by Cate Dean
No.
A frown darkened his face. “Will we still see each other?”
Liam ruffled his blonde hair, signed with his free hand.
Always.
Joran already told him Kiehl was to be his assistant. Liam wanted to wait before letting the boy know he might see less of that garden than he hoped.
The caravan lurched to a halt. Liam moved to the edge of the bed, and grabbed the robe hanging on the bedpost. Joran would expect him to be dressed and ready when the door opened.
He stood when Joran appeared, pausing on the threshold.
“Kiehl, go help unload the luggage.”
“Right away, Master.”
Joran waited until he was gone to speak again. “How is the throat?”
Liam shook his head.
No different.
“There are healers here, with skills that border on the miraculous. We’ll see what they can do for you.” His hesitation sent dread coiling through Liam. “I was going to tell you before this, Silver Tongue. As a slave to administration, you have to be shackled, and you have to be branded as mine.”
Liam stood, backing away from the too familiar clink of iron chain.
No.
“I am sorry. Silver Tongue—you need to trust me.”
Joran turned and left the caravan. Liam had no choice; he followed, making his way down the steps. A man waited in the courtyard, a portable forge next to him. In that forge, Liam saw the brand, already white hot. He swallowed, backing away—and ran into Joran. The slaver turned him around and gripped his shoulder.
“This is going to hurt you, and I’m sorry for the need. Were you on my land, I would hardly bother. But here, this is the only way to claim you.”
He shifted Liam, standing behind him, and wrapped one arm around his waist. Liam understood his reason a moment later when the blacksmith pulled the branding iron out of the forge.
“Which arm, Joran?”
“The left. He will be an admin clerk, and I don’t want his dominant arm damaged.”
Nodding, the blacksmith grabbed Liam’s left hand. “This’ll be fast but excruciating.” He flashed Liam a grim smile, then glanced past him. “Hold him tight, Joran.”
Without warning he pressed the iron into Liam’s forearm.
A hoarse scream tore out of Liam’s throat. Fire raged up his arm, so consuming he forgot how to breathe. His knees buckled, and Joran tightened the arm around his waist. An eternity passed before the iron finally pulled away from his skin.
Slowly, Joran lowered him to the ground, and crouched in front of him, one hand cradling the back of Liam’s neck.
“Breathe through it, son.” The endearment sliced across his heart, but it also gave him hope that he might have found an ally in this hostile, alien world.
He took Joran’s advice, though it did nothing to lessen the fire roaring through his arm. Joran eased the bracelets over his wrists, taking extra time with his left arm. It shook uncontrollably, and just the pressure of the slaver’s hand made the fire in his forearm rage hotter.
Joran’s quiet voice filtered through the pain. “I am taking you to your quarters, so you can rest. Your new duties will start tomorrow. I will have you out of admin as quickly as I can. But before I make the effort, I want to know that you understand what the change means for you.”
Liam met his eyes, flinching as he signed.
I fight.
“Yes. For me, and only for me. I promise you, right here, that I will never sell you, or mistreat you, as long as you obey me.”
Liam studied him. Joran was a slaver, but he had not lied to Liam, or misled him.
I will—
He had no sign for obey, so he bowed his head.
“You are not alone here, son. I treat my slaves fairly, as long as they remember their place. Come.”
He helped Liam to his feet, and led him around the impressive, white stone building. His arm throbbed, and Liam knew he’d find no relief in sleep, not with this kind of pain. His ragged breath rasped in his throat, his still healing injuries flaring back into life after the scream. The fact that he made a sound at all encouraged him, even if he paid for it in pain.
Liam had a feeling there would be much more pain before he was through here.
For now, he would obey, and survive.
Until he found a way home.
~ ~ ~*~ ~ ~
Thank you for reading more of Micah and Liam’s adventure! They will return, in Blood Prince, coming your way in summer 2015.
Did you miss the prequel? It is free to download at all online retailers, and gives a detailed setup of how all the characters met, and how the conspiracy began.
If you enjoyed Shattered Throne, I would love it if you took a moment and left a review. They are so important, and help other readers discover the books they want to read. Thank you!
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Can’t wait for more? Then turn the page for an exclusive excerpt of Blood Prince.
Excerpt from Blood Prince
Liam set down the pencil and rubbed his eyes. The numbers on the page had started to blur, which meant it was past time for him to be done. Unfortunately, Rab, the fussy man who supervised the admin clerks, considered the day finished only after the sun set. In high summer, that meant he had hours left to go before his shift was finally over.
He tapped the edge of the desk. Kiehl, his pint-sized apprentice, popped up from the other side.
“What is it, Silver Tongue? Are you hungry, thirsty?”
Smiling, Liam used the hand signals and alphabet that substituted for his still healing voice.
Yes. To both.
“I am already gone.”
Liam snapped his fingers to keep Kiehl from dashing off.
Enough for two, Kiehl.
A grin spread across the boy’s face. “Yes, Silver Tongue.”
With a sigh, Liam watched him sprint down the aisle created by two rows of desks, then lowered his head, focusing on the account in front of him. It was a mess, as were most of the business accounts they were given. Liam wondered how anyone here made a profit, with such appalling business practices—
Stop.
He needed to remember where he was, who he was now. A slave of the Oasis, bought and paid for. The rattle of the chain linking the iron bracelets on his wrists reminded him every time he moved his hands, along with the nearly healed brand on his left forearm.
