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

oblivion.
    But,
he no longer cared.
    Chason
had just enough awareness left to realize that he was running out of time.
    The
Magnet powers jerked free of his restraints and slammed out over the kingdom. 
The magnetized rocks beneath his feet shifted and groaned from the strain. 
“The Water House took Gion in?”  He ground out.
    “Yes,
sir.”  Lansing warily glanced down at the shaking ground.  “Parald put that
price on his head last week, so it looks like Gion went to Ty for help.”
    Next
to Parald himself, Chason hated Gion more than anyone who’d ever existed in the
history of creation.  Parald never would have seized control of the Air House if
not for Gion.  That bastard paved the road to Hell.  And now fucking Nia,
Tharsis, and Ty wanted to adopt the son-of-a-bitch?!
    Chason
squeezed his eyes shut, trying to reign in his fury.  It was Job’s fault.  The
Elemental’s own Dr. Manhattan thought he could control everyone; make them all
play nice and make peace.  He was wrong.  Job’s fucking amnesty idea had incensed
Chason to begin with and now, to see it applied to Gion, of all people…. Gion ,
who stood at Parald’s side while Mara rotted in a tomb…
    No.
    It
was intolerable. Gion couldn’t just walk away from the misery he’d created.  He
had to pay.  There had to be justice.
    “Why
would Gion go to the Water House?”
    That
question was delivered in a distinctive raspy tone.  Raiden, of the Radiation
House had his throat slit in the Fall.  The untreated wound hadn’t healed
properly and it affected his voice.
    Chason
hadn’t heard him come up, but that wasn’t unusual.  Nobody noticed Raiden
unless he wanted them, too.  His dark hair was shaved close to his head in an
effort to obliterate the gamma ray green streak at his temple.  His vibrant
chartreuse eyes glowed with madness and sorrow and something approaching the
divine.
    Chason
no longer believed in God, but he believed that Raiden saw things beyond the
physical world.  Whatever else existed out there, the guy had it on speed
dial.  That was one of the reasons that the Radiation House wanted him dead.
    Of
all of the Reprisal soldiers, Chason trusted Raiden both the most and the least.
    “Well,
not many Houses are stupid enough to let the Air Phases in.”  Lansing shook his
head.  “Damn do-gooding Water Phases have always been soft.”
    “Why
would Gion choose the Water House, though?  He knows the Quintessence.  She’d
accept him.”  Raiden came closer, his large hand brushing against the pedals of
one of Mara’s white roses.  “Why not go to the Earth House with Tessie?”
    Chason
didn’t appreciate anyone else touching his Match’s flowers.  Even through his
anger, he saw Raiden’s point, though.  His brows came together and he glanced
over at Lansing.  “Did Job refuse to give Gion amnesty?”
    “Job
would never refuse Tessie.”  Raiden intoned.  “If Gion wanted to be there, the
Earth House would have let him in.”
    “Perhaps,
Gion didn’t want to compete with Job for power.”  Lansing suggested.  “In the
Water House, he’ll be the strongest and he won’t have to worry about Job
crushing him.”
    That
made sense, except Gion was too arrogant to be concerned about Job.  The
asshole would never think that anyone could stop him.  Why would Gion choose
the peaceful, quirky, Water Kingdom?  Even before the Fall, it had been a place
of grace and eccentric charm.  Gion would fit in like a shark in a school of
tropical fish.  Nia would never let him have any real influence.  None of the
Water Phases could possibly trust him.
    Why
would Gion go there?
    Gion
was an evil dick, but he was powerful.  Chason wouldn’t have been surprised if
one of the Houses agreed to take him on as their ultimate super weapon.  Or
–Hell-- he could’ve even killed Parald, if he wanted to.  Chason would have bet
on Gion in just about any fight.  The guy cheated and played for keeps.  As
smart and