Prolouge
‘“In the beginning, there was nothing. Then from the nothing, stepped a woman. She was a beautiful woman with flowing hair and glowing skin, and as She looked about, from the nothing stepped out a man, a male of strength and equal beauty. They looked upon the nothing and raised their hands together, and from their hands there came a light, and within the light raised the earth and the plants and the animals and the trees. The moon and the stars and the planets all circled. Then came a loud bang, and it exploded in all directions. They smiled upon their creations, for they were beautiful.
They came together for the first time, and from that unity, came their first children. A being of earth, a being of time, and a being of death. All of these necessary to the Wheel of Life. These beings became to be known as the three original divines.
Then the mother and father came together again, and from that unity sprang three more beings. One of air, one of water, and one of fire. These three along with their predecessor of earth, held the true natural alchemetic element in its unbridled and unadulterated state. These four became to be known as the elemental divines.
Then the father and mother came together for a third time, and from this union sprang countless divine beings. One of love, of war, of the sea and of the sky, of knowledge and writing and justice and countless more. They all looked upon the earth that they walked and bowed in awe to their creators, the Mother and the Father, and peace was had.
Then the mother and Father came together again and from this union sprang a brand new being. The divines all questioned their parents for they had not seen this type of being before. They responded, they are the mortal beings. They cannot live forever, nor can they have any powers or anything of the like. The divines laughed, for what purpose would such a frail creature serve? Their parents responded, because they have such a short life, they are able to enjoy every facet of what we have to offer them. They have the free will of choice to make whatever they want, lead their lives in whatever direction they want, so in a way, they are the most blessed and beloved of us all.
Some divines did not agree with the Mother and Father. They believed they were superior to the mortal races in every way and should be allowed to treat them as such. The other divines responded, for the Mother and Father are all powerful and just, we cannot go against our own creators in such a fashion.
War ensued. Countless mortal lives were lost. But in the end, from the ashes, rose a stronger and unified Core Pantheon of divines. And from that pantheon, when the peace treaties were signed, the divines all agreed that they had no rights to interfere with mortal lives. So the divines formed what is known now as the Spiritual Senate. The Senate is the body which governs the mortal races. With their enforcers, The Guardian Order, they protect and serve the mortal races from evil and-’”
“-extort millions of dollars out of innocent people while erasing history, oppressing species and sucking rich dicks to get votes,” I snapped the textbook shut and tossed it back onto the kitchen table. The midnight starlight shown through a scarred and deformed window screen that was once whole and complete, due to a feeder demon trying to rip its way in and make himself a faery feast, displaying a full and spacious forest outside of this quaint and quiet little tree.
Well. I told them it was a demon, anyway. Close enough.
The tree I was in was actually a house, hollowed out on the inside, home to a young wood fey family who reported the demon attack on their house just minutes before. I got here too late, the demon was gone, but the family’s wards held and no one was hurt in the process. I leaned forward and ran my fingertips along the glass ward again, feeling the edges and making sure nothing acidic or harmful was left behind as these guys were famous for doing. I caught a glimpse of myself in the broken reflection, long black hair tied back in braids, pale skin and green eyes. The very definition of a dark angel.
“What do you mean by erasing history?” I jumped a mile high and the sound of the tiny little sprites voice right behind me. I spun around and she stood there stone still and stared at me with huge green and brown eyes, green antennae twitching slightly as her small 3 foot frame stood unnaturally still, the little pink nightgown standing in an odd contrast to her green skin. Her eyes were unnaturally naturally large for her face, as all the sprite and faery folks were built differently like this, and had what looked like a honeycomb pattern inside them, but it was so small it would require one to stare a few inches away from their face and I had a feeling that was rude.
“You cannot erase history. It is solid. It is unchanging,” the girl looked quizzical at me and seemed genuinely confused.
I took a deep breath to slow my heartbeat down. “You go to state schooling, don't you honey?”
