Novel-novel oleh Gbemiè

GONZALO’S POVThe floor split open like a wound. Stone screamed. Dust choked the air. And from the dark below, it rose. It wasn’t a devorer. It wasn’t a wolf or even a dog.It was bigger than both. Bigger than a house. Black scales, dripping with old blood and slime. Four arms, each ending in claws as long as swords. A head with no eyes, just a mouth full of teeth inside teeth. It smelled like death that had been buried and dug up again. The room went silent. Even the dogs stopped. Enzo was on his knees, bleeding from the throat, but he was laughing. “Meet my masterpiece,” he gurgled. “The Devourer King. I fed it prisoners for a year. It’s hungry.” The thing lifted its head and roared. The sound shook the walls. More cracks split across the floor. Alberto was already moving. He was hurt, poisoned, bleeding , but he was on his feet. He grabbed Sapphire and shoved her behind him. “Get back!” he ordered. Sapphire didn’t listen. She never did. She pulled a dagge

KAISER’S POVI couldn’t move. Not my arms. Not my legs. The witch’s magic had me locked in place, chains biting into my wrists, blood drying on my skin. But my mind? My mind was free. I could hear everything. Enzo’s laugh. Sapphire screaming Gonzalo’s name. Alberto choking. And underneath it all , breathing. Not human breathing. Dog breathing . Twelve of them. Hidden in the rafters, in the shadows behind the banners, in the cracks of the stone where Enzo thought no one could fit. I’d put them there hours ago. Before we were captured. Before the dungeon. Before the powder. I’d spent three nights in Enzo’s kitchens pretending to be a maid. I’d left scraps. I’d left blood. And I’d whispered. “When I call, you come. When I call, you kill.” Soul-speaking wasn’t just for people. It worked on beasts too. If you were patient. If you were cruel enough. Enzo had Alberto by the throat. Gonzalo in the other hand. “You will watch,” he said, voice dripping like ho

GONZALO’S POVThe stairs to the inner keep were wet. Not with water but with blood, my sense of smell couldn’t let that get by me.We took them two at a time. Alberto in front. Sapphire and Kaiser behind me. The men fanned out, shields up. Every step echoed. Every step smelled like iron. At the top, the doors were open. The throne room was massive. Black stone, high ceilings, banners of Enzo’s house ripped down and replaced with something new. Something twisted. Skins. Bones. Trophies. And in the center, on a raised platform of jagged rock, stood Enzo. He wasn’t alone. Twenty devorers lined the walls, crouched, waiting. And around Enzo’s feet, three witches. Their hands glowing faint blue. Their eyes completely white. Enzo clapped slowly when he saw us. “Family reunion,” he said. “How touching.” Alberto didn’t answer. He walked to the center of the room and stopped. Ten feet from Enzo. I stopped at his shoulder. Sapphire and Kaiser stopped behind us, breathing

GONZALO’S POVThe drainage tunnel stank. Wet stone, rot, and something worse underneath it , the smell of the devorers. Like wet fur and old meat left too long in the sun. We moved in a line. Alberto in front, me right behind him, then five of our best. No torches. No talking. Just the sound of water dripping and our boots in the muck. Alberto looked worse than he should. The bandage on his chest was already dark again. But his eyes? Clear. Cold. The Alpha was back. He raised a fist. We stopped. Up ahead, faint torchlight flickered against the tunnel walls. Voices. Two guards. “...told you he wouldn’t come,” one of them laughed. “Alpha’s probably hiding in some cave, crying over his Luna.” “Shut up,” the other snapped. “Enzo said if they get through, we die.” Alberto didn’t even look back at me. He just moved. Silent. Fast. I followed half a second later. My blade went in under the first guard’s chin. Up. Twist. He dropped without a sound. Alberto’s did the

KAISER’S POVThe plan was simple, yet my heart raced, not from the pain of hypnotizing one person but because I still was quite uncertain about our ability to win. My message had gotten its way to Gonzalo who would relay it to the Alpha Supreme. My eyes searched the halls with unsteady breathing “When I give the signal” I muttered to Sapphire who moved with as much precision as I, her breathing now stable, unlike mine. “Move to the other side, paralyze the guard like I showed you and I’ll make my way out through the back” I nodded once to notify her and she did the same to confirm that we had a mutual understanding.I had read the guard’s mind and seen the rest of them. There were about ten in the dungeon floor, ten guards for just two women felt incorrigible but he was Enzo, the evader.Moving slowly at the signal I sent, she took out the first two guards with ease, her arm had stopped bleeding and Lyra had covered parts of the perimeter as well. Just as we made our way for the ex

