Page 46 of Shrine of Fire

A great cheer rose from the crowd, the men throwing their hands into the air.

“It would be our pleasure. Please, lead the way to the Great Hall.” Stefan gestured ahead.

Large, covered wagons were lined up along cobblestone streets. Carved into the shining wood were depictions of men slaying dragons, and spirits with exaggerated features. The horses’ coats were brushed to a shine, and they had ribbons in their manes and tails.

Lord Baylin looked constipated, probably wanting to introduce himself to emphasize his importance, but failing to see how. He organized the courtiers into groups since our entire party was too large for one wagon.

Nova slid closer to Stefan, scanning the crowd as the Chief brought the first and most elegant wagon to the front.

She saw me standing with Aki and Kalahar and waved us over.

I paused, wondering whether we should tip our hand so soon that she was already building quite a pack, but despite her serene smile Nova’s shoulders were tense. I could almost feel her frantic need to have us close.

Kalahar shifted his heavy cloak around his shoulders. He looked human, his hair merely red and his skin golden instead of luminous. “Come. The Northern Isles produced many powerful shamans in my days. Perhaps there is knowledge of ancient lore that will aid us.”

“I hope you don’t mind squeezing,” Cuanciardha winked at Nova. “It will be a good time to start getting to know each other.”

“Of course,” Nova said, still scanning the crowd.

I approached the group with an easy grin. When in doubt, pretend you belong. Don’t give anyone a chance to question your right to be there.

“Here we are, love,” I said, and Nova smiled with relief.

“Ah, who is this now?” Cuanciardha grinned as he took us in, then his expression froze when he saw Kalahar, his pale skin going ashen. He glanced around at his kinsmen, but I wasn’t sure what the big beta was looking for. No one else gave Kalahar a second glance, much less the rest of us.

“This is part of Nova’s pack.” Stefan gestured at me, Aki, and Kalahar. “Hashir and Aki were at the Battle with the Faceless One, aiding Nova as she performed fire magic to keep the spirit armies at bay. I hope they are welcome as well?”

“Of course, of course!” Chief A’Cuiric laughed. “We always have room for great warriors. Come and make yourselves comfortable.”

The Chief didn’t give Kalahar a second glance.

Cuanciardha seemed to notice and forced a smile. “The more the merrier.”

Maybe Kalahar had been found out sooner than we would have preferred.

We loaded into the wagon, and it was indeed a squeeze. Nova pulled me next to her, and Stefan sat on her other side. The bench was padded wood, and the light fabric covering the wagon let in better light than I would have thought. Aki and Kalahar sat closer to the front of the wagon, and the Chief along with Cuanciardha sat opposite us.

The ride up was bumpy, if pleasant. The Chief told us stories about the feuding clans and the task of uniting them under one banner of mutual prosperity.

“I do not know if you’ve noticed in your travels, my lady omega,” the Chief addressed Nova. “But since the influx of spirit magic, there have been more spirits than even in my grandfather’s time.”

“Yes,” Nova nodded. “When the Shrines of Cleansing Rains and Everlasting Fire were broken, they quickly released a lot of spirit magic back into the world. Our hope is to bond an omega to each of the Shrines in order to slowly reintroduce magic into the world.”

“That is good. The old ways were dying off, no new shaman born in generations. Hardly any omegas or alphas either.” The Chief winked at me. “I see some other lands have not shared the same fate, but here we seek balance in all things.”

“Father, they would rather hear about our brave deeds, yes?” Cuanciardha glanced at Kalahar, and then looked away. “Once, my men and I were caught in the Serpent’s Pass, a thunderstorm raging around us. We were close to the spirit lands to the far north of here and—”

“Can I see it?” Nova asked suddenly. “I would love to visit the Shrine while I am here.”

“Oh.” Cuanciardha looked at his father. “It is a sacred place. Only those who have performed their spirit journey are permitted…”

“You are an omega, one to be bound to a Shrine. I am sure we can arrange a small party, yes?” The Chief smiled at his son, obvious pride on his face. “You have performed your spiritual duties. You could take your betrothed.”

I wanted to ask why they kept saying Nova was already betrothed to Cuanciardha. I’d assumed we would have the final say, but maybe Stefan and I had missed something crucial while sailing to the Northern Isles. Something to pester Stefan about later. The Crown Prince’s smile was pleasant, but he was a master at maintaining his courtly mask, so I didn’t know if he was actually worried or not.

Cuanciardha cleared his throat, pushing some of his thick blond hair out of his face. “Yes, but wouldn’t my beautiful lady prefer the finer things our country has to offer? We have hot springs to soak in, and lakes that offer the most splendid views.”

“There will be time for that,” the Chief cut in. “But, yes, my lady omega. You may see the Shrine, although it has been dormant for many generations now.”

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