Here’s a small extract from the latest chapter of Asterion that I’ve uploaded for beta reading.  If you’d be interested in beta reading for me, just send a message or an ask.

–

The man in the cell just looked around confused by what was
being blurted at him.  But Thale’d had
enough.

“I don’t know why you’ve kept him alive,” she scolded.  “Torture is pointless.  All he’ll do is lie or tell you things he
thinks you want to hear.”

Glauce rolled her eyes like a teacher confronted with
another question from a particularly stupid pupil.  “My dear,” she said, “that is precisely the
point.  You do not torture people to get
information from them – besides, I already know everything this man could
possibly have to tell – you torture them to correct their abhorrent behaviour.”  Thale squinted, confused, and so Glauce
sighed patiently and took a step closer.
“You see, right now he just finds this song annoying.  But in time he’ll realise that he cannot turn
it off or shut it out.  Only I can do
that.  And when he understands that
truth, he’ll do whatever I say.”

The general’s eyes were black, and yet they felt
intensely bright.  Thale struggled to
keep looking at them.  She understood now
why it was important Glauce be put back on a leash: she was the first person
Thale had met that could be described in just one word, and that word was ‘evil’.  For now she would just have to suffer it.