Paladin (Book Two of the Elemental Paladins series) Read online

“I know. But I’m just hoping for some clues as to where you’re from.”

  “Why?” Max asked.

  “Why?” Darius repeated.

  “Yes. Why? Is it that important? I’m here now. I found you guys, I’m not running for my life from phantoms, I’m not sick anymore.” She looked at Ryker lovingly but a little pleadingly, “And I have Ryker now too. Does it really matter where I came from?”

  “Not to me.” Axel replied.

  “Or me.” Beyden followed. Diana wasn’t surprised by their immediate support. Axel had appointed himself protector and biggest fan and Beyden was a real sweetheart – too mellow to want to rock the boat.

  “It doesn’t matter to us. Not in the way you’re worried about it.” Cali assured her. “But it’s sure going to matter to everybody else, including the IDC.”

  Bless her, but Cali was just so practical. She understood where Darius’s polite questioning was heading. She was absolutely correct. The IDC had a hard enough time believing Ryker when he had reported Max was a Life Warden. But Diana knew they had been giddy as school girls to learn that another female had been found with powers over the domain of life. It was the rarest and also one of the most powerful of the seven elements. When they finally divulged Max was actually a living, breathing Custodian …? They would probably pee their pants. But they would have questions – lots of questions! And puppy dog turquoise eyes were not going to work on those hard-arses. It was better for all of them to be prepared.

  “Well, I can’t tell them what I don’t know. I literally woke up in a park wearing a plain grey tracksuit. It had no tags and no logos. It was natural fibres though – one hundred percent pure cotton. I was maybe fifteen, sixteen …” She disclosed.

  “How do you know you were that age?” Darius asked, his fingers twitching. Diana knew he wished he had a pen and paper to be writing things down but didn’t dare interrupt in case Max closed up again.

  Max shrugged and leaned more heavily against Ryker who immediately dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I looked about that age – the authorities thought so anyway. Plus, I had boobs.”

  “Boobs?” Axel perked up.

  Max grinned at him, “Yep. Boobs! I obviously went through puberty years earlier, oh, and I was always this height. I never got any taller. That was around twenty-five years ago so I’m like, fortyish now. Is that helpful?”

  Darius grimaced. “Not especially … But thank you!” He hastily added when Ryker glared at him.

  “You don’t look more than thirty, maybe even late twenties.” Lark pointed out. “Wardens age slower than normal humans and even paladins because they are constantly recharging their vitality. It’s what gives them their longevity. Paladins age much the same as normal people and slow down when they form a bond with their liege. It’s possible you are far older than what you think. Wardens in their twenties often look like they are in their teens; they mature much slower.”

  Diana smiled when Darius stilled, his face revealing nothing much but she knew he was piqued that he hadn’t thought of that angle. Diana wasn’t surprised; Lark was very intelligent. She was extremely curious as to what his IQ might be. She was suspicious that he may actually qualify as a legitimate genius. But his happy nature and his reading habits didn’t lend one to the assumption that he was an Einstein.

  “That’s good thinking. Maybe you should join me in my research?” Darius acknowledged and offered.

  Lark ducked his head as he flushed. He was far too modest and given the number his father had done on his self-esteem, she wasn’t surprised he underestimated himself. “I’m sure you’ve got it handled. Besides, I’m on Lodge duty with Axel and Cali. I’d be happy to pitch in later though if you think it would help?”

  “I think it would help a lot.” Darius’s smile was warm and genuine. She locked her knees to keep from swooning a little.

  Presently, Ryker surged up, effectively dwarfing his new liege and lover. Max was only five foot three in shoes and Ryker was six foot four bare foot. But somehow … they fit. He clapped his hands once, “So we all know what we’re doing today; Lark, Cali, Axel – get to the Lodge. It’s sickle training today. Darius, I want you to put your historian hat on and report back to me anything you discover – no matter how small. Bey and Diana, we three will be on guard duty. Max is ours now, we protect her with our lives.”

  “That was so hot.” Max breathed, looking to Diana and Cali for confirmation. Diana nodded her head and shook out her hand as if burned. Boss-man was definitely hot!

