Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) (5 page)

Instinct.

There were fifty thousand reasons why this was a bad idea and Ty
wasn’t sure what she would have said next, if she hadn’t looked up at Gion at
that moment.

For the first time since she’d known him, Ty
saw
Gion. 
Really saw him as more than an invincible robot out to upset her life.  Gion
looked tired.  Somehow tense and resigned, at the same time.  Like someone who
knew they were about die and just wanted to go out fighting.  His face might
have been an implacable mask of superior indifference, but Gion thought that Ty
would turn him down and that he’d be on his own.

She could see it in his eyes.

Gion might have had a spot with Tessie in the Earth Kingdom, but
he’d never take it.  He needed to come to the Water Kingdom because of the
promise.  It gave him some control.  It wasn’t charity.  It was a trade.  Gion,
arrogant bastard that he was, needed that.  He seemed positive that Ty would back
out of the deal and leave him stranded, but he was desperate enough to try,
anyway.

Ty knew what it felt like to be trapped by Parald.  She knew what
that kind of desperation felt like and how far someone would go to escape.  How
helpless it could make you feel.

And, for some reason, Ty couldn’t stand to think of Gion, the man
who terrified her and everyone else in the world, suffering alone.

“Alright.”  She heard herself say and immediately winced.  Lord,
how was she going to explain this to her cousins?  Cross would flip out for
sure.  Ty sighed and frowned at Gion in annoyance.  “You’ll have to sleep in
the palace, though.  None of the other houses in the kingdom are habitable
right, now.”  All their owners had been dead since the Fall.  She wasn’t about
to build Gion a new seaside cottage on top of everything else.

Gion froze.  “You’re
agreeing
to this?”  He demanded angrily
and actually started to try and talk her out of it.  “Are you nuts?  I’m a
dangerous person, you know.”

“Yes, I know.”  Ty agreed quietly.  Gion was the most dangerous
person she’d ever met.  If this was some kind of trick, he could wipe her out
like chalk on a board.  Of course, if that was really Gion’s scheme, he
could’ve attacked her right there.  Ty was basically alone and far too weak to
stop him from doing anything he wanted.  As counterintuitive as it seemed, Gion
didn’t want to hurt her.

Still…

“Just don’t harm my family.”  She reiterated.  “I’m trusting you
on that.” 
Why
she was trusting him remained a mystery.

Damn instincts.

Gion blinked.  “I’ll protect your family.”  He seemed dazed.  “I
give you my word.”

Ty remembered her feelings after she’d renounced Parald.  Relief
mixed with, “Oh shit, now what am I going to do?”  Gion looked the same way.

“I have to…”  He trailed off as if he had no idea what to say
next.

Ty had the strange sensation that he was going to pull out of the
deal.  Gion might panic and call the whole thing off, since this hadn’t gone
according to the pessimistic script he’d written in his head.

Suddenly, Ty didn’t want that to happen.  Gion was in trouble or
he wouldn’t be asking her for amnesty.  Ty wouldn’t let him down.  She
couldn’t.

“Gion, you saved my cousin.  You saved me.  You’re welcome in the
Water Kingdom for as long as you want to stay.”  Ty garnered enough courage to
very carefully reach over and touch his hand.  “Don’t go back out there alone. 
You need help.  Come with me.”

It was just the brush of her fingers against his wrist, but Gion
jerked like he’s been stabbed.  Ty felt the pulse of power go through Gion’s
body and travel back into hers.  Energy arched between them and Ty quickly pulled
her hand back.  Gion wasn’t manipulating the powers.  He hadn’t done anything
to instigate that pulse.  Whatever the energy was, it had come from
her
that
time.

What was going on?

Gion let out a long breath.  “I need you.”  He must’ve gotten back
on board with his own plan, because he nodded wearily.  “I can’t deny that,
anymore.  I’m tired and I need you so much.”

“Alright.”  Ty nodded in relief.  “Let me finish my meeting and
we’ll go home, then.”

The word “home” got her a strange look, like Gion wasn’t sure what
language she was speaking.  “To the Water Kingdom?”  He verified as if
searching for a trap.

“Yes, to the Water Kingdom.”  Ty rolled her eyes.  “Where else
would home be?”

“I don’t know.”  Gion said softly.  “I don’t think I’ve ever had
one.”

