Warrior from the Shadowland

by Cassandra Gannon

  Uriel nodded. “Yes, of course.” A heartbeat later and all eight firs were gone.

  Melanie sucked in a deep breath. “Okay.” She opened her door and saw that huge holes had now been left in the street. If Sullivan asked, she was just going to tell him it was a freak meteor shower. It made more sense than the truth.

  She unlocked Uriel’s door and helped him out of the car.

  He towered over her, a massive wall of handcuffed, sort-of-alien hotness. “I have no wish to scare you.” He said, quietly.

  “I’m okay.” She started to turn him around so she could undo the zip ties holding his wrists together. “So, the other two people with you are…”

  “Elementals, too. Yes.” Uriel finished when she trailed off. He resisted her attempts to reach his hands. “Melanie, you’re special. Part Phase. It’s a miracle. It shouldn’t be. But, I feel it.”

  “Okay.” Melanie was barely listening to him. Her frazzled mind was stuck on how she was going to get the other two non-humans out of their holding cells. Sullivan wouldn’t just release them. Even if he saw a whole instant rainforest appear, her cousin would never believe this. Sullivan could be incredibly stubborn about some things and Melanie had a feeling that Elementals visiting Mayport Beach was going to be one of them.

  “Melanie.” Uriel somehow shifted his body so she was trapped between him and the side of the car. “Pay attention to this. It’s important.”

  She forced herself to focus and met his eyes, again. “What?”

  “Do you feel something between us? An attraction that is more than…?”

  “Yes.” Melanie interrupted, flatly. There didn’t seem much point in denying it. For all she knew, he could extract her thoughts with a ray gun, anyway.

  Uriel’s mouth curved. “Good. Will you allow me to try something? It won’t hurt, I promise.”

  What the hell? Melanie nodded, feeling slightly light headed. “Sure, cowboy. Knock yourself out.” It wasn’t like he could do anything that would shock her more than the evergreen jungle. Besides, he was still wearing handcuffs.

  “Thank you.” Uriel said, politely.

  Then he slammed his lips down over hers and Melanie’s world exploded.

  Chapter Five

  Certain elements, not seen and considered in the outset, were beginning to assume shape

  and consequence

  T.S. Arthur-“After a Shadow”

  “Hey, Job. It’s Nia.” Her fingers twisted in the cord of the payphone, her voice straining to be casual as she left the message. “Um… I guess you’re still in that Council meeting, which -Yes, I know- I’m supposed to be at, too. But, some stuff happened today, and I have a really good excuse for running late. I found my Match! How’s that for great news, huh?! I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s wonderful. Very thoughtful and handsome and charming.”

  Cross snorted. He crossed his arms over his chest to enjoy the ‘Nia Lies to Job’ show.

  His Match was the charming one.

  Lovely and passionate and strong.

  Nia was… fun.

  Since Cross could easily have counted the fun moments of his life on one hand, he was utterly captivated by her adventures. Even with everything that had gone wrong so far, he was exactly where he’d always wanted to be. For the past two years, he’d been listening to stories about Nia, of the Water House’s wacky schemes and daring exploits, and now he was standing right in the middle of one. It was amazing.

  He’d expected to desire his Match, but this was even stronger than just Phazing energy. This was him wanting Nia. The woman fascinated him. Brilliant and complicated and clean. Cross found himself just watching her, unable to believe she was real. Sadly, she kept looking at him, too, probably thinking the same thing, but for very different reasons.

  So far, Nia had seen him hack the heads off of six Air Phases, which was possibly the worst first impression in the entire history of relationships. Then, there was his reputation for ending the world. And the clothes vanishing thing. And the vanishing her thing.

  Christ.

  Nia must be wondering what the hell she’d done to deserve such a freak as a Match.

  Luckily for him, Thar, Uriel and Ty had been thoughtful enough to get carted off in squad cars. Most of Nia’s attention was on saving them from long prison stretches, so she hadn’t tried to renounce him, yet.

