by Montana Ash
He turned in the direction of the exit and she ran to catch up to him. “Wait a minute. Where are you going?”
He clenched his jaw and nodded in the direction of the gym. She merely raised her eyebrows, “Really? Reverting back to the days of the caveman when grunting and pointing was the preferred form of communication? I don’t think so. You can talk. Answer me properly.” She demanded. She wasn’t trying to be a bitch but talking was a huge positive step. The others would want to know and want to hear. Plus, his voice was sexy as hell.
He sighed as if she were the bane of his existence instead of the one person willing and able to provide him with orgasms. He must have read something from her glacial look for he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before answering slowly, “I am going back to my …” he paused and smirked a little, “… quarters.”
Ah, so the man had a sense of humour. Good to know. “Well, your quarters can wait. Don’t you think it’s time we all had a little chat?”
“No.” His response was swift this time.
“Why not?” She asked. She would have thought he’d be chomping at the bit to tell his side of the story. She knew she was dying to know everything about him – for purely scientific reasons of course.
“Because … nobody will … listen … anyway.” His words were a little too spaced to be considered normal syntax and Cali figured a few decades without talking would be enough to slow someone’s brain to mouth connections down a little.
She shook her head, loving the way her hair seemed to fall right back into place. The man could make a decent living as a hairdresser if he needed a new career. “That’s not true. And even if it was – so what? You make them listen. You make yourself be heard. If you won’t fight for yourself, who will?”
He had been fighting an invisible force for decades, she knew. A force none of them knew anything about. She hated the thought that he would give up now when he was so close to salvation. He was wavering, she could see it. She could also see the vulnerability in his eyes and the defensive stiffness in his posture. No doubt he was terrified to talk, to explain, and to also deal with the repercussions of that explanation. But the fact was, Max had gone out on a limb for him and those of his kind. The IDC were not patient at the best of times and although her little display sufficiently proved her mastery over all seven domains, it hadn’t succeeded in gaining her favour with them in relation to her thoughts on the chades.
Cali thought they were intrigued by Max’s theory and they seemed willing to indulge her to a certain extent. But that indulgence would have its limits and the more vocal Max became in the defence of the chades, the less tolerant the council was going to be. Max risked losing her standing in their society and Cali feared what the council would do to someone who had proven themselves so powerful. At the moment the IDC viewed her as an asset. But it would take very little for them to view her as a threat. So they needed answers and they needed proof. She didn’t want that proof to be in the form of the sexy but troubled male in front of her, but that’s the way it was. She would do everything in her power to ensure Max remained safe as was her duty and her privilege. Hoping beyond hope that it resulted in Dex staying safe and healthy as well was just an added benefit.
She looked directly into his eyes before speaking again; “We need answers. It’s time for you to give them to us.” She held out her hand, “Please. Come inside.”
TWENTY
Much to Dex’s frustration, Cali had been quick to drop his hand the second they were within eyeshot of the house. She had also seemed concerned about their clothes being wet and the others knowing what they had been up to. He couldn’t blame her for it but he couldn’t deny that it stung. She had once again given him an experience of a lifetime and he was now convinced his unusually strong attraction to her wasn’t because of their circumstances. No, it was because of the woman herself. And just where did that leave him? Up shit creek without a paddle, he bet. It’s not like he had any real chance at a future with her. Hell, the woman didn’t even want to be seen being friendly with him in front of her comrades. Besides, he was probably being marched to his death anyway. There was no way the others were going to just accept him into their home. Cali stepped inside but he remained poised on the threshold – story of his life. The loud and happy breakfast scene came to a resounding end when all eyes spotted him.
“What the fuck is he doing here? Cali, explain yourself.” Ryker demanded as he and several others reached for their scythes.
Yep, he was dead.
“Calm down, Ryker. We need some answers and Dex is ready to give them.” She stated.
Dex sure as hell was not ready to give them.
“Good morning, Dexter.” Max sang, skipping over to him and pulling him into the room. “Beyden and Lark were sweating bullets, thinking you’d run away like a naughty puppy. But I explained you were with Cali.” She assured him.
