Page 69 of A Sun Scorched Bloom

"Noah, Emma, and Janelle will need their own rooms. If you are able to accommodate that, of course," Erik said, shuffling his feet a bit. He seemed uncertain about his answer, but the king either didn’t notice or chose not to acknowledge it.

"Of course. I had the whole wing prepared, so any of those rooms will do. I didn’t know how many from your army would be joining us and decided to err on the side of caution."

"We appreciate that." Gray inclined his head.

King Tanad ignored the gesture, waving him off. "Now, dinner will be served in four hours. Does that give you adequate time to rest and refresh yourselves?"

Gray took a breath as if he wanted to argue, his mouth pinching in and his hands coming to clasp behind his back. Lea could feel the thick disappointment that they were not discussing war tactics and ways to kill his father, but also his wariness. They were guests in another kingdom after all, and it wasn’t wise nor prudent to make things difficult.

"That will be fine," Gray said graciously, if not a bit gruffly, before they said their goodbyes and walked through the sandstone hallways, up several sets of stairs, and through another elaborate living doorway—this one adorned with an assortment of starfish.

They retreated to their separate rooms, aside from Lea and Gray, but Lea didn’t miss Erik's lingering stare as Janelle closed the door to her own quarters. Later, she would ask her friend what was going on. She couldn’t imagine a better match for her than Erik, but Lea knew better than anyone that Janelle was strange about monogamy and intimacy. She preferred casual relationships, physical ones, if Lea was being honest. But Janelle had grown so much over the past several months, and Lea hoped that if she decided to entertain the possibility of giving in to the attraction so clearly buzzing between her and Erik, she would have an open mind about something more serious.

Gray closed the door behind them, the click pulling Lea from her thoughts and bringing her attention back to the room. Nearly everything from the furniture to the linens were in shades of white and blue. The bed was enormous, and the bedframe looked as if it had been pulled directly from the sea. It was one large piece of driftwood, with bits of coral still somehow growing in vibrant shades of pink and orange. The back wall of the room was open to the outside, with a view of the ocean that brought tears to Lea’s eyes.

She had never seen the ocean before today, had never even thought that it would be a possibility for her. It stretched for miles and miles, and made Lea feel small in the best way. Everything had been so heavy for a long time, so dire and urgent andbig. But looking at the ocean, she didn’t feel big. She felt like just a girl, one of many insignificant people on the earth instead of a possible queen with the only magic that could defeat the Black King.

Lea was still lost in her own thoughts when she felt muscular arms encircling her and Gray’s scruffy chin resting on top of her head. She sniffled and swiped away a rogue tear running down her cheek.

"Are you okay? I know the past few days have been hard. Your world’s been turned upside down, and you’ve been so strong through all of it. I’m proud of you for that strength, Little Flower, but I want to make sure you know that you can talk to me. About anything at all. You don’t ever have to face anything alone again."

Lea twisted in his arms, pressing her face against his firm chest. "I know that. I do," she said softly. "It’s not even learning that my mom and dad aren’t…" she drifted off. "I just don’t feel like it’s possible thatIam Queen Emmaline’s descendent. That I am meant to kill the Black King. I can’t be the one from the prophecy. Surely the gods would have chosen someone far more equipped than a girl who had never left her tiny town or used her magic until a couple of months ago."

"The gods do not make mistakes. Not like this, and not when it comes to protecting their kingdom," Gray said as he raised a hand to caress her face, his thumb following the soft line of her jaw. His eyebrows scrunched as he looked out at the ocean for several long, quiet moments before speaking again. "I know I said you can talk to me about anything, and that’s true, of course, but hearing you say those words… It makes me feel sick. It’s the opposite of the truth. You aremorethan capable of what the gods are asking of you."

Lea laughed out loud. "I’m reckless. How many stupid choices did I make without thought, trying to help my friends when all I did was end up getting them in more trouble? That’s the whole reason that we’re here, Gray. Because I was too stupid to think things through."

"You arenotstupid," Gray snapped, a shadow twisting through her hair and gently pulling her head back to meet his eyes. "You may have been reckless at times, but victory requires bravery and sacrifice. You were willing to do both when you broke into that stupid trial to save Thomas. You’re loyal, and you have a strong conscience and the self-awareness needed to grow from your mistakes.Thatis why you deserve the power that you’ve been given."

Gray's eyes darkened, his shadows now pooling around their feet. "Look at my brother and my father. If given the amount of power you have, either of them would have destroyed the kingdom already. The whole damn continent. But Iseehow hard you’re working, how you’re trying not to lose yourself to your darkness. I canfeelthat you prefer the light. You are good, every piece of you."

Lea thought about that wicked place inside of her, that mysterious magic that felt so wild and unruly. It hadalmostfelt evil, and yet she’d used it to save queen Emmaline’s daughter, her own mother.

"And what if I’m darker than you think?" Lea asked him with false bravado.

"Then I will join you in the darkness," Gray kissed the top of her head, "and remind you that flowers cannot live without the sun."

Chapter 47

Gray

Thereweresomanyemotions flooding the mate bond that Gray could hardly sort through them all. His head swam as he tried to distinguish the different feelings banging around in his skull. There was bitter disappointment, like chocolate so dark it wasn’t even sweet, as well as a heavy uncertainty that made butterflies dance in his stomach. There was sharp pain, like a slice of Lea’s heart had been cut away from the rest of the muscle, as well as a soothing relief that they had made it here safely. Gray wished he could take all the negative feelings away and leave only the relief. He wanted to use his fingers and mouth and cock to make her forget, if only for a little while.

Lea was still staring quietly toward the ocean, and while he wanted nothing more than to touch and kiss every worry away, he knew that wasn’t what she needed. Not right now. She was too lost in thought, too consumed by the revelations that had upturned her world.

Gray’s heart ached as he took in Lea’s blood-stained hands, muddy clothes, and tangled, matted hair from sleeping on the ground. He might not be able to take away her sorrow, but there were other ways he could take care of her.

Reaching forward to grab her hand, Gray pulled her toward the bathing chamber. It was connected to their room by only a thin wall, with no door to close to separate the spaces, and just like their bedroom, it was open to the rear of the castle facing the shoreline. A large bath sunk into the floor about halfway across the room and ran all the way to the edge of the balcony, with stairs to allow you to step down into the warm water and swim, if that was what you wanted to do. It was private, with walls on either side, but once in the tub, the lip of the water on the balcony appeared to blend into the ocean on the horizon, making it seem like you could swim on forever.

Slowly and tenderly, Gray pulled the band from Lea’s hair, combing his fingers through her long, thick locks the best he could before kneeling in front of her and removing her boots. He peeled her socks away, throwing them aside before lifting her feet one at a time and kneading them gently. A groan of relaxation left Lea‘s throat as he dug his thumbs into her tired arches.

It didn’t take long before Gray had her completely bare before him, throwing all of her clothes to the side and removing his own. Lea started toward the bath, but Gray stopped her with an arm around her waist. A tether hung from the ceiling, and he pulled it firmly. Rain fell from little holes above them, warm water that beat against their shoulders and cleaned the grime away from their bodies almost instantly.

Lea laughed out loud, and Gray felt a jolt of amazement at the sound.

"Do you like it?" he asked with a grin.

"How is it possible?" Lea tried to catch the water in her hands. "It’swarm, and we didn’t have to ask servants to haul up thirty buckets of hot water. And it’s coming from the ceiling!" She tipped her head back and smiled broadly, letting the fat drops of water soak into her hair and slide across her face.

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