Page 44 of The Omega Thief

“They present their reasonings to the judiciary if challenged.”

“Let me see if I have this right,” Ash said, tapping his head to indicaterightmeant he knew what the bloody hell it meant. Attiker was glad because he sure didn’t.

“Both Attiker and the…challenger”—Ash finally decided on when he realized he didn’t know a name—“have to find whatever’s in that envelope in an agreed time. So long as that happens, they both go to the next trial?”

Carter nodded.

“But depending on who came first, the winner gets to screw with something that matters to the loser? And the loser has to save that something, or everyone’s fucked?”

Attiker groaned at his language. “I told them you knew how to behave, Ash.”

“I do,” Ash protested. “But at the moment, I’m in theViper’sDen.”

Viper herself seemed to be pleased with that and nodded. “Yes, essentially.”

“When do we find out—” Ash shut up at the knock at the door. Carter got to his feet and answered it to find Pinkerton, Raz’s secretary, on the other side.

“Your Highnesses.” He looked towards Raz, Attiker, and Grandmother. “His Majesty, Emperor Johannas, and Sovereign Markell are demanding the first challenge be set. The justices have been summoned as witnesses.”

Attiker met Raz’s gaze and knew Raz had no choice but to let this happen. He stood. “Let’s get on with it, then.”

Raz waited while everyone filed out, then took Attiker’s hand. “I really don’t want you to do this.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Attiker said, and letting Raz take his hand, they both followed the others.

Attiker assumed the judiciary was the three elderly men sitting on chairs to the side of the throne room. They each stood and inclined their heads as Raz walked in and sat down, drawing Attiker close. The doors opened, and both the emperor and his heir walked in, flanked by their bodyguards.

Raz nodded at Carter.

“Your Royal Highness,” Carter began. “You have the option to either present your omega’s wolf or have the envelope opened, containing the first challenge.” Attiker saw Raz almost lose focus for a moment, even though he was staring right at him.

But of course he knew Raz was talking to his wolf. After a few seconds, Raz blinked and sent Attiker an apologetic look. Attiker nodded. He understood. Raz addressed Carter. “I agree to the details of the first challenge.”

Attiker glanced at the emperor and wished he hadn’t. Both of them were standing with a huge smirk on their faces. Carter passed the envelope to the judiciaries so they could agree it was untampered with, then took it back at their nod and opened it. He slid out a piece of paper.

By my hand, Uriel Kinsharae, ruler of Cadmeera, in the year of the moon, seventeen and one, I hereby declare the first trial for the challenge to the throne of Cadmeera is as follows:

The task assigned is to return to the palace throne room with a still glowing intact prism of red rock.

If either competitor fails to return within forty-eight bells of reading this letter, the throne is granted to the sovereign mated to the omega competing, or the sovereign challenger. If they both return in the prescribed time limit, the winner gets to choose the recipient of the next challenge as laid down by the laws of the trials.

Well, shite, Attiker thought. Still glowing prism? The only place they existed was the inner depths of the Fire Mountains in Rajpur. They were impossible to negotiate and made the tunnels of the Patir Hills look like a child’s playground. The fires burned constantly, and they were likely to spew molten fire rock at any given moment.

“I agree to the challenge,” Markell said loudly to the judiciary.

Which meant Attiker either agreed as well or handed Cadmeera over.

“I agree,” Attiker said just as defiantly. Raz stood, horror apparent on his face, but he didn’t get a chance to speak as, in front of everyone, Markell shifted into a huge brown wolf, took off for the open window, and jumped out. It looked effortless.

Attiker was well and truly screwed.

Chapter nineteen

Razignoredeveryone’squestionsand dragged Thakeray and Attiker with him to his small office. He dismissed both the junior secretaries, who looked frightened to death when he stormed in, but the second the door was closed, he rounded on them both. “How did he know? He landed two hours ago, and it’s a five-day sail if they have the wind with them.”

“Could they have been on their way anyway?” Attiker said. “Didn’t you say some were invited?”

Pinkerton entered the office and paused, clearly expecting just the other secretaries to be in there. Raz waved him forward. “Did the emperor get an invite to the presentation?”

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