Queen of the Magnetland (The Elemental Phases Book 5) (26 page)

As a
species we have in our possession the as yet unwrought elements of content— and
that,

even now,
in the present darkness and madness… it is not impossible that man, the
individual,

under
certain unusual and highly fortuitous conditions, may be happy.

Edgar
Allen Poe- “The Domain of Arnheim”

He
might be dying, but Chason had never been happier.

He
was inside Mara’s memories.

Each
couple was only supposed to get a single memory sharing, but a lot of things
about their Match were out of the ordinary, so having another one didn’t really
surprise him.

After
today, nothing would ever surprise Chason, again.

He
moved to stand next to Mara in the memory, even though she couldn’t see or hear
him.  He just wanted to be near her.  To look at her.  In fact, Chason’s
schedule was suddenly filled up for the rest of forever.  If he somehow
survived getting shot and regained consciousness, all he planned to do with his
new life was stare at his living, breathing Match.

Mara
was
back
.

However
it had happened, whatever the consequences or assassins’ plots, Mara had been
returned to him.  Nothing else mattered, at all.

Chason
was barely paying attention as the memory played out around him.  He didn’t
care about it.  All he wanted was to break free of the past and get back to his
Match.  His tangible Match, who was alive and well in the present.

This
memory version of her was beautiful and he was dazzled to see her again, but he
wanted the
real
version.  The Mara who snapped at him and demanded
muffins for breakfast… and who he’d already been falling in love with before he
even knew she was his Match.

He
had to survive Vandal’s attack and get back to Mara, just like she had come
back to him.

The
past Mara was sitting at the desk in her room, frowning intently at what looked
like a seating chart.  Nia, of the Water House sat on Mara’s bed, painting her
toenails a vibrant teal.  Chason barely even registered her.  All he saw was
his Match.

“Mara.” 
He whispered.  “My God.  I can’t believe…”

Nia
cut him off.  “Maaar
aaaa
.”  She drew out the word on an impatient sigh. 
“We’re supposed to be doing pedicures.  Do you plan on working on that stupid
party all night?”

“It’s
Chason’s party.  He asked me to plan it for the Council.  It has to be
perfect.”

Nia
made a face.  Like most Water Phases, she had red hair and turquoise eyes.  She
also had an outspoken bossiness that was all her own.  “Oh, please.  Nobody
even likes the boring Council parties.  Put some cheese on crackers and call it
a day.”  She held up a bottle of nail polish.  “You wanna go clear again or try
something daring, for once.  I have purple here someplace.”

Mara
spared her a quick look.  “This party can’t be boring.  It just can’t.  It has
to be
perfect
.  Chason is counting on me to do something worthy of a
real Magnet House princess.”

Chason
frowned at her insistent tone.  Why in the hell would Mara be worried about
some stupid party?  He’d asked her to plan a few, but he’d never thoughts she’d
stress about them, for God’s sake.  Nia was right.  They were boring as hell. 
In fact, the only Council parties anyone ever enjoyed were the ones planned by
Mara.

And
what did she mean by a “real” Magnet House princess?

“A
‘real’ Magnet House princess?”  Nia chimed in, as if she overheard his
thoughts.  “You
are
a real princess, Mara.  I have no idea how you could
be the only one who still doesn’t get that.”

“That’s
easy for you to say, Nia.  You were born into royalty.  I have to work harder
to get it right.”  Mara kept her attention on her seating chart.  “The last
thing I want is to embarrass Chason.”

Was
she kidding?  Chason squinted at her in amazement.  “Mara, you could never
embarrass me.”  He told her even though she couldn’t hear him.

Surely
she knew that.  Mara could do anything she wanted and Chason would be fine with
it.  Not only because she had impeccable judgment and more taste than everyone
else in the realm combined, but also because he was blindly, insanely in love
with her.  He would’ve killed the first bastard stupid enough to question so
much as the placement of a fork at her party.

