QSFer Niranjan has a new queer sword and sorcery fantasy out (Ace, Bi, Demi, Gay, Poly): Blade Broken.
A spy lurking in the shadows, a nation on the verge of an invasion, a man desperate to protect his home.
Lucian is the Blade of Castrial–the kingdom’s spymaster and first line of defense, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial’s economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can’t afford the cost of fighting off another invasion.
And if that wasn’t trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian’s. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost relationship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified.
Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall.
Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.
Warnings: DEATH, MURDER POISON, BLOOD, VIOLENCE, TORTURE DOMESTIC ABUSE RAPE/ SEXUAL ASSAULT GRIEF, LOSS, PAIN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION DEATH OF A FAMILY MEMBER TRAUMA, PTSD SLAVERY CONSENSUAL SEX WITH A SLAVE NIGHTMARES ILLNESS/ DISABILITY DUE TO TORTURE BRITISH AND INDIAN SPELLINGS
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Excerpt
“You might fall off,” a voice spoke, the voice of the man Lucian had been staring at all evening.
Lucian yelped, and nearly fell off, but caught himself in time and turned to see Alaric standing inside the room, his back to the closed door.
“Alaric,” he said, his voice coming out breathless.
“Lucian,” Alaric spoke, his voice even. “Mind telling me why you have been staring at me all evening? Have you forgotten we have work to do?”
Under any other circumstances, Lucian would have lied, or brushed it off, or even denied it. But his heart was still racing, and he couldn’t stop the words that slipped past his lips.
“I couldn’t help it. I’ve missed you. You’ve changed, but not so much… I just… It’s been so long.”
“We met each other last griel,” Alaric said drily. “We’ve been seeing each other every day at court.”
“You know what I mean,” Lucian said, moving towards Alaric.
“Do I?” Alaric asked, not moving from where he stood.
“Alaric,” Lucian said as he stopped, right in front of the other man. One more step would bring them chest to chest. “Alaric, it has been farials since I saw you like this.”
“Like what?” Alaric asked, as if he was determined to make things difficult for Lucian. “I’m afraid I don’t get you.”
“In an informal setting,” Lucian said. “Where I could just look at you and not worry about anything.”
Where I could dream of taking you home later and making love to you.
Alaric’s eyes held his.
“Five farials, twenty griels and sixteen days since we last had sex, if that’s what you mean.” He paused, adding with deliberate casualness that would have deceived anyone except Lucian. “Five farials, twenty griels and three days since we saw each other before my return.”
Lucian’s breath hitched. “Alaric…”
“Is that all you can say?” Alaric demanded, his voice harsh. “Five farials I suffered, and you have nothing more to say to me?”
“What do you want me to say?” Lucian asked.
“What should I tell you?” Alaric asked, bitterness palpable in his tone. “Is it too much for me to even hope for a proper apology from the great Blade of Castrial? An explanation? Without me having to ask for it? I was in abyss, Lucian, and now you stand there, refusing to speak, and you expect me to believe that you care? That you missed me?”
“What good would another apology do?” Lucian asked, his heart hammering as he tried to parse Alaric’s words.
It sounded as if Alaric suspected the truth, even though he wasn’t sure. But Lucian couldn’t tell him, not before the King did. For Castrial’s sake, the truth had to stay inside his heart.
“What I did was unforgiveable, and I dare not ask for it. I regret what I did, and I have regretted it even when I thought you were guilty, but my regret serves no purpose… It doesn’t help ease any part of what you went through, and no amount of apologies can make up for what I did.”
“You’re right,” Alaric said, his eyes boring into Lucian’s. “They don’t. But at least an expression of that would have made me feel like you care, would have made me inclined to… Perhaps it’s best this way.”
“Alaric…”
“Stop it!” Alaric growled. “Stop saying my name like I mean something! Stop looking at me like you care!”
“I do,” Lucian said. “Whatever I did, however I wronged you, doesn’t mean that I don’t care for you!”
Alaric turned as if to leave, and Lucian caught his arm and spun him around. Alaric knocked off his hand and pushed him away. “Don’t touch me!”
They stared at each other, Alaric’s eyes full of anger and something else, something so intensely familiar that Lucian couldn’t stop himself from stepping forward and reaching out. Alaric’s hand caught his shoulder and slammed him on to the wall next to the door.
“Do you never listen?” he demanded. “Why do you keep pushing?”
Lucian leaned forward to press his lips to Alaric’s, and the other man stiffened for a moment before kissing back. It was not like how they had kissed before. It was rough and harsh and full of need, and a lot of pent-up emotions. Lucian’s hand fisted on Alaric’s shoulders, afraid Alaric would pull away.
Alaric didn’t, pulling Lucian even closer, his hand on the back of Lucian’s neck almost vice like. He had forgotten this, Lucian realised. Forgotten the shape of Alaric’s lips, the taste of Alaric’s mouth, the feel of his hard body under his hands. Lucian’s roaming hands had found the fastenings of Alaric’s tunic and had started to loosen them. He needed to feel Alaric’s skin, to touch its warmth. He needed it like he had not needed anything in his life.
Alaric’s grip gentled, as did his lips, and Lucian licked into the other man’s mouth eliciting a reaction as Alaric’s grip around his middle tightened.
Alaric was the one who broke the kiss, but Lucian wouldn’t let him move away.
“We can’t,” Alaric said, but he looked and sounded every bit as wrecked as Lucian felt.
“We can,” Lucian said. “Alaric, please.”
Alaric shook his head. “It’s not enough,” he whispered. “We can’t because it won’t change a thing, and I… I can’t anymore, Lucian. I can’t…”
Lucian let him go, and watched as Alaric fastened his tunic again and took a comb from his pocket to wrangle his hair back in place. He checked himself on the mirror on one corner and held out the comb to Lucian without a word. Lucian took the comb almost mechanically and started putting his hair in order, his thoughts churning and his heart aching so much that he wanted to rub his chest. Lucian felt shattered, as if his heart was only a bloody mess inside his chest.
Of course, hearts didn’t really shatter. It only felt like they did.
Author Bio
An author and editor, Niranjan’s biggest ambition is to have a character named Garth in every book they write. Niranjan writes books rooted in mythical worlds, and their stories are often a combination of magic and futuristic technology.
When they are not writing or editing, Niranjan can be found cooking or just lying on their couch watching or rewatching C Dramas and writing fanfiction.
More about them may be found at https://authorniranjan.in/
They have a ko-fi shop where you can get free maps and character arts as well as purchase their books.
| Author Website | https://authorniranjan.in/ |
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| Author Mastodon | https://writing.exchange/@Ormakal |