Guardian of the Earth House (39 page)

She could see it in his eyes.

Gion might have had a spot with Tessie in the Earth Kingdom, but he’d never take it.  He needed to come to the Water Kingdom because of the promise.  It gave him some control.  It wasn’t charity.  It was a trade.  Gion, arrogant bastard that he was, needed that.  He seemed positive that Ty would back out of the deal and leave him stranded, but he was desperate enough to try, anyway.

Ty knew what it felt like to be trapped by Parald.  She knew what that kind of desperation felt like and how far someone would go to escape.  How helpless it could make you feel.

And, for some reason, Ty couldn’t stand to think of Gion, the man who terrified her and everyone else in the world, suffering alone.

“Alright.”  She heard herself say and immediately winced.  Lord, how was she going to explain this to her cousins?  Cross would flip out for sure.  Ty sighed and frowned at Gion in annoyance.  “You’ll have to sleep in the palace, though.  None of the other houses in the kingdom are habitable right, now.”  All their owners had been dead since the Fall.  She wasn’t about to build Gion a new seaside cottage on top of everything else.

Gion froze.  “You’re
agreeing
to this?”  He demanded angrily and actually started to try and talk her out of it.  “Are you nuts?  I’m a dangerous person, you know.”

“Yes, I know.”  Ty agreed quietly.  Gion was the most dangerous person she’d ever met.  If this was some kind of trick, he could wipe her out like chalk on a board.  Of course, if that was really Gion’s scheme, he could’ve attacked her right there.  Ty was basically alone and far too weak to stop him from doing anything he wanted.  As counterintuitive as it seemed, Gion didn’t want to hurt her.

Still…

“Just don’t harm my family.”  She reiterated.  “I’m trusting you on that.” 
Why
she was trusting him remained a mystery.

Damn instincts.

Gion blinked.  “I’ll protect your family.”  He seemed dazed.  “I give you my word.”

Ty remembered her feelings after she’d renounced Parald.  Relief mixed with, “Oh shit, now what am I going to do?”  Gion looked the same way.

“I have to…”  He trailed off as if he had no idea what to say next.

Ty had the strange sensation that he was going to pull out of the deal.  Gion might panic and call the whole thing off, since this hadn’t gone according to the pessimistic script he’d written in his head.

Suddenly, Ty didn’t want that to happen.  Gion was in trouble or he wouldn’t be asking her for amnesty.  Ty wouldn’t let him down.  She couldn’t.

“Gion, you saved my cousin.  You saved me.  You’re welcome in the Water Kingdom for as long as you want to stay.”  Ty garnered enough courage to very carefully reach over and touch his hand.  “Don’t go back out there alone.  You need help.  Come with me.”

It was just the brush of her fingers against his wrist, but Gion jerked like he’s been stabbed.  Ty felt the pulse of power go through Gion’s body and travel back into hers.  Energy arched between them and Ty quickly pulled her hand back.  Gion wasn’t manipulating the powers.  He hadn’t done anything to instigate that pulse.  Whatever the energy was, it had come from
her
that time.

What was going on?

Gion let out a long breath.  “I need you.”  He must’ve gotten back on board with his own plan, because he nodded wearily.  “I can’t deny that, anymore.  I’m tired and I need you so much.”

“Alright.”  Ty nodded in relief.  “Let me finish my meeting and we’ll go home, then.”

The word “home” got her a strange look, like Gion wasn’t sure what language she was speaking.  “To the Water Kingdom?”  He verified as if searching for a trap.

“Yes, to the Water Kingdom.”  Ty rolled her eyes.  “Where else would home be?”

“I don’t know.”  Gion said softly.  “I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”