Angel Blessed (Angel Caste Book 5) Read online

  Angel Caste Book 5

  By

  KS Nikakis

  When Viv is offered a home with the child she loves, she thinks Lady Luck has smiled on her at last, but then the little girl is snatched. To rescue her, Viv must battle those who love the child, as well as the child’s enemies. The perilous quest leaves Viv horribly injured and she’s transported to a world where she’s offered the chance of a new life. But the new life involves opening herself to terrible new risks.

  She returns, but is pursued by those who believe she holds the key to their deepest desires and, as their threats escalate to violence, she’s rocked by unsuspected truths. Thris reappears, but her joy gives way to dread, as he reveals a threat to the child’s world, as well as his own.

  Thris, Ky and Ash, fight to head off a devastating catastrophe and as the disastrous events build to a climax, Viv prepares to sacrifice everything for those she loves.

  Will Viv’s search finally deliver her the loving home she craves? Or will she, and those she cares for, end their lives in the cataclysm that threatens them all?

  Don’t miss the enthralling conclusion to Viv’s journey with her beautiful angel guide, Thris, in Angel Blessed, the final in the five book Angel Caste series. If you enjoy fantasy set in brilliant new worlds, with characters you really care about, and just the right dash of romance, you’ll love the Angel Caste series.

  Angel Caste – Book 5 Angel Blessed

  For Anne and Wayne, Flynn, and Hannah

  First published by SOV Media Australia 2017

  Amazon: www.amazon.com.au

  Angel Caste series - Book 5 Angel Blessed © copyright by KS Nikakis 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  KS Nikakis asserts the right to be identified as the author of the Angel Caste series – Book 5 Angel Blessed.

  Publisher: SOV Media

  Melbourne, Australia.

  Cover by AS Nikakis: http://asnikakis.com

  schankz/Shutterstock.com

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

  Nikakis, Karen Simpson

  The Angel Caste series – Book 5 Angel Blessed

  ISBN 978-0-9923139-7-5

  Learn more about KS Nikakis and her deep fantasy books at: http://www.ksnikakis.com/

  Glossary of the Rynth

  ANGEL CASTE

  Crystal Fold

  Principae (prin-sip-pay)

  Nearest to ultimate transcendence. Manifest mainly as aqua light, with white wings and group consciousness. The Principae transcend from Crystal Fold into the Great Beyond.

  Ezam Fold

  Archae (ar-kay)

  Five levels: angels ascend from Quin-archae through Quar-archae, Tri-archae, Du-archae, Prime-archae to Archae. The Archae transcend Ezam Fold to Crystal Fold to become Principae, then transcend into the Great Beyond.

  Members of the Archae

  Archae Kald

  Archae Dejon (day-jon)

  Members of Prime-archae

  Prime-archae Mirek

  Prime- archae Serith

  Dane

  Lowest in the hierarchy and newest angels to Ezam. Ascend from Dane to Quin-archae, and then through the hierarchy to Archae to eventually transcend to Crystal Fold as Principae, and then into the Great Beyond.

  Members of Dane

  Thrisdane

  Kydane (kie-dane)

  Ashdane

  Erath Fold

  Iahhel – female-aspected angels. Three ascending levels: Non, Sai, and Hoth. The Iahhel seek oneness with Erath, and the levels indicate the degree of oneness attained.

  Members of Sai

  Syatha

  Members of Non

  Essera

  Firah

  Orsia

  DAIMON CASTE

  Reside in any fold where angel caste has joined with other castes and produced offspring. The term is also used for those who have any angel caste heritage.

