Custodian (Elemental Paladins Book 5)

by Montana Ash

  “And you’re sure Garrett and Autumn are involved?” Darius asked.

  Tobias snorted, rubbing his left side, “Oh, we’re sure. Sick fucks admitted it right to our faces.”

  “And yet you had no idea?” Ryker’s tone was filled with disbelief.

  Mordecai looked directly into Ryker’s eyes as he answered; “None.”

  Ryker shook his head, arms crossing over his chest, “You expect us to believe that? Isn’t he your best friend?”

  Mordecai’s jaw was clenched so hard, Cali feared his teeth would crack. “Was. He was my best friend.”

  And just then that cold mask cracked once more and the man’s pain over the betrayal of his friend burst free. Cali heard Diana suck in a sharp breath from the overwhelming feeling of grief that must be radiating from Mordecai. Given she was associated with the domain of death, Diana was sensitive to those darker, pain-filled emotions. She may not be able to absorb them like Max could, but they still reached out to her like a friend seeking shelter. It was the same for Cali’s own element of water. She couldn’t command it to do her bidding, but it embraced her and comforted her and brought her peace in times of chaos.

  Cali quickly looked at Max, and knew she was feeling the pain too. How could she not be? Max was the most empathetic creature on the planet. And although they had all worked hard with her to erect strong barriers to protect her from the constant bombardment of emotions, there was no blocking them completely. And definitely not such fresh, raw pain. It was a part of Max’s purpose, after all. That’s why, when Cali felt the others all rally around Max with the aim of blocking the pain, she heard herself speak up;

  “Don’t,” she commanded them all silently.

  Cali felt the sharp reprimand from Ryker, even though it was non-verbal. Like a zap to her brain but she didn’t back down; “Don’t shelter her from this pain. It’s her burden to feel it just as much as it is his.” She made no move to censor the comment from Max and knew Max heard her loud and clear.

  Cali felt a second of indecision before Max nodded her head and surrendered herself to the emotions swirling around the room. Max had been holding herself back from feeling anything related to Mordecai and Cali couldn’t blame her. But she knew if Max kept blocking her natural instincts, it would be far more damaging to her liege.

  Cali’s coat of arms came roaring to life, writhing on her skin even as her druidic symbol for water glowed a vibrant blue. She sucked in a sharp breath from the emotions she felt; pain, betrayal, anger, bitterness, grief – it was all there as Max drew the dark emotions into herself. The entire Order winced as it cycled its way through Max. Max then drew on everyone’s vitality via their heraldries, not needing to physically touch them anymore – they were well past that now. Lark’s little adventure to heal the chades had proven that once and for all, along with the question of distance.

  “Stop! Don’t do that!” Mordecai’s sharp command rang out loudly in the room as incredulous eyes turned to him. Mordecai held Max’s eyes as he explained; “I’m sorry. It’s not that I’m not grateful, I am. But I don’t need your healing. I … I want to feel this – need to feel it.”

  “He thinks he deserves it,” Diana volunteered.

  “What am I, blind?” Max grumbled back, causing Cali’s lips to twitch. It was a little hypocritical because Max insisted on being blind to everything Mordecai did. “Don’t laugh at me, Cali. You think I won’t bitch-slap a pregnant woman?”

  “Please! Even growing another human, I’m still way faster than you are with those short, gnome-legs of yours,” Cali poked back. One of her favourite things about the women in the house was that none of them were hypersensitive drama queens and could all give as good as they got.

  Max glared at her, clearly fighting her feelings of amusement and annoyance, but slowly pulled back her power over the death domain.

  “Thank you,” Mordecai said, softly.

  “Don’t mention it,” Max muttered, leaning into Ryker and looking at her feet.

  It was the first words Max had really spoken to her father and they were nothing words, really. But Mordecai didn’t seem to care. The look on his face as he gazed at his daughter was filled with such a stark look of hope, Cali saw even Ryker give a grudging nod of acknowledgment and encouragement in his direction. Some of the awkward tension had thankfully been expelled from the room and Cali felt they were all able to breathe a little easier. She perched her butt on Dex’s lap where he was sitting at the table, feeling his arms immediately rise to wrap around her;

  “So, what do you know about Emmanuel?” she asked, “I never met the man when he was a, well, a man.”

