King's Angels

By Lee W. Lindsay, Jr

Katrina Vanriver thought she had lost everything when her father and his ship disappeared in the Demon Storm. Now her mother is dying and she has to choose between her family starving or stealing to feed them. Then she meets the legendary Lady Sonja DeWhite and becomes one of the few women who can destroy the demons which infest her world, a King's Angel. Things are about to get worse. It was long believed that only a few demons had come through into her world. But, now, before she has even been trained, Katrina has discovered that the demons can reproduce and if she doesn’t stop the demon queen, the world will soon be over run by demons. Katrina will need all her strength to save her mentor and stop the demons. If she fails, she could well become another demon queen and destroy the people she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee W. Lindsay, Jr
• Release date: Aug 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301497201

Lee W. Lindsay, Jr

A former archeaologist, Lee Lindsay is a student of Japanese culture and a black belt in Karate. He lives with his wife in a small town in Oregon, where they are staff to three cats and their library.

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King's Angels

Lee W. Lindsay, Jr.

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Lee W. Lindsay, Jr.

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Table of Contents

Prologue

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

About the Author

Prologue

Jamus Vanriver looked back toward Finport, listening to the creak of the old sailing ship. He knew his wife, son and daughter were still up on the great cliffs above the harbor, watching as his ship sailed out through the mouth of the Bay of Finly. He glanced at Karl, his old friend and pilot, then a quick glance at the billowing sails. He dropped his eyes toward the bow of the ship and he could see the two arms of the harbor with the lighthouse on the eastern arm and the narrow gap that allowed ships to enter and leave the nearly circular bay. He looked back at the spot where he knew his family would be. The merchant shook his head. Soon it would be himself and his clever daughter, Katrina, sailing out into the world to buy, sell and trade goods. The girl showed every sign of being a great merchant, if he could only get her to understand some people do not follow the rules, or have different rules that they follow and you have to understand them, not force them to follow yours. He chuckled. Maybe he would just follow Albert's idea and make Katrina a ship's captain. The wind stopped and Jamus turned and looked up to see the sail go limp. He turned back and squinted at the dark cloud forming over the cliffs of Finport. Clouds that seemed to be moving quickly.

Karl, storm coming. Looks to be a strong wind.

Karl glanced back, his eyes opening wide. There wasna' any sign of storm. Old Barleycorn said his knees indicated a good two or three days of fine weather.

Well, it appears old Barleycorn was finally wrong. Jamus watched the clouds coming. Better ring the Captain, we should lower sails.

Aye. Karl reached over and tugged a line that rang a small bell in the Captain's cabin. Jamus noted that they were near the point where the two arms of the bay nearly met. It would be treacherous if they lost so much speed that they couldn't control their course but, on the other side of the bargin, they would be safer if they remained in the bay and not out in the deeper ocean waters where the storm winds could make the waves hazardous. He would hate to have to delay the trip, a significant delay could cost him a profit. He looked over the deck of the ship and the men looking back at the dark clouds. Still, he wasn't a man who could risk the lives of the crew for a few coins.

The Captain grunted as he climbed the stairs to the pilot's station. What's the fuss about here, K... His eyes widened and he turned back to the crew. All hands on deck. Drop sail to storm sheets. Batten down, a big blow is a coming. He turned back to Jamus. Where in the Pits did this come from?

Jamus shrugged as he looked back at the gathering clouds. Sky was clear until a few moments ago. He paused as a grotesque female figure seemed to form out of the storm clouds. He blinked as the clouds tumbled back into a roiling mass and the wind hit.

The ship seemed to nearly stand on its bow as it cleared the mouth of the bay. The mast cracked and snapped while canvas ripped apart in seconds. Jamus grabbed for a rail but missed as the ship heeled to port and he found himself tumbling into the water.

Jamus came to the surface of the cold water, gasping and choking as he saw his beautiful ship on her side, water washing the decks and the broken mast dragging her down so she couldn't roll upright. He looked around and saw other men splashing in the waves. He turned toward the closest man but paused.

Let me in, and I will save your life and grant you such things as no man could imagine. Jamus turned, looking for the speaker but saw no one near him. I am here, little being. I can bring great pleasure or great pain. Your choice. Let me take your body.

I am Jamus Vanriver and I am no one's toy, he said as a wave washed over him, salt water getting in his eyes. I'll not submit to any bodiless creature.

So be it, fool.

Jamus turned to swim toward a struggling sailor when he felt something wrap around his leg. A loose bit of rigging, he thought as he took a breath to dive and free himself. At that moment another great wind hit, the wind twisted the ship and the waves seemed to crack the poor vessel, splitting it in two, causing it to sink rapidly. Jamus felt the line on his leg go taunt and he was pulled under the waves. He tried to reach his leg, but the weight of the sinking ship kept it tight. He felt the pressure of the water increase and knew he only had seconds.

