Read Online Curse of the Forbidden Book by Amy Lynn Green - Free Book Online

and they’re always shorthanded. And if they don’t buy you, someone else will.”
    â€œThat’s right,” the other agreed, smiling to himself as he examined the dagger again. “Young ones like you always go for a high price. Owners like to have a long time to work their slaves to death.”

Chapter 6
    Back at his uncle’s inn, Jesse had served food to slave dealers, and he had always thought there was something repulsive about them. The way they talked about the trouble caused when one of their wares decided to break away, or the excellent deals they had made in the capital had made him sick.
    Now, he was in the middle of one of the stories, and it was far worse than he ever could have imagined.
    In the town square, right outside the governor’s palace, Jesse stood in front of a crowd of people, all of them talking at once, much faster and louder than people from Jesse’s hometown. The noise that buzzed around him reminded Jesse of the kalthara locusts he had seen in the desert.
    As he glanced out at the faces, Jesse tried to decide who were the buyers and who were the gawkers, come to watch the excitement of a slave auction. The rich men wore fine robes, high-collared cloaks with gold and silver trim, and hats with pheasant feathers sticking out at odd angles. Jesse thought they looked ridiculous.
    There were a few men, dressed simply, who stood by themselves, as if wanting to distance themselves from the commoners. They had a look of authority, and most held ledgers and quills. Perhaps sent by a very rich person as a representative , Jesse decided. It made sense. Why would a nobleman buy his own slaves when he could send a servant to do it?
    â€œAll right, you,” a voice behind him grumbled. It was one of the men who had bought them from the Patrol members, the one with the belly that sagged over his belt. “Enough staring. They don’t like that.”
    His partner, a sharp-featured man who Jesse had decided looked like the shrews that lived in burrows in his uncle’s woods, began to mount the creaky platform, taking with him the worn black ledger where he had recorded his purchase of Jesse, Silas, Parvel and Rae.
    That had been a less than pleasant experience, being haggled over like a piece of bruised fruit or day-old fish, especially because the slave traders kept pointing out that Jesse’s crippled leg “lowered his value.”
    After they had finally reached an agreement on the price, the fat man had grunted at Jesse. “We’ll sell you in a lot with the tall one. Maybe someone will actually pay for you then.”
    The “tall one” was Silas, and he stood next to Jesse, waiting for the auction to begin. Both had their hands bound, though Jesse clutched his staff. “It’s the only way I can walk,” he explained when the shrew man had looked at it greedily, “and I’ll tell the buyers that if you take it from me.” He had let Jesse keep the staff, although he had been none too happy about it.
    â€œWe won’t have to wait long,” Silas whispered to Jesse. “There’s a large crowd, even for the capital city.”
    Sure enough, the shrew man stood at the edge of the platform, shouting over the chaos of the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the finest slaves in all of Amarias!”
    â€œI feel like I should start singing and dancing,” Parvel muttered from behind them.
    Jesse didn’t laugh. He didn’t feel like laughing. Besides, that might bring down my value .
    â€œLet the buying begin!” the shrew man declared, and some in the crowd actually cheered, mostly the common people.
    The fat man shoved Jesse and Silas forward. “You’re first. Stand up straight.”
    â€œHere we have two hard-working young men,” the shrew man announced in his booming voice. “The smaller one walks with a bit of a limp, but he’s sharp and thorough in his