Did she now? And just how did she know he was with Cali? She gave him a saucy wink as she pushed him into a chair at the large dining table. It was then he remembered that not only was she essentially a goddess, but could apparently read minds. He made sure to keep his mind as blank as possible. It shouldn’t really be that hard, given how blank or chaotic it had been until recently. She patted his cheek as if he were indeed a mischievous puppy – much like the one now sitting at his feet. The rather ugly young dog had not tried to attack him again since their first meeting but Dex knew the animal wasn’t convinced with him yet. Smart animal.
It seemed he was willing to reconsider now though as he sniffed around his feet, giving one sharp bark and leaping onto his lap. He was shocked enough to grab a hold of the squirmy mass as it tried valiantly to lick his face off. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so ugly after all. He chuckled and pushed the raspy appendage back behind pointy little teeth. He picked up the dog’s paws and raised an eyebrow; “Going to be a big thing, aren’t you? Look at the size of these paws!”
It was the deafening silence in the room that had him looking up. Right, he was in eminent danger here. He should really focus.
“Dude, you really can talk.” Axel exclaimed, sheathing his blade in its holster.
Oh … he had just spoken out loud.
“He can. So let’s hear what he has to say, hmm?” Cali’s ice-blue eyes narrowed in warning and he watched in awe as the rest of the men shuffled a little before also sitting down. Women seemed to rule the roost here.
“You have two minutes. Convince me not to kick your arse right out of my house.” The gruff voice belonged to Ryker, naturally. He was going to be a tough nut to crack.
He glanced around the room, studiously skipping over Darius. He didn’t want to see hate on the man’s face. The dog – Zombie – gave him a lick to the back of his hand as if in support. What the hell, he thought;
“I believe chade numbers are growing exponentially once again. I believe the chades are amassing and are headed in this direction. I believe the chades are plotting another coordinated attack.”
Silence reigned.
“Whoa, Turbo. No voice for a few decades and suddenly you’re talking chade-mayhem.” Axel’s laugh sounded a little strained.
Dex simply shrugged. They wanted to know why he was here and what he had to say? Well, that was it. That was why he had sought Max out all those weeks ago in the first place.
“Chade numbers do look to be on the rise – not that the IDC has announced that fact to the general population.” Diana concurred.
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean chades are plotting anything more sinister than dinner time.” Axel pointed out.
“There is a precedence for the chades attacking en masse. The Great Massacre.” Beyden said.
“That is the only instance in history; never before or since.” Axel insisted.
“And once was more than enough.” Ryker said. He turned to Dex, “You’re talking about the chades as if they have higher reasoning. Planning attacks? Amassing in numbers? They don’t think that way.”
Some of them did, Dex knew. “You’re sort of right.” He replied. “Full chades? They only have one drive – hunger. But believe me, that hunger is a high enough instinct for them to seek out the most powerful resource.”
“And you think Max is that resource.” Lark stated, eyes narrowed in thought.
Dex merely nodded his head once. He hadn’t spoken so much in years.
“But I’m shielding so well now. Right? I’m not leaking vitality anymore …” Max’s eyes darted around the room, seeking reassurance.
“You’re doing great, Max.” Cali assured her. “But you can only do so much – and so can we as your bound Order. You’re limited by your nature. And that’s totally kick-ass.” Cali winked, softening the words.
Max was still frowning, however. “So chades are going to be drawn to me no matter what?”
Most definitely, Dex replied silently.
“Very likely.” Cali replied out loud.
“You said ‘full chades’.” Lark said, breaking the tense silence, “What do you mean by that?” He asked, looking directly at him.
It was a well-known fact in society that ‘a chade was a chade was a chade’. It was what he always believed but his eyes had been opened over the years. Not just because of himself, but because of others he had met along the way. “It’s a regression. Some regress quickly with no hope of return. Others are slower, they retain some higher reasoning even if they don’t know how to express it. Even those who can’t communicate tend to flock together.”
