In Training

Such was Layle's dark reputation that the other prison workers no doubt imagined that their High Seeker was relishing visions of unimaginable horrors, dwelling with delight upon thoughts of prisoners screaming hopelessly for mercy. . Elsdon only wished this weren't the case."Unexpected danger reveals to a young torturer the dark mystery of his love-mate's past. as well as unpleasant revelations about himself. Assigned by his Queen with the task of bringing peace, Elsdon Taylor has witnessed his mission go terribly wrong. Now he is left in a desperate position. His only hope lies with the man he loves most, but Elsdon is beginning to realize that he knows much less about his love-mate than he had assumed. Confronted with clear evidence of his love-mate's dark past, can Elsdon find the strength to hold out for as long as it takes for rescue to arrive? Will Elsdon even want rescue by the time his ordeal is over?This suspenseful novella (short novel) can be read on its own or as the fourth story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips. Friendship, family, gay love, and rebellion are intertwining plotlines in the series.