More Than Chains To Bind Read Online Free PDF

that if we were training together, Liander and I--
    "You will be divided into groups for the training, and you will remain chained to each other as an added precaution against escape."
    Fuck! Was the man reading my mind?
    "Hear me," Cor'lyn said sharply. "There's no chance of escape from the arena." His gaze slid over all of us, and I could have sworn it momentarily settled on me. "Even if by some miracle you could accomplish the impossible and get beyond the guards and the high wall, there's nowhere for you to go. Outside the city, beyond the growing area, there's naught but desert for hundreds of miles."
    I found it odd he made no mention of the ocean. I guessed the harbor area was guarded and, then again, home was many days across the sea. It would be enough of a deterrent to most men, but Liander and I were not most men. And we had to trust the others would not let out that vital piece of information. So far to our captors, we were just two more members of the tribe of the seven villages, and we needed to keep it that way.
    The guards moved among us again then, removing the long chain linking us together and removing the waist chains, too, leaving only the manacles on our ankles joining us in pairs.
    "Your training will begin in earnest tomorrow. Tonight you will be allowed to bathe, eat and rest. You will split into two sections; one section will take the left hall, while the other takes the right."
    This was my chance, if only I could get in the same section as Liander. I'd begun to drag Ledo toward the other end of the line when all at once Cor'lyn blocked my path.
    "Ah, the tall one. You intrigue me. I see a wolf among the sheep. You will bear watching. I also think I want to keep you from..." He smiled and glanced in Liander's direction.
    I could see the prince attempting to hang back, but he was being pushed toward the left hall by the guards. Turning back to me, Cor'lyn continued, "That one interests me, too." His eyes narrowed as he considered me, and I felt a chill creep up my spine. For whatever reason, Cor'lyn knew there was something different about Liander and me, and that made him dangerous.
    Cor'lyn raised his chin at one of guards and indicated with a nod of his head that Ledo and I should be taken to the right hall. Only with a prod from the guard's weapon, I pivoted away from Liander.
    I glanced over my shoulder, and Liander was walking with his back turned to me, head dipped. Fortil turned, saw me watching, and he grinned and licked his lips.
    If that bastard as much as lays one hand on Liander... But what the hell could I do locked behind another door across this huge compound?

    * * * *
    Well, that was interesting; Cor'lyn really was quite clever. Telling us we were chained together to prevent escape, which, while true, was not the only reason for his speech. It was a distinct reminder we were prisoners, captive to someone else's whims. Not what I would call subtle, but very effective.
    I wished I wasn't captive to Fortil's whims, too, because I had the distinct feeling his whims were generally very selfish and mostly unpleasant, at least for me. He had never shown much respect for my position and though I had expressed a wish his people didn't stand on ceremony with me, I'm not sure he'd have behaved much differently in any case. He was the most arrogant man I'd ever met and, considering the people I was sometimes forced to mingle with, that was saying a lot. He'd been making crude suggestions ever since I met him and now we were chained in such close proximity he was even more disgusting.
    I saw the looks Hollis gave him, and I was grateful nobody else here knew Hollis as well as I did. I doubt anyone else would find Hollis' looks as blatant as I did. My Guardian was always much more perceptive than he wanted others to realize and, even though he hadn't seen or heard Fortil's overtures to me, Hollis knew enough to recognize the man was a threat. Now Hollis was shooting daggers at my companion.
    While