Fury Awakened (Fury Unbound Book 3) Read online

  FURY AWAKENED

  -A Fury Unbound Novel-

  -Book 3-

  YASMINE GALENORN

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published by Yasmine Galenorn

  PO Box 2037, Kirkland WA 98083-2037

  FURY AWAKENED

  A Fury Unbound Novel

  Copyright © 2017 by Yasmine Galenorn

  First Electronic Printing: 2017 Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

  First Print Edition: 2017 Nightqueen Enterprises

  Cover Art & Design: Ravven

  Editor: Elizabeth Flynn

  Map Design: Yasmine Galenorn

  Map Layout: Samwise Galenorn

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any format, be it print or electronic or audio, without permission. Please prevent piracy by purchasing only authorized versions of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, or places is entirely coincidental and not to be construed as representative or an endorsement of any living/ existing group, person, place, or business.

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published in the United States of America

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Welcome to Fury Awakened

  Map

  The Beginning

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Playlist

  Biography

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to my usual crew: Samwise, my husband, Andria and Jenn—without their help, I’d be swamped, to the women who have helped me find my way in indie, you’re all great, and to Fury herself—who started long ago as a glimmer of an idea, and who wasn’t allowed out of her cage till I got out of mine.

  Also, my love to my furbles, who keep me happy. And most reverant devotion to Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, Rauni, and Brighid, my spiritual guardians and guides.

  If you wish to reach mea, you can find me through my website at Galenorn.com and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep updated on all my latest releases!

  Brightest Blessings,

  ~The Painted Panther~

  ~Yasmine Galenorn~

  Welcome to Fury Awakened

  My name is Kaeleen Donovan. I’m a Theosian—a minor goddess. They call me Fury.

  By day, I run the Crossroads Cleaning Company, and I also read fortunes and cast hexes at Dream Wardens, a magical consulting shop. But by night, I'm oath-bound to Hecate, goddess of the Crossroads. Hecate charged me from birth with the task of hunting down Abominations who come in off the World Tree and sending them back to Pandoriam.

  We’re on the run into the Wild Wood, away from the zombie invasion in Seattle. The Regent has set the Devani free to use whatever force they deem necessary. Their research labs have created a deadly antidote, with one major problem: the serum kills the zombies at a terrible price to humans. But things take an even more devastating turn. As we return to UnderBarrow to plan our next move, the Order of the Black Mist carries out simultaneous strikes at governments across the world, crumbling the old order. Seattle, Atlantea, Black Forest, city after city falls to the chaos magicians. The world around us has changed forever. Now, Hecate offers me a choice I never thought I’d have to face. I can either leave my old life forever, or walk into the fire and awaken the fury within…

  Map of the Seattle Area

  Post-World Shift

  The Beginning

  The end of civilization as we knew it arrived not with a whimper, but with a massive storm. When Gaia—the great mother and spirit of the Earth—finally woke from her slumber to discover the human race destroying the planet through a series of magical Weather Wars, she pitched a fit. The magical storm she unleashed change such as never before had been seen. The resulting gale ripped the doors on the World Tree wide open, including the doors to Pandoriam—where the Aboms—chaotic demons of shadow and darkness—live, and the doors to Elysium, where the Devani—ruthless agents of light—exist.

  In that one cataclysmic moment, now known as the World Shift, life changed forever as creatures from our wildest dreams—and nightmares—began to pour through the open doors.

  The old gods returned and set up shop. The Fae and the Weres came out from the shadows and took up their place among the humans. The Theosians began to appear. Technology integrated with magic, and now everything is all jumbled together. Nothing in the old order remained untouched. The world might appear to be similar to the way it was, but trust me—under that thin veneer of illusion, nothing has remained the same.

  Chapter 1

  My name is Kaeleen Donovan. They call me Fury. I walk in flame and ash, on a field of bones. As Seattle burns, the old order crashing behind us, ahead the Wild Wood waits in the cold, frozen dark. Some battles, it’s wiser to run than to stand and fight.

  “How’s your arm?” I knelt by Tam, who was sitting by the fire. The forest loomed around us, the massive fir and cedar trees bending under the weight of the snow. The wind whistled through their boughs, the creaking setting up a lonely lament that echoed through our encampment. I cocked my head, listening to the noise of the forest around us. I wasn’t used to the sounds of the woodland and they made me nervous. Traffic, cars, the hum of electricity, and milling crowds were my usual milieu. Out here, I felt lost and clumsy.

  Tam winced as he shifted his right shoulder, rotating it first backward, then forward.

  “It will heal. Leave it to those bastards to implant the chip in my bicep instead of someplace where it was easy to remove.” He let out a soft grunt, then took another sip of his coffee from the enamel mug.

  Jason had removed the chip for him while we were aboard the boat headed for the Greens. It had been a rough, bloody surgery, but with Elan’s salves and my fire to cauterize the wound, Tam managed to avoid infection. We dumped the chip overboard, so if the Devani or the Corp-Rats were trying to track him, they’d find themselves in the middle of the Pacific Sound. With the zombies overrunning Seattle, I doubted they’d even bother.

