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Prologue

The war was endless. It spanned too many generations to count. Devlin stood alone on the desolate hilltop, gazing down at the fire-scorched earth that was his land.
The slaughter of man and beast served only to coat the earth with sacrificial blood. Truce was unthinkable. There was only war. A war that would continue to rage uncontrollably over the planes of this world, leaving only death in its wake. Now, for trying to stop the madness, he had been banished.

Devlin cocked his head to study his older brother. Chalice, the sword arm of the Council, carried the weight of his position heavily on his broad shoulders. It was a position Devlin did not envy.

His long body hunched in frustration, Chalice marched toward Devlin. The small army behind him matched his steps, eager to carry out the sentence of the Council. They would banish Devlin to the very pits of hell if Chalice allowed it.

Rocks spilled beneath the feet of the bare-chested soldiers as they passed through the tunnel that led to Devlin. The crunch of gravel betrayed their position, but he would not run. He would face his destiny head on.

Chalice was the first to reach Devlin. The blade of his dagger glistened in the pale sunlight. Unsheathed, he held it at bay and ready for use.

Devlin felt a sharp surge of pain. “Leave me.” His voice was harsh, even to his own ears.

Chalice took a ragged breath. “I can’t, brother. We must finish this.” He took a step forward even as he waved his men back.

Devlin could not control the snarl that curled his lips. “You need reinforcements? Have you become weak in your old age?”

“Enough.” Chalice’s voice rang out in the silence, bouncing off the sun-scorched boulders and slamming into Devlin’s chest. “You have been banished. The alternative is death. Will you go willingly?”

Willingly leave the world he loved and enter an oblivion he knew nothing about? Willingly to renounce his current life for the unknown? Were his sins so unforgivable? Did he have a choice?

Devlin raised his outstretched hands and allowed the shackles to click into place. They would take him to the orifice of this world and force him to cross into the next.

He let them lead him down the hillside. The dirt crumpled underneath his weight, and he slipped. Hands chained and unable to catch himself, his body slammed into the gravel. The soldiers dragged him forward as the tender skin of his face shredded under the onslaught of the tiny stones.

The mile from hill to desert was agonizing. He tried several times to scramble to his feet without success, each fall causing more damage than the last. Finally, the caravan came to a halt. Bloody, Devlin lay on the ground before his brother, his breath trapped in his chest. He fought a groan as Chalice placed his hands under either arm and pulled him to his feet.

Chalice took a small metal device from the pouch that hung around his neck. As he rubbed it against his palm, a sharp glimmer of light appeared before them. The light expanded to a circle barely larger than a man. It pulsed with an energy so strong it was difficult to stand. It required every ounce of self-discipline Devlin possessed to allow his brother to lead him toward the blazing portal that blinked and whined in front of them.

As he was about to breach the opening, he felt Chalice press something into his palm.

“You know what you must do to return,” Chalice murmured under his breath. “Hurry home, brother.” The flat of his palm slammed into the flesh between Devlin’s shoulder blades, pushing him forward.

Devlin was demonic in his struggles as the darkness wrapped him in its impenetrable barrier. Fire scorched his chest. It seized his body, drowning away all thought. He clutched the pendant. It was his only hope.

Chapter One

Raven wandered through the empty park, her long hair whipping along behind her like a dark blanket against the cool wind. She had never been able to resist the pull of the full moon. It shone down upon her, the thick clouds unable to hide its luster.

She found peace in these moments as she walked beneath the sky.

The crisp autumn leaves danced around her as she moved toward the old park bench beside the trail. Usually, by now her body would relax, her mind would calm, but not tonight. Tonight a strange scent drifted in the air. It invaded the stillness of night, wrecked her haven in the darkness.

She was not alone.

Her hands clenched into tight fists. She stared out into the darkness, her brow damp with perspiration. In all these years she had followed the moon, her solitude had never been invaded.

She jerked around. A man, larger than any she had seen before, stood hidden among the shadows of the trees. It took time for her to focus on him. Once she did, he disappeared from sight. Heart pounding, she scanned the woods.

The leaves behind her crackled and shifted. As she turned, the man stood a mere foot away. His long black hair glistened in the moonlight.

It was him. Devlin.

The visions had come so infrequently lately that she had found herself imagining him gone. Her heart ached at the sight of him standing before her full and whole.

She swallowed a sob. “You scared me.” She took a deep breath and allowed her hands to relax in the pockets of her trench coat.

He stepped farther into the light. “I am sorry. It was not my intention.” He sounded raspy, seeming to struggle with his words.

She nodded, having lost the ability to speak. Something glistened in his dark golden eyes, making her blood run hot and cold simultaneously. It was if he could see inside her soul.

“May I join you?” His husky voice shivered along her skin, dipping into every crevice and leaving a tingle in its wake. His steps were silent as he moved closer.

She studied him as he awaited her response. He was so dark. His large and muscular body, draped all in black, reminded her of a fallen angel, but it was the pain seeping from his gaze that wrapped around her heart.

Unable to resist, she stepped toward him.