“And he stole mine!” Gion bellowed back. “I’m gonna deal with you next, so stay out of it!”
Chason swung his sword into the final soldier, taking his head off with one clean blow. “I’ll kill you myself before I let you take this vengeance away from me, Gion!”
“You’ll have to.”
Chason charged towards Gion, their blades clashing together in a rainbow of sparks.
“Stop!” Ty ordered. “Chason, stop!”
Parald got a crafty look on his face. Ty could feel him gathering the energy to jump while Gion and Chason were distracted with their fighting.
“I don’t think so.” She slammed the throne room door closed, so he couldn’t escape. The plastic netting that had protected Parald from invaders now trapped him in the room. Ty suddenly understood why Gion wasn’t staple-gunning it to the Water Palace’s walls. It kept Phases out… and it kept Phases in.
The throne room was a cage.
Parald swore. “Bitch.” He snarled, again, starting for her. Ty stood between him and the door. Between him and freedom. If he didn’t get that door open, Chason and/or Gion would execute him. Regicide was eminent. By keeping Parald in the room, Ty was ensuring that he died. She might as well wield the sword herself.
And she was okay with that.
Ty met his eyes dead on.
Parald wasn’t impressed. “You think you can stop me, Ty? That you…?”
A targeted cyclone of Air hit Parald, interrupting his taunts and sending him flying straight up into the roof. He ricocheted off the domed ceiling and then tumbled to the ground in a daze.
Ty looked over at her Match. “Thank you, dear.”
Gion shoved free of Chason long enough to send her an exasperated look. “Angel, get out of here.”
“Not unless you come with me.” Ty couldn’t leave Gion. He was incredibly powerful, and she knew he’d win, but he was her world. If he died, Ty would have nothing. She loved him so much that her life before Gion was already a blur. “I need you. So, if you’re going to risk yourself, then so am I.”
Gion blinked. “You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can! You’re my Match. Let Chason kill Parald.”
“I promised you that Parald wouldn’t touch you again and, because of Chason, he did.” Gion sounded anguished. “It’s Chason’s fault. So, he doesn’t get to finish this.”
“I don’t care about Parald.” Ty insisted. “I care about you.”
“I told you that I’d bring Ty home.” Chason retorted. He used the Magnet energy to rip the sword from Gion. “Just keep out of my way.” He swept towards Parald with two swords clutched in his hands.
Gion stalked after him, seizing Chason by the arm and slamming him back around.
Parald wasn’t going down without a fight, either. He grabbed the sword of a fallen guard and staggered to his feet.
“Son-of-a-bitch.” Ty started for him, again.
Only, instead of using the blade against Gion or Chason, Parald sliced it against the wall. The sharpened steel went through the top of a painting of Parald dressed like Napoleon and across a large section of the stone behind it… Through the concealed, plastic netting that was attached to every surface like wallpaper. Parald ripped it down, pulling on the jagged tear he’d created with one hand and hacking through the plastic with the other. In less than fifteen seconds, he had a large section loose.
“Gion!” Ty called.
Gion’s head whipped around to look at her, just in time for Parald to hurl his makeshift net gladiator-style. Chason and Gion were standing so close together that it covered both of them. Not so much trapping them as slowing them down and blocking their energy while Parald used his Air powers to start hurling swords in their direction. The dead guard’s weapons hurtled across the room like spears. He was trying to incapacitate Gion and Chason before they could fight back.
Ty’s heart stopped.
For the first time in her life, her powers slammed out without any conscious thought. Every drop of water vapor in the room swelled towards her. With a great push, she sent it all slamming into Parald like a wrecking ball. It drove him backwards into the wall, flat against a portrait of himself dressed like Elvis. He dislodged the heavy gold frame, sending it toppling to the ground, much to the relief of art lovers everywhere.
And revealing a safe hidden in the wall the painting.
Just as Ty thought.
It will be behind him.
