Warrior from the Shadowland (20 page)

She
looked around and spotted him peeking in one of the open doors on the other
side of the room.  He was a bit older, now.  Old enough to find food for
himself she supposed, because he looked a little less skeletal.  Ignoring Job
and Senti, since they couldn’t see her anyway, Nia made her way over to him. 
“Did you sneak in here to spy?”  She crouched down next to him.  “How come you
didn’t tell me Job was your uncle, huh?”  She tried to touch him, again, to
erase the wary silence that seemed to be a permanent part of him.

“You
may not answer to the Earth House.”  Job was snarling to Senti.  “But, you do
answer to the Council and no one executes another Phase without my approval.”

“Vice
did that.  Not me.  You can argue it out with
him
if you feel that
way.”  Senti settled down on a really hideous chair.  “I don’t see what you
hope to gain, though.  It’s not like Ross can come back.  Not even you can
reattach heads, Job.”

“He
was your
Match
.”  Job shook his head as if he just couldn’t process what
she’d done.  As if he expected her to suddenly realize the depth of her sin. 
“There are Phases who would give their
lives
for what you had, and you
just threw him away.  How could you betray him like that?  Are you so much
happier here with Vice?”

Senti’s
mouth tightened, showing some emotion for the first time.  “Here, I’m a queen.”

“You’re
a fool.”  Job pronounced.  His anger seemed to drain away and his tone went
back to vintage Job, all the passion of an IRS agent beginning an audit.  He
turned like he couldn’t bear the sight of his sister.  “I want to see the
boy.”  He said, staring into the fire.  “Cross.  I want to see him and ensure
that he’s safe.”

Nia
perked up.  Finally, someone who could help Cross.

Beside
her, Cross watched Job suspiciously.  Job had that effect on a lot of people
when they first saw him.  He was too big and too formal.  The energy came off
of him in waves.  He overwhelmed most Phases.  Even as they admired him for his
strength, they didn’t exactly trust him.  He was the authority figure that
might just zap you in oblivion if you stepped out of line once too often.

Nia
had never been afraid of Job.  Even when the law said she was risking
banishment with her rebellion, she knew that he wouldn’t hurt her.  Like Cross,
Job was constantly aware of his power and how it could harm the people around
him.  It was hard to imagine him actually hurting anyone.  Job walked the
temperate, middle road of life.  Nia didn’t always understand him --possibly
because she never stayed on any path for long and certainly not one stuck in
the middle-- but, she admired him more than basically anyone else alive.

“Cross
is a Shadow Phase.”  Senti eyed Job with the same guarded expression her son
wore.  She was probably thinking that it wasn’t such a great idea to display
her mothering talents in front of her brother.  Job really did banished child
abusers, casting them out all Elemental affairs and leaving them completely on
their own.  “You have no rights over him.”

“He’s
half Earth Phase and that’s my House.”  Job pressed.  “It’s my duty to check on
him.”

“That’s
not how it works and you know it,
Councilor
.”  Senti taunted.  “Cross is
a Shadow Phase and only answers to
this
House.  You have no authority
here, Job.  Vice has claimed the child as his own.”

“Liar!” 
Nia shouted, even as little Cross looked suddenly hopeful.  “Honey, don’t
believe her.”  Nia told him, urgently.  “Go to Job.  He’ll get you out of
here.”

But,
Cross stayed where he was.

Job’s
jaw clenched.  Under the law, there wasn’t a lot he could do to force Senti to
produce the boy if Cross was accepted as part of the Shadow House.  He went
over to brace one of his hands on the mantle and stared into the flames,
broodingly.

“Job.” 
Nia hurried forward, unable to stop herself.  “Don’t leave until you see
Cross. 
Please
, bend the rules for once and find him.”

Job’s
eyebrows came together in a frown, his head tilting a few millimeters to the
left.

Nia
mouth parted.  Had he heard her somehow?  “
JOB!
”  She screamed his name.
“
Find Cross!
 
He needs you
.”  She was inside Cross’s memory, so
she didn’t think anyone could hear her.  Not even a Phase as powerful as Job. 
She wasn’t really
there
, after all.  But, Nia figured it was worth a
shot.  Her eyebrows rose as Job suddenly used his palm to push himself away
from the mantel.

