Page 62 of The Omega Slave

Sudden anger flared in Kamir. This man had put his beloved in danger. “You will address him as his highness.”

“Sire, I understand your anger.”

Kamir scoffed. “I doubt it.”

“Tsaria is my little brother.”

Kamir gaped, and with the shock, shame replaced his anger. “I—I apologize,” Kamir said. “I had no right to speak to you thus when you are trying to help me and my people.”

“His highness told me—”

But Kamir stopped him with an impatient huff. “Again, my apologies. Of course, you have the right to call your brother by his given name.”

“He told me Alain had tricked him, your highness. There is no time to go into our family history, but I didn’t treat Tsaria well when I was younger, and when our father sold him, I decided Icouldn’t stand by and live in a world where that could happen. I joined the army and eventually met Draul. But what is important is that I spent some time with the Rakar beast-masters last year.”

Kamir wasn’t sure how summoning them, if that was what Tomas wanted, could help.

“I spent three months with them perfecting my own skills, and they told me rumors of why the sand people had been banished in the first place, and that once they had a thriving city.”

“Supposedly they displeased the goddess, and she covered it in a single night with a tremendous sand storm,” Kamir finished, knowing the history.

“Some of them had talents. The main one that the Rakar beast-master had heard about was their ability to bring forth the beast inside a man.”

Kamir agreed. “She said that, but she also told me she couldn’t control my dragon. I think her illusions are a clever mesmerism, almost as if she causes mass hysteria, but she relies on drugs to help with that as well.” He glanced at Damatrious. “She was desperate to get you on your own, so without help she can’t control a room. We know that the first time my dragon was supposed to have killed, the burns were used to cover up sword injuries inflicted at my uncle’s command, and I imagine some similar deception was wrought this time.”

Damatrious sighed heavily and bowed his head.

“This is where the beast-masters’ account slightly differs from what you know,” Tomas said. “Yes, they had the ability to control a beast such as a wolf, but only if the human was full of evil intent and had slowly poisoned the animal he housed.” He stepped forward. “I doubt, for instance, she could affect Damatrious’s wolf and that was why she needed him alone for mesmerism to work.”

“Ibrahim,” Damatrious said suddenly. “My guards were summoned to dispose of his mutilated body. Father said he had caught him with a slave girl and punished him, but from what I’ve heard that would have been a first, as he had multiple sins he was never punished for before.” He glanced at Tomas. “You think Elainore was responsible?”

“How did he die?”

“According to my sources, his throat was slit so badly his head was nearly severed.”

“Which seems too personal a punishment when a sword or a guard holding a sword would suffice,” Kamir said, and felt a sense of satisfaction in his mind. So, his dragon agreed with him.

Kamir gazed at Tomas, who was staring back at him. “There’s something else.” He watched as Tomas’s eyes widened slightly and he huffed.

“It’s an old wives’ tale. Even the beast-masters didn’t believe it, but it’s supposedly the reason they can control the beasts whose minds have been poisoned. We know they were supposed to receive the retribution of the goddess, but not why. This was apparently the reason.”

“I understand, but even so please tell us,” Kamir encouraged.

“According to rumors the sand people aren’t born with animals, but over time some learned how to…” Tomas winced. “Create one inside them.”

“How so?” Mansala asked.

“Creating their own wolf sounds a little far-fetched,” Kamir said doubtfully.

Tomas shook his head. “No, sire. I’m talking creatures such as the yakish. Serpents and the like.” Tomas looked revolted. “Something to do with babies being given such an animal’s blood along with their mother’s milk.” He shuddered. “Sorry, I did say it was probably a tall tale.”

But then Kamir remembered something in one of the ancient scrolls he’d read. That the sand people were originally referred to as Serpents of the Sand. It had been shortened to just sand people for hundreds of summers, but he knew that sometimes truth hid in superstition. He looked at Mansala. “The sand people were once called the Serpents of the Sand. I assumed it was a slur, as they aren’t liked, but maybe there is some truth in it?”

No one answered Kamir, but then no one needed to.

Another two bells dragged on. “Highness.” One of Damatrious’s sergeants hurried into the throne room. “I have no news, but the men are expanding the search. They will send birds to notify us of each area cleared.”

Kamir focused on Damatrious. “Do you think it’s worth asking your father about Elainore?”