Page 22 of Custodian

He knew if the others came charging to his aid, they would wipe the floor with Trent and his friends. Especially Ryker. He knew his Captain had wanted a piece of Trent for years. And Ivy ... Beyden shivered a little. If his sister got her hands on the person responsible for his downfall from society, there wouldn’t even be any pieces to send home to the knight’s mother. And now that Lark also had a vested interest after hearing his father’s name mentioned? Well, the whole situation had the potential to become a real shitstorm when they needed to keep the calm for as long as possible before the proverbial shit inevitably hit the fan.

“Oh man, I know that look,” Trent shook his head sadly.

“What look?” Beyden asked, surprised.

“That look of stubborn righteousness on your face. You get that look when you think you’re right and there’s not anything anyone can say to change your mind.”

Damn,Beyden thought. He had forgotten to school his features. Trent’s words sounded remorse-filled but Beyden wasn’t buying it. Well, considering Trent wasn’t buying Beyden’s naïve, country-boy act any more, he may as well speak his mind; “You’d know. I’m sure I had the same look on my face when I took the fall for you all those years ago.”

“I never asked you to!” Trent suddenly exploded. “You could have spoken up!”

Beyden scoffed, “Really? Only to have you then call me a liar on top of everything else?”

“It was a misunderstanding! Things got out of control, that’s all.” Trent was looking flushed – both from embarrassment and anger.

Beyden’s laugh sounded rusty even to his own ears, “A misunderstanding? Really? Because it didn’t look like a misunderstanding when you told me you loved me and tried to shove your tongue down my throat.”

Trent clenched his fists, taking a step forward. “Shut the fuck up!”

Beyden sneered, shaking his head. “What? Don’t tell me you’re still in denial. Dude, it’s been years. Step out of the closet already.”

“I’m not in any closet,” the words were spat between clenched teeth.

“Uh huh,” Beyden drawled, crossing his feet at the ankles in a seemingly casual pose.

He wasn’t antagonistic by nature but he had been living with some of the biggest shit-stirrers on the planet for years now and he had learned a thing or two. A few subtle – or not so subtle – verbal jabs and Trent would crack. For once, Beyden was hoping he would be given the opportunity to put his fighting skills to the test. He tried to feel even a modicum of regret over that but couldn’t. The brief flash of pleasure he had felt upon seeing his childhood friend had simply been a memory. Nothing more than an echo of things long past and long lost. He had allowed this man to humiliate and manipulate him in the past but he would not allow it to happen again.

“Enough of this, Beyden! I won’t let you distract me. Damn it! You’re really on her side, aren’t you?” Trent shook his head in disbelief. “I really thought you were just desperate. The guys tried to tell me,” he pointed to his silent companions. “But I told them I knew you. Knew you were too smart to be fooled by a pretty face and a pretty pair of tits. But I was wrong. You’re a believer.”

Beyden didn’t bother denying it, “I’m a believer.”

“Fuck it, Beyden!” Trent’s hazel eyes held true regret for a moment, “I was trying to do you a favour – for old time’s sake.”

Beyden managed a sad smile at his old friend, “I don’t need any favours.

Especially your kind of favours.” He then watched impassively as the four men began fanning out around him, apparently trying to box him in. His heraldry sparked to life and the Order bond roared with power.

“We’re on our way,”Max informed him.

“Dammit, no!”Beyden cursed at his liege for the first time.“Deal with whatever is going on back at the house. I got this, I promise. I can handle Trent and his three twerp friends. Besides,”he interrupted Max before she could speak,“I don’t want Lark anywhere near Trent and his Order.”

He felt Lark snarl in his mind,“That’s bullshit! You shouldn’t have to deal with my baggage!”

“Trent ismybaggage, remember?”Beyden reminded them all.“I got this.”Silence met his statement for a second before Max spoke once more;

“Fine. We’ll stay put. But I’m still sending back-up. No arguments. We’re a team – you’ll fight your battles as a part of one.”

He couldn’t very well argue with that. Besides, Max’s back-up consisted of a sudden deluge of animals and birds converging on the obstacle course. A shocked gasp forced Beyden’s attention where it should have been all along – on Trent and his companions.

“What the fuck?! Does that kangaroo have a six-pack?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Beyden felt his lips twitch when Trent’s eyes bulged in horror as he took in the six-foot tall eastern grey kangaroo with the bulging biceps, ripped abs, and two-inch claws standing just metres away. Although joeys were cute little things when they were babies, adult roos could be lethal – especially the adult males. And especially when they were abiding the wishes of a Beast Warden.

Beyden watched covertly as Fawn and her four paladins stepped outside, though she didn’t attempt to come any closer. Beyden was pretty sure her paladins wouldn’t allow her to and there really wasn’t any need when she could call upon the abundance of animals in the area anyway. Looks like Max had also called in one of her ‘squirrels’ to help him out too.

Despite being confident he could kick all four paladin’s butts with one hand, he still felt grateful and humbled for the help. Trent and his friends looked unsettled but still set on their course and Beyden couldn’t help giving them all one last chance;

“Do you really want to do this, Trent? I am a member of the most powerful Order on the planet. My liege is a true Custodian and the daughter of Mother Nature herself. You won’t be able to beat me. And you won’t be able to beat her. Why don’t you run off and tell yourfriendsthat, hmm? You. Will. Not. Win.” Beyden reiterated, carefully enunciating each word in case Trent was hard of hearing. One of the other men finally deigned to speak, but his words were such bullshit that Beyden wished he hadn’t bothered;

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