Warrior from the Shadowland (21 page)

“She’s
left.”  Cross whispered.  “Maybe not a Phase.  Don’t care.  She’s there.”

“Thank
you.”  Nia nodded.  “See, Job?”

He
clearly
didn’t
see.  “Teja made it.  She’s got a lot of energy.  You’d
be able to feel it over an apocalypse.”

“Teja?!” 
Nia tried to give Job’s shoulder a punch. “Me, me, me, me,
me
, dummy!”

He
reached up to touch the exact spot she’d hit, his expression faintly puzzled.

Nia
froze.  “Oh my, God.”  He really
was
sensing her.  Sensing her when she
wasn’t even
there
.  “Job, how powerful
are
you?”  She got out in
a strained tone, because she’d never even heard of someone being able to do
what he just did.  It actually went passed impressive and into the realm of
scary.

Job
gave his head a clearing shake and raised another almost-touching-but-not-quite
palm to Cross.  That damn two feet of air, again.  Job wouldn’t break into
Cross’ very clear space bubble without some kind of permission.  He was
apparently strong enough to do things that no other Phase would dream of, but
Job was still all about etiquette.  “Do you want some water?”

Cross
let out a low groan.  “Yes.”  The desire was so apparent in his tone that Nia
felt tears well up, again.

She
was a
Water
Phase and her Match was
thirsty
?  He was here
suffering and she couldn’t help him, at all.  “Job, hurry.”

Job
got up to get Cross a drink.  “At least, Nia and Tharsis are keeping the Water
House afloat.”  He muttered.  “And if Ty recovers, we’ll have three.  God, we
can’t lose them or we’ll all go under.”

There
was absolutely no reason for him to say something like that.  Even he looked
baffled as he came back to Cross with an earthen mug full of water.  Job felt
her here.  Nia was convinced of it, now.  He didn’t know it, but he was picking
up on her energy and instinctively thinking of her.  “Job,
I’m
his
Match.”  She repeated.

“Water
House?”  Cross gulped down the water so fast it ran down his chin.  “Only three
Water Phases left?”

“Only
three.”  Job went to pour Cross a second glass.  “Luckily, one of them is Nia
and she’ll
never
let it fall.  She’s too stubborn.”

Nia
took that as a compliment.  “Thanks.”

Cross
sucked down the second cup of water a bit slower.  “Nia?”  He echoed, his
Shadow-y tone rumbling over the name and Nia felt herself melt.  She loved his
voice.

“Nia. 
The most aggravating, know-it-all, idealist in the realm.”  Job reported.  “She
thinks she can tell me how to run the Council.  Once she’s finished there,
she’ll be off to reorganize the rest of universe.  Bossy and defiant and –God--
if your Match is anything like her, you’d better just run.”

“I
detest you, right now.”  Nia snapped.  “I’m
so
making you pay for that.”

“She’s
yours?”  Cross asked, apparently picking up on something in that list of
insults that led him to think that Job was
praising
her or something. 
Men were idiots.

“No.” 
Job shook his head.  “I don’t have a Match.  I’m not meant to.  But, the Phase
who gets Nia will be blessed.  She’s a Match who any man would choose if he
could.  Lovely and honest and strong.  She’s a gift.”

Nia
forgave Job.  “I love you, too.”

“She’s
a pain in the ass, though.”  Job continued.  Now that he’d captured his
nephew’s attention, Job seemed willing to pursue the topic of Nia forever, if
need be.  “She shouts at me.  Nobody shouts at me.  I’m not sure why I allow it
from her.”

“Allow?” 
Nia challenged.  “Oh,
please
.  Tell him more good stuff about me and
stop trying to pretend that you’re cool.”

And
Job did.  He talked about Nia for over an hour, his perfect voice going from
annoyance, to affection, to amusement as he told stories about her childhood
Council visits.

Cross
laid there and listened, his expression more open than Nia had ever seen it.

