Blood of a Brother

A mute, illiterate street urchin who must steal for him and his parents to survive, Mabyr just wants someone to know his name. When he dares to help a caged "deimon" the other children fear, the deimon, Zarlac, offers him writing lessons in return. Without literacy, Mabyr will remain in poverty. This is his chance to escape his own prison of silence, but even in a city full of hooved and feathered people from far-flung nations, is it safe to trust this winged, horned man? He risks the...
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A mute, illiterate street urchin who must steal for him and his parents to survive, Mabyr just wants someone to know his name. When he dares to help a caged "deimon" the other children fear, the deimon, Zarlac, offers him writing lessons in return. Without literacy, Mabyr will remain in poverty. This is his chance to escape his own prison of silence, but even in a city full of hooved and feathered people from far-flung nations, is it safe to trust this winged, horned man? He risks the writing lessons, finding the deimon to be a gentle and patient teacher. But Mabyr gets more than he bargained for when it becomes clear the deimon is trapped by something even stronger than iron bars--he willingly participates in brutal pit fights and repeatedly returns to the cage, even when he could walk free. Perhaps some things are better left bound. And if Zarlac escapes, Mabyr could lose his one chance at education and belonging. But he will not rest until his teacher, too, is free.