Page 67 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

Gray pulled her back toward him, pressing his face into her neck. "Then it’s settled, my love. We’re not far from Calir. Let’s go find a way to take back the world."

Chapter 45

Lea

Forthehundredthtime,Gray asked Emma if the dead sensed anything amiss. Emma had allowed her curly hair to fall in front of her face, turning away slightly as she answered.

"Um… Well, actually, they left."

Gray froze, his jaw muscles becoming more prominent as he clenched his teeth together.

"What do you mean, theyleft?" Shadows pulsed outward as if searching for the deserters.

"They said Lea glowed with the power of the gods. That no demon could touch her. That they feared her, and we were safe."

Gray’s head swung toward Lea, his eyelids and chin lowering as he examined her closely. "As beautiful as she is, I don’t think that she’s glowing."

"The dead said it surrounded her completely, the same light as the shooting stars above us. And that when we walked out of the clearing, they felt the woods churning, heard the monsters inside it fleeing. They retreated to the north."

"And they were so certain that Lea’s invisible glowing would keep them away that they were willing to leave us for the rest of the journey?"

"Enough to remind me that they would remember the promise you made to them, and they would be waiting to be set free. They said that they fulfilled their end of the bargain."

"Their bargain is only fulfilled when we pass safely across the border into Calir," Gray rumbled as he pulled Lea tighter against him, his palm sturdy against her stomach as he looked around. He didn’t say a word as he focused on their safety, his shadows spreading out as far as he could control them to assess for lurking threats.

It wasn’t until they crested a small hill that Gray exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing substantially.

Lea shifted forward on Obsidian, her mouth agape and her skin tingling. It was Calir. It had to be.

The line in the ground where the Wicked Wood ended and the kingdom of Calir began was once again unmistakable. But this time, instead of lush, green grass turning into muddy, dead earth, it turned into shimmering sand. It looked as if billions of tiny flecks of gold were mixed into the coarse beige grains.

The landscape was different than anything Lea had ever seen before. Squat trees with thick rough trunks and giant palm leaves at the top dappled the desert, providing shade from the blaring sun. Between the waxy leaves, large purple fruit grew, twice the size of an apple but shaped like an oval. High above their heads, a beautiful blue heron circled lazily, its strong wings outstretched to reveal black-tipped feathers.

"Ahem."

Lea jumped, calling her flames to her fingers when a man with deep brown skin and silver hair stepped out from behind one of the peculiar trees. Though his posture and the stealth with which he walked showed that he was Fae, he wasn’t young. There were laugh lines bracketing his mouth and crow’s feet around his eyes, which only served to emphasize the turquoise blue of his irises. Gray grabbed Lea’s hand, smothering her flames with shadow. "It’s okay."

The man did not make another move to walk toward them, but rather leaned casually against the tree and smiled warmly, his hands clasped in front of him. Just past the man, a small river ran into a vast pond, the same flickering gold shimmering in the water as giant winged birds splashed around inside it. They were completely white, not a speck of color on their fluffy, plush wings.

Gray kicked Obsidian’s sides and crossed the border, hopping off his horse and striding quickly to the robed man who was patiently waiting roughly ten feet inside Calir.

"My friend," the man said as he finally walked forward, grasping Gray's hand with both of his and shaking it firmly.

"King Tanad." Gray smiled so widely, his eyes crinkled at the edges. "It seems my letter of warning made it here in time."

"It did. Though, according to your letter, you should be crossing my border about two days east of here." He quirked an eyebrow. "Luckily, my trackers felt that you’d changed course. It seems they were correct. I’m glad I heeded their advice. I wanted to be here when you arrived."

"That’s very kind of you." Gray clapped the king casually on the shoulder, leading him toward Lea, who still sat on Obsidian's back.

"I was concerned that your decision to travel through the Wicked Wood instead of around it indicated a certain urgency to your arrival," he said, the tiniest kernel of tension slipping into his voice.

"You’re not wrong. King Tanad, meet our sudden sense of urgency." Gray placed a hand on Lea’s knee and squeezed. "This is my mate, Lea." He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her gently from the horse, tucking her into his side.

Lea bent forward to bow to the foreign king, but Tanad reached out and stopped her, cupping her chin and raising her back to full height.

"So this is the woman I've heard so much about." He slowly twisted her face from side to side, examining her with keen eyes. "Please, do not bow. If I know your mate at all, he might kill me where I stand if he sees his wife submit to another man."

Erik’s booming laugh behind them covered up the sound of Gray’s growl.

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