Prologue
EXCERPT FROMTHE GREAT WARBY THE SPIRITUAL SCHOLARS
According to historians of times before, Mescos was once a thriving country full of supernatural creatures and their human companions. In Mescos, humans held their own power, given to them by their god to ensure peace amongst the supernaturals and humans. Humans strengthened their lands and provided immense strength to the supernaturals they mated. Together, their lands, kingdoms, and people thrived.
The time for peace was short-lived, though, as a new danger emerged.
Nephilim, giant winged creatures born from greed and hatred, appeared seemingly overnight. Historians differ in opinion on how these creatures came to be. Some historians argue Nephilim were sent by angrygods, while others say Nephilim traveled from lands far from Mescos. Their origins are still unknown.
The Nephilim brought darkness to the kingdoms. Their leader, Gadreel, led the slaughter of humans to gain their magic. Thousands of humans and supernaturals died in what historians call The Great War. Each human death brought power to the hellish winged creatures.
Knowing they had very little time before the Nephilim became too powerful, the six rulers of Mescos—dragon, pixie, fae, wolf, demon, and kraken—agreed to work together in order to take down the common enemy.
The war between the rulers of Mescos and the Nephilim happened at Dragon’s Keep. The rulers of Mescos, their armies, and their human mates fought countless hours against Gadreel’s people. Many fell in an attempt to rid Mescos of the vile creatures.
Knowing they were unprepared to slaughter the Nephilim, the Pixie King and his human queen came together, combining their magic as one. Upon seeing this, the other rulers followed suit and, within the mountains east of Dragon’s Keep, a magical prison took form.
One by one, Nephilim were captured by the magic and imprisoned within the mountains. Gadreel, knowing his army would not win this war, cursed the rulers of Mescos before he was imprisoned. He damned the kingdoms: in one hundred years, if the rulers did not find their human mates, disaster would fall upon their people, and the Nephilim would rise again.
In his final act of rebellion, Gadreel used the last bit of stolen magic he absorbed from the deaths of humans and destroyed the portal between Mescos and the human world, effectively cutting off access to their human mates.
The leaders of Mescos won that day, but it cost them everything.
Over the next hundred years, the last humans of Mescos died off. With no connection to the human world, the Nephilim rose again, escaping their prison in the mountains. Now the only hope the six new Kings of Mescos have comes from an unexpected ally known as Ender The Guardian. He alone possesses the power to travel between worlds and bring humans to their supernatural mates.
Little is known about The Guardian.
Today, the safety and future of Mescos hang in the balance. History is being written in real time. These accounts will be updated as necessary.
Chapter 1
Isabelle
Idon’t seek redemption.
I’ll look upon the sharp blade of the swinging pendulum with a smile on my face, knowing I delivered justice when others refused. The police, the very people who were supposed to protect the community, ignored us during our time of need. What other choice did I have? When those in power turned their back on me, I took measures into my own hands. And where did that land me?
In county jail awaiting my trial. Or something. I don’t fucking know. Everything has been a blur since it happened. I’m not even sure how long I’ve been here. The only light comes from the humming fluorescent above me, flickering precariously each time a door opens or closes.
The only escape I have from this cell is my wandering mind. The sterile, concrete walls fade around me, and I’m once again at home in my living room. It looks likeany other day.
My yellow love seat is stacked high with assorted pillows. The old coffee table I inherited from my grandmother, with more sentimental than monetary value, is cluttered with mugs and last night’s dishes. The too small TV on an otherwise bare, gray wall could only handle one streaming service, and even that is questionable.
But every time I think of home, I think ofthatday. It started like any other day. I brewed my morning coffee. I had to drink it black because I was out of creamer and hadn’t been to the store in weeks. I remember glancing at the clock above the stove. It was barely three in the morning. A time when most people would be snuggled into bed, deep in REM sleep. But not me, of course. I was on a mission.
A mission to end the terror known as James.
For the last year, I had followed this man’s movements, festering in my hate for him until I could bear it no longer. I was his shadow, lurking in the darkness. Watching. Learning. Waiting.
My hatred for this man only grew stronger by the day, consuming me until he occupied every waking hour and my nightmares. I thought of my sweet, brown-eyed sister. She was beautiful and so incredibly smart. Far too kind, even to people who didn’t deserve it. She wanted to be a school teacher and mold the minds of the next generation. Because that’s who Anna was. Love incarnate. A genuinely good person.
Her only flaw was loving a monster.
In the end, it quite literally killed her.
James took away my sister. My best friend. It wasslow, torturous, and lasted months. I watched my sister wither away until nothing but a shell of her remained. Her beautiful black hair had once been silky and shiny. Toward the end of her life, it was dull and knotted, matching the rest of her haggard appearance. She had even taken scissors and chopped off most of it. The sparkle and life in her eyes dimmed, and I watched my sister die.
All because of James. He didn’t stop there, though. He sank his claws into another woman named Erin. Apparently, he had been dating her while he was dating my sister, but Erin was saved by The Guardian. Erin was just another woman James kept on the precipice of death.
