NINE

‘Guys, that’s it! The brand! We use the brand!’

Familiar voices, both male and female, continued to swirl inside his cranium, heedless to his words. Max was now accusing Ryker of being a closet Dom and wanting her to be his Sub because he had repressed control issues; Diana was purring at Darius that she’d be his Sub anytime; Axel was volunteering for both roles; and Cali and Beyden were alternating between eye rolls and laughter.

This, Lark thought, this was the strongest Order in their history. Just shoot me now.

‘Aw, Lark, don’t be that way. You know you love us,’ he could practically see the smile on Cali’s lips.

He sighed, ‘Maybe I do. But I need you to listen. I have an idea.’

‘Another one?’ Cali asked.

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, ‘Yes. Another one.’

‘Beyden …’ was Cali’s swift response.

Lark heard Beyden sigh but his sharp whistle followed quickly, ‘Enough!’ Beyden yelled, ‘Have you all forgotten that Lark, Ivy, and Dex are alone out there with a chade? Focus team.’

Silence immediately reigned and Lark could feel the chagrin spread throughout the link. Beyden rarely raised his voice but when he did, everyone listened.

‘Dammit! Sorry, Lark. Are you guys okay?’ Ryker quickly asked.

‘We’re fine. The chade is behaving himself, thanks to Dex and the very sinister looking Ivy.’ He heard a few chuckles over that, ‘I think I have a way to make our boy here a little more tame before we attempt to move him. That way, Max doesn’t have to be exposed out in the open and it will be less risky when we bring him back.’

‘What are you thinking?’ Ryker enquired, warming Lark with his immediate support and trust.

‘Our coats of arms. We know they are a direct link to Max’s power; she can draw on our vitality through them, keep the Order link open … What if she can also make it work in the opposite direction?’ He could hear the excitement in his own voice as he warmed to the idea more and more. The confusion in the minds of the others was almost tangible in its intensity – but so was the curiosity.

‘You think I can use you as a conduit, that I can manifest my powers through you, even from here?’

He could almost see Max’s head cocked to the side as she questioned him and contemplated his idea. He shrugged, ‘I’m not sure. But it’s worth a try, right?’

‘It’s a good idea,’ his Captain agreed; Axel, Darius, Cali, and Diana also murmuring their agreement.

‘I don’t know, guys. We’ve never tried anything like it …’ Max sounded hesitant but Lark was sure this would work. He decided to push his case;

‘Just try. If it doesn’t work, we’re no worse off than we were and the whole team can load up and bring you here. But it’s going to be hard completing your secret squirrel mission if all I can do is recon. What are we going to do? Drag you to every chade we find with a soul so you can give it some happy juice before transporting it? That’s not practical, Max. Nor is securing a rabid chade to drag it back to you.’

‘He’s right, Max,’ Darius agreed.

‘Maybe,’ Max was wavering but he could still feel her reluctance.

‘It’s a really good plan, Max. Why do you feel so reluctant?’ his Captain asked, gently.

Lark could see them in his mind’s eye; Max biting her bottom lip and Ryker running comforting hands over the dense mass of her rich hair.

Max sighed, ‘If this works, I’m going to have to keep the link wide open. I’m going to have to draw on all of you and you’re all going to feel what I feel. Lark is going to cop the worst of it.’

‘Max,’ Darius drew her attention, ‘that’s what an Order is for. You really should be leaving the link open every time you do stuff like this anyway. We all know you like your privacy and that you respect ours. But we’re here to serve you, sweetie. We’re your team.’

‘I know. It’s just …’

‘Just what?’ Diana asked and Max hesitated again, ‘It’s that it’s painful, right? And you don’t want us to know, let alone feel it. Well, we all know already. We’re not stupid, Max. Darius is right, it’s time you let us fulfil our duties.’

Diana’s voice was firm and Lark could have kissed her. He’d lost count of the number of times they had tried to make Max understand the sense of duty they shared because they were paladins. It wasn’t a job to them, nor an obligation. It was a bone-deep purpose they had all been born with.

‘Fine,’ Max sounded pouty but also resolved, ‘we’ll try. But I have no idea what I’m doing. This could hurt you, Lark.’

He shrugged, barely refraining from rolling his eyes. His pain threshold was extremely high and he was a damn knight for crying out loud.

‘Okay, okay, sheesh. There’s no need for the testosterone rush. I get enough of that from Ryker, Darius, and Axel always wanting to be he-men all the time. I count on you and Beyden to be the balanced ones.’

