Page 89 of Shrine of Fire

“Into?” Vicente frowned. “You can’t…we’ve tried.”

“We have to try.” I gestured at Kalahar. “Spirits are coming back.”

I stopped, not sure if I should explain about Hella Mora or not.

“We need to be prepared.” Hashir took a step onto the stone bridge. “This will help.”

Vicente looked doubtful, but Cuan clapped him on the back. “We’ll return soon, sweet omega, don’t you worry.”

“Nova’s gonna get you for that,” Aki muttered.

It took the sting out of my possessiveness.

“I’ll make it up to her somehow,” Cuan winked at me. “I have a few ideas.”

Heat blasted through me, and I had to take a deep breath as I almost tackled him to the ground right there.

We walked to the stone circle. I stood in the center and my entire soul spiraled out into the universe. I swayed, Kalahar catching me around the waist.

“Take a moment.” Kalahar’s crackling energy swirled around me, his bonfire scent swelling. One by one, we held hands, connected into a circle.

“This might feel uncomfortable,” Kalahar said. He pulled me against him. I breathed in and out.

Fire magic swirled inside me, and I let a little bit out. Enough to swirl around my men.

“That’s it.” Kalahar’s human façade fell away. “Let the blending of our two worlds flow through you.”

“I’ll let it flow through you,” Cuan muttered.

I laughed, closing my eyes. The gentle warmth of fire circled around us. The spinning grew faster and faster. I clung to my pack.

“It’s okay, we’re almost there.” Kalahar’s voice was soothing.

The world shifted, turning and whirling. I whimpered, and Hashir squeezed my hand.

Everything pressed against my body, more intimately than I’d ever felt, more so than when my alpha was knotted deep inside me.

“Almost there, dearest,” Kalahar whispered.

The air, atmosphere, everything pressed closer, closer, squeezing around me until I thought it would swallow me whole.

I cried out, and fiery warmth consumed me.

Spirit energy pressed on my skin. I rolled to my side, as everyone else slowly came back to consciousness.

Cuan popped up, chipper and happy. Hashir and Stefan were both groggier. Kalahar sat cross-legged on the floor, with Nova’s sleeping form next to him.

We were in a living area, the room around us simple and clean, made of bamboo with windows open to the crisp night air.

Instead of spirit energy being a wash of color, it was everywhere, like everyone around me was the brightest version of who they were.

I grunted and sat up. “We okay?” My hands itched for my knives.

Kalahar nodded. He looked every bit the spirit here, fiery hair, and molten eyes. “Nova is asleep, but alright. The energy will help heal her.”

Cuan stood up and moved around the room. Low bookshelves lined the far wall, and a veranda opened to rolling grass fields. The night sky was bruised purple and lavender with glowing lights.

Part of my soul relaxed at the connection between my delta nature and the magic around me. In the mortal realm, it felt like small pinpricks of spirit magic constantly darted at me, but here it was immersive. Expansive.

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