Read A Sea of Shields (Book #10 in the Sorcerer's Ring) for Free Online Page B

cottage, as they had always been. All of them gathered around the table, as always, fighting over scraps, laughing with each other. They had never laughed with Steffen, though. Only at him.
    They all looked older, but otherwise, just the same. He watched them all in wonder. Had he really hailed from these people?
    Steffen’s mother was the first to spot him. She turned, and at the sight of him she gasped, dropped her plate, smashing it on the floor.
    His father turned next, then all the others, all staring back, in shock to see him again. They each wore an unpleasant expression, as if an unwelcome guest had arrived.
    “So,” his father said slowly, scowling, coming around the table toward him, wiping grease from his hands with a napkin in a threatening way, “you have returned after all.”
    Steffen remembered his father used to tie that napkin of his into a knot, wet it, and whip him with it.
    “What’s the matter?” his father added, a sinister smile on his face. “You couldn’t make it in the big city?”
    “He thought he was too good for us. And now he has to come running back to his home like a dog!” one of his brothers yelled out.
    “Like a dog!” echoed one of his sisters.
    Steffen was seething, breathing hard—but he forced himself to hold his tongue, to not stoop to their level. After all, these people were provincial, riddled with prejudice, the result of a life spent locked in a small town; he, though, had seen the world, and had come to know better.
    His siblings—indeed, everyone in the room—laughed at him in the small cottage.
    The only one not laughing, staring at him, wide-eyed, was his mother. He wondered if maybe she was the only redeemable one. He wondered if perhaps she would be happy to see him.
    But she just slowly shook her head.
    “Oh, Steffen,” she said, “you should not have come back here. You are not a part of this family.”
    Her words, delivered so calmly, without malice, hurt Steffen most of all.
    “He never was,” his father said. “He’s a beast. What are you doing here, boy? Come back for more scraps?”
    Steffen did not answer. He did not have the gift of speech, of witty, quick-thinking retorts, and certainly not in an emotional situation like this. He was so flustered, he could hardly form words. There were so many things he wished to say to them all. But no words came to him.
    So instead he just stood there, seething, silent.
    “Cat got your tongue?” his father mocked. “Then out of my way. You’re wasting my time. This is our big day, and you’re not going to ruin it for us.”
    His father shoved Steffen out of the way as he rushed past him, stepping outside the doorway, looking both ways. The whole family waited and watched, until his father came back in, grunting, disappointed.
    “Did they come yet?” his mother asked hopefully.
    He shook his head.
    “Don’t know where they could be,” his father said.
    Then he turned to Steffen, angry, turning bright red.
    “You get out of the door,” he barked. “We’re waiting for a very important man, and you’re blocking the way. You’re going to ruin it, aren’t you, as you always ruined everything? What timing you have, to show up at a moment like this. The Queen’s own commander will be arriving here any moment, to distribute food and supplies to our village. This is our moment to petition him. And look at you,” his father sneered, “standing there, blocking our door. One sight of you, and he will pass our house over. He’d think we’re a house of freaks.”
    His brothers and sisters broke into laughter.
    “A house of freaks!” one of them echoed.
    Steffen stood there, turning bright red himself, staring back at his father, who faced him, scowling.
    Steffen, too flustered to reply, slowly turned his back, shook his head, and walked out the door.
    Steffen walked out into the street, and as he did, he signaled for his men.
    Suddenly, dozens of gleaming royal carriages appeared, racing through the