“Flock together? Like a pack? Why do they do that?” The ever-curious Lark inquired.
Dex shrugged. He knew why but wasn’t going to say. He didn’t think it would be received in good humour and he didn’t want to have to defend the cursed creatures. But Max spoke;
“I know why.” Her lovely eyes looked at him and swirled with colour for a brief moment before she spoke again, “Comfort. They flock together for comfort.”
Dex swallowed convulsively. Bless her empathic little soul, she was absolutely correct. Chades were pitiful, morbid creatures, housing no soul and conscience. He had seen them sucking the life-force from wardens, leaving them nothing more than withered carcasses. But he had also seen them gather close to each other in the dark, seeking safety, comfort and security from their own kind. Even the foulest of monsters could crave peace. The sight of so many hopeless beings, huddling together, staring blankly as if they didn’t even know the reason why … it always broke his heart.
“So, you sought out Max weeks ago with the intention of warning her about the chades? You think their numbers are growing and they are somehow planning another attack.” Cali asked, in summary and clarification.
He nodded and Zombie, who was now on the floor, leaned into him as if in thanks.
“Thank you, Dex. I know you risked a lot coming here.” Max blew him a kiss and his newly beating heart skipped a step. He was so glad she didn’t hate him and so grateful for her continued support. He nodded in her direction – causing Ryker to snort rudely. Seems he was yet to convince the Order’s Captain of anything.
“Be polite.” Max chastised. “I think we should invite Ivy here. I want her to hear this.” Max then announced to the room at large. Dex had no idea who Ivy was but Max’s comment garnered surprise from every other occupant in the room.
“Who is Ivy?” He asked.
“She’s Bey’s sister.” Was Max’s prompt reply.
He was confused, “Why would Beyden’s sister need to hear this?”
Max’s response was full of confidence; “Because she’s a Ranger.”
Dex stiffened and barely refrained from leaping to his feet. A Ranger? Why the hell would Max want a Ranger here? A warm palm to his bare forearm had him glancing down;
“Easy. It’s okay. Nobody is throwing you to the wolves.” Cali reassured him. He wanted to believe them, hell, he wanted to believe in all of them. But past history – recent history – dictated that he couldn’t rely on anyone but himself.
“No. We are not.” Max assured him firmly. “Ivy is a friend as well as Beyden’s sister. She’s very knowledgeable about chades as you can imagine. She also has the ear of the council, so knows what is going on there too. We need to know if there have been similar rumblings within the council or if this is new information. And if we deem the council needs to be informed of your theories – or even informed of you – then we may need her.”
“That’s a lot of faith in someone you just met, Max. What makes you so sure you can trust her? No offense, Bey.” Cali said, looking guiltily at the large man.
Max was silent as if mulling something over for a moment. Eventually she sighed, glancing at Ryker who merely shrugged. “I trust her because she’s my secret squirrel.”
“Your secret squirrel? What does that mean?” Beyden asked in obvious confusion.
Max made a vague motion with her hand, that resembled absolutely nothing, “My squirrel. You know? My eyes on the inside.” She extrapolated.
“Dear Mother! You have someone spying on the International Domain Council?” Darius jumped up, speaking for the first time. Although he wasn’t even looking in Dex’s direction, Dex still lapped up the sound. He was such a needy bastard.
Max nodded eagerly, sending that thick, dark hair flying in all directions. Dex had always been a little in awe of her hair; it was so dark it looked almost black in some lights, but in the sun it was actually a very deep, very rich red. Perhaps her parents had had a mixture of black and red hair … “Of course. The IDC are dodgy as fuck, Darius. Something is going on with them. Ivy is in the perfect position given she’s a ranger. She hears things they won’t tell us and sees thing we can’t see. She’s a great squirrel.”
Holy Mother, Dex thought. Max was betting his life on someone she referred to as a squirrel! The others in the room didn’t seem wholly convinced either if the stunned looks and gaping mouths were any indication. Poor Darius looked like he was going to stroke out any moment. The notion that their governing body were somehow dirty or involved in a conspiracy would be abhorrent to him. Dex obviously hadn’t dirtied him up enough when he was raising him. The man had too much honour for his own good.
