Page 41 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

"Please," Lea whispered to the sky. "Let this be worth it."

Chapter 24

Gray

Itwasirrational.Absurdeven. But as the final nabis disappeared into wisps of darkness, all Gray wanted to do was claim his mate. He yearned to banish the clouds from the sky and allow himself to be marked with a sun on his chest. It was undeniable that they’d needed Lea’s magic to defeat the demons, but he’d worried that she would be unable to move past her fear of hurting her friends. Using her magic made her feel out of control, and Gray knew that she could feel the magnitude of what was inside her and worried that it would be more than she was prepared to wield. Instead of faltering or giving in, she’d found a solution to her problem, even under intense pressure. The nabis were quick, and even as experienced as Erik was with using his magic, he would have had a difficult time hitting only his targets with no mistakes.

To choose such a small target, one that she could latch her magic onto and allow him and Erik to use it to their advantage… It was brilliant. Pride caused his chest to puff out as he dropped himself to the ground, lying on his back next to her. "It was my worst nightmare to face the nabis," Gray told her, grabbing her hand.

"Because you couldn’t defeat the monsters on your own and save the day?" A crooked smile tugged at Lea’s lips. She’d seen right through him.

"That is exactly why. To face a creature whom neither my magic nor my strength and speed could defeat?" Gray ran a hand through his thick, unruly hair. "It is the thing of my nightmares come alive. But you," he bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You were brave. That was quick thinking, setting our swords on fire."

"I just knew that you'd spend the whole night pouting if I didn’t let you in on the action. You have a bit of a savior complex, you know," Lea teased.

"When it comes to you, absolutely." Gray sat up, helping pull Lea into a sitting position.

"How long does the poison last?" Lea gestured to her limp arm hanging by her side.

"Likely, only another few minutes. Usually once their poison paralyzes you…" Gray trailed off, unable to say the words. He refused to even think about it.

"They kill you?" Lea asked, shuddering.

Gray only nodded, pressing his lips into a grim line. "Come, we need to get moving." Gray looked up at the sky above the dark tree branches. "It will be nightfall soon, and we need to find a safe place to camp."

"Actually," Emma chimed in, stepping forward. "The um…" her eyes flicked sideways, "the men traveling with us say we should stay here. The other demons will sense the nabis and believe whatever they found to either be dead or long gone and not worth their time."

"Emma, they know that they're dead. You can say it," Gray said gently.

"Well, yes, I’m aware." Her cheeks turned pink, and she ducked her head. "I just thought it rude to keep bringing that up."

Gray nodded. "Alright then. Do our esteemed guides have any other advice for setting up camp?"

Emma turned and stared into the woods for several moments. "Stay here, enchant the area to the best of our abilities. If we need a fire, there can’t be any smoke. And be ready to leave at first light."

"Easy enough. Erik, are you too depleted to help me shield the area?"

"There’s not enough sunlight here. My magic is recharging slower than I’d like." Erik frowned.

"Not to worry," Gray said, pushing his shadows outward so that they snaked toward the trees. "I believe it will be plenty dark enough tonight to refuel mine."

After camp had been set up, five pallets with blankets and furs to protect them from the unnatural chill of the Wood, Gray quickly hunted for dinner.

Lea had insisted she wasn’t hungry, but her declaration of not needing to eat had caused his skin to crawl. Gray loved her deeply and entirely, but did she have no sense of self preservation? They’d just fought a demon. Several demons, actually. And there would be more.

"You’re eating. Erik, watch her," he snapped as he stormed through the trees. There weren’t many animals in the Wicked Wood, but dammit, he was going to findsomething. As if the gods were finally listening, a dark, furry creature darted in front of him. Gray didn’t hesitate, decapitating it with so much force his sword sliced six inches into the ground.

Gray picked up the animal from the ground, a foobil, he realized, and quickly skinned it. He’d killed them before while traveling through the Wicked Wood to Calir, and the meat had provided good energy and sustenance. Almost like a squirrel but much larger with thicker, dark fur, it had plenty of meat for them to share.

Stalking back into camp, Gray tossed the foobil carcass to Noah. "Cook this," he ordered as he moved to Lea’s side, feeling her forehead and watching for movement in her arm and leg.Good, he thought as she used both to scramble backward.

"I’m fine, Gray. I don’t have a fever. I feel great," Lea said with a saccharine smile.

"Mmph," was all Gray could manage as he looked to Noah, who was obediently using his day magic to flambé the foobil.

"It’s time for another lesson," Erik said to Lea, and Gray bristled.

"Not yet," he barked as he walked to Noah and sliced a thick hunk of meat from the animal and thrust it into Lea’s hands with a grunt. "Eat," he ordered.

---