Page 10 of Storms of His Wrath

“In case we were ever caught among the people.”

Naya’s frown deepened. “So you go out among the people? You just said no Omega has been identified.”

Oshrun’s expression sobered. “I still have more questions before I answer yours. When you drew thennin-eellithi, where were you?”

Naya exhaled, struggling to keep her annoyance down. “Onn Kkulma.”

Oshrun stiffened, her manner returning to the guarded position she had when Naya first arrived. “You are the one who damaged the city and killed many people.”

Naya nodded, observing her carefully. So she knew what had happened to the city but not why Akoro had presented her to the people. It seemed the Omegas were only getting fragments of information.

Oshrun’s face deepened with distaste. “Why did you do that?”

Naya hesitated, a strange reluctance tugging at her. Despite everything Akoro had done to her—the kidnapping, the imprisonment, the captivity—she found herself protective of him. She didn’t want to add to what was clearly already a negative opinion of him without understanding the full story between these Omegas and the Sy Dynasty. This unexpected loyalty confused her. When did that happen? Why should she care what these women thought of him?

“I needed to get back to my land,” she said carefully, deciding to stick to the basics. “I was desperate, and it was the only way I could see to escape.”

Anger flashed in Oshrun’s eyes. “You caused all that death just to get back to your land?” she demanded, her voice hard and rough. “Why couldn’t you have gone home the normal way?”

Naya stared at her, the words echoing strangely in her mind. “The normal way?” she repeated slowly. “What do you mean by that?”

Oshrun’s anger was visible in her stiff shoulders, the tightness in her mouth, and the harsh edge of the words she muttered. She leaned forward, her glare bright and penetrating. “Listen carefully, Princess Nayara. The only way I will answer your questions is if you are forthcoming and truthful with me. Do you understand? We have a complicated history with Onn Kkulma City but it is precious to us, and if you are the one who damaged it and killed citizens, you are a criminal. I want to know what happened. No more half-truths, no more evasions.”

Something clicked in Naya’s mind. There was more here than she was aware of—a connection between these Omegas and her own land that neither Akoro nor anyone else in the Lox Empire had mentioned. It seemed there was another way home, one that wouldn’t require finding the Solution or surrendering her empire.

The thought should have filled her with relief. Instead, a strange feeling settled in her chest.

She took a deep breath, and let her body relax completely. She needed to behave like the leader she’d told herself she could be to represent her land. She couldn’t protect anyone if she didn’t know everything. “All right,” she said, moving to a comfortable cross-legged sitting position. “I’ll tell you.”

Calmly, Naya recounted everything that had happened to her, the kidnapping from her forest, Akoro’s claims about the Lox Empire’s supposed attack on his people, and her escape home. She spoke of the negotiations, her offer to find the Solution, and her return to Akoro’s land. She explained thecomingnnin-eellithistorm and her work with the council to find answers. However, she didn’t mention anything about Akoro being her true mate.

As she spoke, Oshrun’s expression shifted subtly—surprise, disbelief, and something like recognition passing across her features. When Naya mentioned the comingnnin-eellithistorm, the Omega leader tensed visibly.

A long moment passed in stillness and thick tension, then she rose to her feet in a single fluid motion, her height all the more impressive up close. “Come,” she said to Naya, moving to grab her crystal staff.

The guards at the entrance parted at Oshrun’s approach, and Naya followed her out of the cave into the sunlit canyon beyond. The sight took her breath away. What she had barely glimpsed before, now spread before her in its full majesty—a hidden paradise nestled within the towering red stone walls.

The canyon was wider than it first appeared, opening into a sheltered valley where clusters of structures had been built directly into the rock face. Women moved about with purpose, some carrying baskets of food or bundles of herbs, others training with weapons in a cleared area near the stream that flowed through the center of the settlement. Children darted between the stone dwellings, their laughter carrying on the breeze.

The structures themselves were marvels of engineering and artistry. Carved directly into the living rock, they seemed to grow from the canyon walls themselves. Intricate patterns decorated doorways and windows, while colorful fabrics hung from terraces and balconies, adding splashes of vibrant blue, red, and gold to the warm tones of the stone.

Gardens flourished wherever space allowed—small plots of vegetables and herbs, fruit trees heavy with produce, flowering vines that cascaded down the rock faces. The stream that woundthrough the canyon’s center had been streamed into irrigation channels that brought life to every corner of the settlement.

“This is our home,” Oshrun said, pride edging into her voice. “Hidden from the world for generations. Safe from those who would harm us.”

Naya stared in wonder at the thriving community. “How much of what Akoro said was true?” She turned to Oshrun. “Were you really banished? Forced out of the society because of thennin-eellithi?”

Oshrun hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “Everything he said was true but he left out a crucial part of the history, which changes the perspective. Some of the history he couldn’t know. Other things he does, and he chose to withhold that from you.”

“You said he’d hurt you,” Naya almost blurted out, unable to hold it in. “That he hurts all Omegas. Is that true?”

“Would it be so hard to believe?” Oshrun said, arching a brow as she shot Naya a sideways glance. “He’s already been hurting you.”

Naya clamped her mouth shut, bitterness in her throat. She couldn’t argue with that.

“There is something you should see first,” Oshrun said, continuing further in the tour and beckoning Naya to follow.

She led Naya down a winding path that descended into the valley. Women paused in their activities to look at her, their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright suspicion. Many wore their hair in similar styles to Oshrun’s—intricate braids adorned with beads, shells, and small metal ornaments that caught the light. Their clothing was practical yet beautifully crafted—tunics, skirts, and loose pants in earthy brown, red and stone tones, embellished with intricate embroidery and accented with jewelry made from polished stones and carved bone.

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