Page 69 of The Omega Thief

“Attiker?”

Attiker glanced at his side and winced a little as the skin on his back pulled, but looked right into two golden brown eyes. He stared in confusion. “Am I dead?”

Grandmother chuckled, but he didn’t glance over at her. He was too busy being kissed by the owner of the golden eyes. He vaguely heard Laronne and then Grandmother scolding Laronne, then silence.

“Attiker?”

“Raz?” He tried to speak, but his throat was so dry he struggled and then Raz lifted him gently and held a glass of cool water to his lips.

He drank deeply until Raz took it away. “Sips.”

He nodded and tried to think. How? Then everything came flooding back, and he sat up so quickly his head nearly connected with Raz’s. “The Neerals.”

“Were alive when two kids were fished from the water with a message they were to be brought straight to me. Luckily, one of my patrols was close, and two kids screaming your name didn’t go unnoticed.”

Attiker closed his smarting eyes as relief made him tremble. “How long have I been here?”

“Three bells. As soon as the harbor master heard the kids’ story, they launched a boat. You were barely conscious and clinging to a piece of driftwood.” Raz swallowed heavily. “Even another minute might have been too late to find you.”

“You’re alive,” Attiker whispered.

“I woke an hour ago. Both Neerals still lived despite being half-drowned, and the kids are fed and bathed—much to their disgust—and will wait until—”

“The fleet,” Attiker gasped. “Is Ash back?”

Raz shook his head, but three bells? And maybe another running then in the water? “Raz, listen to me. Go get your generals. The Abergenny army is marching on Cadmeera. They were anchored at Fort Bay and we saw them pass through Fortcross maybe five, six bells ago.”

Raz stilled for a moment as he took it in, then he practically exploded into action. Within moments, Thakeray and Benta had answered his summons. Pinkerton appeared and was given instructions. Soldiers were sent to Emperor Johannas, and the guard outside his suite was doubled. Commander Blake and many other people were ordered to attend. Raz turned to him, striding back and kissing Attiker fiercely. “I have to go and meet my generals.”

“I’m here,” Grandmother stated firmly, and Raz kissed her on the cheek as he ran past.

Attiker gazed after him, then looked at Grandmother. “Now what?”

She smiled grimly. “Now, you eat.”

He gaped as servants arrived with two trays. “But—”

She sat down on his bed as tables were brought near with what he did admit was heavenly-smelling food and took both of his hands. “You saved his life, Attiker.”

“But—” Didn’t he need to follow? To do…something?

“You saved his life. No one else could do what you managed to do. No one. But now?” She squeezed Attiker’s fingers. “Now it’s Raz’s turn. You saved his life. Let Raz save his kingdom.”

She was right. He knew she was. He didn’t know anything about armies or battles. She passed Attiker a bowl of stew. “You need to eat because, at some point, hewillneed you. He will need your support, and he’ll need you by his side. And you can’t be either of those things if you aren’t strong.”

Attiker nodded, hating it, but he ate. “Tell me what I missed,” he said in between mouthfuls.

“You made it back with five hours to spare as far as the challenge goes. Carter was magnificent, as Markell and the emperor tried to say that the challenge hadn’t been fulfilled because the Neerals were here, but you hadn’t brought them. Your little champions were very vocal. They said how you instructed them to bring the king’s cats to the palace—” Her voice cracked. “And how you slid into the water to put your body between the raft and the rocks.” She pressed her hand against her lips until it stopped trembling. Attiker just held onto her other one.

“I remember my ma,” Attiker said. “Before the fever white took her. She was fierce for me and Da. Wouldn’t have let anyone hurt what was hers. She put her body between me and the rocks every day. She used her body to protect me every way she knew how, and she succeeded for a long time. She gave her life for mine. It wasn’t over in an instant. It took years for her to die.” Attiker was silent for a moment remembering a better time. The time the bad ones had made him forget. Grandmother didn’t interrupt.

“For a long time, I thought she was weak. I never understood how she could get herself addicted. How she could let it happen. I felt like she’d abandoned me. Abandoned the memory of my da, but I was so wrong. She was on the streets because of me. Because she was putting her body between me and starvation the only way she could, and somehow, I forgot that. She was fierce in her love, and you remind me of her.”

For a moment, he was worried that the dowager queen might not like the comparison, but she brushed her lips on his forehead. “I know she was strong, and I’m honored you think us similar, but do you know what she’d say now?” Grandmother arched her manicured eyebrow.

Attiker smiled and finished his stew.

They both heard a commotion outside as he was finishing, then a guard opened the door, and Ash burst through. Attiker had never been so glad to see someone in his entire life. Well, apart from Raz, of course. He collapsed into a chair and let Grandmother feed him, and they swapped stories so quickly he never even realized he was being served seconds by the dowager queen.

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