Kingsguard: Freya Snow, #9

By L.C. Mawson

When Lord Uther targets her family, Freya finds herself with nowhere to go...

The only people she has left to turn to tell her to let it go, despite the fact that Uther has made it clear that he won't stop until Freya's dead.

But when an old friend reappears and Lord Uther's son contacts her, wanting her help to fight his father, Freya might not be as alone as she thought.

KINGSGUARD is the ninth book in the Freya Snow urban fantasy series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.C. Mawson
• Release date: Sep 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386710844

Book preview

There were few things worse than being trapped between life and death as far as Sparrow was concerned.

Or Death, he supposed his new title was.

Six years had passed since he had died and had taken the mantle of Death. Six years when only his Reapers, or the newly deceased, could see or speak to him.

If he’d put any thought to retaining his sanity, Sparrow - Death - would have left his family far behind when he had died. Forgotten his wife, and the child she had been carrying, and committed to this new life.

And yet, he found himself invisibly leaning against the doorframe of his daughter’s bedroom, as his widow read her a bedtime story.

Again! Again! his daughter - Hope - cried as her mother finished the story.

Angela shook her head. No, no more.

Pleeease!

Angela sighed. Not this one. This one’s too long. But I suppose there’s still time for something short.

Hope grinned as Angela pulled out another book and began reading, her voice soft and slow as Hope snuggled up to her covers.

Sparrow was about to turn away and leave, when he saw it.

The little ripples of light across Hope’s skin.

It wasn’t quite Energy - not yet - but it was a manifestation of her powers that was far beyond what could be expected of a girl her age.

Neither he nor Angela had manifested their powers so quickly.

He looked to Angela, realising that she had stopped reading, her eyes wide with terror as she looked over their now-sleeping daughter.

Sparrow wanted to go to her and hold her. To assure her that it was alright, that they would figure it out together.

But ever since he had died, Angela had done her best to pretend that she and Hope were Human.

Angela quickly put the book away, before gently tucking Hope’s hair back behind her ear.

Thankfully, their daughter’s glowing seemed to fade at her mother’s touch.

Angela moved as quickly as she could without waking Hope, heading into her empty bedroom.

Her new husband was away with work, for which Sparrow was grateful. As much as he didn’t want Angela to be alone, he couldn’t help but hate the man who had taken his place.

As soon as Angela got to her room, she moved to look out of the window and started to sob.

Creator, Sparrow... she managed between sobs, and his heart stopped.

She couldn’t see or hear him. He knew that. But she spoke to him sometimes. As if he could hear.

Sparrow, I don’t know what to do, she confessed. "I knew that there was something different about Hope. I mean, she doesn’t even really look Human."

Sparrow couldn’t help but look to his own paperwhite skin and jet-black eyes in the reflection of the window.

"But she’s going to be so powerful, Angela continued. She already is, and I don’t know how to protect her. I mean... Sparrow, we were just average Angels. Angels, yes, but nothing too special. And you... They killed you. I can’t let them hurt her, but I’m not sure how much longer I can protect her on my own."

Sparrow put his hand out to her shoulder instinctively. As if she would be able to feel it.

As he touched her, however, she spun around.

Her eyes darted around the room, her hand on the skin of her shoulder that Sparrow had touched.

Angela? he asked, but she didn’t respond.

He tried to touch her once more, but there was no reaction.

Angela curled up with an even harder sob, collapsing down onto her bed.

Sparrow moved to sit next to her.

I know you can’t hear me, he said as she cried into her bed sheets, but I’m going to tell you anyway. I swear, Angela, I’m going to figure out how to regain my corporeal form. We’re going to see each other again, and we’re going to face this together.

Chapter One

O kay, Amy, this is the important question, Freya said, her tone grave as she faced her younger sister. The choice between Light and Dark. The choice that truly defines us all. Which will you choose?

The six-year-old bit her lip, before finally declaring Rosh is stupid!

Freya grinned. Dark it is, she said as she returned her attention to the controller in her hand, instructing Jaden Korr to strike him down with her lightsaber. Though you shouldn’t call people stupid, Freya told her as Kyle Katarn looked on at his apprentice in horror.

Sorry, Amy said as their mother frowned at them.

Margaret turned to Ryan, still frowning. Can you go and watch them play for five minutes. Make sure it’s not too violent for Amy.

Ryan popped his head around the living room door, glancing at the TV before saying, It’s Star Wars.

Does that mean it’s age-appropriate or not?

Ryan rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner, making Freya and Amy laugh.

Star Wars is perfectly fine for kids, he told his wife, who narrowed her eyes, before letting it go, looking back at her phone.

So, Freya, Margaret said, still looking at her phone, I’m ordering the Tesco shop for Friday. What do you want for your celebratory dinner?

My what?

Margaret looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. Your celebratory dinner for your first real promotion at the Hino Corporation.

Oh, right, Freya said awkwardly. Technically, her job for Fate was a real job. She had employment forms and payslips with taxes deducted and everything. But getting paid to run odd errands for Fate, usually acting as a delivery girl for sensitive documents or a bodyguard for Seers, didn’t feel like a real job. And the promotion certainly didn’t feel real. She didn’t feel as if she had done anything to earn it. She just showed up to work and did her job. Fate had reasoned that no one had died and no documents had been stolen under her watch, but as far as Freya was concerned, those two things were the bare minimum of her job requirements...

I thought we were going to get takeaway, Ryan interjected.

I’m trying to cut down on sodium, Margaret reminded him.

Yeah, but I thought we’d make an exception for one night.

Well, if I eat salty food now that I’m no longer used to it, I won’t be able to sleep all night.

