Queen of the Magnetland (The Elemental Phases Book 5) (14 page)

“Yes. 
As it should be… if she’s your Match.”  Raiden stipulated.  “I’m going to touch
her House designation and see if I learn who she is.”

Chason’s
jaw clenched at the idea.  “You can do that?”

“Yes.”

“Can
anyone else?  Anyone female?”

“Yes,
but I’m the only one who will do it without any questions.”  Raiden’s tone
didn’t change, but Chason still heard the challenge in it.  “Anybody else will
go straight to the Council, the moment they see her.  Unless you
want
Job involved.”

No,
he didn’t want Job involved.  Christ, that do-gooding bastard would either
think Chason had used some heretofore unknown black magic trick to raise Mara
from the dead or he’d assume the woman was sent to hypnotize Chason into doing
her nefarious bidding.  Either way, he’d never trust Chason’s judgment and stay
out of it.  Hell, not even
Chason
trusted Chason’s judgment.  Job would certainly
interfere.  Maybe even try and take the woman.

No
one
would take the woman.

Chason
ground his teeth.  Raiden’s powers were bizarre and unnatural, but he trusted
them.  “Fine.  Do it.  Just make it quick.”

Raiden
inclined his head.  “You will see every move I make.”  His massive palm gently touched
the purple streak in the woman’s hair, his eyes on Chason.  “Be calm.  It will
take just a few seconds.”

Even
that was too long.

Fuck. 
Fuck. 
Fuck
.

Chason
felt his powers threaten to explode.  Seeing another man touch the woman was
like having his fingernails ripped out with pliers.  Especially since the House
designation was something only a lover would
ever
touch.  It was too
much.  Every fractured piece of him wanted to go for Raiden’s throat.  “Get
your hand off of her. 
Now
.”

“It’s
done.”  Raiden pulled back, his palms going up in surrender.  “Chason, it’s done.”

Chason
struggled to get oxygen into his lungs.  He leveled a finger at Raiden and saw
that it was shaking.  “Never touch her, again.”  It was the most serious
warning he’d ever given.

“I
won’t.”  Raiden got to his feet and moved back from the bed.  “Come into the
hall, so we don’t wake her.”  He headed back towards the door, no doubt to give
Chason space.

Chason
couldn’t think passed another man fondling her hair, yet.  His own hand found
the purple streak at her temple, smoothing away Raiden’s touch.  He shouldn’t
have allowed anyone else to touch her, even for a moment.  Not without her
consent.  Actually, not even
with
her consent.  It was wrong for another
man to be near her.  She was
his
.

“Chason?” 
Black eyes fluttered open, her voice still half asleep.  “Are you alright?”

He
stared down at her --soft and warm and lying safely in his bed-- and felt
himself calm.  “Yes.  I must go talk to Raiden for a moment.”  He told her
about Raiden living in the fortress, even if he had glossed over most of the
rest of the sordid Reprisal history.

“You’ll
come back to me, though?”  She looked concerned.

“There
is nowhere else I would go.”  No other spot in the universe mattered to him. 
Just her and this bed.  “Go back to sleep, princess.”  The name came easily,
because there was nothing else he could think to call a woman who looked like
Mara, but wasn’t.

She
gave him a small, trusting nod, her eyes already sliding shut, again.  Chason felt
his heart turn over.  She was so beautiful. 

Mara
is real
.

He
shook his head firmly and followed Raiden out into the hall.  “Well?”  He
demanded.

The
Radiation Phase was leaning against the far wall, his face stoic.  “I don’t
know if she’s Mara, but I can tell that woman is not just a Reflection Phase
who’s copied her face.”

“So,
what is she?”

“She’s
of the Magnetland, just as the marker indicates.”

“She’s
from
my
House.”  Triumph filled him.  “She belongs to me, then.”  He was
King of the Magnetland.  Not even Job could dictate what he did with his own
people.  The woman was his by goddamn
law
.

“Chason,
she could be Mara.”

He
shook his head.  “She’s not.”  He wouldn’t let himself believe that.  It would
mean abandoning even his slim toehold in “reality” and throwing himself into
willful fantasy.  He couldn’t do that, yet.  Not until he knew who had sent the
woman.  He had to fight the darkness for as long as he could.  Everything was
trying to trick him into falling and he had to hang on.

