Gion would have helped Nia even without the promise.
He wasn’t exactly advertising that, but it was the truth. Ty loved her. Nia was her sister, in every way that mattered. Ty wanted Nia alive, so Gion kept Nia alive. It was as simple as that.
Gion checked off “south windows- second floor, living room” from the master list in his hand and turned the page on his clipboard. “I expected you sooner.” He told Cross. “I could have worked my nefarious ways last night, stealing the palace’s silverware and vandalizing all the empty rooms. You should have been here to stop my evil schemes. Or did ruling over all your loyal subjects tire you out for the day?”
“If I’d heard about it sooner, I woulda been here to kick you out sooner. I was with Job this morning. When Ty decided to turn crazy, she didn’t exactly advertise…”
Gion’s head snapped around. “Watch what you say about Ty.” He warned flatly.
Cross stopped his ranting short and squinted at Gion. “What?”
Gion looked back at his clipboard. He didn’t have a family. He certainly wasn’t used to dealing with anyone else’s. In fact, he’d told himself that it would be best if he just stayed out of Ty’s personal life. Her cousins were a pain in the ass, but they were none of his business. Gion had no intention of even talking to anyone in his new kingdom.
Except his new queen.
Cross was harmless. At least towards Ty. Gion knew that. Still…
“Tritone’s done nothing wrong. Leave her out of it.” He clicked his pen and headed over to the other side of the vast room.
Cross stared after him, an incredulous expression on his face. “Are you kidding me? I fucking love that kid. You’re the one manipulating her, forcing Ty to take you in like stray cat. Bringing the Air House down on her head…”
“The Air House was already after Ty.”
Parald wouldn’t rest until he’d reclaimed her.
Or Gion killed him. Unfortunately, Gion calculated that he had another hundred years or so before that was possible.
At this point, Ty would be safer with Gion in the Water Palace. For a long time, he’d done her more good by staying with Parald. That way, Gion could see everything that happened in the Air Kingdom and sabotage all of Parald’s abduction efforts.
But things were passed that now.
“Ty would be a lot better off if you would just…” Cross trailed off, watching as Gion tested the French doors leading to the balcony, one by one. “Alright, seriously, what the hell are you doing?”
The entire eastern wall was covered in a row of the glass doors leading out to an open veranda. In Gion’s estimation, the Water Palace contained more balconies than any other building in the Elemental realm. The outdoor living areas nearly equaled the massive interior space.
All in all, it was a beautiful, scenic, security nightmare.
“I’m checking access points, obviously.” Every one of the doors consisted of breakable glass panels. Gion spared a frustrated look towards the ceiling. Gaia, this was bleak. It was a wonder that any Water Phases survived, at all, if they insisted on living in a greenhouse.
Gion blew-out an aggravated breath and looked back at his clipboard. Item number sixteen on Gion’s master list was “replace all windows with Plexiglas.” Elementals couldn’t manipulate plastic and it was a lot harder to break. “Tell me what is it that Brokk does around here? Isn’t he supposed to be in charge of security?”
“He’s Ty’s bodyguard.”
“Well, where was he last night at Ty’s narcotics counseling?”
“Ty doesn’t like anyone with her in the meetings. She says they’re private. And then you jumped her home afterwards, so…”
“Private? How can they be private? They’re crawling with humans.”
“Ty won’t let Brokk sit in.” Cross stated flatly. “She won’t let any Phases in there with her.”
Gion blinked. Once. Twice. “And you and Brokk allow this?” He clarified.
“Look, you wanna try reasoning with Ty… be my guest. Nia and Tharsis talked to her, but she was adamant, so they gave in. Ty’s been doing better and they don’t want to do anything to screw up her progress.” Cross gave an “everybody’s a lunatic but me” shrug. “It’s just inside the meeting itself that she wants privacy.”
“Someone will be with Ty every single second that she’s outside of the Water Kingdom.” Gion said unequivocally. “Or Ty won’t leave the Water Kingdom, at all.”
Cross’ eyebrows shot upward.
“Gion?”
