The War of Six Crowns: The Vanished Knight

Ward Reveals a New Side

James wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He plopped down by an empty dining table and rubbed his temples. Luckily, the lunch crowd had thinned.

Nerine had failed him. The urchin would stay. All because Nerine was stupid enough to push Claire's buttons.

Shit.

He dug his nail into the old dining table's wood grain, listening to the hushed whispers around him. It wouldn't be long before Callan's frame-up fizzled out. As soon as Nerine admitted to the principal what she'd done, news would spread that the poor little orphan had been set up. And Nerine would. No one crossed Claire on the warpath.

Suddenly, James didn't feel all that hungry. He stood up and pulled his blazer straight. Some younger girls giggling about him over their stale food. His lips lifted into a small smile.

Things were still okay. Not ideal, but...not too bad either.

He sauntered out of the dining hall, glancing around for Ward. No sign of him. James would find him sulking somewhere. Ward hadn't been happy with playing a part in Callan's expulsion. No, that was an understatement. He'd been furious.

'She'd done nothing to deserve it'...blah blah blah blah blah. Like always, his loyalty won out in the end. James scowled. Ward could be sullen for days.

James shrugged and went to history class. Ward stood by the door, head down, hand rubbing his cheek. James narrowed his eyes at the pathetic sight he made, but pasted a smile on his face like always.

"So what happened?" James asked.

Ward shrugged. "She hit me."

James burst out laughing in surprise. "Callan hit you? Callan?"

"Yes. She hit me. She's spitting mad." He turned his face, giving James a view of the red welt across his cheek.

James whistled. "That had to hurt."

"You think?"

"I didn't think she had it in her," he said, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Is that why you went out to destroy her life?"

Okay, that James couldn't ignore. "I'm not out to destroy her life. I just want her out of mine."

"She's not in it. She's at the fringes. But no. That's not good enough for you."

James stared at the boy he'd known for most of his life. Where was this coming from?

"Ward, she's out to swindle my family."

"Bullshit," he said.

James's jaw dropped.

"She's in your house, because of your parents. And that pissed you off." Ward's soft voice packed enough of a punch to push James back a step.

James took a moment to form a reaction. "Listen to me."

Ward straightened. "No. You listen to me. You've been feeding me your crap since we were children. Well, guess what? I knew it was crap. And I swallowed it again and again because you're my friend. But so help me. If you go gunning after Callan again, I will destroy you."

James swallowed down his horror and forced a chuckle. "Destroy me? You don't have it in you. You don't have the guts to move out of my shadow."

Ward bent forward slightly, threatening James with his new height and bad attitude. "Try me."

"I think I will. It might be interesting. In the meantime, I have a class."

He shoved past Ward and hurried to his desk. His breaths refused to go deeper than shallow panting. He dropped into the seat and ran a shaking hand through his hair. Destroy him? What was left to destroy? 

I have to say I love Ward. He's really quiet and often in the back-ground, but he's a good guy. I think James needed someone to pull back his leash a bit, don't you? 

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