Page 80 of Storms of His Wrath

Tonight was theirs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The soft knock at his chamber door came just after the morning meal, when pale sunlight had begun streaming through the tall windows and Naya had left to bathe in the adjoining chambers. Akoro looked up from the reports Nrommo had brought him—updates on district affairs and trade negotiations that had accumulated during their absence—to find his brother standing in the doorway.

“Oppo.” Relief flooded through him at the sight of his brother’s face, no longer haunted by the desperate longing that had marked it for years. There was light in Oppo’s dark eyes now, a contentment that transformed his entire bearing. “Come in.”

His brother stepped into the chambers, and Akoro noticed immediately how different he looked. The carefully controlled sadness that had become his constant companion had lifted, replaced by something approaching joy. His shoulders no longer carried the invisible burden of separation, and when he smiled, it reached his eyes for the first time since they were boys.

“You look well,” Akoro said, setting aside the documents as Oppo settled into the chair beside his bed. “Better than I’ve seen you in years.”

“I feel better than I have in years,” Oppo admitted, his voice warm with an emotion Akoro had almost forgotten his brother possessed. “Oshrun and Nnimi...” He trailed off, shaking his head as though unable to find adequate words. “She’s remarkable, Akoro. My daughter. Bright and curious and so beautiful it makes my chest ache just looking at her.”

The wonder in his brother’s voice sent a complex tangle of emotions through Akoro’s chest---happiness for Oppo’s joy, but beneath it a sharp edge of something that might have been envy. His brother had found his mate, claimed his family, built something real and lasting despite every obstacle. While Akoro...

“Tell me about her,” he said, pushing aside his own turbulent thoughts.

Oppo’s face lit up with the kind of pride only a father could possess. “She speaks both languages fluently, though she prefers Shtonma when she’s excited about something. She’s learning to read---showed me a book about desert flowers that she’s nearly finished.” His hands moved as he spoke, painting pictures in the air. “And she has this laugh, Akoro. Pure and bright and completely unguarded. When she laughed at something I said yesterday, I nearly wept from the joy of it.”

Akoro found himself smiling despite the ache building in his chest. “She sounds extraordinary.”

“She is. They both are.” Oppo’s expression grew more serious, though the contentment remained. “Oshrun has done an incredible job raising her. The community respects her as Khesh, but Nnimi loves her simply as her mother. Watching them together...” He paused, searching for words. “It’s everything I never dared hope for.”

“And the integration is progressing well?”

“Better than anyone expected. The Omegas are already making plans to establish workshops in some of the outer districts, sharing their knowledge while maintaining Ilia astheir home base.” Oppo leaned forward, animation replacing the careful reserve that had defined him for so long. “They’ve developed techniques for magical tool maintenance that could revolutionize how we approach infrastructure. And their understanding of wild magic containment could prevent future disasters entirely.”

Pride swelled in Akoro’s chest, though it was tinged with something more complicated. The alliance he and Naya had forged was succeeding beyond his wildest hopes, creating prosperity and security for both peoples. Yet watching his brother’s happiness stirred uncomfortable questions about his own approach to leadership.

Oppo had found this joy through service and sacrifice, through choosing what was best for Oshrun and their child over what he personally wanted. He’d spent five years separated from them because it protected their safety, their community, their future. While Akoro had always pursued what served his goals first---conquest plans, strategic advantages, the expansion of his power.

“You’ve been given a second chance,” Akoro said quietly. “Few people get that.”

“I know.” Oppo’s gaze sharpened, studying his brother’s face with newfound perceptiveness. “Which is why I’m here. To talk about yours.”

Unease prickled along Akoro’s spine. “My what?”

“Your second chance.” Oppo settled back in his chair, crossing his arms with an expression that brooked no deflection. “With Princess Naya.”

Akoro’s jaw tightened. “We haven’t discussed it.”

“You’re avoiding it?”

“I don’t want her to leave.”

“You should still talk about it. Let her know?—”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Akoro said. “I don’t want her to leave, because if she does, I’ll have to bring her back. Then we’ll be exactly where we started.”

Oppo exhaled slowly. “So you’ve learned nothing?”

“I’ve learned that I need her more than breathing,” Akoro said, the dark edge of his possessive nature flaring to life. “I’ve learned that she’s kind and generous and willing to sacrifice herself for others. I’ve learned that being with her is the only place I have any right to exist.”

Despite the gravity of their conversation, Oppo was fighting a smile. “And yet you would still force her back here?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Akoro’s voice dropped to a dangerous murmur. “She shouldn’t leave.”

Silence stretched between them as uncomfortable realizations emerged in Akoro’s mind. His entire approach to leadership had been shaped by the same fundamental drive that had corrupted his ancestors—take what you need, pursue what serves your goals, let others adapt to your decisions. Different methods than his family’s cruelty, but the same underlying assumption that his desires should determine everyone else’s fate.

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