Page 129 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

Gray dropped Lea on the ground, sprinting toward Noah with every bit of speed he had, but it wasn’t enough. As Noah arced his sword over his head, preparing to slice through Alaric’s neck, Alaric threw his head back with a cackle, fire exploding around him and encasing Noah until he became nothing more than a smoldering pile of bones.

Chapter 83

Gray

Gray’sfirstthoughtasNoah’s skull tumbled down the hill was that he hated the smell of burned flesh. He had always hated it, but it was so much worse when the acrid, sweet scent came from the decimated remains of someone you cared about.

A stabbing anguish, so intense it took Gray’s breath away, knocked him backward as Lea’s scream echoed across the hill. Gray instinctively knew that his mate’s pain was not of the physical kind, but the kind that cut deeper—the soul-shattering agony of losing a friend. Noah was gone. Just like that, he had ceased to be.

Alaric stood next to Lea’s house, leaning casually against the stone as if he hadn’t just incinerated a boy with his entire future ahead of him.

Gray had never seen anywhere near that much power from Alaric before, irrefutable proof that he had been successful in stealing their father’s magic. Gray’s stomach sank. Alaric exuded pure, terrible might. It would be nothing short of a miracle for them to defeat him now, not if he'd already mastered the power he had stolen.

"You fucking bastard!" Gray yelled, storming toward Alaric and summoning clouds to darken the sky. Lightning danced on Gray’s knuckles, cracking around them and crashing into the ground. Shadows surrounded him like the black of night.

"Hellobrother." Alaric looked at his nails, completely unbothered as he picked at a cuticle, then wiped a piece of ash from his sleeve. Gray held back the urge to vomit. It wasn’t just ash. Only one thing had been burned here.

Lea was suddenly at Gray’s right, deadly silent as black flames and shadows flicked around her feet and sword. Erik appeared on Gray’s left, tucking Janelle behind him.

"You fucking coward!" Gray spat. "Sending all of your men to fight while you what? Explore the town?"

We need to get to Thomas and Emma,Lea said.We can’t let him find them.

"They seem to be defeating you so effectively. I thought I might take a little tour of the place that grew yourLittle Flowerhere," Alaric said as he winked at Lea. Gray bristled, stepping slightly in front of her.

"Keep her name out of your mouth," Gray growled. "This is between you and me, Alaric."

"It does seem a fitting end to our story, does it not?" Alaric stood up straight, putting his hands in his pockets. "You broke the curse, hoping to kill me, believing yourself to be the more powerful Fae, just like you always have." Alaric threw his hands up in the air, and a fireball exploded in the sky, as large as the setting sun. Lea quickly threw up a shield of shadows to protect them from falling flames, her eyes lingering on the thatched roof where a spark ignited the straw.

"You’re not the most powerful one now, are you, little brother?" Alaric raised his chin and tilted his head to the side. He didn’t blink—didn’t move. He was truly the monster Gray had always thought him capable of becoming.

From the corner of his eye, Gray saw Janelle move to Lea and whisper something into her ear.

Throwing a spear of flames into the ground at their feet, Alaric roared. "Stop it. Stop it!" His eye twitched and his whole body shook. "Stop talking!" Alaric shouted, spit flying from his mouth like a rabid dog, his voice raw from the intensity of his screams.

Janelle froze, and Alaric stared her down.

"It’s not too late to stop this, Alaric." Gray shifted forward, trying to pull Alaric’s attention away from Janelle and Lea. "You have Father’s power. You’re the king now."

"The king no one wants!" Alaric spat. "You were always Father’s favorite! Mother’s favorite! Even our sister preferred you until she got what she deserved. Perfect Evander," Alaric taunted. "I know what people said. ‘Such a shame Evander isn’t the crown prince.’ You laughed at me.Bothof you!" Alaric pulled a sword from his belt and gestured erratically between Erik and Gray.

"You thought I wasnothing!" He tilted his head back and forced a harsh, humorless laugh. "Ha. Ha. Ha." Alaric paused, "And now, who will be laughing?" The horrifying smile on Alaric’s face instantly disappeared, replaced by his bared teeth. "Me." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Becauseyouwill benothing. Nothing but a rotting corpse. Nothing but the weak prince who failed to save the kingdom, who failed to save hismate." Alaric swung his sword at Lea, a stream of fire exploding behind her to prevent her from stepping back.

But Lea didn’t budge, didn’t even flinch as she ordered her black flames to detonate around her, consuming Alaric’s flames within her own.

He cocked his head at her, his eyes raking over the hissing fire surrounding her. "You." Alaric pointed the sword at Lea’s throat. "You and that fucking power you hid. No one believed me. You made me seemcrazy, but I knew what you were, what you hid beneath your skin. You’ll never know how much I savored burning it each night at dinner, chipping away at that armor of yours. I’ll kill you last, I think. Make you watch as I steal your mate’s power, then yours. And you won’t even have your precious moonflower seeds to stop me." He sent another blast of fire at Lea’s house.

"Do you want to know why I’m here instead of fighting with my army? Because I knew they could handle you without me.Youare not a threat. Once your army falls from the Lonely Death, I will steal their power. I only bothered coming here to destroy the moonflowers myself." Alaric swung his sword around in a circle, forcing a laugh again.

He’s completely lost his mind,Gray whispered to Lea through their bond.

"It’s the only cure, you know," Alaric continued. "Father thought he’d eradicated them all. Butyou." He repeated, his voice dripping venom as he stopped his erratic pacing. "Youfucked it all up. Fuckedeverythingup!" Alaric’s eyes slowly dragged up Lea’s body, a sickening grin pulling his mouth into an almost sneer. Without blinking, he stared at the black fire surrounding her like it was made of pure gold.

"Will it never be enough?" Lea asked, her voice shaking.

Alaric slowly tilted his head as if possessed, his voice changing, echoing—the sound of thousands of voices mixed together, slithering from between his perfect white teeth. "Only your death," Alaric hissed. "Thatwill be enough."

"Your fight is with me, Alaric," Gray’s shadows lashed out at him, forcing him to take a step back.When he attacks,Gray said into Lea’s mind,run and get Emma and Thomas out. Take Janelle with you, Erik and I will fight.

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