Exile in the Water Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 3)

by Cassandra Gannon

  Lansing wanted her dead. His sword slashed at her.

  Ty leapt back, avoiding the blade, and ran straight into Isaacs, of the Air House.

  Oh, shit!

  Parald’s top general grabbed Ty from behind, lifting her off the ground.

  Lansing continued advancing.

  Caught in a tug-of-war between the golden boys of Air House and the Reprisal was the very worse place in the world. Ty tried to struggle free of Isaacs’ hold. “Let me go!”

  “Sorry, kid. The boss really wouldn’t like that. Don’t worry, though. Gion will save you, again, by tonight.”

  Lansing lunged at them with sword.

  Isaacs hadn’t expected the Reprisal to try and stab Ty. He swore viciously.

  The sword would have gone right through Ty’s chest, except Isaacs shifted her out of range. The Air Phase ignored every rule of warfare and twisted his back towards the enemy. Maybe he didn’t want to risk surviving and having to explain to Parald why Ty had been shish-kabobed on his watch. Or maybe he just reacted automatically, remembering his period as her bodyguard.

  Whatever the reason, the blade missed Ty, sinking deep into Isaacs’ side.

  If he’d been human it would have killed him.

  Isaacs staggered, keeping Ty against his chest. “Son-of-a-BITCH!” Air powers blasted out, a trick he could only have learned from watching Gion. Lansing slammed backwards into the side of the building. Windows broke from the force of the impact, the cascade of glass adding more jarring noises to the battle.

  Isaacs went after Lansing, brandishing his own sword.

  He dropped Ty, so her feet touched the ground, but he didn’t let go of her. “Are you fucking out of you mind, trying to kill this girl!” Isaacs screamed at Lansing. “I thought you Reprisal assholes were supposed to be the good guys?!”

  Ty’s eyebrows shot up, sensing an opening. “Isaacs, if you help me, I can get you out of the Air House.” She whispered fiercely. “I’ll give you amnesty in the Water Kingdom.” It was the only thing Ty had to offer and, if there was even a small chance that he’d bargain, she’d give it a shot.

  Isaacs’ head whipped around to gape at Ty, but he still didn’t let her go.

  “She’s Gion’s whore.” Lansing shouted. “She can die with the rest of the Air Phase trash.” He came at them, again, and Isaacs turned to face him.

  Blades crashed, the two of them trying to slaughter each other, and Ty had the horrible feeling that Lansing would win. His eyes were glazed with a righteous frenzy, his Reprisal training almost the equivalent of the Wood Phases’.

  And Isaacs was really hurt.

  Of the two men, one was trying to stab her and the other was trying to kidnap her, so it was hard to pick a side. Even if Isaacs wasn’t really on her team, at least he didn’t plan to murder her, though.

  Ty stopped fighting Isaacs’ hold and threw in with Air House over the Reprisal.

  Water energy couldn’t do a lot offensively; especially not Ty’s limited powers. But she could slow the flow of blood leaking from Isaacs’ side. Plasma contained a lot of water.

  Isaacs sent her a glance, feeling Ty’s energy helping him, and then went back to fighting Lansing. He released her arm, so he could hold his broadsword with both hands. “Ty’s Parald’s Match, now, not Gion’s.”

  “Like that’s so much fucking better. She can die for both of them, for all I care.” Lansing was a Dust Phase and, apparently, he was willing to cheat along with everyone else. A dust storm blew up, sending particles of sand and shards of the broken glass into Isaacs’ eyes, blinding him.

  “Shit!” Isaacs reared back, clutching his eyes.

  Lansing smirked. His sword arched out, towards Isaacs’ neck. For no reason at all, Ty pulled her new frenemy away. The blade missed Isaacs’ neck and hit his shoulder, instead. The impact knocked them both off balance. Ty’s skull whacked against the pavement as she fell. It left her stunned and seeing dots.

  Isaacs wasn’t moving, at all.

  “This is all your fault!” Lansing bellowed at her. He kicked her and Ty rolled sideways, her arms protectively covering her stomach. “The Fall was all because of you and now you’re fucking that bastard Gion! Giving him amnesty!”

  Ty looked right at him, breathing hard. “Gion, of the Water House is a better man than you will ever be.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  Lansing was going to kill her.