The three paladins in question grumbled, making Lark grin. They were fairly obvious in their masculinity, ‘How do you want to do this?’ he asked, refocusing the team on the matter at hand.

‘I think if I focus on following your thread, maybe pushing my powers directly through that, you might be able to manifest the vitality like I do instead of just making it,’ Max suggested.

Lark nodded. Not only could Max see souls but she could also see the threads that connected people to everyone and everything. Every thread was unique because their relationships with people and places were all unique. She had once told him that Diana and Darius were connected by a solid golden thread even before they were together. It was evidence of their feelings and their bond, even if it had been subconscious on their parts.

‘Can you feel this?’ Max’s voice brought him back to the present a moment before a tugging sensation inside his chest hit him.

‘Yes,’ he responded, slowly, ‘it kinda tickles.’ It was also rather disconcerting but he didn’t mention that.

Max snorted, ‘Trust me, it won’t tickle for long.’

He took a deep breath, this was his idea after all, ‘Let me update Ivy and Dex and see if I can communicate what we’re attempting to do to the chade as well. You’ve always said the subject of your healing powers needs to be receptive, otherwise it won’t work,’ he pointed out.

He could feel the warmth as Max smiled at him, ‘You’re correct. Plus, it’s polite. Thank you, Lark.’

Turning to Ivy and Dex, he saw that they were splitting their time between watching him and watching the chade, “Lucky we’re here. You’re totally useless when you’re talking to your Order. You should be more aware of your surroundings.”

Lark knew a reprimand when he heard one. Instead of assuring Ivy he could have jumped into a fight within seconds if the situation called for it, he merely said; “Well, it’s lucky I have two warriors with me whom I trust to watch my back, isn’t it?”

Ivy narrowed her eyes, not responding but Dex threw him a quick grin and a wink, “What’s the verdict?” he asked.

“Max is going to try to do a quick healing remotely – through me.”

Dex’s black eyebrows winged up. Lark knew they used to be several shades lighter but after years of sickness, his physical appearance retained many features of the chades, including darker hair and darker irises; “She can do that?”

“We’re about to find out,” he answered Dex, before focusing on the chade in front of him.

Midnight-black eyes stared back, devoid of any emotion and he struggled not to shiver. These sick wardens really were creepy. But his new friend standing beside him was proof enough that they weren’t beyond redemption. If Max hadn’t have been so stubborn and convinced them of the chades’ plight, Lark wouldn’t be getting a little nephew, Cali wouldn’t have the love of her life, and Darius wouldn’t have his brother back. That was one hell of a ripple effect. Who knew what this ex-warden’s future would hold? What his destiny was. Max did, no doubt, he answered himself, shaking his head a little.

Taking a couple of steps forward, he approached the chade slowly only to stop warily when the chade hissed and took a swipe at him with his poisoned claws. Where once normal fingernails would reside, the chade now had extendable, sharp, lethal claws. And he meant lethal quite literally. Once a chade’s fingernails began to lengthen they also started to secrete a poisonous substance from the ends. Lark assumed it was their adaptation to fight paladins, whereas the sucking vitality shtick was targeted at wardens. If enough of the poison entered your bloodstream it could be toxic to the point of death. Even a small scratch poisoned a paladin’s system, making them feverish, sick, and unable to function for days. Not to mention the scarring. Ryker’s face had been proof of the damage those noxious claws could do. He still didn’t know how his Captain had managed to survive such a wound without a liege to heal him. As for himself, Lark had taken a swipe here and there over the years and he had no desire for a repeat today.

“Knox!” he yelled and couldn’t believe it when the chade came to an abrupt halt, claws extended but still as a statue. The chade’s eyes were practically boring holes through him but he forced himself to take another step closer, motioning Dex and Ivy to stay back. “Knox,” he repeated, “that’s your name, isn’t it? Knox? You were once an Air Warden,” he stated, knowing it was true based on the abilities the chade had shown.

The chade – Knox, he corrected himself – started opening his mouth wide once again and Lark quickly clapped his hands, “Stop! None of that, Knox,” he hoped repeating his name would somehow help the chade focus. At the moment, it only seemed to be pissing him off further if the curled hands clenching and unclenching was any indication. Still, he persevered. Max had made a specific point of telling him the chade’s name. It had to be for a purpose;

“Knox,” the chade tilted his head to the side a fraction and Lark hoped it was an indication that he was listening, “We’re not here to hurt you. We want to help you,” he spoke softly but with conviction, hoping the chade could hear the truth in his words.

Knox shifted his eyes to Ivy and the very shiny sickle, eyeing it in a way that made Lark think he was pointing out the flaw in his argument. Lark turned a fraction in Ivy’s direction and muttered from the corner of his mouth; “Can you put that thing away?”