  Mordecai exhaled roughly, “He was a good man – a good warrior and a faithful guardian to his element of Life. You fought with him on many an occasion, didn’t you?” he asked Dex.

  Dex nodded, “I did. Like you said; he was a good guy. Always willing to lend a helping hand. I can’t reconcile that honourable warden with the freaky super chade you’ve described. But then, I feel the same way about me and look how well that turned out.”

  Her man’s tone turned self-deprecating and that was something Cali simply wouldn’t allow. She ground her butt against his groin and whispered; “Oh, I don’t know. I think it turned out rather well.”

  His very dark hazel eyes turned even darker as his pupils dilated in arousal. “You’re right. What was I thinking?” he murmured, taking her lips in a deep, drugging kiss.

  Cali wished they were alone so she could banish any lingering doubts from Dex’s mind, but duty called and she forced herself to pull back. “Tonight,” she promised him, loving the smile on his handsome face.

  He had been smiling just a little bit more over the last couple of days and she knew it was due to his old friends showing up. She was so happy for him now that he had three of his old paladins back in his life. They were currently staying at the training lodge in the barracks but Dex had spent many hours reacquainting himself with them. Sid, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. They had let him go crawling back to his liege because they couldn’t very well kill the man or even imprison him. He hadn’t broken any laws and other than scaring the shit out of her, he had done little damage. She could admit, hearing her old liege was in the area and still thinking about her, made her feel sick to her stomach. And although half of her wanted to hunt the bastard down and shove her scythe up his arse, the other half of her knew her priority was Hitch. And she didn’t want Stefan anywhere near her baby.

  “Mordecai, do you have any idea where Emmanuel is now?” Ivy asked, politely. Cali knew she had worked closely with the death warden over the years and had always liked the man.

  “No. I have no clue. There has never even been any indication of his existence until now.” The frustration in Mordecai’s voice was plain to hear.

  “Well, in hindsight, it seems it was Emmanuel who was responsible for coordinating the attack fifty years ago. He’s no doubt responsible for the declining number in wardens if his parents have been feeding him. He must also be responsible for the increasing number of chades – especially those with that creepy awareness. So … kind of plenty of indications,” Axel pointed out.

  Cali knew Axel wasn’t trying to be a dick by stating the obvious or pointing out Mordecai’s ignorance over the years. Luckily, Mordecai seemed to know that too and understand what Axel was alluding to.

  “All of those incidents were centred around this area,” Mordecai acknowledged, looking at the fire paladin. “You think he’s here?”

  Axel shrugged, “It makes sense.”

  And it did, Cali thought. By the Goddess, it galled her to realise their greatest enemy was right under their nose the whole time.

  “But where?” Cali hadn’t realised she’d spoken out loud until Max answered;

  “Well, that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? How about we go ask his parents?”

  Mordecai peered around at them, “I believe you proposed calling a meeting with the IDC
?”

  “Eavesdropping?” Ryker taunted.

  Mordecai shrugged and Cali couldn’t help the way her eyes followed the movement. The man sure could fill out a tee shirt.

  “Cali, gross!” Max whined in Cali’s head and Diana and she snickered even as the men grumbled.

  “We simply overheard,” Madigan soothed, following up with; “And it’s a good idea.”

  Ryker looked surprised as he looked at the brown-haired paladin, “You think it’s a good idea? Sending Max into the lion’s den?”

  Mordecai shook his head, explaining, “Garrett knows you’re onto him now. For years, he and Autumn have relied on stealth and subterfuge for their plans. That is no longer a possibility. He has a lot of scrambling to do in order to con wardens and paladins to his side. I have no doubt it’s why he asked me to recall so many Orders. It’s part of his endgame. We need a chance to sway the council and the community. A meeting will be dangerous but it’s the only way to gather so many of us in the one location and actually be heard. Although, it would be unnecessary if I had been able to succeed in killing him two weeks ago ...”

