The Last Ward
Author: Jessica Wayne
Date: 2000-01-01 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Magic; Novella; Fantasy Romance; Werewolves; Vampires
Description: Daxon Ward turned his back on his legacy decades ago. Destined to become one of the realm’s Guardians—a magickal subspecies with blood-deep resistance to all things magick—he was one of the few who understood their true mission. Witnessing the genocide of a magickal family at their hands, Daxon turned his back on the Guardians without a second thought. Now, as his younger brother is set to graduate and join the ranks of the realm's supposed protectors, Daxon finds himself swallowing his hatred and traveling to the Guardian training academy. Not long into what should have been a peaceful celebr
Publisher: B.A.D. Publishing, LLC

PRAISE FOR JESSICA WAYNE’S FANTASY NOVELS

BLOOD HUNT

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CURSE OF THE WITCH

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TETHERED SOULS

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COLLATERAL DAMAGE

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WARRIOR OF MAGICK

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RISE OF THE PHOENIX SERIES

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“…action packed from beginning to end.”

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VISIONS OF DEATH

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VISIONS OF VENGEANCE

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VISIONS OF TRIUMPH

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The Last Ward

Cambrexian Realm

Jessica Wayne

To YOU.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

Welcome to Cambrexia.

The Last Ward

Cambrexian Realm book 1
by Jessica Wayne

Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.

ISBN 13: 978-1-952490-45-3

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or actual events is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Edited by Dawn

Cover Design by TwinArtDesign

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Warrior of Magick Sneak Peek

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

About the Author

Also By Jessica Wayne

Contemporary Romance by J.W. Ashley

1

Nearly two decades ago

Sienna Faremin’s body was broken.

Her will shattered.

Her life over.

Bound to the hard stone beneath her back, she was helpless to do anything but lie there as her captor injected yet another vial of blood into her veins. Who knew what kind this was?

Vampire?

Werewolf?

Human?

Necromancer?

Gollum?

Or, perhaps it belonged to another of her kind. A Sage.

It burned, spreading fire through her veins, and she arched up off the stone table, tears streaming down her cheeks as she bit down on a cry. He loved it when she cried out, so she would do everything possible to keep her pain inside.

To not show him just what it was he was doing to her.

“You are much tougher than I gave you credit for, Sienna. I will give you that.” Tossing the syringe to the side, he moved forward and brushed his hand over her forehead. His touch was cool against her burning flesh, but she didn’t revel in the relief.

Not when her pain was caused by him.

“Just kill me already. You’ve had your fun.”

“Oh, Sienna, I never tire of you. You’re like a good whore. I will enjoy you until it kills you.”

She bit back a sob and turned her head to the side. Who knew how many years had passed since she was brought here to be the subject of his experiments. How many hours he’d spent nearly killing her, over and over again, only to bring her back.

How many times must she long for death before its icy fingers will finally drag her under and free her from this hell?

The door burst open, slamming against the stone wall. “Master.”

Annoyed at the interruption, her captor turned toward the intruder. “What is it?”

“The council has arrived.”

He smiled down at her and caressed her cheek as though she were his pet. Hell, she basically was given that she was at his mercy much like a caged animal to its master. “Perfect. I will be there in a few moments.”

The man bowed his head and disappeared as Amos walked around the table. “Shall we see how well that blood will heal you?” He raised a stake from the table, and Sienna shut her eyes because watching it wouldn’t make it any easier.

The blinding pain was instant, spreading from her abdomen as he yanked free the stake that penetrated her flesh. She cried out, unable to remain silent. “I will see you soon, my dear Sienna.”

Alone, Sienna let herself sob. Her vision swam, and her muscles shook from the cold as it hit her.

Maybe this was it.

After all, Amos was not here to save her this time. Maybe whatever he gave her wouldn’t work. Hope bloomed as her body began to numb. Ahhh, yes. Freedom.

The door hit the wall with a heavy crack, and Sienna cried out. She was so close she could practically see Death standing before her, and now he would ruin it, would bring her back so he could torture her again and again. She sobbed, eyes blurring with heavy tears as the shadow came into view above her.

A hand caressed her cheek, the touch warm, almost comforting. That doesn’t make sense.

And then the voice hit her. A man, familiar, a plea. “Sienna? No, no, no. Please, no.”

The heartbroken tone pulled at her heart, and she blinked away the tears, focusing as a blood-covered Zane came into view above her. He was her only friend, her best friend, and he’d found her.

“Zane?” Her voice cracked as her vision wavered in and out. One minute, he was there, clear as day, discernable by the stubble on his sharp jaw; the next, he’d vanished, turning into nothing but a watery blur.

“I’m here. I found you.” Zane leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. The tender gesture eased some of her pain and soothed her soul. Amos couldn’t touch her now.

Not with Zane here. He’d always been her protector, her shield.

Zane. Panic twisted in her gut. Being a half Sage, half Vampire, Zane was the only one of his kind. Which would make him the perfect experiment for Amos. “You have to go. He’ll get you too.”

‘We’re going to get you back to the Magick Council, Sienna. They’ll help you.” His fingers gripped the iron chains binding her to the table, and he snapped them with strength given to him at birth.

Her throat burned with what she had to tell him—for the defeat in her soul and the knowledge that no one was going to help them. The council he spoke of, the ones who should have protected them both, was nothing but a group of spineless, evil bastards.

“They know,” she whispered.

He stepped back for a moment, face pale. “No. That’s not possible.”

“They let him.”

“No. They couldn’t have. They said you were in training, that you were being readied to hold a seat with them.”

They’d told her that too, convinced her that they sought her for the strength she’d had at birth. She’d been far too stupid, too naïve to see just what they were doing. They’d slaughtered her parents and stolen her away, let her be beaten as a child, then groomed her to believe they’d done it all for her own good.

Maybe she deserved all she’d gotten after all. What kind of woman forgives those who murdered her family?

Zane’s arms slid beneath her, lifting and cradling her broken body against his chest. She leaned against him, his warmth staving off some of the cold in her dying moments. At least, she would leave this world warm, in the arms of a man who might as well have been family.

“They wanted to see how powerful they could make me. Amos volunteered to test it and make me a weapon.” Her words were slurred now, her breathing labored. Each intake of oxygen was an assault on her burning lungs.

She looked up, gaze resting on Zane’s blurry face as it contorted from horror to rage in the blink of an eye. Copper eyes narrowed on her face. “I will kill them all, Sienna. I swear it.”

“Will you, half-breed?”

Sienna choked on a sob as terror settled in her bones. She was useless right now, and there was no way Zane could fight his way out of here. Not while carrying her, and Sienna knew he wouldn’t leave her.

He’d never leave her.

Sienna’s body began to shake uncontrollably, and she was helpless to stop it. Zane’s gaze remained trained firmly on the council members and Amos. “You will all die,” he growled.

“Don’t be a fool, Zane. You know you are no match for all of us.”

“You’d be surprised,” he replied.

“She is mine,” Amos said as he took a step forward. “I’ll ask that you put her back. I’m not done with her training just yet.” He grinned at Sienna, and she looked away.

“Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged. It’s been a while, half-breed,” Amos replied.

“There is no reason we can’t settle this civilly,” a councilwoman said. Sienna turned back to her. Is it possible? Will she let Zane live?

“I very much disagree,” Zane replied.

“You can stand against us, and you both will die, or we can come to an agreement.”

“I’m not leaving her here. I’d rather die a thousand deaths.”

“No one is asking you to. You can take her, nurse her wounds; then you both return to our service once she’s ready.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You expect me to work with you?”

“She will die if you don’t. You both will.”

The councilwoman’s words were chosen carefully, making Sienna wonder just what it was she was getting at. What could she possibly have that would change Zane’s mind?

“We’ll both die anyway. Why prolong the inevitable?”

“She’s been dosed with Guardian blood. There is only one cure for it, or it will eat her alive from the inside,” Amos said. So that’s what that last dose was.

“And you expect me to believe you’d just hand over the cure?”

“If you agree to work for us, then yes, we will. She is more useful to us alive than dead.”

Zane glanced down at her, and she tried to plead with him, but for the life of her, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. His shoulders relaxed, all fight vanishing. “Fine. Give me the cure.”

“Give us your word.”

“You have it.”

“Amos,” the councilwoman directed.

Sienna opened her eyes as Amos handed Zane a vial. “She needs to drink this along with some Vamp blood.”

Zane’s eyes widened in horror. “You’ve kept her alive with fucking Vamp blood?”

“Couldn’t have her dying.”

“You will continue to feed her your blood until your debt has been repaid.”

“What debt?”

“The one you owe us for killing two council members,” Madame Mabel stated simply, clicking her tongue. “It’s punishable by death, you know.”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

With the flick of her wrist, the necks of the other two councilmen snapped, and their bodies collapsed to the floor. “Yes, you did.” She turned away. “Don’t disappoint me, Zane. I would hate to make you watch as I rip her apart, limb from limb.”

“You wouldn’t dare. You are no match for me.”

“You may be right. But I do have custody of someone very important to your Sage friend. Betray me, and I’ll see to it she watches as the last remaining member of her family is slaughtered.”

Her mention of Anderson did nothing but anger Sienna. He was just as guilty as the rest of them.

Sienna shivered, and Zane knelt to the floor. Something pressed against her lips, and he coaxed them open with the pad of his calloused thumb. “Drink, baby.”

She obeyed, and he pressed her against his chest, rocking slightly. “It’s over, baby. You’re safe.” Something crunched, a delicate sound that was like an anvil falling, given her pounding head, then he held his wrist up to her mouth. “Just a little, to heal you.”

Sienna drank, finding the copper tang that had once been alien to her now as familiar as water. Within moments, she could feel her body knitting back together.

But her soul? That was an entirely different wound and one that could not be touched by Vampire blood.

2

Present Day

“Fuck, it’s cold.”

Daxon chuckled and studied his riding companion in complete amusement. The man, a scholar by trade, knew nothing about the elements, given his typical routine of remaining in doors, buried in some book or seated behind whatever parchment he was working on at the time.

A life Daxon himself could never even begin to understand. Hell, he’d sprinted away from a life that would have meant following someone else’s orders, but even that would be preferable to a life of sitting indoors.

Then again, if it weren’t for men like Fenris Malnask needing someone who knew the realm to escort him into Cambria, Daxon would likely not have nearly as much coin.

“Here,” Daxon said as he reached behind him and untied the extra cloak strapped to his bags.

“Thank you.” Teeth chattering, Fenris accepted the offering, not wasting any time as he shrugged into it, letting the heavy fur put another layer between him and the elements. “Do you believe it will snow? I bet it’s going to snow before we get there.”

“It’s not quite the time for snow,” Daxon said. “We have another month or so.” He looked up at the cloudy sky. “Though, rain may be in our future.”

“Perfect. The only thing I hate more than snow is rain.”

“What about ice?”

“Ice?” Fenris practically squealed the word, and Daxon swallowed his laughter. Best to not piss off the man paying him.

“Sure, ice is what falls when it’s not quite cold enough for snowflakes but far too cold for rain drops.”

“I hate being outdoors. There is a reason I am in the line of work I am.” He pulled the cloak tighter around his shoulders. “How much longer before we reach Cambria?”

“I’d wager we will arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“One more night outside. I can handle that.”

Can you? Daxon was not so sure this man would make it another hour. Then again, he hadn’t believed Fenris would make it this far. He’d been damn sure the scholar would have requested an immediate return to Tolonix after his first few hours on the road.

“I am glad to be free of that thieving city,” Fenris snapped, making Daxon wonder if perhaps he hadn’t muttered his thoughts out loud. “Did I tell you I was robbed within the first few hours of arriving?”

I am not surprised. “Oh?”

“Bastards snuck up on me while I was leaving my horse at the stable. Took everything I had in my hands. Thankfully, I remembered what my mother always told me of the Sage and kept some coins in my shoe as well.”

“And just what was it your mother told you of the Sage?” He, himself, had heard stories of the white-haired battle Sage who would sneak into the rooms of children who misbehaved, only for those children to never be heard of again.

Her merciless heart and unmatched skills in battle were well known throughout the realm—that was if she even existed in the first place. As far as he could tell, she was nothing more than a frightening bedtime story mothers tell their children.

He sat up a bit straighter in his saddle as if being able to inform Daxon of something was a matter of pride. “She told me to always keep spare coin in my shoe, of course. That way, if my path ever crossed with that of the Sage, I would have coin left once she robbed me.”

If your path crosses with that of the Sage, chances are that your time is up. “Why wouldn’t you simply keep all of your coin in your shoe?”

Fenris fell silent, seemingly pondering just why that wouldn’t work. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. His mount flinched, but Daxon’s own mount, Shadow, didn’t so much as spare him a glance. “Because if you did that, she would just keep looking until she found it. This way, if you have some in your pocket, she will believe she found all of it and go about her day.”

Likely with your head on a spike. Daxon shook his head, trying to clear his inner monologue. Worst thing he could possibly do is let Fenris know just how fucking agitating he was.

Seventy-five coins. I’m getting seventy-five coins for this, Daxon reminded himself. Though, technically, it wasn’t as though he needed the money. Truth was he had plenty to his name, given that he came from one of the wealthiest families in Cambrexia. Still, he’d rather starve than touch anything his father once owned.

“Daxon?”

“What?” Daxon glanced over, surprised to see Fenris staring at him. “What is it?”

“I asked you what you knew of the Sage.”

“Oh. Not much. Just that she would sneak into bedrooms and prey on misbehaving children.”

Fenris actually shuddered. “Utterly terrifying. I tell you, I don’t know what I would do if I ever came into contact with her.”

“I don’t believe you’d have to decide for yourself.”

Daxon clicked and nudged his mount forward, urging Shadow to move faster. The closer they grew to Cambria, the better. He was already nervous about returning to the place where he grew up. Especially since he hadn’t seen the bright golden gates since the day he left them behind him and vowed never to return.

“Did you hear that?” Fenris whispered loudly and pulled his horse to a stop. The mount looked less than appreciative of the tight hold the scholar had on the reins.

“Hear what?” Daxon scanned the tree line, not seeing anything out of place. Granted, seasoned thieves wouldn’t be seen until they were descending upon them. Just in case, Daxon withdrew a dagger from a holster on the side of his saddle but left his sword where it was.

“The rustling in the brush! Honestly, how could you miss it! You are supposed to be my guard, not the other way around!” Fenris’s cheeks flushed, and he yanked on his horse’s head. The mount reared up, throwing him right off the back.

Fenris yelled in panic as he hit the ground with a heavy thud.

The brush moved again, so Daxon jumped from the back of his own mount, blade still in hand. He moved toward the brush, careful steps carrying him closer and closer to the perceived danger.

The moment he reached the edge though, he realized the danger was nothing more than a rabbit, likely far more terrified of them than Fenris was of it. He grinned and straightened, turning back to Fenris, who was trying like hell to climb on Shadow’s back.

“Well?” he snapped. “What is it? Vampire? Werewolf? The Sage?”

Daxon chuckled and sheathed his blade at his hip. “A rabbit,” he replied.

“A rabbit?” Fenris stared at him.

“Yes. Rabbit. Cotton Tail. Bunny. Whatever you want to call it. It’s no danger to us. Easy, boy,” he cooed to Fenris’s mount. “Easy.” The horse studied him with wide eyes, nostrils flaring in panic he likely picked up from his rider.

“The horse has lost his damned mind.” Fenris brushed off the front of his tunic.

“Horses are intelligent creatures, Fenris. They pick up on the emotions of their riders. If you are calm, they will be calm. If you panic, well,” he trailed off, gesturing to the horse in front of him.

“I was not panicked. Just careful. I cannot live freely with my life, Mr. Ward. I have things to live for. People to see in Cambria.”

“I see.” He gently caressed the horse’s face, running his hand down the length of it as the creature calmed beneath his touch. After a few more moments, he handed the reins off to Fenris. “He should be much calmer now.”

As Fenris climbed onto the back of the horse, Daxon slipped into the saddle of his own and did his best to remind himself that soon, he’d be alone again.

And this was the last damn time he would be serving as a private bodyguard. Give him a beast to slay, a man to track, but this?

No coin was worth this shit.

3

By the time they reached the golden gates of Cambria, Daxon was about ready to kill Fenris himself. He’d already comprised a plan that would keep the man from ever being discovered. After all, beasts of all types roam the forests. It was entirely likely that he and the scholar would have been attacked and even more likely that he would be the sole survivor.

Still, to keep himself occupied so he wouldn’t carry out his incredibly thorough plan, he focused instead on the details, working through every possible outcome until finally, the Guardian guarded gates loomed ahead.

Men wearing the dark steel armor of the Guardian force stood just outside, hands near the hilts of their swords as the men rode forward.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Disappointment himself.”

The voice was instantly recognizable to Daxon, and he caught himself grinning as he dismounted. The man removed his helmet and grinned at Daxon, an expression nearly as familiar to him as his own. “Alexander, so nice to see you.”

“You as well.” He clasped Daxon’s outstretched hand. “To what do we owe this great honor? Here I thought you’d vowed never to return to this ‘fucking city’ as you so eloquently put it.”

“I’m escorting the realm’s most important scholar,” Daxon said, gesturing back to Fenris, who completely missed his insult and was now straightening in his saddle.

Alexander’s green eyes drifted over to the scholar, and he chuckled. “I see. Well, it seems you’ve done a damn good job.”

“I always do.” The men fell into a companionable silence for a brief moment before Daxon turned to Fenris. “Delivered as promised,” he said with a bit more enthusiasm than he meant. Truthfully, the man was so arrogant Daxon was willing to bet all seventy coins on the fact that he had no idea how grateful Daxon was to be rid of him.

“I appreciate that,” he said as he reached into his pocket and tossed Daxon a leather satchel. The coins clinked together as they hit his palm. “Please open the gate.”

“With pleasure.” Alexander grinned at Daxon before stepping to the side and gesturing toward the men standing closest to the gate. They pushed it open, and Daxon got a brief glimpse at the world he left behind.

Shops bustling with patrons and those serving them lined the road on the other side of the tall, golden gates. Within the walls, Guardians strolled, keeping the peace amongst the city folk, though it was rarely necessary as everyone inside was wealthy and therefore afraid to get their hands dirty.

Honestly, that was a huge reason why Daxon had wanted out. It made him sick—how completely and utterly false everyone was. He’d never understood why you couldn’t simply have it out and move on with your day. You want to slam your fist into someone’s jaw for being an ass? Do it, then buy them an ale at the pub later.

That was normalcy to Daxon Ward.

“You headed to the academy next?”

Daxon snorted. “Why the fuck would I go to the academy?” He turned to Alexander, looking for any evidence of the other man’s amusement but saw none.

“I assumed you were going for Lawson’s graduation.”

His words hit Daxon with a fresh wave of guilt. He should have known his brother would be graduating soon. After all, he’d been dead set on attending the academy ever since he’d been old enough to speak.

Not that their father would have allowed him to do anything differently.

“You didn’t know he was graduating,” Alexander said, his tone betraying his regret at mentioning it.

“I didn’t. Invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, Dax. I shouldn’t have opened my damn mouth.”

“No trouble at all. As it turns out, I have nothing pressing keeping me here, or anywhere I need to be. Perhaps I will head to the academy.”

The relief on Alexander’s face was instant. “I imagine Lawson would love that.”

“I imagine Amos would love that too,” Daxon joked, picturing the pissed-off look that would likely be plastered all over his father’s face the moment they came face-to-face again.

“I cannot imagine anything he would like more.” Alexander reached out. “I’m riding out with the other Guardians at first light. Care to join us?”

The idea of riding with a platoon of men who would be doing nothing but making snide comments did not appeal to him in the slightest. “No, thanks. I think I’ll head that way tonight. Get a jump on it.”

“You aren’t staying here in Cambria tonight?”

He hadn’t stepped foot within those walls in years. Tonight was not the night to make his return. “Not a damn chance.” He climbed back up on Shadow’s broad back. “See you at the academy.”

“See you there.”

4

With his cape billowing in the cold breeze, Daxon stared across the gaping gorge in front of him, at the Guardian training academy.

Built of stone on top of the highest mountain in the Cambrexian Realm, it was said to be impenetrable aside from the single stone bridge that crossed over the River Of Light and was guarded by a dozen highly trained Guardians.

The best of the best attended this academy, and since the Guardians were the only ones standing in the way of the magick population seizing control, it was quite possibly the most important place in the entire realm.

To most, anyway. To Dax, it served as nothing but a reminder of a path he’d chosen not to take and the disappointed parents who’d set it out for him.

Since only certain bloodlines contained the magickal resistance required to become a Guardian, it was assumed if you belonged to one of those families, you would train, attend the academy, defend the realm, marry someone from another Guardian family, and produce heirs who would repeat the cycle.

Around and around it went.

At one point, it had been what he’d wanted. To become a Guardian just as his father had and his father before him. But all of that changed once he realized just what the bastards stood for, what they would allow to be carried out in the name of protection.

Dax shut his eyes tightly, sensing the all-too-familiar rage building in his chest. Today was not about his hatred; it was strictly a day to celebrate all his brother had accomplished. His brother, who was a kind man, incapable of the atrocities Dax witnessed from the hands of the other Guardians. Perhaps someday, Lawson could make a change to the way they did things.

His horse sidestepped, ready for the food and water waiting on the other side, so Dax urged him forward. Truthfully, he was more than ready for a minor break in his travels, even if it meant staying within these walls and facing the judgment of all those who knew of him as the dark smudge on the Ward line.

Lawson Ward was everything their parents hoped Dax would’ve become, so with each step, he prepared himself for the inevitable comparison—and words of disappointment—that would span the three-day festival.

