Page 16 of Omega Sanctuary

"I should be able to sink into your aura right away." Sabine frowned, holding her hands over me. "You're not trained to keep me out."

The mouse climbed up the arm of the couch and then down to my shoulder. It squeaked at me.

It was a scolding sound. "I'm not doing it on purpose," I told the mouse.

"Of course, you haven't been taught." Sabine sounded far away, her face screwed up in concentration.

The mouse squeaked at me again. If it tattled on me to Kivai, I wouldn't hear the end of it.

I closed my eyes and visualized a drawbridge lowering.

The mouse glowed in my mental image, the energy lifting up to help.

I wasn’t sure what, but all of sudden Sabine’s energy was there.

It was like being wrapped up in her concern, annoyance, and jealousy. All at once. I gasped, and Sabine choked. Her energy was all over the place, erratic.

I wanted to push her out, like I would push someone who was hugging me too long, but the mouse wouldn't let me. He squeaked at me again and held both Sabine’s energy and mine together, like two toddlers forced to apologize.

I grit my teeth, energy ricocheting all over me. It was too much, too much. Pain lashed out, tearing flesh from my bones, grinding me into nothing but light for the universe.

"Alright, alright," Kivai said. He was there, suddenly, in the darkness. His light shone like the brightest sun in the sky. "I've got you."

Pain receded. Sabine's energy receded. Slowly, I came back to myself, away from that place of darkness and pain.

Sabine slumped to the ground, breathing heavy and staring at me. "It's impossible." Her voice cracked. "You would have died by now."

"Or found other coping mechanisms," Kivai said grimly.

Sabine didn't look over my shoulder at Kivai, so she didn't know he was there.

I was fine with that. As it was, I didn't think I could move off the couch any time soon.

"Zara, you have to bond immediately." Sabine stared at me with horror. "If you go into heat before your bonded, you could die. Or set off a magical chain reaction unlike we've seen since ancient times."

The door opened, and Zabir thundered into the room.

Sabine scrambled to her feet. "No, Zabir, you can't."

"I'm not going to take him," I said wearily. "I just like his energy."

"He could set you off," Sabine said. She pushed at Zabir, who looked confused.

"Your energy collapsed. I told you not to overdo it," he told Sabine.

"I didn't mean to," Sabine said. "Go wait outside."

Zabir grumbled, but left the room.

Sabine leaned against the doorframe and looked at me. "It makes no sense, but you're right. You've been building magic for years. We just didn't detect it."

"Because apparently the Order has forgotten how to read spirit magic." Kivai sat next to me on the couch.

Dull anger made my head hurt worse. "So I guess Jaiyen and I are taking a trip."

"We will leave tomorrow at first light." Sabine gave me one last look. "My hubris has injured you. I will ask your forgiveness and also pray to the gods for theirs."

"It's fine," I said. I was too tired and too angry for this conversation. Later, when my body didn't ache from a million pains, I could wrap my mind around the idea that I should have been found as an omega years ago and they just...missed me.

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