The Last Ward

by Jessica Wayne

  The Last Ward

  by Jessica Wayne

  Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.

  * * *

  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.

  * * *

  Proofread by Dominique Laura

  Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Warrior Of Magick Chapter 1

  Bonus Content!

  From The Author

  Also By Jessica Wayne

  Romance by J.W. Ashley

  About the Author

  1

  Cape billowing in the cold breeze, Daxon Ward 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 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, 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 travel, even if it meant staying within these walls and facing the judgment of all those who knew of him. The dark smudge on the Ward line.

  He’d been on the road for nearly a month to reach the academy in celebration of his brother’s vows. 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 hundreds 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.

  Somehow, Dax knew the chilling wind wouldn’t be nearly as cold as the looks his father would share with him. He’d 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 or not, he was a damn good swordsman and had proven his abilities time and time again.

  “What is your business here?” he asked, 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 recognized him. 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 the chill of early winter.

  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 their 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 slaughtered 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 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.

  “Daxon!”

  Forcing his best smile, he turned toward the voice and faced off with 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. “It has been far too long.” Wrapping his arms around her, Dax breathed in the sweet scent he’d come to expect from her.

  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. You could do more if you’d attend the academy though.”

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

  “Very well. Your brother is graduating at the top of his class! Can you believe it! Another Guardian in the family.”

  “I’m happy Lawson found his calling.”

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

  No, I won’t. “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.

  She continued leading him up the stairs toward the banquet hall, and Dax heard the voices of his family over all the others. Particularly his father’s booming laugh. It raised the hair on the back of his neck. Here we go.

  They stepped into the room, everyone silencing 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 with a group of men who all looked at Dax with the disgust and disappointment his own father did as he pinned him with dark eyes.

  “Daxon, glad you could join us.” 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.

  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.

  “Father, 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 the stain on the Ward family 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 reached it 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.”

  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 hands 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 his father’s eyes narrowed on Theodore's face at his words. Ever since he’d been barely old enough to walk, Theodore had followed Dax around everywhere he went.

  He’d made it no secret that he wanted to grow up just like his oldest brother, much to his father’s dismay.

  “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, I believe she has something to tell you.”

  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.”

  “Will I? Doesn’t sound like something I’d do.”

  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.”