Raiden
frowned.  “This is an unusual day.  We should have her DNA tested and be sure.”

“What
would that prove?  They had her body.  For all I know she’s a clone.”

“A
clone.”  Raiden’s expressionless tone said it all.

Chason
scowled.  “Fine. 
Not
a clone.  A fucking robot.  I don’t know
what
she is, except she’s
not
Mara.  Her energy’s different.  Do you know of
anything that can bring women back from the dead and alter their energy?”

“No,
I don’t.  I don’t know
what’s
happening here, but something has changed.” 
Raiden insisted.  “The timeline in my visions is shifting.”

“So?”

“So,
this woman is not my primary concern.  I only have thirty-six hours to…”

Chason
cut him off, not knowing or caring what Raiden was talking about.  “The woman
is my primary
everything
.  Is she safe in your new vision?”

“No
one is safe.”  The words were grim.  “Whatever is going on, we need to stop it quickly
it before it engulfs all of reality.  The woman could be a threat to you.”

“She’s
not.”  He believed that on a level deeper than any “reality.”

“No
matter what, Chason, you
must
survive.  You are vital to the future and
you have no
idea
what I will sacrifice to ensure that the future plays
out correctly.”

Chason’s
head tilted.  “Who says what future is ‘correct’?”

“
I
do.”

“How
convenient.”  Chason scoffed.  “And it doesn’t matter, anyway.  I’ve told you, I
have nothing to offer
any
future.  Just drop it and tell me how to
protect her.”  Chason didn’t care about himself.  He cared about the woman.  “It’s
not a coincidence that your visions are going to hell the same day Zakkery showed
up with her.”

“I
know.”  Raiden was quiet for a minute.  “I thought you said a Banished Light
Phase was behind Mara’s kidnapping.  The writing on the Justice box was in
their ancient language.  Or, at least, close to it.  How did this Zakkery
become involved?”

“I
don’t know.  But that son-of-a-bitch was Banished,
too
.”

“There
were no Banished Light Phases in the Cloudland, though.  We checked a hundred
times.”

“Then
this guy is hiding someplace else.”

Raiden
checked the readout on his watch.  “We might not have time to find him.”  He
declared enigmatically and crossed his arms over his chest.  “No matter who set
it in motion, the future is altered. 
That’s
the problem.  The most obvious
way to fix it is to get rid of the woman and see if that resolves the issue.”

“I’ll
kill you first.”  It wasn’t a threat.  It was a calm statement of fact.

“You’ll
try.”  Raiden agreed.  “I know that, too.  But, I’m far past worrying about my
own fate.”  He sounded tired, now.  “Still, I have no desire to harm you in a
fight.  Your death would doom the world.”

“I
won’t make it without her.”  Chason told him baldly.

Raiden
was one of the few people Chason wasn’t entirely sure he could best with a
sword, so it was best to be blunt.  The Radiation Phase was an “ends justify
the means” kinda guy.  He might speak in monosyllables and riddles, but he was
always thinking about what was best for the vast future he was writing.  He
wanted Chason there, so it was vital that he understand that woman had to come,
too.

“I
mean it, Raiden.  If I need to be alive,
she
needs to be alive.”

Raiden
lifted a shoulder in a shrug.  “Very well.  We don’t have time to bicker about
the matter.  If you want her, she’ll live.  We still need to know why she’s
here, though.  If you got her from Zakkery, we should start by interrogating
him.”

“Fine. 
He was in the Smoke Kingdom a few hours ago, but he jumped before I could
finish questioning him.  He said someone would be looking for her and not much
else.  We had a disagreement.”

“Is
he dead?”  Raiden asked impassively.

“No.”

“Then,
I’ll find him.”  He leveled a finger at Chason.  “
Do not leave this House
until I return.
  Just stay here and figure out who that woman is.  She’s tied
to whatever’s happening to the future.”  Green eyes glowed with all the secrets
of the world.  “That necklace she wears is powerful.  I can feel it.  Whatever
it is, it’s older than Elemental energy.”

“She
says a Time Phase gave it to her.”

“Alder,
of the Fire House claims Zakkery stole a necklace from Kingu.”

