Shattered Read Free Page A

“Let’s show Dr. Sanz what we’re real y made of.”
    “That’s my girl. That’s the Kama I know, the Kama I love.” He kissed me, his urgent need to transmit his emotions coming through loud and clear as his lips possessed mine.
    A sharp knock on the door split us apart, but our loud breathing couldn’t be silenced so easily.

    “We’d better go before he changes his mind.” I got in control and opened the door to face Dr. Sanz’s scowl.
    He stood in front of us with the large djin, blocking us from moving out of the room. Liam tried to push his way out, but the large djin stepped forward back into the room. Dr. Sanz fol owed.
    “Shouldn’t we get going?” Liam asked, looking from Dr. Sanz to the djin.
    Dr. Sanz stepped into the room and shut the door. Instantly, I knew something was wrong. “You’re not going anywhere yet.”
    “You’re now keeping us prisoner?” Liam asked.
    “Of course,” Dr. Sanz said nonchalantly. “I want you both where I can see you, keep an eye on you. So much is riding on this, on my control of you.
    I can’t risk screwing it up because you want a breath of fresh air.”
    “Control of us?”
    Dr. Sanz snickered and hugged himself. “I do tend to be a control freak at times. I like to have things in order. I like to have everything organized.
    As you can see, I already have a strong grasp on the Committee. Pim Seer and al the other non-Magical Ones are practical y eating out of my hand. The Magical Ones in the Committee listen to me. I rather like being in control, being the wizard behind oz. So, I do like the idea of knowing where you two are, so, until further notice, you wil remain in this room.
    Meals wil be brought to you twice a day and, if you’re good, I’l let you walk the grounds a minute or two.”
    Before he could shut the door on us, Liam rushed him, shoving him to the floor. “Do you real y think we’l just let you lock us up so easily?” Dr. Sanz propped himself up on an elbow and swiped at the stream of blood dripping from his lip.
    “If you know what’s good for you, you wil .” No longer wil ing to listen to the doctor’s argument, Liam attacked the djin. He was woeful y outclassed and there was nothing I could do to help.
    I fingered the leather band on my wrist, cursing Pim for his ignorance, for thinking tying my hands would do any good. I could be saving his son right now if he’d not been so blinded by his own power.
    If I couldn’t use any magical powers, I thought, I’d at least do my best to help Liam with whatever physical force I could muster. I jumped on the djin’s back, but the very breadth of his shoulders made it impossible to hold on and I slid off. I doubted the beast even noticed my feeble attempt at an attack.
    Liam fought hard, succeeding in pushing the djin to the wal more than once, but he always returned, angrier and stronger.
    “You're fighting a losing battle,” Dr. Sanz said as he got to his feet and leaned against the wal .
    “Even if you succeed in breaking this djin, which you’l never do, there’s real y nowhere to run to. So why don’t you both make it easier on yourselves?
    Sit back, make the most of it and just wait for your respective fathers to come and save you.”
    “What?” I turned to him suddenly.
    Liam stopped, fist in midair and looked at the doctor. “What did you say?”
    “You heard me. You didn’t think I’d just want to keep you here al to myself. Of course I would welcome Pim Seer and General Adar. With them both h baere, wel … I did say I was a bit of a control freak, and gaining control of Arcadia would do this old soul good.” He beamed with pride and arrogance.

Chapter 3

    Liam found new strength as he fought the djin harder and with purpose. I watched him and realized he had the capacity to be a Catcher. His father was one of the best, and now it was becoming more apparent Liam had it within himself to be a great Catcher like his father. He cornered the djin and pressed him