  Moonsun Fold

  Violet (Lettie) Wright – Viv’s mother

  Viv Wright

  Viv’s maternal ancestors from Ireland and the USA (also in Moonsun Fold)

  Wheel Fold

  Females - elddra; males - elddric

  Elddra

  Anfarena – most senior (an-far-reena)

  Anetherey (a-neth-er-ray)

  Elddric

  Ataghan – Syld, band leader, lein to Sehereden (ata-gan)

  Baraghan – surgeon/healer (bara-gan)

  Orthagh

  Archae Thero - Syld of the Council in Astraal

  Meresh – member of the Council in Astraal

  HUMAN CASTE

  Moonsun Fold

  Members of Human Caste

  Jimmy (Ronald James) Wright – Lettie Wright’s husband

  Rim (Rimmon) – gang leader

  Wheel Fold

  Scharii – travelling musicians (shar-ree)

  Members of the Scharii

  Tarchen en-Scharii (tar-chen)

  Darch en-Scharii

  About Wheel Fold: The eight sectors or Vales of Wheel Fold are: Eshavale, Ascavale, Warinavale, Genessavale, Beshavale, Terissavale, Sonoravale and Morvavale. These run north-south or cloudwise-starwise from the hub/peak: Astraal. The lake and city are also called Astraal.

  Each Vale has countless smaller valleys or vals. Each Vale has a main river eg Eshavale –

  Eshacade; Ascavale - Ascacade etc. Settlements near the river take their name from the river

  eg Esh-embrin; Esh-accom. The tributaries that flow from the vals are rills. Smaller

  settlements (setts) take their name from the rills eg Scinta-ril (on the Scinta Rill). Inhabitants of these setts are identified by their sett eg Ataghan en-Scinta-ril; Sehereden en-Scinta-ril.

  Directions

  Cloudwise – north

  Starwise – south

  Nightwise – west

  Sunwise - east

  Time Divisions

  Zadicans (years) are divided by zadics of 45 days that include a period of recalibration in between (Vorash). Zadics are marked by constellations which appear and disappear in the night sky. Each has a particular meaning. The zadics are: Pool, Cascade, Fire, Ice, Lirium, Glimwing, Cadestone and Horse. Other brief zadics (Call Zadics), are meaningful to individuals and indicate the individual should visit the sacred city.

  Eshavale – Vale of Wheel Fold

  Members of the Eshadi

  Sehereden en-Scinta-ril – lein to Ataghan, member of Ataghan’s band (se-hera-den)

  Fariye – choose-daughter of Ataghan (far-ree-ay)

  Brithergen – member of Ataghan’s band

  Jethren – member of Ataghan’s band

  Anthran – member of Ataghan’s band

  Daran – member of Ataghan’s band

  Sandagh – member of Ataghan’s band (san-da)

  Inaghan – member of Ataghan’s band (in-a-gan)

  Tormis – server in Ataghan’s compound in Esh-accom

  Mereya - server in Ataghan’s compound in Esh-accom

  Sirenya – Fariye’s mother (deceased)

  Caibel – unacknowledged son of Baraghan (kay-bel)

  Galian – choose brother of Ithreya

  Eshadi Sylds (acknowledged leaders)

  Ataghan en-Scinta-ril

  Darthen en-Within-ril

  Mathian en-Fessen-ril

  Garath
en-Moss-ril

  Kurnen en-Vara-ril

  Valen Setts (communities)

  Tahsin’s Sett (later Gothral’s)

  Tahsin – sett leader (tar-sin)

  Enesha – harvester (ee-nesh-a)

  Prenya – cook (pren-ya)

  Borash – cook

  Fahan – harvester – twin brother of Merhen (fay-han)

  Merhen – harvester – twin brother of Fahan (mer-han)

  Doran – guard, kitchen helper

  Cazir – harvester, guard (kaz-eer)

  Jered – harvester, guard

  Gothral – Tahsin’s choose-brother and new leader of Tahsin’s sett – formerly of the Bracken rill

  Orthagh – harvester (formerly of the Bracken rill)

  Pitren – harvester (formerly of the Bracken rill)

  Norsen – harvester (formerly of the Bracken rill)

  Amethen’s Sett

  Amethen – sett leader (am-a-then)

  Drasen – band leader

  Ithreya – sett member (ith-ray-a)

