Page 63 of Shrine of Fire

I looked away. “Cuan, my heart is…He touched my hand gently. “Nova, I don’t expect anything of you. What I want is the chance to be by your side so that I can show you the strength of my character.”

I looked at him, and he was so sincere it cut me. I shook my head. “You don’t know the danger…”

I decided to tell him: the real reason we were traveling. If Fairuin was half as open to spirits as we thought, he would be finding out soon enough.

I told him about bonding the Shrine, and Hella Mora appearing. About our real reason for coming to Fairuin and needing to go to the Spirit Oasis.

He listened carefully, looking thoughtful and serious, and then he nodded. “I shall hunt the ancient libraries. See if there are any more records about sealing away spirits.”

“It’s too dangerous for you.” I patted his hand. “I like you, too much, to let you get hurt.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I am a shaman, Nova. I’ve tried to deny it for months, but I’ve recited every song of the Shaman’s Song and the Rite of Passage. I can help.”

And by helping he’d be putting himself in harm’s way. Cuan saw the look on my face and chuckled. “Besides, I can think of no better way to make up for my boorish behavior than to help you seal away a spirit.”

I sighed.

“You’re grieving. I will respect that.” Cuan held my hands, his engulfing mine. “But I am drawn to you. And, if I am honest, before, I had thought that being around other men romantically would be a burden.”

I blinked. “And now?”

He shrugged, a little sheepish. “I watch you with Hashir or Stefan and I start to think of you between the two of us. The thought isn’t as foreign as I’d thought, especially if it’s for your pleasure.”

Now that Cuan said it, I thought of him in bed. With me and Aki. Hashir pushing inside me, while Cuan took my mouth. Heat flickered through me.

“Alright.” I couldn’t turn him away, not when he made such a good argument. I could tell myself it was for the greater good, like my arranged marriage to Stefan, but the truth was that I didn’t want to be far away from this beta.

The next day dawned bright and clear. I couldn’t stop smiling in anticipation.

Cuan was driving the wagon heading north, and almost all my favorite people were traveling with me. I told the others that Cuan knew about Hella Mora, was a shaman, and would be coming with us.

The wagon ride was pleasant. I had my crochet, Kalahar had some new books Cuan had brought with him, and Stefan and Hashir were discussing Tolaga, the next stop on our sea voyage. Aki watched the landscape roll by. We could have put a cover on the wagon, but it wasn’t raining, and we all wanted to see the highlands.

The gentle rocking of the wagon soothed me. As we went further north, the grasses changed to rust brown, and light yellow, with patches of soft greens.

“I want to apologize for my behavior up until now,” Cuan said, glancing at us from the driver’s seat. “I was a boorish ass.”

Hashir looked amused. “And now you’ve come to see the error of your ways?”

Cuan gestured at the sweeping hills and craggy rocks jutting up from the ground. “It’s a heavy thing, to leave one’s homeland.”

“You don’t have to leave.” Stefan looked scandalized, his heavy green woolen coat almost swallowing him whole.

“We would never ask that of you.”

Cuan looked at me with such a soft expression it took my breath away. “You don’t meet a woman like Nova but once in your life.”

Hashir squeezed me against him. “That’s for damn sure.”

“So, why were you acting like Kalahar has leprosy?” Aki shot a look at Cuan. “Since we’re having honesty hour.”

Kalahar shook his head. “Don’t push him, Aki.”

Aki crossed his arms. He almost looked…defensive of the phoenix spirit. It was all I could do to stifle my glee. Aki already enjoyed Hashir’s attention, and now Kalahar was in his sights.

My greedy little omega heart…and other places…was excited at the idea of these men wanting each other enough to make taking them all to bed at the same time a pleasure.

“I see his…” Cuan waved. “I don’t know what it’s called.”

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