It was the one and only time of the year families were allowed in the academy, and close to a thousand would attend today as the class was the largest to ever complete training at once.

Today, three hundred new Guardians would be added to the army protecting the realm, killing any who would threaten to overthrow the balance between magick and those without.

His mount’s hooves clicking against the hard stone was the only sound as Dax made his way across the bridge, the wind nipping at them a constant reminder of the coming winter. The only thing worse than winters in Cambrexia was the summers. And while the rest of the realm would still be blistering hot for the next six months, this place was so close to the oceans that winter came far earlier than anywhere else.

Daxon snorted. And still, he knew the chilling wind wouldn’t be nearly as cold as the looks his father would share with him. The stone-cold disappointment Amos Ward wore whenever Dax was nearby. It hadn’t mattered that Dax took the time and tried to justify his decision, to explain to his father why he couldn’t bring himself to serve in an organization that glorified the murder of innocent magickals. His father had argued, of course, trying to explain to him all the Guardians did was in protection of the realm.

But Dax knew in his heart that was a hunk of bullshit, and he’d made up his mind long before he came of age. Slaughtering innocents was never the right answer. Killing them simply because they were different didn’t make the Guardians any better than the monsters they were supposed to protect the realm against.

He loved life on the road—the life he’d chosen for himself—working for whoever paid well enough, bedding women he chose and who chose him whenever the opportunity presented itself.

In the past ten years, he’d done more for the realm than anyone would ever know and a hell of a lot more good than most Guardians ever did in their entire lives. But his parents would never accept it—or him—because he hadn’t followed in their footsteps.

“Halt,” a Guardian called before stepping toward Dax in his dark grey armor and cobalt-blue cape.

Dax stopped his horse as the man approached, hand on the broadsword at his hip. Please. Dax could cut him down before the bastard could even draw his blade. Academy training or not, Dax was a damn good swordsman and had proven his abilities time and time again.

“What is your business here?” the Guardian asked, his deep voice booming over the sound of the wind.

“My brother Lawson Highland Ward is taking his Guardian Vows today. I’m here for the ceremony and celebration.”

The guard’s eyes widened. Of course, he knew Lawson; there wasn’t a Guardian alive who didn’t know the Ward family since they had an impeccable reputation and the coin to do just about anything they wanted. His father had used that coin to buy his way onto the academy’s board a decade prior.

“Daxon Ward, I presume?” He removed his hand from the hilt of his weapon, no longer threatened by the man before him. Fool.

Dax nodded, unsurprised that the guard knew of him. After all, he was the only Ward who hadn’t attended the academy. “That would be me.”

The man smirked before stepping aside. “Go on then. Enjoy your time.”

Dax urged his horse forward and began the rest of the journey into the stronghold. He passed more Guardians, standing solid as the stone around them, and as he got closer, sounds of celebration rang out ahead.

The doors to the stronghold were pulled open, and Dax dismounted; then he walked slowly inside.

People buzzed through the courtyard, carrying baskets of bread and fresh vegetables, chopping wood for the fires, or mending armor and weapons. Leading his horse to the stable, Dax ignored glances shot his way or murmurs as he passed.

It wasn’t anything he hadn’t been subjected to before, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last of his experiences.

He was the first in the entire line of Guardian families who’d taken a different path. The first who’d chosen to forge his own way rather than stand on the backs of his ancestors, committing atrocities in the name of a king who knew nothing about what went on outside his castle. The king was given information by his personal council, fed to him by families—like the Wards—who had enough coin to shape the realm to their liking.

“See to it he’s well fed and watered,” Dax instructed a stable boy and tossed him four gold coins.

The boy’s eyes widened at the sum before he smiled and nodded profusely. The bastards who came here—those with more money on their person than this boy would ever see in his life—tended to be cheap with their payment. Perhaps that was how they stayed rich.

Dax tossed his saddlebags over his shoulder and watched his horse being led away. He’d be surprised if he weren’t back here retrieving his horse within the next hour. That was typically how long he could stand to be around his father before completely losing his mind.

Turning toward the academy, Dax took a deep breath. Wind pulled at the dark brown hair that he’d cropped to just above his ears, and he ran a hand through his short beard.

His parents would be inside, in the banquet hall reserved for the five board members and their families. His betrothed would also be there since her father sat on the board with his own father.

Facing Corrine after all these years was going to take a lot of energy. Energy he didn’t possess after a month on the road, fending off bandits and would-be thieves.

His brown riding boots, dark pants, white shirt, and fur-lined cape set him apart from most of the men in their armor.

Very few commoners were allowed this close to the academy—and only if they could offer specific services to the Guardians. Most were carpenters, blacksmiths, or stable hands, although there were a few farmers amongst the crowd. After all, you had to feed the bastards if you wanted them to possess enough strength to kill for you one day.

The Guardians and their families believed themselves to be above all others, including the magickal creatures kept at bay only by the Guardians’ natural resistance to magick.

They hunted certain magickal species mercilessly, killing Vampires, Werewolves, or other magickal beings without cause. He’d seen firsthand the aftermath of a Guardian slaughter on a family of Werewolves who’d not harmed a single person in the realm.

They were killed simply because of the blood running through their veins. It disgusted him. Seeing the young Wolf boy he’d played with as a kid beheaded as soon as he went through his first change had been enough to send Dax on a different path. The boy hadn’t hurt anyone, and his heart was kinder than that of anyone Dax had ever known.

But Amos Ward had insisted it was only a matter of time before he turned into a murderer, and he’d forced Dax to watch as Grimley was beheaded.

No one, magick or not, should be judged by what they were but rather who they chose to be.

Dax shook his head. No time for ghosts of the past. Not now. Not ever. What was done was done.

He began the climb up stone steps leading him toward the entrance, pausing once more for the men at the top to pull open the large iron doors.

Immediately, he was assaulted by noise and the smell of fresh meat that made his mouth water and his stomach groan for sustenance.

In the past month, he’d eaten nothing but bread and dried meat, washing it down with whiskey or water.

He’d kill for a solid meal with fresh meat. Honestly, it was a large reason he’d regretted not taking Alexander up on his offer and riding with the Guardians. The majority of them were bastards, sure, but they were well-fed bastards.

“Daxon! Is that you?”

The feminine tone hit him like a hilt to the gut. It had been years since he’d last seen her. And then, she’d been crumpled in the foyer, crying her eyes out because her eldest son was ‘abandoning’ his family.

Still, he’d known this was a possibility when he’d decided to make the journey here, so rather than pretend he didn’t hear her, Daxon straightened and forced his best smile then turned and faced his mother. “Mother, it is good to see you.”

The deep purple gown she wore complemented her dark hair nicely, and he appreciated that she looked genuinely happy to see him. New lines at the corners of her eyes and threads of silver woven in her hair were evidence of just how long it had been since he saw her.

“I am so happy you are here.” Wrapping his arms around her, Dax breathed in the sweet scent of jasmine that he’d grown up adoring. “It’s been far too long.”

It smelled like home and only elicited the smallest of longings for the place he’d grown up.

“It really has.”

She released him and linked an arm through his. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, traveling and offering assistance where I can.”

“That’s good. Though, you do know you could do so much more if you’d attend the academy. The resources alone that would be at your disposal—”

Not this again. It’s been, what? Thirty seconds? “I like what I do,” he interrupted.

Her lips flattened, but she didn’t push it. “Very well. Your brother is graduating at the top of his class! Can you believe it! Another Guardian in the family.”

And just like that, she’s forgotten all about me. “I’m happy Lawson found his calling.”

“It’s the calling for all Wards,” she replied pointedly. “You’ll see someday.”

Not likely. “How is Mariana doing?” he asked of his pregnant twin. She’d married the eldest son of the Kimber family, the third most regarded Guardian family in the realm. The marriage had been planned since she and Phillip had been born, and both families celebrated for a month after the nuptials—which Dax hadn’t been invited to. Something his father had made sure of.

“She’s doing wonderful. We believe it’s a boy. A future defender of the realm.”

“Glad to hear it.” He’d always been close to his siblings. Between Mariana, Lawson, and their youngest brother, Theodore, Dax had managed to stay sane while growing up. They’d been the only ones who supported his decision and never made him feel inadequate because of it.

Honestly, leaving them had been the hardest part of turning his back on Cambria, the Guardians, and above all—his father.

As his mother continued leading him up the stairs toward the banquet hall, she chatted lightly about nurseries and birthing plans. But as soon as they reached the top, as soon as they stood upon the landing just before the banquet hall, the voices of the rest of Dax’s family filled his head.

They sounded like home. A smile spread over his face as his sister’s contagious laugh drifted out of the room. And his smile died when his father’s own booming laugh shattered the joy he felt at reuniting with his siblings.

The hairs on the back of Daxon’s neck stood on end, his stomach churning with the knowledge that by simply walking into this room, he was going to ruin his brother’s evening. Here we go. All eyes would be on him, the stain, the black mark decaying away at an otherwise impeccable line.

His mother tugged on his arm. “Come on, then. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you!” Everyone fell silent the second he crossed the threshold. All eyes turned on him and his mother, and Dax searched the room for his father.

The head of the Ward family stood just past the door, flanked by four men who all managed to mimic his father’s angry glare. It truly was impressive how these men managed to make him feel as though he was merely ten all over again without uttering a single syllable.

Amos Ward stepped forward, holding out a hand to his eldest child. His once-dark hair had turned white, and there were new wrinkles near his mouth and eyes, giving the impression this was a man who smiled often. Which he did when Dax wasn’t around to glare at. “Daxon, glad you could join us.”

His perfectly tailored pants and shirt were mahogany, his vest a deep gold. Both colors of the Ward family and both colors Dax was no longer allowed to don, per his father’s wishes. Amos Ward had burned every single one of Dax’s garments when he’d announced he was leaving the line, straying from his destiny.

Walking out with only the items on his back had been mortifying. And yet, he’d sure as hell recovered, hadn’t he? He’d used the coins he’d saved, as well as the ones Lawson snuck him, to purchase his mount, Shadow, and the rest was earned with blood and sweat. Could he have asked for more coin? Used his name to gain favor?

Absolutely. But that was not—and never would be—who he was.

“I am truly glad to hear you say that, father. As it turns out, I nearly missed it since my invitation seems to have been delayed.” His father squeezed his hand tightly, letting Dax know exactly how he felt that he’d decided to grace them with his presence.

“Yes, well, you know how messengers can be.”

They locked eyes a moment longer before a dark-haired woman pushed through the crowd and headed straight for them.

“Dax!” Mariana squealed, wrapping her arms around him.

Dax hugged his sister and kissed her loudly on the cheek when she released him. “You look fantastic, Sister.” He held her back at arm’s length, smiling at the sight of her swollen belly and the deep green gown of her husband’s family.

“I look like a horse.”

“But a very beautiful horse.” Dax grinned when she smacked him playfully on the arm.

“At least, I don’t look like the horse’s ass.”

Dax laughed loudly until a man came over and wrapped his arm around Mariana’s shoulders. “Daxon, it is good to see you.”

“You too, Phillip,” he said, reaching forward and shaking his sister’s husband’s hand.

“It’s too bad you missed the wedding.”

Dax forced a smile. “Unfortunately, I was in a part of the realm where I could not have returned in time.”

“Hmm.” Phillip looked over Dax’s shoulder before kissing Mariana and excusing himself.

“I really wish you could’ve been there,” she said in a hushed voice, her deep blue eyes shining with fresh tears.

“Me too. You know I would’ve been had I received word.”

“I know. Father promised he’d let you know. I didn’t realize, until the day of, that he never sent you the message. I should have just done it myself.”

Dax glanced up at their father, who was deep in conversation with Phillip. “He’s promised a lot.” The silence stretched on, neither wanting to speak on the broken promises or lost dreams of the past. “Is he kind to you?” He gestured toward her husband.

Mariana smiled. “He is. I know you don’t see it, but Phillip is a good man.”

“As long as he treats you right,” Dax said. His sister’s new father-in-law had a reputation for being rough with women. Phillip sure as hell better hope he hadn’t inherited that trait. Dax wouldn’t hesitate to cut those fucking hands right off.

“Daxon!”

He turned just before his youngest brother crashed into him. “What’s this then? I thought they didn’t allow farm animals inside!”

The boy laughed wildly. “Only on special occasions.”

“Theodore, I have missed you.” Dax hugged his youngest brother closely before pushing him back to get a better look. “You've grown four feet since I last saw you!”

The now teenaged boy shrugged. “It's been a long time."

Dax sighed. "It truly has been."

“Soon, I'll be old enough to join you on the road!”

Dax smiled even when he glanced up and met yet another angry glare belonging to his father. Ever since he’d been barely old enough to walk, Theodore had been Daxon’s shadow. Much to their father’s dismay, the boy had made it no secret that he wanted to grow up just like his oldest brother.

Amos pushed through the crowd once more, stopping to stand right beside Daxon. “You will be growing up and becoming an honorable Guardian just like Lawson,” Amos said, interjecting himself into the conversation. Narrowing his eyes on Dax, Amos clasped a hand on his youngest son's shoulder. “Daxon has chosen his path; you will choose differently.”

“Father—”

“Theodore, go see your mother. Now.”

Defeated, Theodore lowered his eyes to the floor. “Yes, sir.”

“Good boy.”

Dax and his father watched Theodore disappear into the group before Amos whirled on him. “You will cease filling his head with lies and false futures.”

Dax wasn’t even mildly shocked. Therefore, his expression never changed. “Will I? Doesn’t sound like something I’d do.” He crossed both arms.

Amos scowled. “You may have made a mockery of yourself, but I refuse to let you taint the rest of our line with your paranoid garbage.”

Dax’s jaw tightened. “You see a taint; I see a branch of free-thinking.”

“That’s what you call it? I didn’t realize it was free-thinking when others told you what to do. At least, as a Guardian, you would be charged with caring for the realm. Not taking payment from the highest bidder.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t be paid as well but would witness twice the bloodshed. At least, I don’t see to the torture and murder of innocents in my line of work.”

Amos laughed heartily before lowering his voice to just above a whisper. “Tainted blood is tainted blood,” he said flatly. “Your Werewolf friend deserved what he got, and if you were more of a man, you would’ve seen that his death saved lives.”

Dax growled deep in his throat. A sound more beast than man. “His death was followed by the massacre of his entire family, including his little brother and sister who hadn’t even gone through the change yet.”

“They would have, and then we would have killed them anyway. Better to save the time, don’t you think?”

Dax didn’t respond, knowing whatever he said would be tossed out the window just as his relationship with his father had been. There was no making Amos Ward see anything but what he chose to see and believe. And if the conversation continued, he’d have his own father’s blood on his knuckles.

“Where’s Lawson?” Dax asked, changing the subject.

Amos straightened, his tone changing to the cold detachment Dax was used to. “Preparing for his ceremony. Perhaps you can try to not make an utter ass of yourself while you’re here.”

“No promises,” Dax said with a dark smile.

Amos turned and left, and Dax cursed under his breath. Damn, he needed a drink.

Anything to make these three days less miserable than they were already turning out to be.

5

Clinging to cold stone with tired hands was all Sienna could do to keep from falling into the raging waters below. With a storm brewing on the horizon, the normally calm River of Light surrounding the Guardian Academy was all white water and harsh spray as she scaled the top.

She could conjure a breeze, lift herself onto the ledge above, but since she didn’t know if there were patrols just ahead, that could prove perilous.

Stretching up, she grabbed an outcropping of stone, testing it for strength before utilizing it to pull herself higher.

But wet stone is perilous in and of itself.

She slipped.

“Shit!” Her side slammed into the stone, and pain shot up her side. Gritting her teeth, she managed to barely catch herself, five feet below where she’d been before. The wind whipped at her, knocking the cloak from her head and sending free strands of white hair around her face.

Thankfully, it was dark, so as long as no one came out here for a late-night piss and just so happened to look down, she was safe—for now.

Bloodlust on her mind left her with only one mission tonight.

And she could not fail.

Utilizing a strength renewed by vengeance, Sienna chose a different stone and pulled herself higher, higher, until finally, she was gripping a thick vine hanging over the top of the ledge. Using it to pull herself toward the top, she peered at the side of the academy and breathed a sigh of relief when there was no one up there waiting.

Not that she was surprised. Other than Amos Ward and the high council members, she and her only friend Zane were the only ones who knew of this secret entrance.

Zane. If he knew she was here—Someone laughed, cutting off her thoughts as she pressed herself as close to the stone wall as she could possibly be. Just ahead, a window jutted out, hiding the door from prying eyes looking below.

“You really shouldn’t taunt him, Dax,” a woman said.

“It’s in my nature,” a man replied, his voice deep, tone amused.

Their chatter continued as footsteps echoed above until finally, they fell silent. She knew they couldn’t have seen her had she chosen to enter, but on the off chance torches were burning inside, she couldn’t risk light spilling out below and drawing anyone’s attention.

No one could know she was here.

Otherwise, she would likely be executed right alongside the only person in the realm who gave two shits about her.

Sienna conjured up a gust of wind and sent it through the lock hole. Using her mind to guide the air and her memory to tell her where to send it, she raised the lock and pulled the door open without so much as a sound.

It hit her then, the memory of the years spent beneath this Academy. Of the torture, the pain. Her heart rate increased near painfully as her lungs all but seized with terror.

Dark.

Damp.

Chains.

No. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head, willing the panic to subside. She wasn’t here to relive the past. She was here to end the nightmares.

And the only way to do that was to kill her former captor.

Summoning her courage, Sienna took the first step inside. Guardians were arrogant by nature, which meant after donning her hood one final time, she could move through the Academy, and none would pay her any mind.

After all, what supernatural would have the balls to storm the walls of the very creatures who hunted them? Especially when the halls were bustling with extra Guardians and their families. A suicide mission, to be sure. But as long as she took him out too, she’d be happy to meet her end.

Stone steps ahead would carry her to the main part of the academy, but instead of continuing quickly, Sienna stopped and turned to the right, taking a moment to stare into what had once been her cell.

She swallowed hard.

Here, she lost herself.

Here, she became a monster feared by all within the realm.

And it was all because of Amos fucking Ward.

Sienna turned away from the room and pulled the hood even tighter around her face before taking the steps two at a time, more than ready to get this over with and leave this place behind for good.

The heavy wooden door opened easily, and Sienna slipped into a back hall of the academy. It was empty, rightfully so given that damn near everyone would be at least three ales in by now. Fitting. The realm was in shambles, and its so-called protectors were piss-drunk.

But that’s what they did—the Guardians. They drank, judged, and murdered. Few did right by the realm, but the majority were in it for the title and coin. Nothing else.

As she moved down the hall, Sienna kept her eyes forward, though she was careful not to meet anyone’s curious gaze. Hearing loud chatter ahead, Sienna headed straight for it. Surely she would find her target there. Enjoying the celebration amongst the others, a fake smile plastered on his sadistic face.

Her hands tightened into fists, but she did her best to calm herself, not wanting an early display of power to give her away. A few more steps, and she reached the great room. It was packed, full of men and women drinking, laughing, enjoying themselves.

She scanned the room, eyes traveling over those in attendance in search of the one person she needed to see. Not that she would challenge him here. No, her plan was to follow him, to get him alone so she could do to him exactly what he’d done to her all those years.

Then she could keep him in the damp.

The dark.

Shackled in fucking chains.

Her perusal came to a halt as her gaze landed on a man with dark hair. The room seemed to part as he moved through it, and she definitely noticed the looks and murmured whispers as he passed. For the first time, Sienna was unable to tear her gaze away from the stranger.

With his broad shoulders and warrior stance, she would have expected him to be wearing the dark grey armor of a Guardian, but instead, he wore leather riding pants and a white shirt partially open, giving her a glimpse at his hair-dusted chest.

Face tight, he moved through the crowd, sparing annoyed glances at some of the Guardians as he passed. Annoyed at being in this place, perhaps? He slid onto a stool at the bar then raised his hand to call for a drink.

She stared at him for another heartbeat, wondering exactly why he was here at the academy. It certainly didn’t look like he wanted to be here.

A man stumbled into her. “Shit, sorry,” he grumbled as he moved forward. The distraction was enough to break the stranger’s hold over her, so Sienna forced herself to move forward.

And as she slipped into the stairwell that would lead her to Amos Ward’s office, her heart began to race, a thundering drum in her chest. If she were lucky, there he would be, and there she could end it once and for all.

Unfortunately for Sienna, luck was very rarely on her side.

6

The academy’s pub was crowded tonight, full of Guardians and their families waiting for the ceremony to start. All around him people laughed, shared stories, and enjoyed their companions while Dax kept to himself and did his best to stay the hell away from his father.

Downing his second ale, Dax sent up a silent thank-you to God above that the edge of his earlier conversation was beginning to wear off. No need to bring his foul mood to Lawson when he finally saw him.

His father had never been one for kind chatter with his children, but at least, they’d had some form of a relationship before the night that changed everything.

Dax closed his eyes, wishing he could erase memories of the carnage or the way dark armor looked coated in bright red blood.

He wished like hell he could erase the screams of his friend’s family and the copper tang that hung in the air once the battle was over. If you could even call it that. A battle should be a fight between armed opponents with the ability to defend themselves. Not against innocent victims armed with nothing but words and tears. They’d killed the parents first, forcing their children—one no older than six—to watch as their parents were killed in the name of a king who surely didn’t know about the atrocities going on outside his castle.

No, this particular order had been sent from none other than Dax’s father after the bastard overheard a conversation between Dax and Lawson over their mutual friend’s first change. To this day, he still carried the burden of that guilt with him wherever he went.

Dax knew, without a shred of doubt, that the weight of those deaths would hang on him like the heaviest iron until the moment he ceased to draw breath.

