Page 46 of Custodian

“Smart,” he retorted. “You have certain wiles I don’t possess.” Max made him laugh by looking down at her breasts and bouncing them in her hands. “Those are definitely a part of them.”

“Fine. I’ll tell Ryker, you tell the others. Two days from now?” Max asked.

Axel nodded, “I’m sure we can make that work.”

“Yay!” Max bounced up before leaning down and giving him a smacking kiss on the lips. “Thank you, Axel. For everything.”

Axel knew she was not just referring to the party but also to the secret she had told him about their futures. He stood, giving her a formal bow, “You’re welcome.” It was his duty and his pleasure to ease his liege’s burdens.

“We’ll keep this conversation between the two of us, won’t we?” Max asked, nibbling on her lip.

“Sure.” He made sure to keep his response and his shrug negligent. That hadn’t really been a question anyway, but rather it was a command of silence from his liege. Axel knew the difference.

“Okay then.” She said, turning and heading for the door.

He watched her walk away and wondered if he was going to be able to sleep anytime soon. Infinite possibilities and Max had seen one pathetic chance for them to make it out alive? They were well and truly screwed. Perhaps he should consider getting his ducks in a row – as they say. Not that he had many ducks, but if he were being truthful with himself, he knew there was one particular duck he wouldn’t mind getting some closure with.

“Axel …”

He jumped. Max hadn’t left as he had thought but was standing in the doorway, looking solemn once again.What now?“Yes?”

“She didn’t betray you.”

Axel stilled, ice forming in the pit of his stomach. “What?”

“Celeste.” Max said, speaking the one name he had strived for fifteen years to erase from his memory bank and his vocabulary. “She didn’t betray you. You were deceived.”

Bombshell dropped, Max finally turned and walked away.

TWENTY-TWO

“Help! Please, help us!”

The male shouts came the morning of the planned party and had Ryker cursing up a storm even as he ran outside. Darius, Axel, and Beyden were already outside, having been on watch and they all had their scythes out and pointed in the direction of the calls of distress. Ryker didn’t relax when he saw the familiar faces of Leo and Lawson rounding the corner because his eyes immediately latched onto what they were carrying between them. It was a shrivelled, shell of a man and Ryker realised with sickening clarity that it was their liege – Caspian.

“Max! Max!”He knew his voice sounded panicked – not really a good trait in a Captain or boyfriend for that matter. But Caspian had become a very good friend of the household and Ryker thought of the younger man almost like a little brother. Before Max came along, selling Caspian some of his land had been one of the first – and only – good deeds he had achieved since losing Flint.

“What happened?” Max’s horrified voice came from behind him.

“He’s been drained,” Leo’s face was pinched with worry and guilt.

“Get him inside,” Max commanded.

By the time they had what was left of poor Caspian on the bed in one of the guest bedrooms, the entire household had stationed themselves inside the room. Ryker had first managed to determine from the two paladins that there was no threat following them before he had allowed his Order to leave their posts. He knew they were all worried about Caspian and they would all want to be close to Max after she performed her healing. Ryker only had thoughts ofwhenMax would heal the water warden and notif. Theifdidn’t bear thinking about.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, an incredibly pale and still unconscious Caspian was now breathing steadily on the bed. He was no longer emaciated-looking and the death rattle that had been coming from his chest was no more. They also had a very tired and colourless liege on their hands. Ryker picked Max up and sat with her in his lap, feeling his coat of arms spring to life when his six fellow knights channelled their six different types of vitality into Max. The druidic symbol for life in the centre of his forearm glowed a luminous soft purple as his own life energy got to work. Max snuggled in for the duration and Ryker contented himself with keeping her close to his chest so he could feel the steady thump of her heart. He knew her purpose was to help and to heal, and although he was damned proud of her, it still slayed him to see the price she paid every time.

Casting his eyes over Leo and Lawson, he saw they were both touching their liege too, no doubt offering up as much energy as they could. He could see the worry on their faces, particularly Leo, who was scared for his lover as well as liege. Ryker knew the feeling all too well, but it didn’t soften his reproach; “How could you let a chade close enough to your liege for him to be drained like this?”

“Ryker,” Max rebuked, pushing away from his chest.

He was glad to find a splash of colour highlighting her cheeks, but when she tried to get off his lap, he held on tight. He wanted her within touching distance for just a little longer. He also ignored her censure, turning hard eyes on Leo and Lawson once more; “Well?”

“They didn’t,” the croaked reply came from Caspian’s mouth.

If Cas wanted to say more, he didn’t get a chance to because Leo swooped down and captured his lips. After a minute, Ryker was starting think maybe he should fetch the hose, when Leo finally stopped mauling his lover’s face. Max waggled her eyebrows at Cali, Diana, and Ivy and mouthed the word:hot. The three woman all nodded in agreement, uncaring of their boyfriend’s scowls, and the blush of embarrassment spreading across Caspian’s fair face.

“We were nowhere near any chades,” Caspian volunteered again, pushing himself upright with the aid of Lawson. “Thank you, my lady,” he then bowed his head humbly in Max’s direction.

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