Paladin (Book Two of the Elemental Paladins series)

by Montana Ash

  “You don’t think they do it out of malicious intent.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement from the Ranger.

  “Not all of them, no. I’m sure some do, don’t get me wrong. But a minority of them? I think they’re still aware. I think they’re sick. And I think they’re just trying to help themselves the way their instincts demand.”

  Ivy regarded Max steadily, face blank, eyes dark and mysterious. Damn, the woman would be a killer at poker – which coincidentally, is where they were headed after this little meeting. “Why do you believe that?” She asked.

  “I can see it. Sometimes their souls are intact; sometimes they’re not.”

  Diana whipped her head towards Max at that, as did all of the others. Max could see their souls? She looked at Ryker but he didn’t seem surprised by the news – Max had no doubt already told him. Was that why she had let that chade go last week? Because she could see its soul? Diana thought back, remembering what Max had said; ‘not that one’ as if that one had been special, as if it had been different. And perhaps it had been – Max had seen that it had a soul.

  Ivy frowned, one of the first expressions Diana had observed on the face of the Asian beauty. “What do you mean, you can see their souls? That’s not possible.”

  “She is referring to their auras. She can see the colours.” Ryker explained. It was partly true at least. Max did indeed see colours.

  “I see. I suppose it is possible – in theory. But I would imagine the IDC have already considered it. I appreciate you are trying to find answers and a way to help. But if there were such a thing as a cure, the IDC would have figured it out by now.”

  “I guess.” Max’s reply was non-committal and Diana sensed she wasn’t convinced. The strange thing was; she didn’t think Ivy was convinced either. They continued to talk back and forth, a little more casually and Diana saw Darius relax back into his seat. No doubt he had a lot on his mind. After a couple of hours, Max abruptly jumped up, startling Zombie awake and causing him to yip in agitation. Ivy actually reached down, petting him into quietness. Perhaps the Ranger really did feel emotions.

  “Shoot! We’re late for poker night!” Max said, after glancing up at the clock. “You should come with us.” Max extended the invitation to Ivy.

  Ivy looked startled at the abrupt shift of focus. “Come with you, where?”

  “To poker! Apparently this lot play poker with Caspian and his paladins every month or so. I have a great poker face. I’m totally going to kick their big paladin butts!” Max crowed.

  Ivy raised her eyebrows and looked at Beyden, silently asking his opinion. Beyden just shrugged and smiled, “Cas won’t mind. The more the merrier. I’d love for you to hang around a while longer. I haven’t seen you in over a year.”

  Diana saw Ivy’s eyes soften with affection; she clearly cared for her brother even though they were lightyears apart in personality and temperament. She cast a quick look in Ryker’s direction, who was studiously looking the other way, and nodded her head once. “Okay. I’ll just check in with my Commander – make sure I’m not needed back before tomorrow.” She stood, pulling her phone out as she left the room.

  “Great!” Max said before turning to her man. “Well? Chop chop! Get moving gentlemen. It’s rude to be late.”

  Ryker looked like he was going to say something but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. “Sure. We’ll get changed and be back in five.” He planted a long kiss on Max’s lips, leaving the room with all the males following behind. Diana and Cali stayed, with Diana halting Max before she could go to the corner and grab her shoes.

  “Um, Max. Maybe Ivy doesn’t want to hang out at Caspian’s tonight …” Diana’s words were tentative, a subtle hint for Max to consider Ivy’s feelings.

  “Why wouldn’t she?” Max asked, genuinely puzzled. She paused for a moment thinking, and Diana was glad she wouldn’t have to explain the potential awkwardness of the situation. But that hope soon died a fiery death as Max gasped; “Do you think she doesn’t like me?” She asked, aghast.

  “What? No!” Diana responded, immediately. Although the female Ranger never revealed much about what she was thinking, Diana could tell that she was warming to Max – most people did. Max just had a way about her. Unless you were outdated, prejudiced, misogynistic arseholes of course, she amended. “I just think, maybe … well, you know …” How did she explain this in a way that wouldn’t bring up the elephant in the room again?