“No.”

That was it. Just no. Lark repressed a curse, something he rarely did. He wasn’t really a swearer. He supposed he shouldn’t have expected anything more from the ranger. She was probably itching to bring the blade down on Knox’s neck. He shifted his attention back to Knox, saying, “Don’t you worry about her. She’s a total pussy cat, gentle as they come.”

Dex laughed and he thought he heard a small snort of amusement behind him from the direction of Ivy too. “I know you can understand me, at least a little, so I need you to try and focus on what I’m saying. We are going to help you but I need you to want to help yourself as well. I’m going to try something with the help of my liege –” Lark broke off when the chade hissed at the word liege – seemed it was a sore spot, “I know you were once someone’s liege too. If you want the opportunity to serve nature again and for others to serve you, then I need your permission. And your cooperation,” he added.

The chade didn’t respond but it also didn’t hiss again. Lark wanted to take that as tacit agreement but he checked with Dex to get his thoughts, “What do you think? Is he compliant?”

Dex waved his hand and the swirling shackles released from Knox’s feet. The chade immediately moved forward, arms outstretched menacingly in Lark’s direction, “Hey!” Ivy yelled, brandishing her sickle, “Quit it! This guy here is your best bet. Either let him try or I’ll put you down right now. It would save us time and put you out of your misery. Choose,” she demanded.

Hmm, sexy, Lark thought, who knew authority could be so sexy? Dex’s smirk quickly had Lark looking away from Ivy and desperately hoping that smirk didn’t mean Dex could read his thoughts. The mirth glinting in the other man’s eyes didn’t bode well, however. The chade seemed to appreciate Ivy’s authority too, for it had ceased its forward momentum and was now standing unnaturally still.

“Is that a yes?” nothing – no response, “I’ll take that as a yes,” he decided.

‘Let’s do this thing,’ he said to his Order.

Max took a deep breath, ‘Okay, everyone, hold onto your hats.’

Lark felt the familiar pull on his vitality as Max drew upon the bond between herself and her paladins, gathering energy in preparation to disburse it. The feeling was nothing new and as the seconds ticked by, he wondered if this was even going to work, ‘Max …’ he prompted.

‘I know, I’m trying but the energy keeps wanting to split evenly between all of you. I need to focus it just in your direction, Lark. Ryker, drop the link between all of us,’ Max commanded her Captain.

‘What? But if you’re concentrating on funnelling your energy through Lark and into the chade, there’s no way you can also maintain the link. I’m the only one who can,’ Ryker argued.

‘It will work. Just trust me,’ Max responded and Lark was grateful when she didn’t explain herself any further.

There was a brief grumble of unease through the link as the rest of his family chimed in with their discontent but he quickly felt Ryker dropping his hold on the mental bridge that kept them all connected. Although he could still feel the energy from the others, they were no longer in the loop so to speak.

‘You okay to maintain the link, Lark? Because Ryker was right, no way I can concentrate enough to do both at this distance,’ his liege asked.

He felt himself start to sweat but firmed his jaw and nodded his head. He may not have had much practice at this but he could do it, ‘I got this, Max,’ he assured her. ‘You just do your thing. Let’s help Knox.’

He felt her mental assent even as a warm tingling spread rapidly through his body. It was like being injected with pure adrenaline; his heartrate increased, his skin flushed pink, his blood pressure rose, and he felt like he could jump buildings in a single bound. Lark shook his head, the sheer power he felt was unbelievable. Being metaphysically bound in the Order and with his soul bonded to Max’s for as long as they lived, he had assumed he was now accustomed to the huge energy Max emitted and kept contained in her compact body.

But he was wrong – very wrong. The overwhelming potential of her powers was unfathomable and he wondered if even she knew what her full capabilities were. But now wasn’t the time to ponder such questions, for the chade in front of him was now eyeing him like he was a stuffed and trussed Christmas turkey.

And just like that, Lark went from this is so cool to holy shit, this is awful! Knox quite literally flew at him, his cold, spindly arms wrapping around him with a strength that belied the thinness of his limbs. The warm tingling sensation in his limbs and torso quickly morphed into a bone-chilling coldness and within seconds he felt himself falling down into a bottomless abyss that held no light, no laughter, no love … no life. Lark felt himself shake as he realised this was a part of his nightmares – but this time – it was his reality. He saw the gaping, misshapen mouth yawn widely in front of his face and his last thought before he tumbled into oblivion was;

Bad idea. VERY bad idea!