Chade

by Montana Ash

  Turning back to Nikolai, he asked, “Satisfied?”

  Nik shrugged, “I’m not sure yet.”

  Dex saw Max’s thick mass of red wine hair swing in his periphery before he saw the intent in her eyes. He had no time to dodge as she proceeded to slap him from the other direction. “How about now?” She asked, grinning at the Commander.

  Nikolai chuckled, “Getting closer.”

  Dex gritted his teeth and reminded himself that Max could smite him with her little finger so he really shouldn’t pick her up and shake her like a rag doll. Besides, Nikolai as well as the other rangers did seem a little less tense. Dex shook his head before turning back to Nikolai. “Well?”

  “Well, I say we have some talking to do.”

  *****

  They had decided to settle in the large living room where all the rangers could keep a watchful eye on him through the large bay windows as well as monitor all the entries and exits. Only Nikolai and Ivy remained inside and Dex was hopeful of a good outcome once again. They could potentially talk a touch more freely without ears around. Max had taken the lead and described their history as well as the events of the past week and Nikolai had listened openly, asking relevant and intelligent questions. He seemed genuinely surprised by the turn of events and kept looking his way and shaking his head. Dex saw his fingers twitch a time and two and thought he was probably itching to slap him again.

  “… And that’s where we left off last night at Dave’s. With you annoying me.” Max tacked on, quite unnecessarily in Dex’s opinion.

  Luckily Nik didn’t seem offended and even offered Max a cheeky wink before turning to him once more; “Are you willing to submit yourself to the council for examination?” He queried.

  “Examination? You mean experimentation!” Cali’s words were furious. “No. He is not!” Dex was warmed by her outrage.

  “I’m afraid you’re probably right about that.” He nodded to Cali before pinning Dex with his somber gaze, “The council will want to learn what makes you tick. We rangers are in charge of interrogation and examination of chade-converts, as well as investigations into possible causes and cures. Experimentation is a very apt word for what occurs.”

  You had to give the guy credit; at least he was honest.

  The room was warningly quiet as Nikolai and Ivy received angry, disgusted looks from everyone in the room. Dex was glad that even Darius appeared upset by the news. But it wasn’t news to him. Non-rangers were not permitted inside their gaol systems but Dex had often heard sounds carried on the wind when he had dropped off prisoners. They were enough to make his toes curl. He really didn’t want that to be him. He looked around, seeing the pitying gazes but also the resigned looks too; they all knew he didn’t have a choice. It was a miracle Nikolai was even allowing them to have a conversation about his future instead of taking his head on sight.

  “Run.”

  Dex closed his eyes. How could one word hold so much meaning and have so many repercussions? If he left, if he ran, then he would indeed be safe from the council’s dangerous judgements. He was essentially cured now, although he wasn’t sure if his recovery was permanent were he to be away from Max and her endless supply of unique energy. But if he ran, he would at least have a chance. It would mean giving up the tremulous relationships he had begun to develop with the paladins here … and with Cali. But it wasn’t any of that which was forefront of his mind right now. It was the unspoken sign of support, trust and affection that came hand-in-hand with that one small word; run. It showed him that he had truly been accepted here, that he had been forgiven here, and that knights once more had his back in battle. For the word had been spoken by Ryker – his biggest opponent. The word couldn’t have meant more to him if it had come from his brother.

  Turning to the Captain of the Order of Aurora, he opened his mouth … only to quickly shut it again when Ryker spoke gruffly and angrily, “Don’t look at me like that. We protect our own here. I figure we can hold them off for a few days at least. The hippy here and his band of hooded boogeymen might give us a bit of trouble but it’s nothing we can’t handle. Run.” He told him again. “Give Max some more time to win over the council. She’ll do it; she has a way about her.” He smiled slightly at the end and received an adoring look from his lover.

  Dex swallowed hard and looked around the room, seeing looks of fierce agreement on each and every face – even his brother’s. He focused on Cali’s face last and felt his heart turn over in his chest. Her blue eyes were blazing, her chin held high as her sunny blonde hair fell in a straight waterfall of silk over her shoulders. She looked bold and strong and ready to fight for his very right to live. Could he be in love with her? He wondered. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in the direction of the door, gripping her scythe tightly in a very non-subtle way of saying; get the hell out of dodge. I got this. Oh, yes. He could most definitely be in love with her.

  “Who will fight for me if I won’t fight for myself?” He questioned her. “You asked me that weeks ago. It seems I have my answer; all of you will. And I … couldn’t be more grateful or humbled. But it’s not enough.” He looked at Ryker; “I won’t run.” He then turned to Nikolai who had been conspicuously quiet, not rising to the bait of Ryker’s earlier assertion that they could take him on. In fact, he looked rather amused by the whole affair. “I won’t run.” Dex repeated for the ranger’s benefit.

