Guardian of the Earth House (28 page)

Teja shook her head “Lord give me strength” style.

Tessie almost smiled.

Freya’s rapid fire, off topic speech was tiring to listen to, but Job clearly cared for the girl.  Job cared for all the Elementals.  It was why so many people showed up in his bedroom when he was sick.  It was why the Earth Palace phone rang again and again with Phases worried about him, until Tessie finally took it off the hook and threw it against the wall.  It was why dozens of people not strong enough to get into the Earth Kingdom were gathering as close as they could get to the barriers and the other Earth Phases were standing outside Job’s home even now.

Wiset might have raised Job to be a cold and isolated ruler, but Job’s compassion made him something far better.  People followed Job out of love, not fear.  They followed him because he inspired them and he gave them everything that he had.  Even after pissing off a huge percentage of Elementals with his amnesty plan, people still respected Job.  He surpassed every other High Seat in Elemental history, because Job –for all his formality and procedure- lead by example and from his heart.

It made Tessie proud to be his Match.

…Even when he was complaining at her.

“Tess, you’re such a smart person.”  He tried persuasively.  “You
have
to see that going to the Air Kingdom is a horrible, dangerous
idea.”

“Hey, I spent a couple hundred years with Parson, the greatest warrior of the Wood House.  You think I don’t know about battle strategies?”

“I knew Parson.”  Teja mused.  “The Wood House said that he’d seen too much and, one day, he just wandered away to find peace.  I always remember that.”  She stared at the wall, obviously not even processing it.  Whatever she was looking at, it was all inside her memories.

“I can get into the Air Kingdom.”  Tessie told Job.

“Do you have any idea how many variables there are to consider?”  Job ticked them off on his hand.  “We won’t know where Kay is.  We won’t know where Parald is.  We won’t…”

“I can help.”

Everyone turned and saw Bryony, of the Air House standing in the doorway.

Job’s latest refugee cleared her throat.  “I mean, I know the schedule of the Air Kingdom.  I can draw you some maps or tell you where people usually are or whatever you need.  If you go at dinner time, it would be simple.  Parald makes everyone gather in the great hall.  That would be perfect.”

Tessie mind whirled.  “So, the only real problem is getting in and not having Kay
know
it.  If I use the Quintessence to break through the Air House’s barriers, she’ll be able to feel me.  Kay can always tell when I use my energy nearby.”

“You can’t go, Tess.”

“You can’t stop me, Job.”

The two of them watched each other, stubbornly.

“Job, could you get into the Air Kingdom with your powers?”  Nia asked, breaking the standoff.  “Kay might not be able to feel that.”

“No.”  Job kept his attention on Tessie.  “Since the Battle of the Fall, the Air Kingdom’s barriers have been impenetrable.  I’m sure that’s Kay’s doing.  Besides, unlike
some
people, I have no great desire to commit suicide.”

Teja jolted out of her thoughts at the word “suicide” and looked at Job sharply.

“I could get us both there,
if
you were going.”  Tessie assured him.  “Which you’re
not
, Job.  You’re not well enough, yet.”

Job briefly closed his eyes and there was a great swell of Earth powers.  It felt like strength was rushing out of the ground, through the palace, and up into Job.  Waves of energy poured over him as if his body was soaking it in.  Tessie had never seen anything even close to his nonchalant use of power.  Whatever weakness remained after his illness vanished right in front of her.  Job just used his energy to speed up his own recovery.

“I’m fine.”  He intoned.

“Wow.”  Bryony mouthed the word.

Cross snorted in something like amusement.

Even Teja looked impressed.

“Show off.”  Tessie frowned at him.  “Ya could’ve done that an hour ago and let me keep about a pint of blood.”

“I can’t heal the Fall.  I can just strengthen myself when I’m weak.”  Job explained as if doing impossible things was a common occurrence for him.  Which it probably
was
, actually.  He got out of bed and straightened the lapels of his suit coat.  Despite almost dying, not even a wrinkle marred his clothing and his ponytail remained immaculate.  Job
always
looked immaculate.  If it wasn’t kind of endearing, Tessie would have pouted at the unfairness of it.  After ransacking Job’s bedroom, she looked like she’d been mauled by tigers or something.

“Alright.  I’m ready to go do something stupid, now.”  Job announced, picking an invisible piece of lint off his lapel.  “Which, if Gion is involved, this misadventure promises to be.”

Ty’s lips pursed together.  “Gion’s not stupid.”  She murmured.  “That’s half the problem with him.”

“The other half is the clothes.”  Cross said.  “The cape.  My God.  And the fact that he’s got all the charm of sociopathic ax murder on drugs doesn’t help much, either.”

“Gion saved my cousin Amarna’s life during the Fall.”  Bryony reported.  “He’s a much better man than Saxon or Isaacs.”

