QSFer Beck Grey has a new MM fantasy romance out: Vengeance.
They say the Shabah doesn’t exist.
They’re wrong.
I know because I was one of them—an assassin trained to kill without question and then vanish without a trace. Five years ago, on a mission with my closest friend, Kas, the unthinkable happened. We were ambushed by one of our own. I still see Kas’s blood on my hands and the confusion in his eyes as he died. Like a coward, I ran.
Now I’m back.
Amagi hasn’t changed. Same powerful Guilds, same rot beneath the surface. But I’m not the same man who fled. I’ve spent five years planning—waiting for the right moment to strike. I’ll figure out who was responsible, and every name on that list will pay. Slowly. Painfully. They took my brother-in-arms. They took my peace. I’ll take everything from them in return.
The Shabah think they buried their secret. They believe I’m gone.
They’re about to learn that ghosts don’t always stay dead.
Vengeance is an LGBTQ+ fantasy romance featuring a morally gray assassin sworn to avenge the past, a charming merchant unaware of the secrets in his own, and the dangerous connection that binds them. It’s a standalone introduction to the Amagi Chronicles universe.
Warnings: This is a fictitious story with a main character who is an assassin. As such, there will be on-page scenes of murder by various means, including with blade and poison. Some deaths are mildly graphic. This is integral to the story and the main character. No main characters die. There is a scene in Chapter Four that includes political discussions by characters who do not have the well-being of the general population in mind. It closely resembles the political climate in the United States of America in 2025. If this is distressing to you, you can skip this chapter with little impact on the main storyline. Brief mentions of off-page physical and mental abuse of children. Brief mentions of off-page torture. No details are mentioned. Mentions in Chapter 18 of one minor character experiencing multiple miscarriages in the past. One brief instance of cutting at the beginning of Chapter 24. If you’d prefer to avoid this part, you can skip the short paragraph that starts with, “I unsheathe one of my daggers…” and you’ll miss all of it.
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Excerpt
Val squints up at the arch, lit by the early morning sun. “You sure you want to do this? You don’t have to, you know.”
I look at my best friend and smile. “Val, it’s time. I’ve hidden long enough.” Grinning, I shake out my hands. “Plus I miss my magic being at full power. No wonder they think magic is fake here.”
Val snorts and nods. “Yeah I do miss that, but you get used to it.”
“I’ve been here for five years. How long does it take?” He ignores my question because we both know the real answer is never. Not when you’ve grown up with magic at your fingertips. “I’m tired, Val. Tired of feeling like a kicked dog cowering with his tail between his legs.”
He shakes his head. “Recovering. Regrouping. Not cowering. What they did to us, to you, was brutal, and you deserve all the time you need to heal. Plus, it’s given us time to find the Key.” He looks at the quartz and white-gold filigree ring again. “Maybe.”
“We know where the Key is, even if they aren’t admitting it.” It comes out more angry than I planned.
Sighing, he moves toward the gate. “We think we know. And when we have a few more things in place, we’ll take the Key back.” He mock-glares at me. “And I meant this key, asshole.”
He holds out the ring, and I take it, giving him my own glare. “Fucker.” Our gazes meet and he clenches his jaw then pulls me into a bear hug. Which is awkward since he’s six feet tall and lanky and I’m barely five feet eight inches and compact muscle.
Tightening his ridiculously long arms around me, he kisses the side of my head. “Be safe, Zayd. Don’t make me come home to kick someone’s ass. Because after I do, I’ll kick yours for forcing me back before everything’s ready.” It’s odd that after almost seven years on Earth, Val still calls Amagi home. But I get it. I feel the pull too. Especially this close to one of the few doorways to our world.
There’s too much to say, and we’re not good at any of it. “I’ll be careful. They trained that into us. ‘Be careful or be dead.’ Right?”
“Stab Master Enzo several times for me. Okay?”
I laugh into his shoulder and nod, my throat tightening as my eyes prickle. “Definitely. And if I end up poisoning him instead, I’ll make sure it’s a slow, painful death.”
“Excellent.”
I slip the ring on my left index finger and instantly feel a massive amplification of my magic. Wide-eyed, I look at Val. “Whoa. It’s like being home!”
Val grins wickedly. “Right? I told you. Ronan’s the one. This’ll work.”
“Take care of yourself, brother. And watch out for him. If he is who we think he is, they’ll eventually come after him.”
“I’ll protect him with my life.” It’s said matter-of-factly, with no drama, which is unusual for Val. But I know he’ll make sure Ronan is safe. It’s what we were raised to do. Like me, he was acquired at a young age to be a Shade, a shadow assassin for the secret arm of the Onyx Guild. It was kill or be killed, literally, from the moment training started. Those of us who survived bonded like brothers.
I squeeze him once more and kiss his cheek. “Alright. Let’s see if this works.” I step up to the archway, turn the ring so the gem is facing down, and place it against the stone. A low hum rumbles from the structure. It vibrates through the ring, into my palm, quickly spreading through my whole body, making the hairs on my arms and legs stand on end. I glance at Val, who stares, wide-eyed but grinning. He shoots me two thumbs-up. Laughing, I flip him off and feel the whoosh of the gateway opening. Turning around, I stare at the rippling image of the world on the other side. “It’s somewhere in Heisei. So not too far off. I’m sure I can find a translocation circle to get me to Amal.” I hold his gaze for another minute, my heart both wanting to stay and go. “Love you.”
He puts his hand over his heart. “Love you too, brother. Be safe.”
I take off the ring and toss it back, then firming my resolve, I turn to the gateway and step through.
Author Bio
Beck Grey is an author of LGBTQ+ lower-angst romance, writing inclusive happily ever afters, because we all deserve to see characters like us find happiness. Incognito worker bee by day, Beck spends evenings and weekends devoted to writing stories involving hot characters, favorite tropes, and happy endings. If you love character driven stories that feel real, without the heavy trauma, you’ve found your place. Welcome.
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