  Cali clearly was more interested in expediency over subtlety for she interrupted, saying flatly; “What dear Diana is trying to say is, that Ivy might not want to hang out with a man she had sex with and his new girlfriend.”

  Max frowned, that adorably confused look on her face she got when she didn’t understand social cues. “Why? Who cares?” She asked, sincerely perplexed.

  Movement behind Max caught Diana’s eye and she saw the Ranger in question had returned and was listening intently. Diana sighed, “She might care, Max.”

  “Huh.” Max pulled a face like; ‘whatdoyaknow?’ – as if she truly couldn’t fathom why someone would care about a little casual, drunken sex. “Do you think Ivy wants to have sex with Ryker again?” Max asked, as if trying to figure out a brainteaser.

  Cali choked on a laugh, looking between the doorway that held Ivy and back to their liege, before saying; “No. I don’t think that’s the problem.”

  Max nodded, “Do you think Ryker wants to have sex with her again?” She asked.

  Diana actually felt her own eyes bug a little at the lunacy of that question, “No. I definitely do not think Ryker wants to have sex with anyone other than you … ever again.”

  Max bobbed her head in agreement. “Then what’s the problem?”

  Cali laughed again, apparently finding the whole conversation hysterical. Diana was amused as well, but another part of her kind of wanted to pick up the tiny female and shake her like a broken toy. Before she could try and explain further, Ivy obviously decided she had heard enough, for she walked back in, showing more expression on her face than Diana had ever seen. She was smiling slightly and her dark eyes were definitely amused.

  “Turns out I don’t have to hurry back tonight. I would love to come to poker night with you.” She even inclined her head respectfully.

  Max beamed. “Awesome! I know Beyden would love to spend more time with you. He misses you.” She narrowed her eyes in thought, cocking her head to the side and Diana knew she was gearing up to ask Ivy point-blank whether or not Ivy cared that she’d had sex with Ryker in the past, and if she did, why was that? Diana could practically see the little wheels turning. Cutting her off before she could make the attempt, Diana clapped her hands;

  “Okay. We’re running late as it is. Let’s round up the boys and be off, shall we?”

  Max snapped her mouth shut and nodded before turning and making her way outside, Zombie following close behind. She spun back around in the doorway however, and opened her mouth again.

  “The men, Max.” Diana reminded her loudly, feeling the drum of curiosity through the bond. Max was dying to question Ivy.

  Max scrunched up her nose, aiming it in her direction, “Fine!”

  Diana already felt exhausted and the night was young as far as their social obligations were concerned. She was going to tag-out on Max-etiquette duty as soon as they arrived at Cas’s. A snickering Cali drew her attention. “You were real helpful.”

  Cali laughed again, “What? I didn’t do anything.”

  “Exactly.” Diana muttered. “I’m sorry about that. Max is …” Well, what could she say really? Max was Max and Diana adored her just the way she was. But she also valued a certain decorum with guests in social settings – her age showing, no doubt.

  Ivy surprised her by gifting them with a genuine smile that reached her eyes. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes really were quite lovely when they were animated like that and her features were dainty and very pretty. Diana bet she would be a real man-killer if she chose to be.


  “She’s the real deal, isn’t she?” Ivy asked, although it was more of a statement.

  Now Diana grinned widely in return, no doubt showing off her crooked front tooth, “That she is, my friend. That she is.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Darius was riding shotgun in the car with Axel driving and Ryker, Cali and Max in the back seat. Lark, Beyden, Diana and Ivy were following closely in the second vehicle. His mind was a swirling mess of thoughts and emotions as he tried to process the revelations and the potential repercussions if Max was indeed correct about the chades. At least he could now make an attempt at a rational and methodical approach to the possibility, thanks to Max’s little ‘punishment’. Was it possible she could indeed determine which chades had intact souls and which didn’t? He didn’t know for sure, but as a Custodian she was the only being on the planet gifted with the ability to see a person’s true depth, a person’s true being. It followed that she would also be the only person in existence to have the ability to heal a soul. Darius had no doubt that is exactly what she had achieved with himself and Ryker. Could she accomplish the same miracle with a chade?