I wish I had known this was coming, he thought, I could have..., no, Cyra knew I loved her as did my children. Jason, he will grow to be a fine man. Jamus' lungs released the air he had taken in, seeking more that was not there. Ah, my Katrina, care for your family, he thought as he sucked in the cold water. What great things will you do, my girl?

Chapter 1

Katrina Vanriver leaned back into the shadow, feeling the plaster of the building's wall crumble beneath her hands as she glanced out of the alley. The small, slender, fifteen-year-old counted at least twenty noisy, cheering people, dressed in everything from the ragged clothing of the poor to the bright colored silk clothing of the wealthier class as they all lined Finport's Central Way. This was just the mouth of a small alley along the town's main north-south road. She knew the townspeople lined Central Way from the King's Highway to the barracks at the north end of town, just below Lord Kenmore's keep. The thump of boots and the clink of armor and weapons of the King's Guard echoed in the rank air of the alley as the guardsmen marched along the cobblestone street, cheers rising and falling like waves as the men marched to the barracks.

Katrina brushed at a strand of her long, light brown hair that had escaped the bright green ribbon she used to tie her hair back with. She looked at the plaster dust on her hand. Like this town and the people in it, this building was not what it once was. The building used to be the home of a wealthy family, now it was the store and home of a fruit merchant, run down and falling apart. She glanced back at the crowd as two men stepped back from the crowd to share a drink from a brown ale bottle.

It's about time something was done, grumbled a man in a dirty, short-sleeved tunic of a farm worker. Them demons have been carrying off people for nigh four years and the King just now gets around to sending some soldiers. He took another swig from the bottle.

Soldiers won't do no good, said a man in dockworker gray and blue as he took the bottle. But I heard that one of the Angels arrived yesterday. He took a drink and handed the bottle back to the other man and the two turned back to watch the parade.

Katrina's heart beat faster. She knew the stories. Only a few women with the right abilities could do more than destroy the body a demon had possessed. She had heard that those few women had some sort of power that let them see the true form of the demon inside the body of the possessed person. Katrina shivered. Maybe she would be lucky enough to see the King's Angel before the woman left town.

Katrina breathed in, smelling horses and sweat mixed with the ever-present fish and sea smells of Finport, combining with the sour smell of rotting food in the alley. Stop stalling, she told herself with a shiver. You know you have to do this. This or learn to give your body to any man who will pay. She felt her heart thumping painfully in her chest. If you had any other choice than prostitution, you wouldn't be here about to commit a crime. She gulped and stepped out of the alley to see the fruit merchant standing on tiptoe, trying to see over the crowd, his merchandise unwatched.

A cheer rose through the crowd and Katrina jumped. She jerked her head to the right to see the Royal Banner passing by. Her back straightened and she saluted with her arm horizontal across her breasts. Ochularus bless the King, she said softly as the banner moved up the street. She sighed and turned back to the fruit stand, growling softly as she realized the fruit merchant hadn't saluted the banner. Maybe, she thought, he deserves this. No, her father would have disagreed, no one deserves to be stolen from. But if her father were here, she wouldn't have to choose between her family or committing a crime.

Katrina stepped closer and picked up two small apples. Her mouth watered, but these weren't for her. Lord of light, help me, she thought as she slipped them into the pocket of her patched cloak. I hate this, but mother needs to eat. I wish there was some other way. She looked up and saw that the fruit merchant was oblivious and she turned.

To find herself nose to point of a steel sword. Katrina froze. She marveled at how large the point of the sword seemed when it was this close. She held up her hands, palms out, her cloak sliding back to reveal her thin arms and clean, patched dress. She looked up past the sword and gasped.

Her wish to see the King's Angel had come true. She looked at the woman who held the sword, surprised at how beautiful she was. The Angel had dark hair mixed with silver and looked twice Katrina's years but Katrina knew she was only six years older than herself. At twenty-one, the woman was tall, muscular, standing straight and noble. The lady's face was lightly tanned, with a stub of a nose that fit her oval face. Her plain cloak had been pushed back over her shoulders to reveal a white blouse, black, kilt-like skirt, black trousers and a padded leather vest with the distinctive silver sword and wings emblem of the King's Angels on the left breast.

Lady Dewhite, Katrina said in a small voice, knowing it could only be the first of the King's Angels.

"You do know that the penalty for theft can range from twenty lashes to death by constriction, don't you?" Lady Sonja Dewhite asked in a soft voice as two men moved up to stand beside her.

Katrina nodded. She had seen a man who had injured his victim while robbing him being punished. The man was strapped to a narrow, wooden frame with tightly bound, wet leather sheets over his chest, arms and legs. He was set out in the town center so that as the leather dried, it shrank, squeezing the man to death. He had screamed at first and finally whimpered for mercy as he died. Katrina nodded again.

