Page 62 of The Omega Thief

May fortune favor the rightful challenger.

Raz’s eyes widened, as did Markell’s. It was clear that neither of them were expecting that, and Raz cheered silently. Not that there weren’t going to be other dangers. Harcourt, for one. He had scouts watching Johannas’s ship where he was convinced Harcourt hid, but he could easily be wrong. There were other landing areas unmonitored, but as Attiker had told him this morning, he’d been doing this for a long time.

He was good at what he did.

But Raz knew Markell was desperate. And desperate people were dangerous.

Carter addressed Markell. “Do you require extra time, or are you prepared to set the trial?”

“We are prepared,” Markell said.

“Highness?”

Raz glanced at Attiker, who sent him a soft smile. He nodded to the justices. “We are ready.” He just wanted the whole thing over with.

Markell gestured to one of his guards, and he strode to the door, coming back with a small box in his hand. “This is our challenge.”

Raz stared, but he kept his face expressionless. What in the seven hells? Markell waved to his guard who headed for Attiker.

“No,” Raz said and stepped in front of his omega before Attiker could take the box. “I insist on knowing what is in there before my omega touches it.”

“There are no rules that say the omega cannot open the package, and this is our condition,” Johannas drawled. “This doesn’t go against any of the rules for the trial. My heir isn’t physically shifting to challenge the omega. If, however, you wish to concede the trial and proclaim my heir the winner—”

“No,” Attiker said and stepped out, but Raz wasn’t having that.

“Then I choose to open the box first.” Raz all but glared at the justices. “There isn’t a law that says I cannot do that either, just that we all have to be present to witness it.” Raz had a Fenrir to protect him. Attiker didn’t.

Markell showed his instant displeasure, and Raz knew he’d been justified not to risk Attiker. The chief justice glanced at the other two and agreed.

Raz practically snatched the box from the guard and walked away a few paces. Enough to protect Attiker but still so he could be seen by the witnesses. The box was small and fairly light. He set it on the edge of the nearest desk and unhooked the clasp, but the lid seemed to stick. He lost patience, yanked it open to see a folded piece of parchment, and reached for it at the same time as the parchment moved.

Raz’s wolf snarled a warning at the very same second he felt the sharp pain of a bite on his hand. Raz slammed the lid down, and his Fenrir took over, shifting Raz to his wolf at the same time as the guards rushed forward. Raz shifted back in seconds so swiftly, even his clothes were barely torn. He knew the bite of whatever it was would be healed, and he blew out a giddy, relieved breath. He didn’t know what it was, but he’d outwitted—

All Raz’s confidence suddenly drained as he saw the smirk on Johannas’s face and the utter glee on Markell’s, and he turned to look back at the box. He watched as two of Markell’s guards put on thick gloves similar to the ones Attiker had used for the crystal and opened the box. The parchment moved at the same time as something small jumped from the box, but the guard was ready and, with one cut of his sword, the thing fell to the floor.

Hisses of fear, which rapidly turned to cries of outrage, rose as everyone recognized the beheaded gray rat that lay in a pool of blood on the floor.

Raz’s heart picked up its tempo, and Attiker rushed to him, his face pale with shock as he saw what it was. “Raz!”

But Raz couldn’t seem to take in what anyone was saying because he couldn’t take his eyes off the rat. The animal that carried the plague known as the sleeping death. The one that affected both shifters and humans alike. One bite that could strip the victim of all muscle control within days, and laid immovable until their lungs and heart muscle failed. The one that, even though his wolf had healed the bite, the poison would already be running through his bloodstream.

Markell plucked the piece of parchment from the now empty box and gave it to Carter. Carter swallowed, but the cacophony rose.

“Silence!” Raz bellowed, and everyone immediately quieted. “Read the instructions,” Raz ordered.

Carter opened the parchment and read aloud.

By the written rules of the challenge, the omega has two days and nights from now to locate a wild Neeral and return with it. The blood can be used to heal the poisonous bite His Highness has received.

This fulfills all the stipulations of the second trial as laid out by His Highness Uriel Kinsharae.

Raz nearly staggered, but it wasn’t because he was sick, or not yet. He was stunned by how clever and manipulative Johannas and his heir had been. They’d known he wouldn’t risk Attiker opening the box and pretended frustration to spur Raz into doing exactly what they were hoping for.

And technically, they’d done nothing wrong. They hadn’t physically attacked Attiker, and they’d threatened what Attiker counted as vital. It was Raz. Raz himself. He’d been so utterly foolish. By the time Laronne was urging him to sit, he found the throne room had been emptied of all except his people. Carter, Pinkerton, Grandmother, Benta, Thakeray, her nest. Even Johannas and his party had gone. But the ticking clock had already started. There was nothing more that was needed.

Laronne snapped at people to move, but Raz knew there was nothing he could do. He felt a warm hand cup his cheek and gazed into Attiker’s worried brown eyes.

“I have to leave you,” he whispered. His voice sounded wrecked.

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