Page 10 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

"I would find a way to kill us both before I would allow you to harm her." Gray spit blood at his brother’s feet.

"It will be me who draws the last breath from her pretty lips. That alone will kill you—"

Acrackrang out across the square, blood blooming on Alaric’s temple as he crumbled to the ground. Behind him stood Noah, clutching an iron-plated shield in his white-knuckled grip. The boy froze for a second, staring at the blood dripping from Alaric’s head before throwing the shield to the ground.

"I fucking hate that guy," he spat, reaching down to help Gray to his feet.

Gray rose with a groan, his muscles already knitting back together. Noah handed Gray his sword before kneeling again and placing his hands back above his head.

Gray looked down at Noah, impressed by his courage. "Do you hate the king equally?" he asked casually as he wiped the blood from his face.

Noah looked around silently, as if anxious to speak the words out loud. He nodded. "Let me join you."

Considering his plea, Gray’s eyes swept over the boy. There wasn’t a whisker on his face, and his muscles were underdeveloped with his youth. His eyes were gentle, like they’d never witnessed violence before this day. "Why did you join the Royal Army?" Gray prodded.

The boy swallowed, pausing before he slowly stood. "If, as I suspect, you are the Eclipsed King," he placed a hand over his heart, thumb tucked into his palm, "then I joined to find you."

Chapter 6

Gray

"Tofindme?"Grayrepeated. How could Noah possibly know he was the Eclipsed King when he could count the number of people who knew his true identity on one hand?

"I’d heard whispers back home, but no one would tell me more. After my father died—"

"Paul," Gray said his name like a eulogy. He remembered when he’d died, leaving Noah’s family destitute.

"Yes." Noah’s face crumpled. "He died in the fields after being worked to the bone. I lost my youth the day I lost him. It was heatstroke, when I was thirteen years old. He was just trying to harvest enough crops to supply the Black King with cotton and wheat. More and more every year, even as he aged and required more rest. My parents," the boy’s voice broke, "they wanted me and my sisters to be educated. Wouldn’t allow me to stay home to help my father in the fields. I wrote to the king, begged him to reduce his tithe or let him retire. The letter that was returned demanded double. He died three weeks later."

Gray watched the young man before him try to remain strong, his shoulders squared and the tears in his eyes staying firmly within the bounds of his eyelids. "And why is it you think I’m the Eclipsed King?" Every fiber of Gray’s being told him the boy was trustworthy, but the fact that he knew his true identity gave him pause. Was it a trap? Had Alaric known all along?

"I saw you. The week after Father died. I was sitting in a tree near my porch, had been for hours. I couldn’t listen to my mother cry for another second. The moon was out, so I saw it clearly when you dropped a satchel near my front door. You were only there for seconds, but the first time I saw you at the castle, I knew it was you."

Gray’s mouth went dry, and he struggled to swallow.

"I was scared you’d left something horrible. Something that would upset Mother even more. So I ran to the porch the second you disappeared. But it was gold." Noah’s eyes glistened. "A bag full of gold. Enough to feed us and clothe us foryears. I enlisted into the Royal Army at 16 after hearing whispers of the Eclipsed King, and have tried to work my way up the ranks as quickly as I could to find a way into the rebellion. I’ve been watching you. You disappear at the strangest times, and you’re always writing things down. You have a reputation for the horrible things you’ve done, but I’ve never witnessed anything but you doing the just and honorable thing." Noah didn’t flinch as he stared the Night Prince directly in the eyes. "I know who you are. And if you’ll allow it, I’d like to fight for my father. For every subject of this kingdom worked into their own grave to serve their selfish leader." He stood up taller, banishing the grief from his face. "Please."

Pride swelled in Gray’s chest. How he had missed the heart of a lion beating in Noah’s chest, he wasn’t sure, but he could recognize when he made a mistake. The boy may be young, but he wished to fight this battle with the vigor of Vincent, of Thomas.

"Have you told anyone what you know?" Gray asked.

"I’ve kept it between myself and the gods," Noah promised, tucking his thumb and placing his fist over his heart.

Gray sheathed his sword as Alaric stirred. "I’d be honored to fight alongside you, Noah." Alaric moaned and turned his head slightly. Gray wished he could sever his head from his body, or plunge a dagger into his wicked heart. But he could feel the curse wrapping around his chest, squeezing until he took a step back. If only Noah would do it of his own volition, he could win what would be one of the biggest battles of the war. Gray’s tongue grew thick and painful at the thought, his jaw clenching as the words filled his mind. The curse wouldn't even allow him to ask another to perform the deed.

Noah kept his eyes on Alaric, and Gray wondered what he was thinking. Was he considering killing the Crown Prince of Desia, now that he'd confirmed that Gray was fighting against him? Picking up his discarded sword in a white-knuckled grip, Noah lifted it a few inches, sweat dripping from his hairline.Do it,Gray thought, unable to give voice to his order.

Noah’s skin paled and his eyes shot to Gray, his eyebrows raised in question. Had he not heard Alaric say that Gray couldn’t kill him? Was he waiting for Gray to cut off Alaric’s head just as Gray wondered what was stopping Noah?

Alaric moaned again, rolling onto his side.Dammit!Alaric couldn’t follow them. They were out of time.

"We need to go." Gray called on his storms again as he turned to run. He urged Noah forward and sent thick sheets of rain down around them. Gray held his lightning at bay to prevent Alaric from getting a flash of where they were running, should he fully wake from his unconscious state before they cleared the village.

They didn’t speak a word as they ran, sprinting into the forest and jumping over fallen branches and bumpy roots. Noah stayed in step with Gray, his endurance and focus admirable as he sprinted blindly into the dark. His human eyesight wouldn’t allow him to see more than an arms-length ahead of him, and yet he didn’t stop until they stumbled into the enchanted clearing, through the ward Gray had used a vast amount of power on to ensure that they had a safe place to flee to. Somewhere to heal their injured, and, if necessary, hide, once they escaped.

Gray felt her before he saw her. Felt the bond with his mate snap back into place like a piece of his very own soul returning to him. He released a breath as his eyes scanned her body. There was no visible blood on her besides what soaked the hem of her once white dress, blood she had likely run through in the chaos of their interrupted nuptials. His soul felt light, and the only pain he felt was the slight sting that remained from his own wounds. Nothing indicated that his wife had been injured.

No.His heart dropped.She’s your mate. Not your wife.He’d moved up his plans for the rebellion to flee Auropera to allow her this choice—the freedom to decide if she wanted to bind her life to his or not. Gray had prayed to the gods for the first time in a century that his efforts would be fruitful, that the intricate timing needed for their escape would allow them to get everyone out safely.

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