She nodded and one of her antennae twitched. Those always weirded me out a little. She looked up at me and asked “What does that mean?”
I nodded back and picked her book back up and flipped to the page I was on and then bent down and showed it to her. “State schooling means you go to a school that is funded by the Spiritual Senate, and so they control the information you are taught. Example, You see here? The Guardian Order was actually created by the Mother Goddess, during the second divine war. She came down upon the earth and found thirteen people and said unto them that they are the chosen people and must take up arms to defend the mortal races. The Senate was created after the war. They are two completely separate entities of each other, regardless of what the politicians like to say. Always remember, if the state is saying it, it's a lie.”
“I was taught that the Order was the police arm of the Senate.”
I fought to not roll my eyes again. “That's wrong. We are a police entity, we are law enforcement, yes. But we are separate from the Senate. We deal primarily with this mortal plane here. The Senate just passes laws.”
“Why?”
“The Divines specifically designed it this way,” I decided to tell her that instead of trying to explain why the Order should actually be in charge.
Her eyes widened. “But this book… what war? There was another divine war? Why did they leave that out?”
I winked. “Exactly what you should try and figure out.”
I stood back up and stretched and heard “Ma'am? What does it mean to suck rich dicks for votes?”
My heart stopped and I squatted back down. “That is…. Uh….. an act that is very dirty and you should like…. Uh never do, okay? Just like…… Never say those words again, okay honey?”
She smiled and nodded and seemed overly enthused at the guardian in her kitchen acting panicked for the second time in five minutes.
I scurried out of the kitchen and almost forgot to duck through the five foot tall hole in the wall into the living room. The parents, who were adult sized versions of my new giggling shadow were standing by the other window which was also marred by a giant, jagged claw shaped hole. There was an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the living area better than the kitchen. Chairs and shelves lined the walls and dozens of shiny trinkets hung from the ceiling in the center of a spiral staircase that was carved out of the wall going up the whole of the tree. The parents turned as I walked in and towered over their fully grown bodies which had to be four and a half feet tall, maybe.
“Well I didn't find any trackers or runes to indicate the demon would return or that he claimed your house so you should be fine. If you feel the need to stay at someone's house tonight I would do so. There's a water sprite ward master who lives down by the river who fixes stuff like this all the time, I'll send him over in the morning.”
The young parents looked relieved. “Are you sure it was demons? I've seen wolves in these parts,” the dad asked carefully, like he was trying his best not to anger me.
I squeezed my lips together and formulated a response. “You guys just moved to the territory, didn't you?”
The mother nodded. “We came here for work. There's not much out west in the state.”
I nodded. “I'm the territory holder out here. Next one over is Marcus, lycan alpha. I have an agreement with his men that in exchange for patrolling my land, they can hunt on it. They stay far away from the residents as I have asked. So trust me when I say, it wasn't those wolves.”
The little girl popped up on a chair next to a table where a bowl of walnuts sat. “What's a territory holder?”
“They are people who have claimed a certain piece of land, so all the people on the land answer to them, and in turn, it’s their job to protect them and keep them safe.”
“Do you collect taxes on the people?”
“Some do. I don’t. I collect a two percent tax off the sales in my area, nothing more.”
The father nodded. “I- I didn't mean any disrespect, um, Mer-”
“Mercy. And none was taken. You will be safe here. I know there's a colony of wood sprites up yonder over the hill and deep in that next forest, I can have someone escort you over there if you want. It’s right across from my residence if it would calm your mind.”
“If I may ask, why do you have a name like Mercy when you are a dark angel?”
“I never knew my father, as he would probably be executed for my existence. I named myself and was raised outside the black angel realm,” I regurgitated the response that I have perfected over the years.
The little girl appeared at my hip. “If you're an angel, where are your wings?”
Both parents’ eyes went wide as they chastised her. But I just smiled and knelt down again. “Dark angels are by law required to keep their wings hidden unless during certain circumstances. If you do happen to see them come out, run. Run far.”
