chimed in.

“He’ll
try.”  Isaacs crossed his arms over his chest and nodded towards Randa. 
“Parald sent her.”

Randa
cried harder.

“She’s
Gion’s Match.”  Job had the remarkable ability to raise his voice without
actually raising his voice.  The perfectly modulated tone was still audible
over the loud weeping.  “She’s from the Stone House.”

“Bullshit. 
She might be a Stone Phase, but she’s from the Air House.”  Isaacs’ jaw
ticked.  “Trust me.  I had to watch Parald with her yesterday, down in the
dungeons.”

Gion
blinked, believing that.  Parald enjoyed voyeurism and, if he discovered Gion’s
Match, he’d absolutely sleep with the woman.  He was just that kind of guy.

“He
makes them
watch?
”  Tharsis stage whispered at Cross.

Cross
gave an elaborate shudder.  “I changed my mind.  They
all
deserve
amnesty.”

“He
forces all of us to play parts in these degrading little shows.”  Randa got out. 
“Isaacs, most of all.  How many times a day does he make you to stand there and
watch him, Isaacs?  Two?  Three?  Five?”

Isaacs
cringed and didn’t answer her.

Gion
swore under his breath.

“I
just wanted to get away from Parald.”  Randa continued.  “I just wanted to
escape.  He’s so horrible and I thought…”  She gave a hysterical laugh.  “I
thought this was my chance to start over.  Gion’s stronger than the rest of the
men.  Parald’s scared of him.”

Ty
looked up Gion like he really was a hero.

Randa
kept babbling, so the words came out in an unstoppable rush.  “I thought I’d be
safe with Gion.  And I knew he wouldn’t love me, but I thought that he could
love
anyone
.  I thought Parald just wanted Gion out of the Water House. 
But, it’s because Gion loves Ty.  Of course!  I should have known it was about
Ty.  Everything’s about Ty with that bastard.”

“I’m
confused.”  Nia headed over to crouch down next to Randa.  “If Gion’s your
Match, why would you…?”

“He’s
not my Match!  My Match died in the Fall.  That’s why I’m at the Air House.” 
Randa cringed away from her.  “I left the Stone House for him and my family
wouldn’t take me back.  Then, Parald just showed up at my home last week and…” 
She trailed off with whimper.  “I just wanted out of the Air House.”

“Gion
has to be your Match.”  Job insisted.  “I can feel your energy lining up.”

Randa
shook her head and went back to sobbing.

“You
so owe me, right now, Gion.”  Isaacs muttered.  “You’re not smart enough to put
this together on your own.  She’s
not
your Match, genius.  No way in
hell is that energy real.  Remember, Parald’s still got that other God Code
that he can use to cheat his way through the difficult levels.”

Ty’s
head tilted.  Her eyes went from Gion, to Randa, then over to Isaacs.  She
stared at him silently for a moment and then gasped.  “Oh Gaia.”

Gion
watched her pale.  “Ty?”

She
shook her head, backing away from him.  “Isaacs?”  Her voice was shrill. 
“You’re wrong.”

“I’m
not wrong.  He did it once and I’ll bet my life that he’s done it, again.” 
Isaacs sighed.  “Look, I’m sorry about this, Ty.  I didn’t know you, back
then.  And I hated Gion.  So, I focused on being a loyal soldier, following
orders, not questioning…”

“What
are you talking about?”  Nia interrupted.

Ty
squeezed her eyes shut.

“Parald
has a Tablet of Fate.”  Isaacs kept his attention on Ty.  “The Love Tablet.  He
can disrupt Matches.  Make them appear where they shouldn’t be and hide the
natural ones.  He can make himself, or someone else,
seem
like a Match,
when it’s all just… fake.”

Tharsis’
jaw dropped as the implications of that sunk in.

“He
did something to me.”  Ty turned to Gion, her expression stark.  “Parald did
something to me.  That’s the block.  He tried to block our energy.  He’s not
really my Match.”

Gion
heard a rushing sound in his ears as the truth of it hit him.  He was moving
before he even thought about it, grabbing Isaacs by the front of his shirt. 
“Is Ty my Match?”  He bellowed.  “Did Parald fuck with our connection?!
 Is
she my Match?
”

“Yes!” 
Isaacs shouted back.  “Jesus, how could you miss it?  I’ve been dropping hints
forever, thinking you’d catch on and kill him.  Do us all a favor.”

“Gaia.” 
Job looked up at the heavens as if praying for strength.

Nia
hurried over to wrap her arms around Ty.  “Honey, it’s alright.  It’s alright.”

“I
knew it was wrong.  I told you he felt wrong.”  Ty leaned against her cousin. 
“Parald’s not my Match.  I’m free.”

Nia
hugged her tight.

Gion’s
world went upside down.  “Ty’s mine?”  He wheezed.  “She’s mine?”