“Holy shit!” To Ty’s amazement, Gion positively beamed at her and forgot about his fight with Chason. “Ty, that was beautiful!” Chason cut them free of the net and Gion didn’t seem to notice. He dashed over to Ty, grabbing her up in his arms. “I’m so proud of you!” He lifted her right off the ground. “How’d you do that?”
“You taught me.” Ty clung to him. “Same principle as playing the piano with powers, except… bigger. Nia and Thar can use water vapor to move things. You can do it with Air energy. I guess I can do it, too.”
“Of course you can! I told you, you weren’t weak.” His cape enveloped her as he hugged her tight. “My Match.” Gion kissed her lavishly. “Don’t do anything like that, again, though. I could have handled it.”
Ty smiled.
Chason prowled over to Parald, still clutching the two swords: Gion’s and his own.
Gion stiffened slightly as if he was preparing to stop him.
“Don’t.” Ty whispered. “Chase needs this.”
“I need it, too! Parald hurt you and I have a right...”
“He killed Mara.” Ty laid her head against his chest. “We still have each other and Chason only has this.”
Gion cursed, but he stopped arguing with her.
Parald ripped one of the swords out of the wall, where it had been stuck like a dart, and swung it at Chason. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that?!”
“I know.” Chason intoned. “You made me this way.” The sword went flying out of Parald’s grasp as Chason advanced. “You took my heart and my soul and my mind.” Magnet powers lifted Parald by the metal adornments of his tacky uniform, pushing him up the wall so he couldn’t escape. “You took my light.”
“I wasn’t my fault! I didn’t intend to hurt her! I barely knew the woman, for Christ’s sake. What happened to Mara was an accident!
“Don’t. Say. My. Match’s. Name.”
Parald switched to a new strategy. “You’re an honorable guy, Chase. You always have been. If you kill me like this, it’ll be in cold blood. Is that what she’d want? A murderer for a Match? Is that the man she Phazed with?”
“No.” Chason said quietly. “That man died with her.”
Then, he swung the two swords out together, one in each hand, so they scissored across Parald’s throat.
Ty’s mouth dropped open in shock as Parald’s head slid off his neck and bounced to the floor. His body actually stayed upright for a timeless moment and then it sunk to the ground in a clumsy heap. Blood and tissue seeped between the stones, coating Chason’s boots.
Ty turned away, burying her face against Gion.
…And that was before Chason started hacking the body into pieces.
“Jesus.” Gion eased Ty behind him and headed for Chase. “He’s dead. Chason, he’s dead.”
The blades continued to fall, leaving castoff blood trails up and down the walls as Chason worked. Gion muttered another curse and tried to grab Chason’s arm. Chason shook him loose and kept going as if in a trance.
There was a pulse of power and Job arrived in the room along with Cross, Nia, Isaacs, and Tessie.
“Ty!” Nia ran for her cousin. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Ty wrapped her arms around Nia in relief. “Parald’s dead.”
“Hallelujah.” Cross smirked down at Parald’s head. “Is it wrong to want a camera for this?”
Isaacs must have made out Parald’s remains and the grisly mess covering Chason, because glanced over at Job. “Do we need at a straitjacket and butterfly nets her
e?”
“Tess, stay back.” Job was already heading for Chason. “Chase?”
“He’s out of it.” Gion muttered. “Just let him finish.”
“How many more pieces does he want?” Job touched Chason’s shoulder, holding tight when the other man tried to get free. “Chase, stop.”
Job’s perfect voice kept talking, saying Chason’s name over and over, until something finally clicked and Chason looked at him. Tears were streaming down his face, cutting paths in the fresh blood, as he looked at Job.
“He killed Mara.” The voice was eerie. Not sane.
“I know.”
“He killed Mara and I thought, if I killed him, it would be better.”
“I know, son.”
“It’s not better, though.” Chason’s voice broke on the agonized words. “It’s not better, at all. Raiden was wrong. Mara’s not coming back. She’s not.” Chason covered his eyes. “Fuck!” He started laughing through his tears in that off-kilter way. The notes of it too high and slightly demonic. “Fuck, Job. You were right. As usual. Nothing can fix this.” He scrubbed at his face and shook his head. “This is all there is… and it’s nothing.”