It’s Friday. Who wants to be sleeping? He grinned. We should call up Jess and all go out drinking. He turned to the girls on the sofa. Freya can tell us where all the kids are drinking these days.

Freya snorted. Sorry, Ryan. My idea of a wild night is me, Sarah, a couple of her housemates, a bottle of wine, and a game of Million Dollars But.

He shook his head. I don’t know what that is. Is that for the new Xbox? This is why we need the new Xbox.

Margaret shook her head. No new Xboxes and no wild nights out. I swear, I don’t know what kind of mid-life crisis you’re having, Ryan, but channel it into buying a new car or something before ours falls to bits. She turned to Amy. Speaking of, Misses, it’s time for you to get to school.

Amy groaned. No, I want to stay here with Freya! It’s not fair! Why doesn’t she have to go to school?

Because she’s an adult, so she has to go to work, just like Mummy and Daddy. Now, come on. Get your bag and shoes.

Amy glared at them.

I’m leaving too, Freya assured her, standing up. Technically, she didn’t have to be at work that morning, but Amy was going through a phase of imitating her, and she could always go and see Sarah.

Amy followed Freya to the landing before putting their shoes on. Freya felt only a little bit annoyed that Amy was already faster at tying her laces than she was...

Amy went to go and sit in the back, but her mother stopped her. Come and sit in the front with Mummy.

But Freya sits in the front.

Freya’s not going in the car with us.

Freya smiled at her sister. Go on, be good for Mum. I’ll see you when you get home, okay?

Amy reluctantly nodded, but did as she was told, getting in the car.

Freya waved them goodbye as they drove off, and waited until they were around the corner before shifting away.

GOING TO THE CAFE SO early in the morning wasn’t Freya’s first choice, but she didn’t mind if it got Amy to school on time. Even if it did mean heading outside. As summer approached, the weather couldn’t decide what to do, and the last few days it had been oppressively humid. As if there were a storm that refused to break.

The cafe was heaving with the pre-work rush, and Freya ended up waiting half an hour for Sarah to get a spare few minutes.

You know, Sarah said with her hands, using sign language, as Freya finally approached the counter, you could have come back here and helped.

Not my job, Freya signed back. That’s what happens when you drop-out of uni to chase your girlfriend across the globe. You get hired by a big multi-national company for ludicrous amounts of money.

Only if you have a specific skill-set, like being able to call down lightning on command. The rest of us have to actually get our degrees, which means working part-time service jobs.

To be fair, you’d have graduated by now if you weren’t studying medicine.

Sarah sighed. Don’t remind me... Damn my talent for healing magic...

I mean, you didn’t have to study to be a doctor. You could have done nursing or something.

Are you kidding? My school practically forced me to apply to medicine exclusively. That or Oxbridge...

I wouldn’t know. I started my academic downturn before final uni applications. I was lucky the local redbrick took me, never mind anywhere uber-fancy.

You know, there was nothing stopping you from re-applying to university.

Nothing except that the thought of putting myself under even more crushing student debt makes me physically ill. Especially when I was always going to take this job working for Fate, anyway, and as you said, she cares more about my magic than my academic achievements.

I’m sure she appreciates your intellect. I know it made you one of the more bearable coworkers I’ve ever had. Nothing like someone who can actually handle a problem, or count up a till properly...

Freya grinned. You still not getting on with my replacement?

She’s fine, but the till is never accurate at the end of the day anymore.

The door opened, and Sarah stepped back from Freya, ready to serve them. However, she quickly looked back at Freya before surreptitiously signing, Your type.

Freya raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Her type? A tall girl with an undercut? A guy that didn’t look like he’d break after a short make-out session with her well-built self? Anyone with a, surprisingly rare, friendly smile?

She turned to see that the guy walking up to the counter fulfilled both the second and third items on her list. He was a few inches shorter than her, but he was stocky, with muscles more than clearly defined beneath his TNG t-shirt. His jet-black hair was tied back in a bun, with a strand or two falling over his dark brown eyes, all the way down to his stubble, which framed his awfully familiar smile...

Freya’s hand slipped with shock from where she was leaning against the counter, almost sending her tumbling to the ground, as she realised just why he was familiar.

Damon?!

His smile widened into a grin. Freya!

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice, her face flushing.

Oh dear, I’m in trouble,​ she thought to herself as she realised that distance and time had done nothing to her playground crush. All it had done was turn Damon from a slightly-awkward boy into a man that ticked all of Freya’s boxes.

I didn’t know that you were still in the city, Damon said, still grinning. I mean, you seemed to disappear from social media a couple of years ago, so I didn’t know if you’d moved or anything.

Freya shrugged. I went backpacking with my girlfriend at the time and the data roaming charges were a bit much. When we broke up and I came back, I just didn’t feel like logging back online. At least, not on big social media sites. I mostly lurk in forums now. She stopped herself, realising that she was rambling. So, what about you? I didn’t even know you were in the country.

I just got back, he explained. Work transferred me back here. Speaking of, I’ve got to get going before I’m late, but do you want to meet up tonight and catch up?

Yeah, sure, she said, grinning.

Great! Have you got a new phone number?

She nodded, quickly trading numbers with him while Sarah made him a coffee.

See you later, he called after paying, heading out the door.

So, do you still remember how to act on a date? Sarah teased as Freya turned back around.

Freya rolled her eyes. It’s not a date.

It kind of seemed like a date.

It’s just a catch-up drink between two friends, Freya figured. Plus, did you see him? Sarah, look at me. She indicated to her ill-fitting RWBY t-shirt, with the words on the front hidden on the underside of her breasts, and her well-worn jeans that were a little too short for her. I’m not even wearing make-up...

Sarah shrugged. He still looked happy to see you.

"Because we used