On sale at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kindle, Apple, and print.
Dreams lost to the Darks
* * * *
A couple hours later, Ilid lay in the large bed in the room designated for him. He gazed at the open window, through which the cool night breeze wafted drapes. An actual window, he marveled. On their home planet, Kalquorians used energy-efficient vids to give the illusion of the outdoors. Some had vents to simulate breezes.
Somehow the real thing seemed nicer. But then, everything about Haven had pleased him thus far.
Above all, there were no Darks to threaten him. The terrible entities, part of a larger alien force known as the All, had invaded from another dimension and threatened the galaxy. Ilid had been among the first to confront the terrible creatures while orbiting a planet called Bi’is. The Darks had destroyed Bi’is’ entire civilization in a matter of weeks after their arrival.
Few people could detect the Darks by sight. Ilid was among them. As an ensign on a spyship, he’d been aware of strange, transparent shadow shapes draped on the shoulders and necks of his fellow crewmates, controlling everyone around him. At the beginning, he’d thought he was going insane. The Darks had realized he was on to them and inflicted horrific experiments to learn how he was able to see them. Thanks to a fellow low-ranking crewmember who could also detect the malevolent creatures, Ilid had been set free. In his attempt to expose the Darks to the fleet, his rescuer had accidentally destroyed the spyship. Badly injured, Ilid had barely escaped alive on a shuttle, the sole survivor of his crew.
Other ships had honed in on his distress call, and he’d been able to warn the Kalquorian Empire of the Dark menace determined to wipe them out of existence. After the trauma he’d endured, Ilid had been remanded to a psychiatric hospital. He’d been unable to sleep because of nightmares, plagued by hallucinations of shadows creeping up on him, and terrorized by the knowledge the Darks were coming for Kalquor. The All and its Darks had taken control of the Galactic Council of Planets, the ambassadorial body of many worlds, including Kalquor and Earth II.
The idea of his parents having to cope with his ongoing overwhelming distress had sent Ilid into a greater blackness. A few weeks earlier, he’d attempted suicide rather than cause them further pain. The quick-acting hospital staff had kept him from succeeding, and his parents’ determination and love had lured him back into wanting to live. The trip to Haven, where safeguards had thus far thwarted the Darks’ infiltration efforts, was the latest effort to restore Ilid to emotional well-being.
It’s an escape though. I’m still not facing my fears.
Then, on board the shuttle taking him to Haven, he’d met Jennifer. She’d somehow made his hurts less in the three days he’d known her. She was a bright spot in an increasingly grim universe. It wasn’t just Diju’s eager matchmaking helping him consider a future with someone special.
Fertile Kalquorian women had become few, thanks to a deadly and often sterilizing virus. Kalquorian men had banded together in clans for several centuries, made up of three breeds: Dramok, Imdiko, and Nobek. Until recently, such a union had been the legal requirement to clan an increasingly rare female lifegiver, the celebrated and venerated Matara.
Earthers had changed everything. The numerous human women had been found to be compatible for carrying children fathered by Kalquorians, thanks to an ancient ancestor common to the two species.
Nowadays, a single Kalquorian man of any breed could clan, or marry, a human woman. Clanning of all the breeds continued to be a favored tradition among several, however. Prior to his encounter with the Darks, Ilid hadn’t been able to conceive of heading anything but the typical four-person clan, though he was perfectly willing for his future Matara to be Earther.
The Darks had destroyed his hopes. Ilid’s damaged psyche had challenged his view of himself. How could he be a true clan leader…a real Dramok…when nightmares left him screaming? When he’d run from Kalquor to escape the continuing Dark threat hanging over it?
Meeting Jennifer had allowed some of his dream to reassert itself, despite his misgivings. She’d shown him he still wished to have someone to share his life with.
An Earther might not have the expectations of a Nobek and an Imdiko. Perhaps Ilid was Dramok enough for such a relationship. He wondered if a human woman could accept a less than perfect man if she didn’t know the extent of how badly he’d been broken.
* * * *
Using the alias Jennifer Seng, Charity Nath hides on Haven, a planet settled by Earthers and Kalquorians. She’s less than thrilled to be on the agricultural outpost where the height of culture is a play titled Cow Patties in Paradise. With a bounty on her head and ruthless enemies determined to cash in, she has little choice but to work on Clan Amgar’s farm until the danger is past. At least the view is nice, thanks to three young, handsome Kalquorians…but they have their own secrets they’re unwilling to share.
After his encounter with a merciless entity that performed horrific medical tests on him, Dramok Ilid is eager for a place where he can feel safe again. Haven’s strict security protocols mean the pandemic raging in his home empire has little chance of striking the planet. Better yet, there’s little opportunity for the enemy Darks who traumatized him to show up either. Still, he knows he isn’t the man to lead a clan of his own despite the tempting potential of his new friends who are everything he could hope for.
Imdiko Mitag is charming, gorgeous, and resolved to draw out the trio who seem perfect for the clan he’s always dreamed of. His eagerness conceals a long-ago tragedy and an unloving childhood he’s determined won’t dictate the rest of his life, if he can convince the others.
It isn’t that Nobek Detodev doesn’t want friends and lovers. As a Nobek who hates who he is, he’s certain no one else could want him. His aloof persona begins to crack when Charity, Ilid, and Mitag refuse to let him remain unapproachable. But surely they’ll run when they discover the truth.
When
Charity comes under attack by those who’ll stop at nothing to destroy
the uneasy peace between Earth II and Kalquor, the quartet finds secrets
are the greatest danger to keeping her safe. Can her life and their
growing love survive the truth of their pasts?
After six years, a
new novel for the original Clans of Kalquor series…the fiftieth book in
the Kalquor Universe…is here. One big adventure in two versions
celebrates this milestone. Version One is the traditional Clans of
Kalquor heroine-centric story. Version Two is both a Clans of Kalquor
and Clan Beginnings same-sex-friendly edition. Both versions are here in
one volume. Choose which to read…or read both.
On sale at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kindle, Apple, and print.
No comments:
Post a Comment