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  Wardens Series Book Four

  Heather D. Glidewell

  Copyright © 2019 Heather D. Glidewell

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover design by: Melony Paradise of Paradise Cover Design

  www.paradisecoverdesign.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Epilogue

  The Wardens Series

  Prologue

  Breathe.

  I found myself thinking this over and over for three days. This constant reminder would keep me alive during those prolonged periods of loneliness. I kept myself from taking breaths when I was lost in thought. Due to the circumstances, it seemed to happen quite a bit.

  Breathe.

  The Incubi Council had not sanctioned my transfer, or for Aaron to see me. My parents were present but gagged by Mona’s spell. Nobody could tell them who the girl was; they kept under lock and key in the dark room. To the Council, I was still Prudence Warren, a threat to the ally forces. Until the gag was lifted, nobody would be aware of who I really was. I was not allowed to plead for parley; as long as I was Prudence, there was no way I could be Dawn.

  I took the time to think about the leak in our organization. What would Nick do if he found out we all knew? Would he instantly strike against us, spoiling the whole plan? Would he be able to get word to Miranda that both Wesley and I were held at an undisclosed location? I doubted the Incubi had thought much about the Prophet. I was more of a threat due to the Prophecy. I was sure only a handful of members knew what was happening in the Harrisville compound, and Mona’s gag most likely kept their protests at bay.

  The prison cell was heavily guarded, and I was bound in a neutralizing chamber. No powers were permissible. Trust me, I tried. Telepathic links were severed before they could even begin. I tried to reach my brother, but instead, there was a sharp pain in my temporal lobe. It felt like a nuclear ‘busy’ signal, and it would drop me to my knees, screaming bloody murder. I was stupid to believe John’s power was the strongest neutralizing agent; the Incubi had far more painful ways of torture.

  Only one being ever came to see me. He was handsome: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and a thin smile. Never spoke one word to me, just watched. I wondered what he was studying by looking at me. Then again, the Incubus alone was a confusing concept. If only I knew more about them, I could have prepared myself for imprisonment.

  I never fought, never raised a single spark toward anyone. Yet they treated me like an animal in a cage; my only companion was darkness. For those three days, I sat in silence and played out the events in my head. It was too soon. They shouldn’t have attacked the encampment; I was working on a plan damn it! Now they had Wesley and me locked away.

  I’m not the criminal here!

  I knew if I cried out for my parents, I would only be condemning myself to a fate far worse than death. I chose to remain silent. Maybe that wasn’t what they wanted; perhaps they wanted me to strike out against them, giving them a reason to induce further torture.

  The fourth day seemed different than the other days. I could smell the mountain air, taste its freshness on my tongue. I could hear Marshall screaming my name and his hands shaking me violently.

  Wait!

  “Marshall?” I cracked my eyes, looking up at him.

  His face was bruised, and his lip busted, but otherwise, he appeared in perfect health. He reached down and pushed my dirty blonde hair from my face. I had never been so happy to see someone in my life.

  “Miss Prudence.” He smiled at me as I clasped his face with my hands and smothered him in kisses.

  “Oh, Marshall.” I wrapped my arms around the shaking boy, grateful for a familiar face.

  I heard someone clear their throat, and my eyes shot around, landing on Aaron’s face. He looked the same as he had when I saw him in Dallas. Pale with sparkling blue eyes, his lips were curled up in a smile. Looking at him brought an ache to my heart. If it had not been for me, he would not be where he was now. On the other hand, immortality had suited him well.

  “I would have come sooner,” Aaron said to me as he helped me stand. My knees wobbled, but I found my composure.

  “No, it’s ok, I understand,” I answered delicately. My throat was killing me.

  “My orders were to be your guard upon arrival. However, as you can see, my orders were changed when the plan was two days ahead of schedule.” He tightened his lips together in a thin line. “It’s good to see you again, Prudence.”

  “I have missed you,” I said to him as he held open the door at the end of the dark hall.

  The last three days faded into nothing as I gripped Marshall and Aaron’s hands tightly. They led me from the dank room and into the light outside the door. I felt excitement surge through me as I realized I was being set free. Maybe the gag had been lifted, even though Aaron was still unable to say my name.

  “I have mi -” I didn’t even have the opportunity to share my thoughts.

  The moment the light hit my eyes — I felt a sharp pain in my temple. I pulled my hand free from Marshall’s and put it to the side of my face in confusion. The pain was slowly numbing to nothing. I looked down at my fingers and the red liquid staining the tips. I ran my thumbs over the red drops. Was this my blood?

