by Halle Dean
Shining Armor
a fantasy novel by
Halle Dean
Shining Armor by Halle Dean
Published by Mahalia Sexton
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
United States of America
halledean.com
© 2018 Mahalia Sexton
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:
[email protected]
Cover by Mahalia Sexton
To my father, who inspired me to start writing.
To my husband, who supports me even through my mess.
To my mother and sister, who waited impatiently for me to hurry up and write the next part.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
—
Prologue
One - Not Such a Stranger
Two - The Princess of Coriander
Three - The Way It Once Was
Four - Over the Edge
Five - The Other Warner
Six - Melody
Seven - A Different Magic
Eight - Broken Trust
Nine - Anywhere But Hestia
Ten - The Magics Society
Eleven - Keeping a Secret
Twelve - Ella
Thirteen - After What He Did
Fourteen - Emotions Taking Over
Fifteen - Reluctant
Sixteen - Internal War
Seventeen - Knight Captain Mason
Eighteen - Sweet Memories
Nineteen - First Name Basis
Twenty - The Truth
Twenty One - The Void
Twenty Two - The Final Trial
Twenty Three - Layla and Petunia's
Twenty Four - Jealousy
Twenty Five - Shining Armor
Twenty Six - Protective
Twenty Seven - Taking the Bait
Twenty Eight - The Library in the Closet
Twenty Nine - Lethargy
Thirty - Too Much Blood
Thirty One - On Fire
Thirty Two - Healer
Thirty Three - A Family of Mages
Thirty Four - Attached
Thirty Five - Separate Ways
Thirty Six - Ten Minutes
Thirty Seven - Home Again
Thirty Eight - A Dangerous Choice
Thirty Nine - The Lower Dungeon
Forty - Evil Warner
Forty One - The Magic Guard
Forty Two - Useless
Forty Three - Wishful Thinking
Forty Four - A Split Second to Act
Forty Five - Evenly Matched
Forty Six - Truss
Forty Seven - True Devastation Magic
Forty Eight - Still Living and Breathing
Forty Nine - Magic Suppression
Fifty - Misplaced Vengeance
Epilogue
—
Note From the Author
Prologue
Warner was less than surprised to find a sword leveled at him, but it was a bit of a shock to see Mason at the other end. He hadn't expected to see him ever again, let alone all the way in Milvona.
"I've found you, Munday." The tavern had gone quiet, allowing the entire room to hear Mason's low voice. "It seems that you can't hide forever."
Warner knew he could have defeated Mason and the other knights, but he didn't wish to cause a scene. In any case, he wasn't inclined to harm the knights, several of which he knew very well. He raised his hands in surrender.
"Oh, no," he sighed with a hint of sarcasm. "You've bested me."
A few of the tavern patrons chuckled, but Mason glared at Warner and continued speaking. "You will come to Coriander Castle at once."
Warner raised his eyebrows, returning Mason's determined expression with his own disinterested one.
Now is a good time to finish off the knights, the voice in his mind murmured.
"For what reason, exactly, would I go there?" Warner asked, ignoring the voice. "I assume all I'd find is death waiting for me."
"And you'd have brought it upon yourself, traitor," Mason snarled. Warner looked away. "I'd kill you myself, except that the king commands your presence."
"I don't answer to him," Warner said, looking back at Mason with narrowed eyes. He pushed Mason's sword to the side with his arm. "Neither do I respond to his whims to call on me. We are not in Coriander anymore."
Mason resheathed his blade as Warner gathered his cloak from his seat at the bar. "His Majesty will make it worth your while."
I doubt it, the voice said. Warner, once again, paid no attention to it.
"I'm not interested in wealth," he said, pulling his cloak on as he walked past Mason.
"The king does not intend to pay you," Mason said, turning to watch Warner as he approached the exit. "His Majesty has offered a pardon."
Warner rolled his eyes, reaching for the door. "Even if I believed he would grant it—"
"It is not only for you," Mason interrupted. "It is also for your sister."
Warner froze, his hand gripping the doorknob. He shut his eyes before responding. "It doesn't matter. She's dead."
Very dead, said the voice.
Quiet, Warner thought in response.
He heard Mason approach. "She's not. She has been in the dungeons for the last five years, condemned in your stead."
Warner opened his eyes and spun around, glaring. His hands were at Mason's throat before he knew what he was doing
"You bastard! How could you?"
At once, the rest of the knights had their swords drawn, but he paid them no mind. He didn't care that the whole tavern stared in shock. He certainly didn't care that Mason was struggling for breath.
"Warner!" Petunia called from behind the counter. He ignored her.
"Don't—ngh—blame me," Mason choked, trying to pry Warner's hands away. "I'm not—agh—"
Yes! Kill him! Warner's other voice egged him on. Finally!
Warner's eyes widened in shock and he released his grip, staring at his hands. Mason fell to the ground, gasping and coughing. Warner looked at him and dropped his arms to his sides.
