Warden (Elemental Paladins Book 1) by Montana Ash Page A

much for your pep talk, but I think I’ll pass. I will however, gratefully accept your kind offer of shelter for the night.”
    The silence in the room was resounding; Wardens just didn’t speak like that. Nobody knew quite how to respond and to top it all off, the crazy woman was absolutely right.
    “I like you.” Axel stated, before addressing the room at large, “I like her.”
    So did Ryker. And that, he thought, was a mammoth problem.

 
    SEVEN
    Max turned the light off, plunging the pretty bathroom into darkness and simply rested her head against the cool tile. She had politely refused the offer of dinner, instead asking to be shown where she could sleep for the night. It was only seven or so in the evening but she hadn’t been lying when she had said her head was spinning. She had been led up one flight of stairs onto a mezzanine level with numerous doors dotting the hall and overlooking what was likely the living room. The bedroom boasted a queen sized bed in the centre of the room, flanked by white-washed bedside draws with a matching tall boy dresser on the far wall. The room was decorated in navy blue and grey tones and was surprisingly homey with a conveniently attached ensuite where she now found herself. The throb in her temples pounded in direct counterpoint to her heartbeat and she sighed in relief at the blessed blackness and chill of the tiled room. She imagined the migraine was a combination of exhaustion, information overload, and confusion due to her latest predicament.
    Guided only by the light filtering through the half closed bathroom door, she bent over the sink and let the cool water trickle through her fingers. Even that was a blessed relief. Cupping her hands with the intention of splashing the liquid over her face, she took stock of the shakiness of the digits. That didn’t bode well and coupled with the migraine, Max knew a seizure was imminent and there would be no more staving it off. Although she detested being so vulnerable in a house full of strangers she at least now had a little privacy. If the seizures were to overtake her now she could be relatively recovered by morning and be in a better position to be on her way.
    A full body spasm had her clutching at the porcelain sink in a vain attempt to steady herself. It was futile, for in the next instant her legs turned to jelly only to stiffen and jerk the moment she hit the hard floor. The next few minutes were a miserable exercise in fits and jerks and convulsions as her brain misfired in a series of waves. Max lay there alone, breathing hard and taking stock. She despised the seizures. They were a major weakness and she was constantly humiliated at being reduced to flopping around like a fish out of water every time she got too tired or too stressed or too angry.
    She had been seventeen the first time she had succumbed to a seizure and she had been in a filthy alley in Sydney surrounded by the sleazy noises and seedy activities of the Cross. She had been absolutely terrified and had no clue what was happening. By chance, a good samaritan had come across her trembling body and instead of taking advantage of her vulnerable state, he had taken her to a local free clinic. After the usual probing questions and the obligatory call to child services they had run a series of tests and diagnosed her with epilepsy. They had explained it was a neurological condition caused by misfiring electrical impulses between her brain and her nerves – or neurons. The neurons would produce abrupt, uncontrolled spurts of electrical activity and a fit would ensue. They had prescribed her medication which she dutifully took to this day and had educated her on how to avoid the most common triggers.
    Over the years Max had come to identify her triggers and unfortunately for her they were pretty unavoidable most of the time. It was a little hard to be stress free, avoid bright lights and harsh noises, and get adequate sleep when you were constantly on the run.