Page 79 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

Lea’s words became nonsensical, professions of love turning into moans of pure pleasure as he moved in and out of her, increasing his speed. He couldn’t stop. Couldn’t slow down. Nothing had ever felt so perfect, soright.

Gray’s magic felt as if it was going to snap, escaping from his body and wrapping around them, his shadows mixing with Lea’s shadows and flames, swirling and combining with them in an enormous, swirling mass of darkness.

As Lea’s walls tightened around him, her back arching, Gray stilled, spilling himself as he cried out Lea’s name. His mate’s name.

Their magic detonated, exploding outward in a flash of sparkling light that made the rush of day and night magic look like nothing more than a sunset on a cloudy day.

A searing pain burned beneath Gray’s collarbone as absolute ecstasy pulsed through the rest of his body. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, not just physically, but in his soul.

Thunder roared above the ocean, and the ground continued to tremble. Joy and love and pain and confusion crashed through the bond, and Gray pulled everything but the happiest emotions into himself, sharing the burden of his mate’s pain as the wind finally slowed and the earth stilled.

Lea’s eyes opened, and Gray laid them back down onto the mattress, bracing his elbows on either side of her head as he claimed her mouth. "I love you," he whispered, regret churning in his gut as he realized that he had wasted too many days,weeks, squandering away this gift out of fear. But it no longer mattered. They belonged to each other, never to be separated. Not even by death.

Chapter 52

Gray

Gettingoutofbedthat next morning was the hardest thing Gray had ever done. They had come together again as the sun began peeking over the horizon, touching and exploring each other as if it was the first time. He’d ensured every cloud in the sky was gone, and as the mating bond finally snapped fully into place, the earth beneath them had once again rumbled and the wind had rushed across their skin. And as they found their release, the sunrise had exploded in the most vibrant display of beauty he had ever seen.

The pink sky had rivaled that of any rose that had ever bloomed, the red and orange streaks as saturated as fruit picked directly from the tree. It had bathed them in a golden glow, causing the mate mark beneath Lea’s collarbone to almost shimmer. A moon and stars.Hismoon and stars, marking her as his for eternity. She would live as he did. Age as he aged. And that mark was proof. The sight was so beautiful and the thought so reassuring, Gray couldn’t help but lean down and kiss it.

It’s beautiful.He spoke directly into her mind.Almost as beautiful as you.

Lea jumped, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Did you say that out loud?" she asked with a smile so broad and full of joy that Gray now considered that moment the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

I did not,he said, once again into her mind, and Lea sat up, almost urgently. She closed her eyes and scrunched her nose.

We did it.Lea’s sweet tone resonated in his own head.

"Yes, we did," Gray laughed with an equally enormous smile as he pulled Lea back down and kissed her forehead. He turned her to face the sunrise and laid behind her, wrapping her firmly in his arms with her head tucked beneath his chin. Instinctually, Gray knew they’d never see another sunrise like this, and he wanted them to savor it, to remember every moment. He’d been so wrong—so utterly foolish. Now that the mating bond was complete, he felt whole, thoroughly at peace with his decision. He’d only been half a man before, had only seen in muted colors and felt the world as if through scratchy gloves.

But now? The fresh air smelled like a block of salt mixed with a cool breeze and clean water. His heartbeat was different—steadier, and perfectly in tune with the pulse of the woman lying next to him. The stars were brighter and the sunrise more saturated and his soul at peace. The restlessness that he hadn’t even realized lived in his bones was gone, leaving him content in a way he had never felt before.

"How do you feel?" Gray asked into Lea’s hair.

"I feel different. Like I’m someone new." She closed her eyes again, and a fire appeared, floating in the air. It was the size of her fist, and it bounced around the balcony like a ball. "My light feels easier to access. Like it's buzzing closer to the surface."

"And what about your shadows?" Gray prodded. It hadn’t escaped his notice that she’d avoided using them as often as her fire, only calling on them when it had been absolutely necessary.

"I can’t quite explain my shadows." Lea chewed on her lip. "There’s a darkness in there that feels like it belongs to me, and then there’s something in there, mixed in with my shadows, that feels foreign, like I’m not meant to wield it. And then, even deeper, hidden beneath everything else, there is pure, black power. I think that’s the primary magic King Tanad mentioned. It feels wild and electric—almost painful. Like nothing and everything all at once. And the more I use my shadows, the more that magic seems to seep into my chest. That’s what I used when I saved Queen Emmaline’s daughter." Lea looked off into the sunrise. "Do you think Eudora will have answers?"

"I think she will. For a price, of course," Gray grumbled. He didn’t want to talk about her right now, didn’t want that manipulative, secretive witch to taint this moment.

Lea rolled over abruptly, pushing him back excitedly so that she could examine his chest. "I can’t believe I forgot about the mark!" Her eyes crinkled as she leaned down and kissed just below his collarbone. "I thought it was supposed to be a sun?"

Gray's eyebrows lowered. "Well, you do have both day and night magic. I guess it could be either, or both."

He tilted his head down to look at the spot just above his heart, wondering what mark he’d been given to show the world who he belonged to. But to his surprise, it wasn’t a sun, or a moon, or the stars, or even the wind. No. In place of the small flower that had sat within the tattoo of Lea’s mountains was a moonflower, one that matched Lea’s birthmark perfectly. It was the exact same size and an identical shape, as if they had been cut from the same pattern before it had been imprinted upon their skin. Though Lea’s coloring was different, more the typical brown of a birthmark rather than the dark black of ink, they were a perfect pair.

"What does it mean?" Lea asked breathlessly.

"I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because of what King Tanad said? Maybe it’s the primary magic? That it can createanddestroy, just like the moonflowers are fabled to be able to do?"

Lea’s forehead scrunched. "I don’t know why, but this feels like an omen. You’re marked with the flower that I’ve failed to grow and use. The cure for your father’s greed that I can’t seem to master."

"I’m sure it’s nothing, Little Flower. I think it’s an appropriate mark, considering everything. It’s unique, just like us. Maybe it’s saying we’re the key to defeating my father. Maybe we’ll be the cure." Gray tucked Lea’s tousled hair behind her ear and gently pulled her lip from between her teeth with his thumb. "Hey—no more worrying. Not today. We’ve had enough days full of fear and uncertainty, and even more to come."

"Okay," Lea agreed, pressing her lips together. "Today we’ll just be happy." They laid together for another several minutes until the last of the pink disappeared from the sky. Gray sighed, disappointment stabbing in his gut.

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