Page 8 of Sins of His Wrath

“What would have stopped him?”

Naya thought for a moment. “I pulled white fire into his city so I could escape.” The screams she’d heard while creating the portal resonated in her mind, but she pushed the memory away. “I’m guessing that slowed him down.”

“How much time do you think that gives us?” Uncle Torin asked.

“I’m not sure. It could be a few more hours or another day or two. They have magic, but I don’t know how efficiently they deal with white fire.”

“That’s more than enough time to prep every country, meet our allies, and put the empire on warning,” Papa said.

“We still don’t know how he got here,” Uncle Torin pointed out.

“Or how he took you there,” Kuan, the twin in black, said, annoyance flitting through her face. Tall and golden-featured, the twins were already striking women, but their serious demeanor made them even more imposing. As female Alphas—a rare dynamic—they were a constant source of curiosity throughout the empire. Yet, they remained largely withdrawn, keeping company with only each other, and seen only when summoned by Papa. However, in matters of magic, they never hesitated to speak up, their voices clear and assertive. “We scoured the forest for signs or residue of portals or magic, and we couldn’t find any.”

“Lox warriors are combing the forest,” Papa said. “If they see anything, they’ll alert us.”

“I’ll talk to the Omegas about creating a shield to protect their village,” Mama said. “If they all work together, it should be impenetrable.”

“Tell us exactly how you saw this magic being used,” the other twin, Rada, said to Naya.

Naya explained again how the dark red bands had worked—tightening around her hard enough to break bones when she moved away from her confinement. She talked about the way the camp had traveled with carts hovering over sand, and the way the city was protected from the white magic using boulders.She explained how magic felt closed off and unresponsive and yet extremely powerful with the ability to activate without direct input. Papa continued pacing as she talked while Torin stilled, his nib motionless above the parchment.

When she’d finished, the Talent-crafter twins were silent for a long moment, thoughtful expressions on their faces. “This sounds like some kind of rule-based magic,” Rada said to Kuan.

Her sister nodded. “It must be. What the princess describes is very difficult to achieve and impossible with ability.”

“What is rule-based magic?” Naya asked.

“Magic that’s confined by certain rules and used to complete actions with no need for applied direction or interference by a Talent-crafter.”

“It cannot be easily interfered with,” Rada said.

“And even if someone somehow manages to, there are dire consequences,” Kuan finished.

“That sounds like it,” Naya said, grimly. “How do you know of it? Who uses that kind of magic in the empire?”

“No one,” Rada said.

“Anymore,” Kuan added hesitantly.

Both of them glanced at Papa.

He slowed to a stop and scowled at them. “What does that mean?”

“Who used to use it?” Uncle Torin demanded.

The sisters spoke together. “The Mothers.”

“They are the only ones who we’ve seen do anything like that,” Kuan added.

“When?” Uncle Torin asked.

“The shield they built to protect their compound in the wastelands,” Kuan said. “It required no effort from the Mothers to maintain. That’s why it was so hard to create a portal from outside.”

Papa’s face contorted. “Bring Mother Freya to me now.”

“No, Papa,” Naya said. “I will speak to her.”

“Naya—”

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