Li've Read online

  Li’ve

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  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the purchaser.

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  Copyright © 2019 by L. Fergus

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  @FallenAngelKita

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  http://FallenAngelKita.com

  Cover art by mrinmoykar999

  Contents

  Books by L. Fergus

  List of Angels

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by L. Fergus

  Warmache

  Game of the Gods

  Rebirth

  Clouds

  Sarin’s War

  Li’ve

  The New Angels

  Twelve Bravo – short story

  BykeChic

  For my #1 fan.

  Valkyrie Angels

  Kamikaze, Katrina Marie

  E’gar, God of Rage

  Humanized War Cat

  Gray Cloud

  Kamikaze is the co-leader of the Valkyries. She is the biological daughter of Kita and Snowy. A gifted assassin, Kamikaze is a pragmatic leader. She prefers to hunt alone or with her partner Tenshi. Her loyalty to Kita is unwavering.

  Kamikaze has no wings, instead has spots and markings like a war cat, a subspecies of the snow leopard. She has long fur on the backs of her arms and on her back. Short, fine fur covers the rest of her body. Three claws extend from the tops of her hands. Her feet look like those of a war cat.

  Phoenix, Kylee MacKay

  Et’ah, God of Hate

  Black Cloud

  Fallen Angel

  Phoenix is the other co-leader of the Valkyries. She is Kita’s adoptive daughter, and her girlfriend is Saint Valentine. Phoenix loves death and destruction, but she lacks patience and discipline. She is independent and resourceful, but lusts for vengeance and holds deep grudges against those who have wronged her.

  Phoenix’s wings are a mixture of yellow, orange, red, and black feathers that burn like her red hair. She wears a yellow bodysuit with red and orange stripes up the side, a brown leather bomber jacket with a phoenix stitched on the back, yellow crystal bracers, and combat boots. Phoenix doesn’t wield any weapons, relying solely on her ability to control fire.

  Toxic, Kara Laramie

  Deer’g, God of Greed

  Black Cloud

  Fallen Angel

  Toxic is an experienced politician and comes from one of the oldest and richest houses on The Mass. Her best friends are Phoenix and Saint Valentine. She often acted as Vicereine and governed The Mass in Kita’s absence.

  Toxic’s feathers are fluorescent green with a thick black edge. When not governing, she prefers jeans, boots, and a black hoodie. Her nails, eyes, and mouth glow green. Toxic wields dual swords and can unleash a corrosive gas.

  Anthrax, Nell Flanagan

  Esa’esid, God of Disease

  Black Cloud

  Fallen Angel

  Anthrax has been the Angels’ doctor for eons. She is a mild-mannered fallen angel compared to the others. Sarin is Anthrax’s best friend. They have known each other since childhood and came to The Mass together on the colony ship. Galina’s ISS teams murdered Anthrax’s partner, Nina, and their daughter, Tink, during Galina’s coup.

  Anthrax’s feathers are white with a black edge. She likes twenty-fourth-century fashion, wearing seven strategically placed white patches under her doctor’s coat. Her hair is red and white flames burn from her eyes. Shark’s teeth give her an unnerving smile. Anthrax wields a bo and can produce anthrax gas. She can transform into the banshee Pestilence and unleash plagues on her enemies.

  Saint Valentine, Denver Brown

  Ecit’suj, God of Justice

  Gray Cloud

  Saint Valentine is the daughter of the AI Omega and is Phoenix’s partner. She combines the best of organic and non-organic computing in her head. As Kita’s aide, they connect their computers and have a special bond. When Kita disappeared, Saint Valentine helped Sheppard and the military—a job she loathed.

  Saint Valentine took her look from her favorite superhero. She wears black military fatigues from Kita’s military and a red beret. Over her fatigues, she wears a tattered red cape with a high collar that covers the lower part of her face. Her feathers are red, with a white border that forms a heart at the tip of each feather. She’s armed with a pair of .50 caliber pistols holstered on her lower back.

  Tenshi, Angela

  Ra’w, God of War

  Gray Cloud

  Tenshi is a skilled mercenary and is Kamikaze’s partner. Kita discovered her working in the forge, Inferno, as the leader of the Hammers—a group tasked with maintaining order among Inferno’s female population.

  Tenshi has black and white chevron patterned feathers with a mixture of blue feathers. She wears a black sports bra, camouflaged fatigue bottoms, and combat boots. She is a master of firearms, carrying a pair of machine pistols strapped to her legs, .50 caliber pistols holstered on her lower back, and an assault rifle. She has Asiatic features, long black hair, and loves her dark sunglasses.

  Raptor, A’ana

  Yti’varg, God of Gravity

  Black Cloud

  Raptor is a dinosaur ravager first, and an Angel second. Her partner was the shapeshifter Frostbane. Never afraid to be alone, she would often disappear into the Forest of Ash for months or years at a time. The other Angels look to her for wisdom and advice.

