Warrior from the Shadowland

by Cassandra Gannon

  Ty couldn’t tell her very solicitous human doctor everything that had happened, obviously. But, she’d revealed enough that he’d diagnosed her with some kind of posttraumatic stress disorder and given her an anti-anxiety drug to take. Human medicine wasn’t very useful for Phases, but the prescription was Ty’s safety net now and she took her dosage religiously. The debilitating panic wasn’t a lot better, but at least swallowing the pills made it seem like she was accomplishing something.

  Now, she was paranoid that she was becoming a drug addict, though. Elementals didn’t get addicted to human substances, as far as she knew. But what if she was the first? Ty never underestimated the strange and terrible things that could happen to her. In fact, she stayed up most nights considering all the ways that her life would probably end the next day. It was another reason she devoted so much energy to her research. Searching for the Quintessence distracted her from her own thoughts. Not even her cousins understood how fragile her grip was getting.

  Gion studied her expressionless face for a long moment and then resumed his smooth pacing around the perimeter of her cell. “I’m a bit surprised that you managed to elude the men Parald sent after you this afternoon. There were six of them, after all. And the Water House has never been known for its physical prowess.” His gaze skimmed down Ty’s rounded body as if he was deducting mental points at some fitness spa boot camp.

  Ty didn’t react. There was no point. She wasn’t an athlete. She was a scholar. But, they both knew that Ty’s curvy shape was so rare among Elementals that men fought for any woman who had it. When you tossed in the Water House crown, Ty was a person who other Phases would kill to possess.

  Literally.

  She surreptitiously rubbed her hand against the fabric of her pants. The tips of her fingers had gone numb. Not good. One of the symptoms of an attack. Oh God. She was trapped in this cage and she was about to lose it. Claustrophobia pressed down as her pulse kicked even higher. If she had a panic attack in front of Gion, it would be even worse than the normal humiliation and helplessness that she felt when the terror finally passed. Gion would tell Parald and Parald would know she had a weakness like this.

  He’d come for her.

  “If the Air House can’t keep track of its minions maybe you guys should invest in one of those invisible dog fences.” Tharsis suggested. “Ya know, the kind that gives the little fellas a zap when they wander too far from home.”

  Gion kept his eyes fixed on Ty. “Imagine my shock when I learned that a half a dozen men came after you today and then they just vanished.” He snapped his fingers. “Into thin air, if you’ll pardon the expression. How can that be? Even with Uriel fighting, you shouldn’t have been able to escape. And what on this Earth have you done with the bodies?” His smile was all sharp, cutting edges. “It’s like a mystery novel.”

  Ty couldn’t get out of the Plexiglas cell, but Gion couldn’t get in, either. She was beginning to see that through her panic. He was one of the most powerful Phases alive, but even he was stymied by the plastic walls of her cage.

  Unless Gion wanted to suck all the oxygen out of the room or something, they were at an impasse. And he would never kill her outright. Parald wanted her alive too badly.

  Oh, Gaia.

  Ty would rather be buried alive in a Plexiglas coffin than see Parald. What if Parald came here? Why was Gion here alone? He worked for Parald. The entire Air House had to know she was vulnerable. They’d get her. Maybe this was some kind of plan to make her crazy. To trick her. Parald could be anywhere.

  She was going to lose control. She was too weak to stop it.

  Her silence annoyed Gion. Ty could tell. It always had. He was a man who like to battle with words, every nuance of his tone and phrasing inflicting tiny wounds in his victims. Ty didn’t play along. She left him dissatisfied. “What happened at that hospital, Tritone? How could you possibly have stopped them? Did someone help you?” He tilted his head. “I know it couldn’t have been Job. Since he was so clear that the Water Phases should stay in the Elemental realm, I imagine he has no idea you’re even here. All alone.”

  Gion was right about that. He’d always been annoyingly clever. Ty had no idea why someone so powerful and brilliant would follow Parald. If he’d wanted to, Gion could have taken over the entire Air Kingdom by Thursday. Thankfully for everyone, that didn’t seem to occur to him. Parald was evil, but Gion was so much more capable than her former Match.

