Free Guardian of the Earth House by Cassandra Gannon

that movie The Bad Seed ?  About the sweet, little girl who murders people for kicks?”
    “No.”
    “Well, she’s like that.  She likes hurting people and I’m her favorite target.”
    “Wonderful.”
    “I should’ve told you this before I asked to stay here, because I’ve put you in danger from her.”  Tessie sighed.  “Kay holds the Khaos.  Nothingness.  That’s her endgame, although I’m sure that she hasn’t told the Air House her plans.  She wants to wipeout everything else and take total control.”
    “And so she’s searching for the Tablets.”  It wasn’t a question.  “Parald, I assume, isn’t smart enough to deduce that Khaos probably doesn’t plan on handing the ultimate power in the universe over to him once the Tablets are reunited.”
    “I never met the guy, but rumor has it that he’s not the brightest star in the firmament.”
    “He’s a fucking moron.”
    Tessie’s lips parted.  That was the first time she’d heard Job really swear and he sounded venomous.
    Job’s jaw developed a tic.  “We’ll need to locate the Tablets ourselves and keep them from Parald.  Can you help with that?  Do you know where any are?”
    “Well, they’re hard to find.  Especially, while working a fulltime job and trying not to get kidnapped by your psychotic sister.” Tessie knew where to start looking for some Tablets, but she wasn’t sure it was such a great idea to share that news.  Truthfully, the Elementals having the Tablets didn’t exactly fill her with confidence about the fate of the world.  They tended to screw things up.  “The Tablets are elusive little bastards.”
    A few minutes ticked by in silence as Job digested the information.  “The Council has books and records going back for millennia.  We’ll have to start there.”
    “Yeah, I think that’s probably a good idea.”  Tessie lied.  She was such a good liar.
    “No, you don’t.”
    Or not.
    “What?”  She gasped.
    “You don’t think it’s a good idea, at all.  I can tell by your voice.  You’re just saying that to appease me.”
    “Well, kinda.  Yeah.”
    “Why do you disagree?  I’d like to hear your opinion.”
    Tessie wasn’t used to someone asking for her opinion.  Especially, not someone as powerful as Job.  It was sort of… flattering.  “Well, if the Tablets locations were written down someplace, Kay already would’ve found them.  You can try a library or whatever, but I know my sister.  She’s scoured every relevant scroll, journal, book, and internet-site there is.”
    “What would you suggest, then?”
    “Leave the Tablets wherever they are.  Kay hasn’t found one in years and neither has anyone else.  They’re lost and they should stay that way.  Sometimes things are lost for a reason.”
    “No.”  Job shook his head. “If one Tablet has already caused the Fall, then Parald cannot be allowed to acquire any more of them.  I need to do something.  I can’t fail, again.”
    Tessie’s brows drew together.  “Job, I was serious earlier.  The Fall and all the rest of it wasn’t your fault.”
    He stared at the wall, sightlessly, and didn’t respond.
    Tessie realized that they had to get off the topic of the damn Tablets.  It was making her edgy and Job morose- er.   Her fingers twisted around the chain at her neck.  “Look, Job, I’m really sorry about all this.  Dragging you into it.  You’re not nearly the asshole I thought that you were and if you want me to go, I will.”
    Job’s attention snapped to her face.  “I don’t want you to go.”
    “Really?  Because…”
    “Tessie.”  He interrupted.  “If I’d known all of this, I’d have come looking for you, myself.  I would have helped you sooner.”
    He really meant that.  All of Tessie’s previous worries and complaints about Job melted away.  He was kind of official and proper, but he still felt things.  The pull of the false connection grew tighter and Tessie didn’t really