“Fuck!” Cross knew what was going to happen and so did the Shadows. The pressure in his head grew almost unbearable as they swirled in agitation. “Nia!” He bellowed. “Get back!”
The Stone Phase looked right at Cross and smirked. The bastard’s hand snapped out and seized Nia’s wrist, before she could get away. His powers surged, freezing her in place as four more Reprisal soldiers crowded around him.
Cross’ terror went beyond any obscene language he knew. It was a living beast tearing at his insides. Stone Phases’ powers didn’t hurt anyone, but they did solidify their targets. Nia couldn’t move. Couldn’t get away until the Stone Phase released her. He was going to steal her.
“No!” The bellow came straight from Cross’ soul as the Reprisal jumped Nia right out of the station.
They disappeared into nothingness.
He heard Ty scream. Vaguely registered that the rest of the Reprisal soldiers were pulling out back to the Magnet Kingdom now that they had Nia. He even sort of processed that Gion was in the room. But all of it was drowned out by the roar in his head. The Shadows screamed for release, so agitated that Cross couldn’t control them, at all.
He had to follow the Reprisal.
Cross fell to his knees, blood pouring from his eyes, nose and ears. The pain was worse than it had ever been. He struggled to focus, to figure out how to get to his Match. Elementals couldn’t just jump into other Houses’ territories uninvited. There were safeguards in place to prevent other Phases from invading. Cross had no idea how he was going to bypass the Magnet Phases security and reach Nia. What would happen if he just threw himself against the barrier? Would it kill him and end the universe?
Well, they were about to find out, because he was going for it.
Right now.
“You’ll die if you try it.” Gion reported, dispassionately. “Go get Job before you jump to Chason’s fortress. You have power, but it’s too scattered. You’ll fry yourself.”
There was no time to go for Job. Cross shot Gion a “fuck off” glare and pulled himself to his feet.
Gion sighed as he saw that Cross was going to disregard the advice. “It’s so sad that the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of an idiot.”
“Who is this jerk with the cape?” Melanie muttered.
“My cousin.” Uriel reported, apologetically. “It is a distant relation. Gion represses his Wood Phase genes.”
Gion rolled his eyes.
“Great.” Melanie looked around the decimated police station and winced. “Speaking of cousins, Sullivan’s gonna be pissed about this. After we get Nia back, you’re all helping me hide the bodies. I mean it.”
Ty was close to hyperventilating. Gion finally let her slip past him and she hurried over to Sullivan’s desk. Her purse was lying partially under it and Ty’s hands shook so badly she could barely get it opened to retrieve her medicine.
Gion frowned as she dry swallowed two anxiety pills. “Is that really necessary? Human medication is the equivalent of eating thumbtacks: Useless and irrational. They’re a placebo, Tritone.”
Ty ignored that. She went to sit next to Thar’s unconscious form. Covering her face with her hands, she drew in choppy breaths, trying to calm her panic.
“I will go with you to retrieve Nia.” Uriel told Cross. “I think we can do it if we…”
Gion cut him off, scowling over at Cross. “You cannot go without Job. Period. Is it really so hard to understand that the end of the entire universe will, by definition, not be a stellar way to save your Match? I can’t believe you people are the side that I didn’t just kill.”
“Gion?” Ty said.
His head snapped around to stare at her, blue eyes widening in surprise. That was the first word that she’d ever spoken to him. “Yes?” He answered, instantly.
“You’re powerful enough to get into the Magnet Fortress.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “Aren’t you?”
Cross focused on Gion with a savage intensity.
Gion kept his attention locked on Ty. “I’ve never tried visiting the Reprisal, but I’m sure their security would be easy enough to bypass.” He allowed. “If you’re someone like me and not these bumbling children.” He waved a dismissive hand at Cross and Uriel. “I can’t imagine why I would be compelled to try, though. In case you missed the wanted posters, I don’t hang out with Chason’s crowd. Or yours.”
