Guardian of the Earth House (10 page)

Quintessence is the chaos of elements.

Isaac Newton- “
Theologiae
Gentilis Origines
Philosophicae”

Job stared at Tessie, soaking in her spaghetti strap t-shirt and tattered jeans.  It had been completely worth deviating from his normal routine to come home to this view.

Job usually worked though lunch and he usually ate that lunch much later in the day.  He never came back to the palace in the early afternoon.  It was irresponsible.  He’d held out as long as he could, but he just couldn’t stand being away from Tessie for another minute.  He wanted to see her. 
Needed
to see her.

The kitchen was as formal as the rest of Job’s palace.  Tessie should’ve looked out of place in her bare feet and sporting a pierced belly button.  Instead, she made his whole cold house feel… right.

The hot pink letter across her shirtfront, read: “Wastin’ Away Bar and Grill Staff- Don’t Forget to Tip Your Waitress.”  Not that Job was looking at her chest… Okay he
was
, but he was also curious as to why a Divine being apparently worked in a beach bar.

Good manners did have Job offering Tessie anything she wanted for breakfast in that note he’d left.  The Fall had taught most Elementals the importance of keeping supplies on hand, so Job had a fully stocked pantry.  It turned out Tessie wanted cereal.

She poured milk onto a bowl full of Cheerio’s, humming the
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
theme song and flipping through some soap opera fan magazine that she’d had stuffed in her zebra striped backpack.

Job ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat.  “I’m home.”

Tessie’s head snapped up, her body going tense.  At first, Job thought that the reaction stemmed from her aversion to him.  Tessie had already stated that she didn’t like him, after all.  But, when she saw him standing there, she relaxed, again.  The rest of the universe lived in terror of Job’s power, but Tessie wasn’t scared of him, at all.  Tessie was apparently scared of the rest of the universe.

Job almost wished that Tessie
had
just been annoyed to see him personally.  He was used to not being liked.  As it was, her nervousness came from her inability to feel safe from her sister.  It broke his heart.

“Hey.”  She actually smiled a little bit.  “Morning.  Afternoon.  Whatever.  I stole your Cheerios.  I hope that’s okay.”

“Yes, of course.”  Job was momentarily transfixed by the small grin.  If Tessie had been born an Elemental, she would’ve had Phases swarming at her.  Her long dark hair and striking features appealed to Job on every possible level.  Then, there was her incredible body composed entirely of curves and softness.  Mostly, though, it was the hint of mischief in her violet blue eyes that drew him.  As if Tessie had a lot of adventures planned out and she wanted you to join in the fun.

No one ever wanted Job to join in any fun.

“The feelings are still there, huh?”  Tessie surmised, taking in his expression.  “Have you tried concentrating on –like-- baseball or something?”  She frowned.  “You know what baseball is, right?  I mean, do Phases play human sports…?”

“I know what baseball is.”  Job interrupted.  “But, I don’t think it’ll help.”  He cleared his throat, again.  “I think we need to talk about the Phazing, though.”

“The sex-by-energy part?”  She sounded even more anxious.  “Why?”

“Because the connection you’ve created feels real.  Real Matches have an urge to Phaze that gets harder and harder to resist as times go on.”  It was already hard to resist.  Job wasn’t sure what Tessie’s energy was, but there didn’t seem to be any restraints on it.  Just standing across the room from her, he could feel it all over his body.  A warm, clean froth of power constantly caressed every part of him, from the inside out.

It was driving him slowly insane from want.

“Is it a tightness thing?”  Tessie guessed, spooning up another mouthful of Cheerios.  “Because, I already feel that.  There’s pressure and when I look at you…”

“Yes.”  Job cut her off for his own sake.  “That would be it.”

Tessie nodded.  “But, it’s not real, right?  It’s part of whatever you did back in your study.”  She looked like she wanted reassurance.  As if she wasn’t sure what was happening between them, even though she was the one who’d created it.

