Guardian of the Earth House by Cassandra Gannon

Author:Cassandra Gannon [Gannon, Cassandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Elemental Phases
Amazon: B008SI07ZE
Publisher: Star Turtle Publishing
Published: 2012-08-03T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

All creatures suffer from conflict with the elements; from enemies without and within

Charlotte Perkins Gilman- “Our Androcentric Culture”

Gion hated living in the Air Palace.

He hated the gray stone walls and the constant howl of wind outside. He hated his room, which he kept empty except for a bed, a lamp, and some books, because he knew that the others would search through his belongings while he was away. He hated listening to Parald’s endless yammering over endless dinners and looking at Kay’s life-sized version of Barbie’s Dream House out his window.

Mostly, though, he hated the other people pressing in on him. Gion felt suffocated by all of them. Why couldn’t the Fall have taken more Air Phases? It was one of the Houses least effected by the illness, although they had certainly buried their share of dead. In fact, the other Houses had seen to it that more Air Phases died in retaliatory attacks than perished of the disease. The Air House, like all Houses, teetered on extinction, now, no matter how loudly Parald crowed that he had won the undeclared war.

It wasn’t just the number of breathing Phases that bothered Gion. It was the quality of the survivors. Sadly, all the worst Phases had pulled through. The ones too mean or strong or crafty to die had slipped through the cracks. Just like Gion had. As in all wars, it was the innocent who suffered.

Job’s amnesty idea was so naïve.

No one in the Air House deserved to be saved.

The depressingly high number and low standards of the living Air Phases meant that Gion could never rest. He couldn’t relax his guard for even half a second and he hated that.

Gion always had to be prepared for an attack.

So, when he walked into his spartan bedroom and found Isaacs sitting on his bed, Gion didn’t even blink. “Isaacs, I’m flattered, but I just don’t think of you that way.” Gion shut the door behind him and walked over to stand at the foot of the mattress. “Let’s not ruin our friendship with your homoerotic fantasies. Get out.”

Isaacs laughed and closed the book he’d been reading. Isaacs always laughed, even when he was cutting out someone’s heart just to see how long the organ would keep beating in his hand. Next to himself, Gion considered Isaacs the most dangerous Air Phase, which was saying a lot given the caliber of the competition.

One day, Gion would kill Isaacs. He’d suspected that for quite a while now. And, unfortunately, Isaacs was certainly smart enough to be thinking the same exact thing about him. Gion should have just gone to sleep in the library, instead of coming back to his room. He really didn’t need any more verbal fencing with people who wanted him dead today.

“Ah, Gion. You’re funny.” Isaacs smiled a wide, Steeplechase smile. “I like that about you.”

“Yes, I’m renowned for my sense of humor. Ask anyone.” Gion’s eyes flicked to the cover of the textbook Isaacs held. He’d stolen it from Gion’s pile of reading materials.

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