SAPPHIRE’S POVSomething had changed since Kaiser returned. Her eyes felt solemn at times, yet quite dangerous and her lips , she was quite great in using them to get what she wanted.“Untie us..” her voice slitted like a wandering snake and the man slowly with the pace of a snail for some reason, heeded to her command and loosened the binds, setting her free before he walked towards me and doing the same to mine.“How do we get out of here?” I whispered, breathing slowly and placing my hand on the wall to steady myself and she kept my shoulder over hers.“You alright my lady?” Her voice came through as her body supported mine and I nodded in response.I felt my head spin and my body weaken the moment I placed my foot in front of the other “We..need to get out of here” I breathed.Kaiser paused, the creases on her forehead furrowed with fear “I don’t think you should be moving, not yet” I tried to protest against her but I just couldn't. My body was too strained and weak so I sat dow

Clarissa’s POV My heart still hadn’t settled.It was beating too fast, too uneven, like it didn’t trust the reality my eyes were seeing. And honestly… Neither did I.Reed was alive. I kept repeating it in my head, hoping it would eventually feel normal.It didn’t. Instead, I just stood there in the middle of the living room, staring at him like if I blinked too long, he’d disappear again.“This is insane,” I whispered under my breath.“You’re really alive…” I said, my voice trembling slightly.Reed gave me a small nod, his expression softer now.“I am.”I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.Then, before I could stop myself, I laughed.It wasn’t a normal laugh.It was the kind that comes when your emotions don’t know where to go , half disbelief, half joy.“You have no idea how crazy this is,” I said, shaking my head. “I literally thought I was looking at a ghost five minutes ago.”Maya let out a small, nervous laugh beside me.“Same,” she admitted.But Dante wasn’t

Dante's POV “And?” I pressed.Clarissa hesitated then finally said it.“He told me Chelsea was responsible for Reed’s death.”My head snapped toward Reed.“He wasn’t dead,” I said, confused. “So what does that even mean?”“It means,” Clarissa said slowly, “that she was behind the attempt.”Maya’s grip tightened on my arm.“I knew it…” she whispered.I ran a hand through my hair, pacing slightly.“Okay—so Chelsea tried to kill you,” I said to Reed. “We saw the video. Fine. But why? What does she gain from that?”Reed’s jaw tightened.“Everything.”I stopped pacing.“Explain.”He looked at all of us one by one as if weighing how much we could handle.Then he spoke.“Chelsea was never in an abusive marriage.”The words hit strangely unexpectedly.“What?” Cathy said, frowning. “But she told me…”“She lied,” Reed cut in.“Her husband, Charles,” he continued, “never raised a hand against her.”Clarissa blinked.“That doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Why would she lie about something like th

Dante's POV The word felt ridiculous, impossible and yet abnormal to think like that.What else could it be?Cathy stepped in front of us.“It’s not a ghost,” she said firmly.“Then what is it?” I demanded.“Cathy,” I said, my voice dropping, “you need to explain. Right now.”Slowly, she turned toward the couch.“Reed,” she said.My breath caught.For a moment, nothing happened.Then, he moved just slightly.His head tilted and then he turned.His eyes met mine and I swear I felt my soul leave my body.“Dante,” he said.My name.I stumbled back, nearly losing my balance.“No…” I whispered.This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real.“You’re dead,” I said, my voice breaking. “I saw you. We buried you—”“No,” Reed said calmly.He stood up.“I didn’t die.”Silence crashed over the room.I shook my head violently.“That’s not possible,” I said. “We had a body. We all saw it. Everyone—”“It wasn’t me.”The words hit like a gunshot.I froze.“What?” Maya whispered.Reed took a step closer.Insti