Job met her eyes and wished with everything in him that he could’ve said, “No, it’s real.  You’re mine.”  It wasn’t just that he wanted his Match.  He wanted this lovely, chaotic, disagreeable woman to be that Match.

He wanted
Tessie
.

“It’s fake.”  He reported flatly.  “We’ll need to ignore it.  If we actually attempt a sham Phazing, I’m not sure what will happen.”

“Might mess things up for ya when you meet your
real
Match, huh?”  She rolled her eyes.  “Fine, whatever.  Look, you keep your hands off me and I’ll try super hard to keep mine off you, satisfied?”  She flipped a page in her magazine so forcefully it ripped the edge of the paper and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like “asshole.”

Why was she annoyed with him?

Job stood in the doorway and wished that he knew how to deal with emotional situations.  Tessie was angry, again.  She might try to leave.  He needed to do something to fix this, but he had no idea what.

And, wait a second, what was she even talking about?  “
I
didn’t do anything back in my study.”  He declared with absolute certainly.  “You created this synthetic Phase-Match between us.  I don’t have that kind of energy.  It had to come from the Quintessence.”  It wasn’t often that Job came across someone who held more power than he did.  It was… interesting.  Especially, since he didn’t
feel
a lot of energy coming off of her, aside from the bogus Phazing force.

Tessie felt almost… human.

Tessie glanced up at him through her incredibly thick lashes.  “Um… right.”  She muttered and ate some more cereal.  “So, what are you plannin’ to do with the rest of the day?”

As subject changes went, it wasn’t the subtlest segue.

Job arched a brow and let it slide.  He didn’t want to pressure her and drive her away.  What if the caring feelings didn’t fade and she just vanished?  He’d go out of his mind if he couldn’t be near the woman who felt like his Match.  He was
already
going out of his mind with her right in front of him.  If she disappeared, Job had the real bad feeling that he’d tear the universe apart trying to track her down, again.

“I’ll be meeting with some Air Phases.”

“Back in the Agora?”

Job put his hands behind his back.  He really wanted to go sit down across from her, but it would’ve been impolite without an invitation.  Tessie seemed content with him in the doorway and he certainly wasn’t going to ask if he could sit with her.  Even if it was his house, and his chair, and his Cheerios.  Earth Kings didn’t ask for anything.  Job stayed where he was.  “Yes.  I’m granting them amnesty and they’re moving in.  Apparently, it’s a trend.”

Tessie stared at him.  “You’re leaving to meet with
Air Phases?
”  A Cheerio fell off her spoon and hit the milk in her bowl with a small splash.  “Right now?”

“Just the ones who are willing to denounce Parald.”

“Yeah, but…” she shook her head, “it doesn’t seem safe.  What if it’s a trap?  What if they attack you?”

“If there’s a fight, I’ll win it.”

She blew out an annoyed breath.  “Men. 
Fine
.  Well, have you eaten, yet?  Or do you plan on taking on the armies of darkness
before
lunch?”

Job checked his gold wristwatch.  He didn’t care about the time, but it gave him something to do to cover his surprise. “Well, I suppose I could eat, first.  Would you mind if I made a sandwich?”

“Mind?”  Tessie looked mystified.  “Why would I mind if you had a sandwich?”

“I didn’t want to intrude on your meal.”

Tessie blinked.  “Job, sit down and eat.”  She finally ordered.  “You’re driving me nuts standing there.”

Given the nature of the invitation, Job probably shouldn’t have been touched by that, but he was.  He nodded and moved forward, so he could put some bread in the toaster.  He liked his sandwiches on toast.  “What are you planning to do today?”  He asked, careful not to look at her.  If she said she was leaving, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

Tessie stayed quiet for a long moment.  “I don’t know.”  She finally whispered.

Job’s eye squeezed shut at the desolation in her tone.  He knew it was the phony Phase-Match causing it, but he still wanted to take her in his arms and promise that he’d keep her safe.  “You shouldn’t do anything until you have an actionable plan.”  He recommended, instead.  “Better to think things through and be
sure
of your next step, before you take it.  You should just stay here for another night.”