  He was brought out of his inner revelations by a gasping Max, who doubled over as if she were suddenly in pain.

  “Max!” Ryker yelled, panic infusing his voice. “Max, what is it? Are you hurt?”

  Max continued to breathe shallowly, gripping her stomach, as her eyes went opaque. “Max! You slammed down the bond! I don’t know what’s going on. You have to talk to me!” Ryker’s voice was a mixture of demand and plea as he practically dragged her onto his lap.

  “Perversion. Perversion. Someone is corrupting their element.” Max muttered quickly, rocking back and forth.

  Axel’s grip on the wheel tightened to the point where Darius could hear the leather creaking. “Fire.” He said. “Someone is using fire.”

  “And water.” Cali added, her blue eyes wide in fear. “Lots of water.”

  Understanding dawned in an instant, and Ryker shouted out the name at the same moment as himself; “Ignatius!”

  Darius felt the car speed up, taking the dips and bends of the road recklessly. Although it wasn’t very late, it was dark out and the roads were thankfully quiet. They were still at least ten minutes from Caspian’s house but at the rate Axel was driving, they would likely get there in five. Darius just hoped it would be in time. Ignatius had to be attacking Caspian in some way for Max to be having such a severe reaction and for Axel and Cali to be able to feel the disruption in their domains. Darius knew the man was no good and Max had warned them his soul was far from pure, but he never would have believed he resort to such extremes. Even after what he did to Lark; Lark was a paladin but Caspian was a Warden. Ignatius must truly be unhinged. Perhaps it was some strange twist of fate that they had a Ranger in the car following dangerously close behind them. No-one would be a better judge of the Warden’s state of mind than a Ranger. Max let out a tiny squeak and Darius revised that last thought; a Custodian would undoubtedly be better.

  He cursed out loud – why hadn’t they taken Max more seriously? She had expressed her concerns and although he had acknowledged them, he had still thought her overly dramatic. When was he going to stop questioning her and her abilities and start accepting that she was indeed a daughter of Mother Nature … and a Goddess in her own right? He had been so caught up in how Max was affecting his cosy little world and his cosy little traditions, that he hadn’t given much thought to the fact that his opinion – his feelings – didn’t matter worth a damn. His acceptance, or lack thereof, didn’t change a thing about who and what Max was.

  Damn. He was a real grade-A prick, he thought.

  “Max … sweetheart. You have to open the bond back up. Your Order needs to be able to feel what you’re feeling. We need to be able to communicate with you.”

  Ryker’s tone was as gentle as Darius figured he could make it. Max didn’t answer, just kept staring into space with her milky white eyes. When his Captain made eye contact with him, Darius figured it was a miracle his skin didn’t peel off.

  Ryker was pissed.

  “After Max told me what she saw that night, I reported him to the council. Part of the reason Ivy is here, is to check on him and see if the accusations have grounds.”

  “You did? It is?” Darius was surprised. Usually Ryker would ask Darius to do that sort of thing.

  “Of course I did. Do you think I haven’t learned to always take Max seriously? I believe in her without reservation. I just hope it’s not as bad as it seems when we get there.” Ryker stated, a hint of condemnation in his tone.

  Damn, Darius thought again. Looks like he was the only arsehole in the car now.

  *****

  The scene that greeted them as they all piled out of their cars was like a nightmare. Caspian’s quaint little cottage was awash in flames so hot Darius could feel his arm hairs singeing from metres away. Yelling, cursing and metal ringing on metal could be heard but he couldn’t see where it was coming from, thanks to the huge ring of fire encircling the property. Caspian, Leo and Lawson must be inside surrounded by Ignatius and his paladins. The Warden of Fire had well and truly gone off the reservation. No warden in their right mind would stoop to attacking another this way.

