Guardian of the Earth House (17 page)

Then, Nia noticed something odd.  Gion might have put himself in a vulnerable position, but he was also standing so that he was directly between the other Air Phases and Ty.  He wasn’t looking at Ty, anymore.  In fact, he seemed supremely bored as he glanced down at his platinum wristwatch and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.  But, if either of the Air Phases tried to get to the front of the room, they’d literally have to go right through Gion.

Nia’s eyebrows drew together.  What the hell was he plotting, now?

The double doors to the courtroom swung open, again, and Job came in.  Perfectly attired in an Ivy League style suit and tie, his white hair brushed into its customary elegant ponytail, he wasn’t just everyone’s authority figure… he was their safety-net.

Job was the ultimate failsafe; the emergency parachute.  If things got too bad, most Phases took heart in the idea that they could go running to Job and he would help them.  He was the back-up plan for all Elementals.

The crowd relaxed visibly when Job arrived as if his presence completely nullified any threat the Air Phases posed.  Which it kinda did.  Gion was powerful, but no one had Job’s energy.  Even Nia smiled.  It was like having your big brother show-up on the playground to pound the third grade bully back into line for you.

People may have been mad at Job about amnesty, but, compared to Gion, he was definitely the cavalry.

Job’s vivid green eyes instantly fell on the Air House and his displeasure was clear for everyone to see.  “Gion, what are you doing here?”  He demanded.  He didn’t even bother to address the other two.

Gion arched a brow.  “I’m thinking of repenting of my evil ways and joining a new House.  I’m here meeting and greeting my many options for adoption.”

“No one’s going to let you into their House and you know it.  Leave.”

“This is a public hearing and I’m a concerned citizen.”  Gion taunted.  “You don’t have the authority to evict me.  There are rules.”

“You’re not a citizen of
this
realm, so you have nothing to be concerned
about
.”  Job pointed out.  “Leave.”  It was an order, backed up with a thousand years of energy.  The floor actually moved slightly with the force of his power.

The other two Air Phases did as Job instructed and instantly scampered out.

Cross gave a derisive snort at their retreat.

Gion was made of sterner, not so easy to impress, stuff.  “Drug abuse affects us all.”  He countered seriously.  “I have a real interest in seeing these hospital thieves pay for…”  His words trailed off as a woman came up behind Job.

Gion blinked at her, in astonished silence.

Nia tilted her head to get a better look the woman who’d actually caused Gion to shut-up for once.  What was the big deal?  The woman wasn’t gorgeous, although she had a lively sort of attractiveness about her features.  She had dark hair and one of the curvy bodies that Elemental men always went for.  With her black, midriff bearing top and battered flip flops, she really didn’t look like someone Gion would react to, though.  He was so fastidious and snotty.  In fact, the woman seemed
human
as she tapped on the top of the soda can with a purple finger nail, trying to get it open.

Gion hated humans.

Gion hated everyone.

Still, there was no getting around the fact that the woman had accomplished the impossible and stunned the Darth Vader of the Elemental world completely speechless.

Some instinct had Nia glancing over at her cousin.  Ty’s queenly mask was firmly in place, except for a tightness around her mouth and a glow to her turquoise eyes.  That was enough, though.  For once, Ty didn’t stare at Gion in fear.

Right now, Ty looked livid.

Oddly, Nia was thrilled about that.  She wanted to personally thank the dark haired woman for helping to cause such a reaction.  Since the Fall, Ty never felt anything but panic and terror.  Any new emotion, even weird, inexplicable anger, was a step in the right direction, as far as Nia was concerned.

“Job, honey, can you get this…?”  The woman began, holding up her Diet Coke.  She, too, stopped abruptly when she saw Gion.  “Oh shit.”  She blurted out as she gaped up at him.

“Honey?”  Half the room echoed.

Nia gasped.  Was this the woman Job had been mooning over at the Council meeting?  She had to be.  Even from a distance, Nia could feel the power of their connection.  Did Job have a
Match?
  She glanced up at Cross.

