Page 27 of The Omega Slave

“Each other?” Tsaria whispered back. How could a mere man save a dragon?

Kamir smiled, clearly understanding the incredulity that colored Tsaria’s question. “Eldara saved Attiker from plunging to his certain death and helped him win a challenge that ultimately saved Raz’s life and their kingdom. Attiker sacrificed himself to rescue her baby. It’s why they became friends.” Kamir glanced at Tsaria, then hesitated. “Attiker and Raz were determined to keep her a secret because of the danger hunters pose, but that gotten blown all to seven hells when she made a dramatic appearance last year and saved Attiker’s life by turning him into a white wolf.”

Tsaria glanced at him and caught what Kamir wasn’t saying. The emphasis on the wordsecret, and resentment made him snap. “I didn’t reveal yoursecretto save my life, your Highness. What makes you think I would talk now?” Tsaria took a step to the side and watched the horror chase over Kamir’s face.

“I didn’t mean to suggest you would,” Kamir said, possibly too loudly because Tsaria felt the gust of warm air as Eldara turned her head to look at them both. Tsaria swallowed hard but stood tall.

She wasn’t as large as Kamir, he thought, picturing the amber eyes in his dragon that were now the same in Kamir’s human form. The body of the breathtaking creature Kamir had changed into, complete with the gleaming purple and blue scales that became almost black at their tips stood, he would guess, a good three feet taller. Eldara was beautiful, but she wasn’t as gorgeous as Kamir.

Eldara snorted and this time her breath was a shade too hot to be comfortable. Tsaria’s attention returned to her with a start, and Attiker chuckled. “She doesn’t like whatever comparison you just made.”

Tsaria felt the flush that nerves inspired. Better not make— Wait, he hadn’t said that aloud. “I didn’t say anything,” he protested.

Attiker glanced at Eldara, then back to them. “Kamir’s dragon is purple and blue with amber eyes.”

Kamir gaped and looked at them both. “I never even thought to ask what I looked like, but are you saying she can communicate with Tsaria?”

“She must be able to,” Attiker said. “Kamir, are you getting anything from her?”

Tsaria watched as Kamir stared at her, but then slowly shook his head, his shoulders dipping a little. Tsaria blinked as an image of Kamir touching her snout came into his mind. “She wants you to touch her.”

“I did before,” Kamir said, as if stealing himself for disappointment, and it was Tsaria’s turn to feel guilty, before he reminded himself that this man was the emir and had been raised in luxury. Their lives were as far apart as the worm and the eagle.

“No, she wants you both to,” Attiker said.

Tsaria received an image of them both then. Kamir stood next to him, their hands touching either side of her neck. Eldara extended her neck in invitation, and Tsaria didn’t hesitate to place his palm on her scales at the same time as Kamir.

He jerked as images flooded him. A little boy with brown eyes he recognized standing motionless as his open palms were smacked bloody with a wooden switch. The pain hit him as if it was his own, and he bit down the gasp. Then hunger. Tsaria recognized that instantly. The yawning gap inside you. You could taste hunger. The spoiled bread if you were lucky, or the memory of it on your tongue. You couldsmellhunger. The stench of a dead animal when for a fleeting second you almostwished you were the carrion that ripped the animal open and got to fill their bellies.

Andloneliness—even more of a chasm than hunger. The constant shame of not being good enough, strong enough,worthy. He opened eyes he didn’t realize he’d closed and stared into ruby eyes.

What was that?

But he knew, and this time it was his turn to feel shame, and he looked away from her knowing stare. Eldara was showing him that people should never measure pain. It wasn’t something to be stacked in a pile and a yard stick applied to it. No two people’s suffering was the same. It was also more than communicating. Eldara wasn’t talking to him. She was showing himmemories. Memories that weren’t hers. He felt the hot breath and heard the chuff that sounded more like a demand and raised his head.

Then Eldara lifted her head and roared. A plume of almost blue fire shot from her throat. He knew Attiker and Kamir had stumbled back from the intense heat, but Tsaria seemed to almost revel in it and didn’t let go. He imagined flames caressing his skin, the bite barely the same as a too-hot bath, and he reveled in the heat as it warmed his usually cold, dead heart.

Then the flames were cut off, and as if he was suddenly swathed in a wave of exhaustion, he fell to his knees.

“Tsaria!” Kamir almost stumbled in his hurry to get to him.

“Kamir,” Attiker said in a cautious tone and Tsaria forced his eyes open in time to hear Kamir’s gasp and looked at Eldara. She returned his gaze, but to his astonishment, as they watched, she lowered her head, almost as if she was bowing.

“What’s she doing?” Kamir whispered and Attiker gazed at her, not answering for a long minute.

“She just called you Dragoran,” Attiker said. “And I would guess that’s something important.”

Kamir shook his head. “I’m not important. I can’t even change—”

“No, Kamir. Sorry,” Attiker said, “I meant Tsaria. She’s bowing to him.”

Tsaria gaped, but before he had a chance to move, she lumbered forwards and extended her neck, clearly wanting him to touch her again.

“Tsaria,” Kamir warned, but Tsaria had the greatest urge to touch her, and with an arm that felt like it had a lead weight attached to it, he managed to reach out. She stretched out some more and touched the tip of his fingers.

Tsaria’s breath caught in his lungs and his body froze. Pain like nothing he’d ever felt before raced up his fingers, down his arm, and across his chest like it was on fire and he was burning from the inside out. His whole body seemed to seize, and he managed to stay conscious for the second it took for Attiker to grab Kamir to stop him from getting to Tsaria. Good. He didn’t want him to die as well.

Tsaria remembered the pain before he even opened his eyes. The memory hurt nearly as much, but all he felt now was a pleasant warmth and someone rubbing the top of his hand gently. Because that occurrence was so unusual, he opened his eyes to be met with a pair of very worried amber ones.

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