  Raptor stands six-feet-three-inches and has chocolate colored skin. Her feathers are green with a yellow stripe down the middle with black tips. She wears a green halter crop top, black low-rise jeans, and boots. Sometimes she wears a black, yellow, and green poncho. She is a shapeshifter capable of transforming into a raptor or t-rex.

  Babydoll, Karenna (Kerri) Liverpool

  So’ahc, God of Chaos

  Black Cloud

  Fallen Angel

  Babydoll is Kita’s left hand, best friend, and dedicated legionnaire. Arriving on the colony ship, she worked her way through the ranks to Junior Commander in the Legion of Germania. She acts as an advisor and mentor to Kamikaze and Phoenix.

  Babydoll has Legion blue feathers with black edges. Her floor-length blond hair is fashioned into two prehensile braids, each with a scorpion stinger on the end. She wears a high cut leotard with the top fashioned after the Legion uniform and knee-high combat boots. She is a master of firearms, but loves martial arts and has mastered many styles. Eight retractable crystal spider legs sprout from her back, and she wears a pair of crystal bracers on her arms.

  Panther, Veronica (Vee)

  Re’drum, God of Mur
der

  Black Cloud

  Panther was a notorious party girl until she became Kita’s girlfriend. Under Babydoll’s tutelage, she’s become a formidable martial fighter. As the god Re’drum, she has been with Kita for thousands of years.

  Panther has black feathers with dark gray rosettes that match those on her cheeks, thighs, and chest. She has a black tail and wears a black skirt, high-top sneakers, a cut-off white t-shirt, and suspenders. Three claws extend from between her fingers on each hand.

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  Aspen, Leaf (Danielle Pyatt)

  Tg’hil, God of Light

  White Cloud

  High Angel

  Aspen is a master assassin and was a student of Kita’s. Tg’hil is one of the oldest gods and has created almost all of the universes in Infinity.

  Aspen has white feathers with gold tips. She wears a white sneak suit and carries an array of weapons including katana, wakizashi, compound bow, and throwing stars. She covers her blonde hair with a hood and her nose and mouth with a mask. She uses the Angel’s internal communications system, known as the comm, instead of speaking.

  UEE Angels

  Sarin, Jane Gjord

  Edi’rp, God of Pride

  Black Cloud

  Evil Angel

  Sarin is an accomplished leader, psychiatrist, sniper, and gunslinger. She holds the rank of Deputy Commandant in the Legion and is Kita’s partner. As a citizen of the United Earth Empire, Sarin was arrested by Galina and returned to Neptune. After being reunited with her father, Sven Gjord, she organized the resistance to Galina’s Political Bureau.

  Sarin is known for her black and red schoolgirl outfit. Her wings are black with red patches earning her the nickname Blackbird. Beauty for her is as much a weapon as her .67 caliber sniper rifle. She carries a pair of .50 caliber pistols strapped to her thighs and the sword Razorsplitter on her back. Her platinum blonde hair is often braided with a spiked ball at the end.

  Talon, Scarlett Kobb

  White Cloud

  High Angel

  Talon was the leader of the Owlery, a group of Angels dedicated to charity, compassion, and kindness. During Galina’s betrayal of Kita, Talon was arrested because she was a citizen of the UEE. She was granted parole and put in charge of raising and training the young Angel Talli. Sarin rescued them from Galina during a raid in Seattle. Talon’s girlfriend is Cinnamon.

  Talon’s wings are patterned after a barn owl. She wears a white bodysuit and a cloak that closes in the front. Her cloak has an oversized hood, wide sleeves, and hides her arsenal of weapons including a short sword, pistol, and throwing knives.

  Athena

  Athena is an AI that used to oversee the city of Gaia and was recruited by Kita. She oversaw the entire region of Hades with her partner Quill. After Galina betrayed Kita, Athena snuck aboard a UEE ship and made contact with Sarin. Together, they plotted the resistance to Galina and the Political Bureau.

  Athena doesn’t have a physical form beyond the computer she inhabits. She does use a solid holographic projector to project an image of herself. She often looks like a female humanoid android with grey skin. Her wings are electric blue and gray. She can infiltrate any network or computer she can gain access to.

  Ryder Starr

  Ryder was a Red Legion general leading the resistance to the Political Bureau when Talon and Cinnamon found her. To protect her command, she donned the cursed gun belt that belonged to her cousin, Cowboy, and became The Rider—a flaming demon cowboy. She joined Sarin to help lead the resistance to Galina and the Political Bureau.

  Ryder’s wings are a mixture of pink, yellow, orange, and red feathers that look like a sunset. Even though she is in the Red Legion, she wears a cowboy hat, flannel shirt, duster, jeans, and cowboy boots. She thinks of herself as a legionnaire first, cowgirl second, and Angel third. Proficient with most firearms, she prefers revolvers.

