“She lived with goddamn Parald, Rye!” The guy named Kahn backed up, but he was still glowering at Randa. “You really expect me to play nice with her? I got Mara back, but Randa’s psychotic boyfriend still killed my baby sisters!”
Randa flinched.
“One more word and you’re out the door.” Sullivan warned Kahn. “This is my house and nobody gets to terrorize little girls in my fucking house.”
Kahn’s eyebrows slammed together. “Who the hell are you?”
Teja smirked. “This is my Match. Parson’s grandson. But, you can already see the Fire House in him, can’t you?”
“Arguing is a waste of time.” Another Light Phase interjected. “Let’s focus on Vandal. We’ve been trying to find him for years and this is as close as we’ve come. We can’t blow it.” He stopped by Sullivan. “I am Julius. I knew your grandfather well. Parson was a great man.”
“He was.” Sullivan agreed, still keeping an eye on Kahn in case he tried anything.
Julius leaned closer to him. “I didn’t realize you were Teja’s Match.” He looked troubled by the news. “Parson was a true comrade, so I feel it’s my responsibility to counsel you. Humans can choose their mates.” He nodded encouragingly. “And a human who is part Wood Phase could have any woman he wished. Someone from the most respectable Houses.”
Sullivan lowered her voice to mimic Julius’ stage whisper, tired of people trying to talk him out of being with his possible-wife. It was hard enough fighting Teja’s misgivings. He didn’t have the patience for everybody else’s. “I can have anyone I wish, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll go with that magical brunette over there.” He pointed at Teja. “She’s the only woman I’d ever choose.”
Julius gave him a slow smile. “That is all any man could wish, then.” He gave Sullivan a companionable slap on the shoulder. “I support your choice, my friend. Best of luck.”
“Thanks.” At least this guy was an affable weirdo.
Teja’s eyes cut between them, a suspicious frown tugging at her brow. “What are you telling my Match, Jules?” She asked in a dangerous voice.
“I told him the Fire House is disreputable company for a Wood Phase.” Julius sent her a grin. “He tells me he would have it no other way.”
Teja’s gaze flicked over to Sullivan.
He shrugged.
“Oh. Okay.” Satisfied, Teja turned back to Rysimer. “Right, so Randa has point. Eian wants us arrested and probably dead. If you know Vandal’s involved, then you’ll be on his list, too.”
“Eian isn’t behind this.” Freya insisted. “I know he’s not. All this is just going to prove that he’s innocent.”
Randa flashed her a pitying glance, rallying out of her fear. The woman might be fragile, but she always kept the shaky pieces together enough to function. “Denial is pointless. Believe me.”
Kahn grunted, although it was impossible to know if he was scoffing at Randa’s statement or agreeing with it. He plucked a candy cane from the tree and gave it a sniff. Determining that it wasn’t poison, he bit the end off, straight through the cellophane wrapper.
Randa’s nose wrinkled in distaste.
“We can help you sneak into the Agora…” Rysimer began.
Sullivan cut him off, his migraine and general annoyance making him sharper than he intended. “No. We’re not sneaking, anywhere.”
Everyone turned to stare at him.
“We did nothing wrong.” Sullivan reminded them. “We don’t have to sneak. We’re going to show up at our trial and prove that we’re innocent.”
“You want to go to the Banishment trial?” Teja repeated like maybe she’d misheard that statement. “You mean just… go?”
“Exactly.”
Teja still seemed confused. “How?”
“How else? We’re walking through the door.” Sullivan might not be fully human, but he was still a cop and he believed in justice. “I’m not about to live like a criminal and I’m not going to let you be accused of bombing your father’s homeland, Teja. Not without telling them all that it’s bullshit.” He shook his head. “I’m going to do just what Eian doesn’t expect me to do. I’m going to face that bastard and I’m going to win.”
They kept staring at him.
“Gaia.” One of the other Light Phases finally breathed. “He is Parson’s grandson. I told you he was more than just a human, Mannus.”
“No, I told you, Daven.”
The two of them descended into a bickering match.
No one else seemed to notice.