That wasn’t what Job wanted to hear. “If you could just…”
“I’m sorry.” Chason interrupted. “I’m sorry that I took the Justice box from you. All I wanted was Mara back and for things to be better.”
“I know. I forgive you. Just try and breathe. It’s over.”
“Over.” Chason repeated. “Yes. It’s finally over.” He visibly relaxed. “The end of the road.” He was quiet for a beat and then he glanced at Ty. “Mara loved you.”
Ty blinked at the non sequitur. “I loved her, too. When I was young, she always took the time to play with me.” Maybe some happy memories would snap him out of this. Chason’s sudden calm frightened her more than the rage. “You would watch us, sometimes, while you worked. Mara and I would sit under the trees and read storybooks, remember?”
Chason didn’t scream at her for saying his Match’s name. Ty couldn’t read the expression on his face. “I do remember. Ismena. I should have sat with you and listened. She loved fairytales. I never sat and listened. Now, the trees are dead.”
“Okkkkaayyy.” Isaacs drew out the word, so it meant, “psycho.”
Ty started for Chason, but Gion blocked her path, keeping her behind him. Ty flashed him a quick look, which he ignored. She settled for trying to get through to Chason from a distance. “Trees can come back, if you care for them. I can help you with that, if you’ll let me.”
Chason almost smiled. As if he was sad for her. “I apologize, Ty. I shouldn’t have brought you here. And I shouldn’t have called you ‘bitchy.’ You deserve better. So did Mara. I’m not myself, anymore. I don’t have a self, anymore.”
“Chason…”
“I won’t bother you, again.” He jumped out of the room, leaving the swords behind him.
Tessie sighed. “Damn, but that guy’s a weirdo.”
Gion scowled down at Ty. “He called you a bitch?”
“No. Well, not exactly. He was very upset.”
“He’s lost his mind.” Nia shook her head. “Chason’s gone.”
Ty stared at the spot he’d vanished from. “I think you’re wrong. I think there’s still hope for him. He’s just needs for Raiden to be right about something.” She gave her head a clearing shake. “Anyway, I have good news. I found the box.” She hurried over to the wall safe. “Gion, help me.” She studied the electronic keypad. “The Love Tablet’s in here.”
“Tessie?” Gion crooked a finger at her. “Come remind me why I put up with so many years of daytime TV.”
She flicked him off and headed closer to the safe. “One day Elementals will figure out that your locks are soooo unsafe around all of us gifted with superpowers. Do you guys have banks? ‘Cause, I would pwn at being all Dillinger-y.” She casually opened the safe by just turning the level. “Look upon the mighty Quintessence with wonder and awe, mortals.”
Job smiled.
“Shut-up.” Gion muttered, but his mouth twitched at her theatrics. He reached into the safe, quickly sorting through half of the Air House’s gold treasures and DVDs full of hardcore porn. “We should have gloves for this.”
Nia glanced at the movie titles and rolled her eyes. “Where’s Thar, by the way?”
“Shit. I left him and Brokk in the Magnet Kingdom.”
“I’ll get him.” Cross kissed Nia and jumped out of the room.
Isaacs nudged the fallen painting of Parald with his toe. “Is this the one where he’s Elvis? Anybody mind if I take it?”
Job glanced at him. “Souvenir?”
“Bonfire. Didn’t you see this thing? Because, I’m actually glad I can’t, anymore.”
Gion finally found what they were looking for. Hidden in the very back of the safe sat a mirrored box the size of a Rubik’s Cube that was covered with white writing.
The Love Tablet.
“It was behind him.” Ty murmured. Behind the portrait, behind the throne.
Raiden was right.
“Eureka.” Tessie snatched it out of Gion’s hand. “Allow me to work more of my magic. Those of you in the first three rows might want to avert your eyes from the shiny.” She took the silver pendant from her neck and slid it across the surface of the box.
