Chapter 12: Coven’s Glamour
Evanora’s POV
The Devourix spokesperson lifted another relic, smiling like he’d personally invented it.
“Each of these has protected our people for centuries,” he announced.
My master, of course, dropped a verbal arrow:
“Don’t Devourix overshadow these relics in power?”
The Devourix offered a slow, knowing smile.
“It’s not the creature,” he said, “but the one wielding the power.”
My brows tightened.
Every historical record insisted Devourix was the power.
So why did that line feel like it was meant to pry open something inside me?
Not all Devourix are powerful.
His voice echoed, almost intimate.
A warning disguised as humility.
For the first time in years, a belief I thought was unshakeable… shifted.
Knowledge was strong.
But perspective?
Perspective could break kingdoms.
? Rudy’s Showcase
Zagan and I stood to the side while Gamma Rudy practically glowed under the torchlight, arms spread wide in showman mode before Xavier Dracula, Draven, and the entire covenant team.
“Gentlemen,” Rudy announced, “I present our modern arsenal—your future rogue-wolf nightmares.”
Modern Inventions
Hellfire Missiles
“Thermobaric. Turns rogue dens into memories.”
Gravity Disruptors
“Localized gravity waves. Rogues lose balance, pride, and possibly lunch.”
EMP Blasts
“Communication gone. Tech gone. Hope gone.”
Devourix Relics
Lunar Strike Crossbow
Moonstone-tipped. Heart-seeking.
Nightshadow Blade
Celestial metal. Older than regret.
Shadow Grappling Hook
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
For warriors who enjoy dramatic entrances.
Xavier nodded slowly. “Combine both sets, and we’ll have an arsenal worthy of our ancestors.”
Rudy puffed up.
“We soften them with missiles, pierce with lunar bolts, distort gravity, silence tech, then infiltrate. Clean and efficient.”
Draven added a voice like a blade:
“Execution will be swift.”
? Kaden’s Medical Strategy
Kaden stepped forward with the confidence of a man unveiling a miracle—or a grenade.
Rapid Healing Chambers
Crystal Restoration Serum (unsafe for vampires, which naturally excites him)
Pain suppression
Mental conditioning
“Nova and a few others need extensive care,” Draven reported.
“Others will be combat-ready in forty-eight hours.”
Rudy waved a hand. “I can modify the Gravity Disruptors to create healing fields.”
Kaden lit up.
“That will cut recovery time drastically.”
Xavier approved. “Good. The rogue wolves are nearing our borders. I can feel them. The Sunstone pack should’ve arrived by now…”
Kaden sighed. “They were summoned. Let’s hope they’re not late.”
The meeting scattered into motion.
I didn't care. Not my war. Not my diplomatic table, the pull was strong but my hands are tied.
The moment chaos stirred outside, our brilliant leaders made their brilliant decision:
“Hide the weaklings in the library.”
I didn’t argue.
Zagan didn’t either..
Calling us weaklings has officially become our favorite running joke.
Hi Weakling - oh it's us, here we are.
While we explored, we passed a portrait of Arabella, beautifully hung, showcasing her in a white dress – it looked like a recent piece. Her smile seemed to reach her eyes, and I couldn't help but notice how radiant she appeared. Glowing Arabella. I hadn’t seen her much in the meetings—where was she?
Who is she? Her history with the vampire kingdom remains a mystery. Something inside me says she'll come up to me. I breathed heavily, my curiosity piqued.
We began our noble mission:
Stay alive.
We slipped into the ancient library, shelves towering over us like judgmental elders…
We moved between aisles older than kingdoms themselves.
Dust motes floated everywhere like tiny ghosts auditioning for drama roles.
Zagan wrinkled his nose. “Too much dust.”
“I think we’re in a sealed section,” I muttered.
Zagan laughed. “We’ve dusted too much for weaklings.”
I actually laughed back.
“Half these books are torn, and whatever’s left is written in symbols. You see anything interesting?”
“Your Royal Highness,” he called softly. “Look at this.”
A rusted mirror leaned against the wall.
It reminded me of the one in my vampire realm—
same frame, same pull—
but this one felt… wrong.
When Zagan wiped the surface, it didn’t show his face.
It didn’t show mine either.
The mirror ignored us completely.
Instead, it lit up the mark on Zagan’s arm—
the sigil he always hid beneath cloth and silence.
A dagger crossed with a crescent moon.
The Exanimate Sigil.
My mark.
My creation.
And here, in this forgotten corner of a Devourix library—
it didn’t glow.
It burned—claiming him with a mark only my hands could have made.
*******
The Devourix mark:
A dagger and crescent, intricately forged with ancient Devourix magic that only her kin could wield. She was the one who performed the ritual, imbuing the mark with eternal power—a vow of loyalty that could never be erased. This loyalty-bond brand, given to her Exanimates, granted them power surges, rapid recovery, and a subconscious link to her. But the cost of betrayal was dire: the mark would devour them from the inside out. The trust it demanded was brutal, and few survived the bond. Yet fifty formidable monsters still stood behind her—among them Zagan, a testament to the unyielding loyalty the mark commanded.
********