Nia
rested her head on his cot and watched him absorb every word Job spoke.  She
saw Cross’ yearning, his desperation to have someone to love, his crippling
isolation and pain.  How, in the midst of his terrible life, in the midst of
terrible pain and a terrible plague, he’d chosen life rather than leave her. 
He hadn’t been exaggerating earlier. He needed her, desperately.

“I’m
already here, Cross.”  Nia assured him.  She would never leave this man.  Not
for anything in the universe.

But,
she was tearing down that two feet of space that he tried to hide behind if she
had to hire a wrecking ball to do it.

I fancy
that's how the majority of civilized people look at it, so that the absence of

the moral,
poetical element in love is treated in these days as a phenomenon…

it is a
symptom of degeneracy, of many forms of insanity.

Anton
Chekov- “Ariadne”

“A
police station?”  Chason looked at the printout Abel handed him.  “They’ve been
arrested by the humans?”  The page displayed the coordinates of the
walkie-talkies’ location right there in black and white, so Abel didn’t really
see the point in answering him.

Lansing
did it for him.  “Yes, sir.”  Unlike Abel, Lansing idolized Chason and his
quest for galactic vengeance.  “I looked into it and Uriel, Tharsis and Queen
Tritone seem to be in a human jail, right now.”

Abel
had never seen Chason amused, but the subtle lift of his boss’ eyebrow was the
equivalent of another Phase rolling on the floor in hysterics.  Even through
his blind hatred, Chason apparently found the idea of Elementals doing hard
time in prison… entertaining.

Abel
didn’t.

It
was embarrassing, that creatures as feeble and dim-witted as the humans could
capture Phases.  A black mark against their entire species.  The Water House
deserved execution for their stupidity and, when Abel was God, he’d ensure that
they got it.  All except, Nia.  She would be spared because she’d been smart
enough to evade the humans.  He was merciful, when people deserved it.  And
because Abel was growing more and more obsessed with the thought of her curvy
body under his control.

“Where
is Nia?”  Chason demanded.

Abel
jolted, slightly, panicked that Chason had somehow read his thoughts.  Abel
despised his boss, but he had a wary, grudging respect for Chason’s hard ass,
ruthlessness.  If Chason figured out Abel’s plans to steal the Quintessence for
himself, he’d have Raiden chop Abel’s head off with a dull ax.

Literally.

Luckily,
Chason was still focused on Lansing.  “Why wasn’t she arrested with the
others?  It’s not like Nia to stay on the sidelines of anything, even
imprisonment.”

“I’m
not sure, sir.  Cross may have helped her escape.  I’m sure he’s the one who
killed the Air Phases at the hospital.”

“Cross?” 
Chason glanced over at Abel.  “The Shadow King?  He’s insane.”

And
who would know “insane” better than Chason?

“Apparently,
Cross is feeling better.”  Abel smiled, grimly.  “Probably has something to do
with screwing Nia.  That would cure a lot of what ails any man.”

Chason
leaned back in his chair.  “Cross is in the human realm with Nia?  How…?”

“He’s
her Match.”  Lansing interrupted.  “I could sense the Phazing energy.”

Chason’s
expression grew shuttered.  “A Phase-Match.”  His lips barely moved as he said
the words.

“It’s
a sacrilege that Cross, bastard of the Shadow House, should have a Match.” 
Abel chimed in, furious that Lansing had spilled that and desperate to do some
damage control.  “After so many of us lost ours in the Fall, the universe just
gives
him a Match.  It’s not fair and it only makes me more determined to find
the Quintessence and forget this whole universe like a bad dream.”

Abel’s
biggest worry, now, was that Chason would retract his orders to snatch Nia
because she belonged to Cross.  Chason was just stupid enough to balk at taking
another man’s Match.  Friggin’ sentimental lunatic.

Personally,
Abel wasn’t crying over the loss of his own whiny bitch of a Match.  He hadn’t
even taken the time to bury her before he walked away from the house they’d
shared and moved on to someplace better.  To a larger home, more befitting of
his
real
status.  Besides, the former owners sure hadn’t needed it,
anymore.

