Captured by chaos the ka.., p.1
Captured by Chaos (The Kazola Chronicles Book 1), page 1
CAPTURED BY CHAOS
Copyright © 2023 by Kathryn Marie.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For information contact:
Kathryn Namenyi
55 Spencer St
PO Box 342
Lynn, MA 01905
authorkathrynmarie.com
Cover design by Saint Jupiter
Map Design by Vanessa Garland
Developmental Edits by Cassidy Clarke
Copy Edits by Renee Dugan
Proofread by Roxana Coumans 5Dogs Book Editing
First Edition: April 2023
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
Author Note
Dedication
Glossary
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
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Epilogue
The Story Continues…
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Author Note:
Thank you so much for picking up my book! Before you dive in, I wanted to make you aware of a few things. This book contains scenes and talk of sexual assault, rape, suicide, PTSD, depression, anxiety, strained family relationships, grief, and spousal loss. Please be advised.
Dedication
To the readers who need fantasy worlds to escape from reality.
I hope Kasha, the Faction, and Kazola brings you on the newest adventure.
Happy Reading!
Glossary
Amalgam Blade-(uh-mal-gm blayd) The primary weapon of the Onyx Guard
Blackthorn-(blak-thorn) An illegal drug primarily used by Shrivikas
Blood Consort-(bluhd kan-sort) A person meant to assist a Shrivika or an Ibridowyn to properly feed and stay strong
Faction-(fak-shn) A military unit in the Onyx Guard
Fuiliwood-(fwee-lee-wood) The strongest tree in Kazola
Futeacha-(foo-teh-chaa) Old Kazalonian swear; means tainted blood
Hierarchy-(hai-ur-aar-kee) The Leadership team of an Onyx Guard Faction
High Faction-(hai Fak-shn) The ruling government of the Isle of Kazola
Ibridowyn-(ih-brih-doh-when) Genetically modified soldier created from either a Varg Anwyn or a Shrivika
Iona Silver-(ai-ow-nuh sil-vr) The purest silver in Kazola
Kazola-(ka-zoh-la) Means Peace-Bearer in the language of the God and Goddess
Keturi-(kah-tur-ee) The top four leaders of an Onyx Guard Faction
Lectracycle-(lec-tra sai-kl) Primary form of transportation for the Onyx Guard
Ogdala Dagger-(ahg-dah-la da-gr) The ceremonial dagger of the Onyx Guard
Onyx Guard-(aa-nuhks gaard) Special ops section of the military, made up exclusively of Ibridowyns
Shrivika-(shriv-ick-ah) Vampire, child of the God Firenielle
Tsio a Chisain-(si-o ah chee-sahn) Old Kazalonian for Protect the Peace
Varg Anwyn-(varg awn-win) Wolf shifter, child of the Goddess Lunestia
Wolfsbane-(wulfs-bayn) An illegal drug primarily used by Varg Anwyns
Chapter One
This wasn’t how I expected my day to start.
I didn’t expect to be standing in the middle of an office, a High Faction Delegate just deciding to “drop by” to deliver the final nail in the coffin that was supposed to be my life plan.
“Do the three of you understand?” Cole, the imposing Varg Anwyn, said, his words commanding an answer from us.
Sandwiched between my fellow leaders Beckett and Emric, Cole’s towering build loomed over us as we stood at attention in our full black armor. We were soldiers of the Onyx Guard, the elite military forces dedicated to protecting our Country, The Isle of Kazola—a place where different beings lived together in peace. No one judged, no one let fear get the best of them, no matter what you were: a Human child, a Varg Anwyn wolf child, or a Shrivika blood child.
The Onyx Guard was a separate entity from the traditional military that handled the day-to-day protections. Broken up into nine Factions, one for each territory, we were created and trained to handle the worst of the worst: serial killers, the seedy underbelly of organized crime, and other terrible atrocities that would make most people’s skin crawl.
I had dedicated my life to the Guard, to protecting this country with all of my strength.
Tsio a Chisain. Protect The Peace.
I had lived by that motto since I took my oaths into the Guard, but one choice had ruined me in the eyes of our leaders, the High Faction—which was why Cole was here today: to seal my fate. Emric and Beckett shot sideways glances toward me, their gazes raking up my entire body to make sure I was alright.
They were good friends, but I was far from alright.
“Ar Dtus?” Cole turned his attention to Beckett, his leading title rolling off the High Faction Member’s lips, every syllable laced with impatience. I was fully aware that our silence was not the response he wanted.
