They called it the Shadow War, and it had raged for centuries.

It was a time when magical families fought to tear artifacts and powerful spells from each other's corpses, leaving nothing but death and destruction in their wake. It was brutal, a war waged away from human eyes.

Thirty years ago, the remaining four families came together to sign the Codex Magica Treaty, giving up their most dangerous spells and artifacts as part of the agreement. An uneasy peace was forged.

Though the other families have been quiet for years, my parents remained vigilant, constantly on guard for potential attacks. My younger brother and I have been overprotected all our lives, never allowed to leave our home for fear of what may happen to us, but I long to experience the outside world.

On the eve of my brother's twenty-first birthday, I sneak us both out of the mansion to give him a real taste of freedom. What he doesn't know is that I've already been sneaking out for months to see someone I shouldn't be seeing under any circumstances.

I should've listened to my parents.