  Cali waggled her eyebrows suggestively as the men started to move, clearly choosing to ignore the pervy women in the room. “Oh, one more thing …” Cali’s voice rang out and halted everyone in their tracks.

  “Wha-at!” Max whined out. Her patience was well and truly gone.

  Cali ignored her. “While Darius is off doing his thing figuring out how you’re a lowly Goddess, and we’re at the Lodge kicking trainee butts, maybe Beyden and Ryker can work on your shielding some more and controlling the bond.”

  “What do you mean, more shielding? I’m good at that now. I haven’t even drawn any phantoms to me in weeks!” Max exclaimed.

  “Chades, Max. They’re called chades. And yes, your shielding is much better. Go team!” Cali gave a double thumbs up. “But the link in our new little Order could use some work.”

  Max was frowning now. “What do you mean? What does she mean?” She asked Ryker.

  “The bond is almost like a path or a bridge, linking all the members within an Order to their liege. Its purpose is to ensure we can be connected to you at all times so we can best anticipate your needs, safety and happiness. It’s a two-way street though. You can feel us and we can feel you.” Ryker explained.

  “You can feel what I’m feeling? Can you hear my thoughts too?” Max asked, clearly dismayed over the notion that her privacy was being invaded.

  “It’s not like that. Yes, when the Order is fully knitted together and you learn how to control it better, you will be able to speak to us in our minds, but it’s not like an open door, don’t worry.” Darius appeased.

  “But it is kind of flowing like a waterfall right now.” Cali pointed out bluntly. The woman really wasn’t great at subtle. No wonder her and Max had clicked the moment they met. “Beyden and Lark are the experts with shielding but Ryker is the expert at controlling the bond. So you get to spend the day with your new man. Yay!” Cali cheered, before continuing, “He’s a potentate, which means he can maintain the bond between you and your Order. Although, with you being a Custodian, I’m not sure if this is going to work the same …”

  “Let me get this straight; first, I’m leaking and now I’m gushing like a waterfall?” Max’s hands went to her hips, her jaw tightening.

  “It’s just a matter of control. It’s not a big deal. We’ll work on it.” Ryker drew her in close to his side.

  “I can control myself. I’m awesome at control!” Max assured the room at large.

  Even Diana had to laugh at that one. The woman was spontaneous to say the least and prone to random and unprovoked fits of violence and lecturing. Control and Max were not words that were synonymous.

  Max stomped her foot. “I am! See!”

  Diana watched as Cali and Ryker abruptly reeled, Ryker caught himself against the edge of the table and Beyden managed to prop up Cali before she took a header into the marble benchtop.

  “Whoa there, girlfriend.” Cali shook her head, “You can’t just cut off the link like that. Cold turkey is not fun for anyone.”

  Max looked genuinely startled as she bit her lip. “I’m sorry. Too abrupt?”

  “Maybe just a little.” Ryker said, grimacing as he rubbed his chest with a large palm. He immediately opened his arms to Max though as she leaned in, smoothing her palms over his pecs.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. I need to learn. Will you teach me?” She beseeched.

  Diana remembered Max asking Ryker that exact same thing almost six weeks ago when the
y had all mistakenly told her she was a Warden. And now those same words were obviously like some kind of trigger to the man. His eyes darkened from their usual warm milk chocolate colour to a much darker bitter cocoa and he growled, the sound rumbling deeply in his muscled chest. Diana shared a look with Cali – the masculine sound of want was damn potent! Deciding to give the love birds a break, she clapped her hands like a school marm;

  “Okay, since we all know our jobs now, perhaps we should get to them, hmm?”

  Ryker was already moving in the direction of the stairs, pulling a very willing Max along behind him. Max glanced back long enough to mouth a silent thank you before disappearing in a breathless giggle.

  THREE

  One week later and Darius was no closer to finding any answers and solving the mystery that was Max. He had been researching Custodians morning and night for six days and had read every last available piece of information. Beyden had even managed to get his hands on an electronic copy of the Warden Chronicles. The Chronicles documented hundreds of years of history and covered information about wardens, paladins, domains, vitality, chades and endless laws and rules as well as battles fought and won. Unfortunately, an incalculable amount of history had been lost during The Great Massacre fifty years ago. The Chronicles had not been stored electronically back then and the main library housing the priceless documents had been razed to the ground. He had been able to learn a little more information about Custodians in general, as well as vitality exchanges and the origins of wardens, but nothing that really provided them with more answers as to why Max was a Custodian and why she was, well, fleshy, as she had so eloquently put it last week.

  Lark had proven himself invaluable and Darius felt quite ashamed that he had been living with the younger man for almost ten years and he had not known that the earth paladin was a borderline genius. They had been able to piece together a vague history of the Custodians, using the odd mention of them here and there over the years. They had even managed to put together a timeline of sorts on Max’s history before she had stumbled across them. Still nothing before she woke up in that park though and it irked him to no end! How was he supposed to form a clear, concise and logically reasoned out theory if he didn’t have all the facts?

  He and Lark had shared what they had discovered. Max had thanked them and Ryker had congratulated them on a job well done. But the job wasn’t done – well or otherwise! Darius raged internally. He needed answers so he could make order out of the chaos. But he was apparently the only one who thought so. The others seemed more than willing to accept the situation for what it was and seemed to care nothing for the potential ramifications Max was going to have in their society. Their nonchalance irked him also, and so that morning, he figured a good old fashioned spar might just help relieve some tension. Max deemed it a brilliant idea, informing them she wanted to train as well. Although a couple of the others had pitched themselves against Max’s considerable skills, Darius had been unable to bring himself to do it. It had been difficult enough sparring with her five weeks ago when he had thought her a mere Warden. After all, she was female, half his size and also his superior – not an opponent he was comfortable fighting. But now it was even worse. They had confirmed that she was the single most important person on the planet and she wanted him to wrestle with her in the dirt? Not going to happen.

  Ryker had been more than willing to put him through his paces though. And paced he had! He had used brute force as well as practiced technique to throw Darius to the mat again and again. Darius prided himself on his own strength and was able to break through Ryker’s defenses a handful of times, only to have his victory short-lived. Ryker was taking no prisoners and had even nicked Darius a couple of times with his sickle. They rarely went so far as to draw blood during training. It was like Ry was determined to guarantee that anyone responsible for ensuring Max’s safety was at the top of their game. Darius couldn’t really blame him. And although his body was sure to feel it tomorrow, his mind did feel lighter.

  Now he was watching Cali and Diana critically as they attempted to take down Max. Max was between them and fighting hard against their constant attacks. Both Cali and Diana were striking simultaneously, not even taking turns to give the outnumbered, shorter woman a fair chance. The very flexible Cali delivered a high round-house kick that sliced over Max’s head at the last second. Max immediately flipped herself back up from her now prone position on the ground where she had landed after allowing her limbs to go loose. She gave a slash with her tanto sword at Cali’s midsection and Darius knew she was holding back. If she had have straightened her elbow out completely, he had no doubt Cali would be gutted on the floor. Diana charged silently from behind but Max anticipated the attack, catching her sickle along the length of her blade. The clang of metal caused all the other occupants in the room to still and watch the show.

  Darius thought Ryker would put a stop to it before anyone got seriously hurt, but he merely crossed large arms over his chest and eyed the scene with … lust. Darius rolled his eyes. Of course Ryker was eyeing his woman like she was a prime steak on the menu. He glanced at Axel, Beyden and Lark and sure enough, they also wore expressions of manly appreciation. Fortunately, Darius was far too superior to be ruled by such base emotions. Nope, there was no way that Diana’s perfectly shaped rear-end and perfectly flared hips caught his attention. Her plump breasts, now encased in form-fitting lycra, in no way made him want to tie her to his bed while he lavished attention on them all night long. And there was absolutely no way that the vision of her, grappling with him in such a forceful manner, had him harder than he could remember being in all his long days. Nope – no way!

