“Stuff to clear up. Right.” Sullivan repeated. “If you’re going to start listing some kind of weird rituals where we sacrifice to the Mayan gods…” He trailed off as Teja started unbuttoning her letterman style cardigan. “Right.” He said, again. “Sure. Let’s clear up the stuff.”
“Number one.” Teja held up a finger. “We’re not about emotions. This is just,” she made a back and forth gesture between them with her palm, “energy.”
“Chemistry.” Sullivan supplied. “Right. And possibly hallucinogenics slipped into my coffee. And for you, I’m betting some kind of initiation rite.”
“I didn’t drug you.” Teja was getting a little sick of his fixation on this cult idea. Standing so close to him, the Phazing energy was getting stronger, though, so she wasn’t about to get sidetracked. “Just… Do you understand what I’m saying about the emotions?”
“Yeah.” Sullivan nodded, looking baffled. “I get it.”
Teja wasn’t sure that he did. No Match would take news like that so calmly if they really understood. “I can’t love anybody. I can’t love you. I don’t wanna be close or get involved with anyone. Not ever again. I can’t. So…” She trailed off because there really was nothing more she could say.
Teja waited for him to reject her.
She was going into this broken. No Match would ever accept half of a bond. Teja sure wouldn’t have accepted it if the situations were reversed. Phazing was more than just physical. It bonded two people’s energies together to create one symbiotic whole.
Without emotions it was going to be… wrong.
Humans didn’t have Matches, but that might work in their favor. Sullivan might be able to Phaze with anyone. Any one of the dozens of beautiful women vying for his attention might be able to love him. Why would he accept what Teja couldn’t give when he might have a chance to Phaze with a woman who could provide him with everything he deserved?
“That’s it?” Sullivan watched her like he was braced for something more. “Well, don’t worry. I’m not expecting you to propose or anything.”
Teja frowned. “What?” Wasn’t he listening to the plan? She was already proposing something.
“Look, is there anything else you want to clear up?” Sullivan asked, sounding impatient. His gaze went to the swell of her breasts as she yanked off her cardigan. “Because, I’m clear on the fact that you’re just here for sex. I promise.”
“You are?” Teja hesitated. “Really? Because, I’m not going to change my mind. At most, I see us as sort of… friends or --I don’t know-- like, people who come together every once in a while.” They wouldn’t even have to live together all the time. The human would miss his homeland and Teja needed privacy. “And I don’t want kids.”
She held her breath on that one, because not many Matches would go for it. Since the Fall, they needed every Elemental they could get.
“Kids?” Sullivan echoed.
Teja nodded. A Match was bad enough, but she really couldn’t take a child. Her frozen emotions weren’t enough for a baby. Hell, they weren’t even enough for Sullivan and he was going into this willingly. A child wouldn’t have a choice.
“Right.” Sullivan’s eyebrows drew together as if was running that through a mental translator. “You wanna use protection? Is that what you’re saying? Sure. Obviously.”
Teja blinked. “And you’re still… okay, with Phazing? With me?”
“Yeeeaaah.” Sullivan drew out the word like he was still waiting for another shoe to drop. “Kind of pathetic of me to be so very okay with anything that I can get, but I’m not worried about my reputation.”
“What?”
Had Sullivan just called Phazing with her pathetic? That was insulting. In fact, his easy acceptance of Teja not being able to love him was sort of insulting, too. And what was that shit about his reputation? She had to be misunderstanding something in that sentence, because there was no missing the desire on Sullivan’s face was he looked at her.
Communicating with humans clearly went beyond learning their language.
Sullivan looked more focused on watching the buttons of her blouse, then on her important confessions. “I said, yes. Absolutely. If we “Phaze” or whatever you call it, we’ll use protection. Very safe. And then we’ll part as friends, no questions asked. Clearly, that’s what you’d want. I’m not an idiot.”
Sullivan didn’t want to love her, either.