  Instead, she focused on the rescue mission.

  After the walkie-talkie had started beeping, Cross had grabbed it and tossed it onto the desk for the cop to find. Even at that point, he could feel the tension in Nia’s body. Not at him or at the cop searching for them, but because she was already planning her new mission:

  How to save her family from becoming convicts.

  As soon as they’d left the hospital, she began looking for a telephone. Cross saw no reason why Uriel and the Water Phases couldn’t escape from jail all by themselves. Their captors were just humans, after all. Nia’s relatives were nutty, but they weren’t stupid. Nia wasn’t taking any chances with her family, though, which meant swallowing her pride and calling Job.

  Still, she seemed pretty cheery, all things considered.

  They’d finally located a phone in some little park with a gazebo and palm trees. Even in the shade, it had to be over a hundred degrees. Cross squinted up at the brilliant yellow sun, amazed by the heat it gave off. Mayport Beach was very, very different from the Shadowland.

  It was something of a culture shock.

  “Cross is just wonderful, Job. You’ll love him. I’m so happy! You know how much I always wanted my Match. You told me he was out there.” Nia kept up her one sided conversation with Job’s voicemail, flashing Cross a bright smile.

  The Wave House’s powers allowed for all kinds of Elemental communication on human technology. Apparently, if you’d memorized the inter-realm phone directory or whatever, you could even call the unofficial “Job, of the Earth House Hotline.”

  Cross would never ask Job for help.

  Ever.

  Nia, on the other hand, had no problem with ringing up the High Seat of the Council and putting him on stand-by to stage a jailbreak. Cross sort of admired her confidence. It must be nice to know that Job would just drop everything and come to the human realm with a hacksaw baked into a pound cake if you asked him to.

  Cross would have much, much preferred to pick-up his Match and take her back to the Elemental realm immediately, rather than do all this.

  Three things stopped him: One, he knew that Nia wouldn’t willingly go anywhere without her family and he really didn’t want to force her. That wouldn’t exactly build trust. Two, he was enjoying her, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” enthusiasm. And three, dragging Nia out of here would probably mean touching her, again.

  Cross did not want to lay one hand on Nia until he figured out what to do about his powers. The Shadow energy was more volatile around Nia, trying to connect with her and begin the Phazing.

  The more Cross considered that, the more worried he got.

  What if he couldn’t control it?

  Nia blew out a long breath into the receiver. “Ummm… So, we did run into a little problem with Thar and Ty and Uriel, though. Nothing I can’t handle. But… I’m filling you in, just in case something else goes wrong. We may need help. It’s nothing big. Just… bail.” She cringed at the word, as if imagining how Job was going to take that request.

  Cross couldn’t blame her. Mr. Law and Order would not be thrilled about two-thirds of the Water House doing hard time. Oh, Job would come and lend a hand. He doted on the Water Phases. Plus, he was physiologically incapable of not being selfless and magnanimous. But, he was going to lecture them all into comas.

  Job was perfect.

  Annoyingly so.

  But, he still loved to harangue.

  Cross glanced down at his palms and cringed a bit, sure that he could still see the blood drying on his fingers. Keeping an eye on Nia, he headed over to the nearest water fountain. He’d a
lready washed his hands back at the hospital, but he swore the icy water ran red as it swirled down the drain.

  “It was a total misunderstanding, Job.” Nia infused her voice with determined cheer. “We’re barely in the human realm, at all. Just teeny, little Mayport Beach. Nothing to get upset over. Really. This is very fixable. I’m all over it.”

  It sort of annoyed Cross that his Match would automatically go to Job for help. But, it wasn’t a huge surprise. Nia wasn’t an idiot. If you were in trouble, it made a lot more sense to dial up the Elemental’s own Captain America, rather than ask a man whose weird, wrong, out-of- control powers had just assaulted you.

  Shit.

  Cross dried his clean hands on his pant leg and went back to scanning the park for threats. Being so exposed made him uneasy. More Phases could attack his Match, at any moment.

