The Crimson Vest

By Meyari McFarland

The crimson vest slithered through Guanyu's fingers, delicate embroidery snagging against the callouses on his palms. Embroidered by his mother before her death, it was everything he'd set aside to keep his job.

Which was gone now.

So off job hunting he went, dressed in his favorite sarong and shirt, topped with the crimson vest.

Mother said it would bring him luck someday.

Let today be that day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MDR Publishing
• Release date: Jan 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370182725

Meyari McFarland

Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

Book preview

The Crimson Vest

By Meyari McFarland

Other Romance Books by Meyari McFarland:

Matriarchies of Muirin:

Coming Together

Fitting In

Following the Beacon

The Solace of Her Clan

Debts to Recover:

The Nature of Beasts

Assumptions of Debt

The Manor Verse:

A New Path

Following the Trail

Crafting Home

Finding a Way

Go Between

Like Arrows of Fate

The Drath Verse

Clash of Lines

Joining of Lines

Consort of the Crystal Palace

Fragments of a Chain

Stranded With You

Reunited Hearts

Copyright ©2016 by Mary Raichle

Cover image

© Marusja2 | Dreamstime.com - Galaxy In A Free Space Photo

© Xixinxing | Dreamstime.com - Portrait Of A Man Photo

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to [e-mail]

This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

Dedication:

This story is dedicated to my Grammie for teaching me sewing, for being a force of nature and for showing me that I could do anything I set my mind to.

Table of Contents

The Crimson Vest

Excerpt: Reunited Hearts

Afterword

The Crimson Vest

The crimson vest slithered through Guanyu's fingers, delicate embroidery snagging against the callouses on his palms. Roses vied with lilies against a background of bamboo leaves, all done in shades of red, burgundy and cream. Despite every square inch of the vest being covered in embroidery, the fabric still moved like water through his hands.

He hadn't worn it for years. Not since he left home. Mother had given it to him when he came of age, beaming at him as he put it on the first time. Guanyu had been thinner then, not much, but a bit. Not that it mattered. The vest was loose, arms opening wide so that he could wear almost anything underneath it. The inside pockets were still strong, bottoms belled slightly so that he could carry a knife or a blackjack.

Not that he ever had. It ruined the way the vest hung around his belly. Better to use pockets in his pants or shirt for that. Besides, he wouldn't want to damage the beautiful crimson vest by getting in a fight while wearing it.

Guanyu sighed.

Black pants tied with a drawstring hung in front of him. He glared at them. Stupid things. The only reason he had them was his boss had said that sarong was unprofessional. As if that offworlder had any idea what was proper. He didn't even eat poi.

Not that his boss' opinion mattered now. Guanyu's job was gone, given away to an offworlder newly moved in to support the tourist industry building on Tasma. The planet