Dante's POV I didn’t like the silence in the car. It wasn’t the comfortable kind nor was it the kind that settles in when people have said everything they need to say. No, this one felt heavy, like something was sitting between us, breathing quietly, waiting for the right moment to strike.I kept my eyes on the road, hands tight around the steering wheel. The streetlights stretched ahead in long, dim lines, flickering occasionally like they were warning me to turn back.Behind me, Cathy and Maya talked.At first, it was soft. Careful. Like they were testing each other, making sure the other was still the same person they remembered. Then gradually, their voices warmed, slipping into laughter, into shared memories, into everything that had happened while they’d been apart.“…and then I told him he was insane if he thought I’d just—”Maya’s voice broke into laughter.I swallowed hard.That laugh.For a moment, it made everything feel normal again.But normal wasn’t something I trusted

Dante's POV I frowned slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”She crossed her arms, tilting her head just a little.“It means,” she said, “that she doesn’t want to face it alone.”“That’s normal,” I said. “It’s a big step.”Cathy gave a small, knowing smile.“Is that what you think this is?”Something in her tone made my stomach tighten and I didn't like that feeling. Was Cathy just going to continue with her attitude?“What else would it be?”She didn’t answer immediately.Instead, she studied me carefully like she was trying to decide how much to say.Then she asked the question.“Are you the reason she’s getting divorced?”The words hit harder than they should have.“What?” I said sharply.Cathy didn’t flinch.“You heard me.”“That’s ridiculous,” I replied. “Chelsea’s marriage had problems long before I showed up.”“Maybe,” Cathy said. “But that doesn’t mean you didn’t play a part in the ending.”I felt irritation rise.“No,” I said firmly. “I didn’t.”Cathy’s gaze didn’t waver.

Dante's POV I believed her and that was the problem because Reed was right. If the killer was someone close then finding her wasn’t just going to expose the truth. It was going to destroy whatever was left of our lives.Maya broke the silence.“Dante,” she said softly.I turned to her.Her expression had changed, it was less tense and more searching.“Are you back with Chelsea?” she asked.The question caught me off guard.“What?”It came out sharper than I intended.Maya held my gaze.“I saw you with her earlier,” she said. “And I just… wanted to know.”For a second, the tension in the room shifted, not gone but redirected.I exhaled slowly.“No,” I said. “That ended a long time ago.”Maya’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but she didn’t look entirely convinced.“We’re not together,” I continued. “I’m just helping her.”“Helping her how?” Cathy asked, her tone neutral but curious.“She’s getting divorced,” I said. “Her husband… it’s complicated. She needs support.”“That’s all?” Maya as

TheoThe weekend had been nothing like what we had looked forward to. It stretched longer than it should have, weighed down by uncomfortable situations.Naeva’s reaction to everything—the confusion, her kidnapping. Everything kept playing in my mind, twisting me up. I had almost started questioning the prophecy.I sat staring at my palms, empty now. The latest traces of light from the spell were gone, faded.Each of us had two. That was all. I had used my first on Camden, when we almost lost him. And the second, the last one, I spent to drag Naeva out of that darkness to bring her back from where she was held.There was nothing left to use. That was all.I should have been afraid. But a strange calmness wrapped around me instead. Like maybe it was worth it. Maybe she was worth it. I couldn’t leave her helpless.“Hey, what’s going on?” Cassian’s voice came from the inn

Naeva QuinnI fell back to the floor, my palm throbbed in pain from the impact of the fall. My breath came out ragged, clouding the air before me. I pressed my injured hand against my chest.And realisation hit me, that this place was far more dangerous than I thought.“Theo,” I called again, my voice, a plea more than anything.Silence answered me.I swallowed, tried again, this time louder. “Theo!”Nothing.The room itself answered back—a voice that didn't feel human. low, taunting, followed by a ripple of laughter.“You still don’t understand, do you?” The voice said, dripping with mockery. “No one is coming for you. No one can hear you. Anyone here will only hear what I allow.” My heart sank as the new realization; the entire place was sound-manipulated. My voice won't leave here.Hope crumbled inside and melted inside me like ice.I slid back against the floor, my chest thudding, Was this how it ended? “What will you do now?” the voice came again, coaxed.Anger burned through t

