Page 111 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

"Okay. How do I do this?" Lea asked Thomas, who stood in front of her in the vast stone training room.

"The sword was made for you, and only you. There should be a sort of—" he paused, "I guessbuzzingis the word—against your skin when you touch it. Do you feel it?"

Lea closed her eyes, focusing. It was there, so subtle she hadn’t even realized it. It almost felt like it was vibrating, but not exactly. It was as if the sword wasconsideringvibrating. The feeling was nearly impossible to describe.

"Latch onto that power. Make it a part of you, an extension of your arm. Pull it into your chest, and then amplify and force it back out, just like you do with your shadows. It will tune in to whatever power is nearby."

Allowing the magic of the sword to push beneath her skin, Lea smiled. The energy felt familiar, comfortable. It reminded her of long summer days in the garden and Fire Nights lying with friends under the stars. It felt like Thomas, her once best friend turned… what? Enemy? Adversary? Turned friend again. After everything that had gone on between them, they were still Lea and Thomas.

"So it steals magic?" Lea asked, not wanting to take any of Thomas’s precious ability. The rebellion needed it for the weapons Thomas was spending countless hours imbuing with his power.

"No. The metal essentially absorbs the power while it is being used, and replicates it. Once the magic wielder stops, the actual magic is pulled out and the copy remains." Thomas pulled a small dagger from his waistband. "Now, focus on how the sword feels once I start using my magic," he said as a pulsing, deep blue light engulfed the weapon, Thomas’s eyes creasing in concentration as the blade doubled in size. "Direct it back to you and into the sword."

The moment the blue light appeared, Lea’s skin prickled where it gripped the metal. The sword warmed in her hand, and as if on instinct, she reached out with the weapon's power, latching onto Thomas’s magic and tugging it back into itself.

Thomas’s eyes crinkled. "Amazing, right?" he said as the blue glow from his dagger faded. "Now, use it."

Lea reached inside her well of magic, shuffling through the different types inside her. At the very edge of her power was a tether, a long string that buzzed with the same electricity of the sword. Following it, she isolated Thomas’s magic and latched onto it, forcing it to bend to her will. Blue light engulfed the sword as she focused on the slightly dull tip, which had been neglected since Thomas had gifted the weapon to her. Immediately, it sharpened to a deadly point. As the light faded, the swirling pattern of wind glistened as if the metal was freshly polished. It lookedperfectagain.

"Thomas! That’s amazing!" Lea twisted the sword, watching the torch lights flicker on the shiny, perfectly pristine metal.

"Now put the sword down on the ground," Thomas said, gesturing to the sparring mat they stood on.

Lea obliged. The second the hilt no longer made contact with her skin, the buzzing tether and Thomas’s magic disappeared completely.

"You can only use the magic when touching the sword. It’s the conduit to everything. And it will only manifest other’s power in the sword itself. You won’t be able to make other weapons like I do," Thomas lifted the dagger that now looked impossibly deadly, "but you can always fix and sharpen this one. You can set the sword on fire, or mask it with shadow. But the sword won’t help you see the dead or track animals."

"And I don’t need to be near you?" Lea asked, picking the sword back up.

"No. Once the power is inside the sword, it will be there forever. But it will only work for you. Well—and me. I had to make sure it worked before I gave it to you."

"Thomas, this is amazing. Thank you." Lea twisted the blade in her hand, tracing a finger across the etchings. "This must have taken so much power to make. You shouldn’t have exhausted yourself when you knew you’d be fleeing the castle the next day."

"It was nothing," Thomas said.

The blade warmed in Lea’s hand, becoming so hot it was almost painful. She jumped, dropping the sword on the ground with aclang. "Shit! What was that?"

"Oh!" Thomas’s eyes twinkled with excitement. "You’ll feel the hilt warm when someone lies to you. I’m especially proud of that part."

Lea’s eyes popped wide open, and she bent down to pick up the sword. "Thomas!" she gasped with mock horror. "Did you justlieto me?"

"Itwasnothing!" He laughed, holding his hands in front of him in a defensive position. "I promise!"

The hilt burned Lea’s fingers once more. "You liar!" Lea squealed, raising the sword and chasing after him. A laugh bubbled from her throat as Thomas ran behind a hanging sack of dry grass they used as a sparring dummy.

"Okay, fine! Maybe it took a little bit of effort." Thomas shrugged. "But to keep you safe, it was worth it." The metal did not warm at his confession this time.

"And now? Do you think I’m safe with Gray?" Lea asked, squeezing the hilt tighter.

Thomas crossed his arms. "I do. And not only that. I’m truly, honestly, happy for you."

The sword remained cool in her fingers, and a lump formed in Lea’s throat.

"Can you forgive me?" Thomas asked. "Really forgive me?"

Lea shuffled from foot to foot. She hadn’t realized how much his words back in Auropera had hurt her. He’d implied that she was the enemy, but was that fair? So much had happened between them, but Lea knew that despite it all, Thomas would still die to protect her. Just like he would have before everything changed.

Meeting his eyes, she tossed him her sword.

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