“Maybe.”  He shrugged, correctly interpreting her confusion.  “There’s a lot of energy between them.”

Gion apparently thought so, too.  His frigid eyes got wider as he gaped at the woman.  “You’ve started Phazing with him?  No.  God.   The memories will be shared and…”  He trailed off and rubbed the side of his head.  “You know, you’re right.  Only ‘shit’ sums this all up adequately.”

Job didn’t take his attention off of Gion.  He calmly plucked the soda from the woman’s hand, popped it open, and passed it back to her.  “Front row, Tess.”  He instructed.  “Next to the Water House.”

She nodded, shot Gion a cringing sort of look, and slipped towards the front of the room. “It’s not really Phazing.”  She whispered, apparently to Gion, but loud enough so everyone still heard her.

It would’ve been possible to hear a pin drop in the courtroom.  Everyone was focused on Job and Gion.

Gion followed Tessie’s retreat with his gaze.  Then, he turned back at Job.  “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?  What she is?”

“Yes.  She’s mine.”  Job’s tone was harder than Nia had ever heard it.  “Tessie came to the Earth House for protection.  Stay away from her.  That’s the only warning you’re going to receive.”

Gion looked at Tessie, again.  Their eyes met and, whatever Gion saw there, he seemed suddenly willing to back off.  “Very well.”  He held up in palms, innocently.  “Congratulations on your Match, Job.  I hope you have a deep and abiding interest in
Days of our Lives
,
because you’ll need it.”

“Oh, I do.”  Job assured him.

“You’re such an asshole, Guy.”  Tessie muttered.  “I’m not his Match.  And
Days
is a good show.”

“No, you’re wrong on both counts.”  Gion’s attention flicked back to her, briefly.  Then, he looked beyond Tessie to Ty.

Ty frowned at him and pushed her cat’s eye glasses further up her nose.

Gion arched a brow, keeping his gaze on Ty as he spoke to Job.  “Believe me, Tessie’s not my type, Councilor.  I’ll just be leaving you to your passionate, newly wedded  joy… and plea bargaining.”  He gave Ty another inclination of his head as he turned to go.

Ty crossed her arms over her chest.

Gion went sweeping out the door, again, which was completely out of character.  Not the sweeping.  Gion always swept around like Bela Lugosi.  But, the easy acquiesce to Job’s orders was bizarre.  Gion’s arrogance made it physiologically impossible for him to back down and walk away from any confrontation so fast.

The tension in the room decreased dramatically with the Air Phases gone.  But, still… what the hell was going on?

“Cross?”  Nia said, blankly.

“I got nothing, baby.  I guess my uncle is just really scary in that tie.”

“Uncle?”  Tessie sat down at the end of their row and frowned over at Cross.  “Job’s your uncle?  You’re Cross?”  It sounded like an accusation.

“Yep.”  Cross’ tone wasn’t very pleasant, either.  “Who are you? 
What
are you?  Why are you with Job?  And how do you know Gion?”

Tessie arched a brow at the barrage of questions.  “I’m Tessie.  Until yesterday, I was a bartender.  I’m Job’s houseguest.  And I met Gion while running for my life.”

“A lot of people meet Gion that way.”  Ty muttered from her place at the defense table. She glowered at the door, which continued to rock gently from Gion’s exit.

“Cross, leave Tessie alone.”  Job came up beside the Water House’s bench, his attention on his nephew.  “I have everything under control.”

Cross wasn’t convinced.

“Sit down, Job.”  Nia said quickly.  She knew from experience that he wouldn’t unless she asked.  Job held himself to impossible, unyielding standards of etiquette.  Nia had no idea how he could function every day.  Sometimes she worried that, if he didn’t loosen up, Job would atrophy completely.  All the small, sweet, occasionally quirky things about him --which already appeared far too rarely-- could just evaporate under Job’s relentless protocol and pressure.

“Thank you.”  Job took his place beside Tessie, keeping his body between her and the aisle.  “I hope you’re all well and that the sentencing is on schedule.”  He draped his arm along the seat back behind Tessie.  She moved so it brushed against her shoulders.

