Restore by Jenna Greene – Excerpt
Lexil couldn’t sleep, despite her best effort. Knowing her senses needed to be alert the next day, she’d shut her eyes and done everything she could to drift into slumber—counting flower petals, repeating soothing melodies. Nothing worked. After a few hours of frustration, she sat up, rubbing her shoulder out of habit. It pained her less than the day before, only causing a sharp stab if she lifted too heavy an item with it or jerked to the side.
Her thoughts were clear and repetitive, distracting her from rest. Worrying about what would happen on the morrow plagued her. The last time she’d been in a town in Anstetor, she’d been marched onto a sale platform and bid on like a prize hog. Entering another one willingly set her nerves on edge.
Would Ward be able to convince people he owned not one, but two slaves? He hated acting as an owner and wasn’t always successful at it. Besides, it seemed unfair to put the responsibility on him for their concealment, considering his recent recovery. If anyone suspected he was lying, it would be his job to convince them otherwise. Neither Lexil nor Jalaquin could help—not if they were to fill their role as submissive slaves.
Lexil wasn’t looking forward to her part, either. It hurt her soul to even pretend to be owned. Jalaquin hadn’t done well on the one occasion she’d been forced to adopt that role. To maintain that façade for a long period of time…Lexil had doubts.