Not
that anyone
had
.

Everything
Mara did was creative and beautiful.  Even if she
had
somehow made some
grievous party planning mistake, no one would’ve notice.  They would’ve all
assumed it was a stylish new trend.  If Mara started wearing a trash bag as a
dress, stores in every kingdom would be selling them within the day.

How
did she not realize that?

And
when was he going to wake up, so he could actually be with her?  He didn’t have
time for this.  He wanted Mara.  It had been two years.  Longer than that in so
many ways.  He wanted his Match.  He’d apologize for ever making her plan those
stupid parties and for everything else, if only he could
talk
to her.

Chason
refused to die.  It wouldn’t happen.

Not
when he was so close to having the only thing he’d ever wanted.

The
scene shifted to a new memory.  This time Chason saw a younger version of
himself.  He and Mara were in the dining hall of the Magnet Fortress, eating
breakfast.  They always ate breakfast together.  Chason looked around,
surprised at how different their home looked before the Fall.  He knew it had
changed, obviously, but seeing it so clean and bright…

“Chason,
what are your plans for today?”

Mara’s
voice drew his attention, because he could hear something in it that he hadn’t
in a very long time: excitement.  She was uncharacteristically excited about something
and sharing it with him.  Chason found himself smiling with pleasure as she
continued happily chatting.  This is what wanted from her.  To be allowed
passed the reserved formality of their Match and be… more.

Better.

“Because,
if you’re not too busy,
Singin’ in the Rain
is playing.  I’ve just been
waiting and waiting for that.  Gene Kelley is…”  She trailed off.  “Chason? 
Are you listening?”

“What?” 
Chason watched his past self look up from a stack of papers --Papers regarding
some battlement plan that Chason didn’t even remember now-- and smile politely
at Mara over the breakfast table.  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”  He looked
back at the pages before she even started talking, again.

Chason
got a terribly cold feeling in his gut.  “You fucking moron.”  He didn’t want
to see this.  He glanced back over at Mara and saw that she wasn’t giving up. 
She sat there, looking so damn beautiful she rivaled the sun, and kept trying
to talk to him.

Why
she didn’t just get up and leave was anyone’s guess.

“I
said
Singin’ in the Rain
is opening today.  The movie.”  She prompted
when past-Chason still didn’t respond.  “It’s going to be wonderful.  The
music…”

“A
human film?”  Past-Chason asked as if there were another kind.

“Yes.”
 She nodded.  “It’s a musical.  I love musicals.”

“I
know you do.”  He flipped back through the papers.  “Well, I’ll get you the
record, if you like.  For your collection.  Don’t worry.”

“Thank
you, but this is a romance, you see.  The movie itself looks very
interesting.”  She tucked a strand a black hair behind her ear and looked so
hopefully that Chason had to avert his eyes.  He knew what was about to
happen.  “Do you think we could go?”

“Go
where?”  Past-Chason ran a hand over his chin, his attention still on his
paperwork.  “These figures just do not add up.”

“Go
to the picture.”  Mara chewed on her lower lip.  “It wouldn’t take long and
it’s all in Technicolor.  I think it will be just…”

“Go
to the human realm?  Without Council sanction?”  Past-Chason glanced at her and
frowned.  “That’s against the law.”

“So
what?”  Real-Chason shot back.

Bastard. 
He should have kidnapped the cast of
Singin’ in the Rain
and brought
them to the Magnet Kingdom to reenact the entire movie, if that’s what it took
to make Mara happy.  He saw that so clearly, now.  To keep her smiling at him,
he should have done anything.

“Well,
I know, but it’s so hard to get films to play here in the fortress.  The Magnet
energy erases them.”  She chewed her lower lip.  “And this movie is set in the
rain, Chason.  We met in the rain.”

Real-Chason’s
heart turned over with desperate, pitiful love.