"Edric, then?" he asked, regaining composure.
Mason coughed and scowled up at him. "His Majesty, thanks to you."
"Very well," Warner growled, turning away. "But we are not finished, Mason. When I have dealt with His Majesty, you and I will have words."
I think 'words' is not quite the right term, said the other Warner.
I said be quiet! Warner inwardly snapped.
With that, he concentrated and waved his hand in front of himself. He shimmered and vanished from the tavern, heading into The Void.
One
Not Such a Stranger
Sophie didn't know how much longer she could run. It was well past nightfall, her legs ached, and scratches from the undergrowth covered her. She had torn her dress and abandoned much of it further back, but she cared very little. It was easier to run without all the weight. Though she hadn't heard her pursuers in a while, she knew she had to keep moving. The Royal Knights would catch up to her soon enough, as skilled in tracking as they were.
Will I never have a moment of rest again? she thought, lifting her gaze to the dark canopy of leaves above. As soon as she looked up, something caught her foot. She tripped, sprawling across a tangle of roots. She groaned and pushed herself up, looking around. To her left, through a gap in the trees, the moonlit side of a building caught her eyes. What is that? she thought. I'm still in the forest, am I not? I can't have made it to a town already.
She got to her feet and brushed herself off, which did almost nothing for he
r dirt-caked gown. She made her way through the trees and found herself in a large clearing. The building turned out to be a small cabin tucked into the trees across the way from her. She gaped at it, hardly daring to believe her luck.
"Perfect," she breathed. It looks old and unoccupied, she thought. It's so far from anything that I doubt anyone would live there. I'll use a bit of disguise magic and, even if they come looking, I can act as someone else!
Sophie could hear shouts again, not too far off, so she hurried towards the little house. She found the door locked, but it didn't take much magic to get it open. Once inside, she shut the door and leaned her forehead against it, taking a much-needed moment of rest. When she turned to face the room, she found herself pinned to the door before she could move any further. She yelped in surprise and fear, unable to see anything in the darkness.
"Who are you?" A man's voice came from only a few inches in front of her. "How did you get in here?"
"Who are you?" Sophie asked, struggling to no avail.
The man had one of his forearms against her collarbone, pressing her to the door. He held both of her wrists in one of his hands, up above her head.
"I asked you first."
"Release me at once!"
She was not in any sort of position to be demanding things. Her magic energy was running low, and she was using most of what she had left on her disguise magic.
"You broke into my house," the man said. "Explain yourself and then we'll see if I let you go."
Sophie attempted to struggle again, but he was far too strong. She huffed indignantly. "I was only trying to find a place to hide," she said. "I didn't think that anyone would live here."
"I have my privacy for a reason."
"I did not mean to offend," she said, thinking a switch to diplomacy was the best option for the moment. "Please, allow me to hide here from the knights."
Sophie could hear the voices shouting in the forest again. They were getting closer. She still couldn't see much, but she could feel the man tense and sensed that he was looking toward the shouting. He didn't release her, but dragged her to the window. He peered behind the curtain, the faint moonlight silhouetting him.
"The knights of Coriander?" he asked. "Why are they after you?"
Sophie tried to break free of his grasp. "Let me go!"
"Shh!" the man warned, turning back to her and covering her mouth with his free hand. "Who are you? What is going on?"
"I'll tell you once they're gone," she insisted when he moved his hand to allow her to speak. "For now you must hide me from them. I beg of you!"
She felt him hesitate for a long moment. Then he pulled her across the room and tossed her down. She yelped, but hit a soft surface instead of the ground she had been expecting.
"Quiet," he said. "I thought you were trying to hide. Lie down and cover yourself. Pretend you're asleep."
"I'm using disguise magic," she said. "They won't recognize me."
"I know that. Just do as I say," he said. "And be quiet."
She followed his instruction, wondering how he could know she was using magic. Once she was lying down, relief washed over her, though she knew she wasn't safe yet. She found the bed quite comfortable, though it may have been her exhaustion. She tensed as she heard a pounding at the door. There was silence for a moment, then the knocking came again.
"One moment!" the man called.
The door didn't make a sound as it opened, but Sophie heard Mason's voice through the blanket over her head.
"Good evening, sir," he said.
"It's morning at this point," the man said, sounding annoyed.
"Ah, yes, sorry," Mason apologized. "We're looking for a woman. Have you seen one?"
"I've seen many women."
Sophie nearly laughed. She could imagine the look on Mason's face at the man's impertinent response. Mason sounded irritated as he made his question more specific.
"Have you seen one wandering around the forest?" he asked. "She would have passed by here in the last half hour."
"I've been sleeping," the man responded. "She would have had to come into my house and wake me up for me to have seen her."
"Did she?" Mason asked pointedly.
The man sighed. "I would invite you to search, but my wife is asleep and I don't wish to upset her."
"I'm very sorry, sir." Sophie recognized Alex Williams' voice. "But we will need to search your house."