  We had managed to reach the Wild Wood and were well north of the Greens, attempting to make our way through to the forest on the opposite side of Wild Wave Inlet, but the going was slow and the weather had been against us all the way. None of our cell phones worked here. The Wild Wood had taken on a force of its own since the World Shift, and even satellite technology couldn’t pierce the veil that shadowed the tangle of forests.

  I warmed my hands by the fire. We had yet to come across any of the Woodland Fae who were supposed to be living out in the wilds. Elan had cautioned patience.

  “We have miles to go yet,” she had said. “Verdanya is at least a week to the south, given the weather we’re encountering.”

  Apparently, she wasn’t kidding.

  There were no paved roads out here, nor cars to travel on them. If we had managed to escape to the south we could have hiked along the highway toward Bend and perhaps hitched a ride, but there hadn’t been any time to escape that way. We had to evacuate immediately and with the Devani watching the southern border of the city, that meant traveling via the Barrow tunnels to the Pacific Sound to meet Laren’s boat.
/>
  When the zombies swarmed the city, the Regent of Seattle declared martial law and every border was in the process of being locked up good and tight. Luckily, the curfew couldn’t affect UnderBarrow, but we had to run while we had the chance or risk facing the Devani as they began to patrol the Pacific Sound as well as the city streets. Laren would have had to sail away before they caught him. As big as our party was—eight adults and one teenager—the only way out through the chaos had been via the waterways.

  Now, two days later, we were deep in the forest, caught in the middle of a massive snowstorm. I was usually good with directions, but keeping my bearings in a wild tangle of woodland was proving to be a challenge.

  I settled beside Tam on the nurse log and leaned against him. He wrapped his arm—his good arm—around me and kissed my forehead.

  “This is all new for you, isn’t it? The forest?”

  I nodded. “Other than a day trip or two, and an occasional excursion into the Bogs, the only interactions I’ve had with the forest were in the Arbortariam with the Greenlings. I’m not sure what to expect here. The sounds are so different than in the city. I don’t know what to be alarmed by, or what’s considered normal. Also, I can’t stop thinking about Hecate. I know she said she’d be able to find me, but…will she?”

  I was most concerned about the latter. Hecate was a goddess of the Crossroads. I was her Theosian—a minor goddess in my own right. She was back in Seattle. The Peninsula of the Gods had closed itself off to any visitors, including government officials. They had raised the banner of sovereignty as they isolated themselves from the chaos raging through the city.

  “She’s an Elder Goddess. She’ll be able to find you, no matter what. Even if your cell phone isn’t picking up a signal, she’ll find you. You’re bound to her and she holds your leash. How could she not keep track of you?”

  Once again, Tam kissed me, this time on the lips. A long, lingering kiss, his touch ran through to the tips of my toes. I shivered, more out of hunger for him than because of my fears. I had never relied on anybody this much in a long time, and that in itself scared me.

  Tam was around five-eleven, lanky with long black hair that curled to his waist. His features were angular, with wide, sloping eyes. His irises glimmered silver, and were ringed with black. He was the prettiest man I had ever seen. At least, he was pretty in that dangerous, glam-boy way. He also happened to be Lord of the Bonny Fae, and he was my lover.

  I huddled next to him, holding my hands out to the fire as the snow fell thickly around us. Winter had come hard this year. Eons ago, before the World Shift, the Seattle area had been rainy during the winter, from what the history books told us. But now the season marched on, with long chilly autumns, icy winters, lovely springs, and then a brief, sweltering summer.

  “What do you think is happening back there?” I missed the city. Even though I had lived on the fringe, hiding from the Devani and the sky-eyes, I loved the hustle and bustle, the street vendors and late-night bogeys who slinked through the shadows. The city was all I had ever known.

  “I don’t even want to think about it.” Tam slid his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. He grazed my cheek with his lips. “I’m just grateful that UnderBarrow can close against the outer world. At least my people will be safe. Someday, I want to show you all of its wonders. When we return I’ll take you on the full tour.” He paused, then whispered, “I wish I could fuck you right here, right now. You drive me crazy, you know that?”

  I blushed. I was learning to accept his compliments, but they still made me laugh nervously. We had transformed our years-long friendship into a romantic one. It took some getting used to.

  “I know.” I shifted on the log. “I feel the same way, but we’re in the middle of the woods, in the middle of a snowstorm, and all our friends are right here. I don’t want to make them uncomfortable.” I paused, glancing over at the tent we shared. “I’m just grateful Elan and Laren had plenty of survival gear stowed aboard the Golden Briar.”

  Born in Verdanya, home of the Woodland Fae, the twins owned the boat, and had helped us escape from Seattle.

  Tam arched his back to stretch, raising his arms over his head. With a sudden grunt, he lowered his right arm, wincing. “That was stupid.”

