Page 6 of The Omega Slave

She shook her head. “No one knows. His body hasn’t been found, but—”

“He didn’t enter the room with me. He was making arrangements for our escape.” Kamir croaked.

“I was told there were many deaths,” Veda said. But if it was you it makes no sense.” Kamir felt nauseous. He had felt such peace, such love. There had been no hatred in his heart. Veda hesitated and Kamir noticed.

“Tell me,” he whispered.

“There were many killed. All the pleasure slaves save the one you mean. The guards. The only people unaccounted for are Mansala and your pleasure slave. There was a sergeant who apparently told Gabar with his dying breath that a dragon flew in from the large windows taking out half the wall, and all who could have confirmed or denied his story were hacked to pieces.”

“So, no one saw me as the dragon?”

“No one alive,” Veda said, caution lacing every word.

“I didn’t kill anyone,” Kamir whispered, and Veda made a strangled noise and gathered her brother in her arms.

“You aren’t capable,” she promised. “Whatever happened, someone or somethingelse is responsible.”

“You should have fled,” Kamir said, clinging on unashamedly. “What happened to the plan, and why aren’t I in chains?” Because today was the day he had to prove himself a wolf, which he knew would never happen.

Veda huffed. “The palace was locked down and all celebrations cancelled. Draul cannot get in.”

“Which still doesn’t explain why I’m in my bedchamber and you have free access,” Kamir said, letting Veda go and sitting up properly.

“No,” Veda agreed. “He’s up to something.” She paused. “It makes no sense, but it’s a fact that all who witnessed the change are dead.” She arched a brow. “Except the pleasure slave, of course. And Mansala, hopefully if he returned in time. I don’t believe our dear uncle hasn’t noticed your eyes, although he’s self-absorbed enough not to.”

“I was drawn to the slave. Maybe…maybe it is he who is the dragon?” Kamir didn’t feel any different.

“I suppose it depends on if you can shift again?” she asked hopefully. Kamir closed his eyes and searched for the feeling he had when he saw the slave. Such love. As if, for once, everything was right in his body. He felt different, but not so different that there was a dragon inside of him. He even smiled but he shook his head. “It sounds ridiculous. I didn’t know dragon shifters even existed.”

“Except we’ve seen Eldara.”

“But she’s not a dragonshifter,” Kamir argued. “And she said she could sense no animal in me.”

Veda sighed. “She said nowolf, but I agree, I would have thought the presence of a dragon would be easier for her tosense. The only story I heard of their existence was the one Attiker told me.”

Kamir remembered. “According to what her highness the queen mother told Attiker, supposedly thousands of summers before the Fenrirs, the five kingdoms were the home of dragons.”

“But in that story,” Veda said, “the dragon shifter was the omega.”

They both stared at each other. “I have always known I am not made to rule a kingdom.”

Veda leaned forward and placed a finger over Kamir’s lips. “Don’t measure yourself against our father. You have compassion and that takes more strength than cruelty. You would do the best thing for our people even if it might not be the best thing for you. And Attiker is hardly weak, if that’s what you’re trying to imply. It also takes more courage than either our father or Gabar have in their little fingers.” She wrinkled her nose. “No, I don’t believe they have any in any digit.”

“Which brings us back to Gabar and his behavior.”

“You think he knows something?” Veda asked.

“We only have his word that the guard said he saw a dragon fly in through the arch windows before he died.”

“People were screaming, but they ran out of the room. I didn’t chase them. All my attention was on the slave.” He was beautiful. Light golden-brown skin, hair that flowed down his back like silk. Darker brown but with lighter streaks when the sun caught it, almost turning it to burnished copper. And his eyes were extraordinary. Most of their people had eyes in varying shades of brown, some occasional blue, but the slave’s were gray, a silver -gray that was stunning. “I don’t even know his name.”

Veda stood. “Let me—” But her words were cut off as the door opened and Mansala rushed in. Kamir’s lungs took a full breath for what seemed the first time since he’d woken.

“My lord, I was detained.”

“As was everyone,” Gabar said as he strolled through the door after him. “For your safety, and to calm the people, I have said you are injured after an unfortunate incident with rebels and the coronation has been postponed a week.”

Kamir gazed at Gabar. He didn’t dare look at Veda or Mansala. It made no sense. His uncle was clearly up to something. But why would he not take this moment to wrest the kingdom from what he saw as Kamir’s weak grasp? He had the perfect opportunity.

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