Page 5 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

Picturing her shadows in her mind, she urged them to slither along the ground until they reached her friends’ feet, then imagined them surrounding and moving with them as they fought.

She looked for other rebels to shield, but there were few close enough to allow her enough control. It appeared that Gray was keeping the majority of the soldiers from reaching them as the rebellion fled into the woods, while some of the more well-trained rebels fought the guards who had been stationed in town during the explosion. Lea’s confidence grew as she watched her mate effortlessly manipulating his shadows into a terrifying weapon while simultaneously using his sword to dispatch his enemies. It was a sight to behold, his movements swift and his bulging muscles on display as he cut through the air, steel and shadows moving in tandem.

A beat of worry overwhelmed her mate bond, and Lea moved toward Gray, sensing he was distracted by his need to protect her. She’d almost reached him when a scream rang out that made her blood run cold. It was the scream of a child—a small one.

Scanning her surroundings, Lea searched for the noise. To her left, a tiny girl stood on the hill behind a home with a shattered front door, the beautiful painted wood in splinters across the front porch and grass. The child was barefoot, looking side to side with wide eyes and walking away from the battle toward the woods behind the houses, with red cheeks and tears so large Lea could see them streaming down her face, even from this distance.

Something exploded in Lea’s chest—bravery or foolishness, she wasn’t sure—but she didn’t have time to examine the feeling. Shehadto help the little girl, refused to let her get hurt, or worse. Lea sprinted toward the child, stumbling over the sharp pieces of broken fence scattered along the ground and trudging up the hill. She scooped up the shivering and sobbing toddler moments before she stepped into the dark, overgrown woods and tucked the girl into her chest. "Shhhh, it’s okay now. Let’s find your mom, hmm?" she cooed, feigning confidence with a broad smile as she bounced the girl up and down.

"I have her! A little girl! I found her!" Lea shouted as she scanned the village, unsure where the girl's mother was, but hoping she would hear her cries. Her shouts were muffled in the chaos of battle, so Lea walked further up the small hill to allow her a better vantage point. Surely the mother would be frantically searching for her child and would be easy to pick out.

Lea took one step, then froze. Above her, hiding in the dark, dense trees where the woods began, was Alaric. He stood still as stone, only his lips moving as he spoke under his breath. His eyes were manic, full of flames and chaos as he held his hands out toward her. It appeared as if Alaric was in a trance, almost like he was under some sort of spell.

Lea backed away on shaking legs as she pulled the child closer against her chest, which grew tight with pressure and fear. Alaric stopped chanting, and his lips curled, white teeth flashing—but in a smile or a snarl, she couldn’t tell.

A cry of terror caused Lea to look behind her on instinct as a familiar voice begged for help. Still hiding behind the rickety white fence, Emma crouched on her knees, her hands covering her ears, her eyes closed tight.

"Leave me alone! Someone make it stop!" Emma screeched.

Lea turned back to Alaric, but he was gone—the smoking leaves on the ground the only evidence that he had been there at all.

Emma shrieked again, and Lea turned, racing toward her, eyes scanning for whatever threat had Emma in such a panic. Her palms were sweaty and her stomach hollow as she reached her friend. Gray’s shadows followed and circled around them protectively.

Across the town square and through the remaining rebels and royal guards, Lea made eye contact with Gray. He fought his way closer, striking down guard after guard with one eye on Lea the entire time.

"We need to find her mother!" Lea called to Gray, unable to tear herself away from her friend but knowing that the child was terrified as her tiny body trembled. He nodded, whistling to a nearby soldier and barking orders at him. Gray gestured to the soldier, and Lea handed the toddler off to him, ruffling her hair and pasting a calm smile on her face before the child was pulled away.

With the little girl taken care of, Lea collapsed next to her friend, grabbing her arms. "Emma? What’s wrong?" Lea pulled Emma’s hands away from her ears, only to be met with eyes so wide her pupils looked like pinpoints.

"They’re everywhere, Lea. Everywhere!" Emma screamed, completely in a panic as her eyes jumped all around them. Lea followed Emma’s line of sight, confused. The guards had begun to dwindle in numbers. As the battle had raged, so many villagers had joined the rebels in their fight that their numbers had grown exponentially. Gray had caused a wave of death as guards had climbed the castle walls and tried to chase the rebellion, and many of the royal guards had either turned back as they’d witnessed Gray’s rampage or had fallen victim to it. The majority of the rebels had escaped into the woods, and some villagers were fleeing toward the woods with small bags in their arms.

"We’ll beat the guards, Emma. I know it looks like there are a lot of them, but most have fled or been killed and—"

"I’m not talking about the guards!" Emma sobbed, tears streaming down her face and snot running from her nose as she squeezed her eyes closed tight again, her forehead wrinkling with the effort. "I’m talking about the dead, Lea. I can hear them. I can see them. I can see themeverywhere."

Chapter 3

Lea

Lea’sheadswungaroundso fast that a stabbing pain shot through her neck.What does she mean, the dead are everywhere?

There were a few bodies lying in the streets, barely visible through the silver and gold light from the fires and moon. Several dozen royal guards lay dead behind them where Gray fought against the onslaught of men climbing over the castle wall, but his shadows were so thick that it was difficult to see them.

A lantern swinging in the wind crashed to the ground, and Lea flinched at the harsh sound as its fire spread to a nearby patch of grass, illuminating a nearby body—a rebel with a red armband. He was young, and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth as his glazed eyes stared unfocused at the stars.

A sharp ache hit her gut, and bile rose up the back of her throat as she looked at the broken bodies around her. The smell of death hung in the air, the iron tang of blood hitting her nostrils and making her nauseous. Of course her friend was upset. It was gruesome, terrible in a way that Lea knew she would never be able to forget. But…what did Emma mean she couldhearthem?

Emma had always been in tune with others’ emotions. From the moment Lea had met her, she’d been oddly aware of how Lea was feeling. She could always tell what she needed and gladly gave it to her, whether it was space, a laugh, or a shoulder to cry on. It was something Lea had noticed immediately and had been grateful for. She was a remarkable friend. Surely it was just her empathy causing her alarm. It was too much carnage for almost anyone to handle, let alone such a sensitive soul.

"Emma. Close your eyes if you can’t look. I’ll help get you out of here."

"They’re looking at me!" Emma shrieked, her face so pale that the dark circles under her eyes almost looked like bruises. "Make them stop looking at me!" Emma was panicking, rocking back and forth, her bloodshot eyes wide and terrified before she squeezed them shut again to block out the world around her.

"What are you talking about?" Lea could feel the panic creeping into her own voice as she watched her friend seem to curl deeper inside herself. "What do you need?"

"I don’t want to see them anymore!" Emma cried. Suddenly, a pair of dainty hands appeared on Emma’s upper arms.

"What’s happening to her?" Claire asked, soot smudged across her face.Is Claire part of the rebellion?Lea had barely seen her since she’d insinuated that Lea was lucky that both of the princes were preoccupied with her… even though one of those prince’s attention consisted purely of pain and threats of death. So why was she here now? Claire was far too selfish to risk her life to help those living outside the castle or to fight against the Black King’s reign. She was too self-serving. Too… cruel. Certainly, she’d never seemed to really care about Emma, or any of the other servants, for that matter. Lea’s suspicions rose. Was it possible she was working with Alaric?

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