Put the fruit back, Lady Dewhite said in a firm voice as she sheathed her sword, tipping her head to one side as she looked at Katrina.

Yes, my lady, Katrina said as she took the two apples out of her pocket and set them back on the stand.

She glanced down at her feet but could feel Lady Dewhite staring at her. Katrina felt herself blush with shame, but looked up to meet Lady Dewhite's dark brown eyes. Katrina thought about explaining that she had never stolen before and hadn't wanted to, but it was for her family. Instead, she kept her mouth closed. She knew that anything she said would sound like she was trying to justify her evil actions. Her father had always told her that evil was never justified. Katrina looked down again.

She knew about Lady Dewhite, who in all of Remaus didn't? Stories about her had become legends of bravery and courage. The most thick-headed minstrel knew at least two songs about the lady's exploits. She was the first of the four women who made up the King's Angels, the royal demon hunters. The women whose duties were to hunt down and destroy the Demon Lords and their followers, demons that were released into the world five years ago. Nine Demon Lords were known to have come into the world when Lord Dewhite, Lady Dewhite's father, and his friends had opened the gate and Lady Dewhite's courage in being the first to defeat a Demon Lord was legend. That story was one that always sent shivers down the spines of the listeners.

Katrina looked back up to respectfully meet Lady Dewhtie's gaze for a moment and then turned her eyes back down to her feet. She heard a rustle of cloth and firm, strong fingers gently tipped her face up to meet Lady Dewhite's gaze again. Katrina could smell the warm leather and the scented soap the lady used. Katrina looked into the lady's brown eyes and she felt tears forming in her eyes as she saw compassion mixed with a strong will to see things done justly.

Lady Dewhite released Katrina and walked over to the fruit stand. Merchant, she called out over the noise of the crowed. He turned and snarled. What the bloody... His eyes widened and he jumped down to bow to Lady Dewhite. Excuse me, my lady. How may I be of service, he said in a simpering voice that made Katrina cringe. It is such a pleasure to have you in our humble town.

I am happy to be here to be of service. Six of your best apples, if you please, Lady Dewhite said with a smile.

The fruit merchant carefully picked out six apples and Lady Dewhite handed him three coppers. That is much more than they are worth, thought Katrina, Lady Dewhite could have brought him down at least one copper, easily. Lady Dewhite turned and came back to stand by Katrina.

She tossed an apple to each of her men. Go to the inn. I'll meet you there later, she said and turned to hand two apples to Katrina. Take me to your home, young lady. We have much to discuss. The lady put one apple into her pocket and bit into the other. And, she said as she chewed, tell me your name.

Chapter 2

Katrina led Lady Dewhite up a side street and turned to the east. The buildings went from plastered brick to wooden structures with peeling paint. The streets were mostly empty, with most people lining the Central Way, leaving a few dogs and drunks to wander the dirty cobblestone streets. As they neared the poorer section of town, the number of people increased and every so often you would look at the space between buildings and see a building leaning precariously. These were propped up with boards between the two buildings to keep the weakening building from falling into its neighbor. The stench of rotten food and horse dung added to the feeling of decay and despair that seemed to permeate this area of town. Every so often the cry of a baby or young child would cut through the air. The number of people increased as they came to the part of town where the desperate lived. Small groups of three or four people would be leaning toward each other over a jug or a pipe with sweet smelling smoke. They would peer at the passing stranger with furtive glances, that seemed to wonder if they were prey or hunters, and at other times you could see the shadowy forms of people looking out from the doorways or alleys.

We used to live in a nicer place, Katrina babbled, feeling the need to explain why they were going into the poorest section of Finport. My father had a house built down near the harbor. He was a merchant. She turned down an alley, the sun cut off by the narrow space between the two buildings and the smell of feces and urine grew stronger. Father and his ship disappeared five years ago, when, she looked back over her shoulder, well, you know. When the storm hit from the demons’ arrival. She moved carefully around some litter and they stepped out into a small courtyard. Father had one ship and hoped to buy another in three years. He was teaching me how to read and do figures so I could help him. Katrina shrugged and waved to the unpainted buildings surrounding the courtyard. But after father died we moved here. It's actually one of the better buildings in this area and the rent is something we can, she paused and corrected herself, we could afford. She looked back at the noblewoman. Mother worked for a member of the Merchant's guild but she got sick last year and hasn't been well. She had to stop working four months ago and our money ran out last month. I was working, gathering wood with my brother, for one of the inns down by the port, but two days ago the owner said that I was old enough to earn my money another way. Katrina looked down and kicked the body of a rat out of her way. "My father was a great merchant and he and my mother are from good families. I'm not a prostitute. And you have to register with the temple and they take most of what you make as