  An odd calm came over Ty as her brain accepted the inevitable. He was a trained soldier and she was a scientist. He was armed and she wasn’t. He was on his feet and she was on the ground. He was really going to kill her, unless she did something within the next heartbeat of time.

  Panic receded, leaving nothing but the absolute conviction that she wasn’t ready to die.

  Ty’s mind went to Gion and The Blue Danube Waltz.

  No, she wasn’t ready to die.

  The Water powers slid under Lansing’s boot, before Ty even consciously planned the action. It was such a small thing. Ty really couldn’t do a lot. But, even a Water Phase child could have created that tiny square of ice, barely the size of a playing card. Ty froze the Water vapor beneath him and Lansing fell like a stone. His foot slipped out from under him, his eyes going wide in astonishment.

  Lansing hacked the sword at her as he toppled, screaming out a furious stream of oaths.

  Ty scrambled backwards, narrowly avoiding a decapitation. Gathering her energy, again, she prepared to fight back as best she could. Ty wasn’t ready to die and she wasn’t going to make it easy for Lansing.

  She wasn’t weak.

  Before Ty could give freezing Lansing’s lungs a try, a new contender entered the ring.

  Raiden, of the Radiation House. A towering mountain of unstoppable craziness.

  Ty’s eyes traveled up the massive length of his Reprisal uniform, her dread reaching new levels. All the stories she’d heard about Raiden rushed back from her memories.

  Blessed. Cursed. Prophet. Assassin.

  Insane.

  Ice tricks weren’t gonna cut it this time.

  Raiden’s own mother tried to behead him and he was somehow still walking around. Nothing that Ty could possibly do would even slow him down. Ty stared at Raiden’s impassive expression and knew that she could never, ever stop him from chopping her into tiny pieces.

  Except, Raiden didn’t seem eager to dice up her body and disguise himself in her peeled off skin. Instead, he stepped directly in front of Ty. His blade swept forward and blocked Lansing’s next assault. Sparks flew as their swords clanged together.

  Raiden, untouchable loner of the Reprisal and the Elemental voted most likely to wind-up in a straitjacket according to most objective opinion polls, had just protected Ty against one of his own.

  Why?

  Lansing’s roar of outrage nearly broke her eardrums. “What the fuck are you doing, Raiden?! You heard Chason! She belongs to Gion.”

  “Ty, of the Water House is vital to our world.” Raiden’s ruined voice sandpapered over the words. “I told you that.” A massive hand grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. Raiden was one of the largest Phases in any House. He topped Ty by two feet of solid muscle. “Let’s go, woman.”

  Blood ran from Ty’s forehead. She felt dizzy. “What?” She automatically tried to check on Isaacs. He was breathing, but she didn’t see much more than that before Raiden dragged her away.

  Lansing stopped his attack, apparently unwilling to fight Raiden, but more soldiers were charging their way. There were just too many. Confusion swirled in her pounding head.

  Ty didn’t want to be with Raiden. She didn’t trust him and she didn’t like him touching her. What was he planning? How could she possibly fight him? Where was Brokk? Where was Job?

  What was she going to do?

  Help me!

  The words were in her head without Ty even thinking about them.

  Raiden shot her a surprised look. “What kind of power do you have?”

  “Powe
r? Not a lot.”

  “You have enough. Now, he’ll come. We don’t have time.” People died around them, but one look at Raiden had most would be attackers halting mid-step. “You need to get the box from Parald.”

  Ty’s head hurt. “The box?” She repeated blankly.

  “Yes, for all of our sakes.” Raiden’s face was less menacing in close-up, possibly because she could see the strained edges of his handsome profile. Day-Glo green eyes gleamed with all the secrets of the world. “I’m counting on you, Ty. We share similar experiences, don’t we?”

  Ty started at him, understanding exactly what he meant. She’d never really considered it before --Why would she?-- but, he was actually right. Like Ty, Raiden had nearly been murdered by his own House during the Fall. Raiden’s scar was an external, untreated slice across his neck and she carried hers on the inside, but Ty still understood what he’d gone through. Raiden was crazy. Everyone knew that. Sometimes, Ty thought that she’d lost her mind, too, so she could identify with that.