Ty shot her a glance.

Freya frowned.

“I really don’t think it’s a good idea to involve Gion in this, at all.”  Nia told Job.  “Last time he helped us, he demanded that promise from Ty.  He’s probably gonna ask her for a kidney and both lungs, when he finally gets around to cashing it in.  Who knows what he’ll want from you.”

“I can handle Gion.”  Job assured her.

“Come on, I want to hear the plan.”  Tharsis chimed in.  “We can badmouth Gion later. Tessie, how are you gonna hide your energy from your sister?”

“Oh, I can’t.”  Tessie shook her head and focused on the matter at hand.  “So, I’m not going to.  I’m going to let her feel me arrive.”  She took in Job’s inflexible expression and gave into the inevitable.  “Fine.  Feel
us
arrive, I guess.  But, hopefully, she won’t be able to tell Job’s energy from any other Elemental.”

“She won’t.”  Job said it as if he could make sure that Kay couldn’t identify him.  He really was a show-off.

“That
is
an interesting plan.”  Teja muttered to Tessie.  “Walk right up to your sister when she knows that you’re coming.  You
sure
that
you paid attention in Parson’s battle strategy classes?”

“Of course, I did and it’s not just military crap.  I have a lot of experience with something
else
that’s a key component to the plan.”  Tessie smirked. “Soap operas.”

“Oh God.”  Job pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Just tell me you’re not going to do any stripping for other men, like what’s-her-name on that show the other night.”

“I told you, the episode was set at a
pornography
place, not a strip club.”

“Porn?”  Cross squinted over at Job. “What the hell kinda shows are you watching, you pervert?”

Job shot him a defensive frown.  “Tessie told you: soap operas.  Don’t scoff.  They’re very interesting glimpses into human life.”

“Uh-huh. And into human
pornography places
, it sounds like.”  Cross’s eyes gleamed.  “My God.  You’re so corrupted now, Job.  It’s very disillusioning to find myself suddenly being the nice guy in our family.”

Job finally caught on that Cross was teasing him.  A surprised, pleased light entered his eyes and his mouth twitched.   “Puritan.  Now,
you’re
acting like a Radiation Phase and this time I’m not apologizing for saying it.”  That was the closest he’d ever come to joking with anyone besides Tessie.  She saw it as an excellent sign.

Cross chuckled.

Nia beamed at them both.

Freya’s eyebrows drew together.  “Are you guys talking about human soap operas?”  She asked as if there might be some other species who created them.  “I’ve seen some of those.  Do they really battle a lot, though?  Like with swords and stuff?  I thought they mostly get amnesia, sleep with tons of people, and wear skimpy clothes.”

“I’m soooo watching the wrong TV shows.”  Tharsis mused.

“They don’t sword fight on
Days of Our Lives
.”  Tessie looked over at Teja, a woman with long dark hair and a curvy body very much like her own.  “But, they do have evil twins.”

And that's what makes
Days
of Our Lives
so fun and exciting --The element of surprise!

Soap opera message board post

Job hadn’t been to the Air Kingdom since the Fall.

It had always been a somber place, but now it felt like a tomb.

In their hearts, the Air Phases believed that they were the most sophisticated of the Houses.  It wasn’t
just
their natural arrogance talking.  They were a wealthy kingdom, with a rigorous education system and one of the greatest libraries in the Elemental realm.  They lived a formal, regimented and uncompromising life that many other Houses might have envied.

But, the Air Phases always tried just a little
too
hard in everything they did.

That trait was clear to anyone who visited the Air palace.  The dining room was three stories tall, with open balconies on all four sides.  It had been built to show of the gilded glamor of the extravagant hall, where ornate antiques were crammed into every spare inch.  With a bit of restraint, half the furnishings could have been removed and the rest left to shine in tasteful splendor.

But, half was never enough for the Air Phases.

They never bothered to enjoy what they had; they just wanted to add more.  If one tapestry was good, six would be better.  If a silver chandelier was lovely, a gold one would be even lovelier.  If their centerpiece was already the best one in the world, they still needed to cram in a dozen more flowers to keep all other centerpieces from catching up.

As a result, the Air Palace looked like some poor relation had struck it rich and was determined to prove that they owned the classiest house in the neighborhood.

Oddly, Job had always felt comfortable in the Air Kingdom, because
no one
was really comfortable there.  Whether through nature or nurture, most of the Air Phases were pretty miserable company.  No one expected him to be social, because none of
them
were social, either.  It had actually been something of a relief to visit a kingdom where he never had to struggle to be less reserved.  They responded
best
to chilled civility.

Now, most of the haughty and disdainful Air Phases looked unhappy, though.  Well, they’d never really looked “happy” to begin with, but they looked less happy now than ever before.  Job stood on the third story balcony, looking down at the dining hall below.  Taking in their subdued, slightly resentful faces, he could tell that Parald didn’t rule with love.