Her big yellow eyes glowed with childlike awe. Thankfully, she didn't catch my white lie.
She stretched herself as tall as she could go and asked “Can I be a guardian when I grow up?”
“Of course you can! As long as you study hard and listen to your parents, you can do anything you wish, little one,” I tapped her nose and stood back up.
They both nodded and expressed again how thankful they were that a guardian showed up and so quickly. I nodded and did the usual customary guardian thing. Nod, say your welcome, it's part of the job, yada yada.
I walked to the side of the tree where I entered, and the mom followed me and stroked her finger down the side. The wall melted away into a doorway. They thanked me once again and I stepped out with a goodnight and a nod.
The cool night air smelled of pine and leaves as I walked a little distance out from the woods. The air twinkled with the energy of the spirit plane, causing little sparkles to hang in the air and in little clouds above me, rendering me and my faery friends invisible to the human eye. I rolled my shoulders out of habit, trying to ease the dull ache in my shoulder blades where I should have wings, but instead have deep scars down each side of my spine. I wasn't entirely lying when I said it was a law that my kind keep our wings hidden. It's just easier to say that then have the 'Oh yeah the cult I belonged to convicted me of heresy and ripped them off as one of my punishments' talk.
I've noticed it makes people uncomfortable.
On the other side of the field, a car drove past on the road. It was my human form, driving home after a shift at her job, the local gas station in this small, quaint country village that for the most part is secluded and safe.
When the black market guys aren't trying to run through town.
I calmed my mind and focused on another area in my territory, allowing the energy molecules to vibrate and energize around me, and a few seconds later, I felt the molecules in my body start to vibrate as well as I disappeared from the field.
My shift took me to the other side of the territory, by another road, in another wooded area. I climbed up a huge maple and leaned up against the branches, after making sure it wasn't someone's house.
I've done that.
It isn't a good thing.
I relaxed for two seconds. This is the third attack in a month and I can't keep telling people its demons. When I know for a fact it's someone else.
Some….thing. Else.
I shook the memories away and pulled out my flask of water. Took a swig and then pulled a rolled smoke out of my inside pocket, but my matches were nowhere to be found. I started patting my pockets down.
“This what you call retirement?” The voice projected from behind me and startled me so badly my body stopped being solid for a few seconds and I fell through the branches holding me up. I solidified again-about three inches off the ground.
I picked myself up off the ground as I heard the voice dying of laughter above me. I rolled over and brushed myself off and looked up at the direction of the voice. It was so dark and the leaves covered him so I just held my hand up and, focusing more molecules into my hand, released them with a push, sending a shock wave through the leaves. I got a direct hit- I soon saw a body fall through the branches but he reached up and grabbed one with the light speed of a lycan and he swung there, still laughing. Blonde hair, tanned rough skin, and a long, lanky body that rippled with muscles and scars, I knew exactly who it was.
I shifted back up to my tree branch. “Goddamnit, Marcus, you fucking prick,” I pulled a new smoke out because I lost the last one somewhere in between the fall and the ground.
He swung over to my tree and worked his way down to the branch behind me.
“This is not retirement.”
“I’m still a holder,” I sat down on another smaller branch above and behind the one I was standing on, while finally leaning back on a third one that was in perfect position for me to put my elbows on and relax. Marcus matched my position except he threw his arm behind me.
“Please. You never sent in the intent to resignation papers. Don't lie. I know people.”
“How did you know? You were dishonorably discharged. You hate the Order.”
“I am the oldest second generation werewolf lycan alpha alive. I have the largest and biggest lineage starting from me. You know how many wolves that make who owe me their fealty?” He looked at me like I was an idiot.
“Fine,” I gritted my teeth in defeat. “I’m not retired.” I continued patting myself down for a light.
“So why were you over speaking to some wood fey earlier? They are petrified of dark angels such as yourself.”