He turned and spotted Ty hovering in the doorway. The world shrunk down, so it became nothing but her. It was always like that when he saw her. “Yes?”
“Are you… alright?” She shot Cross a slight frown as if she was worried that her cousin-in-law might be torturing him.
“Your new immigrant here isn’t happy.” Cross informed her and waved a hand at Gion. “He doesn’t think you pay enough attention to security and he’s actually right, for once. If you and Thar just came to the Shadow Kingdom, permanently, you’d be better off. I told you that.”
“This was my parents’ House.” Ty said quietly. She cast a quick glance at Gion. “I had the feeling you wouldn’t enjoy being here.” She looked worried. “Would you like to go to the Shadowland, instead?”
“Oh, hell, no!” Cross protested. “He’s not coming near my House.”
“I’m satisfied with the Water Kingdom.” Gion would willingly trade body parts to stay here with Ty. “Your security is insufficient, however. I’m creating the complete report.” He forced himself to look away from her. “And you can’t be by yourself in the human realm, anymore. Not even for the meetings.”
Ty came closer to him and Gion felt himself getting tenser. The Air energy went nuts every time she came near him, but it was worse than ever. Following her request, he’d stopped trying to hold the energy back from her. Now, even without touching her, the Air powers muddled his thinking. Every halfway intelligent thought in Gion’s head vanished.
Ty could feel his energy against hers. Her breathing got faster and she swallowed as if she was trying to focus. “My meetings are private. I don’t want anyone else there.”
“So I’ve heard. Tell me, do you consider being kidnapped, raped and murdered private, as well?” Gion tapped the clipboard against his palm, irritated by her casualness and by general sexual frustration. “Last I checked, the Air House, the Reprisal, and a high percentage of the overall, pissed-off Phase population wanted your pretty little head on a platter. Or are you just betting that the mercenaries will play fair and call ahead before attacking you?”
Turquoise eyes fluttered up to his face for a beat and then away, again.
Gion sighed. He never considered himself a people person, but around Ty his social skills hit rock bottom.
Every time he thought about how easily she could have died at the hands of that mob during the Fall, he got furious. Not at Ty, but at the world at large. At all the people who could hurt her and at how easily it could happen. Ty didn’t seem to process how important she was and it drove him crazy.
Ty gave his life meaning and she was the most vulnerable creature in the universe.
Gion took a deep breath, reminding himself of what he’d learned in the library. If he pushed her too hard, Ty would close down. Tritone, of the Water House wasn’t a woman you could bend to your will. She’d break first. She seemed fragile, but really she was obstinate. If you wanted something from her, you had to coax her into freely giving it.
Gion wanted quite a bit from Ty.
So, he could be patient.
“I could have hurt you yesterday at that meeting.” He told her seriously. Ty was a scientist. She liked explanations and logic. “If I’d wanted to, I could have captured you and taken you to Parald. You said it yourself.”
“But, you didn’t. You won’t.”
“No, I won’t. But, others will try to harm you when they realize that you’re regularly alone in the human
realm. It’s a pattern. It’s dangerous.”
“The meetings are private.” She stubbornly repeated.
“When I was in the Air Kingdom, if something happened and Parald sent men after you, I could get you out, again.” Gion continued undaunted. “You know that. What would happen if Isaacs got you, now, though? Now, that I’m not in the Air Kingdom?”
Ty studied the closest wall mural. Mermaids and dolphins swam among tall strands of seaweed. “I suppose, I’d have to get out of the Air Kingdom by myself. I’m not helpless, you know.”
“What would happen,” Gion corrected, “is that I would have to go in after you. Since I’m surprisingly unsentimental about leaving my homeland, I’m not in a great hurry to journey back.”
Ty didn’t appreciate that response. “No one’s asking you to go back to the Air Kingdom.”
“I am.” Cross raised a hand.
They ignored him.
“You asked me to look over your security, Tritone.” Even though Gion was fairly sure she’d only given him the job to keep him out of trouble, he intended to see that it was done properly. Nothing was more important to him than Ty’s safety.
