Page 45 of The Omega Slave

Then a rope ladder abruptly flew down the stone. Pip glanced at Tam. “Follow me. We have to crawl.”

Pip wasn’t joking. He climbed up maybe thirty feet until he watched as Pip hauled themself into a tight opening. The space was too tight to get on his knees, but not wanting to be left behind, especially as the air was a little clearer, Tam dug his elbows and boots into the damp earth and shuffled along. He didn’t complain when bony but strong arms hoisted him and he dropped into another tunnel. The stench was still there, but it wasn’t quite as bad and watching Pip undo their rag, he did the same.

His eyes had grown accustomed to the dim light and he guessed the flickering was from the vents up above, as it was still daylight.

Tam had spent time in the tunnels in Cadmeera, knew the sewer rats, both the human and the animal kind, but there seemed to be an added air of desperation here. Not that Cadmeera was perfect by any means, but since Raz and Attiker had taken control, there’d been hope. And hope was such a powerful thing you could almost taste it. All he tasted here was helplessness mixed with the stench of human and animal excrement.

“Who are you?”

Tam blinked and knew immediately who he was looking at. Up above, they were called house-mothers. They basically ran groups of kids doing everything from stealing to whoring. Some looked after their brats as best they could, so long as they wereearning. Some were the worst kind of evil. He had no idea which type she was. She looked a good forty summers older than him, but he doubted she was more than thirty summers older. Life wasn’t kind for the likes of them. He also knew she understood exactly who he was because he wouldn’t have gotten here with his throat intact if not.

“I am here to find my emir’s heart. I understand you have kept him safe.”

As statements went, it was powerful. It gave this woman all the power to bargain as she saw fit. If Tsaria was as sick as the rat had shown him, then he didn’t have time to idle.

“His heart?” she whispered, taken aback, but she quickly rallied. “You’re piss-poor at bargaining.”

“I have no proof, nor any time, as I know he’s sick,” Tam said. “He is a pleasure slave, but my lord wants him to be his bond mate. Kamir is battling on many fronts and is bound to return today to stop the cleansing rites.” Tam had a second to wonder why he had mentioned something no one, including him, had ever heard of, but the second he did the woman grabbed his arm.

“Say that again.”

Tam sighed. “They were safe in Cadmeera trying to bring forth Kamir’s animal when he got a missive from the ruling assembly to say if Kamir didn’t show his animal on the dark of the moon, then they would enact the cleansing.” Tam paused. “No one has ever heard of it. Kamir only knew because he is a historian.”

The woman let go and Tam studiously didn’t rub his arm.

She turned. “They call me Moxie, but in reality, should I ever bother with a war to claim my title, I’m Lady Maxella Legia Armonvellion, from the Duchy of Carlisle. I know what a cleansing is because my great-great grandmother saw one enacted.”

Tam’s jaw dropped so far he could nearly feel it hit the stone floor. He gathered his wits. “What price to get him out of here?”

She didn’t reply for a moment and a young girl hobbled close. Tam glanced down at her twisted leg and gaped anew when Moxie put her arm around her and held her close. None of the house-mothers above would have taken her. “Food and somewhere above to store it,” she said, but Tam knew the moment Kamir found out about them, she and these kids would never have to beg or steal again. And they wouldn’t remain down here either.

“He’s sick, as you said. We bartered for a tonic, but I doubt if being down here helps.”

Tam was shocked again that they thought to offer Tsaria that much. Moxie patted the lass’s hand and nudged her to the corner, then turned on her heel and both Pip and Tam followed her. The tunnel opened into another chamber, but it was dry. Tam took in the second little girl holding Tsaria’s hand and dropped to his knees.

For an endless moment he thought he was too late, and only took a shaky breath when he heard the wet rattle from Tsaria’s throat. He was barely recognizable. His normally warm, brown skin was tinged yellow. Cracked lips and sunken cheeks stood out. Tam knew he had been down here a matter of a few days, but he looked like he had been in the palace dungeon for weeks. Tam slid his hand into the sewn pocket on the inside of his jacket. Tsaria wouldn’t survive being moved in this state. He had to get his fever under control. He quickly withdrew a vial and pulled the stopper out. Moxie knelt and lifted Tsaria’s head without asking and slowly, so he didn’t choke and waste it, Tam dripped the liquid into Tsaria’s mouth.

“You got any more of that or are you takin’ him?” Moxie laid him back down and covered him up with the sacking.

“What is it?” the little girl asked.

“Elderflower, turnip husks, and mayan berries,” Tam answered and gazed at the raven-haired urchin. “Elderflower isgood for getting air into his lungs.” The berries were a lot more complicated.

She brightened. “I brought you a daisy, didn’t I Ma?”

Moxie chuckled. “Best flower I ever saw.”

“My name’s Cherry.”

“Nice to meet you, Cherry,” Tam said, utterly charmed.

“Will ‘e be well now? I held Granny’s hand all the time when she was abed, but the men came and got her to put her on a wagon when they decided the goddess wanted to keep ‘er” She paused. “Maybe ‘cos I didn’t ‘ave no elderflower.”

Tam swallowed down the lump that had lodged itself in his throat and thought about what to do. He glanced at Moxie. “Pretty sure you don’t crawl through the tunnel, so we’ll have to take him out the way you go.” She smirked, but Tam carried on. “I have lodgings. The Speckled Owl. I need help to get him there unseen.”

Moxie glanced at the corner and as if waiting for her signal, two older boys stepped forward. Tam drew in a slightly deeper breath. He knew Kamir was on his way. He just had to do everything he could to keep Tsaria alive until then.

Chapter nineteen

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