  “But –” Cali began but he cut her off;

  “I am perhaps the only person alive who can help provide answers to questions that have plagued us for centuries. What made me turn? Why was I susceptible? Why didn’t I lose my soul? Why can I be cured?” He listed question after question. “There are others like me out there – I know there are. They’re out there right now in pain, starving, suffering in their isolation and suffocating in their shame. They believe there is no hope. But there is. I owe it to them to stay. I owe it to them to stand up and offer myself as proof of redemption.” He turned his gaze to the room, making eye contact with each and every person, including Darius. “It is my duty and my honour to guard my domain faithfully and to ensure balance is maintained in nature. Right now it isn’t. Nature is disrupted by its guardian’s turning against it. They have no-one to fight for them. I won’t forsake them.”

  And he wouldn’t. He had fought tirelessly over the years in hundreds of battles and wars, always fighting for the underdog and the downtrodden. His parents had taught him that justice was not reserved for the rich or the privileged. That the truth was the truth – no matter the source. So he had guided and guarded his domain of air and had been a strong presence in the warden community. But he had also fought for those people – those humans – that had needed justice and a helping hand. He knew most wardens didn’t concern themselves too much in human affairs. They believed their affairs were exclusive to nature and the elements but Dex had figured out early on, it was not as simple as that. If they wanted to survive as a race, if they wanted to fulfil their purpose as Mother Nature demanded, then they had to work alongside humans – not apart from them. Now it seemed, a new race had emerged; the chades. And they needed their truth to be told too.

  No. He wouldn’t be running.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Cali watched Dex prowl around her room. He had never been in her room before and they had never slept together in her bed. Although Dex had proven he was able to recharge from paladins and he was more than in control of himself, Ryker had still insisted he stay out in the gym. No guest room for the reformed chade. However, after Ry’s overt support of Dex in front of Nikolai, Cali was sure that had changed. After the group of cloaked figures left, there had been very little discussion before everyone broke apart to do their own things; Darius, Diana and Lark were headed to the Lodge to work and the rest would stay here with Max … and Dex. For she was positive, her family was now willing to take up arms in his defence.

  The rest of the meeting had proven rather uneventful. Nikolai had agreed that Dex was not a typ
ical chade, confirming that Dex was indeed the long lost Charlemagne from the history books. He had even allowed Dex to recharge from him, proving that he was no longer subject to the pull of power. He had further agreed to talk to the council on Dex’s behalf and try to manage the situation as best as he could before it escalated further. The guy wasn’t half bad – for a ranger. He had stipulated though, that he could not in good conscious leave a chade – even a reformed one – alone without supervision. Hence the reason why they now had a tiny ninja gaoler staying on premises. Ivy had volunteered to stay and watch over the dastardly Dex and Nikolai had agreed, clearly having faith and trust in his second in command. It seemed Max had been right about Ivy and where her loyalties lay. For some as yet inexplicable reason to the rest of them, they appeared to lay with Max.

  “Are you okay?” The question startled her and she turned to see Dex watching her quietly with his dark eyes.

  That was a very hard question to answer, Cali thought. She had planned to bring Dex up here and tell him about the baby. Time was ticking away and she really needed to discuss her pregnancy with Ryker and the others for practical reasons as well as for personal ones. She wanted to share her news with her family. She had become progressively more comfortable with the idea of a baby as the days went on. Sure, she had no idea what to do with one but she had no doubt she already loved the little hitchhiker. At first, she hadn’t been sure whether or not to tell Dex she was pregnant with his baby. Although the chemistry between them was explosive and the emotional connection was also there, that didn’t mean she trusted him enough to be a father. She didn’t feel a hint of guilt or remorse over that either. The fact of the matter was, the baby’s well-being was her main priority. It wasn’t Dex’s feelings or sense of responsibility, or even her feelings on the matter. She had needed proof that Dex would be a good father – not just a sperm donor.

  Well, she had it now didn’t she? When the man had started to talk about his sense of duty to the chades, wanting to help them by stepping into the public arena even when it meant physical danger to himself? She had melted. Just plain melted. A man who refused to forsake their race’s greatest enemy because it was the right thing to do? Surely such a man would be a wonderful and formidable father. Besides, he had already proven his ability to raise a child well. He had raised Darius and he was one of the finest men of her acquaintance. In addition, she also had his word that he wasn’t planning to go anywhere – not voluntarily anyway. So perhaps, she could take a chance and put her foundling feelings on the line.

  “Cali?” Dex asked, walking over to her and running his hands down her arms. Her brand leapt at the touch, rising to the surface of her skin and warming a fraction as if in support. “That is still the weirdest thing.” He commented.

  She smiled. “I know. And yes, I’m okay. I was just thinking.”

  “Do you want me to leave?” He asked, obviously misinterpreting the direction of her thoughts.

  “No. Actually I want the complete opposite.” She saw him smile and was tempted to jump his bones right then and there. His smile was all the more potent to her because she knew he had gone so long with no reason to smile. Hopefully, she could give him another reason or two. “Did you mean it when you said you’re planning on hanging around and seeing this through with the council?” She asked him.