“Daxon Ward. As I live and breathe! Is that you?” A hand clasped his shoulder, and Dax turned to face Oliver Stein, his once best friend.

Grinning, Dax held out a hand and pushed the memories aside. “Good to see you, Ollie.”

“You too, man!” Oliver leaned against the bar top, his armor making it nearly impossible for him to sit on the small barstool. “How are you doing?”

“Good, just staying busy.”

“Bedding women, you mean.” Oliver winked, and Dax smiled. Some people never changed.

“When I find a willing one and the time to properly care for her needs.”

“Man, I envy you.”

“Don’t.”

A quiet moment passed between the two men until Ollie cleared his throat. “How’s life on the road?”

“Fulfilling. How about you? What’s it like being a badass Guardian?”

Oliver’s eyes darkened. As a child, he’d never had a taste for battle, so when Dax told him of his plans to not join the Guardians, Oliver had been more than happy to stand by his side. He’d been packed and ready to join Daxon. At least, until his own father broke his nose and arm. “It’s good, Brother.”

Dax nodded, understanding his old friend had no interest in discussing it.

“How long you here for?” Oliver raised his hand to order an ale.

“Just through the ceremony. I doubt I’ll make it much longer than that.”

“Ah. Conversation with the old man not go well?”

Dax stared down into his nearly empty cup. “Does it ever?”

“For us, unfortunately not.”

“I imagine things with yours have gotten better since you’ve been serving the Guardians for what—nearly a decade now?”

“You’d think. But until I marry and produce sons, I’m still utter garbage to him.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Especially since I have no interest in anyone they insist would be a good match.”

“No lovely woman calling to you?”

“Most of them are high maintenance, and the ones who aren’t—your sister, for instance—are already married.”

Dax lightly punched Oliver in the arm. The bastard had been making passes at Mariana since they’d been teens. Not that Dax could blame him. Dax’s twin was the best. She was kind, beautiful, and as capable with a blade as any man.

“Has Alexander arrived? I’ve been looking for him.” Oliver’s face fell.

“His platoon isn’t going to make it.”

“What happened?”

“They were re-routed to The Amber Isle.”

Daxon shook his head. “Why the hell would they go there?” The Sage-run city has never been overly accepting of the Guardians, and vice-versa. Honestly, Dax was surprised the realm hadn’t already torn itself apart.

“Something about a message that needed to make its way to the king. They are escorting a Sage to the palace.”

“Fuck. Guess it’s a damn good thing I didn’t ride with them when offered.”

Oliver arched a blonde eyebrow. “You reconsidering your decision not to join?”

“Not a fucking chance,” Dax shot back. “I escorted a scholar to Cambria where Alexander filled me in on this event.”

“Ahh, I was wondering how you received word. I didn’t imagine your father would be overly fond of sending an invitation.”

“He was definitely not excited to see me, that’s for damn sure.”

Oliver chuckled before glancing over to the other side of the bar. “I think it’s time to take my leave. Looks like you’re going to have company.”

Dax followed his eyesight and groaned. Here she comes. Corrine strolled toward them, her long copper gown swaying as she walked, her hair—nearly the same color as her gown—braided up on top of her head, baring a slender, pale neck.

She was gorgeous. A picture of beauty and grace. And yet another person he’d been running from when he’d left this damned life behind him.

“Daxon,” she said, her melodious voice drifting over to him even before she reached where he sat.

“See you later,” Oliver said softly.

“Coward,” Dax murmured, earning a soft chuckle from his friend. “Corrine,” he greeted as she slid onto the stool beside him.

“You look well.” Brown eyes narrowed on his face before traveling down his body. She’d made no secret of the fact she’d wanted to bed him—whether they were married or not. If he'd been a better man, perhaps the thought of rolling around in the sheets with someone he despised wouldn't have sounded like such a damn good idea. In fact, the way she was looking at him now made it hard for him to remember just what it was about her he found so intolerable.

“You do too.”

She grinned, leaning back in her seat and twirling a stray strand of hair around her finger. “Thank you.”

Dax nodded and ordered another ale.

“How have you been?”

He turned his attention back to her. “Good, and you?”

“Waiting for my fiancé to return, so lonely.” She pouted, plump red lips pursing.

There it is. The same spoiled Corrine I'd been more than happy to run from. “I’m not your fiancé anymore, Corrine. That ship sailed when I chose to not join the Guardians.”

She laughed and touched his arm. “I’m not talking about you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I’m betrothed to Lawson now. Once he takes his Vows, we will be married.” Her eyes turned almost dreamy, and Dax offered a smile, relieved he hadn't made a move on his momentary thought about taking her to bed.

His younger brother was going to have his hands full with this one. “Well, let me be the first to offer my congratulations.” Lifting his mug, he nodded before turning it up and drinking deeply.

“You aren’t jealous, are you?” Eyes wide, she stared at him, hopeful.

“Not even in the slightest. You and Lawson will be good together.”

She gave him a disappointed stare before getting to her feet. “You could have had me,” she whispered lowly into his ear. He could smell the ale on her breath, making him wonder how much of this was her and how much was brought about by liquid courage. She’d always been a rebellious one, but he’d never known her to be unfaithful. “All of me.” Rubbing her chest against his arm, she leaned in closer. “Perhaps you still can.”

Ballsy, he had to give her that. “You’re engaged to my brother, Corrine. Best keep your gown down and your legs closed until you’re married.”

She snapped back as if he’d slapped her. “How dare you speak to me that way! I am Corrine Vakters, and you will speak to me with respect.”

Not interested in giving her the public fight she was aiming for, Dax got to his feet. “Good to see you.”

Turning, he headed for the stairs that would take him down into the ceremonial room, the large space where his brother and the other Guardians would be taking their vows within the hour.

He must’ve been crazy for coming tonight. Hell, he’d almost skipped it. But Guardian or not, Lawson was his brother, and they’d once been thick as thieves.

Missing tonight, when it was so important to him, would’ve been a mistake and something Dax wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself for.

Better to have a clear conscience than a heavy heart.

7

Sienna pushed open the door to Amos’s office, breathing in the stomach-churning scent that was him. On another man, it might not have bothered her, but because she’d become intimately familiar with the stench of citrus and tobacco during the darkest times of her life, it was not something tolerable to her.

Other than a new tapestry adorning the wall, it looked exactly as it had the one time she saw it. The same day she was brought here under the illusion of being trained to join the magick council. Of course, it had only been mere hours before that training turned to torture.

Sienna closed her eyes then turned away from the office. Since he was not here, there was only one other place he could be. Slipping back out into the hall, she made her way up a set of stairs that would take her to the highest part of the ceremonial room where she would watch and wait until the moment Amos Ward was alone.

Then, she could kill him and be gone before anyone was any the wiser.

People were already filing into the seats carved from the stone of the cavern. Idle chatter filled her ears as she slipped to the top, hovering in a dark corner where she hoped she’d all but blend into the wall.

She’d been in this room before.

Seen this very same ceremony three other times in her life.

Sienna closed her eyes as a memory forcibly surfaced, shoving her back to the past.

Chains circling her wrists held her spread wide in between the two pillars situated in the center of the ring. Her heart pounded, her muscles quivering because she knew what this meant. She was to be the final test.

A final passing grade for those who wished to carry on the Guardian line.

Sienna swallowed hard and did her best to shield the fear. She knew all too well that showing it would do nothing but make them long to break her.

Thundering footsteps hammered the stone floor beneath her knees, and Sienna choked back a fearful sob. She should be angry, right? Furious. Not afraid.

After all, she knew Amos wouldn’t let her die this time.

He’d never let her die. No matter how many times he brought her to the brink of death, his experiments would always revive her.

Within three heartbeats, Guardians poured into the ceremonial room. They circled around her, coming to stop in lines just before her. There must have been a hundred men before her, all wearing the silver armor of the cadets.

When they graduated, they’d be given the dark steel color of the Guardians as though it were some honor and not earned by spilling her blood. Fucking bastards.

“You have all worked hard to be here,” Amos’s booming voice called out. “And you are deserving of standing just where you are today.”

Some men eyed her warily while some eyed her with lust—though not for her body. These men wanted her blood.

“But when you are out there, guarding the realm against those who would see it destroyed, you must remember that magicks come in all shapes and sizes. Some are wolves, Vampires, and some—like this beauty here—are Sages. They are, by far, the most dangerous because they are the most human-like of all the creatures.” He walked over to her and gripped the back of her stark-white hair, ripping her head up so all could see her. Wearing nothing but a band of cloth over her breasts and a pair of cropped pants that barely covered her ass, she was all but bare in front of these men.

These Guardians.

“Why is she chained?” a man called out from the back.

“She is guilty of some of the most heinous crimes in the realm,” Amos replied, the lie rolling so smoothly off his tongue Sienna would have believed it herself. “Captured by our finest and brought here for judgment, she has been sentenced to just this. A final training exercise for young Guardians.”

“She doesn’t look so terrifying to me,” a man staring at her with hunger in his eyes grinned widely.

“Unchain me, and I’ll show you,” Sienna growled as she fought to stand.

Amos shoved her back to the ground. “I assure you, young cadet, this Sage is not one you wish to taunt. “

“You want us to kill her, then?”

“I want you to try.”

“And if we succeed?”

“You won’t,” Sienna growled.

The man in front smiled at her as Amos released her hair and took a step back. “Since you are immune to her battle magick, you will have the upper hand. But be warned; this Sage is a lot more than she appears.” Amos turned, letting his cloak glide behind him as he exited the ring and took his seat amongst the other council members.

He turned to the left and nodded, and her chains dropped.

The Guardians drew their swords, and Sienna stood, rolling her shoulders as she did. This was the second time she’d been used in such a way. And the last time, she’d nearly died.

This time, she was determined to do just that. Even if she had to fall on a blade herself.

Shaking out of the memory, Sienna clenched her fists. How many damned times had he nearly killed her? Must be in the hundreds over the time he held her here.

And finally, tonight, it would come full circle.

Her biggest regret was only that he had but one life.

8

The stairs opened up into a large space with rows of stone seating cascading down to an open floor large enough to host the hundreds of people who would be in attendance this evening. The stone floor shone with the polish applied by squires hoping to one day become cadets when they could take their own Vows.

Flames licked the walls from sconces, illuminating the space, and Dax found a seat at the very top, already ready for it to be over with so he could grab his horse and go. His gaze briefly fell on a cloaked figure in the corner, but soon, more began to file in, and he turned his attention to where it needed to be.

On not losing his damned mind.

There was no way in hell he was going to last the three-day festival when he’d barely made it past dinner.

Scowling, Dax stared down as the five board members—his father included—walked out onto the stone floor, each carrying a torch that would light the copper bowl of fire for each of the five main families.

Attendees made their way inside as the five men below lit their own flames, his father lighting the Wards, Corrine’s father, the Vakters, Tready Brillom lighting his family’s. Oliver’s father, Michal, lit theirs, and last but not least, the Yagers’ bowl roared to life.

The men bowed their heads at the flames before dousing their torches in the bucket of water waiting beside and taking their seats on the first level with their families.

An old man walked out, back hunched, cane in hand, and made his way to the center of the floor as the last of the attendees took their seats.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the Vows these men of honor have chosen to take. Each man here tonight will be inducted into the Guardians and will stand with dignity beside their brothers as they fight for the good of the realm.” The man's shaky voice filled the space, and it took everything in Dax not to scoff at his words.

“It is a great honor to be a member of such a fantastical organization and to be the only light standing in the way of complete darkness. Our bloodlines are the only ones powerful enough to hold the abominations at bay, and we will continue to do so even if it means trading our lives for the betterment of the realm!”

Cheers erupted through the space, and Dax leaned back against the stone wall, arms folded.

If slaughtering innocents was how they bettered the realm, they should simply let the magickal creatures take over. Their reign couldn’t be much worse.

“Tonight marks the beginning of a lifetime adventure for these men, and we cheer them for their honor, for their courage, and for the fight in their hearts!”

More cheers rose as the man left the center of the room and took a seat beside Dax’s father.

The sound of heavy, armored footsteps filled the space as the future Guardians were marched in from a tunnel. Their voices were silent, and since they were in full armor, Dax was unable to determine which of the men was Lawson.

Once they were inside, their footsteps fell silent, and even Dax had to admit the sheer number was impressive.

The three hundred completely filled the space, not an inch to spare.

Amos stood and faced the large group of men. “Today marks the first day you become men! You entered this academy wide-eyed and weak, and you leave it with eyes ready to see the enemy and bodies trained to kill those who seek to destroy our realm!”

The trainees called out, battle cries so loud they nearly shook the walls, and stomped their feet. Then as one, they stopped, and the hall fell back into complete silence.

“You will take your vows today as a brotherhood, one solid entity who will stand together, an unmovable wall of good in a realm plagued with evil.”

“So apparently we’re just repeating what the old man said,” Dax muttered to himself, earning a nasty look from the man beside him. Shrugging, Dax turned his attention back to the center.

“Are you ready, men?” Amos’s voice boomed. A voice that had once struck nothing but fear in Dax and now just annoyed him.

“Yes, sir!” the men replied at once.

“Then begin your vows!”

As one, the men below began to chant, “We are the light in the dark, the good in a world of evil. We vow to stand united, brother beside brother, and fight for the realm and the king until our blood spills and we breathe our last breath. We will not defect or our punishment will be death by the very blade we carry at our side. We are Guardians!”

The room erupted with cheers once again, all of those who watched jumping to their feet and calling down to their loved ones below.

Dax stood and leaned back against the wall as his father beamed with pride out at the men before him. It should’ve bothered him that not once had Amos Ward looked at his eldest son with that same honor, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Or perhaps that was just what he told himself.

With a wave of his hand, Amos silenced the crowd. “Go, Guardians. Celebrate your Vows and embrace your families, for in three days, you will march to your posts and take your spot on the frontline!”

More cheers had the new Guardians marching back out of the tunnel as the audience members walked carefully toward the stairs that would take them back above to the rooms prepared for their feasts.

Dax waited until the space was empty then walked down the steps toward the copper bowl where his family’s flame still danced and would continue to burn until it went out on its own.

Tracing his fingers along the carved design, Dax was surprised the outside of the bowl was cool to the touch even though he could feel the heat coming off the flame.

His family crest—a lion wrapped in vines—was carved at the front of the bowl, the vines cascading around the outside. It truly was beautiful, and once upon a time, he’d dreamt of wearing that crest proudly.

None of it mattered now though; he couldn’t look back or ignore what he knew of the Guardians and their true mission: to cleanse the realm of all magickal creatures whether it was deserved or not.

“Daydreaming?”

Dax turned to the familiar voice, a smile spreading as he looked upon his brother. Lawson’s light brown hair was cut short—nearly completely gone—his face clean-shaven and blue eyes bright. He looked happy, and Dax reached forward to embrace him. “Congratulations, Lawson.”

Lawson laughed. “I appreciate it, but I also know you don’t mean it.”

“Of course I do. You worked hard. Whether I chose the same path or not doesn’t make me any less proud of you.”

Lawson smiled, the dimple on the right side of his cheek showing itself. “Thanks, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you here.”

“You’re my brother, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

Lawson’s fingers traced the same family crest engraved on the back of his helmet. “You talk to father yet?”

Smile vanished, Dax nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t go well.”

“It went about as good as I thought it might.” He clasped his brother’s shoulder. “But we aren’t here for that; we’re here for you.”

Lawson grinned before his eyes darkened. “I need to talk to you about Corrine.”

“I already know,” Dax said with a smile. Lawson had a gentle heart, and Dax imagined hearing he was to marry his brother’s betrothed hadn’t been something he’d cared much for.

“I’m sorry, Dax. I tried to talk father out of it.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m happy for you. Corrine is a beautiful woman but a woman I’ve never had feelings for.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Positive.” Dax grinned. “Besides, if I were to get married, women everywhere would weep.”

Lawson laughed, and Dax joined in on it. “Weep for joy perhaps.”

Both brothers laughed, their differences forgotten, and for a moment, the weight of the realm fell from Dax’s shoulders. But moments were fleeting, and soon Amos was stepping into the space and strolling toward them, arrogance lacing every step.

“Lawson, your mother and I were looking for you.”

Lawson bowed his head. “I apologize, Father. I was catching up with Daxon.”

“Telling him of the pride you felt today?”

“And the hunger,” Dax retorted with a smile. Guardians were forced to fast the day of their vows. It was why the ceremony took place at night rather than first thing in the morning.

Amos lifted his upper lip in disgust. “You always did have a smart mouth.”

“That’s kind of you, Father. I’ve not considered myself much of a scholar before now.”

Amos shook his head, and Lawson bit back a laugh, earning a glare from their father. “Go upstairs; your mother is waiting for you.”

“Yes, Father. See you later, Daxon.”

Dax nodded at his brother. “Maybe one day you can treat him like the man you proclaim he is.”

Amos shook his head and looked him up and down, disgust raising his upper lip. “I often wonder what I did to deserve such a disappointment.”

“I often wonder the same thing. Perhaps we aren’t so different after all.”

Amos stepped toward him, but Dax held his ground. The intimidation might have worked when he was young, but it did nothing to him now. “You and I are as different as night and day, and this will be the last time I allow you to tarnish our family name.”

Dax lifted an eyebrow. “I doubt this is the last time I will embarrass you.”

“It will be because, as of right now, you are no longer a Ward.”

Dax’s eyes widened. Dread settled in his belly like stones in a river. “You are casting me out?”

Amos grinned. “I am. It will be the best decision I’ve ever made aside from marrying your mother. You are no longer welcome with us, Daxon. You are a bastard, a man with no name and no honor.”

Dax’s jaw tightened, and he balled a fist.

Amos glanced down at it before narrowing his eyes. “Go ahead, then. We both know you want to, and nothing would please me more than having you tossed out on your ass.”

Dax took a deep breath in an effort to calm the rage building and slowly released his fist. “At least I won’t be tied to a murderer.”

Amos smiled darkly. “And I won’t be tied to a coward.”

Turning on his heel, Dax walked quickly to the exit, worried that if he stayed around much longer, he would end up being imprisoned for the assault of a board member. Or worse—murder. Because right now, he could think of nothing else that would please him more than spilling his father’s blood.

His father hated him, despised what he’d become, but to cast him out? That took Dax by surprise.

“Just a name,” he murmured to himself. “Nothing but a word.” But his heart ached as he thought of the brothers and sister he’d never see again. Being cast out meant he would no longer be welcome at any family functions. He wouldn’t see his niece or nephew born, nor attend Theodore’s wedding or Vow ceremony.

Then again, the academy would no longer hang over his head, and he was free to do whatever he wanted without worrying about the consequences it would have on his siblings.

Reality settled on Dax’s broad shoulders, and he realized that even though Amos cut him off from everyone he loved, he’d also freed him.

Dax headed straight for the exit, not bothering to stop and say any goodbyes. They were useless and would only be the cause of more drama. His father wouldn’t bend to what his family wanted; Dax doubted the man even cared for them or their opinions. Amos would stand his ground, and seeing Mariana’s tears would only make it more difficult for Dax to do what he needed to do: leave.

Moving with the stealth of someone who consistently hid in plain sight, Dax reached the exit without any issues and descended the steps two at a time. The courtyard, which had been bustling before, was now empty, most of the men and women either home for the evening or inside working the festivities.

Lightning split the sky moments before thunder all but shook the earth. Hell of a night to be cast out.

Muttering to himself, Dax made it to the safety of the stable just before the sky opened and rain pounded down onto the dirt.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” The storm raged outside, thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour of rain that would make it impossible for him to go anywhere safely.

Turning, he studied the inside of the stable. At least a dozen stalls—nearly all of them full—and two large piles of fresh hay. His horse watched him intensely from a stall about halfway down the aisle, so Dax walked over and rubbed his long nose. “Guess we’re bunking together, eh, boy?”

Shadow nuzzled him in response, and Dax chuckled before walking into the stall and setting his saddlebags down, grateful he’d had the foresight to keep them with him. The sweet scent of the hay filled his nose as Dax took a seat on a pile just inside Shadow’s stall.

The horse glanced down at him but then looked back out as more thunder roared, making it sound like there was a battle raging around them.

Dax opened his bag and pulled out some dried meat and his leather skin pouch of whiskey.

Apparently, I’ll be eating this shit a bit longer. Taking a bite of the meat, he leaned back against the stable wall. The salty taste wasn’t a terrible one, and he should be grateful he had anything to eat at all.

Dax closed his eyes, and his father’s red face popped back into his mind.

“You are no longer a Ward.”

“You are a bastard, a man with no name and no honor.”

“Fuck him!” Dax yelled, throwing his food against the side of the stall. It thumped against the wood, earning him a bored glance from Shadow and the horse in the next stall.

Dax groaned and leaned back again, trying to push the night as far from his mind as he could get it. For the past ten years, he’d lived on his own, barely seeing his family. Would he even know the difference?

Would they even realize he was no longer around? He very much doubted Amos would confess that he’d cast Dax out, at least, not until it became necessary to do so. Even then, his hard-ass father would undoubtedly ignore any and all protests tossed his way.

Once Amos Ward made up his mind, that was that.

Slumping down further into the hay, Dax closed his eyes again, attempting to picture anything but his father’s face. The storm showed no signs of stopping, and no matter how pissed off he was, he wouldn’t be attempting to ride through it.

Rain, he could handle. Wind, sure thing. But lightning? Not a chance in hell. He’d known quite a few men unlucky enough to have been struck with a bolt. None survived to say anything of it.

Perhaps once the storm passed, he’d ride to Arminor and spend some time with Kristal, the barmaid who worked there. They’d spent more than a few nights entertaining each other, and just like him, she wasn’t looking for any permanent companionship. Not since her husband was killed by a stray pack of Werewolves four years ago.

