Page 70 of Sins of His Wrath

“She’s going to ask you about it,” Oppo said, pushing off the table. "She is going to ask you a lot of things.” Oppo held his gaze. “Show her.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Naya paced her chamber, her mind tangled with questions.

The wild magic here—thennin-eellithi—was once like the wild magic of her land. That realization unsettled her. Did that mean they were the same? Even though the sliver that came with her had been absorbed into the wastelands, the magic she'd felt in the desert had been different. It possessed distinct personalities, different moods—almost like separate entities rather than facets of the same force.

Mother Freya had said that these were actually different kinds of magic, but why would different kinds of wild magic exist in the desert? It had to be connected to their origin. A chilling thought seized her. What if the magic in her land eventually transformed in the same way? What if the information she learned here became necessary at some point to help own people as well as Akoro's?

The people of Saderthorne had been begging her to do something about the wastelands straying from its borders, becoming more unpredictable, more dangerous. What if this was how it had begun here? What if this was a glimpse into her empire’s future?

She needed answers.

Naya stopped at the window, pressing her palm against the smooth stone frame. The view of Onn Kkulma stretched before her. The warm hues of the city were slowly returning as it was rebuilt. The guilt that surged every time she saw the destruction was getting harder to ignore. What if this land and hers could learn from each other? Help each other? Akoro wasn’t interested in that but that’s what seemed to make the most sense.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

Prillu stood in the doorway, her usual pristine appearance slightly rumpled, the shadows beneath her eyes more pronounced.

"Are you ready to return to the archive?"

"I need to speak to Akoro." Naya said, stepping into the corridor.

Prillu’s expression barely shifted, but her voice was clipped. "He is busy with his duties. I will inform him you wish to speak once he is available."

Naya exhaled and nodded.

They moved through the corridor, their footsteps echoing against the marble. After a few moments, Naya realized something—they were alone.

Her steps slowed. "Where are my guards?"

When they’d stopped forlur ennenearlier, no one had escorted her back to her room either. While she was pleased she was no longer being shepherded everywhere, it was a strange development. Akoro had made it abundantly clear that she was still his captive.

Prillu didn’t so much as glance at her. "Thezmolahas removed them."

Naya glanced at her. From the way she said it, it was clear Prillu did not agree with his decision. "Why?"

"I do not question thezmola’sdecisions," Prillu said, her voice tightening almost imperceptibly.

Naya slowed, and Prillu matched her pace. That brittleness she’d noticed in Prillu was still there, a tension that seemed permanently etched into her shoulders. It wasn’t just exhaustion—it was something deeper.

“Prillu, what happened to you?" Naya asked, her voice softening.

Prillu started, her eyes swiveling to meet Naya's. "Princess?"

"Something happened," Naya said, watching Prillu closely. "You’re different."

Prillu turned to face forward abruptly, inhaling sharply. “Everything is different now, princess," she said somewhat stiffly, her voice low. She glanced at her, and finally emotion bled through her guarded expression—horror, despair, anger. It sent a chill down Naya’s spine.

“I am different but so are you. You’ve shown you are willing to murder indiscriminately—as long as it isn’t your own people.” Her breath became heavier as though she was holding back a flood of sorrow or grief she refused to spill. “It has taken its toll on everybody. I'm sure you saw this morning how it has affected the council." She held Naya’s eyes. “You were underestimated. And adjustments have to be made for that.”

Naya’s words were caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected this, but she should have. The people who were hurt and killed were probably known to the council. “I’m sorry if what I did impacted you and the council,” Naya said, keeping her voice steady. "If people you know have been hurt, I’m sorry about that to—it wasn’t intentional. If I could have found another way to leave without hurting anyone, I would have.” She stepped forward, gaze sharp. “But what was intentional was what your king did to me and planned to do, and still plans to do to my people. These are the risks you take when you make these kind of choices. And when you are the aggressor, you don’t get to complain about the cost.”

Prillu’s face twisted. “Then I suppose we are at odds as to who the aggressor truly is. Because it certainly wasn’t the women and children of the sukkurian."

“And it isn’t me or my people either.” She spoke quietly, deliberately. "You and the council call yourselves ‘of the sukkurian’—of the people. But it’s different when you’re at the top, isn’t it? When you are the ones making decisions about whose lives are spent. You were, and still are, planning worse for my people. At least you still have your home."

They stood in silence, a charged thread of tension between them.

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