Naeva Quinn When the car finally jerked to a stop, my chest dropped with the sudden silence. The noise from the road died and with it, the biting cold that had followed me all along seemed to disappear. The air here was different. Warm. Like the very walls were breathing heat back at me. Rough hands gripped me, dragging me from the back seat. My wrists burned against the rope, the knot too tight, unforgiving. I kicked out, my legs thrashing against solid bodies, but it did nothing. My feet scraped against hard ground, boots against gravel, then wood, then something smoother. I gave up the fight. Not because I wanted to, but because it was pointless. They were stronger, and I was wasting strength I might need later. Dialogue, I thought. Words could do what force could not. “You’ve got the wrong person,” I said, my voice sharp, stern, trying to hold steady against the storm building in my chest. No answer. Not even a whisper of acknowledgment. The warmth grew heavier the further th

Naeva QuinnTheo was left with no other choice but to let me go. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to come with me, to keep me. But I had insisted. My heart was set on moving, and he respected it, even if I could feel his gaze burn into my back as I was walking away.The air was colder away from the mansion, sharper, like it wanted me to go back. But I didn’t stop. Step after step, I knew I would get home. Finally, I took a taxi, just as I turned the corner of my street, barely a stone’s throw from my house.My eyes caught a car parked. It wasn’t the one I had left in the morning. No, this one was familiar.“Wow.” I gasped, My breath hitched. It was Mrs. Ivy’s.“How?”“Why?”“What's she doing here?”That’s how I just knew I made the right decision, a voice whispered in my head. She was here, waiting for me, right at the moment I needed reassurance. That means she's who I needed.I hurried toward the car but it was empty. She wasn’t inside. She must be somewhere around or even

Naeva QuinnMy lips trembled. That face was impossible to mistake. It was her.I’d seen her before—once, twice, maybe more. Always in my dreams. The ones that clung to me long after I woke. She terrified me then, and seeing her now, real and solid, chilled me to the bone.What unsettled me most was how I couldn’t remember the dreams themselves, yet her face was carved into my memory like a scar.She crossed the space between us and pulled me into her arms. Her embrace was firm enough that I pushed her back, just enough to show I wasn’t accepting it. She steadied herself, smiled like she’d expected that, like she knew more than I did.“She’s the one,” she said, voice sharp and certain. “The Blessed One. Neava, you came just at the right time.”Blessed one? Me? The words didn’t even surprise me, it just felt wrong.I looked at the boys. None of them met my eyes. They fidgeted, pretending the air wasn’t thick with tension. I sat too, but my body refused to relax.The woman reached for the

Neava Quinn “That was a nice play for a newbie,” Theo said when I finally caught up with them. He threw a weak smile over his shoulder before he and the others disappeared around a corner. I stood there, blinking at the empty space where they had been. They didn't even wait to speak to me That’s when I saw Malik. He was standing with Mrs. Ivy. They were having a serious talk, too private for me to interrupt. Not like I would anyways. I wasn’t ready for another confusing talk or one of Mrs. Ivy’s mysterious smiles. So I changed direction fast, pretending I hadn’t seen them. The rest of the day moved slowly after that. I didn’t see the boys again, not even in the hallways before school ended. When I finally got home, Malik was already there. He was sitting stiffly at the desk across from my father. Both of their faces were serious, making the air in the room thick. “Sweetheart.” My mother came out of the kitchen. Her voice was gentle. “You must be hungry. You didn’t eat your breakf

~A Bullet In The Head~Carlos’s mansion blazed like a fortress. Spotlights beamed across the vast estate, casting shadows over the marble statues lining the driveway. All the guards were dressed in all black, they had rifles slung across their chests as they paced along the perimeter watching out for danger.Back in the house, Carlos Hugo stood before his mirror, strapped a bulletproof vest beneath his designer shirt. Sweat glistened on his temples. He wasn't sure of how the night would play out but he needed to be more than ready for it. He picked up a silver pistol from his dresser and loaded it with enough clicks. He was about to sip his glass of whiskey when his phone buzzed on the table beside him. He snatched it up."Where are you?" he barked.There was no reply, everything was static."Coward," he muttered, realizing his lawyer had fled.Unknown to him, there was something going on downstairs. One of the guards rushed in, "Sir... it's him."Carlos's face twisted instantly. "A