He smiled, picturing her beautiful face. Yes, seeing her would be sure to lift his spirits and keep him occupied until the next job came up. Which, hopefully, would be soon.

Right about now, a fight was exactly what he needed.

9

Sienna waited just inside Amos Ward’s office. After departing with the rest of the crowd, she’d seen him head down to the center to talk to one of the new Guardians. She assumed the indoctrinated was his son, and while she would have loved to cloak herself and listen to their conversation, she couldn’t be sure Amos hadn’t found a way to see past her magic.

And she really, really wanted to see the look of surprise on his face when he saw her again. The mere thought of his face as she drove her blade into his heart made her smile. Tonight, she would bleed him dry just as he’d done to her more times than she could count.

Something rushed past the door, and she closed her hand on the hilt of her blade. It moved again, and Sienna closed her eyes. Willing the cloak in place, she crept forward. She’d no sooner reached the door than she sensed them.

Wolves.

The hairs on the back of Sienna’s neck stood on end, and she crept closer as the stench of death the wolves carried with them shrouded her like a rotten blanket. What the hell were they doing in the academy? It made no sense.

The Guardians would never have allowed it as they didn’t suffer magicks of any kind. That she knew better than anyone else.

“This way,” someone whispered, and Sienna crept forward just enough to stare out the sliver left by the door and into the hall.

One Vampire led a group of five others. They were silent as they moved down the hall with stealth she knew they possessed in spades. The bastards were quick, and they were ruthless.

Sienna’s heart thundered as realization dawned. They were here to attack. To kill the Guardians and, more than likely, their families as well.

Her stomach churned. There were innocents here. Children who’d never raised a hand in harm toward the magicks. Surely they weren’t— Someone screamed, and Sienna’s mind made up, she lunged into the hall.

“Hey, assholes.”

The Vampires stopped in their tracks and turned to face her. “Sage whore. You aren’t supposed to be up here.”

Slowly, calculatingly, she reached up with her free hand and removed her cloak. The moment her violet eyes and white hair were revealed, the Vampires’ expressions changed. They snarled.

“You aren’t supposed to be here at all, Sage bitch.”

“Consider me in the right place at the right time, then.” Sienna grinned and raised her blade alongside her palm. “Who wants a piece?”

They charged. Sienna slammed half to the left wall and half to the right, then charged forward, swinging her blade with the precision of someone who’d mastered it long ago. The Vampires fell to the floor, heads lolling to the side, and Sienna wasted no time as she rushed forward.

More screams ahead had Sienna pushing forward just in time to see three Guardians shielding a woman and her small child. They held their blades up, and while she couldn’t see their expressions from behind the helmets they wore, she could feel their fear as the wolves closed in.

Conjuring her magick, Sienna sent it flying forward, sweeping the beasts to the side. “Get them out of here!” she ordered.

The Guardians wasted no time. They turned and scooped up the woman and child and rushed down the hall, away from the wolves. Three of them fell to her sword, but the fourth, a solid black Wolf, remained on the ground, so she moved on.

It could still be alive, but right now, there were more innocents who needed her help.

Her revenge would have to wait.

A man ran out in front of her, and Sienna stopped in her tracks as three Guardians moved into view. His mouth turned up in a carnal smile when he saw her. “Well, well, well, Sienna Faremin. It’s been a long time.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know who you are,” she growled.

“You here leading the slaughter, then?” he asked, not bothering to answer her question.

“Hardly. I’m only here for one.”

“Amos Ward, I presume?”

“You deserve a prize.”

“Kill her,” he ordered. “Then get to the underground exit.”

The men didn’t even acknowledge him. They simply crept forward, and Sienna called upon all her strength as she spun her blade. “I will see you soon.”

“Unlikely.” He took off down the corridor, and the men charged. Sienna dodged to the left, bringing her blade up to clash with that of the Guardian man.

She spun and kicked out, foot impacting with his chest plate. He stumbled backward, giving her enough time to barely avoid being impaled on the blade of the second man.

“It’s been far too long, Sage,” one man growled as he raised his sword. “In fact, the last time I saw you, your body was being dragged away after it was pumped full of arrows.”

“So sorry to disappoint, but I don’t remember you at all.” She ducked as he swung and brought her leg around to sweep his out from under him. Unfortunately, he jumped, and Sienna was forced to jump backward.

The two men faced off with her as the screams of the innocent filled her ears. “Don’t you have people to save?” she snarled.

“Yes. But they can wait until we’re done with you.”

“You fucking morons. I’m not here to hurt them!” She charged, blade in the air, and jumped at the last minute. Landing softly behind one of the men, she brought the hilt of her short sword down on his head. He crumpled to the ground in a clash of metal, and the other Guardian prepared for an attack.

“You will pay for that!”

She rolled her eyes as he charged. Enhancing herself with magick since it was useless against him, Sienna dropped her shoulder and slammed into him. Pain radiated through her bones, but she spun anyway, kicking his feet out from under him and slamming her blade down into the back of his head.

He too fell silent, and she shook her head angrily. She had every right to hate them.

To spill their blood.

But she also knew they were nothing more than pawns in Amos’s sadistic game. So instead of driving her blade down into their bodies, she pushed on, determined to fight for the very ones who assisted her captor in making her life hell.

10

“Dax?”

He was just popping another piece of dried meat into his mouth when he heard his name. He leaned up and saw Lawson standing—drenched—in the breezeway.

“What do you want?”

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he demanded, armor clinking as he walked toward Shadow’s stall.

“Ask Father.”

“I did. He said you chose to leave.”

Dax chuckled. “Of course he did.”

Lawson’s piercing blue eyes pinned him with a stare. “Then how about you tell me just what the hell is going on?”

Sitting up, Dax took another drink of his pouch before offering it to his brother.

Lawson took it and handed it back after taking a drink himself.

“Your father decided I am no longer a Ward.”

His brother’s eyes widened. “He did what?”

“I am a bastard, Lawson. A man with no honor or name. Father’s words, not mine.”

“He did not.”

“I assure you,” Dax said, brushing the hay from his ass as he got to his feet, “he most certainly did.”

“Fucking ass.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“You cannot allow him to do that.”

“I don’t have a choice. He’s the head of the household—holder of all titles, king asshole. I have no power over him or what he chooses to do.”

‘This is bullshit.”

“Complete and utter.”

“I’ll tell mother. She’ll make sure he rescinds his statements. No matter how mad she’s ever been at you, you’re still her son.”

Dax shook his head and took a deep breath. “Honestly, it’s a bit freeing.”

“Freeing? To be a man with no name?”

“Now the pressure is off. I can go where I want without worrying about the fallback it will have on you, Mariana, or Theodore.”

“Your actions have never had a fallout on us.”

“I appreciate that, but we both know father took a lot out on you three because of my leaving. Specifically, you and Theodore.”

Lawson didn’t bother denying it. Amos had made them train harder, longer and, on occasion, took his frustrations out on them. “That’s not on you.”

Dax shrugged. “At least, now I no longer have to hear about how I still have time to attend the academy.”

Lawson rubbed his jaw, a distressed look in his eye. Dax stepped out of the stall and put a hand on his brother’s armored shoulder. “This is not on you to fix. You live your life, marry Corrine, have lots of Guardian babies if that’s what you choose to do, but don’t trouble yourself about me or my life. I’m fine.”

He leveled his eyes on Dax. “You canno—”

A piercing scream split the night just before a boom of thunder vibrated the walls of the stable.

Both men bounded out into the storm just in time to see two cloaked men throw open the front doors.

“What the hell?” Drawing their swords, Dax and Lawson looked back toward the entrance to the academy. Two bodies lay strewn in the mud, and the brothers sprinted toward them, the thick mud slowing them down as it gripped their leather boots.

“Shit, what did this?” Lawson studied the ripped-out throats of the dead Guardians.

Dax knew the answer, and it was not a pleasant one. He’d seen deaths like these many times over his years as a mercenary. “Werewolves. We need to get inside.”

“Werewolves?” He looked back toward the gate, which was still closed. “How the hell did we miss that?”

“They are stealthy, Brother. Some of them are trained killers. Staying in the shadows is what they do best.”

“We need to alert the rest of the guard.” Lawson began moving toward the gate.

Dax followed, although he wanted nothing more than to get inside and make sure their family was safe.

Still, he wouldn’t leave Lawson, and there was no way he could open the gate alone.

They reached the large wooden gates, and after removing the wooden barrier keeping it shut, they gripped the iron handles and pulled. With their feet slipping in the mud, it took a few moments to pull them open enough to peek outside.

“Shit!” Lawson rushed to the first man laid out on the ground. “His throat’s been torn as well.”

“We need to get inside, Lawson. Now.” Hand on his sword, Dax peered into the darkness. As far as the eye could see, bodies littered the stone bridge. The Werewolves had taken the men out silently, the storm blocking out any noise that might’ve slipped out.

The attack was perfectly timed as though the bastards themselves conjured the weather.

“We—uh—we need to light the torches. To warn the others!” Lawson stood and headed for the guard post. Dax gripped his shoulder.

“They’re already dead. We don’t have time for that right now. Who knows how many of those monsters are inside?”

“Exactly! We need backup!”

“We are the backup. You see those bodies?” He gestured to the dead scattered on the bridge. “There is no one else, and Cambria is too far to see the warning torches. Especially given the storm. We need to get inside and hope there are others fighting.”

He could see the battle play out on his brother’s face—to follow procedure or do what must be done. Dax saw the resolution in Lawson’s eyes when he finally nodded.

“Let’s go get these bastards.”

“Atta-boy.”

The brothers raced toward the academy while heavy rain continued pouring down on them and pooling in the dirt. Dax’s heart thundered, a familiar feeling, only this time, it was laced with fear.

In other battles he’d raced toward, he’d only been worried about himself and his mission. Now, he had an entire family trapped inside stone walls that were possibly crawling with monsters of the night.

Dax ripped open the heavy door and came face to face with a wide-eyed Guardian just before blood spurted from his mouth and he crumpled to the ground.

A creature with blood-red eyes stood behind him, showing a mouthful of blood spilling out when he grinned and lunged toward Dax.

Dax raised his sword and dodged a throwing knife—the creature’s favored weapon other than their fangs—and sliced out with his blade, removing the thing’s head.

It rolled to the side, and Dax took in the scene before him. His brother faced off with another vamp while four armored Guardians fought Werewolves or men donning black armor.

A Werewolf crept from the back room, eyes targeting one of the Guardians’ backs, so Dax raced toward him, driving his sword down into the monster’s spine just as he was about to pounce.

“Thanks!” the Guardian called with a glance before driving his blade down into the thing’s throat through an open space of the black armor his foe wore.

The thing stumbled long enough for another Guardian to remove its head just below the helmet.

“What the hell is going on?” a Guardian called out.

“I have no fucking clue!” Dax replied.

With one last swing of his sword, Lawson killed the Vampire and joined Dax and the four other Guardians.

“Where is everyone?”

“Taken down to the ceremony room. There’s an escape tunnel below.”

“When did they come in?” Lawson asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Bastards crept in from the windows and the front door. They’d taken out nearly half our guards before we even realized they were here.”

“That was damn fast,” Dax commented. “Which means they were organized.” He’d only been in the stable for half an hour. For these creatures to make it past the gate, into the academy, and take out half the guards in that time meant they were on a mission, and this wasn’t just a random attack.

“You’re telling me.”

“You cleared the upstairs?” Dax glanced up the dark stairwell.

“We haven’t made it that far. We assumed they got everyone out, but we were on our way to do one last check when we ran into these assholes.” He kicked the body of a Werewolf with his boot.

“We’ll clear up if you guys take the back hall,” Lawson offered, and the Guardian nodded once before disappearing.

Creeping up the stairs, Dax growled low in his throat at the sight of a woman and two children lying in pools of their own blood on the stairs. So the things aren’t just after Guardians.

“Who would do such a thing?” His face pale, Lawson stared down, wide-eyed and horrified at the sight. Dax hoped his brother wasn’t about to pass out.

“Listen,” Dax said sternly, placing his hand on his brother’s armor. “These creatures will pay for what they’re doing here, but you have to stay focused.”

“How much death have you seen?” Lawson asked, his voice hollow. “You don’t seem phased at all.”

Dax clenched his jaw. “Far too much, Brother. War is ugly, and I imagine the reality is nothing like what they teach you in this fucking place.”

Lawson swallowed hard and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

“You good?” he asked. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his brother here, but if he were going to let his emotions cloud his skill, then he was in more danger being at Dax’s side than if he simply ran.

Just as Dax was about to suggest exactly that, Lawson nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

They bounded up the rest of the stairs—taking two at a time—until they reached the top.

Heart pounding in his chest and adrenaline surging through his veins, Dax ran, his legs going as fast as they could for the banquet room where his family had been.

He threw open the doors and ran inside. Tables and chairs were overturned, the feast strewn across the room. Blood splattered the walls, and Dax ran to the first corpse, a Guardian in armor whose throat had been ripped out just like the others.

“Werewolves,” Dax murmured, studying the bite marks. “Just like the ones outside.”

“What the hell is going on?” Lawson asked breathlessly, moving to check another Guardian corpse. His color had returned, and Dax had to admit he was impressed. For a man who’d never seen real combat, Lawson had managed to pull himself together. A difficult feat, to be sure, especially considering they weren’t only fighting for their own lives but the lives of their family and everyone else trapped inside.

“I don’t know. Vampires and Werewolves typically don’t run together.”

“This is an attack on the realm,” Lawson said, eyes widening. “They are trying to overthrow us.”

Lawson could very well be right, or it could be the magickal realm was tired of the Guardians slaughtering its people. Either way, innocents were paying the price in blood, and that was not something he would stand for. “We need to find our family.”

Lawson got to his feet, and the two brothers ran into the hall, nearly crashing into a woman running straight toward them.

“Corrine!” Lawson called, and she stumbled into him. Her face was blood- and tear-streaked, the front of her gown ripped, baring a deep scratch on her abdomen.

“Lawson! Thank God!” she cried out and buried her face in his chest. “They came in, we didn’t know what was happening. The Guardians—those things just started killing them!” Her body shook, and Dax leaned down to get a closer look at her face.

“We need to know where the others are.”

She aimed her eyes at his. “The Guardians took them.”

“To the ceremonial room?” Dax confirmed, and Corrine nodded.

“They had me too, but Oliver—”

Her voice dropped, and Dax cursed. “Where is Oliver?”

“D-d-d-dead,” she stammered. “They killed him.”

“Fuck!” Dax gripped the hilt of his sword more tightly. “We need to get down there. Make sure the others got out.”

“Agreed. Corrine, it seems they’ve cleared most of these rooms already. Hide in here, and we’ll come get you when we rescue everyone else,” Lawson instructed.

“You’re leaving me?” Eyes wide, she regarded them both with terror. “Please don’t leave me.”

Lawson cupped her face. “We have to go. Please stay put, and you will be safe. If we run into any more creatures, you will be a distraction.”

She stared at him a moment longer before finally nodding.

“Let’s go.” Dax headed back for the stairs to take them down to where he’d witnessed his brother take his vows.

“Think they made it out?” Lawson whispered as they moved down the stairs.

“It’s possible.” But Dax wasn’t convinced. There was too much blood. If anything, it was more likely the Guardians were killed in the process of trying to rescue the families, their bodies dragged down below for the monsters to feast on.

And he feared his brother was right. If you wanted to flip the power in the direction of magick, slaughtering not only the Guardian trainees but the families as well was a hell of a way to start.

11

Dead.

They’re all dead. Sienna’s heart ached for the dead—and dying—covering the stone floor around her.

And for what? She couldn’t think of a single rational reason why the magicks would launch an attack like this. To overthrow the realm? Possibly. But there’s no way in hell they managed to orchestrate something like this all on their own.

No, this is the handiwork of someone else. Who? She had no idea. But there was no damn way these Vampires and wolves decided to work together of their own volition.

Sienna rounded a corner and nearly slammed into a large man boasting black armor. He turned to her, a growl rattling from his helmet. “Fancy meeting you here,” she said softly as she prepared for an attack.

“Sage,” he growled, though the sound was more animal than man. “You are supposed to be down below.”

“Must have gotten lost. Care to point me in the right direction?”

He remained silent for a moment then took a step forward. “You are not supposed to be here, are you?”

“Again, I must have gotten lost.”

He charged, and on instinct, Sienna threw up her hand. Magick slammed into him, sending him flinging backward into the wall. No Guardian. She should have sensed it, but with all the blood clinging to the wall, her senses were a jumbled mess.

It jumped to its feet, and Sienna threw up another hand. Wind slammed into the creature, pinning it to the wall. Since Sienna couldn’t see a vulnerability through the armor, she reached up and gripped the helmet, yanking it off the man’s head and—“What the fuck are you?” Soulless black eyes glared up at her from a humanoid face so pale she could see black veins snaking beneath the skin. There was no damn way this was human.

So what the fuck was it?

“I will kill you.” It reached up, and Sienna brought her blade down into the top of its skull. Bone crunched, and she twisted, ensuring the thing was dead before she withdrew her blade and released the spell holding the thing in place,

It fell to the ground, and Sienna turned toward the hall once again. She had to make it to the ceremony room, to make sure the Guardians headed down there got out.

If not—she feared more for the fate of the realm if those keeping at least some semblance of balance were wiped out.

An overthrow would be imminent, and she was the last person in the realm who wanted the magicks to take over.

A woman screamed, and Sienna bounded back from where she’d come just in time to see a woman fall to a blade, landing right beside a small boy who must have been no older than seven.

She growled as the Vampire turned to face her. “You will die for that.”

He ignored her threat and lunged forward, dagger slashing through the air between them. Sienna didn’t spare him a second thought as she poured her anger into the magick she sent his way. It slammed into him, breaking every single bone in his body.

He fell to the ground, and Sienna rushed forward, removing his head in one swift swing of her blade.

Footsteps hammered on the stairs ahead as Sienna raced around the corner. Two men, one in armor and one not, raced down the stairs toward the ceremony ring. So not all the Guardians have fallen. It gave her hope, seeing them, and sometimes hope is all you need to move forward.

She was just about to take a step when something growled behind her.

Sienna turned, her eyes meeting the golden ones of a large Wolf. It snarled at her once more, blood dripping from its sharp, white teeth. Three more bounded forward, joining it, as two Vampires blurred forward as well.

After taking a deep breath, Sienna rolled her shoulders and prepared herself for one hell of a fight. She’d yet to start feeling the strain of using her magick since she’d been careful not to overdo it, but if she kept tearing through them like she had the Vampire moments ago, it would come. And if she exhausted herself too early, she might not have the strength should she need it later.

So, blade raised high, she waited for the beasts to charge.

The wolves came for her first, and Sienna spun, removing a red-haired Wolf’s head. Claws dug into her arm from a white Wolf, and she withheld her cry, forcing herself to remain focused despite the pain in her arm.

It would heal soon enough. The Vampire blood, still fresh in her veins from her last visit to the Amber Isle, would see to that. So instead, she focused only on the fight. She ducked as it gnashed at her with sharp jaws.

Using a blast of magick, she knocked it to the side long enough to remove its head. Her sharp blade sliced through flesh and bone like freshly churned butter, but she turned too late.

Something slammed into her back, and Sienna fell forward, slamming her head onto the stone floor. The black Wolf pinned her.

Someone below them screamed, and thousands of others followed. No! Magick poured from her, lifting the Wolf and slamming him back into a wall right alongside the Vampires. Sienna scrambled to her feet and ended them as they lay there unconscious.

Then, she raced down the stairs and prayed she wasn’t too late.

12

The heavy tang of copper hung in the air, and the closer they got to the training field, the more saturated the air around them became.

Blood coated the stone stairs, and the area below them was completely silent. Until it wasn’t.

Screams, hundreds or perhaps thousands of them echoed down the hall, and together, the brothers picked up the pace, no longer concerned with their enemy hearing their movements.

They emerged into a blood-soaked room. Armored bodies lay everywhere, broken and wide-eyed, and the creatures—hundreds of them—had the survivors cornered. The few remaining Guardians fought valiantly, defending the families, but they were losing—and vastly outnumbered.

Vampires and Werewolves stalked toward their prey, wearing sick smiles on their blood-smeared faces. A few dozen men in black armor, hands gripping the hilts of large swords, turned toward them.

“No! Leave us alone!” a woman screamed, gripping her two children behind her as a Vampire moved closer.

Dax and Lawson charged, two men against an army of many, both with an entire family to lose if they failed.

He went for a Vampire first, dodging a blade and fists and removing the creature’s head.

His body spun to avoid another attack, and the metal of his sword clashed with the blade of a man in black armor. The sound of metal against metal might as well have been silent for all the screaming.

Trying to stay focused, he dodged again, kicking out with a leg and knocking his opponent to the ground before burying his blade in the man’s neck where his helmet met the rest of his armor.

The man didn’t even budge.

What the hell kind of magick is this? But Dax knew the sickening answer. Necromancer. They were rare, but there were a few out there, constantly hunted by the council for their abilities to bring the dead back to life—or re-animate would be a more applicable word since there was nothing actually alive about the creatures.

The thing smiled at him from behind his helmet and lifted his blade. Dax dodged the steel whirring over his head before he stood and brought his own sword over the thing’s neck, removing its head just as the Guardians above had done when they first entered the academy.

Stained with blood and whatever black ooze was inside the dead, Dax moved on to the next enemy—a Werewolf in full form—who tore at him with claws sharper than the best-cared-for dagger.

“Daxon!” a woman screamed, and he turned in time to stop the Vampire at his back from biting into his shoulder.