  They were tragically alike, weren’t they?

  That didn’t mean that Ty was okay with letting him kill her, though.

  A colossal Wham! of energy shockwaved over the Agora.

  “Gion.” Ty actually said his name out loud like a prayer. She looked around for him desperately, feeling him nearby. Only Gion had the power to scour the Air like that.

  Raiden held onto her and continued talking in his strangely hypnotic tone. “Others can’t understand what it is to see the darkness. Unless, they know what it is to look into that abyss, they don’t see how closely we’re all connected. How events synchronize. But, you and I have touched the other side. I know now that you’re the only one who can do this.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ty’s head ached and she wanted Gion.

  “Find the box. It will be behind him.”

  “Ty!” Cyclones of power sent everyone around her flying. Parting the crowd like Chuck Heston in the Ten Commandments, Gion swept forwards. People on all three sides of the war twirled into the air as he searched for her.

  Something flashed through Ty’s memories, again, but it was gone before she could grasp hold of it. It didn’t matter.

  Nothing mattered except getting to Gion.

  Ty ripped free from Raiden and ran for him. All the Phases who should have been in her way went airborne. Not a single person tried to stop her. Gion just cleared the path and Ty barely noticed.

  All she saw was him.

  Icy blue eyes fixed on her, locking on her face as he pushed forward. Ty registered Gion’s surprise, although whether it was because of the battle raging, the blood covering her, or the idea of Ty throwing herself into his arms was anyone’s guess.

  Ty didn’t care.

  She only cared about reaching him.

  “Gion!” He looked perfect. The invincible destroyers of worlds. The most unlikely savior in the universe. The only person she wanted in the midst of this nightmare. “You’re here.” Ty catapulted herself against his chest, clinging to Gion’s neck. If she could have, she would’ve crawled right inside of him. He held her, strong arms encircling her, sheltering her, and Ty knew she was safe.

  “Thank God.” He exhaled hard enough to part her hair. “I’ve got you, angel. Are you hurt? Are you okay? Let me see.” He pulled back to study her. A hand ran over her face, assessing her injuries. “You’re cut.” Gion looked at Raiden over the top of her head, his gaze deadly. “You touched her?”

  Raiden stared back. “The woman is yours.” It wasn’t a question.

  “The woman is mine.” Gion’s tone could’ve stopped hearts from beating. “And no one fucking touches her.”

  “He didn’t do this.” Ty wiped at the blood and tried to focus. “I can’t find Brokk or Job. I think I got them killed. Please, help me find them.”

  Gion glanced at Raiden, again, and then dismissed the other man entirely. He touched Ty’s hair and nodded. “I will. I’ll find them for you. I have to take you home, first, and then I’ll…”

  “Find them now! I can’t just leave them here!”

  Gion wanted to ignore her. Ty could see that in his face. He wanted to force her back to the Water Kingdom. She couldn’t let him do that. “I’m begging you, Gion.” More firefly like dots swam over her vision and Ty had to close her eyes. Her head ached so badly. “Please help me.”

  He swore in defeat. “Hold on.”

  A gigantic geyser of power lifted them both up into the sky. Gion could fly. Sort of. Ty’s mouth fell open as the Air energy shot them right onto the roof of the theater. No one else could do anything even close to that. Only Gion. The flat surface of the roof was solid under her feet as Gion set her down. Safe above the battle, Ty could see the fighting stretch out in every direction.

  “Can I trust you to stay here?” He demanded. “Because, if I can’t, I’ll leave Brokk and Job to rot and…”

  “Find them. I’ll stay here. I swear.”

  Gion hesitated, staring into her eyes. “Don’t move.” He ordered, again. “Just don’t.” He vanished.

  *****

  Not even Gion could jump from one spot to another in the same kingdom, but he could jump to the human realm and then back again, changing his return position each time. It was hard to accomplish in the midst of the battle, because Phases needed room to jump. Gion was perfectly okay with using his powers to create a space for himself, though. He just blew the crowd back, disregarding their shouts and swords.

  All these Phases were Ty’s enemies. If he picked off a dozen or so as he searched, so much the better.

