Page 63 of Sins of His Wrath

Naya turned her attention to what must have once been a beautiful feat of nature, She shook her head, sorrow coursing through her. It felt wrong that Omegas lived here. In her land Omegas had been abused historically, but was this any better? Being abandoned to the harsh nature of wild magic, a deadly sun, and a dead forest? What kind of life could they have? “Your society truly doesn’t care what happens to them?” The words were sharper than she intended.

“I never said we don’t care. I told you, we have laws about them.” But something flickered in his expression, but it was gone too quickly for her to interpret. Before she could press further, the soldier dismounted and approached, speaking rapidly in their tongue.

Akoro gestured back to thennirae. “The soldier that was shot survived; we must get him back quickly to the healers.”

Naya nodded, watching the soldier with the cart remove the opaque dome. “Where were they hiding?” she asked after a moment, turning to Akoro. “Why couldn’t I see who was attacking us?”

“A section of the Sand we crossed is unique.” He mounted behind her, pulling her into him as he did before. “Certain shifts in the sand at certain times of the day create places where men can hide. It’s perfect for assassins and bandits.”

“You knew they would attack?”

“I suspected they would try,” Akoro said, gathering the reins. Thenniraebegan moving the way they came. “My men will try to pick up who they can.”

“And then?”

His arm wrapped around her, not squeezing, but firm. “Then they learn why no one dares to challenge me or try to touch what is mine.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The morning sun beat down mercilessly by the time they passed through Onn Kkulma’s ruins. The city looked different in the harsher light—somehow both better and worse than it had in the pre-dawn hours. When Akoro’s mount picked its way carefully through the remnants of the marketplace, hooves crunching over shattered tiles, shadows no longer softened the devastation, but neither did they hide the clear attempt of the community to rebuild. Everywhere Naya looked, people worked together with quiet determination—chains of women passing buckets of debris, men reinforcing damaged walls, children scurrying between them with water skins and tools.

When they finally reached the palace steps, Akoro dismounted, pulling Naya down after him. Irritation flared through her fog of fatigue. She was exhausted and the day was nearly over, and she hadn’t even started on the Solution yet. He had given her the whole day to work—something that required her to be sharp and alert. Instead she was being handled like a plaything; lifted and moved and taken back and forth to a forest and wasted precious hours.

“Why did you take me with you to the Omega forest?” she asked, realization hitting her. “You could have done that without me.”

Akoro turned to her, his dark eyes raked over her face. “No, I couldn’t.” His rumble vibrated through her body, pulling on that needy part of her. “Make sure you use this day wisely.” He held her gaze for just a moment longer, then turned and stalked toward the palace steps.

Anticipation coiled tight in her stomach, tangled with a thread of nervous energy. Five uninterrupted days to work on the Solution—it was more than she’d dared hope for.

“Princess.” Prillu appeared at her side while Naya was still trying to steady herself. The diplomat’s dark brown eyes that used to be somewhat warm, were cool and assessing. “What do you need for your investigation?”

Naya rubbed her fingers hard on her forehead. She wanted nothing more than to sink into a bath and then into her own bed. But she couldn’t afford to waste what remained of the day.

She straightened, forcing her mind to focus. “I’ll need access to all historical records about first manifestations of magic in these lands. Maps showing where the destruction is most concentrated and details of any patterns to the outbreaks.” She paused, thinking about the vast desert and the magic that raged across it. “I need to understand how the magic interacts with the land—where it’s strongest, how it moves through the desert, what triggers its most violent manifestations.”

The diplomat nodded once, sharp and precise. “Anything else?”

“Records of previous attempts to control or study the magic. The previous Solution attempts you mentioned, too, even if they ended in failure—I need to know what’s been tried.” Naya closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then opened them. “Also, records of people who interact with magical on a regular basis and documentation of magical artifacts or items of importance. There might be answers there.”

Prillu pressed her lips together. “You’ll receive historical records of the magic’s manifestations and previous Solution studies, but information about our magical items and artifacts is classified. Anything that could provide military advantage to the Lox Empire is, obviously, forbidden.” She turned to leave, then paused. “Someone will show you to your chambers so you can refresh before you start.”

In the washroom, Naya splashed cool water on her face and neck, taking a moment to narrow her thoughts and remind herself why she was here. Her Empire and her people were the ones who mattered. She had to make as much progress as possible—make it worth surrendering once more to Akoro in her heat.

The woman who bathed her this morning was in standing in her room when she returned. A new outfit was laid out for her, and at the end of the bed was a tray with a wide selection of fruit and a small bowl of porridge.

“Kkermo?” Naya asked, pointing to the tray.

The woman blinked in surprise. Nodding, she left the room.

Naya took a long drink from thetmaestem and instantly felt better. After the woman returned with herkkermo, which Naya drank more slowly and deliberately this time, she helped her into the new outfit.

A guard collected her from her room and escorted her on the familiar journey to the battle planning room. Two guards pushed the doors open, and she lifted her chin, preparing to step back into the room where she was forced to help plan for her empire’s demise.

It looked even more impressive than when she’d last saw it; huge with beautiful, painted walls, thick pillars, and gleaming weaponry, lit by the sharp morning light spilling in through the lattice windows. This time, the Known Lands maps had been pushed to the back of the room, but they hadn’t been removed completely.

The members of Akoro’s council were spread throughout the room, quiet and still. Nrommo stood in one corner of the room, arms crossed, with one of his ugly scowls. He didn’t look directly at her. The administrator, whose name Naya couldn’t remember, stood by one of the windows staring out, while the policy maker sat at the table in the middle of room staring at his hands clasped. It was a stark contrast to when she’d first arrived and they all watched her like she was about to attack.

The only one of them looking directly at her was the striking-looking woman, Tshel, who always wore red. She’d been the only one who had attempted to be friendly during Naya’s talks with the council and claimed she was a “Hearer”—whatever that meant. She studied Naya with curiosity and a quiet thoughtful intensity.

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