“Really?”  Tessie turned around in her seat so she could stare at him.  “You’d be okay with that?”

“Yes.”  Job concentrated on the glowing filaments in the toaster.  “I think it would be fine.”

“Okay.  Good.  Thanks.”  Tessie kept looking at him.  Job could feel her eyes.  “Sooo…. How many Air Phase are moving here?”

“So far?  Seven.”

Tessie made a face.  “That’s good for
them
, I guess.  They’ll be a lot better off here with you, rather than stuck with Parald.”  She ate some more cereal.  “Elementals look down on the humans, but you guys are just as bad with your warring.  And you’ve got
way
more crazy guys running around with swords.”

Job didn’t appreciate that comparison.  “If you understood Elemental history, you’d know that our present situation is an anomaly.”

“I
do
understand you!  I even helped you people find new Matches.  And look where it got me.  Chased out of my own home.”  She snorted.  “Now,
you’ll
find some prim little human to Phaze with and I’ll be applying to the Witness Protection Program, so…”

“I don’t have a Match.”  Job interrupted.

“Not yet, but…”

“No, I mean I don’t have one,
at
all
.”

“What?”  Tessie pushed back a handful of ebony hair.  “Sure you do.  You were telling me last night how important it is that you find the girl and how I was screwing up your plans.”

That got Job’s head whipping around.  “I never said anything of the kind.  I said that if I
did
have a Match, she would be the center of my life.  But, I
don’t.
  I’m meant to be alone.  Some people are.”

“Tell me about it.”  Tessie mumbled.  She studied him for a moment.  “Are you sure that you don’t have a Match?  You’re really powerful, so I guess you’d be able to tell, but…”

“I’m sure.”  Job’s toast popped up and he carefully arranged it on a green ceramic plate.  “This connection I have with you is as close as I’m going to get to experiencing Phazing.”  He gathered peanut butter and jelly from the refrigerator and then sat down across the table from her.  “I’m sorry if I was unkind last night.”  He met her eyes.  “I believe you when you say that you’re not sure how to undo the feelings.  It was just… surprising.”

“Yeah.”  Tessie’s fingers twirled around the silver necklace at her throat.  The end of it disappeared under her the front of her shirt.  “Ya know, I don’t have anybody, either.”

“I’m sure that’s by choice.”  Job carefully spread the peanut butter on one slice of toast and then the jelly on the opposite piece.

Tessie seemed fascinated.  “You eat PB&J for lunch?”

“Yes.  Why?”

“Nothing.  It’s just cute.”  She gave her head a clearing shake.  “Anyway, no.  It’s not all by choice.  I thought I loved a guy once.  I had this great picture in my head of him and me and some babies living in a castle…”  She looked around.  “Not a castle as nice as yours.  A medieval one.  This was –like-- a thousand years ago, I guess.”  She smiled.  “You were just a kid, back then, huh?”

“Yes.”  Job really didn’t want to hear any stories about Tessie’s lost love.  There was a certain novelty in having someone around who was actually older than he was.  He liked that idea quite a bit.  But mostly, Job just had the overwhelming desire to somehow travel back in time and kill the man who thought he could have Tessie.

Job hated him on spec.

“Anyway, Antoine --That was his name, Antoine-- he was a knight.  Seriously.  A real one, with the horse and everything.”

Job nodded and managed to hold back a derisive sneer.  “I see.”

A knight in shining armor.  Bastard.

Tessie put her chin in her palm.  “You say ‘I see’ a lot, when you really mean something else.  Has anyone ever told you that?”

“No.”

“Well, you do.  As the older and wiser super-being in this room, let me give you some advice.”  She leaned forward.  “If you don’t tell people what you think, they aren’t ever gonna know.  I gave up trying to be something I’m not back in my triple digits, because I was only limiting myself and the person I was supposed to be.”