CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Steffen cowered beneath the whip of his master, bending over and bracing himself as he was lashed across the back yet again. He covered the back of his head with his hands, trying to shield the worst of the blow.
“I ordered you to remove the chamber when it was full! Now look at the mess you’ve made!” his master screamed.
Steffen hated to be yelled at. Born deformed, his back twisted in a permanent hunch, looking prematurely old, he had been yelled at from the time he was a child. He had never fit in with his siblings, with his friends, or with anyone. His parents had tried to pretend he didn’t exist, and when he was just old enough, they found a reason to kick him out of the house. They had been embarrassed by him.
Since then, it had been a hard, lonely life for Steff