Past-Chason
smiled, also touched that she’d remember that.  “You’re right.  We did.”  He
paused to think of a law-abiding solution.  “Perhaps I can get permission from
the Council for us to go to the movie.”

“How
long will that take?”

“Oh,
a month or so.”  He said vaguely

“But,
the movie won’t be in theaters…”

“Besides,
I’m working on the battlement plans right now, anyway.  I can’t just leave them
half done and go today, can I?”

“
You
fucking moron!
”  Real-Chason could have killed the man.  His gaze slashed
back over to Mara, seeing the disappointment she tried to cover.

“Well,
if you’re busy, certainly.”  She acquiesced.  The woman he’d left back in
reality would’ve been pushier.  Would’ve insisted.  This Mara pulled back and
Chason hated it.  “Maybe another time.”

“Of
course.”  He sent her an absent smile and went back to work.

They’d
never gone to see
Singin’ in the Rain
.  They’d never gone to see any
movie.

Chason
covered his eyes, feeling totally defeated, as memory after memory played out
before him.  Breakfast after breakfast of Mara subtly asking him to stop
working, and do something fun with her.  Breakfast after breakfast of his
pointless excuses.

Until
finally… she stopped asking.

As
if she decided he just wasn’t worth the fight.

Chason
swallowed a knot in his throat.  Mara sat at her end of the table now, a human
newspaper spread out before her.  She stared down at a full page ad for
My
Fair Lady
, an odd expression on her face.

“What
are your plans for today?”  Past-Chason asked her.  He didn’t have any work
piled next to his plate, for once.

Real-Chason
watched the other man –who sadly wasn’t another man, at all-- trace his eyes
over Mara’s averted face.  He remembered this day.  Or maybe it was one of a
hundred just like it.  Wishing that Mara would talk to him.  Grin at him like
she did at other people.

“Hmmm?” 
She glanced up from the paper and smiled, but it was the polite one she always
gave to him. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Real-Chason
realized he was close to tears.  He looked up at the ceiling and blew out a
long breath.

“I
asked what you were planning to do today.”  Past-Chason prompted.  “My father’s
in the Agora.  We could…”

“I’m
going to the Light Kingdom.”  Mara said swiftly.  Too swiftly.  Real-Chason’s
head snapped around to look at her, catching the way she quickly ducked her eyes. 
“It’s Kahn’s… birthday.”

Real-Chason
blinked in amazement.  She was lying.  He saw that now, though his past self
seemed oblivious.  Mara had lied to him?

“Oh.” 
Past-Chason cleared his throat.  “I thought that was last month.”

“Well…
yes, it was.  We’re just… celebrating it again.”  She nodded like that made
perfect sense and grabbed up the newspaper, folding it under her arm.  “Have a
good day.”  She headed for the door.

“Follow
her!”  Real-Chason bellowed as his past self just sighed and looked back at his
breakfast.  “Are you an idiot?  Shit.”  He took off after Mara, desperate to
see where she was going.  Horrible soul-destroying visions of her running off
to meet another man burrowed into his head like worms.  He would track down the
son-of-a-bitch and…

The
scene shifted.

It
was still the same day, he could tell by the purple sweater she wore.  Chason
looked around and realized that they weren’t in the Magnet Kingdom.  Or the
Light House.

They
were in the human realm.

“Oh
my God.”  His eyes went wide as a 1960s style Buick traveled passed him on the
street.  This was Mayport Beach, Florida.  He recognized it.  Before the
barriers fell, it was the easiest place for an Elemental to cross into the
human realm.

Mara
had jumped there all by herself.

His
Match was walking around the human realm, alone and unprotected.  He almost
hyperventilated.  “Oh my God, Mara.”  He whirled around to face her.  “
Are
you out of your mind?
”

She
couldn’t hear him, of course.  Gaia only knew how long she’d practiced to be
able to jump to the human realm.  No matter how powerful she was, she was
younger than Chason and she’d easily accomplished something that even he’d had
difficulty in achieving, at first.