  “Wait a minute; you tried to kill Garrett? The head of the International Domain Council?” Beyden questioned, his amber eyes wide.

  Mordecai’s own eyes turned hard, “Damn right I did! He betrayed me, betrayed his element and has been lying to our people for years. Yes. I tried to kill the fucker. But he is not without his own powers and I –”

  “He beat you, huh?” Ryker smirked.

  “He attacked my paladins!” Mordecai growled back.

  Max gasped, stepping forward quickly. “Are you all okay? I can help ...” her voice trailed off and she came to an abrupt halt. Cali knew she hadn’t been thinking when she made the offer and stepped that close to Mordecai. It had been an automatic reaction to someone in need.

  Bastien bowed his head to Max, “I thank you, my lady, but I am healing well. It’s why we weren’t here sooner as a matter of fact. I couldn’t travel and Mordecai wouldn’t leave me alone even to deliver the information,” the look he cast his liege was filled with disgruntlement.

  Cali understood the feeling well.

  “Oh, do shut up, Bas. I wasn’t about to leave you when you were at death’s door. Deal with it.” Mordecai snapped, revealing his affection for his paladins yet again. Cali saw the others notice it too and knew they were beginning to soften toward the man.

  “Well then, boss-man. Do we have a go to meet the ‘rents?” Diana asked.

  All eyes turned to a scowling Ryker and although he looked like he was chewing glass, he finally nodded his head in assent.

  Well, this should be interesting, Cali thought, dryly.

  THIRTEEN

  Darius didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit and knew his fellow paladins felt the same way. The tension through the Order link was tangible. But Max had been adamant about meeting with the entire IDC and they were duty-bound to obey their liege. Despite the news Mordecai had shared about his encounter with the deceitful duo, Max was determined to give Garrett and Autumn a chance to explain themselves. Darius had always admired her deep sense of fairness and justice but in this instance, he feared her sense of fair-play was going to get her hurt. The many years of lies, the premeditation, and the degree of duplicity that went into maintaining their upstanding personas hinted at dangerously damaged psyches. And that scared the hell out of him.

  Darius barely refrained from grimacing; walking into the Lodge felt like walking naked into battle. The condemnation in the eyes of his fellow paladins and wardens was a palpable thing and the sound of words, whispered harshly, had his blade hand twitching. The Lodge was a place where he had always felt at ease, happy, and appreciated but that was no more, thanks to the lies that had been circulating throughout the ranks. The loss of comfort and familiarity as he stepped over the threshold was just another thing to resent in this whole mess.

  He, Ryker, and Axel stepped through the doorway first with Max following, flanked by Diana and Cali, and Lark and Beyden bringing up the rear. Max was effectively in a very large paladin cage and although none of them had dispensed with their weapons as protocol demanded, Darius still felt as if Max was too exposed. Dex and Ivy followed close behind, presenting a united front despite the fact they weren’t technically a part of Max’s Order. But they were family and that’s all that mattered to Max – as well as the rest of them.

  Despite the judgemental and critical looks they were receiving, the crowd nonetheless parted quickly and easily, and Darius was satisfied their reputation still held some sway. But then again, Ryker had his very intimidating ‘fuck you’ face on, and despite the absence of his sinister scar, it was still extremely forbidding. Not many people were courageous enough to mess with his Captain, he thought, with no small amount of pride. After his brother had turned into a chade and his previous Order had disbanded, Darius had thought he would never be serving under a Captain ever again. Darius had also been the second in command in the Order of Magne under his potentate, Henry. Darius had respected the man and followed his orders without question. But even after a thousand years of service, Henry hadn’t evoked the same level of dedication Ryker had managed to do in just a handful of months as his Captain. Darius knew why; he loved Ryker like a brother.