  There was so much screaming! I didn’t even feel my body hit the concrete. Hands, lots of hands, grabbed at me. I focused my eyes on Aaron’s. He was speaking to me, but I only stared back; the words were unknown, mute. As much as I wished to understand what he was saying, my eyes were growing heavy, and my body weak. The world faded, and I was falling.

  Breathe.

  Chapter One

  Tunnel Vision

  When I began to feel my body again, I was floating on a cloud; with no pain, no remorse, no regret, only blissful peace.

  “Dawn?” I heard Mona’s voice cutting through the fluffiness of my nirvana.

  “Don’t bother her, Mona. I believe she’s been through enough for one day.” My father’s voice followed Monas on the breeze. I could hear the tension in his tone, which naturally concerned me.

  “The plan went perfectly,” Mona groaned.

  “If you mean watching my daughter get shot in the head was perfect.” He was near hysterics. How could I blame him? Seeing what happened to me would traumatize him for eternity.

  “Damien, you sound as if I murdered her right before your eyes,” she protested with humor.

  “You did! You had that sniper friend of yours take he
r out before she could even see the sun. She wasn’t supposed to be in there for three days. Do you realize the trauma she is facing?” The intensity had taken on a new tone. He had gone from terrified father to angry husband in mere seconds.

  “Prudence had to die. It was the only way to get Dawn back,” Mona growled at my father.

  Her hands were on my face a moment later, gentile and smelling of hand sanitizer.

  “They attacked too quickly. There was no warning!” I could hear my father pacing back and forth across a slick floor. I imagined him with his hands stuffed in his pockets; his eyebrows pressed together in his stern fatherly way.

  “When she said it was a prison camp, we couldn’t waste any time.” Her cold hands lingered on my face for a few moments longer.

  I wanted to open my eyes, but the floating was too calming. If I opened them now, I would be welcoming all the stress that came with being a Warden. I wasn’t ready to face the responsibility again. It was hard enough I had endured the last few days and managed to live through it.

  “What about Nick?” my father asked. I could tell he had stopped moving. “Have you forgotten his involvement in all of this?”

  “We know he’s the leak. Soon he will tell Lilly about Prudence’s death, and she will have to revamp her army. That is what we want. We want her to fall flat on her face.” Mona’s voice was delicate and sweet. She felt no remorse from her actions.

  “Dawn was in! Why can’t I get any of you to understand? She had them. They trusted her; she could have got all the information we needed.” My father’s voice increased an octave as I heard his feet storming toward me.

  It was nice to know the two of us were on the same page. If I had known the plan, I would have kept Marshall and me safe. Instead, the actions of one had caused my near decent into madness.

  “Maybe. It was a chance we had to take, Damien. Lilly wasn’t there; neither was her lieutenant. How many chances were going to come up where we could get both Dawn and the boy out at the same time?” Mona was starting to sound stressed. If I didn’t open my eyes soon, all hell was going to break loose.

  “There would be plenty of chances. Those people didn’t have to die. She had the gloves! When she felt it was right, she would have brought Wesley to us.” I felt movement beside me, and Mona’s presence began to grow further away.

  “Those people? They wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if the tables were turned. Besides, those gloves were worthless anyway. She would have been disappointed when she learned they didn’t work.” Mona’s voice was shaking as I heard her stand.

  Were the gloves worthless? Why would they send me in with a plan that had no potential of working? I had gone to the camp to save Wesley, and instead, I had been forced to days of solitude in a room that refused to let me use my powers.

  “It was too soon, Mona!” my father yelled at her. “Angie told you it was wrong! I don’t understand why you won’t listen to her.”

  “It’s always about Angie! Everything is about your ex-wife!” I heard the clicking of her heels on the linoleum, and the door slam behind her.

  “She only meant well,” I croaked, opening my eyes to look at my father.

  “She always knew how to make an exit,” he replied angrily as he turned to look at me.

  He was paler than usual, his suit was wrinkled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. I had never seen my father this way. Even when his caseload was too much for him, he still managed to remain dignified.

  “You are right though.” I couldn’t feel my body. In fact, I felt like I was still floating.

  “I know I’m right.” My father opened his eyes and looked at me. “How much of that did you hear?”

  “Most of it, I’m sure. I was floating along in the tunnels, and I heard Mona.” I rolled my eyes in his direction, but my face did not move. “Why won’t my body move?”

  “It’s part of the spell. Your body has to remain immobile while it heals. I’m actually surprised you are alert enough to have a conversation.” He took a seat next to me on the bed and touched my hand. I could feel it there, but I couldn’t move to put my hand firmly in his.

  “Some idiot really shot me?” I blinked in amazement.

  “Yes. It was part of Mona’s plan.” He rolled his eyes and frowned. “She thought if we killed off Prudence, then Lilly would be drawn out.”

