QSFes Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus have a new queer space opera out, Virasana Empire: Sir Yaden book 6: Calarni.
Exploring a newly discovered system shouldn’t have taken Yaden and Ivan more than a few days. But suddenly, they find themselves stranded in a faraway galaxy, way outside the reach of even the strongest guild psions.
Their only chance of ever finding a way back home is to make allies among the truly alien locals, and find a way to deal with the powers-that-be: the brutally isolationist Calarni. Their crystalline technology is superior to anything the Empire has ever seen, and might just be the missing link to the original builders of the mandalas…
Written by award-winning authors Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, ‘Calarni’ is a riveting space opera adventure and the sixth book and mid-season-spectacular of the ‘Sir Yaden’ series.
Warnings: Angst, Non-Con, Side Character Death
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Excerpt
“What do you mean, you have no idea where they are?”
Ciel winced at his forceful outburst, but this once, Colin was incapable of dredging up any sympathy for her. Yes, it was incredible brave and kind of her to agree to a meeting in person – which was why they were sitting around the big table under the gnarled, old tree in the courtyard – but it wasn’t her husband who had completely disappeared from the face of the universe during one of his missions, while she was the only one sure that he was alive and able to feel the subtle, sinister threat of something horrible happening to him soon.
“Sir Colin, please,” Commander Hamilton was using his most soothing tone, but being spoken to like a toddler who was throwing a tantrum was about the last thing Colin needed. Luckily, Hamilton noticed and immediately switched to a calm but less gentle one with his next words. “We wouldn’t even know that they are missing if you hadn’t alerted us to something being wrong. I can assure you Vertex Ciel has done all she can to…”
“I have.” It was always startling how soft and shy Ciel’s physical voice was, compared to her telepathic one, which easily filled the mind with absolutely clarity. She was seated next to Colin and now reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. “Colin, please believe me, I have never stretched as far as I have trying to find them.”
“But I can tell you exactly where they are! There!” Colin pointed up into the blue sky, past one of the two fluffy white clouds marring its pristine beauty. This time, he had a clear sense of direction and no feeling at all for the distance. Well, none except ‘fucking far away’, but that didn’t really help, did it?
“Yes, I know. But they are beyond my reach.”
Then try harder, Colin wanted to shout at her, but he swallowed the words. He knew that if she could, she would have. She looked more worn out and dismayed than he had ever seen her before. Of course she would, because she had to be keenly feeling all the rage and sadness and fear he was struggling with right now. Hugging her would have been the right thing to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to sufficiently swallow his anger.
“Ulysses has tried, too,” Ciel added, “but his range is less than mine, though he would never admit that. We simply can’t reach them.”
“So what about that system?” Colin turned on Commander Hamilton again with a deadly glare. “What happened? Why aren’t you all over it, looking for them?”
“Because whatever happened to the two of them, we don’t want to happen to anyone else,” Hamilton answered sensibly. “We are investigating, but cautiously. It has only been a couple of hours since you alerted us, and we already have drones in the system, scanning for what might have happened. We should have the first results soon. I daresay no Lotus Knight going missing has ever been investigated as quickly as this.”
He was right, and yet it didn’t stop Colin from wanting to jump across the table, grab him by the throat and shake him until he spat out his precious husband.
“Please, you have to give us time to work on this. We will do everything in our power to bring Yaden and Ivan back. You know that.”
Everything in the power of the Lotus Pavilion was a lot. Why, then, did that nagging feeling of doom not go away? What exactly was Ynagra trying to tell him? Yaden wasn’t in immediate danger, that much he was sure of. But there was a choking sense of dread which refused to lift, no matter how much the Commander tried to reassure him, no matter how often Colin told himself that Yaden and Ivan were a formidable team and that they would find a way home, because they were heroes who broke down whatever stood in their way.
“I will keep trying, too” Ciel promised solemnly.
Colin slumped in his chair. “I want you to keep me updated,” he told Hamilton, admitting defeat, admitting that there was nothing he could do to help.
“Of course. I will let you know as soon as we learn anything new.”
They didn’t have much more to say after that. The Commander rattled off some facts about the system Yaden and Ivan had disappeared in, but Colin only half listened, a quiet sense of gloom settling over him. He was thankful when they left, though Ciel looked like she was in almost physical pain, wanting nothing more than to hug Colin and never let go. But they did leave.
Only a few heartbeats after they had been ported away, Myriam and Darios joined him. Both had stayed in the kitchen, listening from there. Now, Darios sat down next to Colin, radiating the same mountain-range calm Yaden so often did. Myriam climbed into Colin’s lap and he grateful wrapped his arms around her. He had family right here, he reminded himself, family who needed him and family who was there for him.
“Don’t look so scared, dad,” Myriam said, her clear reproach cutting through his gloom. “They will come back. Of course they will. Not right away, because wherever they are now will need some exploring. I bet they are in the coolest place ever and will have the most awesome adventures.” She sighed dramatically. “I wish I was there with them. Seeing how they are both not the smartest cookies when it comes to science.”
“Please don’t say that.” Colin hugged her so tightly she grunted. “Please, please don’t ever get lost, because that would kill me.”
“Okay, okay.” She struggled until he loosened his embrace sufficiently for her to properly breathe again. “But I do think you worry too much. They are great. Have a little faith.”
Colin glanced over at Darios to gauge his feelings.
The big man was smiling softly and now reached over to put a reassuring hand on Colin’s shoulder. “I know exactly how you feel,” he said, “I always felt the same when Yaden went off to tame a volcano or disappeared into a blizzard. It always felt like I would never see him again, never know whether he was dead or hurt and there was nothing I could do.”
That sounded so much worse than what Colin was going through right now, he put his own hand on Darios’ to squeeze it. At least, he knew that Yaden was alive and unhurt.
Darios’ smile brightened. “But he always did come back. Always. No matter what the odds. And back then, it was just me he was coming back to. Not you. Not Myriam. He has a way of growing stronger when he has to. He will come back to us.”
“And we will be right here to make sure you are not alone,” Myriam added.
Would that be enough? It would have to be. He would be brave and trust in Yaden. He would be here so Yaden had a home to come back to.
Author Bio
We are Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, a couple currently living our happily ever after in the very heart of Germany, under the stern but loving surveillance of our cat.
Both of us are voracious but picky readers, we love telling stories and drinking tea, good food and the occasional violent movie. Together, we write novels of adventure and romance, hoping to share a little of our happiness with our readers.
An artist by heart, Beryll was writing stories even before she knew what letters were. As easily inspired as she is frustrated, her own work is never good enough (in her eyes). A perfectionist in the best and worst sense of the word at the same time and the driving creative force of our duo.
An entertainer and craftsman in his approach to writing, Osiris is the down-to-earth, practical part of our duo. Broadly interested in almost every subject and skill, with a sunny mood and caring personality, he strives to bring the human nature into focus of each of his stories.
| Author Website | https://www.brackhaus.com/the-books/virasana-empire/calarni/ |
| Author Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011014541510 |
| Author Twitter | https://twitter.com/Brackhaus |