  Gion jumped back and forth from the Florida beach to the Agora, looking for Brokk or Job. He probably confused the hell out of a lot of people. Air Phases gaped at him, shocked to see their defector back from his self-imposed exile and in the midst of battle. The Reprisal kept taking swings at him every time he appeared. And the humans in Mayport Beach wouldn’t know what the hell was happening. That damn town was gonna think someone dumped LSD into their water supply after today.

  Gion didn’t care.

  This was such a waste of time.

  Gion didn’t even like Job and Brokk. The two of them could look after themselves and neither man was exactly leading the “Hooray for Gion” parade. All he really wanted was to get Ty away from the fight and back home.

  He wasn’t sure when the Water Kingdom became “home,” but that’s what it was for him, now. Ty was hurt, bleeding, and Gion wanted her safe in her pastel castle as quickly as possible. The words, “I’m begging you, Gion. Please help me.” pretty much left him out of options, though. If Ty wanted Job and Brokk, then he’d find them for her. End of story.

  As long as it didn’t take more than five minutes.

  Gion was timing it.

  He located Brokk first. It wasn’t hard. Most of the civilians had fled, leaving a sea of black and grey uniforms. Brokk was the only one dressed like Indiana Jones. The guy fought like a warrior. There were piles of bodies around him and still he battled.

  “Gion!” Even as Brokk stabbed a Reprisal soldier through the neck, his attention was on Gion. “I lost Ty! Help me find her!”

  Gion ignored that. He seized Brokk’s forearm, strong enough to drag the Wood Phase with him as he jumped. A quick flash of the Gulf of Mexico and then Gion was back on the theater roof. The whole Brokk search took him less than two minutes.

  So far so good.

  Ty’s face lit up when she saw her bodyguard. “You did it!” She beamed at Gion and threw her arms around him. “Thank you.”

  He closed his eyes and breathed in the strawberry scent of her hair. “You’re welcome, angel.”

  Gion would never forget Ty’s expression when she’d spotted him wading through the battle. She’d been overjoyed. No one had ever been so glad to see him before. No one had ever run for him, either, usually it was away. When Ty leapt into his arms, Gion felt triumphant.

  For the first time in his life, Gion, of the Air House was a hero.<
br />
  “Ty!” Brokk was visibly relieved to see her. “Next time, I put you behind me, don’t move! Gaia! I looked, and you were gone, and I almost had a heart attack.”

  “I’m fine.” Ty moved to happily squeeze him. “Gion saved me.”

  Brokk didn’t hug her back. He held his hands up and away from Ty, even as he kissed the top of her head.

  Phases didn’t touch each other’s Matches.

  Gion blinked.

  It sure wasn’t Parald’s claim that Brokk was respecting. No one gave a shit about that bastard, and Ty had already renounced the Match. Wood Phases were extremely uptight when it came to following rules, but Parald was exempt from all civilized conduct. Until now, Brokk had touched Ty all the time.

  But, suddenly Brokk’s hands were off of Ty because… Brokk considered her Gion’s.

  Brown eyes fixed on Gion over the top of Ty’s head. Match or not, in Brokk’s mind, Ty belonged to Gion and he wouldn’t touch her without permission. Gion hadn’t been expecting that. No one had ever acknowledged his claim on Ty before. Well, unless you counted that nut-job Raiden.

  Gion felt himself nodding consent, actually sort of… proud. Someone besides himself saw Ty, of the Water House as his. “Watch her.” He told Brokk. The other man finally hugged Ty and, for once, Gion didn’t mind. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’m not going to sit out the battle up here.” Brokk protested. “Wood Phases don’t…”

  “The battle’s about to end.” Gion interrupted. “Guard Ty.” He jumped, again.

  It took him another minute to find Job. The leader of the Elementals was clearing the Agora of fighters by sending them blasting right back to their homelands.

  Gion figured he’d do that.

  That’s how Job stopped the Battle of the Fall. After days of Phases attacking the Air Kingdom, so many Elementals had died that it began to endanger all of existence. And the plague killed even more.

  Job refused to waste more lives. The siege ended when Job arrived in the Air Kingdom and evicted all the non-Air Phases with his incredible powers. Gion wasn’t sure how he’d accomplished it. Job’s energy was so vast, not even Gion could understand it.