"Isn't this outside of your bounds?" the man asked, annoyed. "That's the crest of Coriander, correct?"
"I don't wish to make this difficult," Mason said. "But this is very important."
"Very well," the man said, sighing again. "Have a look around. But please don't wake my wife. She's difficult when she doesn't have enough sleep." Sophie tried not to take offense, reminding herself that the man's words were meant as a ruse.
"We shall do what we can," Mason said, voice quiet. "We will need light, however."
Soon, torchlight seeped in under the edges of the blanket. There was a moment of silence and Sophie began to wonder why everyone was so quiet. Panic set in as she considered that she may have been discovered after all. Finally, Mason spoke again.
"I'm going to have to ask you to remove that mask," he said, sounding a bit suspicious.
Mask? Sophie thought. Why would he wear a mask?
"Oh," the man said. "This isn't a mask. They're bandages."
"Bandages?" Alex repeated.
"Yes," the man said. "I was in quite a terrible accident. I have to wear these to hold everything together."
"Oh... uh… Sorry about that," Alex stammered.
"It's no matter," the man said. "I am often questioned about it. Now, as you can see, this is a very small house with nowhere to hide. Is there anything else you need from me, or may I return to bed?"
"That will be all," Mason said, sounding uncomfortable. "I apologize for disturbing you at an hour like this, but it is very important that we find this woman."
"Why?" the man asked. "What has she done?"
"I am unable to say. But I ask that you report anything you see to Sir Lane Mason, Captain of the Coriander Royal Knights."
"I shall do what I can," the man said. "Good day."
"You as well."
Sophie heard the lock click, but waited to move, unsure if the coast was clear. She gasped in surprise when the blanket was yanked away from her. Shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness, she sat up. Once her eyes had adjusted, she looked at the man.
The first thing she noticed was the mask. Dark strips of cloth covered his entire head, leaving only small slits for his eyes and mouth. She wondered what kind of injury he had suffered. She was soon distracted from that when she noticed that the only other thing he wore was a pair of loose pants. Not having seen bare-chested men often in her sheltered life, she found it hard to not stare.
He had a toned chest and strong arms, which made sense when she thought of how effectively he had pinned her to the door. Several old wounds scarred his tan skin and Sophie couldn't help but feel that they were familiar to her. A stab wound near his right shoulder looked particularly terrible. Another scar was even worse than that—a gash underneath the left side of his rib cage.
"Now," the man said, drawing her attention back to the situation at hand. "Tell me who you are."
Sophie looked away, a bit ashamed. "Oh," she said. "Well... I know I said I would tell you, but I'm afraid that I cannot."
The man stepped closer to her and sounded annoyed. "I beg your pardon?"
"I... I can't tell you who I am," she said. "I would risk being found."
The man grabbed her wrist and jerked her to her feet. "Perhaps I'll call Mason back here then, if you won't tell me."
Sophie started to panic. "Please, don't! I'm sorry. They'll kill me!"
"Why?" the man asked. "Are you a criminal?"
"N-no!" she insisted. "Nothing like that!"
"Then already you're better than I am," the man said, releasing her wris
t.
"What? You're a criminal, then?" Instead of responding, he started to unwind his bandages, revealing dark brown hair. Sophie stepped back in surprise. "What are you—"
"Listen," he interrupted. "I'll tell you who I am and you will tell me who you are." His voice didn't change as he unraveled the fabric, but she suddenly recognized it. Her blood ran cold. How could she have not realized? "I lied to Mason and Alex," he continued. "I wear this when I must hide who I am. It's not so important in Milvona, but this close to Coriander—well, I must have something to hide behind."
"No!"
Sophie took another step back and stammered in disbelief as the last of the bandages fell away. She should have recognized him. She should have remembered the wounds on his chest. It seemed impossible that she could have missed that it was him of all people.
"If you've been in Coriander long, you've likely heard of me," he said, staring down at her with such familiar green eyes. "My name is Warner Munday."
Two
The Princess of Coriander
Warner was having trouble gauging the woman's reaction. Her emotions seemed to all be contradicting one another. He wondered who she was, for the hundredth time. She was using disguise magic, so she couldn't be a sorceress, but that didn't help much. If she was running from the knights, she might have knowledge of Sophie.
"If you lived in Coriander, I'm sure you've heard of me and what I did," he said. She looked fearful, so Warner assumed she knew who he was. "Now, I've told you why I am hiding from the knights." His curiosity was increasing at the thought of hearing about Sophie. "It's your turn. Who are you? And why are they after you?"
She backed away from him, terror in her eyes. Warner wondered what exactly she had heard to make her so afraid. "No," she breathed. "I must go."
She's going to run, the voice said.
She made a dash for the door, but Warner grabbed her before she'd taken two steps. He pinned her arms to her sides and held her back against his chest. "Now, now," he said. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I need to know. Do you have information? Is that it? Do you know where Sophie is?"