Page 90 of Sins of His Wrath

Naya stared at the council members, struggling to process what they had just told her. "Annin-eellithistorm is coming?" she repeated, the words alarming even to her own ears.

Prillu nodded and gestured to the map spread across the table, where all the council members sat. "Yes, princess. Thennin-eellithistorm we've been tracking will reach Onn Kkulma in one month instead of six."

Naya stared at the map. "What is annin-eellithistorm?"

The council members’ grave faces were a sign it wasn’t good. Tshel stepped forward, her red robes swaying gently as she moved closer to the table.

"Annin-eellithistorm occurs when two or morennin-eellithiare trapped together," she explained. "They merge and feed off each other, and grow exponentially more powerful—up to eight times stronger than a single entity."

Tshel's fingers traced a pattern across the map, following invisible lines that only she seemed to see. "The storms travel along established pathways through the Sands, paths marked by previous magical destruction. We monitor them constantly and can usually track them many months in advance."

Naya's stomach clenched as the implications sank in. If a singlennin-eellithicould devastate a city as she had witnessed... what could a storm do? Images of the destruction she'd already caused blazed through her mind—blood-stained walls, collapsed buildings, orphaned children. Multiplied by eight. Her throat tightened. "If these storms follow established pathways," she asked slowly, "why would it come to Onn Kkulma? There must be other pathways it could take?"

Oppo spoke, his voice sombre, and Tshel translated his words. "Storms have been coming into the region since the region was destroyed," he explained through Tshel. "Usually, they miss Onn Kkulma entirely. But there is an existing pathway that runs directly through the city." His eyes met hers, hurt and pain gleaming.

Understanding dawned on Naya with sharp precision. The second wave—when someone from the Known Lands had supposedly unleashed a second attack on the Sy Dynasty, that was the destruction that had left these people’s cherished city in ruins.

Her gaze drifted to where Akoro stood in the corner of the room, silent and brooding. He was still, but his presence filled the space like a gathering hurricane. His jaw was locked tight, the muscles flickering with barely controlled fury. Yet he wasn’t directing it at anyone in particular.

She exhaled and turned back to the council. "Could my actions have caused this?" The question slipped from her lips before she could stop it. "When I drew thennin-eellithiinto the city to escape... could that have sped up the storm's approach?"

Prillu shook her head firmly. "The storm was already forming, princess. It was coming regardless, just later." Her voice softened slightly. "We would have had more time, that's all."

"More time to invade my land, you mean?"

A silence settled over the room, thick with discomfort. No one met her gaze directly.

Nrommo, who had been so openly combative since she’d met him, now sat with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable—as if he still couldn’t fully grasp the reality of their situation. Nanaek, who had barely concealed her hostility a few days ago, now watched Naya with something unsettlingly close to hope.

The shift was jarring. These people had been obstacles, enemies even, during her first days of captivity. Now they looked at her as if she were their salvation.

Naya straightened her shoulders. "Are you all willing to help me now?" Her voice was even, but there was an edge to it.

She met Nrommo’s stare, then Nanaek’s. "No more resistance?"

Her gaze swept over the rest of them, holding each one accountable. "No more refusing to answer my questions?"

A murmur of agreement moved through the council, quiet but certain. Some shifted uncomfortably, looking away, while others nodded with conviction.

"We will provide whatever assistance you require, princess," Ranin said, bowing his head slightly.

But whether they had truly accepted her—or simply had no other choice—remained to be seen.

"Good." Naya nodded, drawing a deep breath. "Then I need to negotiate this with thezmola." She gestured toward the door. "You are all dismissed."

A ripple of shock passed through the council.

It was clear they had never been dismissed from the king’s strategy room by anyone but Akoro himself. Their hesitation was almost comical—uncertain glances darted between her and their ruler, as if waiting for him to countermand her words.

But Akoro remained silent, statue-still in the corner, watching.

Oppo, however, grinned, a flash of genuine amusement flickering across his face.

One by one, the council members rose, filing toward the exit in stiff, reluctant movements. Some left quickly, eager to be free of the tension. Others lingered just long enough to cast curious, speculative glances over their shoulders.

The door closed behind them with a soft thud.

Naya turned fully to face Akoro.

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