Dax scanned the room, searching for the woman who'd screamed his name. His gaze fell on a panicked Mariana, who clutched an unconscious and bleeding Theodore to her chest. Her own gown was soaked with blood, her face streaked with it.

“No! No!” he screamed, panic racing through him as the creatures closed in on his family. “Mariana!” The survivors’ numbers had been thinned, leaving only a dozen of the thousands still standing. It was a bloodbath—a complete slaughter, and Dax glanced around the room, his stomach dropping as he realized that he and Lawson were the only two left standing to fight.

Where the hell was his father? His mother? The rest of the fucking Guardians? Had they truly been dispatched so easily?

He dodged another Werewolf, bringing the steel of his blade down onto its back. The beast howled in agony as he was split in two just before falling to the ground in a bloody heap.

No time to waste, Dax immediately ducked, narrowly missing the throwing blades of a vamp. He fought harder than he ever had before, tapping into every bit of energy his body had to offer.

Seconds turned to hours as he fought his way to Mariana. His muscles screamed in agony as he dodged claws, teeth, and steel alike, swinging his blade as though it were a part of his arm.

Lawson cried out, and Dax turned and searched the bloodstained room for his brother.

“Sad Guardian, not so fun to be hunted for what you are, is it?” a vamp sneered, moving into his line of sight.

“Is that why you did all this? There were innocent people here!”

The vamp scoffed. “No human with Guardian blood in their veins is innocent.”

Dax spun, swinging his blade at the Wolf who’d crept up behind him. The blade struck true, and the beast fell to the floor.

It was only then that Dax realized the room had fallen completely silent. “Mariana!” he yelled, but there was no answer.

The creatures began to close in on him, and Dax readied himself for death. He knew it was coming, but he sure as hell wasn’t going out without taking more of these bastards out with him.

He lifted his blade, ready for the fight, but just as he was about to charge, pain radiated from the back of his head, spreading through the rest of his skull. He clutched his hands to his temples, falling to his knees. His sword fell to his side, and the vamp laughed wildly as he closed in on Dax.

But his attention was on the woman who just entered the room. It can’t be.

Flying white hair.

Impossible violet eyes.

Magick snapped around her like her own personal lightning storm. Face contorted in rage, she plunged toward the fight. And as the world began to fade, so did she, and Dax’s last thought was of his sister, who had no one left to fight for her.

13

Sienna’s stomach twisted as she let the magick pour out of her and into the last remaining man. The same one she’d seen earlier in the pub.

White shirt and skin streaked with blood, he’d swung his blade valiantly even as the enemy closed in on him.

But she knew he would die if they got to him.

So she took him out first.

He screamed, clutching his ears as he sank to his knees, all while the enemy watched, wearing sick smiles on their faces. Within moments, he fell silent, sinking to the floor with the rest of the dead.

Knowing she had no time, Sienna threw her cloak in place and rushed forward.

“You will not win this!” a woman yelled. Dark hair fell around her face, and she clutched a small boy to her chest as a Vampire moved toward her.

Sienna switched directions and rushed for her, but before she could reach her, the Vampire blurred forward, and the woman’s blood splattered the ground. Her screams had been gut-wrenching, but not nearly as horrifying as the complete silence that descended upon Sienna now.

A sob ripped from Sienna’s chest, horror churning in her stomach as she fought to regain control over her emotions. There were too many of them, that she was sure of, and even more were moving through the door as she stood there.

And with her cloak drawing at her power, there was no way she was fighting them out of this. Not without completely draining herself and putting them both at risk.

Her only hope was to get to the man and shield them both until the monsters’ mission was complete. Then, she could get him out alive. Leaping over the dead, Sienna raced toward him.

“Fan out,” a Vampire ordered. “Kill any who are still breathing.”

The monsters grunted in response and began checking the dead. Sienna jumped toward the man, landing softly on top of him and urging her cloak to surround him as well. His chest rose and fell softly, and she breathed a sigh of relief that there was still life in his soul.

“Please, no!” a man cried out, and Sienna shut her eyes tightly as a Wolf bit down. She had no time for the dying, not when she had a chance at saving the man before her.

So although it burned her heart to remain where she was, she didn’t move and instead turned her attention to the man beneath her.

His body was solid muscle, which only led her to wonder even further why he was not dressed as a Guardian. He was certainly built like one. Strong jaw, slightly crooked nose, he was a warrior. Of that, she had no doubt.

Even as her heart broke for the dead around them, she wondered what his eyes would look like when he finally opened them.

Would he hate her for saving him?

Thank her?

Could she even let him see her once this was over? After all, no one could know she was here. If they reported it back to the magick council, she would be punished. And not just her, they would go for Zane as well.

Her failed thirst for vengeance could very well cost her best friend his life, and he hadn’t even been here.

Minutes blended together, and Sienna’s head began to pound as she exerted far too much power. If she held this cloak much longer, she would put them both at risk. So, mustering up what strength she had left, she used her power to lift him and sling him over her shoulder. He was heavy. Even with her magick reinforcing her slight frame, it was going to take everything she had to get him out where it would be safe.

With a grunt, she stepped over the bodies and took the stairs slowly, one at a time. When she reached the top, she set his heavy body down and dropped the cloak, needing a break from the strain.

A woman gasped, and Sienna raised her blade.

“What did you do to him, you monster?” The woman rushed forward, copper hair wild around a blood-smeared face.

“Saved his life,” she replied as she sheathed her blade. “If you want to survive as well, I strongly suggest you get the hell out of here.”

“Or what? You’ll kill me too?” The woman’s screech was going to bring the beasts back upstairs.

Sienna reached down and lifted the man once more, carrying him toward an open door and laying him on the ground. Then, she turned to the woman. “I will escort you to the stables.”

“I don’t want the help of a Sage!” the woman screamed.

“You moron! Do you want them marching back up here and ripping your throat out?”

She gasped. “You have no idea what I’ve—”

Sienna cut her off with a gust of wind that slammed the woman into the wall, knocking her unconscious. Footsteps on the stairs forced Sienna to leave the man behind and scoop the woman up, cloaking them both and racing outside.

She reached the stable within minutes, tossed the woman into the dirty hay, then raced as quickly as she could back to the academy. If they found him—if that woman caused the death of the man Sienna risked everything for, she was going to kill her even if she was the last living Guardian.

The castle foyer was empty, so Sienna didn’t bother raising her cloak as she moved quickly toward where she’d left him. There he was; the burning sconces on the walls cast shadows over his masculine face.

Voices echoed down the hall, so Sienna spelled herself, lifted him, then cloaked them both as she slowly made her way toward the exit. They were right behind her, but she kept moving forward.

That was until they made it outside.

The mud would show their footprints, surely giving them away. So when the wolves followed her out, the Vampires stomping behind them, Sienna knew she had no choice. She dropped the man and covered his body with hers.

Guardian bodies surrounded them, leaving them the center of a horrific bullseye.

“Check these, too,” a Vampire ordered, and just like they had inside, the wolves fanned out.

Her vision swam, exhaustion from using too much magick taking its toll on her. Yet, she knew she had no choice but to hold it for just a while longer. If they were lucky, the wolves would finish quickly, if not—well—she couldn’t consider that.

The man groaned beneath her, his eyes fluttering open. When his mossy green gaze landed on hers, Sienna’s heart thundered, and she held her breath, hoping like hell he’d stay silent long enough for them to both get out of this alive.

14

Dax’s eyes opened slowly as he noted a heavy weight resting on his chest. He jerked, ready to fight whatever had taken him down, but a hard knee pressed into his groin, and whoever was on top tightened their hold on his shoulders.

“Shhh,” a woman whispered into his ear, and he stilled. What the hell happened? His vision blurred, and it took him a moment to focus on the woman lying on top of him.

“Shhh,” she whispered again, pressing a finger to her lips. She leaned back, and he peered through the dark to get a better look at her face. White hair, violet eyes, and the large scar running down her cheek told him all he needed to know.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded. If he were right, he was lying beneath the most dangerous Sage in the entire realm. A woman even the king himself feared above all others.

Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his ear. “If you want to live, I suggest you remain silent.”

Dax turned his head to the side and saw at least a dozen wolves walking through a sea of dead Guardian bodies. Somehow, he’d gotten back outside and was currently pinned in the cold, wet mud just past the stone stairs.

“I have to get to my family,” he whispered loudly and tried to push her off. She was strong though and held him steady.

“She’s dead. There isn’t anyone alive inside.”

The woman’s sharp eyes watched the creatures intently. He would have recognized her if he’d only seen the thick white hair braided away from her face to hang down her back. According to everything he’d heard, she was older than he was by at least two decades. She appeared young, perhaps even a few years his junior. Her features were delicate, and even now, in the dark, he could see a scattering of light freckles across her sharp nose. Her eyes though… those were the only part of her that alluded to her true age. They held the experience of a warrior.

He’d grown up on stories of her, of how she wasn’t limited by typical Sage magick. She was the most feared mercenary in the entire realm, which begged one major question: Why was she trying to save him?

“Why can’t they see us?”

She glared down at him. “I’m trying to save your life, but if you keep talking, I’ll let the beasts eat you alive.”

Her tone told him not to doubt her threat, so he stayed silent, fighting the urge to rush back inside to his family.

If she were right and they were dead, there was nothing he could do if he followed them to the grave.

And if by chance they’d survived, he would do them no good by bringing attention to it. So he lay still, a strange woman on top of him, and waited as grief all but strangled him.

The woman above him tensed, leaning down against him as a Werewolf stalked closer, sniffing the body beside where they lay.

He could see its golden eyes, each fleck of black and green inside the iris, and make out each and every grey hair on its limber body as it passed by.

“Let’s go! Our work here is done,” a man’s voice, deep and raspy, yelled out. Dax imprinted the sound to memory. When he was out of here, he would hunt that man—or creature—down and drive his steel into its neck. Even if it were the last damn thing he did.

Moments that might as well have been hours passed by before the woman climbed off of him and helped him to his feet.

She stood at least two feet shorter than him, clad in battle leather, and she studied the corpses around them with the disgust of someone who’d seen their fair share of the dead.

“Fucking animals,” she murmured, stepping over the body of a fallen Werewolf.

Dax broke into a run and sprinted toward the entrance. Just before he reached the stone step, a tree cracked and fell, blocking the entrance. He spun. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Trying to keep you alive,” she snarled.

“I need to get back inside to my family!”

“Your family is dead, just like you are going to be if you don’t get the hell out of here.”

“There is someone else alive in there!”

The Sage narrowed her eyes on his face. “You mean the woman?”

Dax’s blood iced. “What did you do to her?”

“She’s currently unconscious and in the stable.”

“Unconscious?”

“She’s whiny, and I got annoyed. Her incessant noise would have otherwise gotten all three of us killed.”

His heart stammered as he turned back to the academy. He’d promised to keep her safe. He’d promised to keep them all safe. “I have to get back inside.” The lump in his throat nearly choked him as he started to climb over the tree.

Lightning split the sky, and another tree fell into his path. “Stop doing that!”

“If you go in there, you will die.”

“I have to know for sure. I have to see them,” he urged, tears streaming down his face. Surely they weren’t all gone. Mariana and Lawson were both alive! He’d seen it!

The Sage opened her mouth but shut it again and cocked her head to the side. Lavender eyes widening, she stared at him in horror. “We need to go—now.” Reaching toward him, she wrapped slender fingers around his wrist.

“I told you I’m not leav—” Before he could finish his sentence, the door blew off of the academy, and flames leapt out, reaching toward the dark sky.

“No!” Dax screamed. He started toward the flames, but the Sage’s grip tightened, holding him in place. “Mariana! Lawson! Theodore!”

“They’re dead!” she insisted and released him when he jerked his arm from her grasp.

“No!” He fell to his knees, his pants soaking up the mud and blood around them.

His sister would never hold her child, never watch them grow up, and the fact that he’d never again see her infectious smile killed him. His other half, his twin was dead. His entire family gone in one night.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” the woman said behind him. “But we need to go. Now.”

He wiped tears away from his cheeks and fought the urge to vomit as he looked at the flames. He wouldn’t even be able to bury them. Why had the creatures attacked? Was it just to destroy the academy? Why tonight? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to wait until the families had gone home? To wait for the extra Guardian forces to leave?

Stiffening, Dax stood slowly and turned to face the Sage. Her white tunic was sprayed with blood, her face streaked with it. What part had she played?

“Why are you here?”

“Trying to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Why did they attack?” Without his sword, he wouldn’t stand a chance against her, but the rage building in his chest didn’t care. All that mattered was that his family had been murdered by magicks, and she was the only magickal creature nearby.

“I don’t know.” Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip as she stared up at the fire. “I really don’t know.”

“Then why are you here? Guardians don’t allow Sages on the grounds.”

“I had my reasons. We need to leave.”

“Why did you save me? You do know I’m a Guardian, don’t you?”

The Sage narrowed her eyes. “I know you’re of Guardian blood, but you’re no Guardian.”

“And how do you know that?”

She cocked her head to the side again and studied the tree line. Ignoring him, she said quickly, “You need to go. They will kill you.”

“Who?” He looked but couldn’t see anything.

“Those who orchestrated the attack—they’re coming.”

“Good.” Dax bared his teeth.

She scoffed. “Don’t be a fool. You won’t survive.”

“Doesn’t matter that much, does it?”

The Sage grabbed the front of his tunic and looked straight into his eyes. “For all we know, you’re the last Guardian, the final member of any of the Guardian bloodlines. Get your ass out of here before you are the reason the entire line ends.”

“I’m not a true Guardian.” As the adrenaline continued pumping in his veins, he stared her down and channeled all of the grief he was afraid to feel into rage. Rage for all magicks, for those who’d slaughtered thousands of innocent people.

“Your revenge is not worth your life.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“One day, you will thank me.”

Before he could respond, his vision blurred. “What are you doing to me?” Pain split his head, and he screamed, falling to his knees.

The pain intensified just as it had inside, and he dug his fingers into his temples, desperate for relief from the skull-splitting pain.

“You did this to me inside! You stopped me from saving them!” he roared.

“I saved your life.” Kneeling beside him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “You need to leave, or you and your friend will die. Right now, she’s completely helpless, a waiting meal for what will be here within moments.”

Corrine. She couldn’t fight. Even if he stayed to get revenge, it would come at the cost of her life. Could he live with that?

“Live to fight another day, Guardian.”

The pain subsided, and Dax looked up into her eyes. “You are just as responsible for their deaths as the monsters who took their lives. You should have let me fight in there!”

“You would have died, and the line would have perished with you. Ensuring the safety of the realm is more important than your revenge.” Her words were filled with cool logic, which only pissed him off even more. His family was far more important to him than any fucking bloodline.

“You are going to get yourself and your friend killed if you don’t pick yourself up and move.”

Dax glared at her, and for a moment, their gazes held. He considered pulling his dagger out and ramming it into her throat, giving him a chance to get back in and search for his family. Surely the tunnels below were still clear. Maybe the fire hadn’t reached the ceremony room yet.

The Sage stood, her eyes glowing an eerie lavender as she accessed her power. “You can either go on your own, or I’ll knock your ass out and strap you to the horse.”

Slowly, Dax got to his feet. He towered over her, glaring down. “I will find you after all this is over.”

The Sage smiled, a warrior’s smile that both stunned and chilled him. “I’ll be waiting.”

Dax ran for the stables, leaving the Sage behind him. “Corrine!” he called, searching for her. As he came around to Shadow’s stall, he saw her, unconscious but breathing on the straw.

Shadow whinnied and nuzzled him as soon as he stepped inside. Lifting her carefully, Dax set her on Shadow’s bare back before tossing his saddlebags over his shoulder and climbing on behind her.

Having ridden through battles before, Shadow was steel-backed as Dax urged him outside.

“Good luck, I’d avoid any of the main roads,” the Sage shouted. “Don’t go straight to Cambria. They will be looking for you there.”

Dax didn’t answer, just stared at the flames shooting up into the dark sky as he studied the burning academy one last time.

No bodies, no proof. There would be nothing linking the creatures to the massacre. No one would know. No one but him, Corrine, and the mysterious Sage who’d rescued him.

“Go! Now!” the Sage yelled, raising her hands as bright violet light came to life in her palms. For the first time, Dax spotted the creatures racing toward them from the sides of the burning academy.

There were dozens, and suddenly, his thirst for revenge against the Sage was replaced by concern for her life.

“I can stay and fight with you!” he said, not wanting to leave her behind. She’d saved his life; what kind of man would he be if he left her to die?

“I assure you, Guardian, I don’t need your help.” She snarled and raised her hands, causing dirt to shoot up from the ground below and thrusting it toward their enemy. He didn’t miss the way her bottom lip quivered though. She was straining, and if it weren’t for Corrine unconscious against his chest, he likely would have refused to leave. “Go, Guardian! Go before I let you both die!”

With one final look at her, Dax squeezed his thighs against Shadow’s back, urging the horse toward the stone bridge.

Clutching Corrine to his chest as they crossed the stone bridge, Dax hoped like hell Shadow’s steps would be steady enough to keep them from slipping off the edge as the rain began to hammer down on them once again.

Stone-faced, Dax rode as quickly as he could, away from the fire behind burning away the blood and bodies of his family, as he swore his revenge.

He would find who did this.

And he would fucking slaughter them all.

Do Daxon and Sienna ever cross paths again? Will he get his revenge and find out what happened to his family? Continue the story in the first full-length novel in the Cambrexian Realm series! Click here to check it out.

Turn the page and read the first seven chapters for free!

An assassin.

Born of torture and unfathomable loss, Sienna Faremin was forged into a warrior. A weapon to be wielded by the governing council, instilling fear in the hearts of even the bravest of men.

Assassin. White-haired battle Sage. Monster. Murderer. Over the years of her service, she’s gained many names, all of which are far kinder than the truth. She kills without mercy, leaves no witnesses, and follows every order because disobeying them would lead to immeasurable consequences.

A renegade.

Sienna’s new target, a man convicted of treason, is just another name to be added to her ever-growing list of victims. That is until she comes face-to-face with him and, for the first time, discovers a reason to not wield her blade.

Faced with an impossible choice, this battle-hardened warrior must decide whether to follow the council’s orders or stand up against those who molded her in a desperate attempt to not lose the last piece of her soul.

The decision is not easily made, though, because tainted pasts cultivate hate between these two enemies. And by the time they figure out they are better together, it might just be too late.

Perfect for fans of The Witcher, From Blood and Ash, and Throne Of Glass, Warrior Of Magick will put you in the center of a war between Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, and something so dark...no one saw it coming.

Click here to keep reading!

Warrior of Magick Sneak Peek

1

Two hours late. Perched atop a pine deep in the heart of the Terebrix forest, Sienna Faremin rolled her shoulders, groaning with relief as the bones popped and some of the stiffness eased.

Three hours she’d been sitting on this branch, waiting for her marks to show up. She’d even arrived an hour early just to be sure she wouldn’t miss them. It was just like creatures of the night to be late to their own damn meeting. Selfish, bloodthirsty bastards.

Reaching into her pack, Sienna removed a package of dried fruit and stuffed part of a pear into her mouth. The sweetness still preserved in the drying process was lost on her as she waited.

Typically, her orders came from the Magick Council made up of a group of Sages. They were humans born with power, who oversaw all magickal issues within the realm. They spent decades being trained for the position, only to hold it until death or retirement. Their choice.

And the bastards owned her. Until death do them part or her sentence ran out. She’d bet everything it would be the former.

This time though, it had been the Non-Magick Council who’d reached out and let her know that this particular meeting was of the utmost importance to the king.

They’d even promised to put in a good word for her in exchange for her discretion.

Dangling her freedom in front of her like a fucking carrot, knowing she’d jump right on it.

Since this meeting was supposed to be taking place between a Werewolf and a Vampire—two species that tended to despise each other—it was believed they were plotting an attack, and the Non-Magick Council worried an overthrow attempt was imminent.

After the destruction of the Guardian academy six months prior, there was no large army waiting in the wings to stand up against the creatures. Not that they could’ve done much if the magicks decided to go against the realm.

The Guardian blood made them impervious to Sage battle magick—like hers—and meant they wouldn’t be turned by the bites of bloodsuckers or Wolf men like the two late arrivals to tonight’s rendezvous. They also healed quicker than most and were supposed to be master swordsmen.

But none of that meant they couldn’t die. Everything died, a fact she knew all too well.

Six months of waiting for answers, and not even the Magick Council, nor the Non-Magick Council, had any idea who ordered the slaughter or anything about her involvement in rescuing the only two survivors.

No one could know she’d been there.

Sienna clenched her fist as the gruesome images fought their way to the surface of her mind. No time for that. Not right now when she needed to focus.

Her own agenda had been futile when the first of the screams tore through the silent halls. Then, all she could think about was getting out undetected. The realm still believed it had been a freak accident that caused the academy to burn to the ground and claimed the lives of over a thousand of the realm’s protectors and their family members.

More than a hundred Guardian lines were wiped out that night. Meaning whoever had orchestrated the entire thing managed to nearly decimate the Guardian force, leaving a gaping hole in the realm’s protection. It would be decades—if not longer—before the lines were rebuilt. That’s if it were even possible. As far as she knew, the only remaining members of the bloodline—other than the two she’d rescued—were holed up in the center of Cambria, having retreated to the safety of the realm’s capital as soon as word of the so-called accident spread. Other than the Guardians still on the king’s payroll, there were only three families left.

Truthfully, she couldn’t care less whether they rebuilt or not. Most Guardians were just as much murderers as they were heroes. They despised all magick, would see it wiped from the realm if given the chance, which was ironic seeing as how their very blood contains magick-resistence which is its own form of power.