  Clearing his head of the happy but somewhat distracting thoughts, he kept his eyes sharp as they entered the meeting room and took their place at the end of the large, central table reserved for council members at the front of the room. Darius heard the murmurs as Max took a seat, but his liege didn’t so much as blink. She was, after all, a member of the IDC whether the wardens and paladins surrounding her liked it or not. He placed himself behind her and felt the others spreading out behind in a horseshoe shape, effectively blocking her in from three sides. Darius wasn’t thrilled that the front of her was exposed to the room, but unless one of them stood in front of her, there was no way to prevent it. Opening his mouth to speak, Max cut him off;

  “Don’t bother, Darius. How can you expect me to see people and talk to them if your big paladin butt is in the way?”

  “But –” he tried again.

  “Nope. Move on, Dare,” Max interrupted once again.

  He heard a few snickers in his mind but no-one cracked a smile. They were all showing a united front as a formidable Order – one to be reckoned with. Giggling would not be conducive to their tough-guy image. Nor would kicking their snickering butts, Darius sternly reminded himself.

  “Fine,” Darius grunted, resigning himself to his current position. Well, if he couldn’t place himself bodily in front of his liege, he would at least catalogue the rest of the room.

  A quick but thorough look determined that Garrett and Autumn were the only members of the IDC yet to make an appearance. Blu, Cinder, Ares, and Ravyn were already seated along with Mordecai at the same table. They all looked tense and aggravated, even the usually calm and collected Water Warden, Blu. The only exception was Mordecai. The man had his usual aloof mask firmly in place – not that Darius was fooled by that anymore. He had seen evidence of a passionate personality beneath the frosty demeanour.

  Scanning the table again, Darius noticed Mordecai was sitting in a different seat. He was now seated at the very end rather than directly next to Garrett’s seat in the centre. Darius was relieved. They’d had a hard time garnering assurance from Mordecai that he wouldn’t kill Garrett the moment he stepped through the door. The Death Warden had made no secret of the fact that he wished to fillet his one-time friend and leader of their society. Darius knew it was only because Max had been the one to demand no harm should come to Garrett, that Mordecai had agreed. Darius was pretty sure the man would do anything Max asked.

  Although there was still so many unanswered questions and much healing to be done, Darius felt sure that Mordecai genuinely cared for his daughter. Max was still – understandably – hesitant about the whole thing and Darius sincerely hoped the two would be given a chance to forge a relat
ionship. He would do anything to be able to be with his parents again and he would love it if Max got her own chance at that special form of relationship. He nodded his head ever so slightly when those intense green eyes focused on him, receiving a small nod in return. Darius then shifted his eyes to the four paladins standing as close behind Mordecai as Darius’s Order was to Max. He didn’t know the men well on a personal level but he knew they had been bound together for a millennium. Having been bound in his previous Order for almost that long himself, Darius knew the deep bonds that formed and knew they would do whatever it took to keep their liege safe. No matter what their liege had to say about it. And Darius had a sneaking suspicion Mordecai was as much of a problem-child when it came to his safety as Max was. Not that he would ever admit that out loud of course.

  A small sting of energy plucked at his coat of arms and he cringed; seems he didn’t need to admit it out loud. Max had still heard him loud and clear. This time, the urge to smile was too great, and Ryker smirked from beside him. Darius had the sudden urge to punch his Captain in the face all over again. The man was just a little too pleased with Darius’s predicament. And I just called that man my brother, he shook his head at himself.

  The room was beginning to get a little restless, rumours as to what this meeting was about were rampant. There was plenty of nervous energy in the room but also a lot of curiosity. And with well over fifty wardens and three times that number of paladins currently occupying the main meeting room, that was a lot of mixed emotions. It was also a lot of potential threats. Nope. I do not like this at all, he thought once again, seeing faces old and new in the crowd. He recognised Terran and Isaac as well as Stefan and his sizeable Order. Darius fought the urge to likewise shield Lark and Cali from their beady, malicious eyes. But he knew he would need to get in a very long line before he would be given the opportunity to have a go at the rotten men.