“Ty’s
yours.”  Isaacs squinted up at Gion.  “Parald knew it.  He heard you in the
dungeon with Seneca, saying how your Match was going to have the Water House
crown.  I mean, it
had
to be Ty, right?  Parald’s obsessed with being
the Big Man on Campus and your Match was a damn princess.  Look at her.  Of
course
,
he wanted her.  Once he had the Love Tablet it was… easy, I guess.  I don’t
know.  He didn’t let me in on the details.”

Gion
dropped his hold on Isaacs and stepped away.  He doubled over, the roar of his
fury filling his head and swamping his senses.

“He’s
going to flip out.”  Cross diagnosed.  “I don’t blame him.  On the plus side,
we can kill Parald now, right?  No more waiting.”

Job
disregarded that.  “Gion,” he began worriedly, “son, take a deep breath…”

The
Air energy escaped Gion’s control, blowing the glass out of every French door
like a hurricane.

“Gion!”

He
heard Ty screaming for him, but he was incapable of a response.  The rage
consumed him.  He’d never been so angry in his life.  He hadn’t even known it
was possible for one person to generate anger on that scale.  It blinded him,
driving out every thought and every ounce of sanity.

Parald
had stolen his Match.

Parald
had stolen Ty.

And
Gion had just… let him.

“Gion!” 
Ty pulled free of Nia and moved closer to him.  “Gion, stop!”

He
held up a palm, warding her off.  “Stay away.”  He got out.  “Just…”  He shook
his head.  “I can’t.”  His powers were out of control.  For the first time
ever, Gion feared he could accidently hurt her.  He stumbled out onto the
balcony, trying to regain some balance.

“Job.” 
Ty called desperately.  “Talk to him.”

“Stay
in here.  All of you.”  Job ordered.  “Nia, especially you and the baby.”

“She’s
not going near the maniac.  I guarantee it.”  Cross assured him.

“Baby?” 
Isaacs echoed.  “No way.  You’re
pregnant?!
  That’s the first pregnancy
since the Fall, right?”

Everyone
ignored that.

Job
ducked through the shattered door and edged closer to Gion.  Slowly.  Like a
man approaching a rabid cougar.  “Gion.  It’s alright.  It’ll be alright.”

“
How?
”

“Job,
don’t get too close to him.”  Cross followed them on the balcony.  “Brokk!”  He
quickly glanced back into the palace.  “Get in here!  Keep Isaacs away from
Nia.”  He crunched across the shards of glass on the pavement, heading for his
uncle.  “Job, seriously, he’s out of his mind.  Stay back.”

Gion
moved to the far side of the balcony, away from the eyes and ears of the
others.  He braced his hands on the railing and ground his teeth together. 
“Both of you
back off
.”

Job
kept coming.  “You’re upset.  I understand that…”

“Upset?!” 
Gion interrupted harshly.  Gale force winds whipped around them.  “He stole my
Match, Job!  Would you be
upset
if Parald took Tessie?  What would
you
do, huh?”

“Truthfully? 
I’d kill him.  But, first you have to calm down.”

Cross
nodded, coming up beside his uncle.  “That’s what I’ve been saying.  Now, we
can kill Parald with no waiting period.”  He moved so he could grab Job out of
range if Gion detonated.  “We can fix this.  Don’t do anything insane.”

Gion
was past hearing their assurances.  “Parald went into Ty’s mind and poisoned
our connection.  And when
that
didn’t work --when she
still
wouldn’t have him-- he tried to fucking rape her.  I saw it in her memories.”

Cross
swore savagely.

Job
let out a long breath.

“He
hit her.”  Gion continued.  The wind howled, like a dying animal.  “She
flinched away from me, the first time I touched her.  Ty flinched from me,
because he hit her and tried to rape her.  How can you
fix
that?!”

“Well,
she’s obviously not flinching from you, now.”  Cross retorted.  “Not
yet
. 
But, you’re gonna scare Ty with this wind tunnel thing, if you don’t cut it
out.”

Job
kept his voice “talking someone off the ledge” reasonable.  “Gion, you can help
Ty get passed what happened.  She trusts you.”

“She
trusted me and I let her down.”  Down below, the roof blew off one of the
houses.  Luckily, it seemed like part of the non-historic district.  “Parald
made her question everything that she did.  He tried to destroy Ty.  He
released the Fall and then blamed her for renouncing him.”

“That
wasn’t your fault.”

“Parald
stole three years of her life.”  Gion looked over at Job, his eyes glowing with
rage.  “
He made my own Match afraid of me!
”

“She’s
not afraid of you, anymore.  Which is why you need to…”

“I
knew she was mine.  I felt it.  And didn’t trust my instincts.  I just let him
take her.”  Gion dropped his head.  “I thought I was delusional for ever
believing that I could have Ty.  I said,
obviously
Gaia wouldn’t give
her to me.  I just accepted that I’d lost her.  I didn’t question it, enough. 
It
was
my fault.”

Cross
shrugged.  “Well, if it’s any consolation, it strikes
everyone
as
unbelievable that Ty would be your Match.”