Copyright © 2025 by Hayley Turner

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover designed by Selkkie Designs.

  Edited by Jeanine Harrell.

  Formatted with Vellum

  Lightguard

  DAUGHTER OF SUN DUOLOGY

  BOOK ONE

  HAYLEY TURNER

  To anyone else who has battled that insistent inner voice that tries to convince you to believe the worst of yourself.

  You’re more than that.

  Contents

  Content Warnings

  The Lightguard’s Creed

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Hayley Turner

  Content Warnings

  LIGHTGUARD depicts the following:

  Graphic: intrusive thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks, violence, torture, religious abuse/indoctrination (physical and mental), consensual sexual acts

  Moderate: nightmares of parental death, sexual repression/shame

  Mild: sexual harassment/unwanted physical contact, alcohol use, physical abuse (parent to grown child)

  The Lightguard’s Creed

  Light by Light and stone by stone

  I am conduit alone

  This I vow, to be Her hand

  And never will I seek a throne

  Chapter 1

  Stay the course. Be the Light.

  Corinne dodged a blast of light magic hurtling straight for her face. When a second one came for her an instant later, she caught it, absorbing the attack with her own light before launching it back toward her opponent. The golden markings along her lightly tanned skin glowed steadily from the backs of her hands up her arms, filling her with warmth as she executed another perfect counterattack.

  One of the three Lightguards fell, blasted off their feet and into the dirt of the training enclosure.

  Corinne blew one of her short chestnut curls out of her face and fought a smile. The sun was setting over the surrounding Asheran Mountains, and power radiated from her, her body moving with the precision of a trainee on the verge of earning their Anointing. She easily ducked another attack and flung her own magic outward in a wide, golden arc.

  Another Lightguard hit the ground while the final one rolled out of the way.

  It was difficult to quell the pride that bloomed within her. Focus, Corinne.

  The final Lightguard attacked her at close quarters, forcing her to dance backward to avoid a sharp blow to the face. When he shot light at her, she was ready. She let the energy meld with her own as it hit her open palms, and she lifted her hands to the sky before thrusting them toward the ground again. The earth quaked with a shimmer of light, throwing the Lightguard off-balance.

  An instant later Corinne was on him, twisting his arm behind his back and forcing him to the dirt. He struggled, but she had him pinned.

  Bells rang out as her chest rose and fell rapidly. She released the Lightguard, who threw her a rather unsavory glare. Corinne bit her lip to keep from smiling again.

  She’d done it. She’d completed her final Test.

  In the far right corner of the training grounds, the four Priestesses stood tall in their flowing white robes and hooded cloaks beneath a veranda. The purple blooms of wisteria swayed around them in the breeze. Mother Creita, the High Priestess, bent her ear to Priestess Chala, and Corinne could have sworn a little smile touched her pale face.

  “Well done, Corinne.” One of the Lightguards Corinne had defeated, Erla, approached her with a nod. “We all knew you’d pass, but that was one of the best Tests I’ve seen.”

  “Thank you,” Corinne said as Erla patted her back and headed for the exit. Corinne looked to the pink-hued sky as the other Lightguards departed, neither offering her congratulations, but she didn’t care. She’d be leaving the stucco walls and red clay roofs of the monastery soon enough, headed for an assignment of great honor once she was Anointed tomorrow.

  The Goddess Helaera had blessed her. Corinne took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

  “Congratulations, Corinne.”

  Tia, one of her fellow trainees, had entered the sparring enclosure and was standing several feet away. Unlike the other four in their training class, there was never a hint of jealousy or resentment on Tia’s dark brown face when she looked at Corinne. There wasn’t often any emotion on Tia’s face as the most reserved of them, but Corinne at least never felt on edge around her.

  “Thank you,” Corinne said. “Are you next?”

  “I am.” Tia’s braids blew gently in the late spring breeze as she adjusted the sleeve of her white tunic and checked the golden laces at her front. All trainees wore the plainest white tunic with ochre pants and simple leather boots for their final Test, a reminder of their modesty before Helaera. Corinne’s tunic was now covered in dirt and sweat.

  “May Helaera bless you,” Corinne said, folding her arms over her upper chest, and Tia returned the greeting with a slight bow of her head. “What are you hoping for?”

  It had been a question on all the trainees’ minds who had turned twenty-five in the past year. Tia’s mouth lifted slightly on one side.

  “The Boundary watch,” she said. “Hopefully by the sea.”

  Corinne nodded—she wouldn’t mind that, either, though she preferred the mountains. “May you earn it.”

  “You too, Corinne.”