He
turned to look at his sister.  “I’m going to see the boy.”  He decided,
flatly.  “It’s not a request.  It’s a statement of fact.  I don’t care if I
have the authority or not.  Produce him
now
or I’ll drag the entire
Shadow House in front of the Council for an inquiry.”

That
was Job’s, ‘don’t fuck with me, peasant’ tone.  Flat, cold, and filled with a
thousand years of being the biggest badass in the universe, it sent lesser
beings crawling for mercy.  The power crackled off of him and his not quite
handsome face grew arctic with the force of his resolve.

Nia
grinned with pride as Senti shrank back in her seat.  “You are
sooo
my
hero, right now.”  Nia told Job, relishing Senti’s escalating panic.

Then,
Cross went and ruined it.  “I’m Cross.”  He said, quietly from the doorway.

Senti
and Job both turned to stare at him hovering in the shadows.

Something
unreadable passed over Job’s expression.  He took a step closer to Cross.

Cross
stepped back.

Job
stopped and cleared his throat.  His hands went behind his back, military “at
rest” style and Nia knew he was about to get all official.

“Oh,
no.”  Nia groaned.  Cross wouldn’t respond to that.  He wouldn’t trust it. 
“Job, don’t be a Councilor.  Be his uncle!”

“I
am Job, of the Earth House.”  Job didn’t make any more moves towards Cross. 
“I’ve come to see that you’re well.”

Cross
nodded, silently.

“Tell
them how important you are to all of us, Cross.”  Senti urged, passionately. 
If she ever took to the stage, her heartbroken mommy routine was all set.  “He
wants to try and steal you away from your home.”

“I
will
kill
you!”  Nia shrieked.

Job
flashed his sister a look that shook the walls of the castle.  There was a small
but unmistakable vibration in the stones; a hint of a power so big that it
defied known boundaries.

Senti
paled.

So
did Cross.

Nia
saw the exact second that he chose the devil he knew.  “I don’t want to leave the
Shadowland.”

“Shit!” 
Nia threw her hands up and stared at the tiny boy in dismay.  “Sweetie, no. 
Job won’t hurt you like the rest of them.  He seems scary, but he’s your
savior.  Job.”  She whirled around to face him again.  “Damn it, he’s a baby. 
You’re frightening him.  Don’t be so proper!  Go pick him up and carry him back
to the Earth Kingdom.”

Job
stared at Cross for a moment as if he was trying to get a better look at him. 
“I am your uncle.”  He said at length.  “I won’t harm you.  All I want is your
happiness, Cross.”

Nia’s
lips parted.  For Job, that was the equivalent of wearing his heart on his
sleeve.  He wanted to go to Cross.  He just didn’t know how.  And Cross was too
distrustful of everyone to close the distance.  Nia saw the beginnings of that
two feet of space Cross tried to keep between himself and the world forming
like a shield around him as the memories went on.

“You
aren’t welcome here, Job.”  Senti hissed.  “You’ve seen him.  Heard him say
that he’s very happy with us.  No one needs your interference, so get out.” 
She gestured towards the front door.

Job
watched Cross for another moment and then nodded.  “It was good to meet you,
Cross.”  He said, stiffly.  “Perhaps, one day we could talk further.”

Cross
gave a disbelieving snort.

Nia
ran a hand through her hair as Job actually left.  “I’m going to strangle them
both.”  She whispered in defeat.

Senti
stalked across the room and backhanded Cross into the door.  “I told you never
to come into my house!”  She screeched as she beat him.

Nia
covered her eyes and started to cry.  She was trapped and helpless to stop
these memories and she just couldn’t take any more.  How had Cross survived
this?  Hadn’t anything good ever happened to him?  How could he ever open up to
her if this was all he knew?

The
scene shifted again and Nia was back in Cross’ shack.

He
was lying on his cot and breathing like every inhalation of air hurt
unbearably.  There was a smell here that nearly drove her to her knees.  Nia
knew that smell.  Everyone who’d survived the Fall knew it.

