Free Queen of the Magnetland (The Elemental Phases Book 5) by Cassandra Gannon Page B

it.”
    Mara
nodded vaguely, too overwhelmed to even process the madness around her.  “Well,
whenever you have the time.”
    Chason
crossed his arms over his chest, his attention coming back to her face, and yet
not meeting her eyes.  He hadn’t really looked at her, or away from her, for
more than a moment since the jail cell.  It made her uncomfortable.  Even that
lustful moment they’d shared was so different that she didn’t know how
to process it.
    This
man was not her Match.
    At
least, not the Match that she’d known for so many years.
    Her
Chason was gentle and neat and reserved.  He held open doors for her and asked
polite questions over dinner.  His principles were rock solid, his honor
unquestioned, and his hygiene above reproach.  He was an officer and a
gentleman, in every sense of the word.
    This
Chason was so… dark.  His eyes stayed narrowed, suspiciously, no matter who was
talking.  He spoke so abruptly and he made deals with criminals.  He smelled
like a brewery.  His clothes were disheveled, his face much too thin.  His hair
touched his collar...  A collar that he hadn’t even buttoned.  He was even standing
closer to her than usual.
    And
their energy didn’t feel the same.  They’d always had that cautious separation,
but that was such a small thing.  It did nothing to distract from the purity of
their combined powers.  At least, not that Mara ever knew.  And Chason had
never even seemed to notice her holding back.  No, everything had seemed fine before.  Now it seemed like there was a much wider gulf between
them.
    The
problem had to be coming from Chason.
    Something
had changed within his energy, making it stronger and less predictable.  He was
pushing further into their connection than he ever had before and, in the small
places where the edges of their powers didn’t line-up exactly, it created a
rift.  A gap big enough so that things didn’t feel neat , anymore.
    After
nearly seven decades of living with this man, their predictable, courteous life
was now in chaos.  She wasn’t sure how to deal with the new distance between
them, on top of everything else.
    She
just felt alone.
    “I’d
like to see Kahn.”  She needed a familiar face and she wanted to see for
herself that he was okay.  Maybe her cousin would recognize her.  Maybe he
could convince Chason that she wasn’t her own evil twin.
    Or
maybe he’d react just like Chason was.
    If
Kahn didn’t believe she was really Mara, either, she had no idea what she would
do.  Chason might still renounce her and kick her out of his House.  Then, she’d
have no home, at all.  No family.  Where would she even go?  Maybe the Water
Phases or Job would let her into their kingdoms.  Unless they all thought she was
a fake, too.  How could she get her life back if everyone she cared about
turned their backs on her?
    Why
was this happening?
    She
tried so hard to be what everyone wanted.  Why was it was never quite enough?
    So
many panicked, self-pitying thoughts ricocheted through her head that Mara
couldn’t even process them all.  All she could do was try and get through the
next second without crying or screaming.
    “You
can see Kahn tomorrow.”  The words were flat and uncompromising.  Her Chason
never spoke to her like that.  “If you’re still around, we’ll see what he
thinks about ‘Mara’s’ apparent resurrection.”
    For
a heartbeat of time, Mara thought about just jumping to the Light Kingdom,
right that second.  She didn’t need Chason’s permission to see her cousin. 
Especially not this new Chason, who was a complete stranger to her.  She wanted
to go someplace safe and familiar.  She wanted someone to hug her and tell her
she was okay.  That they believed her and knew who she was.  She wanted to hide,
until the world made sense, again.
    Three
things stopped her from just leaving:
    First
off, she needed a shower and to change clothes before she went anywhere.  She’d
apparently