Guardian of the Earth House (27 page)

“I said I wouldn’t take Nia, again, didn’t I?”  Chason shot back, watching them race upward.  “Just let it go.”

Cross sent him an incredulous look over the railing.  “Let it
go
?  Did you seriously just say that to me?  You’re plotting to blow-up the world because you can’t let go of your Match, and you have the balls to say that about mine?”

Chason had a terrible temper.  He’d
always
had a terrible temper.  And anyone mentioning Mara to him was like dropping a firecracker onto a pile of gasoline soaked rags.  “
Don’t say a fucking word about my Match!
”  He roared.  He felt the pulse of his powers struggling to break free.  The Magnetic pull of his energy dragged the metal frame of the mirror away from the foyer wall, so it was pulled out at an impossible angle in midair.

Insanity swirled beneath him.

Chason tried not to look in mirrors, but he could see the glint of his reflection from the corner of his eye.  The crazed look on his face.  He fought against the slippery slope of madness.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to regain control.  It took all his concentration to release his hold on the mirror and let it rest flat against the wall, again.

At least, he couldn’t hear the music in the Earth Kingdom.  Back in the Magnet Fortress, he constantly heard the songs his Match had played, echoing like ghosts in the hallways and rooms.  If he had to endure any music right now, he’d lose it completely.

Tharsis backtracked to stand next to Cross as if he was trying to protect his brother-in-law from attack.  God only knew how Thar planned to do that, since he’d spent his life as a fucking college professor and the other two men were warriors, but the Water House wasn’t known for its practical thinking.

Cross’ mercury eyes narrowed as he glared down at Chason.  “Get. 
Out
.  Before I
make
you get out.”  He warned and headed off towards Job’s room, propelling Tharsis along in front of him.

Chason let out a steadying breath, trying to regulate his heart rate.  He hated losing his temper.  It was the surest descent into the pit of insanity and it was getting worse all the time.  His powers were vast and dangerous.  Chason could barely keep them under control, anymore.  He was losing his mind, just as he lost his heart.

He had to get out of here.  Not because Cross told him to, but because he just
had
to.

Chason automatically turned towards the door, even though he’d have to jump to get back to the Magnet Kingdom.  The foyer of Job’s palace was a three story architectural wonder of graceful pillars and muted frescoes.  Being Job, everything was neat and orderly and in perfect taste.

Mara had loved the Earth Palace.  He remembered her standing in this very room, laughing and smiling.  She loved beautiful places and pretty things.  Instead, Chason had given her a gloomy, gray fortress.

And even that she’d filled with music.

Careful not to look at his reflection, again, Chason reached over to straighten Job’s mirror.  It sat over an antique table, with a Ming vase and some mail piled on it.  The rest of the palace was trashed.  Chason had helped to make the mess as they searched for the box and now he was going to just walk away from all of it without a drop of remorse.

But, his own lack of control had dislodged the mirror and Chason had the irresistible impulse to fix it before he left.  To make it right.

He kept his eyes off the glass and on the tabletop as he shifted the mirror back into place.  His gaze instinctively went to the tidy pile of mail.  All the letters were in a perfect pile, held in place by a paperweight.

A mirrored, box-shaped paperweight the size of a Rubik’s Cube and covered with white writing.

Chason blinked.  Once.  Twice.  Trying to process what he saw.

The Tablet of Justice was sitting right there on Job’s entry table.

One of the fabled Tablets of Fate was holding down a stack of unopened bank statements and a neatly folded copy of
The
Wall Street Journal
.

It really
was
fate.

Trance like, Chason reached over and picked it up.  It was heavier than he thought it would be and slightly warm to the touch.  The lettering wasn’t raised or carved into the sides.  Instead, it seemed to be part of the mirror itself.  Just holding it in his hand, Chason knew that it was something special.  He could feel the power of it hitting the Magnet energy at a level that shocked him.  The Quintessence had been a bust, but the Tablet of Justice was absolutely real.

Justice.

Chason looked down at the box for a long moment.  Then, he slowly raised his eyes to look at himself in the mirror and saw a man who his Match wouldn’t even recognize.  A man who could steal from Job.

Job
. The Phase everyone in the world most respected.  Who Mara had always adored.  And who was just recovering from some strain of the Fall.

Mara’s Match could never do such a thing.

But, Mara’s Match had died with her.  Chason was no longer the man that he’d been.  He was dead, now.  Deader than Mara.  And he didn’t care about right and wrong.

Chason didn’t care about anything.

All he had now was his quest for vengeance.

For Justice.

Chason slipped the box into his pocket and stared at his reflection for a long moment, hating what he saw.  Then, he firmed his jaw and jumped back to the Magnet Fortress.

*****

“So, you wanted to trade Oberon’s box, which actually is one of the Tablets of Fate, to the primeval Khaos.”  Job summarized, in his “are you all idiots?” tone.  “Who will use it to end the world, and you
know
that, but you were going to do it, anyway.  Because, none of you thought that this might be a bad plan?”

All of the Phases in the room were in a line of succession for a throne or already running their own Houses, but Job was still the ultimate authority figure in the Elemental realm.  Even recovering from a near death experience, he commanded respect.  No one wanted to disappoint him and they all reacted to his displeasure.

Ty winced.

Tharsis studied the ceiling.

Freya concentrated on packing up her medical bag.

Teja folded her arms over her chest.

Cross rolled his eyes.

Nia’s gaze slid over to Tessie.

Tessie shrugged.  “I think Chason mighta said something about my idea sucking, but, who the hell listens to him?”  She rested her chin on Job’s shoulder, still stretched out on bed next to him.  “You’re everybody else’s backup plan, but I’m
your
safety net.  So, if you think that I’ll apologize for wanting you more than one little universe… think again, honey.”