  The sound of singing steel refocused his attention just as Max flipped Diana over her shoulder, maintaining her hold on the female paladin’s weapon. Diana landed heavily on her back and wasn’t quick enough to spring back up before Max landed on her, holding her own blade to her throat. Cali was behind her instantly, sickle raised, but frozen in place. At first, Darius couldn’t understand why, then he saw that Max had her sword pressed snugly high up on Cali’s left thigh. It would take very little pressure to sever her femoral artery. Silence reigned for a full ten seconds before Cali grinned and offered Max a hand.

  “Good job! I didn’t even see you until I felt the blade against my skin.” Max grinned and they both reached down to help pull Diana to her feet. Thank the Great Mother! Darius prayed silently. Despite his amazing and mature restraint not to get turned on by the display of women fighting, the sight of seeing two gorgeous women straddling each other had been beginning to get to him. He wanted to straddle the Lady Diana.

  Impossible, Darius! Focus!

  “Well fought, My Lady.” Diana bowed in a courtly manner of old as Max flushed with pride.

  “Thanks!”

  “But fess up. You were good before – like really good – but now you’re brilliant. What’s going on?” Diana asked, leaning over to rest her hands on her knees as she gulped in harsh breaths. Her latte skin was dotted with a fine layer of perspiration in further testament to her exertion and several springs had escaped the confines of her bun.

  He wanted to pull on them.

  “Just call me Master, young Padawan.” Max replied, grinning and barely out of breath. Darius narrowed his eyes. Max did seem to be sparring with ease today, blocking and dodging the fists and sickles coming at her with an effortless grace. Perhaps it had something to do with the constant vitality she was now receiving. Lark and Diana had also bonded with Max over the past week – despite his continued warnings to the contrary that they should all wait. As a result, Max was recharging her essential energy on a daily basis. The results were astounding. Obviously, she was much healthier and Darius couldn’t be happier about that. She barely resembled the pale, exhausted woman with dark circles and cracked lips of six weeks ago. He was pleased to see that she had more colour in her cheeks and a healthier glow overall. Darius couldn’t believe the state Max had been in when she had
first arrived. She was so low on vitality – the energy Wardens needed to function – that she had been having seizures. It was absolutely deplorable. Typically, for a warden to be showing such extreme outward signs of ill health, they were almost at death’s door. And Max had been suffering from seizures since she was a child. Of course, she had no idea she was supposed to be recharging her energy. She had somehow been able to survive by borrowing minute amounts of vitality from the world around her. Darius couldn’t even begin to imagine how much pain Max must have been in all these years. And although, not a Warden like they had originally presumed, she clearly still required a vitality exchange from a paladin in order to be healthy.

  Her constant recharging and newfound health also meant that the landscape surrounding the camp was undergoing constant maintenance and upgrades. It had always been beautiful; kilometres of private beach, generous picturesque gardens and natural bushland, encircling the stunning house of logs. But now it was like a paradise; the lawns were a lush green and all the plants were blooming in abundance. The fish in the pond had somehow multiplied, as had the resident animal life. There were honest to goodness koalas in the trees and kangaroos grazed every evening out the front. Despite what the rest of the world seemed to think, koalas and kangaroos did not roam free range around everyone’s neighbourhoods. On top of that, Darius knew Cali was now sharing her morning swims with dolphins and even a whale or two. The world around them was thriving.

  “Are you cheating?” Cali demanded, clearly still focused on how Max was suddenly a ninja.

  “Cheating? Moi? I would never!” Max’s oceanic eyes were wide with innocence.

  Yep, Darius thought, smiling. She was so cheating. There was nothing innocent about Max.

  “You are! You’re cheating!” Cali exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger.

  Max burst out laughing as she walked over to Ryker, accepting his kiss as if it were the most natural thing in the world – and to them it probably was. They were perfect together, they really were, and he couldn’t be happier for the smitten couple. But Darius feared the repercussions of their relationship. Emotional relationships were not allowed. It caused too many issues, not the least of one being a distraction and torn loyalties. But there would be no going back for them and Darius knew Max would never hide their commitment to each other, so he and the rest of his fellow knights were just going to have to support them the best they could … And threaten anyone who dared stand in their way.