introducing Devlyn - excerpt from untitled novel

Devlyn’s head was spinning. Her eyelids were heavy and her ears were ringing. She clenched her fists, but panic darted to her face. The left side of her body was numb. No feeling, nothing. She could make out a blurred figure walking toward her.

“Wha… Where am I?” slurred Devlyn.

“Shhhhh,” whispered the figure, “Soon this will all be gone from your memory, Devlyn.”

“How… how do you know my name?” Devlyn grunted in bewilderment. But she could not hear an answer. Her eyes slowly drifted back into the dark abyss.

—

Devlyn sat at the bar, hood covering her face. Her bandaged hands, bluish and callused, clasped the beer she was drinking. She cracked her knuckles then guzzled her beer. The broken clock met her gaze, but she didn’t need to rely on that. She knew it was time.

Hood over head and eyes down, she trudged toward the abandoned factory at the East End of Kaiser Citadel. The factory was at one point used to mass produce the weapons and technology used in the city. That was until the Capitol Tower was built. The factory was grimy and grit filled, much like the entire East End. The East End was known as the slum section of town and was located near the sewage and water pipeline.

Devlyn knew this area well. Her money was hustled on these streets and in the factory. She knew who to talk to, who to avoid, and how to smuggle rarities in and out of the city without getting caught. While most did not know her real name, her fake identify, Arcane, was renowned amongst the bandits, criminals, and gamblers.

The factory door creaked open and muffled bets could be heard. Devlyn made contact with no one. She knew the factor was filled with snakes. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, waiting and listening.

“Arcane,” wheezed a scrawny boy much shorter than she. Devlyn merely uncrossed her arms as a response.

“That’s who you’re fighting,” he steadily pointed at a large, boulder-like figure sounded by many people, “It’s uh, Asher Lux and you’re up next.” Devlyn cocked an eyebrow, but again let no verbal response leave her lips.

The bell let out a rusty ding signaling that the next opponents needed to enter the cage. Devlyn hopped into the cage with ease and calmly observed her opponent’s movements.

“Tiny Girl!” screeched Asher, “You will succumb to my power and strength!”

Hearing this, Devlyn’s icy eyes met dead with her opponent’s. Her opponent, Asher Lux, was a notorious ex strong-arm for the President. He was at least three times her size and had veins bursting through his bulging muscles. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were bloodshot. Quite the grandstander, he bellowed at the crowd and flailed his arms to get them cheering.

Sweat clung to her dark hair and made her turquoise streaks glisten like waves in an ocean. Her lips curled up in a devious smirk. She tightened her bandages and motioned for Asher to come forth.

Asher swung a powerful blow, but Devlyn sidestepped – hands behind her back, moving as if a leaf riding the wind. Asher’s eyebrows furled in rage and he let out a howl that echoed through the run-down building.

He backed up and charged straight toward Devlyn. Again, Devlyn took advantage of her surroundings and sidestepped at just the right moment. At this point Asher was only seeing red. Swing. Miss. Swing. Miss. He may have been powerful, but he lacked the speed that Devlyn possessed.

Asher paused and Devlyn’s ears perked up. To her, the roaring crowd turned into a dull buzz and Asher’s sluggish breaths and rapid heartbeat overcame her senses. She flew up. Flipped over and punted Asher in the back of the head. Her blow could be heard amongst the crowd. Rapid fire shots from Devlyn’s balled up fist hit Asher like bullets.

WHOMP! The crowd was silenced. Devlyn looked at the crowd and swung her right arm straight into the air. This got the crowd roaring more than before.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Devlyn snagged her winnings and zipped out the back door. Hood up, she strolled down the alley and headed home. Only the twinkle in the sky and the muted sounds of the street knew what time it was.

She ambled through the alleys, always careful for ears and eyes were lurking in the darkness. There was a mist that lay low in the streets and a chill that made her hairs stand on edge. Rustling and patters invaded the silence in her ears. Her stomach churned and her eyes grew cautious. Peering over her shoulder ever so slightly, she saw a figure cloaked in black. Only the moonlight revealed the figure’s outline. She started to sprint, but stumbled when a stinging pain penetrated her back.

“Shiiii…,” she murmured as her eyes slowly drifted into the dark abyss.