Page 64 of Sins of His Wrath

Akoro stood next to one of the pillars, his arms crossed, his expression dark and moody. Of course he was staring at her, though the expression on his face wasn’t easy to read. Naya met his stare steadily, refusing to look away first. It was probably too much to expect he would leave her to get on with this investigation on her own. “Are you here to help me or track my every move until the day’s end?”

Akoro smirked.

She narrowed her eyes at him. Before she could say anything, someone near the back of the room moved. “Princess Nayara.” Her name was spoken with a thick halting accent.

She turned to look to see the healer, Oppo, coming toward her, his eyes stretching wide and his mouth dropped open a little. He looked over her as if amazed that she was standing in the room.

Instantly the tension that held her rigid softened. “Hello, Oppo.” His face lit up so brightly that she couldn’t help but smile. “It is good to see you again.”

“Shnim emæ nnar nte ku?n hhe shta nlok. Hhe kkio?t pa ron. Shku? ramæ ttan hhe ithimæ llu—” He spoke quickly and fluently, as though he’d forgotten Naya couldn’t understand him, but after a few words, his speech faltered and then stopped. Half bowing, he said, “Seeing you, I am glad.”

Akoro shot foreign words that him like arrows, sharp, direct and hard.

Oppo’s face cooled. He turned, directing calmer words back at his brother, but then Nrommo spoke, deep, demanding, and clearly displeased. Before Oppo could respond, the policy maker at the table was saying something.

Naya watched the exchange; their body language, their tone of voice, their eye contact. Oppo moved to the other side of the table as he spoke again, this time every inch of his body defensive and hostile. Nrommo and the policy maker exchanged a series of words that didn’t seem friendly.

Naya frowned, surveying the room the whole room again. So there were conflicts in Akoro’s council, seemingly to do with her. They had appeared so strong and impenetrable when she was first here, but now they were no longer as united as before. She needed to figure out how to use this to her advantage.

Akoro spoke and all voices fell silent, the tension in the room coiled tighter.

Prillu stepped beside from behind Naya, startling her. The diplomat still looked worn and tired but not as much. A little liveliness had returned to her eyes somewhat, but she behaved more formal than she’d been with Naya previously. “You may start your investigation, princess,” she said.

Naya glanced at the table. There was nothing on it. No stacks of parchment, books, or even wooden tablets. She looked around the room. “Where are the things I asked for?”

Prillu swept an arm over the room. “This council is the living archives of the Sy Dynasty. Our knowledge of magic, culture, and history covers anything you’ll need to know.”

“I did not ask for your memories. I asked for written documentation.”

“I assure you, our input is better than those records, princess.”

Her words scraped against Naya’s nerves. “Forgive me if I find it difficult to take any reassurance from those who oversaw my imprisonment,” Naya said, her voice steady despite the tremor of annoyance in her chest. “I would prefer to examine your records myself. To draw my own conclusions.”

A dark chuckle rolled through the room. Akoro pushed away from his pillar, his massive frame expanding as he unfolded his arms. “Have you suddenly learned to read our language,tmot zia?” His voice carried equal measures of mockery and demand. “How do you intend to draw conclusions from words you cannot read?”

Heat crept up the back of Naya’s neck, but she refused to let him disarm her. Just him being here was a distraction—the attraction between them thrummed constantly, like the static charge before a storm. Regardless, she couldn’t show weakness. Not now. Not to him.

She turned to face the council, ignoring him. “I don’t want your interpretations or your memories,” she said to Prillu. “I want to see the written records—the original documentation. If they need to be directly translated to me, that’s fine.”

A weighted silence fell over the room.

“All right,” Prillu said stiffly. “We can bring them from the Archive. It will take some time to?—”

“No.” Naya’s voice was sharp. “You’ve already had the hour I was changing to bring the materials I asked for. I’m not waiting. If they are in the Archive, take me there.”

Nrommo stiffened visibly, his broad shoulders squaring. His face twisted into something beyond a scowl. Then the administrator stepped forward, words spilling from her in sharp, rapid bursts. Though Naya couldn’t understand the language, the tone was unmistakable: objection, warning, maybe even a threat. Her fingers jabbed the air as she spoke, her gaze never leaving Naya’s face.

Naya ignored her. She already knew the council could all speak the Common Tongue fluently so this woman was just being fucking rude. “You assured me you wouldn’t interfere with this investigation,” she said to Prillu, speaking over the woman.

The tension in the room shifted, and the woman immediately quietened. Council members exchanged glances, unsure, their bodies tense. Naya sensed they were waiting for some kind of input from their king.

The heat of Akoro’s stare burned against Naya’s skin. She refused to turn toward him, refused to acknowledge him. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Prillu, who was looking at him. He must have given a signal—a nod, a gesture, some silent command—because Prillu’s posture changed, tension bleeding out of her shoulders as she inclined her head.

“I will take you to the archives.” She paused. “Do you need the entire council’s presence for the duration of the day? They have made time to be available if you require.”

Naya thought for a moment. While she didn’t want them elaborating about the official records, they could help put things into context depending on their specialism. “Can you remind me who oversees what areas?”

Prillu nodded. “Of course.” She gestured to each person as she named them. “Nrommo Hirkkle of the ssukku?rian is our battle chief, overseeing our military strategy and security.”

---