Chason
would never understand what it meant to have a grander destiny than some vapid
whore.  His whole life had become a funeral for his lost love.  But, then his
Match had been someone worthy of mourning.  Mara, of the Magnet House had been
an Elemental celebrity. 
The
Elemental celebrity.  Beautiful and
dignified and married to a king, she’d been on the cover of some magazine at
least once a week, doing some new charity work or attending a glittery gala. 
She’d been Princess Diana meets Cinderella.  Hell, her Phazing Day with Chason
had shut down the whole fucking realm, as everyone who was anyone attended the
celebration.

In
any case, Chason’s insane love for his dead bride actually helped Abel.  It not
only meant that Chason created and controlled the Reprisal, it ensured that
Chason was permanently preoccupied with playing Elemental Heathcliff.  It meant
that Abel could plan for his future.  The Fall had catapulted Abel towards the
greatness that he’d always felt inside of him.  He’d been denied, held back,
cheated all of his life, until the Fall thinned the herd and showed him his
true path.  Now, Abel, of the Stone House was just a stone’s throw away from being
God.

No
pun intended.

All
he needed to do was find the Quintessence and, to do that, Abel needed Chason’s
army.

“Cross
could never understand the power of a Match.”  Abel tried to look sad and
grieve-y as he shook his head.  “We can’t let him distract us from our mission
to find the Quintessence.”

Chason
tilted his head, almost like he’s heard something.

Abel
frowned, listening intently and coming up with nothing.  The Magnet Fortress
never had a lot of noise, but the place was completely dead, right now.  Not
even a footstep.

Chason
squeezed his eyes shut and then refocused on Abel.  “After we destroy the Air
House, nothing we had to do to get the Quintessence will matter.  Just go to
the human realm.  If Ty and Tharsis are with the cops, then Nia will come for
them sooner or later.  Once we capture the Water House, they’ll lead us to what
we need.”

Lansing
nodded sharply, just like a good little Reprisal cadet.  “Yes, sir.”

“We’ll
need more soldiers to extract them from a police station.”  Abel pointed out,
trying not to grin with smug satisfaction.  “Shall I gather some more men?”

Chason
nodded vaguely, rubbing at his temples as if he had a splitting headache.  Or
like he was trying to block out some noise that only he could hear.  “Just make
sure you don’t kill them.  We’ll need them alive if we’re going to find out
about the Quintessence.”

“They’ll
be alive and healthy enough to withstand our questioning.”  Abel promised.  “At
least, the women will.”  He straightened the cuffs of his cashmere jacket as he
turned and headed for the door.

“All
of them.”  Chason snapped.

Abel
ground his teeth and faced his boss, again.  “Well, we’ll try, sir, but in this
kind of mission…”

“If
you kill Cross, the world ends.”  Chason interrupted as if Abel’s IQ was hovering
in the low single digits.  “If the world ends we all die.  And I’m not dying
until I rip Parald’s heart out of his chest, the way
my
heart was ripped
out of mine. 
So, don’t fucking kill any Phases!
”  It came out as a
roar, echoing endlessly off the stone and metal of the fortress.  Chason’s
purple eyes glowed with the force of his power.  “Do you understand?”

Lansing
actually saluted.  “Yes, sir.”

Abel’s
teeth ground together.  When he was God, Chason would pay for the way he spoke
to him, but for now...  “Yes, sir.”  He ground out.

And
waited.

And
hated.

But there
is another element, more important than all….

That
element lies in the heart of humanity.

Calvin
Coolidge “Inaugural Address”

“You should be nicer to
Job.”

Cross
actually jolted at the sound of Nia’s voice.  They were almost to the police
station, according to the payphone map, and those were the first words that
she’d spoken since the memory exchange.

It
seemed like one or the other of them had been silently thinking since they’d
met.

