Page 59 of The Omega Slave

Damatrious scoffed. “With the exception of those you slaughtered.”

Kamir didn’t bother arguing. His dragon hadn’t slaughtered anyone. The same something stirred inside him as before. Kamir tried to focus but the feeling slipped away.

“Assembly,” Damatrious commanded. “You have heard the accused has no defense. As acting emir, I demand your ruling.”

Kamir didn’t bother looking at their faces. He was too busy dreaming of a pair of silver-gray eyes. The only thing that would keep him sane enough to go to his death with dignity.

He saw the assembly members discuss something between them, but their attempt at swathing his death in such gravitas was pathetic, as he knew full well they had already made up their minds.

The leader of the assembly cleared his throat. “The people of Rajpur”—now that was silly. The assembly didn’t speak for the people, they only pretended they did—“find that his holiness, Prince Kamir, has failed to answer the accusations and it is our solemn duty to find the accused guilty and subject to the traditional purifying rite.” The leader of the assembly stared directly at Kamir. “Do you have any final words?”

No, no, he didn’t.

The leader waited a heartbeat for Kamir to answer, but when he didn’t, he looked up at the assembled people. “Then it is the will of the people of Rajpur that Prince Kamir be taken immediately from this place and tied to the purification stone and be absolved of his sin in front of all witnesses gathered.”

Kamir closed his eyes briefly as he felt hands clasp his arms in case he was unwilling to move. He kept his eyes closed as rough hands pushed him forward, having no intention of opening them. Closed, he could still imagine the silver-gray eyes were staring at him, and he had no desire to find out that was yet another fanciful illusion.

Chapter twenty-five

Tsaria stood hidden behind Tomas and drank in Kamir as the clerk of the ruling assembly proclaimed Kamir responsible for the slaughter of fourteen people.

He looked thinner than barely a few days ago when he’d seen him last, and he had a horrid thick collar wrapped around his neck. Tsaria ached once more to take care of him. No one else did, and Kamir clearly wasn’t capable of doing it himself. No, no, that wasn’t fair. He was eminently capable of a lot of things. Tam had shared everything he knew of Kamir as they travelled, and apparently he was singlehandedly responsible for ending the war with Cadmeera. The princess had been necessary and Tam had been vague on details, but he had negotiated the terms of surrender with the old king of Cadmeera and had helped Attiker defeat the insane leader of Abergenny when he had tried to poison Raz’mar and mount an invasion. He had heard of the people’s champion, Attiker, before he had even met him. Notthat he could do something like that, but Tsaria wished he had the chance to try.

Kamir wasn’t a coward, but because of outdated laws, he had been stripped of any power and his uncle had nearly brought Rajpur to its knees. A job, he was sure, his son would finish admirably.

“It’s only because of Iskar that Damatrious can call for this punishment,” Tomas whispered.

Because in Rajpur, all deaths weren’t counted equally.

Tsaria glanced around nervously. There seemed more people in here now than when they had come in and he caught sight of a strange group of men and women who had come in then had spread themselves out at the back. They were dressed in the normal clothes of tradesmen and the like, but their feet were bare. It struck him as odd, and he wasn’t sure why. More than one had lip rings, and some had nose rings as well, joined together by a chain. No one was taking any notice, so he looked back and met a familiar pair of amber eyes. Tsaria’s breath caught in his throat.Kamir.

He was helpless to look away, but then the clerk demanded Kamir’s attention. He watched the almost vacant expression on Kamir’s face and knew he was distancing himself in his mind. There had been no shock from Kamir as he had looked at Tsaria and he realized Kamir thought Tsaria was a figment of his imagination.

The clerk asked again if Kamir admitted responsibility for the deaths and Kamir looked straight at Damatrious and was silent for a moment, before he spoke. “What difference would any denial make?”

“Is that an admission?” Damatrious demanded before the clerk got the chance to reply.

“If you like,” Kamir replied softly and ignored all the gasps around the room, including Tsaria’s.

Why? Why wasn’t he fighting? Tsaria nearly asked the question out loud, but then he took in Kamir’s defeated gaze, and knew why. Kamir couldn’t let the children die. He had no hope of saving his people. He had no hope of changing into his dragon. He had no hope of any future where he was loved, and that was Tsaria’s own fault. He had done that. He hadn’t trusted Kamir enough, and now it was too late.

The throne room doors opened at the back at the same time that Kamir was surrounded. But Kamir wasn’t fighting. He simply ignored the guards’ unnecessary rough handling and went outside. All the witnesses followed in hushed fascination, which made Tsaria feel sick. What could he do?

“If you’re going to do anything, now’s the time,” Tomas whispered as they all spread out in a semi-circle in front of the post Kamir was being chained to. The base was stone, and Tsaria watched what they were doing with abhorrence. The stone was covered in straw and wood chips. He’d understood what cleansing by fire meant in an abstract way but seeing his gentle man tied to a post on a bed of kindling was a horror he couldn’t comprehend.

The clerk unfurled a scroll.

By the will of the people of Rajpur, Kamir Anslar has been found guilty of the slaughter of innocents and is sentenced to the cleansing of the goddess.

Tsaria’s heart broke, and he took a step forward. Tomas immediately covered him by stepping up, too. The guards recognized Tomas and relaxed. They would assume Tomas was checking Kamir wasn’t about to change into his dragon. After all, that was why he’d claimed to be here.

The kindling lit, Damatrious stepped back as Tsaria stepped forward again, the heat fanning his skin.

And because he was suddenly the closest, he caught Kamir’s gaze. For an endless second Kamir gazed at him with adoration until he noticed Tomas move, and Kamir blinked. Horror warped Kamir’s calm features, and he shook his head frantically, but Tsaria knew. Kamir had just worked out that Tsaria wasn’t an illusion.

Flames roared as it seemed like the pyre Kamir was standing on caught at once. He heard a distressed noise from one of the witnesses but tuned it out and took another step. Flames licked at Kamir’s feet. He felt people’s heads turn, unable to look, but he was sure there were as many that gloried in the sick sight. He took another step forward toward those amber eyes. The ones he adored so much.

Then the flames caught beneath Kamir and Kamir was suddenly surrounded by a fiery wall. The fire smothered him and in his head Tsaria heard a cry of torment.No.Kamir was hurt, and Tsaria had to soothe him. There was nothing else in his mind and body except that need, and ignoring the guards’ shouted warnings, Tsaria took the few steps onto the pyre, and simply walked through the flames. He reached for Kamir and brought his hands up to clasp his cheeks. The pain ravaging his features instantly diminished. He wanted Kamir to hold him, but the chains… “I love you,” Tsaria promised while the fire raged around them. Flames roared over their bodies.

---