“Yes, sir,” Beckett replied, his deep tenor rumbling from his chest as he stared Cole in the eye. He looked the part of a dutiful soldier, his white-blond hair shorn at the sides close to his scalp, the longer top part slicked back and away from his eyes. His armor was perfectly polished, covering his tall, well-defined body. No one would ever guess what he had done only months ago. Of course, Cole could never forget, which accounted for the smug gleam in his own gaze at Beckett’s words. “I understand my orders.”
“Good.” Cole paced in front of us, arms crossed tightly against his chest as he moved to stand in front of Emric. “And you, Dara, do you understand as well?”
Emric’s blushing brown cheek twitched, his bright, aqua eyes glazing over with obedience. “Yes, sir.” He was struggling to stay perfectly in a command stance, his fingers twisting behind his back, forced into the submissive position and away from his round face to fiddle with the thin, silver-wired glasses that perched on the edge of his petite nose.
Silence fell as Cole moved to stand in front of me, his hulking form over a foot taller than mine; but by the slight straining of the buttons from his waist coat, he had been indulging a bit too much in the sweets recently. Still, he used our major height difference to his advantage, towering over me like a looming specter. For some, it could intimidate them and make them feel small and weak, but I would never let that happen. I would never let someone think they could break me, even if inside every inch of me wanted to crack into a million pieces.
“Beta?” He rumbled, his pale, sharp-featured face coated in darkness. “Do you understand?”
I stared up at him, our eyes locked in a battle of wills. I used every shred of strength to show him that even though I knew my place, it didn’t mean I agreed with their choices. For the first time in many years, I wanted to disobey.
Yet, I still forced myself to say, “Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Wonderful.” A smirk crawled up his arrogant face before he stepped away, addressing all of us once again. “Your newest partner will be here in three days with all of the information about your next case in hand. This is time-sensitive and high priority, so we expect you to use every resource your Faction has. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” we answered in unison, our three voices melding together like the united front we were.
“Perfect. We will expect full reports weekly of your progress.” Cole reached out to Beckett’s glass-top-and-dark-wood desk and picked up his black wool jacket and
He gave us a quick wave before disappearing through the door and shutting it behind him, the frame rattling at the sudden impact. We didn’t move a muscle until he walked past the glass wall and disappeared down the hall.
My muscles slacked, collapsing me against the closest sage green wall, the few paintings hanging on it shaking at the thud. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard, what I’d forced myself to agree to. My heart beat against my chest, pounding at me like I was its own personal punching bag. How had I fallen so far…how had I failed so deeply?
“Kasha…” Beckett was the first to reach out to me, his long, pale fingers curling around my shoulder.
I couldn’t stop myself from flinching away. “Don’t. Just don’t.”
Both men sighed, resigning to leaving me alone on this subject for now. We had been Keturi together for years, taking up three of the four head roles in the Hierarchy leadership team of our Faction. We were strong together, working as if we were a machine perfectly programmed.
Now the High Faction wanted to blow that perfect machine to bits.
“What do you want us to do, then?” Beckett’s onyx-brown eyes were steady as he looked down at me, his arms crossed, shoulders hunched. Emric was to my left, his lean frame propped against the back of one of the gray leather chairs in front of Beckett’s desk, both waiting for me to take my command on the matter.
Even though they didn't touch me, their strength started to seep into my imaginary cracks, helping me glue myself back together so I could do what was right for the Faction.
“We go to the rest of the Hierarchy and we tell them the news.” I shook my head, invisible steel walls rebuilding themselves around my heart. “They’re all probably pacing the conference room while they wait.”
“Good thing all the offices are soundproof,” Emric murmured, his black eyebrows pinched together.
I grunted in response; at least three of our fellow Hierarchy members would not have been opposed to eavesdropping.
“Let’s just get it over with,” I grumbled, walking out into the hallway, a long stretch of offices for each of the twelve Hierarchy leadership members lining the way to the conference room.
I led the way, Emric and Beckett on my heels as I pushed through the closed door and emerged into the generic conference room. Its bland, beige walls were unadorned, and nothing more than an imposing cherry wood conference table took up most of the space, twelve black cushioned chairs surrounding it. It was clean and impersonal, perfect for getting work done together as a group.
The half-full room scrambled to attention, chairs scraping and feet pounding, all of our seconds in command trying to move closer to us as if we were about to tell them a deep-seeded secret and we had to whisper as quietly as possible.
“So?” Eden was the first to break the silence, her bright, bottle-green eyes full of questions.
A faint echo reverberated in my mind, telling me someone was trying to telepathically talk to me. I knew instantly who, our special ability allowing us to choose exactly who was and was not allowed in our mind at any time. It was like opening or closing a door to our own personal space; it was our decision who we wanted there, and when.