“I was working a case, and why are you watching me?”
“I always watch you,” He procured a matchbook for me.
“Remind me to change your ringtone to the stalker's anthem.”
“You can deflect all you want, you know you enjoy it.”
I stayed quiet, just struck the match and lit my smoke with it before shaking out the flame and tossing it down onto the forest floor below us.
He pressed. “What were the fey wanting? And why do you insist on smoking cigarettes made of herbs that don't actually do anything? You want to at least get a buzz, you should try one of mine," he held up one of his smokes.
“Tree house got attacked. Thing didn't get in, but I'm moving them to the colony across from my house. And you know full well we can't partake in your type of stash.”
“You mean your human form's house. Or what you think is your human form. It's too bad you're a guardian still. Those stupid regulations regarding drugs and alcohol, life isn't life without a buzz," he commented as he pulled his flask out and took a swig of what I knew for a fact wasn't water.
"I would be kicked out in a heartbeat if a blood test came back positive for those chemicals. Besides, life is better without the buzz fogging up your mind and thinking."
"Some people prefer the fog. Besides, this is a new leaf. I specifically grew it and bred it so it takes care of any mental illness while you're still left with a clear mind and conscience."
"Well I don't. And you know that's gonna have to go through years of trials for the Order to even consider legalizing it."
"So you smoke herbs that really just satiate the oral fixation but doesn't have any chemicals to relax you whatsoever?"
"We've had this discussion. It's my decision."
"Yes, it's your decision. I won't judge you any further for it. So let's go back to that idea that we got human forms."
“I'm not in the mood for that discussion.”
“I'm sorry, I just think its nuts that we have some kind of crazy odd connection to some poor human soul on the physical plane that doesn't even know or care about this world.”
“Yeah.”
"I mean, why her? Why think it's her? Why not try to connect to someone with some power, like a prime minister, or a judge, or a Queen?"
I took another drag. "Because….. Because she's young. Got depression and anxiety. Has a small circle of friends. Likes to listen to music and just fade away into her brain while she drives around. Love's deeply. Follow's the old ways. Loves dogs."
"She sounds extraordinarily boring."
"That's the thing. She's normal. She doesn't have to worry about legionaires or demons or The Senate or being a fugitive. She's a normal girl who's worried about her douche ex Zach who cheated on her with some chick he went to high school with and just got married to said slutbag. She's worried about student loans and her sister witch dating this guy she doesn't like and her parents being dismissive, oblivious and aloof. Her best friend is all the way in Pittsburgh and she feels like she's drowning in all this emotion and all she wants to do is run but she's too afraid to leave this little town and all she knows so she drives. She just drives and melts into her music and continues on her hamster wheel and she works through things in a normal, human, natural way, and she loves with her whole heart, and all she wants is to spread love and light and she can't understand why she puts out positivity and get so much negativity in return but she keeps doing it, regardless of what her mental illness tells her or what history tells her and that makes her the strongest, bravest, most extraordinary person on the planet. That's why I connected with her."
He nodded and fell silent. "I see now. I'm sorry, okay?" I nodded back at him and relaxed a little bit.
“So what attacked the fairies on the prairie?” He knew to change the subject when I started getting passionate. He’s known me way too long.
“I told them a feeder demon.”
“Yes. What do you actually think?”
I leaned my head one way and shook it. He must have seen my expression.
“So you think it was another legionaire.”
“Could we not?”
“Come on, Precious, it's been close to ten years since your heresy trial where we rescued you. The void has been locked away. We deal with stragglers and outliers but they can't escape. It's over. You're safe,” he moved his hand along my shoulders.
“Souliare and Rhemus are still free.”
“Well yeah because nothing could be pinned on them. There was no physical evidence. Merc, I'm telling you, you're safe. You are okay.” He ran his hand down farther. I rolled my shoulders and he stopped.
