Zena dropped her head back and laughed, the sound tinged with a touch of mental instability. "You're too late. We’ve set forth a ritual from here, using energy from all the dynasties. Then, in six or so moons the first power moon in centuries will rise. Twins. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, and it’s finally our time to rule it all.”
Reece paused halfway in the open door to his tent, Zena still effortless held in his grip. “If you have the power moon, why did you bother with the ritual from this gathering?”
I interrupted before she could speak. “What the hell is a power moon?”
It was rare that I didn’t have at least an idea of what someone was talking about, especially when it came to power. Power and the Desert Lands were somewhat expertise’s of mine.
He briefly met my gaze. “I’ve only heard of one, just a few months before I was born. It’s said that for a brief moment, the moon splits into two and fills our land with primal energy. It’s a time of new awakenings and rebirths.”
Deep in his eyes, those galaxies swirled, and I read between the lines. Just before his birth… Was that how his parents had been able to conceive in the Delfora?
Reece continued inside, and as I went to follow, Mera grabbed my arm. “This power moon is bad, right?” she whispered.
Swallowing hard, I sought words to explain when I didn’t completely understand myself. “I’ve never heard of or read about this moon,” I admitted, annoyed by this fact. “But in theory, if what Reece said is correct… Yeah, that’s the sort of event that can bring about world-ending change.”
Mera let out a deep sigh as we entered the lounging area to find Shadow and the others standing before a line of Desertlandians. Each of them was on their knees, held down with Reece’s sand, and they had been unmasked.
I recognized a few of them, including Dally and Fleur, also Tsuma’s children.
Edging my way closer to the group, I kept my weapons at hand because we had no idea what tricks these assholes had up their sleeves. It made no sense that they’d attacked us as they had, especially Reece. Among the sands, he was near unbeatable.
“Your princeps have been called,” Reece said, walking along the line. “Might as well confess now, and I can see if the council will spare your lives.”
A threat that would work only if the princeps weren’t all in on it.
No one said a word, each of the prisoners staring ahead with blank expressions. Zena had even lost her anger, focused on the tent wall. Shifting around Reece, I moved as close as I could without putting myself in striking reach. Not that I was worried about an attack—we far outpowered them—but I didn't want to kill anyone before we got our answers.
"It's not adding up," I said in a low voice as I mulled it over.
Reece heard me, and I could feel his heat sliding down my spine as he pressed closer. "What are you sensing?"
“They're not worried or trying to escape. All of them are just sitting and waiting like they knew—"
"I would call for their princeps before taking any action," Reece finished in a growl.
I nodded. “Yes. More and more this is looking like a distraction.”
Zena's gaze finally left the wall, lifting to focus on us, her lips tilting into a smirk. "Always too slow to stop the inevitable from happening. While we have been keeping you busy, our parents ensured that all the gathered energy was set into motion, building below the sand rivers. It will continue to build as they head toward the Delfora, shrouding them until the very moment they need to arrive in the sacred lands. It’s a flawless plan, and there’s nothing you can do to stop them."
"Is the gathered energy just to hide their progress toward the Delfora?” I asked. “Or is there more that it’s needed to achieve?”
Her eyes were laughing at me as she preened, arrogant in her supposed success. “Even with the moon, we couldn’t get through the valley of the dead without a boost of power—power from all the dynasties since all of our dead guard the burial grounds. This was an easy solution.”
I wasn’t the only one who fell silent as the true implications of that hit us. The Delfora was well protected, but there were ways to counter it. Ways Tsuma had clearly put into effect.
Reece was furious, the heat coming off him near inferno level. “For this, you and your family will die,” he said without inflection, despite his fury.
In response, Zena just laughed again, and some of the others in the line joined in.
“What an annoying fuck,” I heard Mera snipe. “Can we kill her now and save ourselves the trouble later?"
Shadow laughed, a rumbling sound of darkness. "Patience, Sunshine. She will get what’s coming to her."
Reece lowered himself, crouching in front of Zena, and for a second, a flash of longing passed over her face before she covered it up with another blank look.
"Why would you betray our dynasty? Our people?" he asked her, his sands spilling out and surrounding them, heat building as they did.
She cleared her throat more than once. "We applied for extra energy sources,” she finally said. “Over and over. When you didn’t take the role of princeps, it should have gone to us. To mother. But she was always denied. Eventually, we decided to stop asking and start taking."
