Page 122 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

Her light responded, arcing toward Gray and wrapping around his magic.Stop! It seemed to call to her. Leawantedto stop, but she was so hot, and it was agonizing. There was an inferno in her body, so hot that it blanketed her mind in smoke, making it hard to think. Every inch of her body hurt, each breath like knives in her lungs and each beat of her heart like it was pumping glass.

"Come back to me, Little Flower," Gray soothed, as if his words could ease the torment of the fire consuming her. Lea forced open her eyes, silently begging Gray to stop the pain. She looked down at his hands—blistered, charred skin wrapping up his forearms to the elbow. It was like a splash of cold water to her face.

As quickly as the magic had overtaken her, she forced it back down, closing it off and releasing Gray’s power from its grasp. She dropped to her knees at the same time Gray did, and he pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair. She grabbed his hands and flooded them with healing light, his skin smoothing over and the wounds closing.

"I’m so sorry," she whispered, her whole body trembling. "I didn’t—I couldn’t stop it."

Gray rocked her back-and-forth, shushing her. "You can’t go there again, Lea," he said. "That power isn’t natural, not for a Faeora human. Whatever it is… It will destroy you."

"I need to find a way, Gray." Lea didn’t want to argue, but there was so much at stake. Guilt dug at her chest like a wild animal, and anger burned hot in her blood. This was why she hadn’t wanted to practice back in Calir. She’d known it was dangerous.Knownthat she wouldn’t be able to handle it. "If that's the only way I can take Alaric’s power—"

Gray cut her off, shadows expanding and pulsing through the hall. "I’ll think of another way." He grabbed her face between his now healed hands. "Wewill think of another way," he repeated, pressing his forehead to Lea’s as he tried to control his rapid breathing.

Footsteps pounded just outside the training room, and Gray’s shadows exploded around them. Noah stumbled through the doorway as the darkness flew toward them, but Gray stopped them at the last second. Noah’s eyes were frantic, wide with utter and complete terror. Blood dripped from his arm and down his fingers. Without letting go of Lea, Gray called his shadows home.

"What’s happened?" Gray reached for his sword.

"We’re fine, for now." Vincent walked through the door. "Noah has news."

"Why are you bleeding?" Gray asked, his eyes darting between the two men.

"It’s Alaric. I came as fast as I could, but I was a day’s ride away. I fell running up the mountain trying to get back here to warn you." Blood dripped with apat pat patonto the stone floor.

"Calm down, Noah," Gray ordered, his tone firm and calm. "Take a deep breath, and tell me what happened."

He did as instructed, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. "I was out scouting when I saw Ezra. He was—"

"Who is Ezra?" Gray’s eyebrows bunched. "I’m not following."

"He’s a friend of mine from back home, a guard with me in Auropera. He was fleeing here with news. Alaric killed his advisors. Every single one."

"Dammit!" Gray growled, the candles in the room extinguishing as one. Noah lifted his hand, and they ignited again, revealing a look of absolute and utter fury on Gray’s face. His eyes were black, and shadows floated around him like a halo of vengeance as his shoulders heaved with each breath. "It took meyearsto get my men into Alaric’s court. Without them, we have nothing! No information, no spies close enough to learn anything of importance."

"Ezra escaped to warn us. He was called to dispose of their bodies. Alaric killed anyone who knew anything other than that his armies have gathered. They’re on their way." Noah rubbed his bloody hand along the back of his neck, his shoulders sagging as if carrying the weight of the world. "I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner."

"You did good, Noah." Gray’s eyes darted to Vincent. "Go get Erik," he commanded. Vincent was out the door in less than a second, and Gray turned back to Noah. "Do you trust Ezra?"

"Completely. He wanted to find the Eclipsed King, too, but we left in such a rush, I couldn’t get him. His brother was killed by the Lonely Death. If he says Alaric’s coming, then it’s the truth."

"Do you have any other information?" Gray’s feet tapped out a furious rhythm as he paced back and forth. "How many troops?"

"I don’t know. I don’t think that information was disseminated among the soldiers, but we can ask him if he knows anything else." Noah gestured toward the hall outside.

"He’s here?" Gray’s shadows began to snake toward the doorway.

"He’s in Vincent’s office," Noah said.

"I want to speak to him," Gray said just as Erik walked through the door. "Now."

"What’s happening?" Erik’s hair was mussed and his shirt untucked.

Gray turned slowly, the room growing dark as shadows floated all around him. "We’ve waited for this day for over a hundred years, and still, it’s here too soon. Ready our forces, Erik." Gray pulled Lea against his side, squeezing her tightly. "Tell our soldiers to make their peace and say their prayers. Alaric is coming."

Chapter 79

Gray

AftersendingEriktogather the others, Gray and Lea walked silently to Vincent’s office. Gray tried to control his shadows, but they pushed at his skin and escaped of their own will, growing along with his fury. It didn’t surprise him at all that Alaric had stolen his father’s magic, but still, he’d at least hoped it wouldn’t come to this.

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