Page 105 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

The scenery grew more familiar the closer they got to Bearswillow, and a sharp jolt of homesickness wedged itself between Lea’s ribs. The trees were no longer foreign, but sturdy oaks and maples with luscious green canopies. The ground was becoming rocky again, just as it did when entering or leaving the Torres, and the smell of fresh mountain air that always reminded Lea of home filled her lungs. She could sense the same excited energy in Janelle, who sat herself higher in her saddle as she tried to look through the trees to catch a glimpse of home.

Not too long ago, their small village had seemed suffocating, minuscule in a way that had made Lea long for adventure. But as they neared it now, she only felt comfort. They wouldn’t be going into the town itself. The village had been evacuated once the rebellion had positioned themselves within the cavern hidden in the mountains. But even to be near home, to be able to peek out and see glimpses of the houses she’d walked past her entire life, it made her feel closer to her mother.

Hermother. Lea wanted to return to her cottage, to search through all of Adelaide's possessions for any clues she might be missing. She knew now that she was the queen’s granddaughter, that King Tanad had taken her himself and left her up on the bald near her home. But was there more?

When the Torres mountain range came into sight, a tiny, rocky skyline still miles and miles away in the distance, Lea’s heart sighed. A mixture of sorrow and belonging filled her chest. She’d thought that she would never see those peaks again. The peaks where she'd grown up, found her friends, and lost her mother. Just the fact that she was looking upon them made her feel like the gods were on her side. But her joy was short-lived.

Nausea filled her stomach as Lea’s vision went fuzzy. She leaned forward in the saddle, bracing herself against her mare’s neck as dizziness clouded her mind. The world tilted, turning hazy at the edges. Gray shouted her name, grabbing onto her reins as Lea’s vision once again shifted, just as it had previously.

Alaric once again stood by the Black King’s bed, his eyes full of frustration.

He took a dropper from a red bottle and tilted the king's head back, forcing a stream of thick liquid onto his tongue. The king mumbled incoherently, but the potion soon took effect, forcing him back into a deep slumber. Bracing his hands on the footboard, he began to chant, closing his eyes and focusing solely on his spell. The words were nonsensical, something from another language that sounded harsh and guttural. Alaric squeezed his hands into fists, but like the flip of a coin, his demeanor changed.

As words continued to tumble from his lips, Alaric’s eyes popped open. He leaned over the bed, his eyes twinkling as a malicious grin spread across his face. He washappy. Not just happy—overjoyed.

Realization and horror crashed through Lea like a white-hot knife between her ribs, stealing her breath away. Alaric knew that Gray would seek to break the spell. Had he been trying to kill his father the entire time they’d been gone? Was that why he hadn’t attempted to follow them? Because he'd been biding his time, waiting for the opportunity to kill the Black King himself once Gray broke the curse?

Lea was filled with terror, but it wasn’t just her own. Thatotherdarkness in her chest rose and strained, begging for release. Was this a prediction? A possibility of what could happen? Or was she seeing a glimpse of something that had already happened?

Several agonizing moments of waiting passed, and Lea allowed herself to hope for the best. Surely this wasn’t what Eudora had meant when she’d said that breaking the curse would allow harmony and balance to be restored.

Alaric was even more evil than his father, and if he stole the king’s power? It was over.

Lea heard a woman’s voice in her mind, one she recognized, but couldn’t place.Gods help us all,the phantom voice said before Lea’s vision morphed back to her own.

Lea saw Gray’s concerned face, only for a moment, before he was blurred by the thick, salty tears running from Lea’s eyes.

Chapter 69

Gray

Graywasvibrating,strugglingto keep his composure. Lea’s vision was his worst fear come to life. Alaric had known Gray’s first priority would be breaking the spell, and so he'd bided his time. But to actually kill his father? To steal the enormity of his power? He’d underestimated his brother. It made Gray’s skin crawl, knowing that he hadn’t seen this coming or prepared for this contingency.

Gray pictured his brother standing at his father’s bedside every day since they’d left, casting his spell over and over, just waiting for the night that it would finally be successful. Alaric had gone completely mad, and Gray wondered if there was something that he could’ve done as they’d grown up to help him, to steer him away from this path of complete wickedness. Logically, Gray knew that he’d been raised by the same father, in the same household, under the same conditions, and that it was only his own conscience and choices that had saved him. But still, how could he be related to not one, but two men who were such monsters and not have become one himself?

If Lea’s visions were true, then Alaric had somehow poisoned his father to subdue him until he could successfully cast the spell that would infect him with the Lonely Death, allowing him to steal his magic. It was the worst-case scenario, for while his father had been hungry for power, his aspirations had ended there.

Alaric had a vendetta, a need for vengeance against him and his mate that was buried in his very marrow. This was no longer only a war about helping the people of his kingdom and ending the rule of his father. Now, it was personal, and Alaric would not only attempt to take over the kingdom and continue to steal magic, but also try to ensure that everyone Gray loved was destroyed in the process. And he wouldn’t stop until it was done.

But Lea’s vision wasn’t the only thing that was worrying him. Even more than what she’d seen, it deeply bothered Gray that Lea was having visions at all. From how she described it, it was as if she was in someone else’s body, watching through their eyes. Whoever it was could potentially be an asset—after all, it appeared that they'd helped by warning them. But what if they weren’t?

How was it possible that Lea was infiltrating someone’s mind without even trying? Or was it the other way around? Had someone found a way into his mate's consciousness somehow?

Gray was glad to be returning to Bearswillow so he could discuss with Vincent what was happening. There were too many unknown variables for him to make plans on the best way to proceed without knowing how the army was doing with their training in Bearswillow.

They rounded a sharp cliff edge and Lea’s shoulders sagged in relief as she noticed the large, tall crack in the mountainside. Exhaustion pulled at the skin beneath her eyes, and the urge to stop right there and make her rest itched against his skin. Foolish, when they had finally made it to a place with a soft bed and any comfort she could need.

The entrance to the cavern was well hidden by design. He’d known when he’d used his shadows to form it years ago that someday, it would be home to the rebellion. Unless you knew what you were looking for, one would think it was just a break in the mountainside, maybe the remnants of a rock slide from long ago. But it was so, so much more.

Gray led them through the crack, which was only about eight feet wide from side to side. It was pitch black, but Obsidian knew the way by heart. He'd traveled through this walkway hundreds of times over the years, and Gray suspected that the horse could find his way even if he wasn’t there to guide him.

After roughly fifty feet, the tunnel opened into a large stone room, a chamber shimmering with his own enchantments. No one could enter without his, Erik’s, or Vincent's approval. Inside these walls, they were truly safe, and Gray fully exhaled for the first time since they'd left Calir.

After sliding from his horse, Gray walked Obsidian to the far wall, where buckets of water and piles of hay waited. Normally, he would unsaddle Obsidian himself and reward him with cubes of sugar or sweet apples after such a long journey, but he needed to see Vincent as soon as possible. He would have to have one of his men take the horses to the stables he had built within the cavern and reward them there.

Erik finally broke the silence as he tied off his horse next to Gray’s. "Would you like me to retrieve Vincent?"

"No," Gray grabbed Lea’s hand. "Show Tanad’s men to their quarters, then meet us in my office."

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