Cheers,

Lexi C. Foss

PRETERNATURAL BEINGS

Fledgling (noun): The child of a male Ichorian and a human female, who has not yet been reborn as a Hydraian; they do not typically possess supernatural or psychic gifts until their immortal rebirth.

Hydraian (noun): An immortal offspring of a male Ichorian and a human female, who possesses two supernatural or psychic gifts and does not require human blood to survive.

Ichorian (noun): An immortal being of unknown descent who possesses one supernatural or psychic gift and requires human blood to survive.

Immortal (noun): A general noun designating a being who does not age and is immune to natural human death.

Seraphim (noun): A being who belongs to the highest order of angelic hierarchy.

KEY TERMS

Arcadia: Notorious Ichorian club in New York City that also serves as the primary meeting location for the Ichorian government.

Blood Laws: A series of ordinances created by the Ichorian governing board in response to the Treaty of 1747.

Catastrophic Relief Foundation (CRF): A global humanitarian aid organization headquartered in New York City with a secret paramilitary unit designed to destroy rogue supernaturals.

Conclave: The Ichorian governing board.

Edict: A law or rule issued by the High Council of Seraph.

Elders: The original Hydraians who also serve as the Hydraian governing board.

Fated Line: Seraphim who can foresee the future.

High Council of Seraph: Seraphim governing board.

Nizari: Ancient Ichorian assassins who hunt and kill fledglings.

Nizari Poison: A green substance notorious for killing fledglings and preventing their rebirth.

Sentinel: A soldier in the CRF unit designed to slaughter rogue immortal beings.

Treaty of 1747: An armistice between Hydraians and Ichorians to cease fire and live in their designated areas. Those who opt to cross these boundaries do so at their own risk.

1

Blood Edict

Disease.

Death.

Deceit.

Devastation.

Filth, humanity, and greed littered the nightclub as obnoxious beats repeated overhead. The humans would call it music. Caro called it hell.

Why would anyone enjoy this?

At least from her perch at the back of the room, it didn’t rattle her teeth, unlike her experience on the dance floor. How those beings tolerated it, she had no idea. She preferred peace and quiet. Tranquility.

Not even ten minutes and she missed home already.

She would find Osiris, deliver the edict, and leave.

The poisoned one, as her kind called him, had lived among the humans too long and adopted his own level of greed. First, he created a bloodline of life-sucking abominations who referred to themselves as Ichorians, and then they went on to procreate with humans to create Hydraians.

Blasphemy.

She would slaughter them all if given the chance, but her superiors felt it was Osiris’s responsibility to clean up his own mess.

Fine.

Caro crossed her jean-clad legs and tapped her foot impatiently.

Her notes stated Osiris owned this pitiful establishment, and the abundance of Ichorians slithering about confirmed it. They couldn’t see or sense her as she sat in a cloud of invisibility—a trait that suited this mission. Except her quarry remained hidden, which defeated the entire purpose of being here.