  He arched a brow at her. “See where your recklessness gets you? You could be safe at home, right now, if you used your pretty little head and listened to the Council. Although, I do understand the temptation to ignore those morons, given your history with most of them. And now this.” He gave a sad “tsk” of a sound. “With our numbers so low, I’m sure the other Elementals won’t be pleased that the Water House is responsible for more senseless deaths.”

  Ty’s vision dimmed. Her respiration increased.

  Deaths.

  The Fall.

  Her fault.

  She swallowed against the tightness in her throat, feeling like something was obstructing her airway all of a sudden.

  “Oh, hell, yeah. I want to see you go to Job with that argument, Guy.” Tharsis scoffed. “In fact, I want to see you show your face to the Council, at all, you traitorous son-of-a-bitch. We’ll all stand in front of them and see which of us they hold responsible for the highest death toll.”

  “The Council speaks for the Council.” Gion’s pale blue eyes gleamed. “We know that they often fail to speak for the average Phase on the street, though, don’t we, Tritone? Sometimes, the masses place blame… differently than the Council.”

  Ty’s throat closed off. She could feel a suffocating sensation come over her. She was having a heart attack. Did Phases have heart attacks? She was going to die. She couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t any oxygen. Maybe Gion was doing something to it. Maybe he was going to kill her. Oh, God. There was no air. She was choking. No air.

  Panic attack.

  Panic attack.

  Panic attack.

  The words flashed across her mind like a red, buzzing warning signal.

  The fear that she was falling into an attack just made everything worse, pulling her down into an inescapable spiral. Ty forgot about Gion and the jail cell and everything else, except her growing terror. Time slowed down around her and everything vanished.

  Nothing was real but her fear and her fragmented memories.

  Her senses went haywire. Sounds and images in her head blinding her. Smells that weren’t there assaulting her. Invisible hands grabbing at her.

  Screaming. The stench of death. The pyres of the Fire House burning in the distance as she tries to run. The roar of the fountain. Screaming. The fury and hatred in their faces. Can’t escape. Holding her down. Screaming. Hurt. Helpless. Dying. Too weak to stop them. Screaming. Calling for help.

  She was going crazy. She was already crazy. She should have died with the others.

  Her fault.

  Her fault.

  Her fault.

  Ty stumbled backwards so the back of her legs hit the cot. She fell onto it, not really noticing, her heart racing in her chest and hyperventilation burning her lungs.

  ****

  Tharsis saw her exterior shell crumble and knew exactly what was happening. “Shit, Ty!” He shouted her name and pounded a fist against the plastic separating their cells. “Ty, stop. Calm down. Ty!”

  Gion stopped taunting and blinked in astonishment as Ty pulled herself into the corner of the room. He automatically tried to reach for her and swore softly when his hand hit the Plexiglas. Ty dragged her body across the cot and huddled there, her back pressed against the space where the plastic walls met. Her hands covered her ears, trying to block out noises only she could hear.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Gion demanded. His eyes stayed riveted on Ty as she shook.

  “You’re fucking wrong with her!” Tharsis roared. “Get the cop in here. Get the cop t
o bring her pills.” He ran a hand through his hair, enraged at the wall keeping him from his cousin and at Gion for triggering her distress.

  “Pills?” Gion repeated, blankly. “We don’t take pills. That’s for humans.” He glanced back at the cot. “What’s happening to her?” His voice was sharper, now. She’d pulled her legs up against her chest. Hiding her face in her knees, she made herself as small as possible. “Ty?”

  “Just get the pills!” Tharsis screamed. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”

  Gion took a step back, his gaze still on Ty. “I’ll get the pills. Just watch her and I’ll go get the pills.” He went striding out of the room. How he planned to explain his presence in the jail to Sullivan, Tharsis didn’t know and didn’t care.

  “Ty.” Tharsis crouched down so he was cot level, even though they were still separated by a good eight feet of space and a clear barrier of plastic. “Honey. Deep breaths. Remember what the doctor said. You need to try and regulate your breathing. Accept that it’s a panic attack and work through it. Don’t fight it. Alright? And stay in the present. You hear me? Don’t think about the past. What you’re seeing is not real. Focus on me.”