Job’s lawn green eyes latched on hers and she smiled at him.

His lips curved in response.  “You’re not my backup plan, Tess.  You’re my
only
plan.  But, next time I’m asleep for a few minutes, don’t do anything that might end all of existence, okay?”

“Don’t almost die, again, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.”  Job assured her.  “Matches’ lifespans usually correspond and you’re immortal.  Now that your blood cured me, I’m probably going to be around for a while.”  He reached over to touch her face.  “You saved me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not a Divine being or anything, but I guess I have a little bit of power in me, after all.”  Her mother had always said that, deep inside, Tessie possessed some magic of her very own.  Something that was just
hers
and stayed forever linked to her heart and humanity.  A capacity to love that Kay’s vast energy could never understand or match.  For the first time in her long, long life, Tessie actually believed her mother’s reassurances.  For whatever reason, her blood had helped Job survive.  If her power never did another thing, Tessie figured that was already plenty.

“You
are
Divine, Tess.”  He said, seriously.  “In every way that matters.”

“I love you, too.”  She gave him quick kiss and climbed off the bed.  “Okay.  So, you rest for a little bit and I’ll be back.”

“Back?”  Job struggled to sit up.  “Wait.  You’re leaving?”  His hand slid over to touch her wrist, as if his instincts were telling him to grab her before she could escape.

Tessie shifted so she could take hold of his hand.  The Phazing energy zinged up her arm and resonated deep inside of her. “Honey, I’m not running out on you.”  Apparently, he was still alarmed that she planned to skip town, because he seemed genuinely concerned that she might not come back. Tessie couldn’t blame Job for worrying.  That was her fault.  After all, she
had
tried to flee right after he said that he loved her.

She sucked as a Match so far.

For so many years, Tessie had avoided caring about people so that she wouldn’t put them at risk.  But, she wouldn’t do that ever,
ever
again.  If Kay already knew how important Job was to her, then there wasn’t any point in leaving to protect him, anyway.  What’s more, Tessie just couldn’t give Job up.  After centuries of being alone, she had someone she loved and who made her feel safe.  She wasn’t about to throw that away.

Tessie couldn’t kill Kay, but she could make sure her sister never touched Job, again.

“I’m sorry about trying to renounce you before. I just panicked about Kay and how fast everything happened.  I was an idiot.”  She gave his fingers a squeeze.  “But, I
want
to be with you, Job.  You have to know that.”

He relaxed slightly.  “I’m glad.  I want to be with you, too.  I need you.”  He looked at the others and cleared his throat, obviously still not comfortable with talking about his emotions in front of anyone else.  Tessie wasn’t discouraged by that.  She could undo all the damage that Wiset had caused.  She had a whole lotta time to work on it.

Hopefully
.

“So, where are you going, then?”  Job pressed as if reading her errant thought.

Tessie hesitated, gauging her response.  “I’m going out.  It shouldn’t take long.”

“Out?”  Job repeated skeptically.  “Can you be more specific?”

“No.”  Tessie frowned.  “You might be my Match, but that doesn’t mean that I have to answer every question you ask me, ya know.”

Job arched a brow.  He turned to the people who he could actually expect some straight answers from: his loyal Elemental cronies.  “Where is she going?”

Tessie flashed them all a warning glare.

Teja lifted a shoulder in a “whatever” shrug.

Nia sighed, obviously torn.

Cross looked like he’d be more than willing to tell Job, if only he’d been in the room when Tessie had been plotting or he had the slightest clue what she was up to.

“She’s going to the Air Kingdom.”  Ty volunteered to Job, ignoring Tessie’s scowl.  “Gion called her and she told him she was going to the Air Kingdom to get the other Tablet.”

“What?”  Job sounded like he was half convinced that Ty was joking. “You’re
not
going to the Air Kingdom, Tess.”

Freya nodded.  “I didn’t think it was a good idea, either.  I’m not sure relying on Gion is
ever
a good idea, really.  But, jumping right in the Parald’s territory…?  I mean, even if you
could
do it and get through all the barriers, how do you plan to avoid his guards?  There are a lot of Air Phases left.  Too many for you to just fight alone and without any preparation.”

“We need that damn Health Tablet, so Kay can’t attack anyone, again.”  Tessie insisted.  She disregarded Freya’s rush of words and focused on Job.  “I only have so much blood in me, ya know.  Besides, I’ve been thinking about it and I have a whole battle strategy worked out.  I’m going to take the fight to Kay.”

“Take the fight to the deranged, vindictive, primal Khaos who you can’t kill without destroying the world?”  Job translated.  “What?  Are you suddenly getting psychic flashes like Raiden?  Do you know something I don’t know?  Because otherwise, that’s a terrible idea.”

“I don’t think that it’s appropriate to say that your Match is anything like Raiden, Job.”  Freya pronounced disapprovingly.  “He’s insane.  Utterly impossible.  He was nearly beheaded and he didn’t even come to me to have his head sewn back on, for crying out loud.  I have no idea how he survived.”  Freya obviously took it personally when someone didn’t speed-dial her for their medical emergency.  “
That’s
why his voice sounds that way. 
That’s
why he has the scar.  He didn’t come to me and let me treat him.”

“You do an excellent job of reattaching nearly-beheaded heads.”  Ty agreed.  “Mine’s never been better.”

“Exactly!”  Freya nodded.  “I would have done the same thing for Raiden, too.  Even if he is a lunatic killer.  Instead, he joined up with the Reprisal and I swear…”

“Thank you, Freya.”  Job interrupted.  “Good point.  I shouldn’t have compared Tessie to Raiden.  I apologize.”  His face and tone didn’t change, but Tessie saw the exasperated affection in his eyes as he glanced over at the talkative doctor.