Page 7 of Sins of His Wrath

“It is not trauma or fear just because you disagree, Papa!” Naya thundered back, her voice equally as fierce. She’d almost forgotten how stubborn and proud Papa was. Now was not the time for it. “Do you think I sat trembling for my life the whole time I was there? I remembered everything you taught me. I listened, I watched, I memorized, I planned for this moment. I know you enjoy this part—figuring out how to defeat a new enemy, but I solved this puzzle before I escaped.”

Papa straightened, his shoulders relaxing, his chest out, and the corner of his mouth quirking up. “Of course you did,” he said, pride thick in his voice. “You are Lox trained, and my daughter.”

Naya straightened to match his stance, looking him in the eyes. “You’ve been telling me to accept my rightful place as ruler for years. I am accepting it now.”

“Now? After rejecting it for six years, you expect me to believe you’re suddenly ready after returning from being captured? I am not trying to take anything from you, Naya, but I’ve led this army for over three decades and we’ve never lost a battle yet.”

“You did not see his battle room, Papa,” Naya said, her voice quietening. “You didn’t see the enormous range of weapons nor the weight or design of them. You don’t know how he fights, how deeply he’s been watching us, the council he uses and their varying knowledge and experience. You did not see the meticulous nature of their preparation, nor the strength of his vengeance. This won’t be a battle, it will be a war. If we don’t stop him as soon as we can, he will erase all signs of us from this land until it is just hills and plains of blood-soaked soil. Then he will do the same to our allies because they helped us.” She didn’t mention that Akoro would keep her alive and at his side to watch it all. “We do not need to beat our chests,” she said firmly. “We need to win.”

The entire room stilled, but Naya only saw her papa. He was tense, his expression unreadable.

“I am ready, Papa,” Naya insisted, breaking the silence that was building. “You will tell the generals I am leading, and we will followmystrategy. I won’t let you down.”

Papa kept his eyes on Naya and slowly walked around the table separating them until he towered over her.

Naya met his gaze. It was the first time she’d ever dared give him a direct order, but this was the best way forward and, for the sake of all their lives, she had to force him to see it. But as he looked down at her, a multitude of emotions flicked across his face; fury, pride, determination, but to her surprise, at the root of them was worry.

“You crumbled when Lili died, Nayara.” His voice was almost too low for anyone else to hear. “You took your guilt to a dark place that not even your mother or I could reach. When you lead an army into battle, you are responsible for every life—every single Alpha who has pledged to fight to the death—and it isguaranteedthat you will lose some of them. It’s the nature of battle. They are trusting that I, or you, or Torin, or Mama—any of us who lead—will carry them to a victory they can be proud of because they know it will come with the deaths of men they have trained with for years, if not their own. It is a heavy responsibility that must be honored.”

Naya didn’t break eye contact. “I know, Papa. That’s why we don’t need to put them in situations they cannot win. What you’re suggesting will kill more Lox warriors than necessary. I can prevent needless death.”

“But you cannot prevent death from occurring,” Papa stressed. “You cannot assume that one strategy will secure a win regardless of the information you have. You cannot guarantee they don’t use long-range weapons just because you saw none. There are different ways to fight this war.”

Naya swallowed, but held his gaze. He was right.

“Warriorswilldie,” Papa continued. “Citizens will die, palace staff will die, and possibly some of us in this room, too. Death is expected by our men, but their honor is nonnegotiable. It matters. Understanding that is part of leading the army and has to be factored in to how we strategize. If they are told to fight like cowards, it not only affects their morale, they’re also not being honored.”

Naya’s mouth tightened in annoyance. Over the years since she’d started training, the Lox had become so worshipped, it was almost as though they were an extension of the throne. Clearly, this had gone to Papa’s head. “The entire empire is at stake here, Papa. The feelings of Lox warriors have to be put into perspective of the enormity we could lose.”

Papa was quiet for a long moment. “Our honor would be devastating to lose too, Naya. We aren’t bandits on a field protecting our food by any means necessary. We are an established culture. Our honor at this moment will be reflected in our survivors and remembered by history. Are you prepared for that?”

Naya took a breath. “I understand.” And she did. Holding the throne and the army held an intangible weight, one that wasn’t about the immediate moment. “And I am prepared.”

His eyes searched her face and slowly, the worry on his face softened. “All right,” Papa said, his exhale heavy. “Then you will lead.”

Naya sighed, relief filtering through her as Papa pulled her to him for a long hug.

For the next hour, things moved smoothly. They poured over the map, identifying areas of potential weaknesses for Akoro’s army and analyzing regions that Akoro and his counsel seemed interested in. Uncle Torin, Mama, and Papa each had specific and up-to-date knowledge about the regions, the Lox army, and recent reports filed with the Records Keep, so when combined, their insight helped to create a formidable plan.

Papa couldn’t help but pace as they talked, stopping once in a while to brace his thick arms on the table and exhale through gritted teeth. Beneath his obvious anger, jangled a charged agitation about the upcoming battle that Naya recognized as a blend of excitement, rage, and irritation. Mama’s mood was somber, serious, and deadly. She saw things in a different light than the men did, and her contributions usually firmed up a blind spot. Papa paced closed to her, as though needing her soothing energy, and every so often she reached out to brush his arm or he reached back to touch her. Uncle Torin was steady as always, but even more strict with Naya’s recounting of information than Papa, asking very precise questions while scribbling notes.

“Is that everything?” Uncle Torin didn’t glance up from his parchment. “Everything you can think of?”

Naya stared at the map spread across the table for a moment, then pointed to several places. “Are you sure we’ll have enough strong defenses in these places to protect them?”

“The generals of those areas will have some good ideas on top of ours,” Papa said.

“And we’ll have the help of Kardos’ tribes, and Malloron’s Talent-crafter army,” Mama added. “They know they’ll be taking orders from our generals.”

Naya nodded. “With them and our citizens’ help, his army will be more than distracted. It’ll be a hard fight for them.”

Uncle Torin nodded and kept scribbling. He nodded at her answer, still not glancing up. “When do you think he’ll come?”

Naya looked up at him, unease sliding around her chest. “I’m surprised he’s not here already.”

Papa frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“He was preparing to attack when I left. I thought he would be right behind me.”

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