  He wasn’t getting through to her.

  Fuck.

  Tharsis slammed his hand against the Plexiglas again. In that second, he would have gladly joined the Reprisal in killing every Air Phase in the universe. It didn’t matter that it would bring down the end of the world. He’d have done it willingly to punish everyone for what they’d inflicted on his baby cousin. Ty was completely closed off in her cell, reliving horrors she never should have seen in the first place. He couldn’t even touch her.

  Tharsis closed his eyes and laid his forehead against the plastic wall. “Ty.” He struggled to keep his voice calm. To reach her in her panicked flashback. “Honey, regulate your breathing. In and out. In and out.” He breathed with her like a Lamaze coach. “Everything that happened in the Fall is over now, Ty. Stay here with me. Stay in the present and don’t fight the attack.”

  Over and over, he repeated the instructions that the psychiatrist had given them. Even if she wasn’t processing the words, he knew she at least heard his voice.

  Minutes passed.

  Her frantic gasping for air calmed a bit.

  Sullivan came slamming into the holding area, taking in the situation with assessing brown eyes. “Shit.”

  “That’s what I said.” Tharsis quickly stood up. “She needs her medicine. She has panic attacks. Please. Just give her the pills. I know that she had them on her when we were arrested. She never goes anywhere without those damn things.”

  “Yeah, I got ‘em.” Sullivan held up a bottle and rattled the pills inside. “Actually prescribed to her, too. Which is a nice change of pace from most of the junkies I arrest.” He pulled his keys free and unlocked Ty’s cell. “Just hold on, kiddo.”

  “Is she alright?” Gion hovered behind him, keeping most of his attention on Ty. “Her breathing is better.”

  “Get out!” Sullivan and Tharsis shouted at him in unison.

  Sullivan glowered over at Gion, shaking his head at the cape. “Who the hell is this superhero guy?” He directed the question to Tharsis. “A friend of yours?”

  “Hell, no. Don’t let him near my cousin. He’s buddies with her psycho ex-boyfriend. He must’ve followed us here.”

  “A stalker.” Sullivan made a face. “Great. I knew you people were trouble.” He pinned Gion with a deadly look. “You move towards my prisoner and I will shoot you. Understand?”

  “I’m not going to touch her.” Gion muttered. “Just give her the pills.”

  Sullivan opened the door and went into Ty’s cell.

  Tharsis tensed, preparing for Gion to launch some kind of attack.

  Instead, the Air Phase just stood a few paces back and craned his neck, trying to keep his eyes on Ty, around Sullivan’s large form.

  “Kid?” Sullivan sat down on the edge of Ty’s cot and rested a hand on her bent head. “Hey, sweetie. Snap out of it.”

  Gion stiffened slightly as Sullivan caressed Ty’s hair. He actually took a step forward.

  Sullivan’s gaze swung around to peg him with a “one more inch and you’re outta here” glare.

  Gion stopped moving and frowned. “Just give her the pills, human.” He repeated, flatly.

  Sullivan ignored that. “Kid?” His hand slipped down to squeeze Ty’s shoulder. “You want me to call an ambulance. You can go back to the hospital. I know how much you like it there.”

  There was a pause. Then, Ty murmured, “No ambulance.”

  Tharsis closed his eyes in relief when he heard her voice.

  “You want the medicine?” Sullivan gave the bottle another rattle. “I think you can get through without it, but it’s here if you disagree.”

  “Yes, please.” She held out a shaky palm and Sullivan dumped two blue pills into it.

  Ty dry swallowed them both and then gave him a small smile. “Thank you.” She whispered.

  “You’ll be alright.” He ruffled her hair, big brother style. “You want anything else?”

  Ty glanced at Gion out of the corner of her eye.

  Sullivan smirked. “You got it.” He got to his feet and headed back out of the cell, again. “Sorry, Dracula. The lady wants you gone.”

  “Are you this solicitous to all your prisoners’ requests? I had no idea police work was so much like bell-hopping.” Gion flashed Sullivan a sneer, but most of his considerable focus was still centered on Ty.