Three months with no sign of Xander or Damian told him that they lost him, or met with some danger. Each passing day chipped at his hope, until finally, he resigned himself to finding his own way out. If he could get free of this duty, he might have a chance. But trapped at a desk, under the watchful eye of a man who trusted no one—
“Westerner!”
Liam froze, trying to figure out what he did to earn Rab’s unwanted attention.
The man’s bulk moved into his line of sight, his white robe stained with sweat. Liam kept his gaze lowered, and swallowed, waiting for the unearned punishment.
“Why are you not working?”
That jerked Liam’s head up. He met the pale, bloodshot amber eyes, and realized Rab had been drinking. Again. It was going to be worse than he anticipated. Rab hated him, had since the moment Liam’s owner, Joran, brought him into the building.
Liam lifted his hand to sign—and let out a raw cry when Rab lashed his riding crop across Liam’s brand. Fire scorched his arm. He gripped the edge of the desk, forced himself not to lunge at the man.
“Lazy foreigner, think you are entitled, think you should be treated differently.” Rab mumbled, his words slurring, edged with the rage that came out when he was drunk. “You are a slave, boy. Time to remind you.”
Rab caught the chain between his bracelets and hauled Liam off the chair, to his knees. The other clerks—a mix of slaves and paid workers�
�sat at their desks, not moving. Liam could hardly blame them. The one time he interfered in another slave’s punishment, he paid for it in pain.
The first blow knocked Liam forward. His right hand slapped the cold stone floor, kept him from hitting face first. Rab used the wooden handle of the crop to punish, knowing it hurt more, and left less of a mark. Fingers closed over his braid and jerked his head back.
“I will hear you scream, boy, like the pampered coward you are.”
Liam’s heart pounded, waiting for the man to hit his throat. It was his most vulnerable spot, and Rab avoided hurting him there before now, because it would leave a mark—one he would not be able to explain away.
“Silver Tongue!” Kiehl’s shout warned Liam just before the boy slammed into them.
Liam landed on his left side, hard enough to reignite the pain in his arm. He ignored it and grabbed Kiehl, wrapping himself around the boy in time for Rab’s riding crop to lash across his back. Kiehl fought Liam’s grip.
“I need to stop him from hurting you—”
Liam tucked the boy into his shoulder, and bit back a cry when the crop landed on the scars marking his right shoulder.
“Scream, damn you.” Rab put his weight behind every blow. “I want to hear you—”
“Touch him again and you are a dead man.” Joran’s deep voice echoed through the long building.
“But I—”
“Stand away, Rab, before I take that damned crop to your back.” Liam felt Joran’s presence, braced himself for the pain touching would cause. “Crawl out from under, Kiehl, and help me.”
“Yes, master.” He touched Liam’s cheek, tears staining his face. “Thank you.”
Swallowing, Liam let him go. Two sets of hands helped him to his feet, his already aching throat raw by the time he straightened. Joran cradled the back of his neck, one of the few places Liam didn’t hurt.
“I seem to spend more time apologizing to you, Silver Tongue. I believe your tenure here is finished.” He pulled a key from the pocket of his loose trousers, and unlocked Liam’s shackles. “Fortunately, a spot opened in my latest group of trainees.” Liam met his gaze, aware of what this change meant. Joran’s dark green eyes studied him, and he nodded, as if making a decision. “Welcome to your first day of training. Gladiator.”
~ ~ ~
Shattered Throne
Book 1 of The Shattered Throne Series
Cate Dean
Copyright, 2015
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.
Cover art and design by Nadica Boskovska.
Realm of Farren map drawn by Katie at Magic Owl Design.
Books by Cate Dean
Shattered Throne
Prequel – Second Son
Book 1 – Shattered Throne
Love in Time
Book One – Final Hours
Book Two – First Breath
Book 2.5 – Loving Kane
Book Three – Second Chances
Book 3.5 – Three for Christmas
The Blackbourne Mysteries
Prequel – Tempted Heart
The Claire Wiche Chronicles
Book 1 – Rest For The Wicked
Book 2 – A Gathering of Angels
Book 3 – Carry On Wayward Son
Book 4 – Annie's Song
Book 5 – What Doesn't Kill You
Box sets
The Claire Wiche Chronicles Volumes 1-3
The Claire Wiche Chronicles Volumes 4-5
The Remarkable Life of Zach Wiche Continued
Book One – Once Fallen
Young Adult
Alex Finch: Monster Hunter (The Monster Files Book 1)
Truth and Consequences (The Monster Files Book 2)
Welcome to The Haven (The Monster Files Book 3)
Rosamond’s Heart (The Black Mountain Saga Book I)
Danel of Black Mountain (The Black Mountain Saga Book II)
Fantasy
Choices
Last Chance Jack
About the Author
Hi there - thanks for checking in. My name is Cate Dean, and I write fantasy, paranormal, and romance. So many genres, so little time…
Fantasy has always been my first love, and I am having a blast creating the world that Micah, Liam, and their companions run around in. I hope you will join me for more of their adventures.
If you want to be the first to know when the next book is released, or be in on some fun, exclusive contests and giveaways, join my list here: http://catedeanwrites.com/join-my-list.
You can learn more about me and my books at my website: http://catedeanwrites.com
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Table of Contents
Shattered Throne
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
Twenty Five
Twenty Six
Twenty Seven
Twenty Eight
Twenty Nine
Thirty
Thirty One
Thirty Two
Excerpt from Blood Prince
Shattered Throne
Books by Cate Dean
About the Author