  Corinne walked toward the veranda, passing by several onlookers who had come to watch the Tests. A few warriors, several Acolytes, and a handful of Attendants in white robes similar to the Priestesses’ had gathered on the outside of the fenced training enclosure.

  They all know your secret.

  A bit of Corinne’s joy faded, her throat constricting. Stay the course. Be the Light. She repeated it to herself four more times, and the tightening in her chest eased.

  “…The best light mage I’ve seen in decades.”

  Voices drifted past as Corinne approached the Priestesses, singing her praises in hushed tones.

  They couldn’t know. If they did, they wouldn’t be watching Corinne with admiration and approval.

  She pushed those thoughts away as she stood before the Priestesses, greeting them the same way she had Tia before kneeling and bowing her head.

  “Corinne Anastos,” Mother Creita said. She hesitated just long enough for a trickle of panic to skitter up Corinne’s spine. “You have passed your Test. Helaera’s Sun shines upon you.”

  “May the Goddess guide my path,” Corinne said, lifting her head.

  Mother Creita and the three other Priestesses raised their arms toward her, and their markings alighted with Helaera’s Light. A moment later, the light turned to gentle fire along their skin. Corinne swallowed hard. The flames were the mark of exceptionally powerful Lightguards, but they always made Corinne uneasy.

  “We will see you at the Anointing tomorrow,” Mother Creita said, lowering her arms. Several wisps of her silvery hair escaped her hood as she offered Corinne a gentle smile. “Prepare yourself to receive your charge from the Goddess.”

  Corinne stood and crossed her arms over her chest once more before taking her leave, headed for the doors behind the veranda. Three more Lightguards passed her, nodding as they took their places for Tia’s Test.

  The moment Corinne stepped inside the training hall corridor, a shriek echoed down the narrow stone passage, followed by a flash of brown hair before two strong arms encircled her.

  “You did it, Corinne,” Vera said, her head barely reaching Corinne’s chin as she squeezed her tightly.

  “Vera, I can’t breathe⁠—”

  “Sorry.” Her best friend released her, her fair face flushed with excitement as she looked up at Corinne with wide blue eyes. Vera was dressed almost as plainly as Corinne, though her white shirt was made of a finer materi
al. “I’m just so happy for you. I’ve waited for this for two years.”

  “You really think they’ll assign me to the Boundary?” Corinne asked, walking alongside Vera as they headed for the living quarters. She desperately needed a shower. And food. Her mouth watered as she thought about the freshly baked yeast rolls the Attendants made.

  “They’re not going to assign you anywhere less important,” Vera said, nudging her as they turned a corner into an open hall with tall windows on either side. They stepped through the doors leading outside into the monastery’s central courtyard, then headed for the building to their right. “There’s a good chance your assignment will be near mine.”

  Corinne would be lucky if that happened. If her outpost was close to Vera’s, she’d be in the most beautiful part of Ashera, up in the western mountains, and she’d get to see Vera more frequently.

  “I don’t want to get my hopes up,” Corinne said, even as her heart yearned for it.

  “Probably wise, so I’ll hope for the both of us,” Vera said, winking at her as they entered the dormitory. “Now go get cleaned up and I’ll meet you at the dining hall in an hour.”

  Huffing something between a laugh and a sigh, Corinne hurried up the steps to the second floor and her room. A few younger trainees passed, offering their congratulations to her.

  Just before she reached her door, an older Attendant walked by, nodding silently. Corinne recognized him, forcing herself to keep her eyes from going to the partially healed handprint-shaped burn on his forearm.

  She suppressed a shudder, wondering what he’d done to receive such punishment. But that was between him, the Priestesses, and Helaera, and they would fully heal it once he’d paid his penance.

  Pushing the curiosity and pity out of her mind, Corinne stepped into her room to retrieve fresh clothes, heading for her small dresser full of white and gold attire.

  The showers were mostly empty when she arrived, only one of the dozen or so stalls occupied. Corinne quickly scrubbed herself clean and prayed to Helaera yet again as she closed her eyes beneath the hot water.

  Please let me be assigned near Vera. Or, at least, she hoped, along the Boundary. It wouldn’t be terrible to be assigned as a village guardian or traveling scout, but if she were placed as a monastery guard, she wasn’t sure how she’d handle that disappointment.

  A bit of shame crept up the back of her neck. Any assignment is an honorable one.

  Corinne dried herself and dressed quickly, successfully avoiding the attention of the other occupant showering, and headed into the dormitory corridor.

  The dining hall was far noisier than normal, abuzz in a way that only meant it was Testing day. Corinne quickly retrieved a plate of spiced rice and chicken—and three yeast rolls—before walking past several rows of tables to join Vera. One of the Lightguards from Vera’s training class was seated next to her already, a woman with golden-brown skin and long, dark brown curls.