Cross
had been waiting for her disgust or anger or even pity.  He wasn’t sure which
of his memories she’d seen, but honestly most of them were the same:  One big
interchangeable ball of shit.  He’d done nothing heroic, like rescue a queen from
an angry mob.  Or gentle, like read a child poems.  Or selfless, like refuse to
leave a dying man behind even in the face of imminent death.  In short, his
memories failed to live up to Nia’s righteous and pure life in every
conceivable way.

“Job?” 
He repeated warily, not sure what else to say.  It might have helped if he
could see Nia’s expression, but he wasn’t looking at her.  No way in hell.  He
didn’t want to see whatever was reflected in those turquoise eyes.

“Yes. 
Job, of the Earth House.  Your uncle.  He’s a wonderful man.  He tries to reach
out to you, but you always shut him down.”

Cross
almost scoffed outright at that one.  Job was perfect.  So, perfect that his
sense of duty wouldn’t let him just ignore Cross completely.  But, the guy sure
didn’t want to take him to ballgames or whatever uncles did.  Job stared at
Cross with those X-ray green eyes and saw nothing but the disappointing sludge
at the bottom of his gene pool.  “Job doesn’t like me.”

“You’re
wrong.  He loves you, desperately.  How can you miss it?”

“Easy. 
It’s not there.”

“Well,
can you think of a reason why Job didn’t mention me as a candidate for your
Match?”  Nia didn’t seem willing to drop it.  “He knew that the Phase you felt
after the world ended had to be strong.  He even started mentioning the names
of potential Elementals.  Then, he stopped and talked about me for a long
time.  But, he never said, ‘Hey, I betcha Nia’s the girl you’re looking for!’”

“I’ve
never heard Job say the word ‘betcha’ about anything.”  Cross muttered.  But,
he still found himself frowning.  Nia had a point.  Job had discussed her
endlessly and he knew Cross was desperate for his Match.  In retrospect, it was
like Job knew exactly who his nephew was looking for and he’d just never updated
Cross.

“I’ve
known Job for two hundred and fifty-four years.”  Nia continued.  “You’re the
only one I’ve ever seen him be like that with.  He’s so…open.”

“That’s
Job being open?”  Cross scoffed.  “He never sits down.  He stands there with
his hands behind his back like a palace guard who can’t wait to get off duty
and…”

“Did
you ever
ask
him to sit down?”  Nia interrupted.

“Ask
him?  And give him the satisfaction of knowing that it pisses me off?  There’s
a chair right there and he ignores it.  He doesn’t want to get his clothes
dirty with my furniture.”

Nia
let out a long sigh.  “Job will
never
sit unless he’s invited.  It would
be impolite.  It would show disrespect.”

Cross
did make a skeptical grunting sound that time.  “Yeah,
that’s
why he
does it.  ‘Cause I’m a guy who he just
knows
gives a shit about
etiquette.”  Cross shook his head.  “Let’s talk about something else.  What did
you see in my memories?”

“I
told you.  I saw you being very cold to Job.”  She insisted.  “Do you want to
hear my theory on why he never told you that I was your Match?”

“He
was probably trying to save you.”  Cross muttered.  “He likes you more than
me.  He probably wasn’t overjoyed that I’d be putting my hands on you.”  Cross
glanced down at his palms and swore he could still see the blood.

“Job
knew that you’d refuse to listen.”  Nia continued as if he hadn’t spoken. 
“That you might be stubborn enough to refuse to
ever
see me, just to
spite him.  So, he tried to soften you towards me with the stories about how
super I am, instead.  Subtly manipulating things. 
That’s
Job.”

Cross
was quiet for a long moment, digesting that theory.  His mind went to all the
times that Job had worked Nia into a conversation.  “Fucking hell.”

Nia
was right.

She
had to be.

“You
and Job are clearly incapable of running your family, so, I’m taking over as
translator.”  She snorted.  “Honestly,
Job doesn’t like you
, my ass.  He
made sure that you found
me
, didn’t he?”  Her voice turned teasing.  “
That’s
love.  I mean, have you
met
me?”