Chapter Two

Isaacs,
of the Air House felt a pall over the entire kingdom as he stalked through the
palace.  People spoke in frightened whispers and cast him concerned looks. 
Without Gion to hold the center, most Phases thought that the Air House would
collapse under Parald’s growing instability.  Hell, even Isaacs suspected as
much.  Something had to be done.

And
it looked like he’d have to be the one to do it.

With
Gion gone, Isaacs stood as the top general in Parald’s army.  For centuries,
Isaacs dreamed of that.  He’d worked tirelessly and without conscience.  He’d
done things that he hoped never saw the light of day.  Every second of his
life, Isaacs drove himself to be the best.  He did
everything
to succeed
in the Air House ranks.

But,
Gion always surpassed him.

Gion.

Perfect
fucking Gion.

In
his youth, Isaacs hero-worshipped Gion.  He was a hundred and fifty years older
than Isaacs and his powers were close to invincible.  To a young solider, Gion
represented the ideal.  Always the strongest.  Always so calm.  Always in
control.  No one could live up to Gion.  No one could compete with him.  No one
could touch him.  He didn’t have any weaknesses.

Except
one.

As
the years went on, Gion’s superiority began to grate on Isaacs.  Gion’s cold
indifference and cutting sarcasm fed into Isaacs own feelings of self-doubt. 
He’d never be able to live up to Gion and everyone knew it.  That arrogant
prick had always stood in Isaacs’ way.

And
now Gion was gone.

It
was just what Isaacs wanted.

Only
Isaacs didn’t feel triumph.  He felt fear.

Gion
could turn the Air Kingdom into dust if he got mad enough.  Isaacs believed
that. God only knew what would happen if Gion discovered the truth.  In a fight
between Gion and Parald, Isaacs already knew that he was trapped on the losing
side.  He had no faith in Parald.  None.  If Isaacs didn’t find a way out of this,
he’d be dead within a week.

Goddamn
it, why hadn’t Gion just killed Parald before he left?

Isaacs
slammed into the throne room without knocking.  “Sire, I can confirm it, now. 
Gion’s definitely with Ty.”

Parald
gave a scream of pure fury.

The
King of the Air House looked like one of the Beach Boys.  His wholesomeness
fooled most people when they first met him.  If Hollywood ever saw him, Parald
would’ve been cast as the hero in any summer blockbuster.  With sunshine hair
and guileless grey eyes, Parald could’ve played a noble lawyer fighting for
justice or the single father trying to save his kidnapped children.

He
should’ve
been the good guy.

But,
under Parald’s movie star exterior there lurked a vicious, amoral mind and an
empty soul.

Isaac
knew himself.  He accepted the fact that he was evil bastard.  Nature and
nurture worked together and ensured that he’d always be a villain.  Honestly,
none of the Air Phases who’d survived the Fall and then the dog-eat-dog life in
the Air House would win any popularity contests, at this point.

Compared
to Parald, though, even
Gion
was a friggin’ Mouseketeer.

“That
fucking
bastard!
”   Parald picked up an inlaid table and flung it
against the wall.

Isaacs
didn’t even flinch at the explosion of mahogany.  “Sire…”

“Saxon
was supposed to find Gion and kill him!”

“Well,
he’s failed, sire.”  Isaacs never missed an opportunity to tear Saxon down. 
The guy wanted Isaacs and Gion dead.  Probably Parald, too.  The megalomaniacal
piece of shit plotted constantly.  Since Gion was gone, now Isaacs was Saxon’s
main target… unless, Isaacs of rid of him first.

Goddamn
it, why hadn’t Gion killed Parald
and
Saxon before he left?

It
really would have simplified Isaacs’ life.

“I
want Ty
back
!”  Parald roared.  “Gion isn’t going to steal my Match. 
Ty’s mine!  The Water House is
mine!
”  He jabbed a finger at Isaacs. 
“I’d have Ty right now, if you hadn’t put her in the dungeon.  If you’d brought
her right to me, Gion never would have gotten the chance to set her free.”

Isaacs
really didn’t want the conversation to head in that direction.  The last time
Parald “discussed” Ty’s escape, Isaacs had been beaten to within an inch of his
life.  With Ty safe behind the Water House’s barriers and Gion vanishing into
the vast universe, Parald had taken all his frustration out on Isaacs. 
Elementals healed fast and still Isaacs carried livid bruises and horrible
lacerations from the whip.  “How could any of us have known Gion would turn
against you, sire?”

“Fucking
bastard.”  Parald repeated furiously.  “There’s a special ring of Hell for
traitors.”