  She wasn’t looking at him. She wasn’t looking at anyone. She put her face against her knees again and did her best to vanish entirely.

  Sullivan stalked closer to Gion. “This is my station, asshole. And nobody scares little girls in my station. I don’t care if you’re her boyfriend, her lawyer, or the president. You’re out that door in two seconds or I’ll lock you up, too, and you can see firsthand how solicitous I fucking am.”

  Tharsis half expected Gion to throw down with the cop. Air Phases weren’t known for their level heads. Another warrior challenging them was usually enough to start a war. And the scar on Sullivan cheek marked him as a warrior, human or not. Certainly, exposing themselves to the humans wasn’t a concern to the Air House, the way it was for other most Phases. The Air House was populated by egomaniacal idiots who didn’t care who knew about them. Quite simply, there wasn’t much stopping Gion from blasting Sullivan into the ionosphere. So, Thar was actually pretty surprised when Gion relented.

  “I’m leaving.” Gion took a step towards the door. Then, he hesitated and turned back to Ty. “Your Highness?” He called, in an unreadable tone. “I know why you’re here.”

  “Your Highness?” Sullivan repeated, skeptically. “Who? Her?” He frowned at Ty. “You?”

  Ty ignored that, her attention on Gion. Turquoise eyes slowly rose to his viciously refined features. She stared at him, warily.

  “There are factions of this universe who will do far worse things than I could ever dream of in order to find the Quintessence.” Gion told her, his face an implacable mask. “Phases and other creatures who will track you down, if they think you have it. And when they find you, they will shred you open, to get whatever it is you know. Then, they’ll steal it for themselves and step over your carcass as they leave.” His voice was utterly calm. “If you search for the Quintessence, all you’ll find is death.”

  Sullivan pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, you geeks are like your own little role playing game.”

  “What the hell are you saying this for, Gion?” Tharsis snapped, because it sort of sounded like a warning and that made no frigging sense. Gion wouldn’t warn someone if they were slowly backing towards a bottomless pit. In fact, he’d probably push them in himself, just for the fun of hearing them scream on the way down.

  Gion disregarded his question. He held Ty’s gaze for a moment and then shook his head. It almost seemed like the Air Phase was frustrated by Ty’s lack of response. Tharsis reali
zed that Ty hadn’t said a single word to the guy the entire time he’d been in the jail. In fact, Tharsis wasn’t sure that Ty had ever spoken Gion, directly. Whenever he came around, she just watched him like he was an infiltrating fog out to smother her. The more Gion pushed, the quieter Ty became in a never ending cycle of snide remarks and silent stares.

  Tharsis frowned, considering that. There were a lot of things he didn’t understand about Gion. For instance, why the Air Phase never came after Ty in the Water Kingdom. Most Phases needed permission to travel into other Kingdoms, but Gion was powerful enough to bypass the barriers. He had to be. It never made sense to Tharsis that Gion didn’t help Parald get to Ty by jumping into her bedroom one night.

  “Are going to report Ty’s problem to Parald?” Tharsis asked baldly as Gion turned to go.

  Ty cringed, hunching in on herself.

  Gions’ pale blue eyes swung around to impale Tharsis with icy distain.

  “Who’s Parald?” Sullivan demanded.

  Everyone ignored him.

  Tharsis arched a challenging brow, not backing down from Gion’s frigid expression. “Well? Will you tell him about Ty’s panic attack? I mean, there’s no reason for you to lie, right? He’s your boss and we’re his enemies.”

  “Your question is meaningless.” Gion headed for the door. “Elementals don’t have panic attacks.” The words were unequivocal. He swept out again, the edge of his cape swirling around the tops of his boots.

  Huh. Tharsis’s gaze flicked from the doorway back over to Ty’s small form, his eyes narrowing in thought. Well, wasn’t that interesting.

  Chapter Nine

  "And how can there be a fifth element," asked Apollonius, "alongside

  water, air, earth, and fire?" "There is the ether," replied the other man,

  "which we must regard as the stuff of which the gods are made.”