Bryony had been right about Parald forcing everyone to attend his dinners.  About a dozen, high-ranking Air Phases were sitting around a long table with Parald at its head.  Where the Air Phases had once pontificated en mass, each one more self-assured than the last, now only Parald’s voice could be heard.  The Air Phases’ complicated, epicurean creations had been replaced, so the food being served now was Parald’s favorite wild game.  Instead, of the flamboyant Caravaggio that had once hung over the gigantic mantle there was a life sized portrait of Parald… dressed as Julius Caesar.

Job saw that he’d been right to offer amnesty.  He should have done it sooner.  The Air Phases were a pain in the ass, but they were still his responsibility.  They didn’t deserve to live under a tyrant who robbed them of their way of life.

Especially a tyrant with such tacky taste in art.

Job glanced over at Tessie, Teja and Cross to gauge their reactions.  Tessie had managed to jump all four of them Air Kingdom, which was actually the most technically difficult part of the plan.  The barriers didn’t keep people in, so they’d have a much easier job jumping out, again… assuming they didn’t get caught and executed.  They only had a few moments to get into position before Kay raised the alarm about Tessie being there and all Hell broke loose.

Cross glowered down at the Air Phases, obviously not moved by whatever they’d endured under Parald.  “I’m starving and
they
get food.  Yeah, that’s fair.  Can’t we just kill them all and go home?”

“Agreed.  I don’t care if wiping them out ends the world or not.  It’s better than this farce.”  Teja muttered.  “I can’t believe that you guys talked me into this.  If Gion tries to stab me, I’m gonna be seriously pissed.”  She tugged at the abbreviated hem of the black shirt she wore and scowled when it remained stubbornly above her navel.  “I do
not
want to die in this get up.”

Tessie ignored the commentary.  She and Teja were dressed alike, in matching “Wastin’ Away Bar and Grill” tank tops and jeans.  If you looked at their faces, you could easily tell them apart.  Teja was the more classically lovely, but, to Job, Tessie was so much more beautiful.  From the back, though, with temporary color sprayed over the periwinkle streak at Teja’s temple, Tessie and Teja looked remarkable alike.  Hair coloring only lasted for a few minutes with Elementals, but it would be enough.

“Alright, we ready?”  Tessie flipped open her cell phone and started typing out a text message.  “Honey, you okay?”  She asked with her eyes still on the keys.  “You sure you’re feeling better?  You seem a little grim all of a sudden.”

“I’m fine.”  Job assured her.  “I just haven’t been a very good High Seat for the Air Phases.  I should’ve protected them from Parald.  Bryony has a point.  He’s stolen their homeland.  Even allowing them into the Earth Kingdom can’t replace that.”

Cross rolled his eyes.  “Are you kidding me, Job?  You’re seriously gonna start blaming yourself for something
else
?  Does it ever get tiring being responsible for the whole damn universe?”

“Yes, actually it does.”  Job admitted, still watching the dining hall.

“Well, then stop it.”  Cross retorted.  “
Other
people screwed-up here, not you.  You’re not to blame for anything.  The Air Phases made their own bed and now they can just die in it.”

“It’s not that simple.”  Job began.  “Even with amnesty…”

Teja cut him off.  “Can we bicker about this
later
?  I’m already sick of being here.  Let’s just hurry it up.”

“We’re on schedule.  Don’t worry.”  Tessie hit the send button on her text message and smiled when she saw Gion fish his own phone out of his pocket.

Job wasn’t sure what to think about Gion anymore.  Thanks to Tessie’s memories, he knew that Gion had helped to keep her safe for years.  The thought of Tessie dying before he’d even met her sent dread coursing through Job’s entire body.  He just couldn’t imagine his life without Tessie in it.  She was the bright center of his world.

So, whatever evil schemes Gion had concocted in the past, protecting Tessie was his get out of jail free card to Job’s way of thinking; a complete, “all is forgiven,” do over.  But, Job’s new confusion about Gion’s motivations went deeper than that.  Gion had wanted to save Parson, of the Wood House on that beach.  Gion had undermined Kay’s efforts to get the Tablets.  Gion was clearly not Parald’s most loyal employee.

It was… interesting.

Job studied Gion thoughtfully.  Gion sat at the table, looking contemptuously bored with everything around him.  Yet, Job knew for a fact that Gion was fully briefed on Tessie’s plan and had agreed to play his part.  How could he look so calm and unaffected?  Why was he helping them, at all?  What the hell was really going on behind that sardonic mask?

*****

Down below, Gion arched a brow at Tessie’s text message.

Princess Gina has arrived
.