Still, she’d seen the carnage firsthand, and it ranked among the highest atrocities she’d witnessed while working for the council. So many dead—men, women, children—and for what? So magick could reclaim the realm?

Even she saw that as a horrible idea. Magick shouldn’t fully govern magick. There had to be balance. If the king fell, chaos would reign, and the creatures of the night would take over. Sages wouldn’t stand a chance against what waited should the structure crumble. They were just as much targets as those who didn’t belong to her side of the realm.

She shivered at the thought. Bloodthirsty creatures with nothing to keep them at bay. They despised Sage magick, for it was the only thing keeping them from running rampant through the realm. Guardians may not be able to be turned, but they couldn’t keep the Wolves and Vamps at bay without Sage power.

A breeze ruffled the trees, filling her nose with the scent of pine and the coming rain. Sienna closed her eyes for a moment, drinking it in. Being outside was preferable to her room in Amber Isle. There, it was stuffy, the four walls making it seem as though she had all the freedom in the realm when, in reality, she was nothing but a glorified prisoner.

She might as well still be in chains.

Sienna shook her head. Will not go back there.

Breathing deeply, she stifled a cough when another scent filled her lungs. Vampires typically didn’t smell, but some Werewolves—the most brutal of the packs—carried the stench of their dead with them.

Seems the party had finally arrived. Peering into the darkness, Sienna could barely make out two figures walking toward her from different sides of the forest. They made nearly no sound, strolling cautiously, and if it weren’t for her elevated senses, she might have believed the occasional crunching of the leaves was nothing but a stag or other forest animal.

Watching carefully so she didn’t lose sight, she waited until the creatures were in place below a tree three to the south of her.

As soon as they stopped, Sienna jumped from her branch, soft boots hitting the ground soundlessly, and activated a spell that would keep her invisible to them—or rather make them not interested in her presence. They wouldn’t even be able to catch her scent.

If someone chose to look past the cloak though, they would see her standing just beside the tree, listening to everything that was being said. Luckily for her, very few creatures in the realm possessed that trick. In her longer than normal life, she’d only met three who had.

And none of them lived to tell about it.

“I told you we shouldn’t meet out in the open like this,” the Vampire said, looking around nervously. His blood-red eyes looked right past her and on into the tree line.

The Wolf transformed into a man, completely unashamed at his nakedness in the moonlight. “Does this look public to you?” He raised his arms and looked around, staring right past Sienna.

Arrogant bastard. If ever there were a species in the realm she despised above all others, it was the Werewolves. Vampires were bad enough, but at least they didn’t leave their prey ripped to shreds. They simply fed on them until they grew bored or their victims died. Werewolves enjoyed the pain they inflicted. Animals.

“It’s open enough. We could be spotted.”

“By someone in the woods?” He chuckled. “These are my woods, Ghast, I would know if someone were sneaking about.”

Sienna simply shook her head. If only you knew. She hadn’t received orders to kill him, but she also hadn’t been told not to. When this was over, she might just end his life even if it only meant one less of the bastards were out in the world.

“Still—” Ghast started but was cut off by the Werewolves’ next words.

“And I told you what I have to say can’t wait.”

The Vampire eyed him suspiciously. “It had better be good.”

The Werewolf grinned and ran a hand through his shoulder-length, brown hair. “Would you consider information on the genius who orchestrated the academy attack important?”

Sienna straightened, inching closer to hear better. This could very well be the first lead she’d had in months.

Ghast shook his head and folded his arms. “Impossible. No one knows.”

The Wolf grinned, showing off shiny white teeth. “I do. And I also know it won’t be the last.”

The Vamp was silent a moment, clearly weighing the Wolf’s words. “Who did, then?”

“First, I need to know whose side you’re on.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Can we count on you? Can we count on your support?”

“Support? What’s going on?”

“There’s a war coming,” the Werewolf said, stepping closer. The Vampire held his ground. “A war that will change everything.”

“You know you can count on me. Those Guardians have been hunting my people for centuries.”

The Werewolf smiled and stepped back again. “Good.”

“Who orchestrated the attack?”

“Yo—”

Something whirred past Sienna’s ear, and the Wolf’s blood splattered the white tunic of the Vampire in front of him. She spun, trying to see who’d attacked, but there was no one there. Nothing but the breeze and trees.

Throwing her hand up, Sienna erected a barrier between the Vamp and whoever killed the Wolf before running toward the creatures.

Shit. The Wolf was dead, a silver arrow jutting out from his throat. The Vampire sprinted away, and she spun, ready to fight the attacker.

But there was nothing there. Nothing but empty trees and a light breeze. Dropping her shield, Sienna turned and raced toward where the Vamp had disappeared.

He ran just ahead, his Vamp speed pulling him further and further away from her.

Waving a hand, she snapped the trunk of a tree in front of him, causing it to fall and block his path. Then, she split another, and another, until the cracking sound was all they heard and the Vampire was surrounded by the large pines that formed the walls of his new prison.

He screamed, and she urged her legs to move faster. A blur of movement she couldn’t quite make out passed and leapt over the trunks. There was a gurgling sound, and the screaming stopped. Bounding over the trees, Sienna landed softly, ready for a battle. Dammit! Her stomach twisting into knots, she stared down at the mutilated carcass of the Vamp.

In her time, she’d seen hundreds—if not thousands—of dead bodies, but nothing even came close to what she was staring down at now. Empty eye sockets stared back at her from his head that lay separated from his shoulders. Blood-slicked skin was covered in lacerations while a large wooden steak protruded from his chest cavity.

He’d been tortured. Brutally. Relentlessly.

But that was impossible, only seconds passed while she’d been running. Sienna knelt beside the body and touched the corpse. It was cold—ice cold. Despite the fact they were immortal, rumors of the bloodsuckers being without bodily warmth were false. Hell, the bastards even had a heartbeat.

His body should have been warm, but instead it looked as though he’d been dead for days rather than seconds. She covered her nose. He even smelled dead.

Sienna straightened and looked around. What the hell was that blur? Vamps were fast, and that could explain the blur, but not the torture. She didn’t know of a single creature able to freeze time. If she’d missed something, and it was another magickal being, why attack one of its own? Especially when these two clearly wanted to overthrow the realm? Had the council sent someone else after them?

Looking back down at the mutilated Vamp, Sienna cringed. One thing was certain. If they hadn’t been behind it, the council was not going to be happy about this.

2

Seated on the back of Naughty—her stallion who’d earned his name after throwing her when she’d been saddle breaking him—Sienna rode up to the gates of Cambria, the capitol of the realm and the place where magick all but ceased to exist. At least in the minds of the city’s inhabitants.

Exhausted after her two-week ride, she rolled her eyes when the Guardians raced out of the gates, swords out and ready for blood.

After the attack, the lines were decimated, the only remaining Guardians fleeing back to the safety of Cambria where they now guarded the king and Non-Magick Council.

Magick was completely banned from the capitol, and apparently those who’d called for her failed to let the welcome committee know.

“Easy boys,” she said, putting her hands up. “I’m here to see the council.”

“Sage’s are not welcome here,” his deep voice bellowed. Those who stood beside him did so out of duty. Their swords shook ever so slightly, fear of the one before them showing through in the widening of their eyes and the flared nostrils. One show of power and she bet she’d have them all running back inside.

Sienna took a deep breath. They’ve been trained to hate me, she reminded herself. It’s not entirely their fault. “The council summoned me. Feel free to check.”

“We will.” One of the Guardians nodded to another closest to the gate, and he disappeared inside.

“Hot as shit today, am I right?” Sienna fanned herself with the front of her white shirt, the leather corset she wore biting into her sweat-slicked skin.

Not surprisingly, the Guardian didn’t answer.

“I for one am looking forward to winter.” She fanned herself again and leaned down in the saddle. “Tell me, when you take that off does it smell like sweaty balls? Or do you guys have some kind of air flow that keeps it fresh?”

Grinning, she watched as his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. Fucking Guardians, she inwardly chuckled.

Minutes passed as sweat beaded and rolled down Sienna’s back. Groaning, she twisted in the saddle, desperate to get out of the damn sun. Naughty stood still as a statue, years of training engrained the importance of patience.

As she waited, a carriage rode past, and the gates opened just enough to let it through.

“Not even going to check to see who’s in there?” she asked sarcastically.

The Guardian continued to stare at her, so Sienna shrugged.

The gate opened and the Guardian, who’d left what felt like hours ago, stepped back out. Whispering into the other man’s ear, the man she’d been trying to strike up a conversation with nodded. “You’re clear to pass, this time. Please follow the guards waiting just inside.”

“Thank you. Such a gentleman,” she commented dryly as he stepped to the side to let her pass.

As she moved past him, she heard him mutter, “I would be if you were a lady.”

Laughing, Sienna led Naughty into Cambria. Half a dozen Guardians sat on horseback just inside the gate. When they saw her, they turned their horses around and began walking.

Sienna rolled her eyes before falling into step behind them. No welcome wagon here.

The city was bustling, people moving from vendor to vendor, buying and trading their goods. When they saw her, they moved to the side, her white hair telling them exactly who she was even without introductions.

Forcing her eyes straight ahead, Sienna continued, not giving them any attention.

A small scream echoed through the town, and Sienna turned in her saddle. In an alley to the left of the main road they were on, a young boy was being circled by a group of older ones. Narrowing her eyes, Sienna turned Naughty, leading him through the crowd.

They parted quickly, eyes widening as the white-haired battle Sage stepped through them.

Jumping off, she watched the boys turn to her. Four pairs of terrified eyes regarded her with the fear she’d become accustomed to.

“What’s going on here?”

The small boy scrambled to his feet and wiped his bloodied nose with the back of his arm.

“N-n-n-othing,” the boy, who she assumed was the leader, stammered without meeting her eyes.

“You sure about that?” Reaching for her magick even though she had no intention of using it, Sienna let her eyes glow bright purple. When their faces paled, she smiled. Mission accomplished. “Seems to me you three were having quite a bit of fun at his expense.”

“No, madame Sage, no we weren’t.”

“So you know who I am then?”

They nodded in unison.

“Then remember this; come after him again, and you’ll have me to deal with.”

Heads nodding so quickly she was sure they’d fall off, the boys raced out of the alley, and Sienna turned her attention to the smaller boy.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

She knelt before him and wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek. She’d give him money if it weren’t for the horrible fact that the boys would be more likely to return just to beat it out of him. “You’re welcome. Don’t let people push you around. Learn to fight back, and when you do—fight dirty.” Winking, Sienna stood and climbed back on Naughty, leading him out onto the street. The guards waited just outside the alley, all six glaring at her.

“Pull something like that again, and we’ll put you down, Sage.”

She lifted a hand up and pressed it over her heart, her mouth opening comically. “I’m so sorry protecting a small child is not on your priority list,” she responded sarcastically.

They grunted in response before stepping back onto the path. Homes and businesses crafted from stone rose up on either side of them, the space between the road and the doors filled with vendors selling anything from food to clothing. She’d love to stop and shop in the various shops, but something told her that her entourage wouldn’t be so accommodating.

“Hey, honey, we love us some power. How about a fun time?”

Sienna glanced over at a group of topless women sitting outside a building. One appeared to be currently enjoying herself with the company of two off-duty Guardians by the looks of them. Clean skin, no facial hair. Definitely some of the Realm’s greatest heroes.

“Not my type, sweetheart.” Sienna winked and continued up the road, enjoying the life of the city.

Most places she frequented had less humans and more Vamps and Wolves looking for a fight.

Naughty’s hooves clicked against the pavement as she made her way further into the heart of Cambrexia’s capitol. The castle came into view, its tall spire’s towering over all of Cambria.

This was the first time she’d ever seen it, and Sienna had to admit she was a bit underwhelmed. To people like her, Cambria was a golden goose, a place she’d only ever read about in texts or heard about during her travels.

When the council had contacted her, they’d done so through a letter, not directly, and since, even before the academy fell, magick wasn’t overly welcome here, she’d never visited.

As she continued to follow her escorts up the hill, Sienna looked up and locked eyes with a few people staring at her through their windows. Some shook their heads in disgust while others watched intently, clearly fascinated with the sight of a Sage in their city.

Most of these people had probably never even seen a magick being—since they certainly didn’t count Guardians amongst Sages, Wolves, and Vamps.

They passed through the residential part of Cambria, and Sienna followed her entourage up a tree-lined road and to the front door of a stone building, where a man in a white robe stood waiting.

“Miss Faremin, please leave your mount here and follow me.”

“Sure.” She dismounted, grabbing her bag, and handed the reins to a young boy standing off to the side. “Please make sure he gets water and grain.”

The boy bowed his head, and Sienna swallowed hard before following the man into what might as well have been a lion’s den.

3

Standing, Sienna stretched, desperate to ease the pain in her back. She’d been sitting in the same place, on the same wooden bench, for nearly four hours, waiting for the council to see her.

Their meeting chamber was nowhere near a pub, or she might’ve snuck away to grab an ale or something to make the wait marginally less painful. Then again, summer was in full swing in the realm, which meant simply stepping outside would get you drenched in sweat.

She pulled at her leather corset, lifting it from her now dry skin. She was ready for a bath—cold or hot, she didn’t even care at this point.

Taking her seat again, she glanced up at the guard in full armor standing just outside the chamber door. He spared her a snarl before looking straight ahead once again.

She was honestly surprised she wasn’t killed at the gate. Just because the council had approved her brief visit, didn’t mean she wasn’t still at risk. Plenty of people would pay for her head. Over the nearly two decades she’d been working for the realm, she’d made a lot of enemies.

Growing increasingly irritated that she was still having to wait, Sienna started tapping a leather boot on the ground. What the hell were they doing that was so important?

The heavy door opened with a creak, and the man who’d set her on this damn bench stepped out. “Miss Faremin, the council will see you now.”

“Fucking awesome.” She groaned and pushed back to her feet.

The council’s meeting chamber was a large room filled with books and tables covered with parchment. Heavy wooden doors were open, revealing an impressive balcony and allowing a light breeze to carry in.

In the center of the room, at a long table, sat the five Non-Magick Council members. Each wore a pristine white cloak with a golden circle embroidered on the front. Just as she’d felt seeing the castle, Sienna was underwhelmed.

This was not what she’d expected the King’s closest advisors to look like. She’d expected large towering men and women with warrior eyes. Not tight-assed aristocrats who’d never seen a day of battle in their lives.

“Welcome, Sienna,” a woman with golden hair braided back into a tight bun greeted her with a kind smile. Eyes the same color as her hair followed Sienna further into the room. “I am Madame Rosalind. We are grateful for your service.”

“Thank you for seeing me,” she said easily despite the anxiousness she felt inside. She was powerful on a bad day, but that didn’t mean she was impervious to an attack. Should they choose to have her killed, Sienna knew it would be one hell of a fight between her and the Guardians outside.

Was it wrong that she almost yearned for the battle?

“It is our duty,” a man with dark hair retorted. “What do you have for us?”

“Councilman Azlo, don’t you think we should give our guest a moment to gather her bearings before pummeling her with questions?” Madame Rosalind scolded, and Sienna bit back a smile as she took a seat in a high-backed chair, folding her hands tightly in her lap.

“Of course, Madame. Please, get settled, Sage.” His words were harsh, but not with a tone Sienna was unfamiliar with.

“I’m as settled as I need to be.” Sienna dropped the bag she was carrying beside her on the floor and did her best to appear relaxed.

“Good. What do you have for us?”

“I followed my orders and went to the Terebrix Forest in an attempt to gain knowledge from a Werewolf and Vampire that were meeting there.”

“Yes, we know, as we are the ones who sent you on that mission,” Councilman Azlo interrupted.

“Councilman Azlo, perhaps we should give Miss Faremin the chance to finish her story before pointing out the obvious,” another woman with fiery hair interrupted.

“Yes, perhaps you are correct, Madame Tabalt. My apologies,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Not a problem,” Sienna responded, offering a fake smile.

“What happened in the forest? Did you complete your mission?” Councilman Azlo demanded.

“From their conversation, I gleaned there is someone looking to flip the power back to the magick side and pull it from King Clarance.”

“We assumed as much,” Madame Tabalt said tightly. “Did you find out who?”

“No Madame, I’m afraid the conversation was interrupted before I was able to get any names.”

“Interrupted? By whom?” Councilman Azlo demanded again.

“How about you try being a bit more civil?” A man who hadn’t spoken before stood and walked to the window.

“Yes, of course, Councilman Brakar.” Azlo shot him a glare.

Sienna nearly chuckled. I see who the least favorite is. “An unseen party. They shot the Werewolf with a silver arrow, killing him instantly.”

“And the Vampire?”

She sighed. They genuinely looked surprised at the attack, which meant they were going to hate this next part. “That is a bit more complicated. I chased after him when he ran and managed to block his path, only before I could get to him, something else did.”

“What something?”

“I don’t know, I only saw a blur of movement, and in the seconds it took me to get to the side of the Vampire, he was already dead and looked to have been tortured.”

Azlo snorted. “You say it took you seconds to get to him, and you expect us to believe in those mere moments this Vamp was tortured? All while you heard nothing?”

“I know what I witnessed. It seems hard to believe, but his body was mutilated beyond anything I’ve seen outside of torture.” They would mock her, believe she was lying, but she knew what she’d seen. Over her life, Sienna had been witness to torture more times than she cared to count. All of it starting when she’d been very young.

“It doesn’t just seem hard to believe,” Azlo said. “It is impossible. There is no creature out there with the power to manipulate time, which is what—correct me if I’m wrong—you’re suggesting happened.”

“Where are the bodies now?” Brakar asked.

“I would imagine being eaten by wild animals,” Sienna responded, her tone more agitated than she’d meant to reveal. By the sneer on the councilman’s aging face, he didn’t appreciate it.

“You mean to tell me you didn’t collect them?” Azlo scoffed at her.

“You expect me to carry the bodies of two grown men nearly a hundred miles?”

“I expect you to do your job. You claim someone tortured this Vampire, and yet you have no proof.”

“I didn’t say I had no proof.” Sienna stood and turned her knapsack upside down. The Vampire’s head hit the table with a thud, and she looked around the table at the horrified faces of the council members. The putrid stench of decaying flesh filled the chamber the second the body part was outside of her spelled bag, and once again, she fought back a grin. The chances any of these humans had actually witnessed war in any capacity was slim to none.

No, the council obviously preferred to stay safe high in their tower, well protected in the center of Cambria while others fought their battles.

“How dare you bring that in here!” Azlo pushed to his feet so quickly his chair flew back.

“You asked the girl if she had proof,” Tabalt said softly. “Now you wish she hadn’t brought any?”

“That is hardly proof!”

Azlo doubled over, vomit splatting on the floor, and the other council member who hadn’t spoken looked like he was close to following.

Madame Rosalind stood and leaned down toward the head. In addition to his missing eyes, the Vamp’s teeth were nearly all gone as well, and clumps of hair had been removed. There was no doubt in Sienna’s mind he’d been tortured—horribly. She simply needed to find out how and why.

“This is how you found him?”

“Yes, Madame. Within moments of losing sight of him.”

She nodded. “Certainly appears as if he were tortured, doesn’t it, Azlo?”

He glared at Sienna. “It would appear so.”

Sienna shoved the head back into her bag. “With your permission, I will begin investigating who might have been able to do this.”

“That will have to wait momentarily,” Madame Tabalt said, retaking her seat. “We have another mission for you, one that I’m afraid cannot wait.”

“What is it?”

Councilman Azlo sat back down. “We have discovered who ordered the destruction of the academy.”

“You have?” Sienna straightened. She would never forget the carnage of that night, or the horrified look on the face of the man she’d saved as he looked down at his slaughtered family. Anyone—creature or man—who preyed on innocent women and children deserved to face the worst of deaths. She’d gladly be the one to wield the blade that would strike them down.

“We have, and we wish you to take care of it before returning to the Amber Isle. Your services will no longer be needed after that.”

“But the Vampire—”

“Is dead.” The councilman who’d been silent pushed to his feet. “We have our own Guardians who can hunt down the creature responsible. Your talents would best be used ensuring the councils stay protected. If someone is truly looking to overthrow the realm, removing the seats that help keep the balance would be the best place to start, don’t you agree?”

Begrudgingly, she nodded.

“We want you to track and kill the one responsible,” Tabalt told her.

“Who is the target?”

“A man by the name of Daxon Ward.”

“Daxon Ward? Weren’t the Ward’s slaughtered that night?” Her heart thundered. She knew the patriarch of the Ward family all too well.

Chains. Blood. The damp dark.

“One is believed to have escaped. If he were even there to begin with.” Madame Rosalind’s voice pulled Sienna from a dark place in her mind.

“I thought his son was one of the Guardians being sworn in that night?” There’s another? Another Ward walking the realm? Her hands tightened into fists as her heart called for blood. A Ward took everything from her, and she wouldn’t rest until there were no more of those bastards in the realm.

“His younger son was. The eldest, Daxon, refused his heritage, and his hatred for the academy was well-known throughout Cambrexia. I’m actually surprised you weren’t aware of this.”

“I don’t spend much time here in Cambria, and my knowledge is given as needed.” How did I not know about him? Sienna’s blood pounded in her ears. She’d made it her mission to learn all she could about the Wards, so how had she missed another son?

“This mission must stay between us. You are not to discuss the target with anyone, am I clear?”

Regaining her bearings, Sienna spoke again. “May I ask why you are not using your own men to go after him? He possesses no magick, correct? Wouldn’t I be better served tracking the one who killed the Vamp?”

“You are not to ask any questions,” Azlo ordered. “You simply obey our orders. Do we need to pass on your disrespect to your council?”