Blood.

Fluids.

Bodies
rotting.  So many bodies there weren’t enough graves, no matter how many anyone
dug.

Death.

The
Fall summed up in its base odors.

“Cross?” 
She coughed trying not to gag at the stench and the memories it brought up for
her, as well.  “Are you alright?”

He
was curled into a fetal position, panting and panting.  As she got closer she
saw his eyes were open and the whites of them were bright red.  The Shadows
were killing him.  Blood was pouring out of his nose and ears, pain etched on
every line of his face.  Nia sat down as close to him as she could get. 
“Sweetie, I’m here.”  She didn’t know what else to say.  “I’m here, Cross.” 
She was still crying.  “You aren’t alone.  I’m here.”

The
door to the shack slammed open and Job swept in, searching.  When his eyes
settled on Cross, Nia saw relief and concern mix on his rough face.  “Cross. 
There you are.”  He was across the room in two strides and crouching down next
to the cot.  “You’re supporting the entire House
alone
?”  He demanded. 
“Can you do that?”

Cross
rolled his bleeding eyes up to meet his uncle’s.  His expression perfectly
conveyed the staggering stupidity of that question.  “I
am
doing it.” 
He whispered as if it hurt to talk.

“Can
you keep it balanced, though?”  Job raised his hand like he wanted to touch
Cross’ shoulder.  Then, he dropped it, again.  “I’m not sure how we can
distribute the weight to another House.  Only Shadow Phases can support the
Shadows.”  He was babbling now and Job wasn’t a man who babbled.  “Oh, Gaia.” 
He closed his eyes.  “Just… Thank Gaia, you’re alive.”  Nia had never seen him
look so tired.  During the Fall, Job had tried so hard to hold the center… But
things still fell apart.  For once, he actually looked a thousand years old. 
“Cross.”  He focused on his nephew.  “Your mother…”

“Dead.” 
Cross interrupted.  “Everyone but me.”

“I
know.”  Job sighed, again, and Nia realized he was actually taking a moment to
mourn his horrible sister.  “I sensed Senti die.  I just…”  He trailed off and
cleared his throat.  “At least, I still have you.”

Cross
gave the exact same snort he’d drug out the last time Job had come to see him. 
Doubt and distain, liberally sprinkled with not giving a damn.  He closed his
eyes as if he wanted to shut Job out.

Nia
stared at Job and, for the first time, she saw a hint of vulnerability in his
invincible façade.  For a second, he looked like a lonely little boy who knew
he wasn’t welcomed to play kickball with the other kids.  Then, it was gone and
he was just Job again, all protocol and procedure.

“I
felt the world end, Cross.  How did you stop it?  How are you doing this?”

“Match.” 
Cross’ blood filled eyes lit with a determination even brighter than the pain. 
“Felt her.”

Nia’s
heart stopped.

“You
found your Match?”  Job translated.  “That’s wonderful.”  His voice was so
beautiful.  Rich and pure, like a balm healing all the little microscopic
fissures inside of you.  Cross might have acted like Job’s visit was a colossal
imposition on his social calendar, but Nia could see him relaxing slightly and
focusing on his uncle through the agony.  “Where is she?”  Job glanced back at
the door as if Cross’ Match might be lurking out among the corpses.

“Don’t
know.  Just felt her.  Going to find her.”  It was a vow.

Nia
felt herself responding to the raw determination in his tone.  “You found me,
Cross.”

Job
frowned.  “You don’t know where she is, but your Match was strong enough that
your felt her as the universe collapsed?  Am I getting that?”

“Yes.” 
Cross mouthed the word.

Job’s
head tilted, again, as if he was thinking deeply.  “Not many Phases are left.” 
He ran a hand through his hair.  It was the first time Nia had ever seen it
disheveled and loose.  Thick and pure white, it fell past his shoulders, the
highlight a vivid lawn green.  It was lovely.  Job could actually be sort of
handsome if he tried.  “There are so few of us, now.”

“
I’m
left.”  She told him.  “Me. 
I’m
his Match, Job.  Nia, of the Water
House.”