A Bathhouse Masquerade: The Drath Series, #27

By Meyari McFarland

Academic Researchers could be quite… Cutthroat.

 

Yin adored traveling the space lanes while researching the earliest days of humanity's expansion into space. Pity it was difficult to pay one's way with historical research. Between herself and Minato, they made do.

 

Mostly. Odd jobs here and there for other researchers filled the gaps in their wallets, as long as Yin kept a tight rein on the budget. Which meant that a trip to the Masquerade Bathhouse would have been impossible, if it weren't for Zan hiring them to "fetch" a file for him.

 

Lovely or not, the Masquerade hid many secrets, some of them deadly, especially for Yin and Minato.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meyari McFarland
• Release date: Apr 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224269501

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

A Bathhouse Masquerade

A BATHHOUSE MASQUERADE

A DRATH SHORT STORY

DRATH

BOOK TWENTY-SEVEN

MEYARI MCFARLAND

MDR Publishing

CONTENTS

A Bathhouse Masquerade

Author's Note: Consort of the Crystal Palace

1. Broken Heart

2. Stolen Heart

Afterword

Author Bio

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OTHER DRATH BOOKS BY MEYARI MCFARLAND:

Clash of Lines

Joining of Lines

Consort of the Crystal Palace

Fragments of a Chain

Stranded With You

Reunited Hearts

A Simple Life

Cradle of the Day

Also Available: The collected Drath Series:

The Drath Series Books 1-3

The Drath Series Books 4-6

You can find these and many other books at www.MDR-Publishing.com. Please sign up for our mailing list to get regular updates on the latest preorders and new releases and a free ebook!

Copyright ©2024 by Mary Raichle

Print ISBN: 978-1-64309-132-7

Cover image

Deposit Photo ID# 607145874_XL by Roman Studio

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

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This story is dedicated to Babylon 5, one of my favorite TV series ever.

A BATHHOUSE MASQUERADE

Artfully created rain pattered down onto the rainbow gravel surrounding the path leading to the Masquerade's entrance, the air full of the rich petrichor of a rainstorm on-planet. The starship's designers had created a graceful walkway with a bamboo-and-tile roofed awning to keep their patrons safe from their so-well-designed rain. The artifice was beautiful, if irritatingly non-ironic.

So much effort to recreate a planet-bound experience on a spaceliner. Surely, they could have put a viewscreen in to give a glimpse of the depths of space. Why go to all the effort of recreating planetary life when you could exploit the delights of space?

Yin didn't sigh as she brushed a stray strand of stick-straight hair out of her mouth. Her pale tan, white and seafoam green yukata was stiffer than she'd expected. The creases from its traditional folding made the yukata stand away from Yin's narrow shoulders, made the boxy sleeves hang like banners from her fragile wrists.

This had best not be dangerous. Yin would charge Zan three times the normal rate, four times, if it was. The last time had been bad enough. Her