Page 132 of Shrine of Fire

“I love you.” I looked up at him. “I’m not a very patient person.”

Hashir laughed. “So I can see. It’s a good thing, my greedy little omega. We will entertain you until your spirit phoenix comes back. The magic is shifting, so I don’t think you’ll have to wait years and years.”

My alpha nodded at the sun in front of us. “Kalahar will come back, I swear it.”

I looked out into the ocean, remembering the heat and fire that called the phoenix to me. “I know.”

I had to be patient.

Afew weeks more of searching, and I was ready to try something unconventional.

When I told my pack what I wanted, they were eager.

I stood in the Shrine of Everlasting Fire, staring at the altar, hoping this would work.

Sorrow wrenched through me, making it easy to fear that I would never see him again.

I pushed it away. This was part of life. Loving was a risk, and it was worth it.

Zara had offered many times to try and bond me to the Shrine of Everlasting Fire in case that would help, but I’d refused.

I had an idea, and I wanted to see if it would work.

I sat on the altar and fed my flames into the stone. I would wait for Kalahar if it took the rest of my life.

Cuan sat on top of the altar with me, already in a trance. Aki and Hashir stood on either side of us, and Stefan stood at the bottom of the altar.

Kalahar had told me before that omegas used to sacrifice themselves to spirits, to call them up by ritual. I touched the bird totem brooch on my robe. My phoenix had disappeared into ash, presumably still wearing his own brooch.

My phoenix had been a part of me. We laughed, slept next to each other, shared our bodies. He was a part of me now.

I fed more flames into the altar, trying to feel a connection to the spirit world beyond. This would have been easier if I had spirit magic, but I had only my fire.

It would have to be enough.

My fire had changed from his touch. I’d helped him seal Hella Mora away for good.

The first time I saw him, he’d burst into this room with a shriek. He’d protected us against Hella Mora, joining us on the trip to find the seals.

My phoenix had wrapped his wings around me. He’d said he was drawn to me, that he would know me from anywhere.

I threaded my love into the fire.Come to me, Kalahar,I thought.Come be a pack again.

I would sit here until my legs fell asleep. I would come back again, and again, for as long as it took.

I closed my eyes, and pictured Kalahar with me, his wings wrapped around me. How he comforted me in my grief. How his warm body slid inside mine, the joining of our souls.

He wasn’t supposed to be mine. He was a phoenix spirit from another time. I wasn’t even gifted in spirit magic. But we had found our way to each other.

I wouldn’t give him up, not to the spirit world or anywhere else.

Hours passed slowly, my magic fading.

I would simply try again tomorrow. And the next day. And every day after that until my shouting into the spirit world was heard across the land, so even the spirits knew the phoenix was mine, and needed home.

Cuan tugged on the packbonds, and I gasped.

I sat up quickly as a ball of fire and light burst into the room.

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