Page 74 of The Omega Thief

“They brought five peasants from the closest farm and five guards and ran them all through in front of His Highness. Said they would carry on unless the justices officially surrendered, which they have done.”

Grandmother almost growled, but added, “They had no choice.”

“No, they didn’t,” Attiker acknowledged. “And the royal representatives?”

“Have all departed. The Emir had already left, or I fear he would have been detained because of the princess.”

“And there’s been no sighting of her?” Attiker pushed.

“No, Highness,” Carter answered.

“What a bleeding mess,” one of the guards muttered, then seemed to realize who was in the cells. “Sorry—”

“Oh, I heartly agree,” Grandmother cut him off. “What we need to decide is what we’re going to do about it. Carter?”

Carter rolled over, but he made no attempt to get up. Attiker didn’t blame him. “I don’t see how, Highness,” he croaked. “The justices have to be bound by the law, and according to the law, the sovereign won the challenge.”

A few of the other guards made their opinion on the subject known.

“And there’s nothing we can do to alter it?” Grandmother pressed.

Carter hesitated a fraction too long before he said, “No, Highness.”

“But?” Attiker gripped the bars of his cage.

“Carter?” Grandmother got to her feet.

“Highnesses,” Carter sighed. “We’ve already established that it won’t work. That was the point of the challenge.”

“What won’t?” one of the guards asked, but Attiker knew, and his heart slid somewhere near his boots.

“The only thing to null the challenge is the reason for it in the first place,” Carter said apologetically. Attiker wasn’t looking at him, but he felt his gaze, anyway. “His Highness would have to shift into his wolf.”

The silence went on so long that Attiker wanted to scream.

“There must be something else,” Thakeray said at last.

“Maybe the princess is up to something?” Ash said hopefully. “Maybe she can get His Highness out?”

“The problem is,” Grandmother said quietly—too quietly. “As my grandson isn’t here, my fear is that he’s in the traitor gate.”

Attiker inhaled sharply. “Surely not?”

“Sire?” Thakeray said. “I doubt if His Highness is being guarded in a bed chamber with Her Highness being held down here.”

“But—” Attiker ran out of words. The traitor gate, as it was called, was a gross old-fashioned punishment for heinous betrayal against the crown. A cage was hoisted high in the palace courtyard and the traitor was displayed inside for seven full days and nights. Soldiers, commoners, and other criminals were allowed to visit and taunt the occupant. Throw moldy food and slop the pigs wouldn’t even be given. They wouldn’t be allowed to rest. Guards would take it in turns to bang the cage so loudly it was often said the occupant would be driven mad before they were executed.

Then they were hung from the rope that held the cage. Their body left on display for another full seven days.

“No,” Attiker whispered, then clamped his mouth closed as his stomach flipped sickly.

“We have to do something,” Thakeray said.

“Exactly!” Grandmother’s voice was furious.

Right at that moment, Attiker could have kissed her for her determination. He pressed his lips together.Think. This wasn’t him. He never gave up. He was the best seeker in Cadmeera, and he’d put himself up against any other seeker in the five kingdoms.

But this was his most important seeker task. He didn’t have to find an object. A precious stone. A life-saving medicine.

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