Page 74 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

"I had the same concerns," Tanad pressed his lips together. "If it no longer requires contact or being within a few feet of a carrier, it stands to reason that isolation of families in their own homes is now necessary."

Gray nodded, rubbing a hand across his beard. "Agreed. There should be no interaction between non-family units whatsoever. However, that doesn’t prevent my father from targeting as many individuals as possible, regardless. Theonlyway to stop the Lonely Death is to kill him."

"And Alaric," Lea added, phantom pain throbbing in her chest.

King Tanad nodded, pressing his lips into a grim line as he stood and walked to the table. He pulled several large pins from his pocket. They appeared to be made of copper and were topped with the likeness of a skull. He leaned forward and pressed the sharp metal tips of the pins into the wood representing Calir, a neat, horizontal line just inside the border.

"These are the towns that have been hit with the Lonely Death so far. As you know, magic is not illegal here, and therefore, it is far more potent and common to find than in your kingdom. It is rare to find anyone who doesn’t have some sort of power." King Tanad gestured toward the skulls. "These villages were decimated completely. Not a soul was left alive."

Lea covered her hand with her mouth, trying to push down the nausea filling her stomach. "No one?" she asked.

"Not a single soul," King Tanad confirmed. "We’ve stopped accepting those seeking asylum from Desia across the border. I have put wards in place that will stop anyone attempting to enter the kingdom. It grieves me to do so. To deny your people the chance at safety is not something that I take lightly, but I feel I must in order to keep my own people safe. Our wards should also prevent the king's magic from crossing over our border, unless carried in by a host. My theory is that, prior to closing our border, he infected spies, sent them south, and then planted them in our villages. Aside from you six, no one from Desia has been allowed entrance weeks."

"And has that helped?" Lea asked, wondering how many people had dwelled in those villages.

"It has, to an extent. This final village, here," the king pointed to the seventh skull just south of the border between kingdoms where the land met the sea, "is the only one that fellafterwe implemented those safeguards. It stands to reason that either there is a fault somewhere in my wards, or the king has found a way around my magic."

Lea was going to be sick.

"If that’s true, then we have less time than I thought. If he can infect any city he wishes without even sending a host, he could completely eviscerate your kingdom in a matter of months." Gray studied the map and a jolt of determination vibrated through the bond into Lea’s chest.

"That is my fear as well," Tanad admitted, his change in tone causing him to appear years older. "It’s imperative that we do not allow the king to get his magic past my barriers. There were weeks between the sixth and seventh attack, which makes me believe it’s not as easy as we first thought for the king to cast his spell from so far away."

"What do you suggest?" Gray asked.

"You were right when you said isolation was the only way to prevent the disease from spreading. We have asked all those within a three days’ ride of the border to interact as family units only. No socializing or mingling, no gatherings. The castle has extra protections, ancient ones from when it was built. I am not concerned about our capital city falling. But I fear my magic is not enough to fight your father’s alone. I ask that you ride with me along the border and add your own magic to mine. Reinforce the shield that is already in place. I believe that between the two of us, we should be powerful enough to at least slow your father’s progress."

Lea tasted Gray’s reluctance in the back of her throat as he squeezed her hand. Swallowing, Lea squeezed back. A thread of worry wound itself around her heart. She didn’t want to be separated, but the way Tanad spoke suggested that the journey would be for the two of them alone. But maybe there was something she could do while they were gone… Something that wouldn’t just help her pass the time, but would also help further their cause.

"Of course, anything I can do to help." Gray nodded.

"In return, I can offer you my troops. I will not force anyone to join your cause, but most of my men have agreed to fight alongside you. Our new recruits are training, and we are working on gathering supplies. I’d estimate that we will need at least a month and a half to have them armed and ready to leave for Desia."

"That aligns with my timeline," Gray said. "We are training our rebels as well, and Lea’s friend Thomas is arming them. We have several steps to take before we’re ready to engage. But in the meantime, we’re safely hidden. Alaric has no idea where we are, and it will remain that way until we’re ready."

"I’d like to help as well." Lea stood, vibrating with energy.

"Do you have an idea, my dear Azalea?" The king asked warmly, almostknowingly,as he raised an eyebrow.

"The moonflowers." Lea turned to Gray, her pulse racing. "The cottage isn’t far from the border. If you can get me seeds from the garden, I can continue to work on the cure. Maybe with my magic…" She trailed off, afraid to even say the words out loud in fear that she would fail once again.

"You’ll have success," Gray finished for her. "And you will." The corner of his lips curled into a crooked smile. Pride resonated through the bond, and Lea’s chest and cheeks warmed in response. Her love for Gray grew at his belief in her.How did I get so lucky?

"King Tanad, can you spare a scout to gather seeds for my mate?" Gray asked, his face returning to its usual stern and matter-of-fact expression. "You’ll find them in the garden in the clearing where Azalea had her vision. I assume you know where that is?"

Tanad snapped his fingers, and a soldier walked through the curtains. His uniform was fitted and was a deep navy that Lea thought resembled what the deepest depths of the ocean would look like. The king gave instructions to the soldier on how to get to the clearing, then asked Lea if there was any particular way the flowers needed to be harvested.

"I’m not sure." She answered, tilting her head and picturing the wreath from home in her mind. "I’ve always pulled the seeds from the center of the flowers just before I planted them, but I might need to try different combinations to see if it changes anything. If you’re able, it’d be best to pull the root of the vines from the ground, and bring them back as whole as possible. And carry as many as you can."

The soldier bowed deeply to her, then to Tanad, before leaving.

With the business of the moonflowers behind them, Gray turned back to the king. "When would you like to leave to reinforce the wall?"

"By morning, if possible," Tanad plucked the skulls from the wood as if he couldn’t stand the visual reminder of the death of his people.

"I see." Gray and Erik shared a look. "There is, of course, another reason that we’re here."

"Yes, yes. Eudora." Tanad waved his hand flippantly. "She knows you’re here, of course, and says that she’ll call on you when the stars tell her the time is right. You know how she is, Commander. And you know better than to question her methods."

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