  Baraghan’s compound in Esh-accom

  Mishia – female server

  Derisi – female server

  Verena – female server

  Ershen en-Esh-accom – male server and guard

  Caibel’s mother’s compound in Esh-accom

  Morvin – elderly server

  Stonash – a small people with hooded eyes, flattened faces, and leathery skin - urrut traders

  Long-arms – long-armed kin of the Stonash

  LEFER CASTE

  Wheel Fold

  Lefer Caste are bird/bat-like beings with human caste-like intelligence

  Members of Lefer Caste

  Roaith en-Leferen – blue crest (ro-aith)

  Garian en-Leferen – red crest – alpha of the Rookery

  BEASTMAN CASTE

  Beastman Fold

  Beastmen are puma-human mix creatures with human caste-like intelligence

  IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS COMMON IN AUSTRALIA

  Viv is Australian, and uses a range of idiomatic expressions.

  Keep tabs on – check on; monitor

  Didn’t wash/did wash – didn’t/did sound true; wasn’t/was acceptable

  On the line – to take a risk/be at risk

  Knocked-up – made pregnant; being pregnant

  Get out of jail free card – from a board game where a special card grants the player advantages

  Second chance draw – another ticket is picked out from the losing tickets in a lottery

  Sticks the boots in – attacks physically or verbally

  Dodged the honesty bullet – to ‘dodge a bullet’ is to escape something bad

  Brownie points – points awarded by doing good deeds that will eventually grant a reward (from the junior group in the Girl Guides movement)

  Take the cake – win the prize

  Druggies – drug addicts

  Sh*t hits the fan - something bad happening with widespread effects

  Angel Caste Book 5 – Angel Blessed

  Chapter 1

  Viv stared at Ithreya as she struggled to take in her words. She’d thought the places beyond Esh-accom’s walls were hazardous, but the real danger had been here, right in the arsehole’s compound. Fariye had been taken! God in Heaven!

  ‘But by whom? When?’ she gasped.

  ‘We were at the festivities but the Syld brought Fariye back early and put her to bed. She was unhappy at the dancing and kept asking for you.’ Ithreya swallowed several times. ‘Sehereden told me later you might have gone with Baraghan. We didn’t get back until after midnight but I knew Fariye would be fretting for you so I went to her room to tell her. She was gone and there was a message cylinder on the bed.’

  Viv’s dread grew. ‘What was in it?’

  Ithreya shrugged helplessly. ‘The Syld hasn’t said but he’s pulled in his band. All Sehereden’s said is the traders who owned the Lefer you released, and or the ones who owned the Lefer Baraghan released, want compensation.’

  ‘But they know the Syld will come after them!’

  ‘Yes. They’re not stupid.’

  Viv’s mind raced. They’d devise a way to collect the compensation and be long gone, before Poss’s whereabouts were discovered, except it would be too late by then. Kidnappers killed their victims. Viv’s legs threatened to give way and Ithreya grabbed her arm to steady her. ‘You need to rest. You’re not long from your sickbed.’

  ‘No! I need to find out what’s going on!’

  The hall was packed with grim-faced men and Sehereden was there too but she made a beeline for the arsehole. The hall went quiet as attention focused on her but she was almost to him before he turned. Heat radiated from him like a furnace and his expression was murderous.

  ‘Tell me what’s happened,’ she demanded.

  ‘It’s no concern of yours, elddra,’ he ground out.

  ‘Fariye’s my lein! Tell me what’s happened!’

  ‘What’s happened is a result of your thefts!’

  ‘And your lack of care! I told you to post guards!’

  The blow sent her sprawling across the floor and he stepped towards her, fists clenched. Then Sehereden was suddenly between them. ‘Get her out of my sight!’ the arsehole grated, and Sehereden half-carried her to Fariye’s room. Viv’s ears rang and her face throbbed as he ushered her inside, and locked the door behind them.

  ‘Viv … let me see to your face.’

  ‘Stay away from me, arsehole,’ she spat, and wiped the blood from her mouth. ‘Just tell me what the message said.’