  “Your arm?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I won’t make that mistake again.” With a sigh, he stood, holding out his hand. “Come then, let’s see how the others are doing.”

  As we turned to join the rest of the camp, who were over by the main fire, the crackle of branches split the night as a group of dark, twisted figures lunged out from the forest. They growled and sputtered as they raced forward.

  Crap. We were under attack.

  I slapped my hand to my right thigh, where the long tattoo of a flaming whip came to life in my palm. Hecate had tattooed the whip onto my leg, magically imbuing the ink with her cold fire and strength. As I coiled the braided lash back, my side protested. I was still weak from a rib-bruising beating, but at least I had recovered enough over the past couple of days to fight.

  Tam drew his sword, tossing it to his left hand. He was ambidextrous, and had a keen aim with either hand. I moved aside to give both of us room to maneuver. The last thing I needed was to flail one of our own party with my whip.

  Over by the main fire, Elan and Laren smoothly moved in unison, nocking their arrows. Jason—a hawk-shifter and one of my closest friends—drew his dagger. Though he was a magician, his spellwork wasn’t geared toward fighting.

  Hans, a Theosian like me but who was pledged to Thor, and Greta, a newly ascended Valkyrie, also drew their swords and took up battle stance. Tymbur and Montran, pledged to Hades, began to prepare their magic. Their magic ran in dark corners, like much of my own.

  The only two who hung back had good reason. Neither Shevron, Jason’s sister, nor her teenaged son Leonard, were trained to fight.

  As we tensed, waiting, our attackers emerged from the trees, looking ready to rumble. They were twisted and dark, and there were a lot of them. They must have been tracking us—they were too numerous for a scouting party, so they had probably caught our trail earlier in the day and gathered to form an attack.

  As they drew closer to the fire and it was easier to see them, Jason shouted, “Lycanthropes!”

  Lycanthropes looked more wolf than human and could run on all fours when they wished, though they generally slinked around upright. Unlike shifters and Weres, they couldn’t transform into human and animal forms—they were stuck in between. With long, jointed arms and legs, they could run on all fours and walk on their hind legs. Their faces were disfigured, their muzzles a muddy cross between human and wolf, and their hair flowed down their backs like horses’ manes. When they were on alert, as they were now, the strands stiffened into long, rigid hackles.

  We spread out in a semi-circle to shield Shevron and Leonard. The lycanthropes growled and snuffled as they slowed their approach, growing wary as they pushed toward us.

  “Can we reason with them?” I asked Tam.

  A flurry of snow whirled around me and Queet, my spirit guide, appeared.

  In whisper-speak, so that only our party could hear, he said, “No. There is no reasoning with them, nor bargaining. Lycanthropes are filled with blood lust. Even among their own, they pick on the weak and elderly. They allow their young to grow without attacking them, but you’ll never see an old or disabled lycanthrope. Strength and might are their values. Any member who feels themselves growing weak will leave the pack before they are killed.”

  “Great,” I mumbled. “So we’re facing fighters in their prime.” I contemplated whether to charge, or to hold back for defense. But I wasn’t leading the group, and it wasn’t my call. We had elected Elan to be in charge as long as we were making our way through the Wild Wood.

  I glanced over at her, where she was holding her arrow taut, trained on the leader. She must have sensed my question, because without looking away from her target, she said, “Hold until
I give the go. Let them come a little closer, if they choose to take the risk.”

  Her words rang out, sounding like a taunt. I glanced at the lycanthropes, who jockeyed for position yet again. They looked a little less certain. It was then that I understood the dynamics. Just as with big cats, never look away or down or they’d take it as a sign of weakness.

  I stared at the nearest one, locking my gaze with his. He was a huge beast, obviously male, and he was walking on his back legs. The lycanthrope let out a grunt. A challenge. I held my place, whip ready to strike.

  As the creatures shuffled forward, Elan called out, “Ready!”

  We froze, ready to strike.

  Then the lycanthropes rushed us.

  “Go!” Elan let her arrow fly.

  I brought my focus to my opponent. I was used to battling creatures bigger than myself—the Abominations that came in off the World Tree chose large human vehicles—but I knew their MOs. I knew what their weaknesses were, and I knew how to avoid most of their attacks. Lycanthropes? Not so much.

  The lycanthrope careening toward me was at least two feet taller and a hundred pounds heavier than I was. His mouth was open, his razor-sharp teeth gleaming and ready to snag himself some dinner. Fury-on-a-stick, to be precise.

  My gaze darting over his body, I decided to strike for his face—that seemed the most vulnerable. I brought my whip back, circling it quickly around my head. The flames rushed off of the thong as it cracked through the air. Magical, they were a cold, burning fire, and deadly. They would burn on impact, and keep eating into the flesh after they hit.

  My shoulder and ribs ached as I targeted the center of his face and brought the lash whistling down. I was still bruised from the shit-kicking I had taken a week or so ago, but I ignored the throbbing pain as the fall landed dead center on his nose. The crack echoed through the cascade of shouts and screams around us.