Book 1 of The Courts of Daemonium.
Alexander 'Xander' Duran, the world's first Lamia, has been in charge of the Courts of Daemonium for decades. After being turned into a shadow-wielding, blood-thirsty Daemon in 1649 by Lilith, his only purpose in h...
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The House of Commons was packed. Members of parliament were screaming over one another, papers were being sent flying, feet stomping on the ground. Xander could not help but think they all looked like absurd children throwing the biggest tantrums they could in competition for attention.
He sat there in disbelief, wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into. He wasn't a politician, he was a leader of the Courts, a soldier of Daemonium. But he had spent the last twenty two years campaigning and forming alliances with politicians, not to mention the decades before protecting communities of Daemons, finally reaching the World Court's peace treaty in 2020 to allow Daemons and mortals to live alongside one another.
His most supportive ally had been Katie Jones. She had only been a member of parliament when they met, but now she sat as the UK Prime Minister with strong beliefs in equality between Daemons and mortals. Without her, none of it would have been possible.
By the end of the 20th century, the relentless conflict between mortals and Daemons had resulted in such devastating chaos that fractured the very fabric of reality. The vulnerability of the chaos had fed Caligo's insatiable hunger and allowed him to return, bringing his Umbranimae with him to the land of the living.
The world, broken and bloodied with mortal and Daemon blood alike, became a breeding ground for Caligo's ancient evil. He seized any opportunity to breach the veil between realms, to bleed his darkness from the Intermundum and let it seep into the land of the living. Striga's valiant sacrifice, her last stand against him, had weakened him immensely and banished him to the Intermundum, buying the Courts' precious time. But time, it seemed, had finally run out.
Xander reformed the Daemonium Courts again in 1925. After spending over forty years in isolation away from his brothers, he one day got up and decided to search for a way to create a new, better world. In truth, his memories from his years spent alone in his guilt were hazy, and he'd struggle to piece them into words even if he wanted to. No one knew what made him have a change of heart about how to spend his existence, but when he finally returned to the Courts, he vowed to find and maintain peace between mortals and Daemons. But it just wasn't possible, not unless the entire world were to change. And so, he decided, with the new millennium, he would be the force of that change.
Unwavering in his belief, he tirelessly sought allies. He reached out to anyone who would listen to him, any mortal or Daemon who would join his cause, and among them was Katie, a rising political star with a strong voice in parliament. Xander was able to join forces with her, and Katie, respected for her wisdom and seen as a potential future leader, became his champion. She held speeches on his behalf over the years, explaining how Daemonis were not the true culprits behind the escalating Umbranimae attacks, but rather, the mounting conflict itself between Daemons and mortals was the catalyst. The mortals' refusal to accept Daemons, to allow them to live among them, was fuelling the chaos that Caligo fed upon.
Within a few years, Katie's persuasive arguments swayed not only the UK government, but had reached across almost the entire world. Xander felt almost annoyed that all it took was the right person to speak his truth, but he was too grateful for the possibility of peace to concern himself with petty jealousy.