I opened my thoughts, sending a sideways gaze to him.
“Do you want me to take it? Or would you like to explain?” Beckett whispered in my mind, concern filling every word.
“I’ll do it,” was all I could say back before shutting him out again.
I wished I could let him take this for me and let him help me through this soul-shattering moment, but I couldn’t…because, technically, it was my damned responsibility as the Beta.
With one final breath, I crossed my arms and looked up to my friends. “The High Faction has assigned us a new Alpha. He arrives in three days.”
Chaos broke free the moment the words left my lips, shouts of protest and questions slinging at the three of us from every corner—and not just in the room. I stumbled backward at the number of echoes trying to pummel my brain, begging me to open up to them so every single person could privately comfort me.
“Everyone, please!” I commanded, my voice booming off the bland walls. “One at a time, and please stay out of my gods-damned head. I’m not in the mood.”
Silence ticked by for a few more seconds before Taylor, my Gamma, got the courage to speak. “This is ridiculous, Kas, you should be our Alpha.”
“It doesn’t matter now. With Logan gone…” My lips trembled briefly at the mention of our last Alpha before I recomposed myself to push forward. “The High Faction made their choice for his replacement, and I have to live with it.”
Half the room stifled retorts, lips pursed or gazes dropping to the floor. I knew what they wanted to say—that it wasn’t my fault—but I didn’t need false comfort or spoon-fed lies. Technically, it was my decision.
I was the one who committed the act. I was the one who picked up the knife. I was the one who drew the blood.
So much blood...
Nausea whipped through me, dizziness threatening to bring me down once again. I couldn’t let that happen, not when I needed to be a leader during what I could already tell would be a tense transition of power.
I steadied my stance, uncrossing my arms and placing my hands firmly on my hips, fingers digging into my sides to solidify myself back in the present. I was safe here. The people around me would keep me safe.
“I know we’re used to a certain dynamic in this Hierarchy,” Beckett said, the pressure on my spine easing a bit as everyone turned their attention to him. “But that doesn’t mean you have to have the same dynamic with this new Alpha. You don’t have to be his friend, just his colleague.”
Liv, Beckett’s Treasu second and wife, moved next to him, his lips cresting into a warm smile as she laced their fingers together, the deep ebony of her skin contrasting with his paleness. “You’re right, it will just be an...adjustment, to say the least.”
“Great,” I clapped my hands together, promptly bringing this dreaded moment to an end. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the training building.”
I spun around, desperate to escape to a place that made me feel sane, when Taylor’s voice drifted toward me. “Can we at least know his name?”
My hand hovered over the doorknob. “Nolan. His name is Nolan.”
His name left a poisonous taste in my mouth as I rushed out the door.
Chapter Two
My fists pounded against the supple leather of the training bag, my knuckles protected by nothing more than the fingerless gloves I still wore. I hadn’t even changed out of the armor from the meeting, the tight, stretchy shirt and pants clinging to me from the sweat I had worked up, the leather bracers doing nothing to help but chafing my skin even further with each twist and jab I landed. I’d have an angry red rash against my pale skin if I kept going, but I really couldn’t have cared less in that moment.
None of it mattered; not after losing the Alpha promotion. The final step I had been ready to take, ripped away.
If you wanted to become a leader in the Guard, it would take years of dedication and tests before you would find yourself in your Faction’s Hierarchy of twelve. The top spots were known as the Keturi, the four leaders ultimately in charge of every decision that affected the rest of the Faction. Each Keturi member had two seconds, either Gammas or Treasus depending on if you were Varg Anwyn or Shrivika born, to round out the rest of the leadership team. All twelve members had proven time and time again that they believed in the motto of the Guard.
And after the ten years I had put into making it this far, it still wasn’t enough for the High Faction. Not after what I had done.
“Uuughhhh!” I grunted, stabilizing my weight so I could lean back and kick the bag; apparently, my fists just weren’t enough today.
My breath was ragged and heavy in my chest, my low ponytail clinging to the back of my neck by beads of sweat, but I didn’t care how uncomfortable I was physically—that, I could ignore. It was the gut-wrenching, twisted emotions that I needed to get rid of, that I needed to control. When I wasn’t in control of them, I made stupid decisions.
My muscles seized as unwanted memories passed through my thoughts, desperate to bring me back to places of shame and regret. My movements hesitated, fists still poised in front of me, yet I didn’t jab. I took a few deep breaths in through my nose, jaw trembling, trying to bring balance back to myself. I wasn’t that person anymore; I had changed, I had grown.
