15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Gray
L ea seemed to feel a little more like herself as she sat in Gray's office with the rest of their friends. It had taken Janelle some convincing to allow Eudora entrance to the cavern, and only after she’d exhausted an impressive list of unique and shockingly vulgar language. But she’d relented once Erik had convinced her that no one would allow the witch to come near them.
Janelle had no authority, really. No power to decide who entered the cavern, but Gray didn’t have it in him to try to stop her. Really, he couldn’t have warned the witch of the dangers of trying to harm them again better himself. If Eudora came within a hundred feet of Lea, Gray, too, would shove the sharpest rock he could find through her spine and out her asshole.
As Erik recounted the story, Lea had smiled for the first time. Not a timid smile or a smirk, but a genuine smile with crinkled, humor-filled eyes, and that brief glimpse of Lea’s light had been enough to reassure Gray that she was still fighting.
Her reunion with her friends had seemed to pull another small piece of who Lea used to be back to the surface, the darkness inside her feeling a bit more tame, though he longed for the mate bond so he could know for sure.
Thomas had cried when he saw her—pulled her into a hug he imagined would feel like childhood and sunny days and skipping rocks, and Gray hoped it chased away a bit more of the fury churning in her gut.
Emma had simply told her she missed her and whispered in her ear that she was sorry she was struggling and that she would help her with the darkness in any way she could. But it was Janelle who had been the one to break through Lea's armor fully.
“You take this fucking potion back,” she’d said, shoving the vial into Lea's hands. “If you ever pull anything like that again—” Janelle shoved her. Actually pushed her—someone with enough magic inside her to kill them all without even trying.
“I will fucking find a way to kill you even more permanently,” Janelle continued, ignoring everyone’s stares. “Like, kill you kill you. Here and wherever the hell you went after. Or I'll demand the goddess send you somewhere awful, like a place where you have to eat my mother's cooking every night for the rest of eternity. Or listen to Thomas’s jokes. Do you understand me? I'll never forgive you. Not if you try to leave me behind again.” Janelle's voice cracked, but no tears were shed.
Lea had studied her for a long moment before simply nodding and wrapping her in a hug.
“I'm sorry,” she said, and Gray knew it was true. He also knew she would make the same decision again, even if it had almost doomed them all.
Gray stood, walking to where Lea stood next to Janelle and placing a hand on her lower back. He couldn't stand to not be touching her in some way. Even the time it had taken for her reunions with her friends had felt like far too long, and had made his heart race and nausea fill his stomach.
“Vincent, what have we learned?” Gray asked, his body relaxing now that he was close to Lea again.
“Actually,” Erik said sheepishly. “I think I know where he went.”
Gray's eyebrows shot up. “How? And why didn't you tell me this sooner?”
“I only learned of it just before Lea woke up. A lot’s happened since then. You know, coming back from the dead, finding the traitor. Janelle’s verbal sparring match with Eudora. The eternal night.”
“Which you also didn’t tell me about,” Gray pointed out, but he wasn’t able to force anger into his tone. He was grateful that Erik hadn’t interrupted them. That he’d had the opportunity to be with Lea as she fell apart and pulled herself back together, ready to face what was to come.
“Sorry about that. But everyone's been a bit preoccupied since then… And rightly so.”
“Where is he?” Lea said, the room darkening. Her hand drifted to the flowers in her crown. No more petals had fallen since the last one hours ago, but not knowing when the next would fall had them both on edge. Gray caught himself glancing toward the crown every few seconds, searching each one for flecks of black or ash.
“I went back to where—” Erik paused, a shadow of grief flitting across his features. Janelle’s hand drifted to his shoulder, and he cleared his throat, giving her a small smile. “I went back to where Alaric disappeared. There's a crater right in the middle of the field there. The moonflowers Lea planted are growing around it, avoiding it as if the ground itself is poisoned.”
Lea nodded. “I was stealing his magic, or trying to, at least. Then he slammed his hand into the ground and was just gone—vanished into thin air.”
“There's a handprint in the scorched earth. I touched it, and when I did, I saw something. An image flashed in my mind.” Erik’s eyebrows lowered as if trying to relive a memory .
Hope sparked behind Gray’s sternum. It was a clue. A way forward.
“Was it in Desia?” Gray asked, walking to the large map of the kingdom spread out across his desk. “Describe the landmarks. I'm sure we can figure—”
“I know exactly where it is. Back at the castle, the old guard shed we used to play in as children.”
Gray’s mouth cracked open in surprise. “It's not possible, is it?” Gray looked to Vincent, who shrugged, his brows furrowing.
“Would he go back there? Somewhere he could so easily be found?” Vincent asked.
“I think that's exactly where he would go,” Lea said. “He was losing. He knew he was going to die and only had a moment to make a decision. He chose the first place that came to mind. Is that somewhere he would think of easily?”
Gray’s jaw clenched, and he nodded. “We spent a lot of time there as kids. We'd hide there sometimes when my father was on a rampage and looking to punish someone.”
“Even if he did go there,” Vincent said, “he wouldn't stay. He has to know that would be the first place we’d look for him. Right?”
“But it's a start,” Thomas said. “And if he left some piece of himself here that showed us where he went, maybe there's something there, too. A trail to follow.”
“I’d like to see the crater myself,” Gray told Erik.
“I can show you, but when I touched it a second time, nothing happened. I'm not sure there's anything to see anymore.”
“I'd still like to try. Lea, you said you were stealing his magic. Can you feel him? Can you follow it?”
“No.” Lea said. “I tried, when I woke up. But the magic I was taking? It didn’t feel like his. I think I was taking his stolen magic. When I…” she trailed off, eyes drifting down. “When I died,” she said, choosing the word carefully, “I searched for the magic I took from him. I could feel my own magic beyond the veil, but all the magic I’d taken and the magic I'd given to our soldiers was gone. I think it went back to the earth. Or wherever it came from.” Lea said.
Gray nodded. “That would make sense. The goddess said you have to kill Alaric and allow the magic he’s stolen to return back where it originated from. Back into the universe.”
“If Lea can’t feel him, then we have no choice but to follow the clues we do have,” Erik said.
Gray considered their options, his mind already spinning. Was it possible he’d actually return to the castle? The very first place they’d look? Then again, he’d only had seconds to disappear. If Lea was right that she’d significantly wounded him, he’d only had one chance to escape. Gray nodded. “The castle is the logical place to start.”
“When do we leave?” Thomas asked.
“Normally, I'd say at first light.” Gray sighed, running a hand through his hair. Exhaustion pulled at his bones, his lips pursed and his eyes heavy and ringed with dark circles.
“Let's take a few hours to rest, to let our army prepare. They can’t stay here without us, it’s too easy of a target.”
“I’ll take care of the armies,” Vincent said, standing.
“Have everyone bring everything they’ll need. We won’t be returning until Alaric is dead.”