  ‘We’re to give coin to certain traders, over twenty in fact, and once that’s done, we’ll receive word of Fariye’s whereabouts.’

  ‘Twenty?’ She struggled to make sense of his words.

  ‘None of whom, I’m guessing, know where Fariye is or who’s responsible,’ went on Sehereden grimly. ‘Her captors will collect the coin over the next zadics from different vals, and compensate the couriers. The coin won’t stay near Esh-accom long. The traders’ have their own networks.’

  ‘You won’t get Fariye back. They won’t risk her identifying them.’

  ‘They’d have blindfolded her.’

  ‘She’d have heard their voices. Where I’m from, kidnappers murder their victims.’

  Sehereden’s face hardened. ‘And where are you from, Viv? Where is this place where kidnapping’s so commonplace you’re an expert on it? The place Thrisdane returned to? The man with wings? The place you took Baraghan? That was the bargain, wasn’t it? The price for freeing your lover, the Angellus?’

  He smiled bitterly. ‘I’ve trusted you when even the most deluded Valen would have walked away, but this is different. I won’t tolerate your secrecy risking Fariye!’

  Viv rounded on him furiously. ‘You won’t tolerate my secrecy risking Fariye? I could have saved my stinking skin a dozen times since I’ve been in this shit-hole! I could have walked away and taken her with me, but I wouldn’t take her from those she loved, like her arsehole of a father who should have protected her!

  ‘I told him to post guards but he was too arrogant. There’s always a way to hurt people you despise, Sehereden. I’ve no doubt the traders want coin, but those who sleep on muddy ground always want to cut down those who sleep in feather beds. And there’s always something to be used against them, something that makes them vulnerable, something called love.

  ‘I stayed because Fariye gave me unconditional love and that made me vulnerable,’ she said, jabbing her chest violently, ‘just like the arsehole’s love for Fariye makes him vulnerable, just as your love for him makes you vulnerable.’

  ‘And my love for you?’

  ‘The act of a fool, as you’ve more or less said. But don’t worry, Sehereden. It will pass, along with Fire Zadic.’ She took a shuddering breath. ‘Doesn’t this conversation prove it? And the locked door?’

  ‘No. It proves Fariye’s welfare overrides everything else.’

  ‘At least we agree
on one thing.’

  ‘For her sake and yours, you’ll stay here, out of the way, until my lein decides otherwise.’

  ‘The arsehole will kill her if he sends his men in,’ cried Viv, in frustration. ‘You can’t retrieve her by force.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Because the traders’ aren’t fools! If you get anywhere near her, they’ll kill her, out of spite, if nothing else, although I’m sure they’d enjoy showing the powerful Syld just how powerless he really is. They’ll have her somewhere that gives them time to dispose of her and get away, if she’s still alive.’ Viv dashed the tears from her eyes.

  ‘We’ll get her back, Viv,’ said Sehereden gently.

  ‘No, you won’t! That’s the point! At least tell the arsehole what I’ve said and that I want to speak to him.’

  Sehereden nodded, bolted the shutters, and left, locking the door behind him. Which was exactly what the arsehole should have done to protect his daughter, concluded Viv, glaring at her prison.

  The arsehole didn’t appear but her lip blew up and her face was tender. The arsehole should have heard her out but thugs like him found it easier to hit than to think. The shutters made the room gloomy which added to her sense of foreboding. If she ever saw Thris again, she’d tell him to add some extra pages to his daimon training manual. How to avoid loving others, especially angels, children, and men who were lein to arseholes, would be handy.

  Viv paced around the room, too agitated to sit. She had to believe Thris had escaped, or give into despair, but she knew for sure Poss hadn’t. God, how frightened she must be. Viv swore, seized a chair, and strode to the window just as men come out into the yard. She pressed her ear to the shutters but even if they’d be stupid enough to discuss their plans, the shutters muffled their words. All she heard was the lilt common amongst the arsehole’s men, but not amongst the traders!