“Damn.” Even Isaacs squinted against the light that the Tablet gave off as it opened. The sides of the box started shifting, the words lining up and moving. It was still only the size of a notebook, but there were –somehow-- extra dimensions to the Tablet, now.
It was so much deeper than its physical size.
Countless, shimmering layers of data flowed from the surface. So much information, in so many languages, that Ty felt hypnotized just looking at it. She’d never felt anything even close to the energy radiating from the box. Scorching and metallic, like something radioactive, it charged the air and filled her mind with a buzzing discharge. Vast and unknowable, the data would have filled every library in the universe and still overflowed. Ty was a scientist and even she was frightened by the concentrated display of… everything.
Who had made these Tablets?
Why?
It was like trying to bottle God.
More power than should even be harnessed.
Gion watched the Tablet, icy eyes burning hot. “Tessie, can you undo the fake Phazing energy, now?” He demanded.
“Great thing about hooking into the universe’s ultimate search engine, I can do pretty much anything.” She focused for a second and then smiled. “Ta-da! Right there. She pointed at a series of words that Ty couldn’t read. “Damn, I’m good. Okay, hold hands.” She gestured at them. “Hurry up.”
Ty obediently grabbed Gion’s palm. “You really know how to fix this?” It seemed impossible to her that anyone could understand the amount of data swirling there.
“Watch and learn.” Tessie closed her eyes. There was a brief pulse of energy amid the terrible rush of the Tablet’s power. Something healing swept through Ty like a cool breeze over water. So small and simple and pure. She actually felt it washing her free of Parald’s taint; cleansing her so she felt…right.
And dizzy.
Ty stumbled sideways and Gion caught her. Arms wrapped around her, steadying her and Ty felt her energy touch his. Unobstructed and free. No Parald. No Randa. Just Ty and Gion. Water and Air powers connected.
Healed.
“Oh God.” Gion whispered and Ty knew that he felt it, too.
It wasn’t like Phazing energy.
It was Phazing energy.
Untainted, and beautiful, and… everywhere.
Gion let out a long sigh. “I always knew it was supposed to be this way.” He buried his face in her hair. “You and me.”
“You and me.” Ty agreed softly.
Tessie beamed at them. “Not to worry. My rates are very competitive for a supernatural heroine. Guy, you just have to watch Days of Our Lives with me�
�� every day… forever.”
Ty started laughing, happier than she’d ever been. “That seems fair. Gion does love television.” She leaned up to kiss her Match. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The elements of happiness no longer existed here for her husband;
or, if they did exist, he had not the skill to find them
T.S. Arthur- ‘The Good Time Coming’
Chason had come to the end of his road.
For two years, the thought of killing Parald had given him purpose and he’d focused on the goal. He’d told himself that once he had justice, he’d have what he wanted.
And now Chason had his vengeance.
Parald was dead.
But, justice still hadn’t come and Chason still didn’t have what he wanted.
Mara was still gone.
It wasn’t that he’d believed that killing Parald would restore his Match. Not exactly. But, Chason had won. It seemed like he should get something for that. He’d beaten Parald and now Mara should be returned. It was only fair.
Raiden told him that it would happen and Raiden was always right.
Except this time he wasn’t.
It was over.
Chason’s heart was still missing and insanity still beckoned. He was tired. He was so tired. And, without Parald to fight, he had nothing left in the universe to keep him here.
It was the end of his road.
Chason made his way across the darkened landscape of the Magnet Kingdom towards the pure white sepulcher. Generally, he had no use for humans, but the poet Poe he actually approved of. Nia had introduced him to the man’s writings and Chason… understood them. Or maybe he felt that Poe understood him. His pain and loss was all right there on the page.
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea –
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Chason read the last four lines of Annabel Lee incessantly, trying to figure out what Poe was trying to tell him.
Did the man dream of his wife each night? Chason could certainly relate to that. His nightmares featured all the ways that he’d failed Mara. Not just letting her die, but the thousands of small thing he could have done to make her happier. Chason had never been the Match that she deserved.
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