Kahn tilted his head to snap a crick in his neck. “Yeah.” He agreed grimly. “We’ll go straight into the hearing and deal with these bastards head on. I like this plan. You want something done right, you have to fight it out.” He looked around. “You guys care about a body count?”
Randa sent him a disgusted glance.
“Yes. We care.” Sullivan decided, overruling Teja and the other Light Phases who were all shaking their head. “We’re the good guys here. We can prove our case without killing and bloodshed.”
Hopefully.
Kahn snorted at that. “Yeah… He’s Parson’s grandson, alright. Friggin’ Wood House.”
Rysimer rolled his eyes. “The Banishment trial’s in two hours. We’ll meet you at the Council Hall and we’ll try not to kill anyone. That’s all we can promise, Teja.” He jumped out of the room and the other Light Phases quickly followed.
“Horrible people.” Randa murmured, with a shudder. She let out a relieved breath when they left. “You shouldn’t even be associating with those ruffians, Chief Pryce.”
“They’re dicks.” Teja agreed. “But, right now, they’re the only ones willing to work with us, so we have to make do.” She paused, staring at Randa for a beat. “Don’t worry about the Light Phases. They aren’t a threat to you.”
Randa gave a sniff. “I’m not afraid of those brutes, I just don’t like them.” She reiterated like the most disapproving schoolmarm who’d ever shhh-ed a kid in class. “Their whole House is filled with illiterate barbarians.”
“And they usually smell bad.” Freya chimed in. “It’s not like they have showers in that backwater kingdom. Or electricity. Or cooked food.” She slouched on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest and cast Teja a dark scowl. “I can’t believe you’d trust those savages over Eian.”
For all her protests, though, the doctor wasn’t jumping out of the house or running to have them arrested. Freya kept arguing for her brother’s innocence, but she obviously suspected Teja was telling the truth. She just didn’t want to admit it.
“Those ‘savages’ didn’t try to blow me up yesterday.” Teja headed over to stand in front of Sullivan. “You really think we can win this trial? Without cheating or beheading anyone?” The idea seemed to baffle her. “I mean, I’ll try to make the Council to see the truth, but nobody’s going to believe me. Fire Phases aren’t real popular with the other Elementals.”
Randa and Freya both nodded at that assessment.
“I’m popular.” Sullivan lifted a shoulder. “The other Phases like me a lot. I have a whole freezer full of casseroles they’ve given me, in fact. You get me into that courtroom and they’ll listen to what I have to say.”
Teja was quiet for a beat. “Alright.” She agreed.
Sullivan blinked at how easy it was to convince her. “Just like that?”
“You say the plan will work and I believe you.”
“Why?”
“Because, I trust you, Sullivan.”
He stared down at her, not knowing what to say to that.
Teja’s mouth curved at his surprised expression. “It isn’t so hard to have faith in someone that you…” She stopped mid-word, her gaze riveted on the Christmas tree behind him.
Sullivan turned to look at it. “What?”
Teja let out a breathless kind of laugh and reached over to pull an ornament from one the branches. It was a mirrored box with a red vel
vet ribbon tied around it. Sullivan recognized the shiny bauble as part of his grandfather’s massive yuletide collection, although he’d never really paid much attention to it. It was just one of the million holiday decorations that Parson had left him. Every year he dutifully hung it on the tree and marveled at how ugly the damn thing was.
“Do you know what this is?” Teja held it up so he could see it, a dazed look on her face.
Sullivan stared at the tacky cube for a beat and things suddenly made a crazy sort of sense. “The Happiness box?” He guessed.
“The Happiness box.” Teja agreed with a grin. “No wonder no one could find it. Parson had it hidden away with his stupid jingle bells and nutcrackers.”
Sullivan snorted, because that was so typical of his grandfather that he should’ve seen it all along. “Well, I guess Djinn was right. I do have that damn thing.”
Chapter Eighteen
The counsellor alone was in his element: shrewd, prompt, and active, he already calculated the prospect of brilliant success in a strange, eventful, and mysterious lawsuit.