“What are you doing in these parts anyway? Other than confirming what everyone says about one of the greatest hits from The Police?”
“Oh, one of my men sighted Chaos trying to shift again.”
“So you killed the bitch, right?”
“She's in exile, not on trial for murder.”
“She purposefully aligned and made peace with Souliare, after everything she put me through, after you and DragonStorm and everyone else personally rescued me, she was AT that rescue mission, and she still-”
“Merc-”
“STILL fucking did it, I'm glad she's in exile for betraying your under alpha guy and now she can't transform into the wolf form, she fucking deserves it, she doesn't deserve to be lycan, cause she sells her allegiance out to the highest bidder, she always has-”
“MERCY she buried the hatchet with Souliare-”
“BURY THE HATCHET my fucking ass, you don't bury the hatchet with a fucking psychopath, that's like the Jewish Pantheon welcoming fucking Hitler in with open arms, IT JUST WOULDN'T HAPPEN why? Cause they aren't fucking stupid LIKE CHAOS.”
The last few words hung in the air for a few seconds before he spoke quietly.
“You done?”
“Sure.”
“Did you just compare Souliare and Rhemus to Hitler?”
“They're executing millions of innocent souls. Yes. They're fucking Hitler and Himmler.”
“Not executing.”
“Fine. Kidnapping and torture.”
“Merc. They can't be doing that. The void is locked up.”
I sighed. “I witnessed it. Myself. I myself ferried souls to them. There are several million souls locked in there with them and gods know what in the world is happening to them.”
“You were being controlled. It isn't your fault. It's time you made peace with that and moved on with your life. With me.”
I threw my smoke down and stood up. “Why are you watching me?” I turned around and looked at him, praying he would give me a real response.
He leaned back and gave me his cocky smile. "Because I don't trust those Senate bastards."
"The Senate doesn't come out here. You know that. Lie. Try again."
"Fiiine. I've started a new diet regimen and it involves taking brisk walks."
"Not in wolf form? Lie again."
He rubbed his mouth with his hand and sighed while his eyes graced down my body in a caress I could almost feel. “Because you walk like a queen.”
I sighed and hung my head. I knew it. “I'm not mating you, Marcus.”
“You say that now. One day, you're going to stop running,” he stood up and leaned up against the trunk, blocking me in. I looked up into bright blue eyes that gleamed with adventure, with excitement, with danger, with passion, with freedom, with happiness.
All of which I knew came with serious strings attached to them.
“One day you'll realize you are the alpha queen and have been all along.”
I closed my eyes and hung my head again. He leaned in closer and I could feel the heat radiate off his body as my own yearned to lean in, missing the familiar touch. But I knew what that would mean so I leaned back and said “It's late. I need rest.”
He sighed and leaned back. “One day, Precious. One day.”
"Goodnight, Marcus."
I melted away into the shadows before he could comment any further.
I materialized back on the roof of the porch of my human form's house. I could see her headlights as her car slowed down and turned down the gravel driveway. Now that she's home, I can rest.
I sat down on the eave of the house and lit up another smoke. My shoulders ached as I rolled them, trying in vain to get the stiffness to go away. Hopefully I can have this smoke without any interruptions.
"Wow, look at you being lazy."
Of course not.
I jumped a mile high as I spun around and drew a war fan at the same time, before seizing my body tightly so I stopped before I threw my war fan at the origin of the voice. The girl standing behind me was just laughing away as I threw my head back in defeat and sheathed my blades away. The girl in question was easily six feet tall, slender, with waist length ice blue hair, ice blue eyes and perfect, pale glowing skin, wearing the official guardian regalia in white and blue, with a purple sash across her chest.
A dear friend. A dragon. Quite literally the personification of physical perfection.
"For Christ's sake, DragonIce! What the hell?"
She continued laughing as she bent over. "Man, I think I'm the first person in existence who can say they've snuck up on a dark angel."