Nia blinked in surprise.  Neither one of them was looking at the other, even as they arranged themselves in a clearly defined, shared space on the bench.  Tessie didn’t even seem aware of it when she shifted closer to Job’s side, so she was just touching him.

Both of them ignored the multitude of eyes trained in their direction.  Job was feared and respected enough that no one came running over to ask who Tessie was, but it was obvious that curiosity ran high.  This would fuel the Elemental gossip mills for the foreseeable future, even beating out Ty, Uriel, and Tharsis standing trial.

Cross scowled and glanced down at Nia.  “Do I still have to be nice?”

“Yes.”  She hissed.

Cross swore under his breath.  “Fine.  Job?”  He turned back at his uncle.  “Is she your Match?”

“No.”  Job kept staring straight ahead.  Not that it did him much good because Ty and Tharsis were both turned around in their seats eavesdropping.  Even Uriel and Melanie looked interested.  “Tessie told you, she’s my houseguest.”

Nia nearly snorted.  Tessie was absolutely Job’s Match.  A really oblivious
chair
could’ve figured that out.  Was Job insane?  How was he missing this?

Nia looked over at Ty and rolled her eyes at Job’s stupidity.

Ty’s shrugged.

“Who is she, though?”  Cross persisted.  “Do you even know?  Is she dangerous?”

“I’m extremely dangerous.”  Tessie took a drink of her soda.  “I used to toss drunks out of the bar using only the force of my mind.”

“Really?”  Job sounded impressed.

“No.”  Tessie grinned.  “Total lie.  But, it sounds good, right?”  She passed him her Diet Coke and winked.

Job’s mouth actually kicked up at one corner, so completely enamored of Tessie that Nia could read adoration in every line of his usually impassive face.  He took a sip of soda, his lips covering the exact spot where Tessie’s had been.

Nia had known Job since she was a child.  And, in over two hundred and fifty years, she’d never seen him so emotive or comfortable.  This wasn’t just a crush.  That almost smile was the equivalent of handing Tessie his still beating heart.

“Cross.”  Nia warned, softly.  “
Nice
.  Remember, be really nice.”

Job was utterly star-struck by his Match.  Not in a predictable, Job-like, subdued and satisfied way, but with real…passion.  Amazing at it seemed, Job was seriously once-in-a-lifetime, curly-cues-in-his-eyes insanely in love with this
particular
woman.  He was enthralled with Tessie herself and he wasn’t going to like his nephew interrogating her.

“The girl knows Gion, Nia!”  Cross argued.  “She called him ‘Guy.’  Am I the only one who heard that?”

“I heard it.”  Ty reported.

“Thank you!”  Cross gestured at her triumphantly.  “See?  So I
am
being nice.  But, do you want me to just let Job get hurt?”

Job blinked over at Cross.  “What?  You’re worried about me getting hurt?”  There was a strange expression on his face, as if he was mystified, annoyed, and sort of touched that Cross would be concerned for him.

“Hell, yes!  You say this woman isn’t your Match, but she’s apparently got you under a spell or something.  What has she done to you?”

“I took my top off and he melted.”  Tessie volunteered.  “Makes men putty in my hands.”

Job chocked on his swallow of soda and shot her a pained look.  “Must we share that?”  He whispered, handing her back the Diet Coke.  “Besides, whose hands were
you
melting in, Tess?”

Tessie laughed. “Wiseass.”

Job glanced at her and then quickly away.   But, the almost smile twitched, again.

Tharsis ate another mouthful of popcorn.  “This was totally worth getting arrested for.”

Nia slowly shook her head, overwhelmed with relief.  Tessie was so good for Job.  The barrier of his stiff formal ways slipped around her.  Tessie could finally do what Nia had always
wanted
someone to do for Job:  She could save him from himself.  She could force him to unwind and teach him how to have fun. This was a revelation.

Cross didn’t seem to share that opinion.  “Job, you’re acting crazy.”  He stated, bluntly.

Job sighed and his slight smile faded.  “I know.”  He agreed, quietly.