“Kay’s
son?”  The primordial Khaos had been a being of unimaginable power and Kingu
himself was a god.  “Is it the same necklace my woman is wearing?  How did a
Time Phase get it?”

“I
don’t know.  Perhaps we should take the woman to Kingu for answers.”

“He’s
a monster.”

“He’s
Matched to Hope, of the Fire House, now.”

“And
joining those thugs makes him
less
monstrous?”

“He
was also in the Cloudland for a time… with the Banished Phases.”

Chason
considered that.  “Fucking hell.  What is going
on?
”

“I’m
not sure.”  Raiden clearly didn’t like saying those words.  He was used to
knowing life’s every plot twist.  “I’ll see what I can find out.”  He stepped
back, preparing to jump, only to hesitate.  “It is interesting, though.”  He
said conversationally.

“What
is?”

“Since
Mara’s body was stolen from her crypt, every time we’ve spoken,
you
asked about my visions.  Every single time, you’ve asked me when your Match
will be returned to you.”

“So?”

“So,
this time you didn’t feel the need to ask.”

Pain has an element
of blank;

It cannot recollect

When it begun, or if
there were

A day when it was
not.

It has no future but
itself

Emily Dickinson-
“Pain has an Element of Blank”

Mara
dreamed of the past.

Only
it wasn’t a dream.

She
was asleep, but she knew that this was another memory-sharing.

Every
Match had them.  It was a way for them to see into each other’s memories and
learn about their partner.  Mara and Chason had already had their memory
sharing when they first Phazed, so Mara had no idea what had caused a second
one.  She’d never heard of a couple having two.  Still, whatever had triggered
it, it must have been powerful.  This time everything was so much more
vivid
.

She
was standing inside Chason’s memory of her ninety-four birthday and everything
was
exactly
as she remembered it.  Every single detail.  It was like being
in the dining room, again and watching it all happen for a second time.  Only now
she was seeing it from the outside and understood so much more than the young
girl she’d been.

Berke,
King of the Magnet House scowled at the past-Mara as she came into the room. 
Mara had been ten minutes late for dinner.  Six months before, that would have
crushed her.  But, in the year since her Phazing, she’d become more and more immune
to Berke’s censuring looks.

Too
bad Chason never managed to ignore his father’s attitude.  He could never free
himself from Berke the way Mara had.  He always wanted his father’s approval
and it would never happen.

Chason
always tried so hard to be perfect.

Mara
knew what that was like.

“Is
that a party hat, Mara?”  Berke demanded.

“Yes.” 
Mara watched herself pull the sparkly purple cone off her head and take her
place across from Chason.  The table was like a tarmac.  Long and wide, it was
suitable for landing planes or performing ritual sacrifices.  She tucked her
hair behind her ear and stared down at the plate full of healthy, tasteless
food in front of her.

Mara
sighed, feeling sorry for her past self.

Why
didn’t they ever have pizza?

“You
went to a party today?”  Chason asked.  His eyes flicked from the festive hat
to Mara’s face.  “For your birthday?”

Real-Mara
frowned.  He’d remembered that it was her birthday?  That was… interesting. 
The Magnet House didn’t pay a lot of attention to special dates on the
calendar.  Every day was pretty much like the last.

Her
past self poked at the formless dinner in front of her and didn’t seem to
notice.  “Yes.  Number ninety-four.  It was fun.  The Water House was there. 
Ty’s such a cutie.  And Prinny made this ridiculous purple cake.  It was
completely lopsided.  I have no idea why she thinks she can be a baker.”

Real-Mara
smiled at that, even as her eyes filled with tears.  Prinny always loved to
cook.  She was so enthusiastic about it that no one had the heart to point out
she was completely talentless when it came to the culinary arts.

Mara
wanted to tell her past self not to take that hideous cake for granted.

Her
gaze slipped back over to Chason, as he cleared his throat.  “I would have gone
with you to the Light Kingdom, if you’d wanted.”

“Oh,
I knew that you’d be busy.”  Past-Mara assured him easily.

She’d
thought that she was being considerate and not pressuring him.  A year into
their Match and they were already leading separate lives.  It should have been
a red flag, but Past-Mara was cheerfully oblivious.

Accepting.

Not
rocking the boat.