And
for mass murdering kidnappers.  But, Isaacs didn’t see the advantage in
pointing that out to his beloved king.  “The price on his head seems to have
driven Gion right into Ty’s orbit.  The enemy of your enemy, and all that.”

Parald
scraped a hand through his hair.  “Gion needs to be stopped. 
Now
.”

Isaacs
nearly rolled his eyes at that brilliant strategy.  If Gion died easy, someone
would’ve picked him off long ago.  The guy collected enemies like a dog
gathered fleas.  “Gion can be formidable, sire.  I don’t think any of our men
will be able to kill him outright.  Especially, if he stays securely barricaded
the Water Kingdom.”

“Well,
you’d better figure something out!”  Parald spat.  “I want Gion dead and I want
Ty brought to me.  I want her on her fucking knees in front of me, Isaacs!”

Isaacs
glanced away.  He didn’t give a shit what happened to Gion, but Ty was an
innocent victim of this mess.  When she’d been Parald’s Match, Isaacs spent a
lot of time babysitting the girl.  Ty was always nice to him.  Most people
ignored guards, expecting them to just open doors and jump in front of any
assassination plots.  But, Ty always said “thank you” and smiled sweetly, even
if Isaacs just got her a glass of water.

He
didn’t relish the idea of hurting her.  Bringing Ty to Parald would definitely
end up with the girl suffering and that sucked.  The last time he’d captured her,
Isaacs had known that Gion would set her free again within ten minutes.  Tops. 
This time, abducting her would be a hell of a lot more serious.

Isaacs
would do it, though, because he always did what he had to in order to survive. 
If it meant saving his own life, Isaacs would fasten a bow around the girl and
dump her onto Parald’s bed himself.

Probably.

And
no matter
what
he did, it would be all Gion’s fault.

Who
was supposed to stop him from doing terrible shit, now?  Had Gion even
considered that?  Selfish asshole.

“If
we kidnap Ty, Gion will come after us.”  Isaacs said.  “Obviously, he’s become
attached to the girl.”

Gion
would walk straight into Hell to get to Ty.

In
all the centuries that Isaacs had known him, Gion had only ever revealed one
weakness and that was the pretty, little Water Queen.  Gion’s armor slipped
when it came to her.  As far as Isaacs could tell, that was their only
advantage.

Parald
stared off at nothing for a beat.  “Do you think he’ll touch Ty?”

Shit.

Isaacs
really
didn’t want to answer that.  “I don’t know, sire.”  He hedged.

Parald
flashed him a dangerous look.  “Answer me.  Do you think he’ll touch my Match? 
Do you think Gion will fuck her?  The truth.”

“Yes.” 
Isaacs said simply.  There really wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Gion planned
to have Ty naked and under him as soon as possible.  Why wouldn’t he?  The guy
wasn’t an idiot.  Gion had wanted Ty for years and now she was right there in
front of him.

It
was simple logic.

Most
male Phases prized the Water House women’s unique beauty.  Ty’s red hair was
the exact color of an expensive sports car and her soft, curvy body was a rare
treasure in the Elemental world.  Honestly, Parald must’ve been in deep denial
to even question Gion’s intentions.  Of
course
, Gion would sleep with
Ty.  Hell, other different circumstances,
Isaacs
would’ve jumped at the
chance to take her himself.

Parald’s
jaw tightened.  “Gion’s obsessed with her.  He risked his life for Ty.  He
betrayed me and stole her away from my palace.  And now he’s in the Water
Kingdom.  He won’t stop until he’s bent her over and taken what’s mine.”

“Yes.”
 Isaacs couldn’t blame Gion, either.

Not
for that, anyway.

“No
one will have Ty but me.”  Parald’s voice got calmer, which was never a good
sign.  That usually meant that the Air House’s fearless leader had some new
idea.  “We need to separate them before it’s too late.”

“Certainly,
sire.”  Isaacs nodded agreeably.  “How should we do that?”

Parald
glowered at him.  “You work on getting Ty.  I’ll deal with Gion.”

“
You’ll
deal with Gion?”  Isaacs tried to keep the skepticism from his tone.  Parald
was powerful, but the guy wasn’t known for doing any heavy lifting.  “Alone? 
How?”

“Never
fucking mind
how
.  Just bring my Match to me.”  Parald stalked over and
flung himself down on his ostentatious throne.  “I know how to cure Gion’s
obsession.  He’ll leave Ty for good after I’m done.  He’ll walk right fucking
away from what’s mine.”