Page 97 of Sins of His Wrath

A tense silence fell over the room.

“We don’t know,” Prillu said carefully. “I know you wanted to look at an artifact.” She glanced at Nrommo and he nodded, shifting uncomfortably, his gaze flicking to Prillu before returning to Naya.

She hesitated, then reached beneath the table, bringing out an object wrapped in a deep red cloth. With care, she unwrapped it, revealing the dark grey stone with a blue glow that Naya had seen Akoro and others holding.

“This is one of our most stable artifacts,” she said.

Naya reached toward it instinctively, then paused, glancing at Akoro. “May I?”

His expression was unreadable, his posture rigid. After a long moment, he nodded once, a sharp, decisive movement.

Naya lifted the stone carefully, feeling its weight in her palm. Though smooth to the touch, there was something about it that seemed to vibrate against her skin—a subtle energy that hummed with potential. There was a magical structure here.

Mother Freya’s advice floated back to her. If you are aware, you can touch.

“I need space,” she said suddenly. “Somewhere open, where I can properly examine this.”

“The training ground on the roof,” Ranin suggested. “It would provide space while remaining within the palace’s protection.”

Akoro's voice cut through the discussion. “No.” His eyes locked onto Naya’s, dark with a look she couldn’t quite define. “No. It’s too dangerous. This is unpredictable, and possibly lethal. You’re not risking yourself.”

“I’m not connecting with any wild magic,” Naya said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I’m just examining this stone. You’re already familiar with it, aren’t you?” She held it up. “What can it do to me if I don’t know how to use it?”

Akoro said nothing, his eyes flicking between the rock and the stone, his fury evident from his tight chest and heavy breathing.

The room fell silent, the council members watching the exchange with varying expressions of concern and interest.

Naya stepped closer to him, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “You brought me here to find the Solution,” she said, her voice low but firm. “You gave me your word that you wouldn’t interfere. Are you going back on that now?”

Anger flickered in Akoro’s expression. “Yes.” He tilted his head, turning his look into a warning. “We are way past that now.”

Naya pulled in a slow breath, speaking gently. “I won’t touch any wild magic, Akoro. We need to move past thing so we can get to the answer.”

For several heartbeats, Akoro remained silent, his gaze locked with hers, a silent battle of wills that seemed to stretch into eternity.

Then, finally, he exhaled—a sound of frustrated resignation. “The roof,” he said, the words clipped and harsh. “But you work under my conditions, under my protection.”

Naya nodded, relief flooding through her. “Thank you.”

Within minutes, they had ascended to the palace roof—a vast, open space, with the sprawling expanse of Onn Kkulma visible in every direction. Soldiers flooded into the space, as per Akoro’s instructions, and surrounded Naya.

Akoro positioned his warriors strategically around the perimeter, his orders sharp and precise. The council members stood back, watching with a mixture of hope and trepidation as Naya moved to the center of the space, the stone heavy in her palm.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the weight of the artifact, the subtle vibration that seemed to pulse from within it.

Focusing, she sought the magical structure embedded within, and something began to take shape in her mind’s eye—a pattern, complex and beautiful, woven into the very essence of the stone. It was definitely from a language.

She pushed her awareness deeper, trying to understand the pattern

Emboldened, Naya expanded her awareness beyond the stone, reaching out as she had done in her own land, seeking the broader currents of magic that flowed through this place. To her surprise, she found them quickly—rivers of energy, vast and powerful, coursing beneath the surface of reality.

For the first time since arriving in this land, she felt truly connected to its magic—not just observing it, but part of it, immersed in its ebb and flow. It was exhilarating, intoxicating. That’s when she felt it—a disturbance focused on her, targeting at her.

Dimly, she heard voices calling out—alarmed shouts, perhaps warning her. But they seemed distant.

A column of white-hot energy erupted above her, crackling into existence, with her at its center. It was beautiful and terrible, a living storm of pure power that surged through her.

“Naya!” Akoro bellowed, desperate and raw, cut through the roar of magic. “Naya, stop!”

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