“I
could have spent the afternoon with you.”  Chason pressed.  “Being your Match
is my primary duty.”

Past-Mara
stifled an eye roll at the oh-so-romantic sentiment.

Real-Mara
blinked.  She knew Chason better, now.  Years of living together had made her
the universe’s foremost expert on the man.  Reading the different notes in his
voice was easier than reading the expressions on his stoic face or the actual
words that he said.  Mara always did better with auditory stimulation.  That
was Chason’s disgruntled tone.

He
was… hurt.  Unhappy that she hadn’t invited him.

Had
Chason
wanted
to come to the party?

She
would have loved for him to be there.  Mara just found it easier for both of
them not to press for more than Chason was willing to give.  It was far better
not to expect things.

“We
had to coordinate the defenses today.”  Berke snapped at his son.  “There was
no time for you to be traipsing off to the Light Kingdom.  Your Match was right
not to bother you with it.”  He actually sent Mara a stiff nod.

Real-Mara
snorted.  At first, she’d tried desperately to please Chason’s father.  But it
soon became clear that the less she cared about Berke’s approval, the more she
seemed to earn it.  Within months of moving into the Magnet Fortress, she’d
been tuning out his complaints and he began to admire her “feminine independence.”

The
two of them developed an uneasy truce and mutual respect for each other.  By the
time the man died, Mara had actually come to care for the old goat.  She still
missed him.  Mara was the only one who could make Berke smile and he had taught
her everything she knew about developing a thicker skin.

Chason
always seemed baffled by their relationship.

Now,
Chason frowned over at his father as past-Mara began to reread her birthday
cards.  Lost in her own world, that Mara missed Chason glancing at her and
sighing.  “Perhaps next year, you can have your party here.”  He suggested.

“How
much would that cost?”  Berke demanded.

“If
the future Queen of the Magnetland wishes to have a celebration, then we’ll
have a celebration.”  Chason shot back.

That
was the harsh, inflexible tone he rarely used with his father.

Berke’s
eyes narrowed.

“The
Light Kingdom is fine.”  Mara smiled, playing peacemaker.  “I’d rather spend my
birthday at home, anyway.”

“See?” 
Berke aimed another approving nod in her direction.  “The girl wishes to be
with her family. 
They
can pay for the frivolous party.”

“The
Magnet Phases
are
her family.”  Chason bit off.  He looked back at her
with something so much like longing that Real-Mara could have cried.  “
This
is your home, Mara.  Here with me.”

Real-Mara’s
head tilted, studying the intent look in his eyes.

Around
her, the scene shifted.  Mara saw herself sitting on the side of her bed,
staring at a home pregnancy test displaying a little minus sign.  This could
have been any one of a thousand times.  Mara had desperately wanted a baby for
decades, but it just never seemed to happen.

“It’s
alright.”  Chason stood in the doorway to between their rooms, looking helpless
and strained.  “We have plenty of time.  Don’t be upset.”

“I’m
not.”  Past-Mara lied, her eyes on that hateful stick.  “It’s a disappointment,
but I’m fine.  We’ll just try, again.”  She smiled and even Mara could see that
it was forced.  “It’s fine.  Go to your Council meeting, Chason.”

“I
can stay.”  He edged into her room and Mara suddenly saw that he
wanted
to stay.  “We could go for a walk or…”

“Don’t
be silly.”  Past-Mara got to her feet and headed across the room towards the
connected bathroom.  “I would never impose on your day.”

“It’s
not an imposition…” Chason began.

But,
past-Mara didn’t even hear him.  “Excuse me, won’t you?”  She stepped inside
the bathroom and five seconds later Mara heard herself sobbing.

She
remembered this day, now.  She hadn’t wanted Chason to hear her crying.  Hadn’t
wanted to be an overly emotional burden.  So, she’d retreated into the bathroom
and sat on the rug to bawl.  Obviously, she’d overestimated the sound muffling
qualities of a closed door.

Chason
didn’t look horrified by her tears, though.  He looked distraught.  He quickly
crossed the room.  “Mara?”  He knocked on the door.  “Can I come in?”

“No.”

The
word was choked, but it was still a refusal.  Chason would never go against her
wishes.  He reluctantly dropped his hand away from the knob and laid his
forehead against the wooden surface.