Cross
shook his head in amazement.  “Job knew how much I wanted you.  Both yous.  Nia
and my Match.  Maybe, he was trying… to give you to me.”  Something inside
Cross relaxed.  Something that he hadn’t even known was tense.  “Job always
says that you’d be a gift to any man.  Do you think that he was trying to give
someone who he treasures so much… to me?  Why would he do that?”

“If
it were up to Job, he’d personally oversee everything, everybody does,
everywhere in the universe.  And when he cares about someone, he’s twice as
obsessive.  So yeah, he was setting you up, ‘cause he loves you.”

Cross
blinked.

In
his heart, he’d
always
wanted Job’s approval.

Vice
and Ross had both sucked as fathers, and Senti’s mothering skills weren’t
exactly going to inspire any cute family sitcoms.  Job was the closest Cross
had ever come to having a parent.  A role model.  Aside from Nia, Job was the
only person whose opinion even registered with Cross.

The
revelation that Job saw him as more than just an obligation or an embarrassment
made Cross feel… good.

“Ever
since the Fall, Job has been hovering over me.”  Nia informed him as if she
didn’t notice that Cross was staring up at the flat clouds in the sky and
swallowing hard.  “Even more so than before.  Telling me not to do anything
dangerous, not look for the Quintessence, not to go anywhere without Uriel…  Now,
I know why.  It’s not because I’m supporting so much of the Water House and
he’s afraid I’ll doom the universe if I die.  He was being more overprotective
than usual, because he knew that I was yours.  Your Match.”

Cross
scowled.  “Wait, he told you to stick close to Uriel?”  His growing, warm and
fuzzy feelings towards Job took a nose dive.  Cross didn’t want Uriel near
Nia.  He didn’t want any unattached man near Nia.  In fact, some tiny part of
him now knew why Vice had executed his father.  He still hated the bastard, but
Cross understood the violent possessiveness that must have consumed him.  If
Nia found another Match, Cross would go insane.  Or insane-er, anyway.  The man
would die.  End of story.

“Job
told Uriel to keep the Water House safe.  Uriel is incredibly devoted to his
duty, so Job knew he wouldn’t let anyone get within five feet of me, Thar or
Ty.  Do you know how many men have come near me since the Fall?”  Nia was on a
roll now, full of indignation on Job’s behalf.  She didn’t wait for Cross’
guess.  “
Zero
.  Not to sound conceited, but I’m a real good catch, too. 
I mean, sure a lot of people hate the Water House, but not one single person
suggested that we try to Phaze.  Why, you ask?”  Again, no pause for Cross to
answer.  “I’ll tell you why.  Because, your uncle, who you are always
so
mean to, was keeping me just for you and...”

Cross
cut her off.  “I’ll tell Job to sit down anywhere he wants, the next time I see
him.”  He agreed.  Anyone who kept other Phases away from Nia could have every
chair in the house if he felt like dragging them away.

“Thank
you.”  Nia had her elbow hooked around his arm and she leaned in to give him a
squeeze.  “See, how easily we can work things out if you just communicate?”

“You
mean how easily I’ll cave in when you start lecturing me, right?  Job warned me
that you were bossy.”  Cross’ mouth twitched upward as she wacked his shoulder
with her free hand.

Nia
chuckled and then was quiet for a moment.  “Seriously, Cross.  About the
memories…  Do you really want me to tell you everything I saw and then tell me
everything you saw?  Or do you want to just accept that we know basically
everything there is to know about our pasts and we still want to be with each
other
anyway
?”

Cross
finally met Nia’s gaze.  He stared at her for a long time, seeing nothing but
endless blue perfection in her eyes.  She wasn’t going to leave him.  She
wasn’t going to renounce him for his past.

She
was a miracle.

“Every
rotten thing that’s ever happened to me…  I wouldn’t change
any
of it,
Nia.  I wouldn’t change
anything
, because I ended up here you.  So, it
was all worth it.”  He glanced away, again, feeling awkward.  “And yeah, that’s
all I wanna say about it, right now.”