Grinding her teeth, Sienna shook her head. No need adding additional time to her sentence. Besides, if they were sending her on this mission, Daxon Ward must be incredibly dangerous and require a certain skill set to handle. She’d welcome a fight at this point. Especially if it meant killing a Ward. “I will find him. Any idea where he might be?”

Madame Tabalt exchanged glances with her peers before turning her green eyes back to Sienna. “This council believes he is hiding out in Tolonix.”

“Fitting,” Sienna responded. Tolonix was full of nothing but thieves and murderers. The city south of Cambria was well-known for its shadier dealings. If this man were in hiding there, she had no doubt of his character. “I will set out first thing tomorrow.”

Madame Tabalt narrowed her eyes on Sienna once again. “Should you perform your task with discretion and precision, this council would be more than happy to grant you your life back, Sienna.”

Eyes wide, Sienna stared at the council.

“It is possible,” Azlo sneered. “But only if you do exactly as we demand. As you know, we hold power above even the Magick Council.”

Unable to speak, Sienna simply nodded. She’d been told time would be removed, but not that she could be granted her complete freedom.

“Thank you,” Sienna said softly.

“You are being granted a reprieve for the night. We’ve pulled your guard so you may wander freely about Cambria. Please enjoy yourself, and keep the peace.” Madame Tabalt cautioned her.

The shops with the trinkets popped into her head, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

Madame Rosalind stood. “Very well, be safe, Sienna Faremin. May your travels be guarded.”

Still reeling, Sienna bowed her head slightly. “Thank you.” Turning, she headed toward the door.

“Sienna, you forgot your evidence,” Councilman Azlo reminded her.

Regaining her composure, she smiled over her shoulder. “No, I didn’t.” Sienna pulled the heavy door open and stepped back into the hall.

Her freedom was one target away. And it wasn’t like the world wouldn’t be a better place with one less Ward in it.

4

Sienna turned up her mug and drank the ale inside deeply. The other patrons had abandoned the wooden bar she sat at as soon as she’d taken a seat on the rickety old stool.

Based on the side-glances she was getting from the bartender, had he not been afraid of her, she imagined he would have kicked her out before her ass had even managed to hit the seat.

“Another please,” she asked, setting her mug back down.

“Right away.”

Sienna rolled her eyes. “I’m here for the alcohol, not your life.”

The older man nodded before refilling her cup from a barrel in the back. Just once, she’d like the chance to exchange pleasantries without the townspeople running for their lives.

Despite their terror, Sienna had managed to do a few hours’ worth of shopping before the sun had set and the vendors turned in for the night.

She was more than excited about her new pair of boots and the few leather bracelets she’d managed to get her hands on.

Looking down, she fingered the skull and crossbones on the black leather bracelet her oldest friend had given her for her birthday last year. She’d never owned one before then, and now she had four more in various colors and designs. One was even bare, and she could already see the design she would carve into it.

“Frightening innocent people again, Sienna?”

The familiar voice was a blanket of calm that washed over her, and Sienna turned to see a tall, slender man, wearing tight black pants and a loose white tunic, take a seat beside her. His bronze eyes landed on hers, a wide smile stretching across his handsome face.

Sienna straightened in her seat and returned the grin.

“Why if it isn’t my knight in shining armor. Good to see you, Zane,” she greeted.

“Hey, beautiful, fancy meeting you here.” He took a seat beside her and leaned an elbow on the bar top.

“I could say the same to you. What are you doing in Cambria?”

“Heard from a little birdy that you were here.” He held up his hand and gestured to her cup, a signal for the bartender to bring him what she was drinking.

“Stalking me now?”

He grinned. “I prefer to think of it as watching out for you. You tend to get into trouble when I’m not around.”

“Uh-huh.” Sienna took her mug from the bartender’s shaking hand. Two magickal creatures in his bar in the same night? And both well-known magick assassins at that. Poor guy might panic himself to death. “So tell me; why are you really here? They barely let me in. No way they’d let in a half-Vamp such as yourself.”

Zane sighed. “I’ve been summoned by the non-magick folk. Apparently, they require use of my services.”

“Seriously? What services might that be?”

“The kind where I get to reconvene with my kin.” He bared his teeth, revealing two sharp canines, before they slid back into hiding.

Sienna cringed. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Zane shrugged and took a drink of his ale. “When the non-magicks come calling, one must answer.”

His voice strained, Sienna couldn’t help the wave of guilt that washed over her. He was in this mess because he’d rescued her. If it weren’t for what—or rather who—the magick council was holding over her head, he might have already killed the five council members. She knew he wanted to.

Sienna cleared her throat. “Seems strange, them reaching out directly to us though, doesn’t it?”

Zane shrugged again and drank deeply. “The realm is changing, Sienna.”

She couldn’t disagree with him there. Ever since the academy burnt down, you could all but feel a shift in the air. People ventured out of their homes less and less, and there were fewer travelers on the roads.

If the magicks did indeed manage to overthrow the realm, no one would be safe whether they stayed in their homes or not.

“Had some issues with my marks last night,” Sienna told him.

One of Zane’s black eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Oh? Have to say that might be a first.”

“Something got to them before I could.”

“What do you mean something? A Guardian?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t actually see it, just what it left behind.”

“Which was?”

Sienna lowered her voice. “A very dead Werewolf and a mutilated Vamp.”

“How the hell did that happen?”

“That’s just it. I was there the entire time, listening to them talk, then in an instant, they were… dead. And the Vamp looked like he’d been dead for days.”

His brow furrowed, and he stared down at the amber liquid in his mug. “I would say that’s unsettling.”

“That’s the understatement of the century.” She drank deeply, and they sat in silence for a few moments.

“Any clue as to what—or who—it was?”

“Not a single one, and the council wants me to drop it. Apparently, they’re sending the Guardians after it.”

He laughed darkly. “Lot of good that’ll do. Don’t they know the Guardians are a dying breed?”

She didn’t respond, the death of the Guardians still hit too close to home. Regardless of the bloodline, children didn’t deserve to die. Even Zane didn’t know she’d been there that night. As far as he knew, she’d been in her room, drinking herself to oblivion as she did most nights. No one knew her true reason or that she’d failed.

“You headed back to Amber Isle?” Zane asked, changing the subject.

“No, they have one last job for me.”

“What’s that?”

Sienna grinned at him. “Unfortunately, I have been explicitly forbidden to speak of it.” If she told him who her target was, chances were he’d try to beat her to it. If anyone hated the Ward’s as much as she did, it was Zane.

“That is unfortunate.” He grinned before downing the rest of his drink and placed two coins on the counter. “Shall we go somewhere, and not speak?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I have to say I’m a bit jealous of you,” Zane said from her bed. She glanced back at him with a grin.

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“You always get the fun missions.” Head propped up on one arm, he grinned back. The blanket pooled at his trim waist, and he almost looked like he belonged there. Almost. Their arrangement couldn’t be considered a relationship, but they certainly enjoyed each other when they ended up in the same place.

Neither one tied to the other by anything but a mutual attraction. No love, no strings, and no possible way she could get her heart broken.

“You get some pretty amazing ones too.”

“Sometimes, but it’s been a while since I was sent to do anything but keep the peace.”

“And yet, you always manage to get your blade wet.”

Zane grinned, revealing his two sharp canines. “My sweet Sienna, I will always find a way to get my blade wet.”

She didn’t miss the innuendo in his words or the wink he followed them with.

Comfortable in her nakedness, Sienna walked back to the bed, two cups of whiskey in her hands. “I have no doubt you always find a way.”

Having grown up in the Amber Isle’s orphanage, she and Zane knew each other better than most. With him being a half-Vampire, half-Sage, he’d been mercilessly tortured by the other kids, his pale torso bearing the scars from most of those incidents.

As for her, she was a Sage but born with capabilities outside those the highest of the magickal realm typically possessed. Because of that, she’d been feared, and Zane was still the only friend she had.

He’d been there for her during the worst of it and was the only reason she was alive today.

Sienna closed her eyes, her jaw tightening. She’d been so young when she’d been stolen away from her murdered family. So young when the damned council had nearly stolen her life and ended up changing her forever.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Zane asked, a finger tracing over her jaw.

She opened her eyes and tried to give him a smile. “Nowhere worth mentioning.”

His eyes narrowed on hers, but he didn’t push the issue. Ever since the night he’d rescued her, they’d both been trapped by the Magick Council’s contract, living under their thumbs and doing their bidding.

Only once in two decades had she stepped out of line, and ever since then, she’d been unable to move past everything she’d seen.

Haunted green eyes staring up at her in the midst of horror. Pained screams of the night creatures’ victims.

Memories slipped to the front of her mind, and she pushed them back, no time for distractions. Especially not now. Not when her freedom was just within her grasp. She hadn’t told Zane of the council’s promise. If they came through for her, there would be plenty of time for celebrations. Once her contract was broken, they could both leave this shit storm of a realm behind them.

“Where’s your mind, Sienna?” Zane’s featherlight fingertips traced down her arm, sending goosebumps spreading over her flesh.

“You said the council had plans for you. What are they?” she asked, changing the subject.

He sighed and leaned back, letting his hand fall back to the bed. “I am to travel to Arminor and infiltrate the Vamps,” he said through clenched teeth. His mother had been a Sage sent to broker a peace treaty with the Vampires. Instead of peace, she was attacked and held hostage until she escaped.

Giving birth to Zane had killed her, a fact all those he crossed paths with felt the need to remind him of. He’d grown up hearing about all she’d suffered at the hands of the Vamps.

Sienna placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Zane.” He hated the bloodsuckers more than anyone, so being forced to play nice was going to be more difficult than anything he’d ever done.

“It is what it is. We follow our orders, right?” He looked pained as if he were leaning on her for justification.

She offered him a sad smile. “Until we die or our contracts are up. Why do they think the Vamps will let you in?”

“Apparently, the bastard who sired me is leading them at the moment.”

Sienna’s eyes widened. “How does the Non-Magick Council know that?”

“That’s a good question.” He took her mug from her hands before setting it beside his on the bedside table.

As he pulled her toward him, Sienna straddled his waist, her hands splaying on his pecs. “Since you can’t tell me who the target is, can you at least tell me where you’re headed?”

“Tolonix.”

Zane laughed. “That will be fun. You love it there,” he said.

“Oh yeah, it’s one of my favorite places,” she responded sarcastically.

His hands moved up her arms. “You always leave a trail of men behind you.”

“A trail of dead men who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.”

“I didn’t say they didn’t deserve it.”

She smiled.

“Honestly, I’m surprised anyone still messes with you.” He lifted a strand of her white hair in between his fingers. “Not like you can blend in.”

His words were meant to lighten the mood, but all they did was remind her of why she stuck out. Standing, she grabbed her tunic off the bedside table and, after slipping it on, turned to face him. “I’ve never blended in, but that doesn’t mean everyone fears me.”

“They should.” He reached for her and pulled her back onto the edge of the bed.

She shrugged. Fear was something she was used to, but not something she appreciated. It was damn hard to get anything done when people were constantly worried you were going to transform them into some kind of animal. Which was ridiculous, of course. She couldn’t actually turn people into animals.

But you cloak one person and a goat just happens to walk by—word spreads.

He ran a hand down her arm before getting up and pulling on his pants. “Be safe, Sienna. I’d really hate to have to find a new best friend.”

“You wouldn’t be able to. You’re an ass.”

He laughed. “Well, you’re miserable company, Sage.”

“You seem to enjoy it,” she joked back, earning another chuckle.

“You aren’t wrong.”

“When are you headed to the Vamps?”

“I should have left at nightfall.” He finished pulling on his tunic then a long black cloak before sheathing two daggers at his waist.

Zane didn’t carry a short sword like most militant Sages did. Despite his hatred for the creatures, he’d taken up their signature weapons, and Sienna had to admit—they fit him.

“Be safe, Zane.”

“I’ll see ya around.”

After placing a loud kiss on her cheek, he disappeared out into the hall, and Sienna poured herself another glass of whiskey. Tolonix was a miserable place full of miserable people. If she could get in and out in one day, that would be preferable, and if completing her mission meant getting her life back, she’d damn well better hurry.

Was it possible her freedom was right around the corner? That she might actually get the chance to live the life she wanted? And what exactly did that entail? What did freedom even look like?

5

Daxon Ward tipped his mug up and downed the rest of the amber liquid before pushing to his feet. Loud voices of the drunk carried on around him in the crowded pub, so the scraping of his chair went unnoticed.

Running the back of his hand over his short beard, he wiped the beads of liquid that had gathered from his ale before strapping his blade back onto his side. Break was over. Now it was time to continue the hunt.

Eyes following the tall man in the corner, Daxon studied him as he drained his own mug and slipped outside. Perfect. Sidestepping around the other tables, he moved quickly through the crowd, doing his best to not draw attention to himself.

Pushing the heavy wooden door open, he stepped out into the crisp air. The moon was full tonight, and it cast a pale glow over the realm. The air was hot and heavy with the thickness of summer, and the second he stepped out, his body began to sweat, making the thin leather armor plates he wore feel like they weighed a hundred pounds.

Narrowing his eyes, Daxon peered into the dark, searching for his target. He couldn’t have gone far—

“Looking for someone, Guardian?”

Straightening, he turned slowly, hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. The tall man he’d been looking for stood before him, the blood-red color of his eyes apparent even in the dark. “I’m no Guardian,” Daxon growled.

The Vampire chuckled. “I could smell your blood the second you walked into the pub.” He stepped closer. “Any particular reason you’re in my village?”

“You’re bloodsuckers. Do I need a reason to kill you?”

“You aren’t here to kill us. Otherwise you would have already. Besides, my family does not drink human blood. We haven’t in decades. The council knows this.”

“I already told you I’m no Guardian, which means I don’t have to follow the council’s orders.” Daxon unsheathed his blade and spun it with the precision of someone who’d been using one nearly all his life.

The Vampire eyed him warily for the first time, recognizing the threat. “Why are you here?”

“I want to know who ordered the attack on the Guardian academy.”

“What makes you think I know?”

“I removed the head of a talkative Werewolf last week.”

“You are sadly misinformed, Guardian. My family and I stay out of such matters. We’ve no reason to harm your people. All we wish for is to live in peace.”

“My entire family was in that academy.” Daxon stepped forward. “My pregnant sister, brothers, parents, every single one of them slaughtered right in front of me.” He moved closer, blade steady in his hand.

The Vampire’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I swear to you we had nothing to do with it.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

“I am not!”

“Either you tell me, or I will kill you and start asking your family. Perhaps they will be more talkative.”

The Vampire bared sharp canines. “You will not. We didn’t have anything to do with it, nor do we know who did.”

“What do you know of the white-haired Sage?” he asked, running a finger over the steel of his blade.

The Vamps eyes widened almost comically. She was well-known throughout the realm, and she was feared.

“The assassin?” he clarified.

“Yes. What do you know of her? Where is she? What is her name?”

“Why are you looking for her?”

“Does it matter?”

“She stays in hiding, if you see her, chances are she’s there to kill you.”

“You’ve seen her.”

“She rarely comes to Tolonix.”

“But you have seen her.”

The Vamp nodded. “She was here five months ago to kill a group of Werewolves who’d set up residence in town and were killing locals.”

Daxon grinned. Finally. He’d yet to come across anyone who had any personal contact with the Sage who’d saved him the night of the Guardian attack. “What is her name?”

“I don’t know. She only asked me where to find the Wolves. We didn’t exchange pleasantries.”

“So you don’t know where she is?”

The Vamp shook his head. “I know nothing other than she was here to kill the Wolves. Hadn’t seen her before, haven’t seen her after.”

“And you still claim to know nothing of the attack on the Guardian academy?”

“No, I swear to you we don’t.”

“Well, then it seems we have nothing left to talk about.” With one swing of his blade, the Vampire’s head fell to the ground, and Daxon knelt beside him, using his shirt to wipe the blood from his steel. “Fucking bloodsuckers.”

Standing, he sheathed his weapon and stretched, popping the joints in his back. Before the attack, he wouldn’t have killed the Vamp. He’d believed all magick creatures were innocent—just as humans were—until proven guilty. He knew firsthand monsters didn’t strictly consist of Vamps, Wolves, and Sages. But the attack changed it all. It changed him.

Seeing his entire family murdered by creatures of the night, hearing them scream as they and a thousand others were ripped apart, blurred the lines.

Now, everyone was guilty, no chance to prove their innocence. Before the attack, he hadn’t followed in his father’s footsteps and become a Guardian. After witnessing brutal killings of creatures simply because of their bloodlines, he’d chosen to become a hired hand instead. Only removing those who’d otherwise cause harm.

But now, Daxon had become the very thing he despised, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t summon even an ounce of compassion for the creatures who’d been a part of the slaughter.

Even if they’d had no hand in it personally. They were all connected, and until he found who organized the attack, he’d continue snipping a link off those chains, one by one.

He’d been searching for answers for half a year now. Six months and still nothing. He’d killed dozens of Vamps and Werewolves, and none had been able to give him any kind of viable information. Was he honestly supposed to believe no one knew who’d orchestrated the attack? Or why the hell the white-haired Sage saved him?

If she’d been there when the attack started, she’d have answers, but either no one knew where she was, or they weren’t talking. He’d even attempted to access the Amber Isle, but the Sages guarding it kindly suggested the only way he was getting in was if he were dead.

He turned his head up to the sky and closed his eyes, letting the breeze blow over him.

“I’m guessing he knew nothing?”

Turning, Daxon faced the only other person who’d survived the night of the attack. Corrine was the only daughter of Geoff Vakters, one of the five main Guardian families. She’d been his fiancé once, long before he’d chosen not to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a Guardian.

After he’d turned his back on his heritage, Corrine became betrothed to his younger brother Lawson. He and both her parents were killed the night of the attack, and since then, he’d watched the once spoiled girl change into a vengeance-driven woman.

The leathers she wore were very different from the custom-tailored gowns she’d donned only half a year before. Her once long, copper-colored hair had been cut short—just to her shoulders—in an attempt to blend in, and the eyes that used to pout when she didn’t get her way were now haunted, having seen more than their fair share of death.

“Not a damn thing.”

Corrine nodded and crossed her arms. “We should get going. If his clan sees him like this, they’ll come looking, and you can’t take on an entire Vampire clan alone.”

“I might surprise you.”

“Doubtful.” Corrine spun on the heel of her boots and headed for the stable where their horses waited.

He’d honestly gotten his hopes up about this one. The Werewolf from last week couldn’t stop gushing about the Vamp clan in Tolonix he’d sworn were behind it. Yet, here he was. One more dead Vamp and another even deader end.

It wasn’t in his nature to give up, but Daxon honestly wasn’t sure how much longer he could drag Corrine through the search. He’d offered to drop her off back in Cambria where she’d be safe with the remaining Guardians, but she’d refused.

He couldn’t blame her. If someone was indeed hunting their people, the capitol was the last place she’d be safe.

Daxon turned and stared at the distant mountain range separating the thief-riddled village of Tolonix and the place he’d grown up. He never thought it would be possible, but damn, he missed his childhood home. The place he’d spent his innocent years running through the courtyard chasing Mariana. Closing his eyes, Daxon fought back the wave of grief as if it were fresh.

His twin sister would never run laughing through their family’s home with her child. Never get to watch as her own little ones grew up into men and women. That right was robbed from her the night the academy burned to the ground.

Violet eyes popped into the front of his memory, and his hand tightened on his sword. That damn Sage prevented him from going back in as the academy burst into flames. Logically, he knew she was right and it would have killed him, but there had been a chance—a fleeting, impossible chance that he might’ve been able to save his family, and she’d stolen it from him.

How did he know she hadn’t been the one orchestrating the attack in the first place? What if she’d only saved him because she knew he had no interest in carrying on the Guardian line?

Daxon shook his head. That made no damn sense though. If she’d been the one behind it, she would have let those Wolves eat him alive.

“You coming?” Corrine’s agitated voice interrupted his thoughts, and Daxon turned. She held the reins of their horses, the same haunted look on her face that had been there since the night of the attack.

“Yeah. We probably should get the hell out of here.”

Without a word, Corrine held out his reins, and Daxon took them before climbing onto the back of Shadow.

“Where to now?” she asked.

“We need to find an inn and get some sleep. After that, we’re heading back to the Amber Isle.”

“Are you kidding me? You want to go back?”

Daxon shrugged. It was dangerous, a suicide mission even, for a Guardian to step foot into the magick-run city, especially now with someone hunting them. But if that were the only way he was going to get answers, then so be it, and he was damn sure getting in this time. Even if it meant killing a few Sages along the way.

If he died, at least he could say he gave it an honest try.

“You don’t have to go with me. I’ll leave you in Cambria.”

“Absolutely not.” She blew out a breath. “Those monsters killed my family, too. I want to know why.”

“Corrine, you have zero fighting skills.”

“Then teach me.”

“I don’t have time.”

“Stop being a miserable bastard, Dax.”

Daxon nudged Shadow forward, and Corrine did the same to hers. Their horses moved easily through the nearly empty streets, but Daxon kept his eyes focused on the shadows just in case.

One could never be too careful in Tolonix.

“I’m not being a miserable bastard. I’m being realistic. You don’t have time to learn what you’d need to in order to stay safe.”

“You mean you don’t want to teach me. Shit, Dax, I’m not trying to sleep with you.”

“Fine,” he conceded. “But I’m not starting tonight.”

Corrine let out a breath. “Thank you.”

“Uh-huh.” They continued their walk toward the edge of the city, stopping only once they reached the rugged façade of the Tolonix Inn.

Dismounting from their horses, they handed the reins to the stable boy. The railings surrounding a rickety porch were nearly all broken, the front door hanging partially off its hinges.

“This looks promising,” Corrine commented dryly.

“Beats sleeping on the ground for another night.”

She shrugged. “We’ll see about that when we get a look at the inside.”