Sir Walter Scott- “Guy Mannering”
Christmas Evening
For possibly the first time in the annals of Elemental history, the felonious Fire House and the noble Wood Phases were on the same side of a fight.
“This is bullshit!” Melanie O’Shea, Sullivan’s cousin and Uriel’s Match, paced in front of the Council. The rest of the Wood House was right behind her. “There’s about as much chance of Sullivan being involved in this bombing as there is of me preforming with the fucking Rockettes.”
Job wasn’t sure what that meant, but he knew agreed with her. “An interesting point.” He fixed Eian with a calm look. “Remind us all again of your evidence against Sullivan Pryce? Hopefully it’s credible, as my understanding is the boy is quite will-liked.”
That was an understatement. The audience of the Council Hall was filled with outraged women, most of them carrying posters or wearing t-shirts supporting Sullivan. Until he officially Phazed with Teja, the human was still the most eligible bachelor in the realm.
Eian seemed to know it, too. He’d bypassed Job and called this Banishment hearing by getting a slim majority of Houses to agree. He wanted the Fire Phases gone, but seemed to some other plans for Sullivan.
“I don’t think any of us blame the human.” Eian soothed. “He and Freya are both victims here. Once they’re rescued, Sullivan can come to the Cold Kingdom and my sister will help him recover from this ordeal. Personally.”
Job arched a brow. “Freya agreed to this?” He very much doubted it.
“She will.” Eian declared authoritatively. “I believe Sullivan is simply a hostage of those Fire House thugs. He needs all our support.”
“We want Sullivan returned to us.” Abram, King of the Wood House interjected. “There is no evidence against the boy and the Cold House has no rights to him.”
Eian glowered at him. “We are the ones who can care for him best.”
“Sully’s a Fire Phase.” Alder shouted. “He belongs to Teja and you assholes know it.”
The Fire House were seated in the center off the Hall, awaiting the Council’s judgment. Not that any of them looked particularly interested. In fact, Satour had nodded off in his chair. Job didn’t care if they paid attention. He just counted it as a small miracle that they hadn’t killed anyone, yet.
Everyone one else was riveted to the proceedings. Representatives from nearly every House were present. They all had an opinion on how the Council should deal with this mess and were vocally sharing it. Half the Houses in the hall were feuding with each other, so alliances and old feuds were the undercurrent of everything. Job had no idea how they’d get through this without sending the universe even closer to extinction.
“Sullivan belongs to me until I see him and make sure he wants to be with you freaks.” Melanie jabbed a finger at Alder. “You can’t just kidnap my cousin and force him to be Teja’s Match.”
“Sure we can.” Djinn retorted. “Right, Pey?”
“Yep.”
“See?” He looked over at Job. “Seriously, how much longer is this going to take? I’m playing nice, but I got stuff ta do.”
“The only ‘stuff’ you’ll be doing is packing up and leaving the realm.” Eian snarled.
Djinn rolled his eyes.
Cam, of the Heat House snorted. “This is ridiculous. Let’s just have this stupid trial so we can find them innocent and get out of here.”
The Heat and Fire Houses were allies, their families hopelessly interconnected. Cam and Pele were related somehow, but damn if Job could trace the messy lineage. Frankie, of the Heat House had been born into the Fire House and then Phazed with Hera, of the Heat House. Through the Elementals convoluted family trees, he was Cam’s grandfather and Pele’s uncle. Frankie was, without a doubt, the craziest person Job had ever met.
And he loved to sit in on Council meetings, taking any empty seat that was available. Few people were suicidal enough to try and stop him.
A groan went up as Frankie raised his hand. “I got something to say.” He announced. Today he was representing the Reflection House. None of them had shown up at the trial, fearful of being blamed for the bombing. Or of answering some pointed questions about it. By and large, they were a self-involved and calculating House.
Eian tried to ignore Frankie’s bobbing palm, so Job did the honors. “Yes, Frankie?” He called.
“I’d like to discuss the tax situation.” He said firmly.
Like most Fire Phases, he had dark hair, streaked with red. Unlike most Fire Phases, he also had a long beard with a stripe down the left side. Job had no idea how he managed that. No other Phase had House markers in their facial hair. It was… bizarre. Frankie was bizarre. His name wasn’t even Frankie. That was a human name. He just refused to answer to anything else.