  Aside from a few spindle-y white birds and some squirrels, there wasn’t another creature in sight, though. He and Nia were alone in the park.

  Which was good and bad.

  Obviously, only having woodland creatures as possible enemies significantly cut down on the risk of ambush. But, it also meant there were very few distractions. As soon as Nia got off that phone, she was going to want to talk to him. Only, Cross had no idea what to say to her.

  He glanced over at Nia, again, just because he couldn’t help himself. Even standing in the dingy phone booth, she was stunning.

  A miracle.

  What the hell was he supposed to do with a woman so completely out of his league?

  “So… Yeah. Alright. I guess I’ll call you back later, then. Oh.” She hesitated. “Ummm… Don’t be mad, but also some Air Phases got killed. Okay, bye.” She hung-up as quickly as she could and dropped her head against the metal payphone booth. “Holy crap. He’s gonna freak out on me.”

  Cross couldn’t imagine Job “freaking out.” It would be like Gandhi throwing a temper tantrum.

  Nia glanced up at him. “Now what?” She asked. “Should we wait for him?”

  Cross didn’t think that was a good idea. Nia didn’t have her cellphone with her and Cross didn’t own one, at all, so Job couldn’t call them back. They’d have to keep trying him again and again, and that meant they’d have to stay put. It was hard to find payphones these days, even in a time-capsule of a town like Mayport Beach.

  That made Cross feel strange, since he remembered when telephones were invented. Human technology moved so quickly. Probably because humans had such short lives. They had to cram everything in as fast as they could. Elementals took a much longer time to adjust to changes. Cross was always overwhelmed by the new gadgets and ideas that humans came up with and he was still young. Only two hundred and forty.

  Job was over a thousand.

  That thought came out of nowhere.

  Job must feel a constant struggle just to keep up with all the shifts. From horses to trains. Trains to Model T’s. Model T’s to jets. Since Job was perfect, Cross didn’t feel a lot of sympathy for him. Still, he realized for the first time that the Earth King might actually have some problems of his own.

  “Cross?” Nia prompted when he didn’t respond. “What should we do, now?”

  Cross’s mood soared as he realized that Nia wasn’t asking for his help, because she just automatically knew that he’d give it. She was just assuming that they were in this together. Instinctively trusting him to be on her team.

  That was sort of gratifying.

  Nia was really accepting this Match. Seeing them as “we.” Cross wasn’t used to being part of a “we.” Or having someone ask his opinion. It was a gift. “Um… I think we should go bail out your family ourselves.” He said, truthfully, and braced himself for a list of reasons why they needed Job’s expertise.

  Going solo was apparently the answer Nia was looking for, though. She grinned at him. “I agree. Honestly, I really don’t want Job here, anyway. Not unless something else goes wrong and we’re completely screwed and desperate. I mean, he’d be super helpful and fix everything. But, he lectures.”

  Cross’s mouth curved.

  “I should also warn you, I’m sort of in the middle of rebellion.”

  “I doubt you’re in the ‘middle’ of anything, Nia. If there’s a rebellion, I’m sure you’re leading it.”

  “Maybe.” Nia winked at him. “Seriously, though, Job’s not going to be pleased about this whole mission. He told me not to come to the human realm. Just consorting with me, could probably get you banished by the Council.”

  “I’ll take my chances.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m not hoping to see any other Council members naked, so I think I’ll stick with you.”

  She snickered at that. “Good choice.” She gave him a quick kiss on the chin and Cross felt the impact of it straight through to his soul. The Shadows roared. “Anyway, Uriel gave me a lot of human money, so bail will probably be simple. How much do you think it costs to get three people out of jail? Thar’s the one who knows stuff like that. Like forty dollars?”

  Cross blinked, ignoring the blinding pain in his head. He was completely clueless about money. Elementals didn’t pay for a lot of human products. They just took them. “Sure. Forty dollars sounds right.” He guessed.