  Corinne had only found herself attracted to a handful of people in her life, and the first time she’d met Sana when she was fifteen, she’d prayed to Helaera for forgiveness for a week. She’d also avoided looking too long at one of the librarians she’d met when she was eighteen, but he’d been transferred to another location only a few months later.

  That was years ago, though, and the infatuations had long passed. Corinne’s mind was far more disciplined now. Her heart belonged to Helaera, as did the hearts of all Lightguards.

  “Hi, Corinne,” Sana said, flashing a bright smile. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Corinne said, taking a seat across from her and Vera. Both of them had already eaten the majority of their food, so Corinne devoured her meal in peace as they chatted. She melted into the bliss of basil and garlic and butter until the loud clang of dishes and cutlery caught her attention from several tables over.

  A fellow trainee, Greer, had shoved his plate away, sending it crashing into Tia’s and several others’ before he stood from the bench and headed for the exit. Corinne accidentally made eye contact with him as he passed, and he paused, fists clenched at his sides.

  “Congratulations, Corinne,” he said bitterly, his fair face pinched as he regarded her, his light brown hair falling in his eyes. “You’ve always thought you were better than the rest of us, and now you have proof.”

  Before Corinne could respond, he stalked off, pushing through the double doors a few feet away. Corinne’s stomach went leaden as she noticed all the eyes on her. She looked down at her plate again, cheeks burning.

  Chatter started up once more, filling the hall, and Corinne looked to Vera and Sana once she was sure she’d purged any emotion from her face.

  “I heard he failed his Test,” Sana said, her voice low. “Don’t take what he said to heart.”

  Vera nodded, her eyes narrowing. “If he’s going to talk to his fellow trainee that way, then he wasn’t ready to become a Lightguard anyway. He can learn more discipline and try again next year. Don’t listen to him, Corinne.”

  Corinne took a deep breath and smiled softly at them, but the leaden feeling remained pinned in her gut. She didn’t think she was better than the others in her training class.

  She knew she was, because she’d worked at it harder than any of them, to prove to herself, to everyone, that she deserved to be here. She wouldn’t let Greer take the victory of today away from her just because he felt inferior.

  “Come on,” Vera said, standing. “Let’s go to the roof.”

  Corinne nodded; getting away from the noise and energy of the room was probably best.

  They bid Sana farewell and headed outside. Dusk had fallen, and the stars would be out soon. She followed Vera to the dormitory building again, and they quickly climbed three flights of stairs before clambering out of an old window and vaulting onto the roof above. It wasn’t terribly difficult to get to, but only she and Vera ever seemed to venture up here. That was fine by Corinne.

  Their boots clacked on the red clay shingles as they made their way to a flatter area of the roof where they could comfortably lie down without the fear of tumbling off. The shingles were still pleasantly warm from the heat of the day, and Corinne sighed as she lay near Vera, gazing at the pinpricks of stars as they began to appear.

  The night sky always made her feel small, reminded her how vast the world was. Tomorrow she would find her place, her purpose in that vastness, and that was what mattered more than anything. Still, that heavy feeling returned. All these years she’d only truly trusted Vera, and now that she was faced with leaving, a bit of regret settled within her.

  “Vera,” Corinne said quietly. “Do you think the others hate me?”

  Vera sighed. “Is this about what Greer said?”

  “Maybe.”

  Vera reached over, grabbing Corinne’s hand and squeezing it. “They don’t hate you, Corinne. No one could hate you. Even Greer doesn’t, not really. He just doesn’t understand you.”

  Corinne frowned at the sky. “How could he when I’ve never let any of them really know me?”

  “You’ve been cautious and disciplined,” Vera said, sitting up on her elbow. “Which is exactly how you should be. And Helaera knows you, which is what matters most.”

  Corinne closed her eyes and breathed in the cool night air. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Of course I am,” Vera said. “Put that out of your mind for now. Tomorrow is your day.”

  It was her day tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would become a Lightguard.

  Chapter 2

  The earthy, hot tea burned Corinne’s throat as she choked it down, just as she always did on the first day of the week. Fifteen years of this ritual and she still wasn’t accustomed to its bitterness. She squeezed her eyes shut as she knelt before the little altar in her room and finished her prayer.

  Guide me, Goddess Helaera, as I enter your service.

  She stood once more and checked the ties at her forearms for the fifth time since donning her armor, ensuring the vambraces were secure. She’d waited weeks to put this armor on, gazing longingly at it in her modest room at the monastery. The gold-accented steel and the white hauberk with the sun emblazoned on the chest would mark her as the recipient of the highest honor in the nation of Ashera.