Fury in the Badlands

By Angel Nyx

Life in the Badlands is dangerous. No one knows that better than Kaia. When her young charge finds herself in trouble, she'll stop at nothing to help her, even if it means putting herself in danger.

 

While working a job to save her charge, she meets Shar, a brilliant inventor whose invention will bring life back to their planet, Xaria. But danger lurks around every corner. Can Kaia keep Shar safe long enough to see her invention come to fruition, or will it all fall apart?

 

Just as she finds new love, her past returns, throwing her world into chaos. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Will Kaia have to choose, or can she really have it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angel Nyx
• Release date: Mar 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224548804

Angel Nyx

Angel Nyx is an author of paranormal, contemporary, and historical romances. Her passion for literature was instilled in her at a young age when her mother read her fairy tale stories at bedtime. Her vivid imagination helps her get in tune with her characters to bring them to life for her readers. She is also a mom, a reader, an avid gamer chick, and a non-medical in-home caregiver.  She was once told that her 'OCD is queen' because it allows her to find errors in written word others miss. As a result, she has recently branched out to offer her proofreading services to other Indie authors.  When she's not working, writing, reading, or gaming, she is usually relaxing to music, spending time with family, or finding new authors to fall in love with.  She has a long time love affair with the city of New Orleans, which is why so much of her work is set there, and plans to visit the city as often as possible in the coming years. You can contact Angel via email at [e-mail] and follow her at any of the following links: Facebook Author Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelNyxBayouQueen/   GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/17122292.Angel_Nyx   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorangelnyx  AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/profile/authorangelnyx/  BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/angel-nyx Website: https://www.angelnyx.com/

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Fury in the Badlands

Angel Nyx

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidences are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

Copyright ©2024 by Angel Nyx. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

Cover by Megan J Parker-Squiers at EmCat Designs

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Other Books

About the Author

Chapter One

Kaia

Kaia stared out at the vast desert beyond the walls of the compound. The area was once filled with lush greenery and the scent of flowers, but that was decades ago. One hundred years after war had destroyed Xaria, leaving much of the planet a wasteland, pockets of Xarians struggled to survive.

Kaia remembered the stories her Gran told, stories of the world before the war. There were parties, and dancing, and although some Xarians were poor, everyone had enough to eat.

So why did the different city-states go to war? Greed. Some had more than others, and it was coveted. Now those who were left paid the price for that greed.

You look like someone with a lot on their mind.

Kaia turned her head to the speaker. Micah had joined their small community two months prior. He was a quiet man, and although he was new, she found him easy to talk to. He’d left his former community because the compound leader was cruel and their beliefs didn’t line up.

I was just thinking about some stories my Gran used to tell me when I was little. It's hard to believe this all used to be green.

The compound had a small garden they'd painstakingly grown, but it wasn't enough to feed everyone all the time.

I've seen photos of what Xaria looked like before the war. It was beautiful.

She moved so she could lean against the parapet that encircled the walls of the compound. I'll  bet. She studied him for a moment. I'm going to have to take a trip into Duskcairn soon. I overheard you telling Rafe you needed to replace a broken wrench. You're welcome to tag along. At least he's talking to someone, she silently mused.

That'd be great, thanks. Just let me know when and I'll be ready.

Sure thing. She nodded at him and walked away. She had a million things to get done—it felt like it anyway—and only so many hours in the day.

There you are, Kaia. I've been looking for you. A call just came through for you. It's Aimee, Tala told her.

At the name, she increased her pace so she could get to the old comm unit. Almost a year ago, Aimee had gotten into a drunken brawl in Duskcairn. Normally that wouldn't have been a big deal, but she'd made the mistake of picking a fight with a high ranking member of the Void Syndicate, who just happened to be the law in Duskcairn.

Aimee, you still there?

Kaia! About time! Um, I need you to come get me. Now.

Wait. You're out early? You had another month to go.

Yep. The younger woman popped the last letter.

"Shit! Fuck, damn, motherfucking shit! Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Do not, I repeat do not gamble! I know the viper that hangs around there and you do not want to owe him."

Fiiine. I won't, but hurry.

I mean it, Aimee. I know you. I know how much you like to gamble, but he’s not someone to fuck with.

I said I won’t. Just get here already! Jeez!

She ended the connection on the communicator and tore through the compound, barking orders. I need a rover ready to go to Duskcairn in five minutes!

She bolted into the quarters she shared with her partner, Rafe, and almost tumbled into his lap because she stopped so quickly. She's out! Aimee's out! I'm headed in to get her now. Want to come with?

I'm really not feeling like taking the trip. I'll see her when she gets back, came his less than enthusiastic reply.

Suit yourself, Kaia replied, her voice neutral. In recent weeks he'd gone from attentive and always part of the action to dismissive and aloof. She didn't know what was going on with him, but she was close to her breaking point.

Pushing her personal issues to the back of her mind, she strapped on her holster, along with her pistols, tucked daggers into their holders at her hips, and added a third, longer blade, to the sheath she always had strapped to her back. On her way to the rover, she grabbed two larger guns and arched a brow at the large man sitting behind the wheel. You get shotgun, Tuck, or get the fuck out.

You're the boss, the man replied before he moved over to the passenger seat.

Tuck was a beast of a man. He'd been the sole survivor of a reaver attack when he was thirteen. He'd survived for twenty four years, on his own, in the badlands until they'd crossed paths ten years ago. At forty-seven, he could run circles around men half his age.

What would you have done if Rafe was here? She glanced at Tuck, tossed a gun to him, and slid behind the wheel.

Sat in the back. Why isn't he coming with?

She shrugged. No sense explaining when she couldn't understand it herself. Doesn't matter. Let's ride.

The gates opened enough for them to drive through and Kaia put the rover into high gear.  She didn't trust Silas not to offer Aimee something she couldn't turn down.

Kaia roared through the streets of Duskcairn toward The Asylum, the facility where those who'd broken a rule were taken to serve out their time. Before civilization was destroyed, it was where Xarians who'd suffered from a multitude of mental iniquities were sent. Parts of the behemoth lay in ruins, and more than a few 'residents' had died there trying to get out of doing their time.

The moment the rover stopped, she knew things were bad. Instead of waiting in the lot where Kaia was to pick her up, Aimee was beyond the barricade. What filled Kaia with concern, however, was the man standing in front of Aimee. Silas.

"Shit. Fuck. Goddess damn it. I told her to stay away from Silas, but did she listen to me? No, of course not! Let’s go." She climbed out of the rover and stepped past the barrier. She only got a few feet when a hand reached out and grabbed her arm.

Unless you want to lose that hand, I suggest you let me go right the fuck now, she growled.

You don’t want to go interfering. It’s none of your business.

At that voice her world tilted. She knew that voice. Intimately. Pain ripped through her and she found it hard to breathe. Two years. It had been two years since she’d last heard that deep voice. Baz. He’d been her lover once. Then he’d disappeared and her and Rafe’s worlds were shattered. Now here he was working for the likes of Silas. Her gaze traveled up from that hand to the arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, nose, and settled on those golden eyes she knew so well. She had two choices in that moment; let the pain tear through her, or let her fury rule. She chose fury. Let. Me. Go. Right. Fucking. Now. Or. I. Will. Cut. Your. Fucking. Hand. Off. she snarled.

Baz