Cross started for him. “You’ll fucking take me or…”
“Let me.” Ty interrupted. “Gion.” She got to her feet. “If you help us get Nia back, I’ll go with you to Parald.”
“No!” Uriel shook his head. “Nia, would never want that!”
Gion took step closer to Ty, looming over her. “You would sacrifice yourself for your cousin?” He sounded incensed. “Are you really that stupid?”
“Yes. Is it a deal?”
Gion studied her for a long moment. “No. I don’t make deals for Parald. I make deals for me. I’m not risking my neck in the Magnet Fortress so that Parald can have you. I don’t need September’s ‘Air Phase of the Month’ award that badly.”
Ty ran a hand through her hair. “I know that you must be for sale for some price, then. What is it?”
Gion’s jaw tightened. “Well, a ‘pretty please’ would be nice.” He taunted.
“I’m serious. Tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you. I’ll give you a blank check. I don’t care. Just go get Nia.”
“A blank check, huh?” Something moved in his expression. Something cunning or covetous that was gone too quickly to read.
“Yes. Anything you want. Any favor you want. Anything at all.”
Gion slowly nodded. “Alright.” He leaned down so they were at eye level. “When I collect, you’re going to wish you’d gone with my first offer, though.”
Ty blinked. “You’ll go? Really? Just like that?”
“Just like that. But, don’t think that you’re going to renege on me, because I’m known for my debt collecting skills.”
Ty frowned like that offended her. “The Water House will give you what you want. Don’t worry.”
“I don’t have to worry. It’s the joy of being evil. Well, that and the pay.” Gion arched a brow. “And, by the way, I won’t be collecting from the Water House. I’ll be collecting from you.”
Her mouth firmed. “You’re just wasting time, now. Go!”
“I’m going. And there’s no need to thank me for saving your cute little ass from the Reprisal. Really. Your heartfelt appreciation is just overwhelming.” He went sweeping over to Cross. “Welcome to my team. Try not to embarrass me.”
“You screw me over on this and I’ll kill you along with everyone else in the universe.” Cross reported. The very flatness of the warning, combined with the echo of Shadows in his voice, had Gion glancing at him.
“Relax. This isn’t the first apocalypse I’ve been to, you know. Of course, you caused the last one, too, so it might all count as one big end of the world, right?” Gion didn’t wait for Cross’ response to that. Grabbing hold of Cross’ arm, he instantly jumped them both to the Magnet Kingdom.
Chapter Seventeen
Then I cursed the elements
Edgar Allen Poe- “Silence- A Fable”
Chason felt a constant, deep and abiding fury at the universe at large. But, seeing Abel’s hands on Nia’s body, he experienced an entirely different kind of anger. Chason was past caring about everything except revenge, now. But, there was still enough of the man who’d Phazed with Mara buried inside of him that he wouldn’t tolerate any of his soldiers abusing a woman. Some of his soldiers were women, for Gaia’s sake. The Reprisal was dedicated to a cause, not to wanton barbarism. There was a difference between justified vengeance and mindless brutality. Chason might kill Nia to find the Quintessence, but she wasn’t going to be raped, first.
“Abel, let her go.” He ordered.
Nia was still frozen by the Stone Phase’s solidifying power. The men had followed orders and taken
her directly to Chason’s study when they returned to the Magnet Fortress. Their losses in the human realm had been high. Chason could see it in the blood stained uniforms and haggard expressions of the soldiers.
Or most of the soldiers, anyway.
Abel looked delighted as he fondled Nia through her clothing. His hand was actually working on the buttons of her top. “She’s softer than I thought she’d be.”
Lansing looked disgusted.
“Let her go.” Chason repeated. “Now.”
The force of his voice actually got through to Abel. “What?” He turned to stare at Chason. “But…”
“I want her unfrozen, so I can question her and then I want you and the rest of the men out of here.” Chason interrupted. “And, later, you and I are going to talk about this.”
