Page 1 of The War is Coming

PROLOGUE

Barnabus was lying on his bed while his shaman used magic and herbs to heal him.

“If I can get you a picture of something, can you use your magic and call it to you?”

The shaman looked at Barnabus. “I can, unless it’s protected by wards.”

“Pass me that green book,” Barnabus said, pointing to a book on his bedroom chair while slowly sitting up. His back was nearly healed, but his chest was taking longer to fix.

The shaman picked it up and handed it to the demon.

Barnabus flicked through the pages and found the one he wanted. “Here, I want you to call this to me.” He turned the book and showed the shaman the picture.

“You want me to call the Spear of Hephaestus?” the shaman asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

The shaman paled. “Do you know what would happen if I did?”

Barnabus stood. “I do indeed. I would use it to destroy the kings and bring about my war.”

“I’ll need to go to my circle to call it,” the shaman said.

“Finish healing me and then go and call the spear. Your life depends on you getting me that spear.”

The shaman nodded. “Lay back down, and I will continue your healing. You’ll fall into a healing sleep for a few hours, but when you wake up, you’ll be fully healed.”

Barnabus gently laid back down. “So be it.”

CHAPTER 1

Blake sighed as he walked out of the front door. He had managed to slip away from everyone; he just needed a moment to himself. He walked halfway down the drive before turning back and looking at his house. Could it still be called a house considering the three rulers of the paranormal world lived there? He shook his head as he looked around. Where once there had been isolation, peace and quiet, now everywhere he looked were shifters and noise.

He saw both dragon and gargoyle guards patrolling or chatting. He saw gargoyles resting on the roof of the manor and could hear swords clashing together from the training ground.

Moving in day felt so long ago; to him, it felt like years had passed rather than weeks. So much had happened during that time. His friends were happily mated. Ashton was mated to a dragon, Nick to a ghost and Jason to a God. Plus, he had his own wonderful mate who was a unicorn, and not just any unicorn; no, his Baylan was a black unicorn. He couldn’t believe that the fates had trusted him enough to be mated to one of only two remaining black unicorns in existence. He promised the fates that he would always love and protect his wonderful mate. On top of this, they even had an adopted daughter, Maddy, who was the last white unicorn.

Jason also had an adopted son, Kieran, the last centaur. Plus, any number of stepchildren courtesy of his mate, Ares, God of War. Including Demi, otherwise known as Deimos, God of Fear, who was one of the sweetest men Blake had ever met.

The only other person he had met that was just as sweet was Tudor, the Gargoyle King. Tudor was a happy chatterbox who didn’t have a mean bone in his body and who was surprisingly fast on the basic training obstacle course, even beating a warrior angel.

He then thought of the dragon king, Puff and his counterpart Bob. Puff had come so far in such a short length of time. From arriving here as a scared homeless boy, to becoming Dragon King, surrounded by his two remaining family members, his pack mates, his personal guards and two future mates he was getting to know.

His mind then took him to all the other mates that had found each other: Demi and Brook, a new dragon shifter. Frederick and Hades, God of the Underworld, his cousin Battle, and Zeus, King of the Gods. To Ajax, Devon and their son Symon. Okay, so they had been mates for years, but they were happily settled into the pack.

There were more pack members, but his thoughts went to his mum. Glad not for the first time that she was safe here, living with the pack and helping with training. He laughed to himself; he had no idea how she had kept her fighting skills sharp, but she had. Blake was always in awe watching her train or taking training classes. He hoped that one day she would find her fated mate, as she and his father were only bonded mates, used to secure a pack alliance.

Next, he thought of his father, Tom Hayes. A complete madman who sold his soul to a demon, and not just any demon; oh no, his father sold his soul to Barnabus, who had killed his father and was now residing in his father’s body and who was trying to start a paranormal war.

Blake’s shoulders drooped with the thought of all the responsibilities that now lay across them. At the end of the coronation of both the Dragon King and the Gargoyle King, Zeus had decided to change things up. Now the Dragon King was king of the dragons and all mythical creatures. The Gargoyle King was king of the gargoyles and all flying shifters, except those covered by the Dragon King and he, Blake Hayes, was now the Alpha King and King of all land-based shifters.

Blake had been so lost in his head that he gave a start when he felt arms come around him from behind but sighed happily when he smelt his mate's heavenly scent. He put his hands on Baylan’s arms and leant back against him for a moment.

Baylan kissed the side of his head. “You, okay?”

Blake sighed. “Yeah, I just needed a moment alone.”

Baylan moved and turned Blake to look at him, concern showing on his face. “Do you want me to leave?”