Page 9 of Storms of His Wrath

He turned to his brother, studying the determined set of Oppo's shoulders. "You should return to the city, brother. The search will be dangerous—it would be safer if at least one Sy remained at the palace."

Oppo's head snapped toward him, surprised. "What?"

"Think strategically," Akoro pressed. "If something happens in there, both of us will be at risk.”

Oppo was silent for a long moment, his eyes watching the Sands. His voice was soft when he spoke. “You think I have what it takes to lead? You flatter me, brother.”

Akoro said nothing. Oppo had always supported Akoro’s intentions for their dynasty, but always without direct involvement.

“If you die in those Sands while I sat idle and could have helped, it wouldn’t help to preserve all you’ve done for the people. The Sy Dynasty lives and dies with you.” He turned to Akoro. “I know that annoys you, Akoro, that I leave you to shoulder all the responsibility. But you have always been the only one who could do it.”

Akoro said nothing for a long moment. “And what if I’m not anymore? What if things have changed?”

Oppo stared at him. “What does that mean?”

Akoro made a noise at the back of his throat, not meeting his brother’s gaze. Sighing, he spurred his mount forward. "If it gets too dangerous, you go back home, Oppo. No arguments."

The sun blazed overhead, turning the sand into molten gold. Before them stretched the Isshiran Sands—shifting, treacherous, hungry for the foolish. Moving into the Sands, they left the relative safety of Ntorkkan behind. There was no hesitation as they approached the border between stable ground and the writhing dunes beyond. Akoro’s blood sang with purpose, with absolute certainty that he would survive whatever lay ahead, and would find Naya and bring her home.

Somewhere in that shifting maze was his Omega. And he would tear apart the desert itself to reach her.

CHAPTER FOUR

Naya woke to the soft, rhythmic dripping of water echoing down stone. Her head pounded with a dull ache, and her body felt weak and heavy, as though she’d been drained of all energy. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was or how she’d gotten there. The last thing she recalled was standing on the palace roof with an artifact in her hand, the sudden surge of magic, and then?—

She bolted upright, instantly regretting the sudden movement. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she closed her eyes for a long moment. She’d been moved farther into the cave and a bed of soft furs and woven blankets cushioned her from the hard ground.

Beside her, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, was the tall Omega, her crystal staff leaning on the wall behind her. The woman studied her with unwavering intensity, her dark eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight. Though her posture was relaxed, there was nothing casual about her presence. Power emanated from her—not the brute strength of an Alpha, but something more refined, more deliberate. Her face, framed by dozens of intricate braids, remained impassive as she observed Naya’s awakening.

At the entrance to the cave, two guards stood silently, their weapons gleaming in the dim light. The rest of the Omegas who had surrounded her in the canyon were nowhere to be seen.

Naya’s fingers drifted to her face, to the wound Akoro had inflicted. The scar was still there, a ridge of raised flesh along her cheek, but the rawness had subsided. It felt tight but no longer painful.

Questions tumbled through her mind, each more urgent than the last. How had she been transported here? What did they know of King Sy? And most importantly—why had they brought her here?

But before she could decide which to ask first, the Omega leader spoke. “I am Oshrun Vos of thessukkurian,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of authority without raising volume. “I am the Khesh, or in your language, Chief of the Omegas of thessukkurian.” She studied Naya for another long moment. “You say you are a princess. You say you are a guardian of Omegas, a peacekeeper, but I don’t recognize your title. I understand that you being brought here so abruptly might be... hard for you. And I imagine you have many questions.” She paused, her eyes searching Naya’s. “And so do I. But the safety of my community is my foremost concern, so I would appreciate answers to my questions before I address yours.”

Naya glanced pointedly at the guards by the entrance, their posture stiff and watchful.

Oshrun followed her gaze. “Yes,” she acknowledged without apology. “You will not be hurt. But you’ll be held until I have the answers I need. After that you can go if you wish.” Her expression softened slightly. “Though you are welcome to stay, if that is your choice.”

Frowning, Naya carefully shifted to a sitting position, her limbs still heavy. “Stay? Why would I...?” Her thoughts caught up and swallowed the end of question. Of course. She wasan Omega and this was an Omega space. They were offering her refuge. She swallowed, then spoke firmly, “I’ll answer your questions as long as I get answers to my own.”

“Agreed,” Oshrun said with a small nod. “Let us begin with what troubles me most: Why have you been imitating the Omegas of thessukkurianin Onn Kkulma?”

Though they’d accused her of this when she first arrived, Naya hadn’t known what they meant. She thought hard for a long moment before realizing what the leader was asking. “I haven’t,” Naya said, her brow furrowing. “It was King Sy who presented me that way to the people. I didn’t know what he’d done until afterward.”

Oshrun watched her intently, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to detect a lie in Naya’s words. “And why would he do that?” she asked finally.

Naya exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts. “I drew annin-eellithito me and it caused a lot of damage,” she said. “King Sy presented me as the culprit, but also as an Omega of thessukkurian.”

Confusion crossed Oshrun’s features. “That makes little sense,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “Why would King Sy do that?” She shook her head, her braid jewelry clicking softly with the movement. “Why would he present an Omega at all? No Omega has ever been identified among the people. Not for generations.”

Naya hesitated, unsure how much information to give. Akoro’s concerns about the security of his reign wasn’t something she could tell anyone. “He told me he needed to give answers to the districts about the breach,” she said. She straightened, thinking about what Oshrun had said. “If no Omega has ever been identified, what about the bandits that target Omegas in the Sands?” she asked, remembering Akoro’s explanation about bandits.

A soft, unexpected smile curved Oshrun’s lips. “There aren’t any—at least not any that target Omegas. That is a deception we orchestrated.”

Naya stared at her. “Why?”

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