Page 13 of Omega Sanctuary

I shook my head. "It's too soon. How do I know I want to spend forever with him?"

Kivai sat down on the bed and ran his hand through my hair.

It was the balm of a thousand restful nights. The gentle caress of a loved one. I sighed loudly, some of the pain receding.

"You don't have to bond him right now," Kivai said. "But you should be training with spirit magic daily."

I looked up at him. His skin was tan and his eyes were so blue they almost glowed. "I asked Sabine if I had spirit magic. She said I wouldn't have switched so late if I had any."

Kivai frowned. "Things were supposed to be better. But you're so obviously a tsaia quera, and they didn't find you until it was almost too late."

"What is..." I started to say, but my head hurt too much to keep talking.

"Promise me, Zara, you will tell that Priestess to do a spirit test on you."

I frowned. "I asked her before."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about." Kivai put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "This is important."

My head swam. Warmth engulfed me and for a moment I basked in Kivai's energy. He was fierce, determined, heartbroken.

"Promise me."

I sighed. "I promise."

I didn't know what a tsaia quera was, or why Kivai was so troubled. I tried to force myself to wake up enough to ask him my questions, but the world went away.

It took a few days to get a private meeting with Priestess Sabine. A few more nights of making out with Jaiyen and my body remained in a simmering state of lust.

I was ready to demand a bond with Jaiyen by the time I saw her, but I forced myself to remain calm.

Kivai had sounded worried. Upset. Maybe I was imagining things, but part of me doubted it.

Priestess Sabine entered our living room with a smile. "Zara, how nice to see you."

I pasted a smile on my face. I'd put a bunch of sweets on the table with the tea, trying to work my way up to demanding something I didn't understand.

I didn't know how to ask what a tsaia quera was, or bring up spirit magic. It wasn't like anyone had books on magic laying around. Sabine brought me books on being an omega, and I had read them cover to cover, but none of them mentioned that phrase specifically.

The books did mention omega magic breaking down into elemental forms. Some omegas had an affinity for fire magic, for example, and accidentally set things on fire.

I was grateful that wasn't me.

"How are you feeling?" Sabine touched my cheek. "You're quite pale."

"I haven't been sleeping well." I sat down and offered her some tea. Sabine took a cup and sat in Nan's armchair.

"How goes your courtship with Jaiyen?" She cocked her head. "You two are spending time together?"

The press of his mouth on mine was too much to bear. I asked Jaiyen the previous night if he was ready for a bond, and he said yes before kissing me with passion that made my head spin.

"We are." I took a cookie. "It's half of what I wanted to talk to you about. I think we're ready to bond."

"You're sure?" Sabine looked at me. "It's nearly impossible to undo a bond once you've made one."

Impossible. I didn't like the sound of that. But I craved him in such a frantic way. We would sort the rest out. "Yes."

I didn't add I wasn't sure I could wait much longer.

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