Page 44 of Shrine of Fire

Kalahar grimaced. “It was a mortal wound.”

“Can you not die and be reborn?” I wished I knew more about spirits. Maybe I would open one of these books, attempt to fill in the gaps of my knowledge.

But that would mean I intended to stick around long enough for my knowledge to matter.

I pushed the thought away. I would see Nova through this trip and then return to the Order.

“I do not know how long the rebirth will take,” Kalahar said heavily, putting his hand to his stomach. “The barrier makes it difficult for me to enter the spirit world at all.”

“Perhaps once Zara is finished bonding omegas to the Shrines…” I frowned.

“A process that will take time, and necessarily so.” Kalahar shook his head. “I will live. Long enough to ensure Hella Mora doesn’t escape.”

His tone held something final in it, like he didn’t expect to live long after that.

His hesitation around Nova suddenly made sense. In the weeks we had been aboard the ship, I saw him watch her, could sense his yearning. But if he expected to die during the confrontation with Hella Mora, then he was in the same boat as me.

Neither of us were free to risk falling in love.

I glared at Kalahar, suddenly angry. “If you don’t expect to live, then why come at all?”

What a fine mess this was. Nova deserved more. Better.

The phoenix cocked his head. “I will enter the Spirit Oasis from the Library of Souls and, from there, be able to access my own spirit domain—”

“Don’t get her hopes up,” I interrupted. “I know what you’re doing here, but she doesn’t deserve to be led on.”

“I could tell you the same,” he replied calmly. “Her spirit is intoxicating. I am tempted, even though the last affair I had with a mortal ended poorly.” Kalahar looked down to where his hand pressed against his stomach.

He looked up at me again, “And yet, you also remain.”

“I fought alongside her against the Faceless One.” I pressed my small boot knife against the whetstone. “I will not abandon her while a new spirit tries to get its claws in her.”

Kalahar nodded. “Very well. Together, then, we will ensure Hella Mora’s influence does not harm her.”

And keep our distance from her. The words hung between us, unspoken.

The emerald-green island of Fairuin rose on the near horizon. After three weeks at sea, we were ready for land, any land. The entire crew had turned out to watch the ship dock, and Baylin and his cronies were gathered in a thick crowd around Nova and Stefan.

Nova had spent most of the morning allowing herself to be dressed by the ladies of court, and she looked every bit like the royal princess. Her black hair was pulled into a complicated braid, and her silk robes were scarlet and black.

As a concession to the cold, Nova had added a thick coat over her robes. Stefan’s robes matched the royal crest on both lapels.

I hung back, wishing I could put my arm around her waist and whisper in her ear.

It wasn’t her fault I couldn’t be there, but it did make me want to whisk her away to other far-off lands we could explore together.

Docking a ship took longer than most people realized, so I was content to scan the deck and watch the entourage as they waited for our vessel to make port. So far, the ladies-in-waiting seemed harmless enough. They could be vicious with their words, I was sure, but I didn’t think any of them were plotting Nova’s assassination either.

Aki prowled the crowd, and Kalahar stood nearby. He’d spent most of the trip in our room or traveling the deck at night. His wound had healed, but he still walked stiffly.

We pulled closer to the shore, and the sight took my breath away.

I had sailed around the world. I had cruised around Lacio Keep and seen the storms on the cape. I’d traveled through the Shield Peak mountains in Madhavia, and visited every country in the Ateas, including the Lost Baronies.

I’d traveled north, far enough to visit the Order of the Silver Lion on the neighboring Northern Island of Icewood Vale, but the sight of the craggy cliffs and churning white sea over the rolling green fields never failed to take my breath away.

There was an openness to the land that even the mountains in the far distance couldn’t take away. People spoke of the Northern Islands as untamed wildernesses, and when you visited, you saw why clans of men still spoke of stewardship of the land, not ownership like in so many other kingdoms.

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