  “Axel.” Max said the fire paladin’s name softly but he somehow heard over the roaring blaze for he joined Max, placing his hand in Max’s outstretched one and offering his vitality without hesitation. A few seconds is all it took before Max released him and raised a hand toward the inferno. The whole blaze seemed to falter for a moment before igniting again even hotter than before. Max narrowed her eyes and Darius saw the others wince and grit their teeth. Max must be pulling on the bond in order to gather more energy. Darius felt a pang of loneliness, not being included in such an intimate moment. He also cursed himself for his foolishness in not bonding with Max before now. He could be contributing his own vitality, strengthening the Order and boosting Max. Instead, all he could do was watch as the others served their born purpose and shake his head in wonder as he saw the ring of fire snuff out like it was a giant candle being blown out.

  With no more heat or fire in the way, he took in the scene and was immediately filled with rage. Ignatius and his five paladins had Caspian and his two knights completely surrounded and were engaged in hand to hand combat. Leo and Lawson were vastly outnumbered and overpowered by the five other knights, but they somehow managed to keep Caspian between them at all times. For his part, Caspian looked to be fighting valiantly using his own domain of water. For every fire bomb Ignatius hurled his way, Caspian would block it with a ball of water. There was no way he was going to be able to sustain that, Darius knew. He only had two paladins to recharge with; Ignatius had five. Darius processed all this in a matter of seconds and was off and moving along with his fellow knights in the direction of the battle. Casting a quick glance, he saw that Max was manoeuvred behind Ryker and between Diana and Beyden. Diana looked like a true knight of old – just as he had first seen her in the Crusades all those years ago. And now, just as he had then, he felt his heart take a tumble and his lungs stop working.

  Love at first sight; that’s what it must have been all those years ago … and love it must still be now. He only prayed he hadn’t left it too late to man up and take what was rightfully his. He met her eyes and wasn’t surprised to see the thunderstorm roiling within them … or the look of death. She was deeply entrenched in her domain, charging the Order and relishing the thought of crucifying the wrong doers.

  Stay safe. Please stay safe. He begged her with his own eyes. And even though they couldn’t share emotions or thoughts through the Order, some part of his meaning must have gotten through, for she nodded grimly and mouthed back; “You too.”

  The abrupt loss of the fiery heat had the desired result of drawing the attention of everyone in the field. Darius noted the grim relief on Caspian’s face and saw him sag ever so slightly against his partner, Lawson – who looked like he wanted
to rip Ignatius apart with his bare hands. The piece of filth in question spun around and literally snarled at Max, shaking his weapon – which was on fire! Darius figured Max would make good with one her famous one-liners, throw in a few insults and the like. But she did none of those things. Instead, she looked around the clearing that had once been Caspian’s front yard and Darius could see the pain in her eyes. Damn! For someone so sensitive, with such strong empathic abilities and a direct link to nature, the damage to the landscape must be like a physical blow. She was likely feeling every burn, every tear, and every rent in the earth as though the injuries were her own. She turned luminous eyes to Ryker for a heartbeat as he grabbed her hand and he saw the entire Order shudder. She was sharing the load – filtering her pain and emotions through the link and her bonded paladins just like she was born to. And they were shouldering the burden – standing tall as was their purpose. He could also make out Max’s Heraldry writhing like living tapestries on their forearms. After this mess was dealt with, Darius was definitely getting himself one of those, he vowed.

  A sad shake of Max’s head and a penetrating look of disappointment apparently was enough to send Ignatius off the handle once more. He charged, blade raised … and met Ryker in a clash of steel. Satisfied that not so much as an ant could get through their Captain and touch Max, he shifted his attention to the Captain of the offending Order. He watched as Marco made a bee line directly for Lark. Marco was a skilled fighter, top of his class in hand-to-hand, most often using brute strength to overthrow his opponent. And he’d had a hard-on for Lark since the moment he first saw him for some strange reason. Insults and veiled threats had been commonplace for years, with the abuse culminating recently in the assault just weeks ago. Darius was tempted to intervene, relishing the opportunity to kick the living crap out of him, but the raw determination in Lark’s eyes had him pausing. A resolute nod from the auburn-haired paladin had him turning and focusing on Chad instead – the Order’s second in command. Lark deserved a little retribution and Darius had no doubt that his speed, strength and skill would best the strongarm tactics of the Captain of Vulcan.