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

need to separate them before it’s too late.”
    “Certainly,
sire.”  Isaacs nodded agreeably.  “How should we do that?”
    Parald
glowered at him.  “You work on getting Ty.  I’ll deal with Gion.”
    “ You’ll deal with Gion?”  Isaacs tried to keep the skepticism from his tone.  Parald
was powerful, but the guy wasn’t known for doing any heavy lifting.  “Alone? 
How?”
    “Never
fucking mind how .  Just bring my Match to me.”  Parald stalked over and
flung himself down on his ostentatious throne.  “I know how to cure Gion’s
obsession.  He’ll leave Ty for good after I’m done.  He’ll walk right fucking
away from what’s mine.”

Chapter Three
    I have come to the
terrifying conclusion that I am the decisive element….
    If we treat people as they
are, we only make them worse.  If we treat people as
    they ought to be, we help
make them all they are capable of becoming.
     
    Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe
     
    Since
the Fall, the King’s Chamber in the Water Palace stood empty.  Good manners and
expediency meant that it was the perfect place for Gion, though.
    There
were plenty of bedrooms in the palace, but this one was the nicest and Ty had
the impulse to show off the Water Kingdom’s beauty.  For some reason, Ty cared
if Gion found his new home impressive.  She wanted him to like it.
    Plus,
the King’s Chamber was one of the few extra bedrooms that consistently stayed
made up, so it took no preparations for Gion to move right it.  Nia and Tharsis
were in the Shadow Kingdom for the night, but Brokk would be looking for her.  Ty
only had a limited window of time to think about sleeping arrangements.  She all
but shoved her new citizen through the double doors and then sighed.
    Typical.
    Gion
looked oddly right in the serene space.
    Which
was ridiculous, given his Jack the Ripper fashion sense.
    Like
most of the Water Palace’s rooms, the King’s Chamber overlooked the sea.  The
large four poster bed in the center of the room was draped in gauzy blue
fabrics. Pastel, Minoan style murals decorated the walls.  White stone tiles
covered the floor.  Everything was designed to be light and airy, and to draw
attention to the spectacular view.
    Dark
and imposing, Gion moved over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at
the moonlit waves.  Glass doors along the exterior wall led to a balcony that
overlooked the Water Kingdom’s highest waterfall.  From the bed, you could see
nothing but the endless pouring of the waterfall into the ocean far below.
    Ty
had seen the sight all her life and she still thought it was stunning.
    Gion
didn’t react for a long moment.  Then, he glanced at her over his shoulder. 
“Whose room is this?”
    “Yours.” 
She bit her lower lip.  “Listen, could you possibly stay in here for a little
bit?  I’ll need to explain this to Brokk and…”
    “No,
I mean, whose room is it really?   Is this the King’s Chamber?”
    “It
was.  Before my parents died.”
    “Well,
why don’t you sleep here, then?  You’re the queen, now.”
    Ty
shook her head.  “I have my own bedroom.”  This was her parents’ room; the real
king and queen of the Water House.  “So, will this do, for now?  If you aren’t
happy here, you can pick your own room tomorrow, but I have to…”
    “ You should be in the King’s Chamber, Tritone.”  Gion looked genuinely annoyed.
    Ty
didn’t want to argue.  She never wanted to argue.  “That really isn’t any of
your business.”
    Gion
turned back towards the window.  “Very well.”  He brooded quietly for a beat. 
“Before you go, then, we need to discuss restrictions.  Are there any places in
this kingdom that you’d rather I not go?”
    Ty
frowned.  “Well, knock before you go into other people’s bedrooms.  Tharsis
isn’t going to like it if you just burst in on him.  And I think Brokk has his
door booby-trapped, so that could be dangerous.”
    Gion
shot her another look.  “I