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

doing, coming
here?”  He stalked forward interrupting Gion’s security check, his mercury eyes
glowing with rage.
    Dressed
in cargo pants and a sleeveless t-shirt, Cross looked out of place in the Water
Palace.  Water Phases gravitated towards cheerful seaside tones for their
attire.  Cross gravitated towards black.
    Gion
didn’t entirely blame the boy.
    After
all, Gion still wore one of his Air House uniforms.  First of all, because he
didn’t own any other styles of clothes.  Secondly, because he was comfortable
in the austere color.  And, finally, because it was his .
    Gion’s
world was upside down, now.  Most of that was because of his own choices. 
Hell, most of it was part of his own plan .  But, it still freaked him
out.  For so long, he’d wanted to be in the Water Kingdom.  He’d wanted to
escape Parald and be free.  He’d wanted to be with Ty and he’d done everything
in his power to make that happen.
    Still,
the sudden transition from his old life in the Air Kingdom, constantly
expecting betrayal and death, to life in the relatively peaceful Water House
was jolting.  People still wanted him dead here in the Water Palace, but they
were a lot more open about it.
    So
far today, he’d had Nia, Brokk, and Tharsis all threatening him with bodily
harm if he so much as made Ty stub her toe.  None of them had actually tried to
harm Gion, though.  In the eighteen hours that Gion had been an honorary Water
Phase, he hadn’t once been attacked from behind.  Certainly that was a pleasant
change, but it took some getting used to.
    “Cross. 
Come to welcome me into the fold?”
    “I’ve
come to fucking kill you, you bastard.  Blackmailing poor Ty is a new all-time
low for you and that is really saying…”
    “I
never blackmailed Tritone.”  Gion interrupted.  “She and I made a deal. 
Concerning me heroically saving your Match, as I recall.”  He shifted so
he’d be able to draw his sword more easily if it came to that.  Not that he wanted to kill Cross.  The last Shadow Phase alive, Cross’ death would automatically
end the universe.  That was almost always a bad thing.
    Even
more importantly, though, Cross was Nia’s Match.  Ty idolized her cousins. 
Tharsis and Nia were the most important people in her world.
    Gion
wasn’t an idiot.
    He’d
never get anywhere with Ty if he decapitated her beloved cousin-in-law right
there in the family’s living room.  Especially, since Cross was the happy
father-to-be to Ty’s niece.
    “You
extorted her out of that promise.”  Cross roared.  “I was there when it
happened, dickhead, so I know how it went down.  You refused to help Nia
without Ty buying you off.”
    Gion
would have helped Nia even without the promise.
    He
wasn’t exactly advertising that, but it was the truth.  Ty loved her.  Nia was
her sister, in every way that mattered.  Ty wanted Nia alive, so Gion kept Nia
alive.  It was as simple as that.
    Gion
checked off “south windows- second floor, living room” from the master list in
his hand and turned the page on his clipboard.  “I expected you sooner.”  He
told Cross.  “I could have worked my nefarious ways last night, stealing the
palace’s silverware and vandalizing all the empty rooms.  You should have been
here to stop my evil schemes.  Or did ruling over all your loyal
subjects tire you out for the day?”
    “If
I’d heard about it sooner, I woulda been here to kick you out sooner.  I was
with Job this morning.  When Ty decided to turn crazy, she didn’t exactly
advertise…”
    Gion’s
head snapped around.  “Watch what you say about Ty.”  He warned flatly.
    Cross
stopped his ranting short and squinted at Gion.  “What?”
    Gion
looked back at his clipboard.  He didn’t have a family.  He certainly wasn’t
used to dealing with anyone else’s.  In fact, he’d told himself that it would
be best if he just stayed out of Ty’s personal life.  Her cousins were a pain
in the ass,