Abel stared at him and Chason could see the barely suppressed fury in his gaze.
Lansing reached for his sword, when Abel hesitated. So, did a lot of the other soldiers.
Abel let out a hissing breath of frustration and released his hold on Nia. His energy surged out and she blinked, coming back from her statue-like state of suspended animation. Chason wasn’t sure how aware someone remained in a Stone Phase trance, but Nia had to remember something. Furious turquoise eyes fixed on Abel and there was a gigantic swell of power.
“Oh shit.” Lansing breathed as Nia let loose with the force of her rage.
Abel barely had time to scream as the Water energy, lifted him right off the ground. It slammed into him like a wrecking ball, sending him flying into the wall ten feet away. He hit it so hard his skull made a sickening “thwack” sound against the gray stone. Abel slid down and fell first face to the floor, unconscious.
Chason arched a brow. “Is he dead?”
“He’ll live.” Nia spat out. “For now.” Her expression reflected utter revulsion. “That’s the kind of Phase you recruit, now? And you still have the audacity to think you’re so much nobler than the rest of us? God.” She wiped at her body like she was trying to remove Abel’s fingerprints.
“I apologize.” Chason said, because she was actually right. “That won’t happen again.”
“Abel only touched you for a moment, Princess Nia. Chason stopped him right away.” Lansing put-in, loyally.
“Really? Well, everything’s fine, then.” Nia sneered. “I guess I’ll just forget that you kidnapped me, too.” She glared over at Chason. “Seriously, kidnapping? I mean, do you stay up at night thinking of ways to be a bigger cliché?”
Chason ignored that. “Leave us.” He told his men and gestured towards the chair across from his desk. “Have a seat, Nia.”
The soldiers filed out the door, abandoning Abel on the ground.
Nia scowled, apparently debating the merits of ignoring Chason’s instructions. Finally, she stomped over to sit in the chair. “You sent men with swords after my family. My brother and my cousin and my Match. Explain to me why I shouldn’t make the Magnet Kingdom into a Dust Bowl. I have no trouble controlling the Water here.” She shot Abel a pointed look. “See?”
“You could create a drought.” Chason agreed. “Take all our water and dry us out. Kill the land. But, I doubt that you will. Water Phases don’t destroy nature. Besides, it would drain a lot of your power to do something that big and you’ll need it for whatever futile escape plan you’re already trying to concoct.”
“You’d be surprised at what Water Phases will destroy when we get pissed enough.” Nia leaned forward. “And I have plenty of power to steal your water and get away from you nimrods. Shall we test it?”
Chason decided to change the subject. She could ruin the Magnet Kingdom. She had enough energy to create a permanent and irreversible desert over his lands. But, he simply didn’t care. “Where’s the Quintessence?” It remained the only thing that really mattered.
Nia blinked as if she hadn’t been expecting that. “How do you know about…”
Chason cut her off. “Where is it? Just tell me, so I don’t have to hurt you.”
He probably shouldn’t have been so blunt. Nia’s gaze narrowed at the threat.
“Even if I knew where it was, I still wouldn’t tell you.” She declared in a ‘rot in hell’ tone. She crossed her arms over her chest. “As it happens, I don’t get the fun of withholding it from you, though. I don’t know where it is. That’s the truth. We were looking for it and we hit a dead end.”
Chason didn’t believe her. “I don’t believe you.”
Nia shrugged. “Tough.”
Chason watched her, thoughtfully. “I could give you back to Abel.” He remarked, even though he wouldn’t.
“Yeah, ‘cause he did so well against me last time, right?” Nia glanced over at Abel’s sprawled form again. “FYI, the threat will probably work better once he wakes up from his fainting spell.”
Bringing out the big guns, Chason nodded. “Very well. If you won’t tell me where the Quintessence is, I’ll have to ask someone else. The Reprisal can just go after Ty, again. Or Tharsis. Maybe they would know.” He’d known Nia for centuries. He knew how much she valued her family. She wasn’t impressed with his vows to hurt her, but just the promise of retaliation against Ty and Tharsis had her jaw tightening.