“You want to talk about taxes?” Eian glowered over at him. “Now?”
“Yep. I don’t want to pay them.”
“You don’t want to pay taxes?” Eian repeated blankly. He didn’t seem to know what else to say.
Frankie’s eyebrows compressed. “‘Course I don’t. What kind of dumbass wants to pay taxes?”
“He’s got a point.” Pele volunteered loyally.
Eian’s jaw ticked. “You can discuss that later, okay? With Job.” He offered with stiff politeness.
Frankie was a raving lunatic, but you’d have to be even crazier to offend the guy. Frankie had trained the best Elemental soldiers for centuries. No one else came close to his skill with a blade.
“I already talked to Job.” Frankie glanced over at Job. “Didn’t I?”
“Oh, you did.” Job agreed, enjoying this because Eian wasn’t. “Several times.”
Frankie looked back at Eian. “Job gave me all kinds of bullshit about building streets and schools, when my taxes are really going for robotic experimentation.” He thumped a fist against the table. “Well, I don’t support cyborgs being built with my hard earned money!”
Frankie had never paid a tax in his long, long life. Job would stake his life on it. “No one’s building any cyborgs. I also told you that.”
“Well sure, you’d say that. You’re one of them. An android. Like that show at Disney World, remember Cam?” He glanced at his grandson. “Where the old guys in suits speechify at ya for --like-- three hours. The boring one. What’s it called?”
“The Hall of Presidents?” Cam guessed.
“No. The other one.” Frankie snapped his fingers. “Space Mountain.”
Eian had no idea how to shut him up. He flashed Job a “do something” scowl.
Job shrugged, in no mood to be helpful.
“I don’t trust any of ya to be real.” Frankie cast a suspicious frown around the room. “You just wanna follow those little donkeys to Pleasure Island and you’ll wind up eaten by that dark whale. I seen it all! That creepy little cricket didn’t fool me.”
“That’s the Pinocchio ride, Fra
nkie.” Pele corrected, lackadaisically slouched in her chair. “In Disneyland.”
Hope and Missy nodded.
“No. That’s Space Mountain, too. I’m sure of it and I’m not waiting for ya all to become real boys.” He glowered at Eian. “So, I’m not paying any more taxes. Not until I see a big improvement with you robots. I mean it.” He settled back again with a righteous snort. “I swear to Christ, sometimes I think you’re all working for that shifty cow.”
Eian blinked once. Twice. “Right.” He looked around the room. “Anything else?”
“Well, if he’s not paying taxes, I don’t see why I have to, either.” Story, of the Wave House put-in. She kept her attention on her Gameboy as she spoke. “I’m anti-cyborg and pro-Disneyland, too.”
“I thought you guys were apolitical.” Barnes, of the Color House said seriously.
Story cracked up laughing.
“It’s not a fucking joke!” Eian raged. “We’re here because the Fire House needs to face judgment for all they’ve done.” He scowled over at Djinn. “You’re through. All of you. You’ll never see your horrible kingdom, again.”
“My grandfather’s ashes are in soil of that kingdom.” Djinn said quietly. When Djinn spoke quietly, the hair on the back of Job’s neck stood on end. It was such an unnatural and eerie sound. “You really think I’ll let you take Oberon’s land, Eian?”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Don’t I?” Djinn glanced around the Council and suddenly Job felt like he was looking at Oberon, again. “‘Cause, I’m pretty sure you all know my cousin-in-law. The immortal, all-powerful god.” He nodded towards Kingu, who snapped his fingers.
Half the room flinched as the Fire House’s Christmas tree appeared, complete with gleaming knives, blood-red tinsel, and an illuminated vampire angel on top.
Job chuckled. His nephew wasn’t a subtle man.
“Then, there are my sons, the trained assassins.” Djinn gestured towards Satour, Qadesh, and Alder. “And I know I don’t have to introduce my adorable daughter.”
Missy waved.
This time everyone flinched.
Magic of the Wood House Page 22