“I
think I should come in.”  Even pressing that much was pushing the bounds of
gentlemanly conduct.  “If you need me…”

“I’m
fine
.”  She wailed out.  “Go to your meeting.  I don’t need you.”

His
palm came up to cover his eyes and Mara realized she’d inadvertently hurt his
feelings.  “I know you don’t.”  Chason sighed.  “Alright, I’ll leave you alone,
if that’s what you want.”  He stepped back from the door.  “Please, don’t be
upset, though.  We’ll have a child when the time is right.”

He
always said that.  Failure after failure, he remained calm and optimistic. 
Mara had finally decided that he didn’t really
want
a baby.  Why else
would he be so nonchalant over all their unsuccessful attempts?

Past-Mara
ignored his comforting.

After
a long moment, he headed back to his own room and Mara followed him.  The
second his door closed, he grabbed a water pitcher off his dresser and chucked
it at the wall.  “
Shit
.”

Mara’s
eyebrows soared at the broken glass.  He was upset.  He just hadn’t wanted her
to see it, the same way she’d gone into the bathroom to cry.

What
were they doing to each other?

Chason
let out a long breath and stalked over to the phone.  He dialed a number from
memory.  “Freya?  It’s…”  It must have been the doctor’s answering system
because he stopped and blew out an annoyed breath, staring up at the ceiling
for fifteen seconds.  Finally, he started over, “Freya, it’s Chason, of the
Magnet House.  My Match is crying because she isn’t pregnant. 
Again
. 
You say there isn’t anything physically wrong with us, but
something
needs to happen here.  Run some more tests or prescribe some vitamins or do
whatever it is you need to do.  We want a child.  And I want Mara happy and
smiling at me…”  He trailed off tiredly.  “Just call me back and we’ll make
another appointment.”  He hung up the phone and sat down on the edge of his
bed.

Mara
frowned at how dejected he looked.  “Chason, I was just upset.  I don’t blame
you for any of this, if that’s what you’re thinking.  It’s no one
fault
we haven’t had a baby.”

Chason
glanced at the closed door between their rooms and shook his head.  “Why do I
always have to disappoint her?”  He asked out loud.

“You
don’t
…”  Mara began, but another scene from the past began before she
could finish.  “Oh no.”  She whispered.

They
were still in Chason’s bedroom.  Only this time, the old her wasn’t crying in a
bathroom.  Mara knew that instantly from the look on Chason’s face.

This
was his memory of her death.

She’d
never seen anyone look so hollow and dazed and… lost.  She met his eyes and saw
nothing but a grief so deep it made her heart ache.  He stood in his room,
putting on his Magnet House armor, yet he wasn’t really there, at all.  It was
like she was watching his body move, but
Chason
was no longer present
inside his own skin.

“I’m
so sorry.”  Mara hurried over to him.  “I’m
fine
, darling.  Don’t do
this to yourself.”

He
had no idea that Daphne had saved her.  He thought she’d died of the Fall.  His
sadness was her fault.  He couldn’t hear her reassurances.  How could she
possibly get him to see her in the memory sharing and reassure him…?

A
knock sounded at the door and Chason didn’t even blink.

He
finished fastening his boots and reached for his breastplate as if in a trance. 
Somehow, Mara knew that this would be the last time he ever wore the uniform of
his former life.

Job,
of the Earth House came into the room without being asked.  That alone told
Mara he was worried about Chason.  Mara didn’t blame him.

“Chase,
we need to talk about this.”  He said softly.  There was a concerned look on
his face.

Nothing.

Chason
didn’t seem to notice Job had even entered.

“Chason.” 
Job repeated in a firmer tone.  He crossed the room to stand in front of him,
forcing him to focus.  “Listen to me.  We’ve been putting the other victims in
mass graves or pyres all week.  I’m concerned that there might be some kind of
backlash at this funeral you’ve planned.”

Chason
blinked, finally noticing Job was talking to him.  “What?”  Even his voice was
a listless void.

“I
loved Mara.”  Job looked nearly as drained as Chason, his ageless features
drawn and tired.  “God knows, I did.  But, thousands of Phases are dead.  Maybe
more.  I’m worried that the other survivors are going to attack you if you have
a huge state funeral for just one woman.  They might not understand.”