“But, Brokk’s my bodyguard and he said…”
“Brokk’s your friend. Therefore, he’s obviously a great deal more willing to let you do idiotic things than I am.” Gion understood that distinction, since he’d never had a friend in his life. Unless you counted Tessie.
Phases didn’t have the humans’ tolerance for casual touching. It annoyed the hell out of Gion to see Brokk’s absent affection for Ty. It wasn’t sexual, it was just… friendly. Ordinary bodyguards didn’t ruffle the hair of the protectees, like Brokk regularly did with Ty. Gion had certainly never ruffled anyone’s hair back at the Air House.
Ty’s mouth parted in astonishment. “Did you just call me an idiot?”
“No, of course not.”
“Yes, he did.” Cross volunteered.
They ignored him.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever called me an idiot before.” Ty mused. She didn’t look insulted, just bemused.
“I didn’t call you an idiot.”
Jesus, Ty was the smartest Phase alive. Gion knew that empirically because he’d stolen all of her school records. He’d read every word ever written by or about the girl, including a complicated thesis she’d published on some DNA thing that Gion didn’t completely understand. Every one of her teachers agreed that Ty, of the Water House was a genius. One of the Elementals’ greatest treasures.
It amazed Gion that a woman with a stratospherically high IQ could make such poor choices, though. Ty stubbornly ignored the fact that she was young, and small, and gentle… and the target of many determined killers.
“You can’t just go into the human realm and…”
For the first time ever, Ty interrupted him. “At the very least, you implied that I was an idiot. You must admit that.”
Gion was absolutely shocked by her apparent willingness to argue with him about this. Ty never argued with him. She never cared enough about anything that he said. He’d been thrilled just to have her talking to him. Gion never thought she’d stand up to him.
It was an incredible turn-on to hear her mounting indignation.
He cleared his throat. “I didn’t call you an idiot, but, if it sounded that way, I apologize.”
She didn’t seem appeased. “Would you have called Parald an idiot when you were an Air Phase?”
Gion snorted. “To his face? No. Behind his back, I called him quite a bit worse, though, so I think it all evens out.” He held up the clipboard. “Also, I didn’t put so much paperwork into keeping him alive.” He tapped the master list with the pen. “Mostly because, I never gave a shit if he lived or not. You, on the other hand, are someone who I’d rather not see decapitated.”
“Really?” Ty’s voice lost some of its annoyance.
“If you never believe another word I say, believe that I want you around and breathing for a very long time, Tritone.”
“That’s because he knows the rest of us would kick him out of here in a second without your bleeding heart.” Cross muttered. “You’re his meal ticket, Ty.”
They ignored that.
“Will you not go into the human realm by yourself?” Gion prompted. “Or are you going to make my job harder? Because, I won’t let you commit suicide by Air House. I can’t.”
Silence.
“Alright.” She finally allowed.
“What?” Cross scowled. “Brokk and the rest of us you brush off, but him you listen to?”
They ignored that, too.
Gion hadn’t expected Ty to agree with him. At least, not so quickly. “You’ll let Brokk into the meetings with you?” He stipulated, looking for a trap.
“You heard me sharing at the meeting,” Ty murmured, “even though it was private.”
It wasn’t a question, but Gion could tell that she wanted a reply. “I did.”
“You know what it’s like to have Parald try and steal your freedom. And to feel like he’s made you less than you are.”
Gion regarded her steadily. “I do.”
Ty glanced up at Gion through her lashes and then quickly away, again. “Maybe you can come with me to the next meeting, then?” This time it was a question. “Because, you would understand.”
Gion felt something twist in his chest. Something soft and warm. Ty had just invited him to go somewhere with her. He’d willingly spend the evening in Chernobyl’s reactor core, if she asked. “I’d like that.”
“Really? You don’t have to, if you’re busy.”
“I’m fairly sure that I’ll be free. Besides, I enjoy human coffee in Styrofoam cups. So few Elementals serve it at the proper lukewarm temperature.”
Ty’s eyes flashed up to his, again, and Gion swore that she was amused by that.