  Cinnamon, Kristi

  Cinnamon was the personal assistant to Sven Gjord when Sarin arrived home. She impressed Kita with her management and organizational skills, and Kita made her an Angel. On a mission to recruit Ryder Starr, she fell in love with Talon.

  Cinnamon’s wings are the color of cinnamon. She wears a crop top shirt with the word fireball on the front, along with a leather half jacket, jeans, and boots. Sarin instructed Cinnamon on how to shoot her .45 caliber pistols. Cinnamon learned to control fire from Kita.

  Kita’s cheek rested on the cool, clear plastic of her spherical cell. Her eyes stared unfocused out into space. A daily ration of thin soup had left her drained with barely enough energy to function.

  Ragji, a Majestic-class Moon Annihilator, drifted into her vision. The ship was over a mile in length. The conning tower in the center of its back made it look like a shark. And, like a shark, it circled waiting for her.

  From FTL, six cruisers and frigates with unknown markings appeared around the Ragji and opened fire. The bright flashes caused Kita’s eyes to focus. The six attackers had jumped inside the Ragji’s shields. Only I’m that precise. The ships rained fire on the Ragji causing the port side to explode in a bright fireball. A pair of shuttles left the cruisers and flew toward the prison.

  Ragji and its crew of kitty cats have been on station too long. Lulled into a pattern and senses deadened by months of staring at space…But, who would attack the Djinn? Those aren’t UEE ships…Whatever they’re after doesn’t matter. Now’s my chance to escape this accursed place and extract revenge on Warden Kiiz.

  But, Kita barely had the energy to think—let alone fight. What the Crushing Depths? What are the gods going to do to me that they haven’t done already? Before being starved into submission, Kita had spent weeks meditating, searching for her lost knowledge of the gods. She found some of what was lost. Most importantly, she rediscovered knowledge the gods barely understood.

  Kita’s vision changed. No longer did she see mass and energy, but symbols that represented the equations that made up everything. These equations acted like nesting dolls, culminating into an equation that governed the entire universe.

  She looked at herself. Her equation looked like the rest, except for a small part. It didn’t have a symbol or an equation, just a point of light. This was all that remained of her god form, Li’ve. It was enough to alter equations around her. She touched her equation and changed a pair of symbols. Energy coursed through her veins making her feel warm and envigorated. She returned her vision to normal.

  Kita stood up and stretched her arms and wings. She’d been lying on the hard plastic for too long. She walked around her cell, dragging her hand on the plastic, ignoring the battle below. She took in the stars, her only friends. She reached the cell door. It was reinforced plastic a foot thick. Sandwiched between the plastic was several layers of a material that made the cell Angel-proof. Or so Warden Kiiz had gloated when he put her in here.

  Like everyone else who challenges me, you make the same mistake—underestimating me. Even imprisoned, my power grows.

  Kita drew back her fist and struck the cell door. The plastic shattered like ice, revealing a long, clear hallway connecting her cell to the prison. Stepping into the hallway, red lights in the ceiling blinked in warning. Someone was watching her. Looking into a camera, Kita blew it a kiss, and her picture on the camera monitors in the control room vanished.

  She walked down the hallway admiring the view. It amused her they felt the need to isolate her. She’d hoped to be put in with the general population where she could take control of them and the prison. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done it.

  But someone was smart. Was this someone’s brilliant deduction or had someone talked? Only Snowy would know my full capability, and she’s gone. Could she be working for the Tet? It wouldn’t be the first time she’s opposed me. Wouldn’t that be interesting? I wonder where she is. I hope she’s not dead.

  As Kita reached the end of the hallway, a series of small explosions disconnected the hallway from the prison. The air rushed into s
pace, moving Kita’s hair slightly. The hallway drifted away from the prison. Along with the air went gravity. Kita floated off the floor. This is their plan if I get out of line? Space me?

  Kita wiggled her nose, manipulating the equation. She shot forward, passing through the airlock doors into the room beyond. A pair of large lion-like Djinn guards looked shocked by her appearance. She raised her hands, mimed grabbing them by their heads, and clenched her fists. Their heads collapsed, crushed like cans. Stepping over the bodies, Warden Kiiz’s voice came over the speaker, “Recovery teams get out there and get the body.”

  He’s in for a surprise…Now, where am I going to find Case and Jess?

  Kita exited the room and followed the corridor. She turned a corner, and a group of guards waited in riot gear. Kita raised her hands and mimed cracking whips. A pair of shockwaves hit the guards. The bodies exploded—their gear containing most of the mess.

  Through a door, Kita found a giant room full of cryogenic pods. Are Case and Jess in those? Curious, she went to one and wiped the frost from the window. Inside was a Zentonian, a large squirrel-like creature, in cryogenic sleep. She went to the next one and found a frozen toad-like Toeak.