About Gray: Grisaille in Stone and Sky
by Molly Church
130 pages / 28400 words
ISBN: 978-1-1-61040-039-8
Ebook zipped file contains -
html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Corvo and Ardán are back in this stand-alone story that follows them from
Ardán's homeworld of Biryan to a new planet. Corvo has been called in to
arbitrate a situation on the planet Varosa that is on the brink of becoming
a civil war.
Added to the intricacies of negotiations are Corvo and Ardán's own problems.
Ardán's peculiar status as a slave, and yet not a slave, is still not
resolved to his or Corvo's satisfaction, and when things begin to go wrong
on Varosa, Ardán just might have to face the baggage he's been carrying
around for years. Can Corvo and Ardán come out of the volatile situation not
only alive, but with their relationship intact? Or is everything about to
come to pieces?
Corvo and Ardán have appeared in Brown: Grisaille in Sand and Sunset and
Pentimento: Poppy
Sample
After they'd finished, Corvo organized for the plates
to be taken away while Ardán excused himself to the washroom for a
lightening quick shower. Corvo joined him as he was climbing out of the
stone tub, and they switched places.
Ardán watched Corvo wash as he toweled himself dry. It was more hurried
than methodical, but it got the job done. It wasn't like either of them
had had a chance to actually get dirty since they'd showered -- how long
ago was it, in real time? -- on the flyer.
Corvo switched off the water. Wordlessly, Ardán offered him a towel, but
Corvo only rubbed his hair with it quickly before wrapping it around his
waist. "Let's get you to bed," he said.
Ardán allowed himself to be led toward the bed, and did not protest as
Corvo dug into the bag of bedroom things only to drag out oil, but he
did sigh.
"Does a massage not sound nice?" Corvo asked.
No, that sounded better than nice actually. He nodded, and the scent of
tuberose wafted exuberantly from the bottle, as Corvo poured it over his
hands. Ardán tucked his face onto his arms, and closed his eyes. Corvo's
fingers whispered their way down his back, a lullaby of scent and
sensation.
"Are you trying to put me to sleep?" Ardán asked, turning his head once
more to the side. He thought he caught a flash of teeth above him, from
the corner of his eye.
"That would be devious of me, wouldn't it?" Corvo said.
Devious, and devoted. "It would seem that your deviousness leads
directly to punishment, not reward."
"As it should," Corvo sniffed playfully.
Ardán flipped over, and Corvo withdrew his hands quickly. The end result
had Corvo looking a bit like a startled prisoner surrendering. It didn't
last long. Corvo swiftly (if not suavely) resumed his massaging, down
Ardán's chest this time, though the strong, smooth strokes rapidly
deteriorated into shrinking circles around Ardán's nipples. Corvo caught
Ardán's grin, and stopped, finally.