It was the only explanation Teja could think of as to why this part of the plan was going so unnervingly well. She’d expected him to object. To argue. But, Sullivan wasn’t even upset. He clearly wanted the exact same arrangement that she did.
Usually, Phase-Matches fell in love almost instantly. Teja couldn’t because her emotions were gone and apparently Sullivan didn’t feel anything for her, either. At least, beyond the sexual pull. Maybe it was deliberate on his part. Or maybe all humans were like that. Or maybe his emotions had frozen up on him, too. Whatever the reason, it was good news.
Very… good.
Right.
The best thing for both of them, really.
He was lucky she’d found him, though, because any of the other Phase women would have expected him to give them some emotional feedback. Of course, he might have been able to give more to them. Maybe it was just Teja that he didn’t care about loving.
“Did you ever try Phazing with any of the other Elementals who asked you?” She demanded before she could stop herself.
Sullivan looked confused. “No.”
Thank God. Teja relaxed slightly, even as she mentally cringed. It was a major relief that he hadn’t been seduced by any other Phases. But, she’d been out-of-line to press him for an answer like that. It wasn’t any of her business. Getting to know each other was a bad idea. It would just lead to… intimacy.
“I don’t think we should ask each other any personal questions, either.” She announced as if he’d been interrogating her. “I think we’ve learned everything that we need to know.”
Sullivan snorted. “Wanna sign a contract promising not to exchange Christmas gifts next?”
“I don’t require presents.” Teja said quickly. Her eyes went to the cardigan still clutched in her hand. “They take too much in return.”
“Right.” Sullivan murmured. “Look, are you sure that you want to do this? Maybe we should just call it a night…”
“No!” She quickly lowered her voice. “No, I’m sure I want to do this.”
Damn it, he couldn’t back out now. The plan had worked! They’d just agreed on all the groundwork of their relationship. What had made him pull away? The gift thing? Was that important to humans?
She tried to backtrack. “We can exchange Christmas presents if you’d like. When is it and what should I give you?”
“Never mind.” Sullivan sighed. “So no personal questions and no Christmas. Oh, and no emotional crap. I feel like I should be writing all this down. Like I’ll be tested afterwards.”
Teja was having a hard time concentrating. Sullivan’s energy was different from a normal Phase’s. He wasn’t doing anything to try and harness it, so it was everywhere. She felt it brushing against her own powers, rubbing against places that no one else could ever touch. Whatever dormant Wood Phase energy he possessed, it was like a freight train. So much raw, surging power barreling along like an unstoppable force… God, Teja could feel it all over her body.
And Sullivan didn’t seem to even know that he was doing it.
She exhaled a long breath. “Don’t worry, human. I grade on a curve.”
Sullivan’s mouth kicked up at one corner. “I really hate being called ‘human,’ ya know. ‘Sullivan’ is bad enough.”
“What’s wrong with ‘Sullivan?’” It sounded fine to her. All human names were a little odd, but “Sullivan” fit him. It seemed… right.
Sullivan lifted a shoulder. “Nothing’s wrong with it, I guess. I just would’ve gone with something more normal, like ‘Ted’ or ‘Mike,’ if I’d b
een given a vote. You have to know what I mean. I’ve never heard of anyone called ‘Teja’ before. It must’ve been hard to find those little vanity license plates for your bike when you were a kid.”
“‘Teja’ is a fairly common name, actually.” Or at least it had been before the Fall wiped out all the other ‘Tejas’ in the Elemental realm.
He made a skeptical sound. “Well, ‘Sullivan’ isn’t. Trust me. It’s tough being the only second grader named after some famous Civil War solider.”
“You were named for a warrior?” Teja’s eyebrows shot-up.
That was impressive, even though she suspected that they were only on this topic because Sullivan was still debating whether or not to go through with the Phazing. No one except children destined for lives of service and protection were given the names of great warriors. It was a deep honor. Of course, the Wood Phases were always dedicated to helping people weaker than themselves. No wonder Sullivan became a law keeper.