~Take Over~Carlos Hugo was feeling untouchable. The evening air hummed with music from the courtyard below his sprawling estate. He reclined in a velvet chair, his thick fingers were wrapped around a glass of twelve-year-old whiskey, a smug grin was etched across his aging face.Two of his men lounged near him—Rico and Benito, his most trusted bodyguards. They chuckled at a tasteless joke Carlos had just told about Andrès, completely oblivious to the fight coming.Carlos raised his glass. “To finally getting what I deserve. That empire will be mine. The boy never saw it coming.”As if summoned by karma itself, his phone buzzed relentlessly on the table beside him. The screen flashed with a name—Silvio.Carlos answered with a lazy tone, “This better be good.”But the moment Silvio’s panicked voice cracked through the receiver, his posture shifted. The color drained from his face.“Boss, he knows.”Carlos sat up. “What?”“Andrès. He knows everything… about Don Simon. The lawyer tipped

~Call Bruce~ Elena turned abruptly, her pulse quickening, heart thumping in her chest. For a brief second, fear clouded her eyes—until she recognized the man standing behind her. “Bruce,” she exhaled, placing a hand on her chest. “Did I scare you?” Bruce asked with a crooked smile. She let out a soft laugh, the tension easing from her shoulders. “Just a little.” Bruce was one of her most trusted legal informants, a discreet but sharp-minded ally who had helped her navigate the complex web of documentation surrounding her latest investigation. Without him, she wouldn’t have gotten half as far but this time, she owed all the credits to Clara. Moments later, Elena was dialing the secure number given to her by the person who’d hired her for this job. The meeting was arranged quickly, as usual, in a secret location—a dimly lit layout known only to a handful of operatives. When she arrived, two men were already waiting, disguised as always. They never introduced themselves, and

~I've Got Good News~ Elena stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the door Carlos had just disappeared through. Her pulse raced, her breath shallow. She hadn’t expected to see him here—at least not so suddenly, not without warning. There had been no exchange of words, no confrontation, just the fleeting moment when their eyes met before he turned and walked away, as if he’d seen a ghost. Clara approached, cutting through the club’s smoky haze with the ease of someone who belonged there. Though to others she appeared just another waitress, her role ran much deeper. Clara had been Elena’s eyes and ears inside this place for months now—discreet, reliable, and sharp as a blade. She leaned in close, brushing a hand lightly on Elena’s arm. “We can leave,” she said quietly. Elena nodded, still processing the moment that just happened. Together, they slipped out of the club and into the night, the cool air outside pressing against Elena’s skin like reality reclaiming its hold. The two women ma

~Touchè~ Elena sat curled up in the amber colored armchair of her small study, the rim of her coffee cup hovering just beneath her lips. The bitter liquid had long gone cold, but she didn’t notice. Her eyes were fixed on the antique wall clock that ticked steadily in defiance of her rising anxiety. It was already past nine, and there was still nothing. No documents, no message, no confirmation—nothing from Bruce. She was extremely worried and the thought of him calling her sent shivers down her spine. The lamp on her desk cast a soft golden halo over the scattered papers and open folders. In the dim light, the sharp angles of her face were more pronounced, her tired eyes shadowed with worry. Her gaze fell on the worn photograph pinned to the corkboard above her desk—her sister, smiling beside a man whose face had been hastily scratched out in black ink. It was the only thing Elena hadn’t brought herself to throw away. With a weary sigh, she leaned back and rubbed her temples.

~24hrs~ Mateo sat hunched over in a leather chair, a glass of Grappa half-finished on the table beside him. His tailored black shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his Sleek black hair hung in front of his eyes as he stared at the silent screen of his phone as if expecting a call. He rubbed his eyes hoping he didn't look as bad as he looked whenever he had sleepless nights. The silence broke suddenly with a sharp buzz. A name flashed across the screen: Elena. He answered without hesitation. "Well?" Mateo's voice was clipped, low, and impatient. On the other end, Elena sighed, tired but composed. "Still working on it." Mateo gritted his teeth. "Elena, you already have enough time.I need results, not excuses." "I'm not a magician,Mister. I'm really trying my best but you have to trust me." Mateo stood up abruptly, pacing the room. His bare feet padded across the cold wooden floor as he ran a hand through his hair. "You’ve got twenty-four hours? After that, I will fin