Devin is an energy vampire, who works as an eliminator of Alliance; his task is to liquidate individuals who threaten to expose the supernatural world to humans. But many times, he also seduces others to drain their soul… He buries himself in the pleasures of the moment in an attempt to forget about all his loss and painful memories of the past. He lives from day to day until he is given the task of executing a girl - who turns out to be his sister. Having grown up in a different world, without parents or relatives, he experiences the concept of family for the first time - and his emotions, his inner world are turn upside down.
Talia thinks herself a human. She is a bit plump, shy, introvert girl who spends her days by daydreaming about boys, reading erotic novels, playing videogames and watching streamers online. Even the graduation is on the doorstep, she finds it hard to focus on her studies. Her grades are poor, and her parents often scold her in a harsh, cruel way. On top of everything, sometimes someone else looks back at her in the mirror. Perhaps it is a hallucination by anxiety and lack of sleep. But perhaps it is not…
As the Dragon of Transformation, Jev is a shapeshifter — the only dragon in my novel who can change both race and gender at will. While all dragons can assume a humanoid, genderless form, Jev is special in that they have full control over their gender, able to choose whichever they desire. Over the millennia, they’ve experienced countless forms of existence. Like all dragons — ancient, god-like beings — Jev can also hear the thoughts of “lower life forms” nearby. This becomes overwhelming in a world so densely populated, which is why Jev turned to streaming as a way to avoid personal interactions. Behind the scenes, however, Jev is Devin’s partner. They assist him on his “hunts,” clean up the evidence, and sometim
Renald is an assassin, who works for the Alliance without knowing it. He is a veteran warrior, escaped to the human world from a matriarchal elven society where males are slaves. He was a sex slave for several years, was betrayed and used by many, so he is unable to trust in males or females anymore. He became very rude to avoid interactions with others, and works as a butcher in civilian life. He loves the smell and taste of blood, the sound of cracking bones…
As an energy vampire, feeding is central to Devin’s existence—draining life energy and souls not only sustains him but also brings him pleasure. He enjoys heightening the experience by seducing women, seeking both pleasure and an escape from his pain, loss, and trauma, as well as the chains of everyday life.
Talia is a bit chubby, struggles with learning difficulties, sometimes forgets to wash her hair, and wears her brother’s old, worn-out clothes for emotional reasons. Her parents are dissatisfied with her; they expect her to take better care of herself and get higher grades to secure good opportunities for further education. Their impatience often turns into verbal abuse, which, instead of motivating her, only causes pain and anxiety.
Devin is the reincarnation of the half soul of a dangerous dragon, Alden. Even if they share a soul, and memories, they hate each other - if one of them dies, the other goes with him. Top of that, Devin's personality changed Alden, who became a vegetarian heart surgeon, while Devin stayed a dangerous predator...
Bill Langston hasn't appeared in my previous manuscripts, but I thought that most teenagers experience school crushes, so I wanted to introduce a boy into Talia's life whom she could dream about, but she has no self-esteem and is hesitant to make the first step. Bill is actually a human character with a relatively normal background, who has no idea what he's getting into...
Even though Devin is unable to eat, he loves cooking for others. Besides, he can use his kindness to deceive others just to get what he craves...
I usually draw Jev as a man, even though they often take on a female form - especially alongside Devin. Anyway, I really like drawing Jev; especially with watercolour brush pens . Maybe because whatever shape they take, they can't change the original colours (blue and white) of their dragon form - and although I do a lot of coloured pieces, monochrome is still my favourite.
The relationship between Talia and Mandy is very interesting, mostly superficial, with rivalry and intrigue playing a major role... So when Mandy openly calls her best friend, Devin finds it really strange.
“I'm falling. Into the dark, icy depths of horror.” ~ Chapter 14. The moment when Devin realises that there might be similarities between siblings - so he will never look at Talia the same way as before. For him, it is a very traumatic experience, after all, he has grown up under the 'tutelage' of a ruthless dragon in another world and knows nothing about family relationships. Many times, supernatural beings can be traumatized by banal things that are quite ordinary to humans. For me it's fascinating to think about how many things can cause shock to different characters, depending on their personalities, species and backstories.
“If you give me your helmet… What if we have an accident and you die?” “I don't die easily.” ~ Chapter 15. Talia has no idea how true this is - literally. She has no idea that Devin is really deceptive man, who is able to disguise his wild thoughts and murderous intentions behind innocent smiles.
After her first meeting with Devin, her mother tries to warn Talia - but not in the right way... (~ Chapter 17.) Sometimes I smile at Talia and her struggles; because if she knew the whole truth about Devin, she could never look at him the same way again...
Devin also has a vulnerable side, buried deep inside. Besides being the reincarnation of the Dragon of Death’s half-soul, which is a truly depressing situation for him, he has also endured many other traumas inflicted by various individuals throughout his life... Although the image is symbolic, the energy vampires are really crying blood...
For me, "being a monster in the human world" is one of the most interesting themes in urban fantasy. After all, depending on species and abilities, each supernatural being experiences this phenomenon differently: they hide different traits and life styles, struggle with different psychological backgrounds and coping strategies. As a dragon, Jev hears the thoughts of „lower life forms” in their vicinity, which is very stressful in such an overpopulated world, so personal interactions, even public transport or shopping, are a mental trauma for them - which is why they turned towards online gaming. Devin, as Alden's half-soul, also knows the burden of being a dragon, but exactly this fact, his past and lack of true personal space that makes him unable to return their feelings. (~ Chapter 20. )