I bit my tongue so I didn’t tell her a five year old beat her to it. I’d never live that one down. I sat back down in defeat and just took a pull off my smoke.
"Yeah, well, don't tell everyone. I'm illegal, remember?"
She wiped the laughter from her eyes and sat down next to me. "Only over there. The dark angel armies can't cross over here."
"Who told you that?"
She sighed. "The senate, of course. They made sure Destiere can't come over here and hunt illegal born hybrids."
"Sure."
“You know I’ve always wanted to ask. I know some hybrids track down their birth parents. So why haven’t you?”
“I’m illegal, remember? If I tracked down my father, he would be killed for breaking Destiere’s laws. And my mother definitely died in childbirth, there have never been any cases of a woman surviving the labor.”
“Ooo, what if it isn’t one of Destiere’s angels? What if it was one of the dark angels that become an edioetche when they swear to a divine in the Pantheon? OH! What if it was one of Hades’ angels?!” she slapped my arm excitedly.
I rolled my eyes. “If I was the child of an edioetche, they wouldn’t have abandoned me. There’s laws protecting those children. And the chances of me being a child of one of the death angels from the soul plane are slim to none. Those dudes never leave their home.”
“Yeah. True story. You never know though.”
“I choose to believe in Occam’s razor. Whatever is the most plausible explanation, must be the truth. And in this case, my father is more than likely one of the blood thirsty lunatics in Destiere’s ranks who got a little frisky with a mortal woman, who assumed he killed the woman after what was more than likely a rape, and has no idea he has a bastard daughter out here dodging Senate operatives and his fellow dark angel soldiers.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her hips where she sat, getting comfortable. “Well, I’m with your older sister and I choose to believe in a romantic and beautiful reunion with your birth father.”
“Ugh. It’s not……” I paused and decided against the argument. “She’s not my older sister,” I grumbled, trying to hide the whine in my voice.
“She’s older than you by seven days.”
“SHUT UP. What are you holding?”
She smiled and handed me a folder. "Got a case."
"I'm retired." I pushed it away.
"No you aren't," she pushed it back in front of me.
"You people don't quit do you?"
"You should know how stubborn we are."
I rolled my eyes and took the manilla folder, to toss it aside on the other side next to me.
"Really. You're not even gonna look at it."
"I'll just hand it to Catalina."
"You can't. You were requested specifically."
"Why?"
She gave me a side eye. "You see that it’s sealed? I have no clue what's in that folder. I do know its someone you have to watch."
"Well DUH."
"You asked."
"Who requested me?"
She gave me another side eye. "You know full well I have no clue."
"They do realize I'm busy right? I've just gotten back from the third attack on my territory this month alone."
"Demons?"
"No. You know full well what they are."
She sighed and hung her head. "Legionaire's?"
"That's what it looks like."
"Merc. Mercy. It can't possibly be them. They've been locked away. The pantheon saw to it."
"And who told you that?"
"The senate-"
"The senate. Yes. They said it all. And we should blindly trust them."
"Nobody has seen any evidence of a legionaire in years, Merc. That's all the proof we need."
I pursed my lips and said nothing.
"It's okay. It'll be another demon and you can handle it, I swear, okay? Check that in the morning, take Cat along with you when she gets back, and maybe Mara, take a change of pace and get back to your roots, to your atonement. I think if you get out of your territory and get back to good old fashioned guardianship you'll feel better."
"Yeah. I will," I tossed the butt out and stood up, signalling to her to get lost. I wasn't in the mood for being chastised yet again.
She got up with me. "Mercy. I love you, okay? It's just…. Everytime you claim it's one of them, it ends up being another demon. It's only a matter of time before the council decides to place you on medical leave. I'm just looking out for your best interests."
"I know." We tapped the sides of our fists together and she blew a kiss and disappeared.
I took a deep breath. Jumping off the roof, I started to head into the woods across the street from the house. Into the woods, to my house. And hopefully to some semblance of sleep.
