Page 60 of Custodian

“Hmm,” was her only response. She was feeling much better but nerves still rattled in her empty stomach. She had been too nervous to eat anything before they left the house.

“You got this, baby,” Ryker dipped his head once more, adding the gift of passion to his earlier gift of love and comfort.

Max felt her head spin, chuckling when she heard dozens upon dozens of clearing throats. Breaking free from her man’s grip, she looked around to find her entire entourage grinning at them salaciously.

“Perverts.”She made sure the mental retort was not just reserved for her Order. Instead, she pushed it out into the minds of the couple of hundred people lined up behind her.

Laughter filled the clearing, lifting Max’s spirits and leaving her humbled at the sheer number of souls willing to sacrifice themselves for something greater than themselves. Each and every person behind her, whether they be warden, paladin, or chaden, understood what they were fighting for today. It wasn’t just for their right to survive and live freely – although that was an enormous goal as well. It was for the balance of the world itself, for nature was now at a crossroads. If they were not successful that day, the precarious balance between nature’s guardians and nature’s defectors would tip in the wrong direction. If Emmanuel were to win, Max knew he would move on from here, consuming every natural resource in his wake, until nothing was left but that cold, black abyss he had tried to lock her into.

“Max!” Garrett greeted her, “How well you look this morning.”

Even though he was still a fair distance away, Max was able to hear him clearly and knew everyone else could too. Still, she decided not to enable the nice psychopath and just as she had done with his son two nights ago, she ignored him.

“What? Nothing to say? You’re not even going to try to stop this? That’s not very queenly,” Garrett said in mock disapproval.

“Nothing I say will change anything. You have no intention of letting us walk away. You want this too much – this pain, this violence … this death.” She informed him, knowing she spoke the truth and knowing every other person in the clearing could hear it too. “Besides, I’m no queen. I’m a Goddess. And we don’t fuck around.”

So saying, she released a vibrant spear of energy directly at Garrett’s black heart.

***

“Holy shit!” were the only words Mordecai could get out of his mouth as he watched Max’s power shoot toward Garrett with the force of a tsunami. But right before it was about to make contact, a geyser of dirt spewed from the ground, shielding Garrett and dispersing the energy, harmlessly. Well, maybe not harmlessly, Mordecai thought, seeing the toll it seemed to take on Autumn. It looked like she had used up nearly all of her own vitality in order to stop Max’s energy missile. He caught a fleeting glimpse of Autumn’s three paladins converging on her before they were swallowed from view by a mass of charging bodies.

Mordecai didn’t even pretend Garrett wasn’t his target as he slashed his way through the throngs of chades to get to the traitor. He didn’t bother with a blade, instead using his abilities to tear and rend the scarred minds of the ex-wardens. He felt his four paladins at his sides and back and knew they fought with scythes to protect him with their lives. He sincerely hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but in that moment, he felt willing to do almost anything to see Garrett dead and buried.

Within seconds, he had a path cleared and was gratified to see Garrett looking a little shocked by all the brutality going on around him. His old friend looked different with the black eyes and Mordecai didn’t feel even a hint of regret for what he was about to do.

“Garrett!” He shouted. Garrett and Autumn turned as one, their faces morphing into pleasure when they saw him approach.

“Mordecai! Isn’t it wonderful. Just like we planned,” Autumn simpered, and Mordecai wondered if she had always been so butt-arse crazy.

He noticed Garrett’s four paladins and Autumn’s three paladins fanning out around him and spoke telepathically to his Order;“Can you guys handle the paladins if I take the psychotic wardens?”

“Please. Seven pampered paladins against us four? Are you trying to insult us?”Tobias asked.

Mordecai spared his knight an eye-roll, confident his men would come out the victors. Tobias was right; he doubted Garrett and Autumn’s paladins had the same discipline as his knights. He was wondering how he was going to divide his own attention between the two very powerful wardens when Diana stepped up beside him.

“Max says I should take the crone,” Diana told him, idly twirling a curl around her finger.

Mordecai saw Autumn stiffen in insult and he sent Diana an appreciative wink. He knew she had spoken loudly on purpose in order to gain the attention – and the anger – of Autumn. He wanted to ask if Diana was sure but then remembered what she said about Max. If his daughter wanted Diana to take on Autumn, then that was enough for him. Autumn stalked closer to the black-haired paladin of death even as Garrett made his way to Mordecai.

“You couldn’t beat me before. What makes you think you can beat me now?” Garrett sneered at him.

Mordecai felt himself smile, “You were able to block me before using your powers as a Life Warden. My element wasn’t able to penetrate your defenses because you were using your aura as a shield. No doubt, it’s been what you’ve been doing all along to hide your true self from all of us.”

Garrett shrugged, looking unconcerned. “So you figured out my secret. It doesn’t matter. It still applies. My shields of Life will still hold.”

Mordecai tsked, “But they won’t anymore, Garrett. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Your eyes are black. You’re infected. You’re sick. And you know what my element can do with sickness …”

In the end, Mordecai took no pleasure in wringing the life from Garrett’s body. He watched in silence as his domain wound dark tendrils around Garrett’s body before burrowing directly into the source of his infection – his eyes. Garrett screamed and writhed, his arms and legs kicking uselessly against the ground as Death ripped open every old wound the warden had. Black fluid leaked from his eyes, nose, and ears, and the last thing Mordecai heard as he turned away was Garrett choking on his own blackened pus.

***

Diana was doing a pretty good job of removing heads, when Max’s voice sounded inside her own;“Go and help Mordecai.”

“What?”Diana asked, shocked. She looked up to see the death warden talking pleasantly with Garrett and Autumn as his Order taunted the couple’s corrupted knights.

“I want you to go and kill Autumn before she has a chance to cut Mordecai down from behind. Mention Verity; Autumn hated him. It was her idea to kill him all those years ago.”

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