It was so, so sad that he understood that was Hope Brady’s evil doppelganger on
Days of Our Lives
.  He clearly paid far too much attention to Tessie’s soap opera recaps.  Gion tuned out Parald’s yammering about some ridiculous hunting trip he’d taken (Parald was always boring, but never more so than when he was sharing fictional stories of his athletic prowess) and typed out a response to Tessie message.

Are we taking bets on how long it will take for K to kill you all?  If so, I want 45 seconds in the pool. Idiots.

“Problem?”  Isaacs demanded from beside him.

Most of the loyal soldiers were at least pretending to listen to Parald’s jabbered commentary.  Across the table, Saxon was shoveling food into his mouth, his eyes fixed on Parald like the very model of Air Phase attentiveness.  Kiss ass.

Like Gion, Isaacs seemed less than fascinated with Parald’s epic tale of man against deer, though.  He craned his head, trying to see what Gion was doing.

Gion tilted the phone’s screen so Isaacs couldn’t read it.  “Yes.  A terrible problem with the latest World Series update.  My team is losing.”

“You follow human baseball?”  Isaacs asked doubtfully.

“No, I follow
cow
baseball.”  Gion sneered.  “It’s the World Series of
cattle
.  What do you think?”

“What are you talking about?”  Parald demanded.  He hated to be left out of other people’s conversation.  Mostly because he couldn’t tolerate any deviation from his favorite topic: the greatness that was Parald.  Gion detested the man for many reasons, but his constant
talking
was probably number one on the list.

Or number
two
, really.

Number one was obviously Parald’s obsession with Ty.

The talking was still annoying, though, and Gion considered it a personal triumph that he didn’t just stab Parald through the eye with his steak knife.

“We’re discussing the World Series, sire.”  Gion said instead.  “Isaacs doesn’t understand it, apparently.  I’m not surprised.  It’s a sport of men.”

Saxon snorted.  “It’s a sport of
humans
, not men.”

Parald opened his mouth, ready to spew forth all the random baseball related facts he’d gleamed from Nike ads.

Isaacs inadvertently started talking right over him, his attention on Gion.  “I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of human sporting events.  Why don’t you
explain
the World Series for me, Gion?  Tell me
everything
.  Let’s start with the easy stuff: who’s winning?”  His smile was full of jagged edges.

Gion’s eyes narrowed.  Bastard.  His mind raced for any baseball team that he could possibly name, because he had no clue who was playing in this World Series.  Or even who
had
played in any others.  Or even if a World Series was being played, at all.  Tessie had taught him most of what he knew about human culture and she’d always preferred daytime TV to sports.  Mentioning baseball had been a mistake.

He really was slipping.

In the past, Gion had paid attention to every word he’d said and guarded against any missteps.  Now, he couldn’t garner enough interest in lying to even care if he was caught.  Those kind of screw-ups endangered people.

“The Yankees are ahead by three.”  A female voice put-in quietly.

Gion glanced over to see Amarna.  She’d barely spoken a single word to Gion in the past three hundred years.  The former king, Seneca, had been Amarna’s uncle.  Like most Phases connected to the previous administration, she wasn’t treated well by Parald.  Basically, she just served food and stayed out of the way.

And plotted with the rebels.

Gion knew all about Amarna’s plan to overthrow Parald.  Sadly, he had no intention of letting her to actually kill the asshole. If Gion could have allowed Parald to die, he would have already done the honors himself.  The merry band of Air House rebels were in for a rude awakening if they ever got past the angry muttering stage of the coup.

Why Amarna chose now to draw attention to herself was anyone’s guess, but it gave Gion a reprieve.  Sooner or later he’d get caught… but it wouldn’t be today.

“Yes.  And the Yankees are not my team.”  He stated as if actually cared about any of this.

Amarna’s icy blue gaze met Gion’s briefly and, in that quick flash, Gion saw some real awareness in her eyes.  Then, she went back to pouring drinking for the others.

She knew.

Amarna knew that Gion had no idea who was playing in the World Series and she’d covered for him.  Why the hell had she done that?  It was a stupid thing to do.  In the Air Palace, only the strong survived.

“Yankees, bah!  I support the Confederacy, too.”  Parald chimed in importantly.  “Of course, I thought that war would be over, by now.  Ridiculous humans are battling with their baseball teams and not warriors, huh?  No wonder their petty squabbles last so long.”

Gion’s eyebrows soared.

From beside him, Isaacs sighed.

Even Saxon squinted a bit.

No one bothered to tell Parald that the American Civil War had ended over a century and a half before.  There was no point.  Once Parald weighed in on a matter, it halted all further discussion.

Parald cut off a huge chunk of rare meat and chewed it enthusiastically.  “I really should pay more attention to the humans since I
am
going to rule them all once we have the Tablets.  They’re just so painfully dull, though.  Like monkeys. And now that moron Job is allowing Phases to look for Matches among the prenatals.  It’s a disgrace.”