Page 31 of Kissed By the Sun

As our breathing slowly returned to normal, I traced lazy patterns on his skin. "What happens now?" I asked softly, almost afraid to break the spell of the moment.

“Now?” Thorn sighed and his gaze hardened. “We move. The last thing I want is for the corrupted fae to catch up with us and corner us again. Blood Fire Phoenix isn’t something I can do often. The Veil of Life shouldn’t be too far away now. We covered a lot of ground by flying.”

His words reminded me of the vision I’d had with the moon goddess and seeing the fae sprout wings of their own. I couldn’t help but wonder what Thorn would say if I told him I’d spoken to the moon goddess. Multiple times.

Now wasn’t the time to bring that up though, maybe once we were safe again and not worried about being found by corrupted fae at any moment. I couldn’t help but worry that it would be yet another thing that was strange about me, along with the way I healed him, and the fact that we had a soul bond at all.

I couldn’t help but wonder what us having sex again would mean for the bond. Did he still want to try and break it when we found the elves? Or had he really had a change of heart and wanted to keep it after all?

Chapter

Fifteen

Senara

The shimmering curtainof light before us looked exactly like the Veil of Death, the marker between the human and fae lands. The faint purples, blues, and greens that swirled over the surface were a haunting reminder of my last encounter with one of the Veils. I stood frozen, my feet refusing to take me any closer.

"I thought it would be different somehow," I murmured, eyeing the Veil of Life warily. "More...lively? Brighter, maybe?"

Thorn's deep chuckle resonated beside me. "They're two sides of the same coin, Senara. The veils are connected, forming a sort of bubble around the fae lands."

I shuddered, remembering the searing pain that had engulfed me when we crossed the Veil of Death. "So it'll feel the same? Like I'm being burned alive?"

"It’s certainly possible," Thorn replied, his voice tinged with sympathy. "I honestly don’t know if this will feel any different since it’s all part of the same bubble. Either way, you've done it before. You're stronger now."

Am I really?I wondered, doubt creeping into my mind. The memory of that excruciating passage made my skin crawl. It didn’t help that it was tied so closely to him pushing me into it and me thinking he was trying to kill me.

"I suppose I'm getting used to the feeling of immolation," I said with a weak laugh. "Though I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Thorn's hand found mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll face it together this time."

I met his steady gaze, drawing strength from his unwavering confidence. "You might have to push me again," I joked, though part of me was deadly serious. "Like last time."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Thorn said softly. "But I'll be right here if you need me."

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what was to come. The Veil of Life pulsed before us, both alluring and terrifying. It was our gateway to the elven lands, to potential allies in our fight against the corruption spreading through our home. We had no choice but to cross.

He gave me another minute to prepare before he asked, "Ready?" Thorn’s voice was gentle but firm, and I knew it wasn’t really a question, more like a reminder that we couldn’t dawdle.

I nodded, my heart racing. "As I'll ever be."

My hand was wrapped tightly around Thorn's as we approached the shimmering barrier. "Don't let go," I insisted, memories of losing Wyn during our last crossing flooding my mind. "We can't get separated."

Thorn's fingers, which were still interlaced with mine, squeezed my own in reassurance. "I won't," he promised.

With one last shared look of determination, we stepped into the Veil of Life together, and I braced for the searing agony I'd experienced before. But this time, the transition was over in the blink of an eye. Instead of pain, I felt a warm, comfortingembrace envelop me. The presence of the moon goddess surrounded me, her approval washing over me, the gentle, calming moonlight I’d come to associate with her.

I could almost swear I’d heard her melodic voice in my mind as she intoned,I told you, you’d find your sun.

As we emerged on the other side, I let out the breath I’d taken as we were about to enter the Veil. Honestly, I couldn’t remember what breathing had been like last time, all I’d been aware of for a long time when I crossed the Veil of Death was the pain.

"That was...different," I murmured, still processing the unexpected ease of our passage.

Thorn turned to me, his brow furrowed. "Are you alright?" he asked, studying my face intently.

I nodded, wondering at his concerned expression. "Better than alright, actually. Did you feel...anything unusual?"

Before Thorn could respond, a prickling sensation at the back of my neck made me freeze. We were being watched. By the way Thorn froze at the same time, he felt the same thing.

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