  “I did.” He confirmed, seemingly implacable. “What is happening to the chades is unfair, it’s unjust. People need to know the full facts so they can make up their own minds about them. It’s time the council increases their transparency with their people. I am one of the only people who can help provide them with answers and evidence. The chades are victims. They need someone to fight for them.”

  So this was the fabled Charlemagne from the history books of humans and wardens alike; noble, passionate, and brave. He was a warlord, a strategist – fighting for the rights of others when they couldn’t fight for themselves. She placed a hand against her stomach, almost believing she could feel the tiny life there even though such a thing was yet impossible. “What about us?” She asked abruptly. “If you’re staying, what would you like to see happen with us?”

  He opened and closed his mouth for a moment, obviously taken aback at the question. “Well, I don’t dare believe what I would like to see happen with us.” He told her.

  “And if you could believe it?” She questioned further. He moved closer so they were within touching distance and searched her face with those still dark hazel eyes. She wondered if they would ever return to their normal lightness for she knew his eyes had been the same shade of hazel as Darius’s. She hoped they didn’t. She had become very partial to the dark intensity of that gaze. Sometimes, in the throes of passion, they darkened even further so they were almost black. You would think she’d despise eyes that black given her occupation but she didn’t. In fact, they were a massive turn on for her.

  “If I had the luxury of believing I had a chance with you, a real chance, then I would take it. Hold on tight and drag you along for the ride until I convinced you of the merits as well. But I don’t have that luxury. It’s not fair to you. I can’t ask you for a relationship when my future is so uncertain. We don’t know if these changes are permanent or if I’m going to regress again. We don’t know what the council are going to do. It’s not fair to you.” He repeated.

  All she heard and all she cared about was him telling her he wanted her. The word ‘relationship’ was enough for her. She grabbed him by the ears and pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss. “I want a relationship with you too, Dex. For as long as it lasts, for as long as we have. I want you.”

  “You do?” The poor man seemed completely flabbergasted. Perhaps that was for the best.

  “Yes. That means starting from tonight, you sleep in here.” They had to make a stand sometime and she needed the small show of commitment.

  “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. I haven’t slept next to anyone in years.” He said, glancing at the bed. But she thought she could see longing in his eyes as he looked at the large, comfy four-poster bed and the brightly decorated room.

  “Look, I’m not exactly used to sleeping next to somebody either but if we’re actually going to try and have a real relationship, then we’re damn sure going to be falling asleep in each other’s arms.” She informed him, hands on hips. “Preferably after some mutual orgasms, after which time there will be snuggling.”

  His lips twitched; “Sex, snuggles, then sleep huh?”

  “That’s right. So get naked.” She had been planning on telling him about the baby before they slept together again. But his noble declarations coupled with his assurance that he indeed at least wanted to try to have a relationship with her, was enough to set her blood racing. She wanted him. And she intended to have him. The baby news wasn’t going anywhere. Caught up in her internal thoughts, she failed to see him advancing in her direction and was up and flying through the air before she could blink.

  Seems she wasn’t the only one whose blood was on fire.

  *****

  “What are you doing?” His woman asked breathlessly.

  “Well, I’m not exactly used to this whole relationship thing,” he said, repeating her own words back to her, “but if we’re going to try and have a real one, then we’re damn sure going to make love.” He informed her.

  If the situation wasn’t as important to him as it was, he would have chuckled at the way her face seemed to pale, making her ice blue eyes appear crystalline. “Make love?” She squeaked.

  “That’s right.” He bent his head, nuzzling the graceful length of her neck and inhaling her unique fresh scent; she always smelled like the freshest of streams. Although a little early in the relationship to be declaring his love, he didn’t regret it, for it was the truth. He was most absolutely, without a doubt, in love with the water paladin. He’d never been in love in all his long years and the emotion was foreign as well as fragile in its beauty. But he had no doubt of what it was.

&nbs
p; Slender hands pushed him away and he sighed, allowing her to scoot back up the bed in an almost mad scramble. “Who said anything about love?” She asked, her voice at least one octave higher than normal.

  Well, technically he hadn’t actually said anything about love out loud yet. He had been planning to wait until he worshipped her body. He wanted to show her how a man in love treated his woman. But apparently his woman was skittish. He crawled up the bed, settling next to her and gripping her chin gently in his hand, “Cali, you are the most beautiful, most loyal, most intelligent woman I have ever met. You trusted me with your body and your mind when I couldn’t even trust myself. But you fought for me anyway because you believed in me – and in yourself. You are a true knight. You’re affectionate and fiercely protective of your family and you’re devoted to your liege. You looked at me and saw more than a monster, more than a freak. I’ve not seen pity in your eyes once when you look at me – just hope. You’re everything Cali. How could I not love you?”