“Thank
you.”  Nia blinked rapidly and then she cleared her throat.  “Well, I would
change some things about
my
past.”  She decided, obviously going for a
lighter tone.  “For instance, my ninety-third birthday dress was a nightmare. 
What was I thinking?  And I always wanted to go skydiving, but I’ve never
actually done it, which is disappointing.”

Cross
shuddered at the very idea.  “I wouldn’t change that.”  He decided, firmly. 
“Please don’t ever change that.”

They
reached the police station and Cross opened the door so Nia could enter first. 
The interior was institutional chic, beige-on-beige, accessorized with empty
coffee cups and stacks of files.  Cross looked around, suspiciously.  It felt
like someone used a lot of power here, recently.  He looked down at Nia and saw
she was frowning, too.

“Job?” 
He guessed, quietly.  That amount of energy limited the suspects.

“Or
Gion.”  Nia ran a hand through her hair.  “Damn it.  How does he always track
Ty so fast?”  She headed across the room towards the lone person in the police
station.  The guy was big for a human, with a vicious scar on his face that
looked like four, concentric semi-circles.  In fact, it reminded Cross of the
burner of a stove.  The guy’s deep brown eyes came up as they entered the
station and latched on Nia.

Cross
felt a snarl rising up inside of him as the human’s gaze slid over her curves
body.  It was so fast that Nia didn’t even noticed, but Cross sure as hell
did.  Nia was still glowing from their almost Phazing against the building. 
Her hair and skin just begged to be touched.  And if the cop even
thought
too hard about doing it, Cross would lop off his arms at the shoulder.

Cross
moved so he was right behind Nia, placing a proprietary hand on her waist and
pulling her closer to his side.  He watched the cop, silently.

The
cop got the message, because he gave his head a small shake and when he looked
at Nia again, none of his momentary desire was visible.  “Can I help you?”  He
asked as if he really wasn’t looking forward to trying.

“Yes,
we’re here to ransom my cousin, my brother and our friend.”  Nia smiled a
brilliantly fake smile.  “Can you please get them, if they haven’t escaped?”

“Ransom?” 
The human turned his head slightly, so his wounded cheek wasn’t as noticeable. 
Cross was actually relieved that he did that, because he didn’t want Nia to get
interested in the scar.  Elemental woman always liked warrior marks.  “You mean
bail?”

“Yes,
bail.  I’m sorry.  I don’t usually mix-up words like that.”  Nia was nervous,
her eyes shifting around looking for Air Phases.  “Um, did you happen to see a
very tall man with a yellow stripe in his hair around here?  His name is Gion. 
He’d probably be wearing black clothes and be really insolent to everyone.”

“Yeah,
I sent Johnny Cash packing a little while ago.  He’s gone.”

“Really?” 
Nia sagged in relief.  “Thank Gaia.  Um, I’d like collect my family before he
returns, then.  Their names are Ty and Tharsis Waterhouse and…”

“Yeah,
I know who you want.  They’re in the back.”  The cop looked straight at Nia’s
turquoise blue highlight.

Cross
had never really thought of it as intimate before.  The streak was right there
on every Phase.  But, knowing how it was just a little more sensitive than the
rest of her hair, and how Nia made that seductive whimpering sound when he
curled his fingers around it, made it special.  Cross didn’t like the human
staring at the highlight like he’d love to see how it felt against his own skin.

Cross
moved his hand so his thumb just brushed her turquoise temple.  The territorial
display was probably insulting to Nia.  She wouldn’t be with the human.  Cross
knew how much she wanted their Phase-Match.  He’d seen her loyalty and
determination in her memories.  She wanted to Phaze with
him
for some
reason that even Cross didn’t understand.  But, this wasn’t about how much he
trusted Nia.  Because, he did trust her.  With his life.  It was about Cross
wanting the cop to understand that she was
his
Match.  That Cross had
the right to stroke Nia and that the human did
not
, so he’d better not
fucking try.