The Lion & the Deathless Dark

Carissa Broadbent
62 pages2-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Adult
Published in 2026

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Kyrene is a 27-year-old human warrior who serves as the Vindica Ultis, the divine champion for Shiket, Goddess of Justice. Operating in a sunless, dystopian world plagued by vampires, she wields a sentient blessed sword named Zefiah. Despite her holy title, she struggles to survive financially and frequently takes on unsanctioned bounty hunts. She is fiercely protective of her found family and approaches survival with hardened pragmatism.

Key Relationships

Uneasy Ally of Septimus

Wielder of Zefiah

Protector of Valentina

Friend of Mirie

Employer of Marko

Champion of Shiket

Enemy of Nyaxia

Septimus is an elegant, mysterious prince of the vampiric House of Blood. Afflicted by the debilitating Bloodborn curse, he relies on magically laced cigarillos to maintain his composure and mask his predatory nature. He is a master manipulator who operates outside the clear binaries of the war, harboring deep secrets and an ambitious agenda to reshape the power balance between mortals, vampires, and gods.

Key Relationships

Uneasy Ally of Kyrene

Older Brother of Alric

Brother of Calista

Cousin of Atrius

Younger Brother of Gaius

Subordinate to Nyaxia

Nyaxia is the Goddess of Vampires and the primary instigator of the brutal war consuming the world. Having plunged the world into lasting darkness after the sun god's death, she uses her vampiric forces to dominate human territories. She is a ruthless, ambitious deity whose demands shape the political maneuvering of the vampire Houses and inspire terror among mortals.

Key Relationships

Ruler of Septimus

Enemy of Kyrene

Widow of Alarus

Shiket is the Goddess of Justice and a member of the White Pantheon. She empowers the Vindica Ultis to act as her divine champion and executioner in the mortal realm. Cold and uncompromising, she demands strict obedience and views mortals primarily as instruments to enact her will, creating friction with Kyrene's personal loyalties.

Key Relationships

Divine Patron of Kyrene

Creator of Zefiah

Deity of Mirie

Supporting Characters

Zefiah is an ancient, sentient, god-forged sword known as the Blade of Retribution. Bound to Kyrene through a powerful pact, she grants her wielder divine strength and protection from death. Zefiah acts as a constant mental companion, often criticizing Kyrene for prioritizing bounty hunting over divine missions. She represents the strict adherence to Shiket's version of absolute justice.

Key Relationships

Bonded to Kyrene

Creation of Shiket

Valentina is a brilliant 16-year-old machinist who crafts technological weapons for Kyrene's crew. Having grown up in a sunless world, she maintains an idealistic view of heroism that often clashes with Kyrene's ruthless pragmatism. She relies on an essential medicine called hixis to manage her health, making her survival a constant priority for her friends.

Key Relationships

Ward of Kyrene

Friend of Mirie

Friend of Marko

Mirie is a calm, steadfast priestess of the goddess Shiket who travels with Kyrene. Unlike other acolytes who focus solely on Kyrene's divine title, Mirie is dedicated to supporting Kyrene as a human being. She serves as the moral center of the group, offering non-judgmental guidance and quiet faith amidst the chaos of their violent lives.

Key Relationships

Friend of Kyrene

Friend of Valentina

Friend of Marko

Priestess of Shiket

Marko is a brutish, hedonistic mercenary fighter who serves as the muscle for Kyrene's group. Driven outwardly by coin, alcohol, and carnal pleasure, he provides a sharp contrast to Mirie's piety and Valentina's innocence. Despite his rough exterior and cynical worldview, he is a fiercely capable protector who shares a pragmatic understanding of the world with Kyrene.

Key Relationships

Employee of Kyrene

Protector of Valentina

Friend of Mirie

Acaeja is the Goddess of Fate and a member of the White Pantheon. She governs the threads of destiny and prophecy within the world. Her magic is utilized by human seers to divine possible futures and survive the complex, warring environment of mortals and gods.

Key Relationships

Deity of Queen Sylina

Atrius is a horned vampire and the King of the isolated island kingdom of Glaea. He serves as a strict, demanding combat instructor, utilizing his immense physical speed and strength to train warriors. Like other Bloodborn, he wrestles with the debilitating effects of his vampiric curse, which constantly threatens his self-control.

Key Relationships

Cousin of Septimus

Husband of Queen Sylina

Instructor of Kyrene

Queen Sylina is the human ruler of Glaea and a powerful seer who practices the magic of Acaeja, Goddess of Fate. She is blindfolded and utilizes enchanted flames, blood magic, and sacrifices to glimpse preordained paths. She acts as a stabilizing force for her husband, Atrius, and a key guide for Septimus's plans.

Key Relationships

Wife of Atrius

Ally of Septimus

Follower of Acaeja

Srana is the Goddess of Machinery within the White Pantheon. She commands formidable armies of mechanical automatons, which she creates by fusing reanimated corpses with lethal technology. She is a dangerous and inventive deity who actively hunts those she perceives as threats to the divine order.

Key Relationships

Creator of Lukon

Alric is a young prince of the vampiric House of Blood. He represents one of the few remaining members of Septimus's immediate family. His safety and future are the primary driving forces behind many of his older brother's most dangerous and desperate political maneuvers.

Key Relationships

Younger Brother of Septimus

Brother of Calista

Calista is a princess of the House of Blood and Septimus's sister. She is deeply loyal to her family and assists in protecting her younger brother, Alric, amidst the ongoing divine and political turmoil. She harbors deep reservations about the dangerous alliances her family forms to survive.

Key Relationships

Sister of Septimus

Sister of Alric

Queen Egrette is the ruthless ruler of the vampiric House of Shadow. Operating under orders from Nyaxia, she commands forces tasked with hunting down divine targets. She oversees Kastivai, a horrific prison where humans are kept captive as livestock for experimentation.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Nyaxia

Queen Oraya is the formidable ruler of the Nightborn vampires. Commanding armies from the sky, she harbors a long-standing grudge against Septimus and actively hunts him across different territories, bringing devastation to any stronghold where she tracks him.

Key Relationships

Enemy of Septimus

Kajmar is the God of Pleasure who oversees gaudy temples dedicated to indulgence and sensuality. He wields powerful illusion magic designed to ensnare mortals by weaponizing their deepest desires, offering them beautiful fantasies in exchange for their eternal service.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Ix

Enemy of Kyrene

Ix is the Goddess of Sex and Fertility within the White Pantheon. She frequently collaborates with Kajmar to trap mortals in elaborate, psychologically manipulative games. She utilizes her divine authority to exploit the vulnerabilities and past traumas of those who cross her path.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Kajmar

Gaius is Septimus's deceased older brother and a former prince of the House of Blood. He famously attempted to secure peace for his people by flawlessly fulfilling the demands of the goddess Nyaxia. His tragic execution serves as a haunting cautionary tale for his remaining family.

Key Relationships

Older Brother of Septimus

Victim of Nyaxia

Lukon is a cyborg general who serves the goddess of machinery, Srana. Forged from metal and reanimated flesh, he acts as the vanguard for his deity's mechanical forces, demanding the surrender of her enemies and stolen artifacts.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Srana