  Nia nodded, shrewdly. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll hire them a lawyer. Or stage a political prisoner protest rally. Or just jump in and steal them. Or we could tunnel into their cell.”

  Job would really not like any of that. Not that Cross cared what Job thought. Absolutely not. Still… “Let’s try bail first.”

  “Right.” Nia grabbed the phonebook, again. “Alright. Step one. Find the jail.” She began flipping through the pages, looking for an address. “Oh perfect! Look at this. Map!” She ripped the rendering of Mayport Beach right out of the book and headed back over to him. “So, it looks like we have to go that way.” She pointed to the left. “Do you know how to drive a car?”

  “No.”

  “Me neither. No point in stealing one, then.” She gave a disappointed shrug. “We’ll have to walk.” She started off with total authority, red hair bouncing.

  Cross almost smiled.

  Nia’s self-confidence was incredibly appealing. He’d never met anyone so cheerfully sure of themselves. There wasn’t a doubt in Nia’s mind that she could stroll into the police station and save the day. And, really, Cross didn’t doubt it, either.

  His Match was a savior.

  God knew, she’d saved him.

  He fell into step beside her. Nia liked to lead the way and Cross was okay with that. The second she put herself at risk, though, he planned to yank her back. She could protect the whole world if she wanted, but Cross was going to protect her. To him, Nia was the world. He was literally only alive because of this woman.

  “Sweetie, the sword isn’t really blending with all the human-ness.” She gestured to the weapon that he still had clutched in his hand. “Is there any way you could put it away or something?”

  “No.” Cross wasn’t about to walk around unarmed. Not with the Air House in town. He barely let the sword leave his hand back in the Shadowland, for God’s sake, and he was the only one there. Cross’s loving parents had taught him the importance of being battle-ready.

  “I just don’t think they’ll let you walk into the police station looking like Rob Roy.”

  Cross seriously doubted the humans could stop him. That was one of the many upsides of carrying a sword. It stopped people from stopping you. Still, he didn’t want to upset his Match. He could compromise.

  They’d reached the street, by that point, and Cross used his elbow to smash in the window of a vintage VW Bug. The car appeared to be made of nothing but rust and bumper stickers. The largest one was vivid purple and advocated “turning on, tuning in, and dropping out.”

  Cross had no idea what that meant.

  Nia winced slightly at the broken glass. She looked up and down the street nervously as Cross reached through the window and grabbed a
trench coat from passenger’s seat. Khaki green and covered in military-style snaps, it looked like it had served on the front lines of several wars.

  The damn sleeves ended at his elbows, though.

  Why were humans so small?

  Cross rolled his eyes, pushed the sleeves up even more. Then, he slid the sword behind his back, so it was hidden by the length of the coat. That was the best he could do.

  Nia seemed to appreciate the effort. “Close enough. Hang on.” She extracted some money and dumped it into the car. “We should pay him for it. How much do coats cost? Like seven hundred dollars?”

  “Not this coat, I’ll bet. It’s tiny.” How valuable could four inches of fabric be? Plus, it was hot. Cross glowered up at the sun, again. The Shadowland was constantly cool and damp. How did human live here? Why did they live here?

  “Right.” Nia cut the amount down to six hundred and nodded in satisfaction. “That’s better.” Turquoise eyes drifted over his body and Cross felt his temperature jump even higher. “I think it’s worth the seven hundred, though. You look really good in it.”

  Nothing in Cross’s life had prepared him for a statement like that. Conversations, in general, weren’t his forte. He’d already said more today than in the entire previous two years combined. Nia complimenting him was… shocking. Cross’s mind went totally blank, trying to think of a reply.

  Nia bit down on her lower lip as if reading his bafflement. She started walking, again, shaking her head. “I make you uncomfortable, don’t I?”

  “Yes.” Absolutely she did.

  Sexual frustration ate at him. The Shadows were swirling tighter and tighter, struggling to get free of his control. Nia was everything he’d ever wanted and he was terrified to even touch her. Of course, he was uncomfortable. What did she think?