Page 24 of Storms of His Wrath

Laughter rippled around the table as the women watched her inhale the familiar scent of burned earth and bitter smoke. She took a careful sip, savoring the way warmth spread through her chest.

“You knowkkermo?” Oshrun asked, a surprised grin on her face.

“They served it to me every morning in the palace,” Naya said, taking another appreciative sip. “I became quite... attached to it.”

Oshrun laughed, knowingly and sympathetic this time. “That’s quite remarkable,” she said slowly, her amber eyes studying Naya. “Kkermois extremely difficult to prepare properly, especially out in the region. The magical process is complex and expensive. Only the wealthiest households can afford it regularly and they don’t always offer it to their guests.” She paused, a small smile playing at her lips. “You really weren’t treated much like a prisoner at all, were you?”

Naya frowned, realizing how the full picture looked to the Omega leader. Royal clothing, inclusion in sacred ceremonies, expensive delicacies served daily… none of it fit the typical treatment of a captive. But she still had a scar that proved she wasn’t a guest either.

Oshrun took a savoring sip of herkkermo. “In terms of other reasons to leave the canyon, we spend considerable time in the various districts, collecting resources and information. Learning what we can about changes in the region, potential threats, opportunities.”

“Do any of you ever go into Onn Kkulma?”

Oshrun exhaled, reaching for another piece of the warm flatbread. “Onn Kkulma is very dangerous for us—the potential to be detected is high. Unfortunately, we have to enter, but only to work in a very specific context.”

“Work?”

“The Sy Dynasty has specialists callednnin-shunnwho maintain and program their magical tools,” Oshrun explained, spooning more of the creamy porridge onto her plate. “What they don’t know is that all theirnnin-shunnare Omegas.”

Naya nearly choked on herkkermo. “You work for the Sy Dynasty?” The words came out sharper than intended, but the morning conversations around them were growing louder, laughter and chatter creating a blanket of noise that seemed to swallow her outburst.

Oshrun’s expression remained calm, though her voice took on a harder edge. “That isn’t how we’d phrase it.”

“Then what would you call it?” Naya set down her cup, keeping her voice low. “You’re still helping them maintain the very tools they used to control people. The same magic that—” She caught herself before mentioning the Omega suffering, but the implication was clear between them.

“The same magic that keeps the region stable,” Oshrun finished quietly, breaking off another piece of bread. “Magic that prevents the kind of chaos that once destroyed entire cities.” She leaned closer. “You think we should let magic run wild? Let untrained hands attempt to harness forces they don’t understand?”

Naya shifted on her cushion, grateful that the surrounding conversations masked their exchange. “I think maybe this land would be better without magical tools at all. Let people live naturally, without the risk of another catastrophe.”

Oshrun’s smile was thin, almost pitying. “You speak as someone who has never lived through true instability, princess. Never watched people starve because crops failed, never seen them die from injuries that magic could heal, never witnessed the desperation that drives rulers to grasp for any advantage they can find. And what about thennin-eellithi? The toolsprotect thessukkurianpeople. We’d have to go back to being nomads if we didn’t have magical tools.”

She reached for one of the small leather-skinned fruits, peeling it with practiced movements. “We live across several deserts, not lush green paradises like you. Without magical infrastructure, this region would collapse within a few years. Eventually, someone would try to recreate what was lost. Someone with less skill, less understanding than those who came before.”

Naya opened her mouth to argue, but Oshrun continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

“When that happens—and it will happen—the results will be even more catastrophic than what the original Sy Dynasty caused. At least now, we control how magic is used. We determine its limits, its applications, its safety measures.”

The logic was sound, but something in Naya rebelled against it. “So, you’ve made yourselves indispensable to maintain control.”

“We’ve made ourselves the only ones capable of preventing another magical apocalypse, without anyone knowing,” Oshrun corrected, taking a bite of the sweet-tart fruit. To anyone watching, they might have been discussing the morning’s pleasant weather. “The Sy Dynasty may rule the people, but we rule the magic that keeps them alive.”

A chill ran down Naya’s spine at the implications. “Which means you could cut them off from it entirely if you chose.”

Oshrun’s smile was sharp as the crystal staff she carried. “If we choose, yes. Every magical tool in the region would cease to function within moments. The protective barriers around cities would fail. The healing stones in their healing centers would go dark. The cultivation magic that makes water clean and produce grow in the desert would fade.”

The casual way she spoke of such devastating power made Naya’s stomach clench. A small clay pot of honey-sweetened preserve was passed to her, but her appetite had diminished as the weight of this revelation settled over her.

After a moment, another question surfaced, one that had been building in the back of her mind. “Do you care how they use the magic you maintain?” she asked. “The Sy Dynasty, I mean. Do you monitor their activities, ensure they’re not causing harm?”

Oshrun paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth as she ladled more porridge. A tightening around her eyes that suggested Naya had touched on something uncomfortable.

“We don’t interfere with how he governs,” Oshrun said after a moment. “We keep the tools working safely—that’s where our responsibility ends.”

“Even if that means other Omegas get hurt?”

The question lingered, delicate and deadly. Oshrun set down her spoon, her eyes narrowing. “Explain.”

“Akoro used magical tools to kidnap me from my land. Portals, restraints—magical tools that you maintain. If you’re truly looking out for Omega welfare, shouldn’t you have known? Shouldn’t you have intervened?”

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