Page 5 of The Omega Slave

“Who do you think you are to deny me passage to my brother’s bedchamber? I assume you are fond of your head remaining attached to your miserable neck?”

Kamir’s heart leapt at the sound of his sister’s voice. If ever there had been a more suitable emir than Veda, he didn’t know them. She would have the kingdom at its knees, but not in fear, in adoration. Kamir could never inspire such devotion.

“Veda?” he pretended her voice had roused him, and ignored the fluttering hands of Ibrahim, and the deceit that coated every concerned word that dripped from his uncle’s tongue.

“Brother,” Veda acknowledged, sweeping into the room, and completely ignoring their uncle.

“Your Highness, the healers are—”

She waved Ibrahim’s comment off as if it was inconsequential. “You may leave us.” And Kamir, because his eyes were fully open, caught the look that the weasel sent his uncle, as if Veda didn’t have the power to command any slave’s instant obedience.

“I require privacy,” Kamir managed to croak out, and Ibrahim bowed and left.

“Of course you do,” Veda said softly and sat on the edge of his bed, then blinked and peered into his eyes. She opened her mouth, closed it as if she thought better of her words and turned to Gabar. “Uncle? Perhaps you can brief us?”

“It was Cadmeera,” Gabar spat. “The dragon answers to their king’s consort, and they clearly wish to annex our great nation.”

“And where is the dragon?” Veda interrupted.

“Escaped through the throne room windows where it also entered. There is damage to the wall, even though the windows are huge. A great many were killed.”

The breath caught in his throat. Damage? Killed? No, no, that wasn’t true. He’d felt peace for the first time in—

“And we were barely able to save his highness. Many loyal guards gave their lives, of course, and their families will be compensated.”

No.No.Kamir’s mind was flayed in all directions. People died? Why?

“I wish to speak to my brother alone,” Veda said crisply, as if she was daring Gabar to object. He hesitated, but then bowed and left, and Kamir wanted to laugh. If Gabar had been in Veda’s sole presence, as a female she wouldn’t have warranted the same respect. The bow was for him. Veda stood and stalked the chamber, then opened the door, surprising the guards when she shut it immediately, then came back to Kamir.

“We’re alone,” she whispered and bent and brushed a kiss to his forehead. “What in seven hells did you do?” It was funny in an overwhelming, ridiculous way and Kamir described in detail what he could. Veda listened intently. “So, you’re a hundred percent sure you were the dragon? It wasn’t Eldara as they think?”

Kamir hesitated. But he knew. Deep down, he knew. “Yes.” He had no idea how, but it had been him.

“Tell me exactly what happened when you changed,” she asked.

“It was the pleasure slave,” he whispered.

She frowned. “What was?”

“He changed me.” He could still feel that touch. That connection. “I’d never felt anything like it.”

“Wait, are you saying the touch of some stranger caused this?”

She sounded incredulous, and he didn’t blame her. “Believe me,” he begged and clutched her hand.

“Brother,” she whispered, not a name but a promise. “Have you looked at yourself since you woke up?”

Kamir shook his head. “In what way?”

She smiled. “Well unless a slave has had time to add a purple streak to your hair, and a sorcerer has lightened the color of your eyes then I believe you. Not,” she added, “that I wouldn’t anyway.”

“Then what happened?” Veda stood and walked to the cabinet lifting the looking glass and bringing it back. Kamir gaped. His eyes were almost amber, and he had a purple streak in his hair. “What did the dragon look like?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed. “We were alone. People screamed. They ran. The pleasure slave was the only one that stayed.”

“So you were looking at the slave not the dragon?” Veda arched an eyebrow as if proving her point. “There were witnesses? You are sure?”

“Mansala. Where is he?”

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