Gion’s mouth curved.
“Okay. Good.” Ty fiddled with the pin on her sweater. Aquamarine stones formed a circle of small flowers. Dressed in sunny yellow dots, she looked… clean. Her shoes had bows on them. For some reason, Gion found that fascinating. “Um, so, I came in here to tell you that I’m going to be working in my office for the rest of the afternoon. If you need me.” Cross got another pointed frown.
He didn’t seem intimidated. “Nia and Tharsis said they wanted to talk to you about Mr. Personality here.” He jerked a thumb in Gion’s direction.
“We did talk. Several times.”
“And?”
“I’m the Queen of the Water House. Gion can stay as long as he wants. Anyone who wants to escape Parald can come here. Especially, after they saved my cousin from the Reprisal and cut me free from manacles in the Air House dungeon.”
“Oh Jesus.” Cross threw his hands up. “We’re back to that, again? He was probably in on kidnapping you in the first place, Ty!”
Gion slanted him an icy glare.
“Gion saved me. When no one else came… he did.” Ty’s voice got firmer, even as it started shaking slightly. “You have your own kingdom, Cross. But the Water House is mine and I want Gion here. That’s the end of it.” She turned on her bowed heel and headed out of the room.
Gion took an unconscious step after her.
Cross grabbed his arm.
Living in the Air Kingdom had given Gion good reflexes and a willingness to cheat. Instincts took over when Cross touched him and Gion slammed him backwards with a blast of Air. It sent Cross crashing through the French door in a shower of glass.
Cross hit the pavement outside, swearing a blue-streak.
Gion felt his stomach drop as he realized that he’d just attacked Ty’s cousin-in-law.
After he promised her that he wouldn’t harm her family.
Oh… shit.
Cross looked up at Gion and gave his head a clearing shake. “Fucking hell!”
“Oh my God!” Ty came dashing back over. “Cross, are you okay?” Her gaze flew from Cross to Gion and back again. “What happened?”
; Gion slowly shook his head.
He always prided himself on doing everything well; carefully planning and then following through. He’d survived in the Air House, where any misstep meant certain death. But, this time, he’d blown it completely. When it most mattered to him, Gion always ruined things.
He’d lost control.
Ty would send him away.
He knew it.
Murderer.
“Whatever broke, it wasn’t me who…” Tharsis came jogging in from the side door. Tall and muscular, Thar favored Converse sneakers and Armani suits. His turquoise eyes widened when he saw his brother-in-law lying on his back. “Cross! Oh man, if you’re hurt, Nia’s gonna have an embolism.”
“Gion pushed me with his powers!” Cross reported righteously, sounding only slightly like a third-grader. He hopped to his feet, brushing off the glass. “The guy’s a menace.”
Ty looked up at Gion. “You pushed Cross? Why?”
“You attacked Cross!” Tharsis shouted at the same time.
“It was an accident.” Gion heard his voice from a long way off. “I…” He kept staring at Ty’s perfect face. “It just happened.” He waited for her expression to fill with betrayal. Now she would never, ever want him.
Cross snorted. “Bastard. If we’re gonna play that way, I can do this really kickass vaporizing thing with the Shadows that I would just love to show ya…” He stopped short, apparently noticing that Gion wasn’t defending himself.
Gion didn’t even glance his way. There was nothing he could tell Ty that wouldn’t sound like a pathetic excuse, but he still said, “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
She blinked. “Go?”
Cross’ eyes cut back over to Ty. “Wait, you’re going to kick him out over this?”
“If Gion attacked you, he should run.” Tharsis advised. “Do you know what Nia will do to him?” He arched a brow at Gion. “Seriously, dude. Hide.”
“Stop.” Ty cried. “I’m not…”
“Shit.” Cross cut her off, looking aggravated at the world in general. “Listen, I grabbed him first. He didn’t start it, except by being here.” He jabbed a finger at Gion. “And I can’t believe that you’re making me stick up for you.” He muttered out a few more oaths and ducked his way back into the room.
Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3) Page 9