“Your parents must have known that you’d be the town sheriff, then.”
“I’m the chief of police. That’s not a sheriff.” His voice went toneless. “And my parents are a personal topic. I’m not answering any questions about them.”
Teja hadn’t been expecting that.
She blinked. “Alright.” She said simply because she couldn’t think of a better response.
Sullivan clearly grasped all the rules of their relationship, so that was… good. All part of the plan. It was good that he didn’t want to do a lot of sharing and bonding with her. That was the whole point of this preamble.
But, honestly, a Match should want to share and bond. Did Sullivan not get that?
Crazy, mistrustful human.
If Teja still had feelings, they would have been hurt by his attitude. Mostly just to show him that she was completely fine with his verbal “Do Not Enter” sign postage, she busied herself by headed into his living room. “Your house is very… neutral.”
Every wall was painted beige and it looked like it had been furnished with the leftovers from the former owners’ yard sale. To her eye, it desperately needed some gargoyles and maybe a few bats. And where did he keep his battleaxes?
Sullivan glanced around like he’d never noticed his own house before. “It came this way.” He didn’t follow her towards the sofa as if he was still expecting some kind of trap to spring.
Teja tried throwing out some new bait to inspire him to get naked at a faster clip. “I should tell you that after Phazing with me, some of your own powers might be unleashed.”
“Wow, that’s way better than a radioactive spider bite.” Sullivan rolled his eyes clearly not believing her. “Teja, why are you really here? I mean, you have to have some kind of Cult-y reason. I get that. But, is it worth it?” He pointed to the scar on his cheek. “What do you want from me?”
“I’m just here for,” Teja shrugged, “you. That’s the only reason. You’re you and I’m me and the Phazing energy is… strong.” She licked her lower lip. “I know that you’re very attractive, but I’m not so hideous. I looked better before the Fall, but…”
“What?” Sullivan demanded, cutting her off.
“What what?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“That’s what I’m asking you, ya idiot!” Teja gave up trying to reason with him. Sullivan was so high-strung. “Forget it.” She was just going to have to take matters into her own hands. Stalking forward, she covered the distance separating them, again.
Sullivan eyed her warily, but he didn’t retreat.
Teja took it as progress. She moved close enough for her body to brush against his. He was so big. It made her feel oddly feminine just standing next to him. “You think way too much, human. I swear to Gaia, it’s impossible to keep up with the way your mind works.”
Sullivan closed his eyes briefly. “You smell really, really good.” He murmured. “And you’ve got a point about the chemistry thing. I feel it, too. But, I know that something else is going on here, so…”
Teja stood on tiptoe so she could press her lips against his damaged cheek. Sullivan stiffened as if he wasn’t sure what to expect, even as Teja’s mouth traced over the raised edges of the mark. God, that scar was attractive.
“Strip.” She ordered huskily.
That earned her a snort. “Careful. That was so romantic it might have been a violation of your ‘no emotional stuff’ rule.”
Teja smiled. She couldn’t help it. Sullivan’s sarcasm might just beat out the scar as her favorite feature. For a human, he was actually pretty clever.
Sullivan groaned as he took in her small grin. “You are just. so. beautiful.”
He lowered his head to kiss her.
His lips were strong and soft and it all felt exactly the way fairytales said kissing should feel. Granted, in the Fire House versions of the stories, the kissing was usually between the courageous wicked witch and some vanquished knight she’d enslaved to be her sex toy, but the principle was the same. Teja’s breath caught on a gasp as Sullivan’s mouth met hers.
For one heartbeat of time, everything was magical.
After so many centuries, she’d really and truly found her Match. She’d known it and believed it, but to experience the rightness of him was amazing. A miracle.
Teja melted upward, her arms going around Sullivan’s neck with a moan. Her powers automatically reached for his, wanting to touch him everywhere. Sullivan’s energy didn’t grab for hers, but she felt it stirring. If he let go of his power, the Phazing could happen.
