Page 60 of The Omega Thief

Attiker folded his arms and leaned back against the door. He was probably enjoying this far too much. Ash agreed, of course, that wherever she wanted to relocate him was fine by him, and she nodded her satisfaction and turned to Attiker. “I will have my staff move Master Enberry shortly.”

“Good,” he said. “Just let us know. Ash, you’re with me.” He strode out and tried not to laugh at how fast Ash moved.

“We’ve got aVipermeeting at third bell,” he said, lowering my voice. “But I have some things to ask you first.”

Then they went outside. He needed somewhere he could be certain they weren’t overheard.

“Ash, this is about the second challenge.”

He nodded.

“They get to choose, and it’s supposed to be putting the thing that means the most to me in danger.”

Ash pursed his lips thoughtfully. “You think they might try to burn the city again?”

“No,” Attiker admitted. “I think they’re going to try to kill my mate.”

Ash met his look for a long moment but didn’t seem surprised. “What are you asking me to do?”

“When I go to the next trial, I need you to stay behind.”

“Are you off your rocker?” Ash said in utter indignation. “He’s a prince. He’s got an entire bloody army looking after him. Who’ve you got?”

“They won’t come after me,” Attiker said. He knew they wouldn’t. They’d go after Raz. “They’ll distract everyone with some crazy seeking job, then when we leave, they’ll kill him.” He clutched Ash’s jacket. He was desperate.

Ash sighed. “Look, let’s go to the meeting, see what’s said first. If you’re still convinced at the end, then I’m your friend, you know that.”

Allthesamepeoplegathered in Grandmother’s private sitting room, with Benta in charge of security from outside. Laronne, Thakeray, Carter, Grandmother, Ash, but then Attiker gaped as Bartholemew from the Two-headed Salamander, his daughter, Jenny, Gosforth Nightingale, Karter, Annie’s son from the tannery, Seamus Eldrington from the bookstore, and Isaac Shaw, the jeweler, all came in.

“What are you all doing here?” Attiker asked in astonishment.

“They agreed to help last time,” Raz confessed. “These were your backup if I couldn’t find you.”

Attiker pressed his palm to his lips to stop any sound leaking out. He had to blink furiously to stop anything leaking from his eyes.

“What do you know, Carter?” Grandmother asked when everyone had refreshments and the servants had gone.

“Not very much, I’m afraid.” The distress in Carter was obvious. “I can find only two accounts of the second trial.”

“Which were?” Raz asked.

“The first was a kidnap. The youngest brother of the omega. He was killed,” Carter said. “But after that, the rules were changed so nothing important to the omega could be removed from the palace. Obviously, that included relatives, friends, etcetera.”

Raz looked around. “Which means everyone in this room and your loved ones need to move in here tomorrow. Tell me you understand that.” Bartholemew nodded and reached out and grasped Jenny’s hand. “Carter will organize your accommodation, and you’ll be recompensed for you having to shut your businesses.”

“The next one,” Grandmother prompted.

“This was a little different,” Carter admitted. “Prince Algred, about fourteen hundred years ago, purportedly had a tame dragon.”

Raz hissed in a breath and met Grandmother’s wide eyes, but oddly, she didn’t say a word. “A what?”

Attiker froze. Even his lungs took a long time to try for a breath.

“We’ve all heard the ancient rumors, but apparently, the challenge was he had to produce it, but it had gone to its cave for breeding. Beast masters were sent out to the places the wild ones had been seen and slaughtered whatever dragons they could find, including all dragonets and, finally Algred’s dragon. They didn’t bother with the older ones, just the ones that could breed. It was said he died of a broken heart before he was even officially ousted.”

“Good God,” Laronne whispered, the horror in his voice mimicking everyone else’s.

Attiker didn’t know what to say, but something deep down inside of him knew the answer. Attiker had two things to protect. The love of his life and probably the last remaining dragonet in the entire kingdom.

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