Page 35 of The Omega Slave

Tsaria’s heart fell somewhere around his sandals. “Bad things?”

Alain waved his hand almost impatiently. “Why are you here? In Cadmeera? I don’t understand.”

Tsaria abandoned the tea and got to his feet, trying to tamp down his anger, and reminded himself Alain was but a child himself when their father sold him. “I had to move on, Alain, you know this. I am too old for the pleasure house now.”

Alain reddened slightly and fiddled with the cup his tea was in, but didn’t drink any. “You know I tried to change Father’s mind.” He hesitated. “And got beaten for it.”

Guilt assailed Tsaria and he returned to his brother, remembering Alain was the only one that day who had spoken up for him. “Tell me about you,” he pressed. “Do you still work the farm? And Tomas?”

Alain seemed grateful for the reprieve. “Father isn’t the same. He gets confused. My wife Margaret cares for him. We live in the same house.” He hesitated and Tsaria processed everything.

“May your union bring you the blessings of the goddess,” Tsaria murmured automatically. A traditional wedding blessing.

Alain smiled tightly. “Tomas isn’t there. He joined the army on his sixteenth birthday, and I’ve never heard from him since.”

It took Tsaria a moment to absorb the words. “Thearmy?” he repeated in shock. “But he was always about the farm.” Tomascould read and pored over Grandad’s diaries. He studied crop yields and rotations. New ideas for seasonal crops. He wanted to negotiate at the market, but Father wouldn‘t allow it, despite his sound reasoning. And sixteen? That meant he left seven months after Tsaria was sold.

“I don’t think Father ever recovered from losing both of you.”

Anger made Tsaria snap. “He didn’tloseme, he sold me to a whorehouse.”

Alain swallowed heavily and ducked his head, and Tsaria felt contrite. He was taking his anger out on the wrong person. He took a steadying breath. “I’m sorry. I know the fault isn’t laid at your door.”

Alain smiled, seeming relieved. “Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?”

Tsaria wanted to bubble with happiness, but something in him advised caution. “I met the emir at a celebration and accompanied him here.”

Alain frowned. “To be honest, until the prefect visited we didn’t know he wasn’t at the palace.” Alain shifted uncomfortably and then gulped his tea. “So, your job’s the same? Just one guy?”

Bitterness crept into where blood should have flowed in his veins. “Fucking, you mean? Just checking what you mean byjob.”

Alain blanched. “Neera, no. I didn’t mean that. I tried to get Father to rescind the sale. But he was adamant, and there was no way I could have gotten my hands on the money to buy you back.”

Which was true, but even then… “If you missed me so much, why did I never see you? We were in the neighboring village.”

He looked aghast. “Ishmael never said? I tried for months, neera.” His eyes turned glassy, wet. “Ishmael said you were so angry you refused to see me.”

It was like a vise clutched his throat. Not that he wasn’t surprised by Ishmael’s lies. He’d forgotten Alain was only a little older than he. How could he have expected another child to ride to the rescue? Tomas, maybe. At sixteen he was considered a grown man, but he’d decided to ride to glory instead of rescuing his little brother. Tsaria stood and opened his arms. Alain just about dived into them, and they embraced without the storm of tears.

“I want you to meet Kamir properly.”

“I haven’t told you everything,” Alain mumbled. “We got a visit from the prefect. He told me if I failed to return with you, bad things would happen to Margaret and the girls.”

“What bad things?” Kamir asked, making Tsaria jump. He had come back into the room almost silently.

“I have children,” Alain blurted out. “Sarah’s seven and Arrabella is three.” He gazed at Tsaria. “They’re babies.”

Tsaria’s stomach fell. He should have known all this was too good to be true. And his throat closed with new tears. Alain was a good man. In his own way he’d had as many battles as Tsaria had, maybe more. Different didn’t mean worse. He’d been blaming him for a decision his father made so many summers ago.

He watched as Alain sniffed and a bad feeling curled up his spine. Did Tsaria believe everything Alain said?

No, if Tsaria was honest. And it wasn’t that he thought Alain deliberately lied, he just might have not been given the truth.

About any of it.

Chapter fifteen

“I have to leave,” Alain said after they’d all drunk the tea and eaten the pastries. “I have chores Margaret cannot do alone. I have a neighbor's help, but I must return as soon as I can.”

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