It would happen.
She’d make it happen.
God, he was so warm. Teja’s skin felt like it was burning and she loved it. Her family had been right. She had to claim this man before anyone else got their hands on him. If other women discovered how good he tasted, they would do anything to steal him away. Then, Teja would have to spend the next few decades hunting the skanks down and butchering them. As much as the Fire House liked a good battle, killing her rivals seemed like such a waste of time compared to kissing her Match.
Sullivan’s kiss grew more insistent and hot and Teja realized that she was a fucking genius! Coming here tonight had been the greatest plan in history!
She shifted closer to Sullivan, her frozen emotions thawing ever so slightly at the heat of his body. The ice cracked juuuuust enough for Teja to see how Phazing with him would be… magical. How this man would make her so happy.
…Which was the last thing she wanted.
Teja’s eyes snapped open.
Wait.
No.
This was all too much. She couldn’t be happy! Not again. It was too hard. It would destroy her. If she let him, Sullivan would rip apart the protective walls she’d spent the last two years building. He would leave her vulnerable in ways she couldn’t even imagine. She couldn’t recover from the pain a second time.
Sullivan Pryce would take everything from her.
For the first time since the Fall, Teja was filled with a huge and undeniable emotion:
Terror.
Chapter Sixteen
Sing on! sing on! let the dull world grow young,
Let elemental things take form again
Oscar Wilde- “The Burden of Itys”
Of all the places she imagined Chason taking her in the middle of their reunion, a human video store was probably the very last. Mara wasn’t even aware there were human video stores, anymore. A gum chewing clerk in a blue smock goggled at them as they appeared out of thin air at the end of aisle three.
Chason didn’t seem to notice. He quickly scanned the shelves of movies, searching for something. He ruthlessly knocked other films out of the way in his haste to find it, scattering them to the floor.
Mara blinked at him in confusion, wanting to get back to kissing. “Chason, what in the world…?”
“Here.” He grabbed a disc and handed it to her, his expression beseeching. “I will watch every second with you. I promise. I am so sorry. I ca
n be a better Match to you, if you just let me.”
Mara glanced down at the title and could’ve cried.
Singin’ in the Rain.
“We can both be better Matches this time.” She looked back up at him. “It’s our second chance, Chason. A chance to be what we should’ve been all along. I don’t want to be perfect. I just want to be us.”
His hand went back to her hair, his thumb curling around her House designation and giving it an erotic tug. “No matter who you are --Match or not-- I would still be completely in love with you, Mara.” He met her eyes steadily. “You are my light.”
“I feel the exact same way…” She began happily, only to give a small gasp as he lifted her straight off the ground. “Chason, wait. You’re still hurt. You can’t…” She trailed off with a whimper as he kissed her like something out of a dirty movie. Mouth and tongue and teeth.
He tore at her clothes. Material ripped. Buttons popped free. Chason backed her into the rack of musicals, the discs falling to the floor as he pinned her against the shelves. Mara all but purred as the robe was yanked off her body and tossed aside. All she was wearing underneath was hospital scrubs.
The store clerk kept gaping. His jaw was hanging so low that the wad of strawberry tumbled out of his mouth and onto the linoleum.
Mara was past caring. Her eyelids drifted closed in pleasure as Chason devoured her. “Now, Chason.” She panted. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, holding tight. “I’m in need of my Match.”
She wasn’t aware she’d said the pleading words aloud, until he gave an answering snarl and jumped them out of the human realm, again.
This time they landed in the Light Kingdom. Mara recognized the gigantic trees looming overhead and heard the sounds of the endless forest all around them. She had no idea why Chason had brought them there, but it hardly mattered when she was so on fire for him. This was what she’d always fantasized about. Messy and chaotic and frantic. No control or rules of decorum.
To just have Chason take her, body and soul.
“Keep your eyes open.” Chason ordered. “I want to see the sparks.”
Queen of the Magnetland (The Elemental Phases Book 5) Page 26