“Trust Max everyone. She knows what she’s doing.” Ryker intoned, earning a dimpled smile from his lover. He caressed her back before looking directly at Dex, “If we’re going to believe you, if you’re going to stay here, and if we’re going to be bringing a ranger around, then I think we need to test if you can recharge your vitality like a normal warden again.”
Say what now? Ryker wanted him to do what? Of course he couldn’t recharge like a normal warden. He wasn’t a warden. “I can’t.” He croaked.
Ryker crossed his arms over his chest and Dex noted the way his central rune in his heraldry seemed to catch the light, looking almost three-dimensional. It was darn strange. “Have you tried?” He demanded, rather than asked.
He wanted to ignore the rude paladin but there were too many inquisitive eyes on him. “No.” He admitted.
“Then how do you know?” Max asked, much more kindly than her Captain. “I think it’s a definite necessity and very much a priority.” She stated before he could formulate a convincing excuse. “Volunteers?” She asked the room at large.
Shit. Looks like they were running with it. Dex shifted uncomfortably. Not only was he nervous as hell as to whether he could recharge or not, but he was also terrified nobody would volunteer … and terrified that they would. He studiously avoided looking at Darius, wishing with everything within him that his brother would stand up to the task. He desperately wanted to reconnect and knew the familiar mode of energy exchange would be a starting point. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and raised his head, watching as Cali stepped forward offering her hand. He gulped audibly and felt his heart skip a beat; the woman of his dreams trusted him enough to share her life-force with him.
But before he could reach out and grasp her hand in return, Max stepped between them; “
Not you Cali.”
He saw Cali toss her liege a shocked look filled with a hint of anger. Dex wasn’t angry; he didn’t blame Max for not wanting one of her paladins to touch him. But then, why had she supported the idea in the first place? Before he could think on it further the very large and surprisingly gentle beast paladin stepped forward;
“I offer myself freely.” He stated, bowing slightly.
Dex glanced around, trying to gauge the level of anxiety and tension in the room. Yes, the atmosphere was tense but it was a more nervous tension rather than a distrustful one. Other than Cali that is; she still looked annoyed. He stepped forward and bowed his head in thanks before grasping the bigger man’s arm in a loose hold. He gave a very tentative pull on muscles long ago atrophied and felt … nothing. A big fat nothing. Clenching his jaw, he turned apologetic eyes to Max who was watching the show with her head cocked to one side. Zombie, her faithful companion was at her feet in an identical pose. An abrupt jolt to his arm forced him forward a step, directly in front of Beyden. The man was scowling – an expression he was pretty sure was uncommon on the soldier.
“That was pathetic. You need to do it like you mean it, man.” Beyden grabbed his hand and placed it on his own forearm directly over Max’s heraldry. Completely horrified, he tried to break the man’s grip and was surprised when he couldn’t. Seems the gentle giant was a strong bastard.
“You’re being ridiculous.” Beyden informed him. “Just focus on my energy. It’s animal based – natural and primitive. It’s warm and gentle, loyal and loving, but also fierce and dangerous, strong and cutthroat. Beast energy is always neutral – both predator and prey. Tap into those things and take them. Quit being so dainty about it.”
Dex scowled at the last bit; he was not now nor had he ever been dainty. He had also never heard a paladin describe their vitality in such a way before and found his respect climbing. A man who was as self-aware as Beyden would be an asset in any Order. For all his sworn paladins, he had actually never had a paladin affiliated with the beasts and couldn’t remember if he had ever recharged from one. Squaring his shoulders, Dex clasped Beyden’s forearm and felt it reciprocated with confidence. He focused on Beyden’s words, picturing the simplicity of the predator on a hunt and complexity of prey in its fight to survive. He thought of the gentle, loving nature of animals with their tireless loyalty and affection and their intrinsic viciousness when it came to protecting themselves or their young.