“Or,” Chason continued when she just glared at him, “I could pay Cross a visit and see what he’ll tell me about the Quintessence.”
There was a beat on tense silence.
Then, Nia struck at his weakest point. “It’s just too bad Mara isn’t here to see you, Chase.” She smiled with no humor. “Your Match would be so proud of what you’ve become.”
For a second, Chason’s vision dimmed.
Nia had said his Match’s name.
No one said her name around him. Not ever. Even Chason avoided saying it out loud, because the sound of it caused such agonizing pain. “Shut up. You have no idea what it is to lose a Match!” The words were torn out of him and left bleeding craters.
“No, but I know what it is to have a Match and you just threatened him!” She shouted back. “You’re lucky I don’t know where the Quintessence is, because I’d destroy it myself rather than ever give it to you, now!”
Properly channeled, the berserker rage that filled him could have powered the entire universe. “You know nothing.” Chason exploded out of his chair. “She was my heart.” He thumped a fist against his chest. “My soul. My light. Everything that would have stopped me from hurting you, died with her. I’m warning you, Nia. Just give it to me or…”
“I don’t have it!” She bellowed. “If I did, I’d have already used it to fix things. To get back what the Fall stole from all of us.”
“It’s too late for that.” Chason struggled to reign in his breathing. “Now, there can only be justice. I will have the Quintessence. If it means killing you, so be it. Avenging my Match is worth your life. Worth my life. The universe. Anything.”
“Missing her doesn’t make you special. You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Nia swallowed. “The only Phase who loved someone and had them taken? Not all of us want to finish what Parald started and burn the ashes of our world, though. It’s not right, Chason. Your grief is blinding you.”
“You have no idea what you’re even talking about.” He snarled. “Maybe other Phases lost people who they loved during the Fall, but it’s not the same. I loved her more. I loved her with a love than was more than a…”
“That was more than love.” Nia finished. “Yeah, I know.”
“Are you mocking me?” He demanded, furiously.
“No. It’s a human poem. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe. I used to read it to Ty. She liked it because it’s about a water kingdom.” Nia frowned. “You never read it? You’d appreciate it. It was written by a man who’d lost his wife.”
“Recite this poem.” Chason dared, not really buying it. If Nia tried to jeer at the memory of his Match, he really would kill her.
“Recite the whole thing?” Nia cringed like a kid called on to do a math problem on t
he chalkboard. “I can’t remember all of it. I know part of it goes, ‘we loved with a love that was more than love,’ and then there’s some other stuff about how the angels were jealous of them and then it went:
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;”
“Wait, Air killed the human’s Match?” That caught Chason’s attention.
“Um…” Nia shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. Oh, wait. I remember the end, now:
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.”
“A human wrote that?” Chason hadn’t known they were that smart. The poem was… good. Listening to it didn’t hurt, like music. It just made him feel calmer somehow. Like someone else out in the universe really did understand what it was to love beyond all reason and ache for what was gone. Like someone, this Poe human, would have approved of his mission.
Chason walked over to stare out his window, soaking in the slow decay of the Magnet Kingdom like a balm. “I can’t lay down with her, yet.” He reported in a quieter voice. “Not until I avenge her.”
“So, if you had the Quintessence --this wonderful Divine power-- all you could think to do with it is kill more people.”
“Yes.” Chason said, honestly.
“That’s pathetic.” Nia pronounced.
“Possibly, but you’re still going to give me the Quintessence.” He turned to look at her, again. “You don’t have a choice.”
“I. Don’t. Have. It.” She repeated, carefully spacing each word. “Break out the rack and have the Braveheart guy rip out my intestines, if you want. But, the answer will still be the same. Ty and I thought it was in Mayport Beach. It donated blood and we tracked it there. But, it was a trick.”
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