Still some of the spoiled girl in there. Daxon didn’t comment on his thought, just stepped up onto the porch. It creaked under the weight of his leather boots but seemed sturdy enough as he made his way across and pulled open the heavy door.

Inside, the pub on the bottom floor stank of musty ale and vomit but was nearly empty save for two older men at the far end.

They turned to look at the newcomers, smiling toothless smiles when they got a look at Corrine and realized she was not a man. Reaching behind him, Daxon grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

You couldn’t trust a damn person in Tolonix, and these bastards would just as soon take her, willing or not, as they would order another drink.

Pulling Corrine behind him, Daxon walked to the grey-haired barkeep and handed out three gold coins. “We need a room.” He pulled out another coin and slipped it across the bar. “See that no one disturbs us,” he added, glancing down at the two men still staring at Corrine.

“You got it.” The barkeep gestured with his head to the stairs. “Up the stairs, third door on the left.”

“Thanks.” Daxon led the way, keeping a close eye on the men until they were out of sight.

“I can take care of myself,” Corrine practically growled at him.

“I have no interest in killing two humans tonight, Corrine. It’s just easier to avoid a confrontation.”

“By making me look like a weak woman.”

Daxon rolled his eyes.

“Teach me to fight, and you won’t need to protect me anymore.”

He didn’t respond, just pushed open the door to the room. Stench-filled air greeted them as they stepped inside. A single bed with a straw mattress and hole-riddled linen sat in the center of the far wall next to a closed window.

There was a wash bin—if you wanted old, murky water—and a bucket for waste that upon closer inspection, Daxon saw hadn’t been emptied in quite some time.

“What was that you were saying about it being better than the ground?” Corrine asked dryly as she continued her inspection of the room.

“The linens are ugly, but they at least appear to be clean. I’ll take care of the waste and dirty water.”

Corrine sat on the edge of the bed and kicked her boots off before settling back on top of the blanket.

Thanks for the help. Daxon opened the window, letting fresh air into the room, before tossing the waste bucket outside. After repeating the process with the wash bin, he turned back to Corrine, who was already snoring softly.

They’d known each other their entire lives, and he could still vividly remember chasing her around with his brother Lawson and their friends as they teased her mercilessly about her fear of frogs.

He could still remember the stern look his mother gave them as she chastised the way they treated her. “She’s a lady, Daxon,” he remembered her saying. “One day you will want to chase her around for another reason.” She’d followed up with a wink. Of course, then he’d had no clue what she’d been talking about.

Once their parents announced their betrothal, Daxon remembered being so angry he’d cursed her name. She’d been so excited about it, ready to be a wife, to be a mother, and he’d wanted no part of it even from the beginning.

He might’ve been an ass, but after witnessing what he had about the Guardians’ true mission, Daxon had been more than ready to get the hell away from everyone who had any part in it.

Still, a part of him did feel guilty for how he’d treated her then, and now she was just as alone as he was.

Reaching into her pack, Daxon pulled out a blanket then spread it over her. After securing the window, he stepped outside and shut the door gently, using the key to click the lock in place.

He was far from ready to sleep, ghosts of his memories still haunting his mind. If there was anything he knew could clear them, it was drinking until he didn’t give a shit anymore.

6

Sienna guided her horse into Tolonix with the hesitance of someone who’d been within the confines of the thief-run town more times than she could count. She truly despised coming here. The stench of piss and ale was enough to turn one away without the added trouble the villagers caused.

Of course, they weren’t all bad. Some genuinely tried to make a living and couldn’t afford to live anywhere else in the realm. Unfortunately for those few, Vampires and Werewolves hunted here where the Magick Council had no control, and the non-magicks couldn’t be bothered to help.

Not a single Guardian would have been dispatched to offer aid even if they hadn’t been nearly wiped out.

Pretentious pricks. Sienna thought back to the council members she’d met with only a week ago. They sat high in their room behind the safety of the walls and a dozen guards while their people were hunted.

“Food, please?” A small child’s voice broke through her thoughts, and Sienna glanced down. A small boy, maybe seven or eight, stood shirtless in the dark street. His neck was covered with bites from a Vamp, and it made her blood boil. His skin was dirty, his pants hanging off hips that hadn’t seen more than a bite of food in days.

Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a bag of dried fruit and a chunk of bread. “Here you go.”

He smiled, showing holes where teeth should be, and snatched it greedily.

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” Sienna offered him a sad smile as he ran off into the dark. Chances were he’d be dead by the end of the week, but at least tonight his stomach would be full.

Turning her attention back to the road, Sienna spotted a group of men standing just outside a pub.

Not two seconds later, they saw her.

“Hey there, how about you give us a piece? We pay well,” a man with dirt-matted hair said with a toothless grin as he grabbed his crotch.

“She don’t need no coin, Harden. Don’t you see her pretty purple cloak? She got plenty of money. That’s a fancy color.”

Sienna rolled her eyes. Her hair was covered, and briefly she considered removing it. They sure as hell wouldn’t mess with her then.

That is unless they had a death wish.

“Oh, miss, how sorry I am for my rude comment.” He bowed slightly and straightened back up. “How about you come on down and spread those pretty little legs for us anyway? We be making sure you have a real good time.” He grabbed his crotch again, squeezing lightly, and Sienna bit back the bile rising in her throat.

“I think I’ll pass.”

“We wasn’t asking.”

Sienna caught the glint of a blade in the moonlight and pulled her horse to a stop. She had no time for assholes, and who knew how many unwilling women had been forced to share their bed.

“Yer making a good choice.” They grinned toothless smiles, and one moved toward her.

Raising her hands, Sienna removed her cloak, and the man jumped back.

“We didn’t mean no disrespect!”

“Oh?” Sienna laughed. “Seems to me you meant a lot of disrespect. You just didn’t care when you thought I couldn’t protect myself.” Sienna clapped her hands and smiled. “So, who wants to go first? Anyone?”

The men didn’t move, just stared at her with wide eyes.

“No volunteers?” Lifting her hand, Sienna snapped, and the man closest to her burst into flames. His screams ripped through the otherwise silent night, and the other two gaped at him in horror.

Removing her short blade, Sienna threw it at the man furthest to the right before running toward the other.

He raised his blade to defend himself, but Sienna slid on her knees, avoiding his steel and jumping up to snap his neck.

The attack was over in an instant, and pulling her blade from the dead man’s throat, she wiped it onto his pants before re-sheathing it.

“What a way to start the trip,” she mumbled, climbing back onto her horse and leaving the dead behind for whatever animals might be searching for their next meal.

Well-done or rare, there was food for any palate type.

The only inn in Tolonix came into view, and Sienna headed straight to the stable to leave her horse. If she were lucky, her target would be staying here, and she could kill him quickly, earning her freedom back and, by doing so, repaying the debt Zane acquired the night he’d saved her. Then, they could disappear so no one would be able to find them again.

She could finally live in peace and never again have to wield her magick like a weapon. Hell, she’d never have to use it again.

Dismounting, Sienna led her horse inside. “Hello?” she called when the stablehand didn’t automatically greet her.

The lantern was burning brightly, and beside it, a familiar pouch filled with dried fruit. Her hands clenched the reins.

A barely audible cry rang out from a stall at the back, and abandoning her horse, Sienna raced toward it. Flinging the stall door open, her power slammed into her full force.

“You got no right!” The man looked up from where he was currently feeding on the neck of the young boy Sienna had given food. His eyes were rolled back in his head, his arms hanging lifelessly next to his body.

“You have that backward, Vamp.” She reached behind and pulled out her blade, swinging it down and severing the Vamp’s head from his neck. The boy fell to the ground just as the Vamp’s body did, and Sienna knelt beside him.

“I’m so sorry for your soul,” she whispered sadly, closing the boy’s eyes. Speed was a Vampire’s greatest weapon. He must have been out hunting and found the boy only moments after Sienna had seen him.

Vampires tended to feed for days, pulling every drop of blood from their victims before finally killing them.

Tonight had been the boy’s unlucky night. Pressing her hand to his chest, she willed his soul to find peace as his body turned to ash in her hands. No other monsters would feed on him again.

He would be at peace even if the action hurt her heart.

After cleaning her blade on the Vampire’s tattered clothes, Sienna got to her feet and headed back down the hall toward her horse. A soft whinny stopped her, and she turned toward a black stallion in a stall near the entrance.

“Hey boy.” Stepping toward him, Sienna held out her hand, and the horse nuzzled it. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?” The horse looked familiar, the white diamond on its forehead being the only marking on its entire body. She knew she’d seen it, but where?

Leaving her own horse standing in the breezeway, Sienna walked out onto the dark street and toward the pub. The air was heavy tonight, the humidity making Tolonix’s natural stench even worse, and she was more than ready to get back on the road.

The porch sagged, creaking as she walked across it. Pulling open the door, Sienna stepped into the center of carnage.

A cloaked man stood in the center of a sea of bodies. At least a dozen men and women who’d come into the pub for a drink at some point were now drained of life, their blood splattered on the floor and walls.

Dead eyes stared back at her, and she inwardly pulled for her magic.

The cloaked man dropped a body he was holding and turned, his face nearly completely obscured from the hood of his cloak.

“You,” the man growled.

“I take it we’ve met before?”

The visible part of his mouth turned up in a gruesome smile. “You’ve seen my handywork a time or two, but this would be the first time we’ve met face-to-face.”

“Handywork? You’ll have to be more specific,” Sienna said, her power surging through her veins.

The man smiled again. “Why are you here, Sage?”

“Now, how about we get to know each other before you start asking me such personal questions.”

The man chuckled. “I see you’re going to be a problem.” Raising his hands, he whispered something Sienna couldn’t quite make out.

Eyes of the dead shot open, the pupils fully dilated, completely obliterating any white.

“Necromancer,” Sienna whispered. They were rare and hunted for their abilities. To have one in Tolonix was unheard of.

“Happy feasting, my children,” he said and turned toward the stairs.

The dead stood, turning toward her with open mouths and gnashing teeth. Sienna unsheathed her blade. Because they were reanimated by powerful magic, they were impervious to her own. She was going to have to fight her way through. “I know I said I wanted a fight, but now is really not the time,” she said, clutching her blade.

They continued toward her, no intelligence in their movements, driven only by their desire to eat. And tonight, it seemed she was the only one on the menu.

Slicing out, Sienna managed to ram her blade into the eye socket of a woman who’d come the closest.

A man reached for her, and Sienna ducked, rolling out of the way just in time. Driving her short sword up, it rammed through his jaw and up into his skull. He fell forward, and she barely missed being pinned beneath his weight.

“This is just not the right time at all!” she yelled and dove to the side when two more of the dead reached for her.

7

Silently, Daxon crept out of his window and climbed down the trellis, holding his mother’s pink and red roses. If she could see him now, she’d scream until her face turned red, but she couldn’t. This was his special secret, and the thought of getting away with it sent a giggle through him.

The night air was warm with the early promise of summer, and Daxon, giddy with excitement, was off to meet his best friend so they could go catch toads and use them to torment Corrine tomorrow. It was the perfect plan.

His feet landed softly on the dirt, and Daxon turned toward the tree line. Breaking into a run, he pushed his twelve-year-old legs as fast as they could go, far too excited to waste any time by walking.

Insects chirped their nighttime songs as he ran, the branches whirring past him as Daxon pretended he was a Wolf just like his friend. How cool would it be to be able to turn into an animal? To run, fast and free, through the trees without worrying about falling?

Breaking through the last grouping of trees, Daxon stopped abruptly and peered into the clearing where Grimley’s house sat. The entire family was outside, both Grimley’s parents and his two siblings. Had they caught him? They were going to be in so much trouble!

“Do you know what you stand accused of?” A man’s voice spoke up through the night, and Dax narrowed his eyes. What was his father doing here?

“We have done nothing wrong!” Grimley’s father insisted, and Daxon heard the panic in his voice.

No longer worried about getting into trouble, he looked closer, and his heart began to race with panic.

Grimley was between his little brother and sister, holding their hands while their parents stood in front of them defensively. It wasn’t just Daxon’s own father there, but five other Guardians stepped into the soft light of the moon, their dark grey armor glinting in the light, cobalt blue capes unmoving with the lack of a breeze.

They stood just outside the tree line, blending so well with the shadows Daxon hadn’t even seen them.

“Your existence is wrong,” Amos Ward sneered.

“My family and I have never harmed a human. We feed on animals just as you do!” Grimley’s mother cried out. “Does that make you murderers, too?”

“Our sons are friends. Are you truly incapable of understanding and compassion? We have no more control over what we are than you do!”

“My son has no business being friends with an abomination.”

Daxon ground his teeth together and clenched his fists. Grimley was not an abomination!

All eyes turned to him, and it wasn’t until his father snarled that Dax realized he’d yelled his thought.

“Daxon, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Grimley is not an abomination! He’s my friend!” Daxon repeated, stepping further from the trees.

“He is a monster, an animal incapable of anything but feeding on innocents.”

“You’re wrong!” Daxon ran toward his friend’s family, stopping in between them and his father.

“As Guardians, it is our duty to put an end to the slaughter, to protect the realm. We cannot fraternize with dogs. Get him out of the way.”

At his command, two Guardians marched forward and reached for Dax. He balled up a fist and punched, coming into contact with the Guardian’s jaw just below his helmet.

“You disrespectful little brat!” Amos Ward lifted a hand and cracked it across Daxon’s cheek. Stars exploded in his vision as he fell back. “You do that again, and you will be held accountable for your actions,” he warned, his tone menacing.

Tears streamed down Daxon’s cheeks as he was pulled to his feet, his arms secured behind his own back by one of the Guardians.

“Now, where were we?” Amos asked, pacing. A dark smile spread across his face. “Ah, yes. Your family stands accused of murder, and you will be punished as such.”

Daxon didn’t see the blade until it was too late. Screams deafened him as Grimley’s father’s head lolled off and landed on the ground. Blood sprayed Daxon’s father, who turned his attention to Grimley’s mother.

“No! Izo!” she screamed, reaching toward him.

“Look out!” Daxon called out. She looked up seconds before his father’s blade met its mark and she joined her husband.

“No!” Daxon screamed, fighting against the arms holding him. Why was his father doing this? Why would he hurt innocent people? The Guardians’ mission was to protect the realm! To protect the people! “Let me go!”

His father stepped over the bodies and headed straight for Grimley and his siblings. Shielding them with his body, Grimley shoved them behind him and straightened despite the anguish on his face.

“You are the worst of them all,” Amos said, disgusted. “You trick my son into believing your kind is peaceful.”

“We are peaceful. We’ve never hurt a human.”

“Maybe not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” He raised the blade, the blood-tinged silver metal glinting in the moonlight as his father swung. Grimley didn’t fight back, not that he could have. He simply stood stoic as his young life was cut short. His young siblings cried out and raced toward the trees, desperate to escape.

Daxon screamed until he had no voice left as hot tears streamed down his cheeks, and he pulled against the hands holding him until his arms bled. He knew he would never forget the horrible smile on his father’s face as he looked down at the dead; or the way he’d ordered the Guardians to chase down and kill Grimley’s siblings.

This was a massacre, murder, a slaughter, whatever word you used for it, and it was not what the Guardians were supposed to do.

Amos walked toward his son, stopping to look down just before he passed him. “You will soon understand, Daxon. This is what we do.”

“Murder innocent people? I’ll never understand!”

“You will be a Guardian one day, and then you will learn that they—” He gestured to the bodies in the grass. “—are not people and this is not murder. It’s the only way to ensure the human race survives.”

The Guardian holding him released Daxon, and he ran toward his friend’s body, falling to his knees beside it as his father and the Guardians mounted their horses. Daxon looked back down at his friend. A scream tore through the night, and Daxon cried out, knowing it must mean the Guardians caught up with Grimley’s siblings. Siblings who hadn’t even gone through the change yet.

Daxon turned his head up to the moon and screamed. If this were what Guardians did, if killing anyone with magick in their blood was their true mission, he wanted no part of it.

Daxon shot to his feet as the door splintered, sending sharp shards of wood throughout the room.

A creature wearing a dark cape strolled in slowly, and it took Daxon a moment too long to come to the realization he was no longer dreaming. Corrine screamed, scrambling off the bed toward the window.

“It is nice to see you, Guardian,” the man said hoarsely. “I’ve been searching for you.”

“Who the hell are you?”

The man didn’t answer, just continued to move into the room. Daxon backed away slowly, making his way toward Corrine and his blade.

“I asked you a question.”

“I don’t have to answer that, Guardian. I answer to no one.”

“Why are you here?”

The cloaked head cocked to the side. “For you.”

Daxon reached his blade, but the ale still in his system was slowing his movements. In an instant, the man appeared in front of him, and Daxon was thrown back, away from Corrine. His back slammed into the wall, cracking the wood. Ears ringing, he scrambled back to his feet and stumbled back toward Corrine. He needed to get to her, and then they could go out the window. At least then, they would stand a chance.

“Get down!” a voice yelled as a bright light filled the space. With only a second to move, Daxon lunged for Corrine, pulling her to the floor. His vision still blurry from the impact with the wall and the ale he’d ingested only hours before, it took him a moment to focus on the newcomer.

Bright white hair flying around her face with the force of her power, the Sage he’d been searching for faced off with a man who was hidden beneath a dark cape.

“I see you survived. What a shame.” The man hit her with a bolt of lightning, sending her flying back into the wall.

The wood broke with the impact of her body as she was flung out of the room and into the one across the hall.

The man’s attention turned back to Daxon, who lifted his sword from the ground where he’d been lying.

Before he had a chance to use it though, the man appeared in front of him. A hand closed around Daxon’s throat and lifted. He clawed at the man’s hand as he was lifted off the ground with apparent ease.

“It seems you are more important than I realized, Guardian,” the man sneered. His breath hot on Daxon’s face as he tightened his fist.

Pain and panic raced through him as Daxon fought for control. Spots swam in his vision, his blood pounding in his ears, making it nearly impossible to hear anything else.

Bright light filled the room once again, and Daxon crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Get up,” the Sage ordered before looking at Corrine. “Get him out of here, now.” She straightened and lifted her arms. Cracking filled the air as the floor split apart directly in front of her, creating a barrier between them and their attacker.

Gripping his arm, Corrine pulled him toward the broken door.

“I need to help her,” he insisted, coughing.

“You aren’t going to be able to help her,” Corrine said quickly. “She seems to have this covered, and you’re still drunk, you jackass.”

The hall ended quickly, and they raced down the stairs. At the bottom, they were met with the smell of fresh blood—and a lot of it.

The pub was littered with bodies, some no longer whole, and a hell of a lot more of them than there’d been when he turned in.

“Whoever that was must’ve stopped in for a drink,” he commented dryly as they eyed the bloodied bodies of the unlucky patrons who’d been here at the wrong time.

Daxon shook his head, trying desperately to clear the ale-induced fog. Why the hell did I have that last drink?

“I thought I said get out of here?”

They turned as the white-haired Sage raced downstairs.

“What are you doing here?” Daxon demanded.

“Talking can wait. That won’t hold him long.” She gestured toward the upstairs just as an angry scream pierced the silence.

She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm. The woman stopped abruptly and angled her face up to look at him. The coolness in her lavender eyes nearly caused him to release her, but instead he tightened his grip.

“You’re going to want to release me, Guardian, or I’ll decide to let your new friend have his turn with you.”

Daxon glared down at her. For the last five months, she’d been the nameless ghost he blamed for his misery. The woman who’d forced him to stand by while his family burned.

“Daxon.” Corrine placed her hand on his other arm, and the contact was enough to break through.

He released her, but not before saying, “We will talk.”

She nodded and pushed past him outside.

A white horse waited for her, completely unfazed by the screams coming from inside, and she climbed onto its back quickly before looking down at Daxon.

“Where are your horses?”

“I’ll grab them,” Corrine offered and disappeared into the stable.

“Who was that?” he asked as soon as they were alone. They had a free moment while Corrine was gone, so the way he saw it, she could start answering his questions now.

“Someone who wants your head on a spike.” Her voice was completely void of emotion, unlike the night he’d come to with her on top of him.

“I figured as much by his friendly greeting. What I don’t understand is why?”

The Sage glanced over and narrowed her eyes. “Do you truly not know?”

“Looks like whomever that was got the stablehand, too,” Corrine said as she handed Dax the reins to Shadow.

“That wasn’t him,” the Sage commented.

“Then who was it?” Daxon asked before climbing onto his horse.

“It was me.” She urged her horse forward, leaving Daxon and Corrine staring after her.

Click here to keep reading!

About the Author

Photo Credit Mandi Rose Photography

USA Today Bestselling Author Jessica Wayne has written over thirty fantasy and contemporary romance novels. The latter of which she writes as J.W. Ashley. During the day, she slays laundry and dishes as a homeschooling stay at home mom of three, and at night her worlds come to life on paper.

She runs on coffee and wine (as well as the occasional whiskey!) and if you ever catch her wearing matching socks, it’s probably because she grabbed them in the dark.

She is a believer of dragons, unicorns, and the power of love, so each of her stories contain one of those elements (and in some cases all three).

Jessica lives in Texas with her husband, kids, their three German Shepherds, and twenty chickens.

You can usually find her in her Facebook group, Jessica’s Whiskey Thieves, or keep in touch by subscribing to her newsletter where she shares updates as well as shenanigans she finds herself in.

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For more information, visit www.jessicawayne.com

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Table of Contents

- Cover
- Praise for Jessica Wayne’s Fantasy Novels
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Copyright
- Cambrexian Realm
- Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14

- Warrior of Magick Sneak Peek

- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7

- About the Author
- Also By Jessica Wayne
- Contemporary Romance by J.W. Ashley