I fancy that's how the majority of civilized people look at it, so that the absence of

the moral, poetical element in love is treated in these days as a phenomenon…

it is a symptom of degeneracy, of many forms of insanity.

Anton Chekov- “Ariadne”

“A police station?”  Chason looked at the printout Abel handed him.  “They’ve been arrested by the humans?”  The page displayed the coordinates of the walkie-talkies’ location right there in black and white, so Abel didn’t really see the point in answering him.

Lansing did it for him.  “Yes, sir.”  Unlike Abel, Lansing idolized Chason and his quest for galactic vengeance.  “I looked into it and Uriel, Tharsis and Queen Tritone seem to be in a human jail, right now.”

Abel had never seen Chason amused, but the subtle lift of his boss’ eyebrow was the equivalent of another Phase rolling on the floor in hysterics.  Even through his blind hatred, Chason apparently found the idea of Elementals doing hard time in prison… entertaining.

Abel didn’t.

It was embarrassing, that creatures as feeble and dim-witted as the humans could capture Phases.  A black mark against their entire species.  The Water House deserved execution for their stupidity and, when Abel was God, he’d ensure that they got it.  All except, Nia.  She would be spared because she’d been smart enough to evade the humans.  He was merciful, when people deserved it.  And because Abel was growing more and more obsessed with the thought of her curvy body under his control.

“Where is Nia?”  Chason demanded.

Abel jolted, slightly, panicked that Chason had somehow read his thoughts.  Abel despised his boss, but he had a wary, grudging respect for Chason’s hard ass, ruthlessness.  If Chason figured out Abel’s plans to steal the Quintessence for himself, he’d have Raiden chop Abel’s head off with a dull ax.

Literally.

Luckily, Chason was still focused on Lansing.  “Why wasn’t she arrested with the others?  It’s not like Nia to stay on the sidelines of anything, even imprisonment.”

“I’m not sure, sir.  Cross may have helped her escape.  I’m sure he’s the one who killed the Air Phases at the hospital.”

“Cross?”  Chason glanced over at Abel.  “The Shadow King?  He’s insane.”

And who would know “insane” better than Chason?

“Apparently, Cross is feeling better.”  Abel smiled, grimly.  “Probably has something to do with screwing Nia.  That would cure a lot of what ails any man.”

Chason leaned back in his chair.  “Cross is in the human realm with Nia?  How…?”

“He’s her Match.”  Lansing interrupted.  “I could sense the Phazing energy.”

Chason’s expression grew shuttered.  “A Phase-Match.”  His lips barely moved as he said the words.

“It’s a sacrilege that Cross, bastard of the Shadow House, should have a Match.”  Abel chimed in, furious that Lansing had spilled that and desperate to do some damage control.  “After so many of us lost ours in the Fall, the universe just gives him a Match.  It’s not fair and it only makes me more determined to find the Quintessence and forget this whole universe like a bad dream.”

Abel’s biggest worry, now, was that Chason would retract his orders to snatch Nia because she belonged to Cross.  Chason was just stupid enough to balk at taking another man’s Match.  Friggin’ sentimental lunatic.

Personally, Abel wasn’t crying over the loss of his own whiny bitch of a Match.  He hadn’t even taken the time to bury her before he walked away from the house they’d shared and moved on to someplace better.  To a larger home, more befitting of his real status.  Besides, the former owners sure hadn’t needed it, anymore.

Chason would never understand what it meant to have a grander destiny than some vapid whore.  His whole life had become a funeral for his lost love.  But, then his Match had been someone worthy of mourning.  Mara, of the Magnet House had been an Elemental celebrity.  The Elemental celebrity.  Beautiful and dignified and married to a king, she’d been on the cover of some magazine at least once a week, doing some new charity work or attending a glittery gala.  She’d been Princess Diana meets Cinderella.  Hell, her Phazing Day with Chason had shut down the whole fucking realm, as everyone who was anyone attended the celebration.

In any case, Chason’s insane love for his dead bride actually helped Abel.  It not only meant that Chason created and controlled the Reprisal, it ensured that Chason was permanently preoccupied with playing Elemental Heathcliff.  It meant that Abel could plan for his future.  The Fall had catapulted Abel towards the greatness that he’d always felt inside of him.  He’d been denied, held back, cheated all of his life, until the Fall thinned the herd and showed him his true path.  Now, Abel, of the Stone House was just a stone’s throw away from being God.

No pun intended.

All he needed to do was find the Quintessence and, to do that, Abel needed Chason’s army.

“Cross could never understand the power of a Match.”  Abel tried to look sad and grieve-y as he shook his head.  “We can’t let him distract us from our mission to find the Quintessence.”

Chason tilted his head, almost like he’s heard something.

Abel frowned, listening intently and coming up with nothing.  The Magnet Fortress never had a lot of noise, but the place was completely dead, right now.  Not even a footstep.

Chason squeezed his eyes shut and then refocused on Abel.  “After we destroy the Air House, nothing we had to do to get the Quintessence will matter.  Just go to the human realm.  If Ty and Tharsis are with the cops, then Nia will come for them sooner or later.  Once we capture the Water House, they’ll lead us to what we need.”

Lansing nodded sharply, just like a good little Reprisal cadet.  “Yes, sir.”

“We’ll need more soldiers to extract them from a police station.”  Abel pointed out, trying not to grin with smug satisfaction.  “Shall I gather some more men?”

Chason nodded vaguely, rubbing at his temples as if he had a splitting headache.  Or like he was trying to block out some noise that only he could hear.  “Just make sure you don’t kill them.  We’ll need them alive if we’re going to find out about the Quintessence.”

“They’ll be alive and healthy enough to withstand our questioning.”  Abel promised.  “At least, the women will.”  He straightened the cuffs of his cashmere jacket as he turned and headed for the door.

“All of them.”  Chason snapped.

Abel ground his teeth and faced his boss, again.  “Well, we’ll try, sir, but in this kind of mission…”

“If you kill Cross, the world ends.”  Chason interrupted as if Abel’s IQ was hovering in the low single digits.  “If the world ends we all die.  And I’m not dying until I rip Parald’s heart out of his chest, the way my heart was ripped out of mine.  So, don’t fucking kill any Phases!”  It came out as a roar, echoing endlessly off the stone and metal of the fortress.  Chason’s purple eyes glowed with the force of his power.  “Do you understand?”

Lansing actually saluted.  “Yes, sir.”

Abel’s teeth ground together.  When he was God, Chason would pay for the way he spoke to him, but for now...  “Yes, sir.”  He ground out.

And waited.

And hated.