Page 113 of Shrine of Fire

Kalahar gave me a piercing look.

“I have no idea what I’m doing.” I shrugged. Kalahar had spent the weeks on the ship showing me how to slow my breathing, how to control the flow of magic around me. I still felt like a young buck in the practice field for the first time, wielding a crappy wooden sword.

Kalahar arched an eyebrow. “As I have said, much of the work of being a shaman is taking the guidance of the people around you and using it to find your own path.”

“Great.” I didn’t mean to sound annoyed, but it must have shown.

“You are a hunter. I can show you how to track animals through the fields. I can teach you how to hide your scent and how to read the wind. But nothing will prepare you for going into the field.”

“True.” I sighed. “I have been reading the books you gave me.”

Most of them were heavy on theories. I’d read them, but most of it went over my head. There was a lot of emphasis on slowing my breathing and becoming one with the environment.

I’d liked being on Silver Lakes better. Maybe I could find other places like that in the world, places that didn’t belong wholly to one world or the next.

“That is the Hare’s Foot,” Kalahar gestured in front of us.

“That’s the Phoenix,” I gave him a wink. “The stories I was told as a boy did not prepare me for how good you would be in bed.”

Kalahar huffed a laugh. “We are more renowned for our dual nature, both in the mortal and spirit realms.”

“That dual nature is helping you switch hit in the bedroom too.” Blood raced at the thought of having him underneath me again, and I wondered how badly hurt Nova and Stefan were, and when they would be well enough for us to all had sex again.

“That cluster of stars in the shape of a circle is the Omega’s Pack.”

“Fitting.” I snorted.

“Do you know when you will join the pack?” Kalahar cocked his head.

“Won’t my shaman magic…” I paused, not wanting to say my worst fears.

I hadn’t asked Hashir and Nova to bond me yet. I was ready; I had wanted her from the minute I saw her. It was only the worry that her being bonded to me would make her job of sealing away Hella Mora more difficult that was holding me back.

“She has to seal a powerful spirit away.” I shrugged. “What if I mess that up? With the link between our spirits?”

“More love and support for her will never be a bad thing,” Kalahar said softly. “You are a weight carrying her along, not dragging her down.”

“Alright.” I sighed. “What about you?”

Kalahar went quiet, his shoulders slight. “I do not know how long I can put off my rebirth cycle.”

“Oh.” I sucked in a breath. Theories and spirits were one thing. The reality of Kalahar dying and returning to the spirit world for an unknown period of time was another.

“Couldn’t I go find you?” I frowned. “Bring you back?”

“You are many, many years behind of the mastery it would take for you to safely travel the spirit world and return with me.”

A challenge. I struggled with areas of gray, but a challenge I could throw myself against? I could focus on that. My dad had scoffed when I told him I wanted to have my spirit quest by the age of twenty. So I had thrown everything I had into the endeavor.

A quest like this? Learn to control my magic so I could return a lover to me and mine?

I could do that.

I had told Nova I would bring her the moon if that’s what she wanted. I could bring her a phoenix instead.

“Yours should be the spirit that will bond her to the Shrine of Everlasting Fire.”

“If I died shortly after, it would defeat the entire purpose,” he grumbled. “She doesn’t deserve that.”

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