  “From where? Miranda doesn’t know where her mother is, you know. She has to be summoned to her.” I looked at my hand and willed for my fingers to move, but my extremities refused to listen.

  “That’s what I told Mona. I am starting to think Nick has her brainwashed as well,” he grumbled angrily.

  I watched my father’s face contort painfully. Something had happened while I was away, and the look on his face was a dead giveaway. Mona had no contact with Nick, so there was no way she would have been under his spell. Besides, Mona was a strong woman, and I had a feeling would not follow a man anywhere.

  “What is going on?” I asked him softly. I couldn’t stand the look much longer, his pain was evident, and I wasn’t so sure it had to do with the death of Prudence.

  We had started this journey believing all those who came to us were good. Now we were finding out at least one person had managed to get past the wards. The most horrific part of it, though, was the fact it was my cousin. Everyone was most likely taking the treachery hard.

  “Nick told Helen and Rose the Priestess was all-powerful. He explained she had been seen as the true leader of the hybrid army. He then proceeded to tell them she would see the Wardens burned. Stupidly the girls believed him and started an uproar at the camp. Next thing I know, we are moving out two days ahead of schedule, and Mona is the one running the operation.” He put his head in his hand and sighed. “I wanted her to let you do your job. She wouldn’t listen, even when I told her it could mean your death.”

  “Why would he say that?” I questioned, my voice faltering for just a moment. I had to handle this delicately, only one question at a time. However, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to dive into his last confession. At least, not without thinking long and hard on how to approach it.

  “He wanted them to run. Without the power of four, the Army was doomed to fall. I still can’t figure out how we didn’t know. The girl’s thoughts never once implicated him as the reason for their aggressive nature against you.” He gripped the railing of my bed so hard I could see the whites of his knuckles. Anger wasn’t the right word to use when it came to how he felt.

  “I never portrayed her this way,” I muttered, softly rolling my eyes.

  It might be in my best interest to get my hands on the prophecy Mona created. At least then maybe I could understand why everything went so wrong.

  “I know you didn’t. Your ward told us everything.” He looked at me and squeezed my hand.

  “When did this happen?” I asked after a moment of reflection. Helen and Rose were not always against me; there was a time when the three of us got along.

  “When did what happen?” My father raised an eyebrow and pressed his lips together.

  “When did he flip sides?” Even in my solitude, I had never been able to figure out the reason for Nick’s treachery. It could be something as simple as a threat to his family that turned him into a spy. It could also have been a promise of increased power if he were to break the Warden alliances apart. I had a feeling Miranda was quite persuasive when it came to offering promises and threats.

  “I wish I knew. I think he started this with good intentions. Somewhere along the way, someone got to him and changed his mind.” My father shook his head. “He was such a good boy.”

  My father was right. Nick was cocky and arrogant, but he had a heart of gold. He was proud of being a Prophet; it brought him purpose. So how had he gone from gung-ho Warden finder to wanting to tear us apart? How had he managed to do it? What was his endgame?

  “When will he be confronted?” I inquired. Of all the things t
o think about, this was not the one I wanted to believe. Nick would have to be brought in front of the council to be found guilty. I also knew it was the only way peace could be brought between all Wardens.

  “Soon, I hope. Your mother is not taking the betrayal lightly. It was one thing when Chase died. This, though, this is just too much for even her.” He spoke softly, but I knew what he meant.

  My mother was most likely at war with herself; she didn’t want to think family could turn on her. My step-father had not been a perfect husband, but knowing what I know now about him, he did his job. I knew her far better than anyone else; she was pushing everyone away as she tried to sort out all the impossibilities. When it came to the Peterson family, Nick had always been her favorite. She had such high hopes for him.

  “This has to be killing her,” I moaned.

  It had taken me years to pull my mother from the shell she created after Chase died. I couldn’t help but worry about her health. I had no idea what happened to Angel’s, who fell into grief.

  “You need your rest. Please sleep.” He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.

  He was no longer wanting to discuss what was happening outside the door of my room. I had a feeling being with me was his only means of escape from the drama happening on the home front not only with his wife but with the woman he had loved long before.

  “I love you, Dad,” I yawned, wishing I could wrap my arms around him.

  “I love you too, princess,” he whispered as I closed my eyes.

  The tunnels welcomed me again. There were no vivid dreams or visions, only clouds and blue skies. I was alone in my head, and with this new feeling came to the realization I was at peace.

  I could hear singing in the distance, a voice both sweet and angelic pulled me from my tunnel. I could feel the warmth within my body and a slight twitch in my legs. Maybe this meant the spell was wearing off, and I would be free to become Dawn again.

  “Where’s Marshall?” I demanded, my eyes fluttering open.