Claimed By Night (Shadow Guardians #1)

PROLOGUE

The Oath of Devotion

As there is light, there must also be dark. As there is life, there must also be death. As there is the mortal world, there must also be the realm of light and shadow…

In the beginning, there was balance.

Then, with the coming of the Singularity , light was nearly sacrificed by dark when a rift in the Shadow Realm resulted in darkness spilling into the mortal and fae worlds. Humans were completely wiped out until only the magical remained, and the balance of the natural order was left hanging precariously.

The Mortal, Fae, and Shadow Realms were the charge of the Midnight Queen. In order to set the equilibrium right, she chose four representatives—two from the Shadow Realm, and two from the realm of light.

These four soldiers pledged to maintain the balance between shadow and light by taking the Oath of Devotion . Thus, they were bound to protect this delicate equilibrium by making a pact, through blood, and witnessed by none other than the Midnight Queen, herself.

The first to take the pledge was the King of Shadows , a gargoyle.

The second was the King of Light , an angel.

The third was the King of Nature, an elf.

The fourth was the King of Death , a vampire.

With the rise of the Midnight Queen’s Protectors, balance was achieved anew. But that stability was short-lived, as greed and envy upset the equilibrium once again…