The Whisper of Silenced Voices Read online

  "The High Temple," I said, recalling the story of Leon's ascension to the throne. "But Glancia was poor, so to fulfill the wealth part of Leon's wish, the sorcerer had to turn the kingdom's fortunes around. With The Thumb removed, almost all trade to and from the Peninsula now goes through Mull. Merdu and Hailia," I said on a whisper. "You're right. I'm sure of it. Such a cataclysmic series of earthquakes was unheard of before." I met his gaze, and there was no surprise in it, only wonder. "The Rift was caused by the sorcerer."

  "I think so too," he said.

  "To change the landscape like that forever…" I murmured. "It is truly powerful."

  I stared into the distance, barely seeing the gravestones any more. My thoughts tumbled together, and I tried to tease them apart to consider each separately.

  "You're overwhelmed," Dane said gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

  "I'm glad you did. I feel foolish for not realizing it before."

  "As do I."

  "Do you think Leon knew the extent the sorcerer went to, to fulfill his wish?" I asked.

  "He must have. He was naive in many ways, and often foolish, but he was clever enough to keep up the ruse for as long as he did. Clever enough to know that a poor kingdom suddenly becoming strategically important due to a major earthquake event after he wished to be rich was too much of a coincidence. It might not have occurred to him that his wish would displace people from The Thumb."

  "Or it might have," I said. "He was selfish and uncaring. Look what he did to all of you."

  His eyes focused forward, staring into the distance as I had done. "I liked him in the beginning, before I suspected he was lying about his memory loss. He was how I suspect a younger brother to be, sometimes annoying and immature, but someone I needed to protect." He sighed. "How could I have been so wrong about him?"

  I took his hand between both of mine, aware that it was more intimacy than he wanted but doing it anyway. He glanced down at our hands and then up at me. His eyes were full of emotions he couldn't express.

  "He was an actor," I said. "He played the part of naive young king well. It was only later that his true character came out. Besides, you didn't have any knowledge of yourselves, but he did. He used that knowledge to manipulate you all into helping him."

  He gave me a flat smile. "I knew you'd make me feel better about my foolishness."

  "Not foolishness, Dane. You were trusting and caring, just like an older brother should be." I pressed his hand to my lips, not quite aware of what I was doing until it was too late.

  I let him go, but his hand lingered. He flattened his palm to my cheek. His fingers reached into my hair, and his thumb stroked.

  My heart thudded so loudly I felt sure he could hear it. I willed him to kiss me, to touch me, to tell me he wanted me. But he said nothing and did nothing, just continuing to lightly stroke my cheek and stare into my eyes with shattering intensity.

  When he suddenly pulled away and stood, I felt disoriented, unbalanced, as if he'd been propping me up.

  "I have to go," he said, retrieving his sword and gloves. "I enjoyed our conversation. Thank you."

  He sounded so formal. I wanted to say something to strip it away and return to the friendliness, but my head felt woolly and I couldn't think of anything.

  I watched him go, his broad shoulders squared and his head high. Even the slight limp, favoring his injured leg, added to his masculinity. There was so much physical perfection in him that sometimes I wondered if he were indeed real after all.

  Then I shoved the thought to the back of my mind. The sorcerer might be powerful enough to cause earthquakes, but it couldn't possibly be powerful enough to create multi-faceted beings with the range of characteristics the servants exhibited, complete with emotions, strengths and weaknesses.

  Dane was very real, and my response to his presence was very real. So real that my heart bruised watching him walk away.

  * * *

  AUTHOR'S NOTE:

  By now you might have realized where the idea for the AFTER THE RIFT series came from. I was watching the stage production of Aladdin and being a logical person, I kept thinking how foolish the people around Prince Ali were for not realizing he was an imposter. How can a prince suddenly appear from nowhere and no one question his background? Didn't they want to know which kingdom he came from and who his family were? Why didn't Princess Jasmine's father make inquiries?

  While I love a good fantasy story, I still want it to be grounded in reality, even if it's essentially a story for children.

  I set my speculations aside, however, and thought no more about them. It wasn't until much later, when I decided to set a story in a fantasy world as opposed to my Victorian-era novels, that I remembered my musings about Aladdin. It coincided with seeing a documentary on the Palace of Versailles, the gloriously extravagant French palace near Paris. It seemed like the perfect setting for a story about a monarch gaining the throne through magic.

  I hope you're enjoying my reimagining of the Aladdin tale, and will continue the journey with me as Dane, Theodore, Balthazar, and the other servants try to regain their lost memories with Josie's help.

  * * *

  Pre-order Now:

  THE TEMPLE OF FORGOTTEN SECRETS

  The 4th After The Rift novel by C.J. Archer.

  * * *

  Glancia is plunged into perilous times, but it’s the events in her village that worry Josie more. A terrible fire puts the lives of those she loves at risk and threatens to shatter the uneasy peace.

  A Message From The Author

  I hope you enjoyed reading THE WHISPER OF SILENCED VOICES as much as I enjoyed writing it. As an independent author, getting the word out about my book is vital to its success, so if you liked this book please consider telling your friends and writing a review at the store where you purchased it. If you would like to be contacted when I release a new book, subscribe to my newsletter at http://cjarcher.com/contact-cj/newsletter/.

  Also by C.J. Archer

  SERIES WITH 2 OR MORE BOOKS

  After The Rift

  Glass and Steele

  The Ministry of Curiosities Series

  The Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy

  The 1st Freak House Trilogy

  The 2nd Freak House Trilogy

  The 3rd Freak House Trilogy

  The Assassins Guild Series

  Lord Hawkesbury's Players Series

  The Witchblade Chronicles

  SINGLE TITLES NOT IN A SERIES

  Courting His Countess

  Surrender

  Redemption

  The Mercenary's Price

  About the Author

  C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She spent her early childhood in the dramatic beauty of outback Queensland, Australia, but now lives in suburban Melbourne with her husband, two children and a mischievous black & white cat named Coco.

  Subscribe to C.J.'s newsletter through her website to be notified when she releases a new book, as well as get access to exclusive content and subscriber-only giveaways. Her website also contains up to date details on all her books: http://cjarcher.com She loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through email [email protected] or follow her on social media to get the latest updates on her books: