33. Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Lea
L ea struggled to keep her eyes open, fatigue pulling at her bones as she stripped down to her underclothes. The heat was stifling, even in the shade, so she wandered to the stream, praying to the goddess it would give her some much-needed relief.
She didn’t bother including the god of the sun in her prayers. He obviously hated her with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. It was obvious, based on his intense and unrelenting punishment. Lea had hoped that maybe after a few days his temper would dim. That he would realize she and the goddess had made the right decision. One meant to save the people he claimed to love. His people. Their people. But no. Every day just seemed to get hotter, each passing hour bringing them closer and closer to incineration.
Pulling off her socks, Lea dipped her feet into the stream, groaning as the water washed over her skin. She waded further, goosebumps popping up all over her body at the stark contrast between the heat of the red sun and the chill of the water. Once she was about knee deep, Lea sat, relishing in her body temperature cooling as the water gently rushed around her shoulders. Tilting her head back, Lea undid her braid and positioned herself so that the water pulled her hair out behind her in a long golden trail .
It was the most human she’d felt in days, but even the relief from the unending sun did nothing to soothe her frazzled nerves. Eudora had been deceiving them this whole time—for who knows how long. A tiny pang of pity settled in her stomach as she thought about King Tanad. He’d certainly been fooled even worse than the rest of them.
And for what? Power? Riches? Lea wondered what Eudora’s plan had been. Had she been searching for a way to take Alaric’s power for herself? Would she come for Tanad’s power next? Or had she truly cared about him until he’d stood in the way of what she wanted most?
But to deceive him so thoroughly and completely… It was still the most surprising piece of the puzzle. After all, what was the point of holding all the power in the world if you couldn't use it for good? If you couldn't help the people you loved? If there was nobody left to love you back?
"There you are."
Lea snapped her head up as Gray plopped down on the rocky shoreline, pulling off his shoes and rolling up his trousers. He leaned closer to hand Lea a tin plate—dried meat, stale bread, and hard cheese. Her stomach clenched in protest, practically begging her not to eat. She was too anxious. Too overwhelmed.
But Gray wouldn’t be deterred, nodding at the plate and raising his eyebrows. His shadows floated forward as if they weren’t above force feeding her. Lea rolled her eyes, but grabbed a piece of bread and took an obligatory bite. It tasted like tree bark, but she swallowed it down anyway and bit off another chunk. It wouldn’t have mattered even if he’d brought her the most decadent quadruple chocolate cake with fresh berries and caramel. Even the richest, sweetest treat would taste like paper right now.
Lea’s stomach protested, but she kept chewing, forcing herself to swallow and eat some cheese. Who knew when they would have the time to eat again? And she needed her strength more than ever.
"Have you eaten?" she asked Gray, noticing he hadn't brought anything for himself.
"I ate mine on the walk over here," he said, splashing water on the back of his neck. "Tasted like dirt." He smirked, and Lea couldn’t help but smile. Even without the mate bond, he could read her so well. "Still finished it, though," he said pointedly.
"I’m going to eat it," Lea said, taking an exaggerated bite.
Gray pushed a thick cloud of shadows over their heads, blocking out a tiny portion of the other worldly bright light. Lea added her own shadows, forcing down a piece of dried meat.
"I don't like this, Gray," she finally said. "Not knowing where we're going. When we’re going. Not knowing what we’re going to find when we get to whatever secret location we’re searching for."
"I don't either," Gray agreed. "Maybe we should rethink this." He tilted his head and clenched his jaw, his fingers cutting into his palms as he squeezed his hands into fists. He was more nervous than she’d seen him in some time, likely because of his lack of control of the situation, but Lea couldn’t blame him. She felt the same.
"We don’t have time to waste on rethinking things," Lea said, forcing her hands to remain at her sides rather than floating up to touch her flower crown.
Gray sighed. "I thought we were ready for anything. I planned for a hundred years. For every contingency. But what I didn't expect was Eudora helping Alaric."
Lea took another bite, chewing mechanically.
"I was thinking more about what Evangeline said. About you taking Alaric’s power… "
Lea swallowed, handing her plate back to Gray. He narrowed his eyes at the few pieces of meat remaining, but didn’t say anything.
"And?" Lea asked, already certain of what Gray was going to say.
"I think it’s a bad idea."
"Gray—"
He held up his hands. "I know. I know I said I think you can do it. I’m sure with enough time, you could. But what if it’s another trap? Or a trick. Don’t you remember the last time? I thought it was going to kill you."
"What other choice do we have?" Lea asked, frustration pounding in her head like a drum. "We have no other options. The goddess herself said it’s the only way. I have to take Alaric’s magic, and return it to the earth."
Gray opened his mouth, but Lea cut him off. "I know what you're going to say. That it’s not safe. That we're missing something. But right now, it’s the only chance we have. Evangeline has seen us winning, Gray. And the goddess herself said there’s a way for me to take his magic without it hurting me."
"Without it killing you," Gray growled, his shadows expanding, but Lea ignored him.
"There is a way. We just have to keep searching for it. I know you don't completely trust Evangeline, but we're blind without her. She can help us find Alaric. We have to find him, Gray. And soon."
Gray's eyes flicked to her moonflower crown, and Lea let the moment linger, thick and heavy.
"We either trust her and maybe die, or we don't listen to her and definitely die. I at least want to die with my feet moving," Lea said.
"We're not going to be defeated. We just need more time to find him. More time for you to learn how to steal his magic without it hurting you, or worse."
"We can't just chase him through the kingdom until the last petal falls. We don’t have time to spare trying to figure every last detail out before I try again. Once these petals are gone, so am I. Forever. I have faith I'll find a way to take his magic, but to do that, I have to practice."
Gray’s forehead creased, his lips turning down and his jaw tightening, but Lea saw the moment he relented. He had no other choice. Because she was right. They had no other information. No other clues.
Evangeline had no reason to lie. Not unless she herself was searching for power like Alaric and Eudora. But she'd been abused by the Black King. Had allowed herself to be tortured and tormented for years without giving away Lea’s identity or even her existence.
Evangeline’s visions were their only lead, and unless something changed, she was their only chance of finding Alaric. Once again, Lea forced her hands to stay in the water. Didn't allow them to trail across the moonflower vine around her head. She already knew they were running out of time, and didn’t need to touch the crown to remind herself.
"Come here," Lea said, motioning for Gray to come into the water. He looked exhausted, his face drawn and flushed from the heat, and his eyes bruised with dark circles. But he stood, removing his trousers and shirt before wading in to sit next to her. Even with Alaric’s absence and the clock looming over their heads, ticking down on the end of their lives, the sight of his muscular body still left Lea breathless.
His bare chest had become even more defined over the last few weeks, and his skin was bronzed from the intensity of the sun. Lea lifted a hand and placed it over Gray’s heart. Over his scar, the place he had cut the mate bond from his flesh. The sacrifice he had made to save her life.
"This can't all be for nothing. What you've done, what I've done. I know you're afraid of me taking magic again—"
"Because it almost killed you last time."
"No." She stopped him. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. She knew very well that taking Alaric’s magic could kill her. Likely would. The goddess had said as much. But she’d also said it was possible for her to take it, and still survive. She just had to figure out how.
"Trying to take your magic was painful, but after everything we've learned about the universe, would you expect it to be easy? Remember what Eudora said? Witches can gift their magic to others, but if they take it? It kills them. It’s the gravest sin to take another’s magic. The universe demands balance. Have we not been told that time and time again? Eudora, the goddess, the god of the sun even said it. If stealing magic were easy, if it didn’t demand some sort of sacrifice, there wouldn't be balance. If I could just take other people's magic, I'd be no better than Alaric."
Lea paused, taking a deep breath and allowing her words to sink in. "I am the Daughter of Suns and Stars." Lea pushed her shadows outward, sending her fire following behind until it bubbled away into steam in the water.
"Queen of Flames. Queen of Shadows. My queen," Gray said, reaching out to cup her face. He sighed. "I know all those things. I don't doubt your strength. But watching you in pain? I'd prefer death."
Lea rolled her eyes. "So dramatic. Wasn’t it horrible enough the first time?"
Gray grumbled something under his breath, his shadows pulling her closer.
"Look. If it’s so hard to watch, then don’t. I'll practice on Janelle. Or Erik."
"No," Gray pulled her into his arms, twisting her so her back was pressed against his front. She settled between his legs and leaned her head back onto his shoulder.
"If you insist this is the only way, then you’ll practice with me." His voice was gruff. "I can handle it."
"Now?" Lea asked. Gray’s arms tightened around her, just a fraction, and he nodded.
"You’re right. We don’t have time to waste. So, yes. Now."
Lea closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly as she pushed her magic outward. She was grateful to be in the water, certain she wouldn't be able to focus if she was fighting off the heat.
Picturing her magic as roots, Lea spread them outward and wrapped them around Gray’s skin, trying to force them through. She was met with resistance, a hard layer like stone pushing back against her, but she pushed harder, leaning back into Gray as if more physical contact might help get her through his shields. She grit her teeth, then with a firm shove, commanded her magic through the stoney barrier and into Gray’s body.
She sighed in relief as she recognized the feel of Gray’s magic, a tiny echo of what she’d felt when they'd been connected through the bond. After allowing herself a moment to revel in the comfort of their connection, and with another slow inhale, she wrapped her powers around Gray’s magic, isolating a small tendril of shadows. His magic resisted immediately, pulling back against her with a sharp tug, but Lea refused to let go.
A stab of pain exploded behind her sternum, and she whimpered, pulling harder as she clenched her fist and jaw and scrunched her eyes. Gray’s magic went taught as she tore at it, and agony exploded behind her eyes, spreading outward until it seared into her temples and down her throat.
"Lea," Gray growled, a warning. But she pulled harder. She had to. What was her other option? If she couldn't take Gray’s magic, even a tiny sliver, she certainly wouldn't be able to take Alaric’s. Gray wasn't even resisting.
She clenched her jaw and pulled harder, the roots of her magic twisting and ripping at Gray’s with all their strength. She honed them into a blade, attempting to sever them from their master.
His magic screamed in response, vibrating along the thread of her magic and roaring until her teeth rattled.
Or maybe it wasn’t her teeth rattling. She was thrown sideways as the earth trembled beneath them, rocks tumbling from the hill down into the stream.
"Stop, Lea!" Gray snapped, trying to pull away, but she wrapped him in her shadows, refusing to give even an inch. She had to do this. Had no other choice. They were running out of time.
She cried out as she pulled more magic from her chest—her primary magic, pushing deeper and harder and wrapping tighter, tangling her magic with Grays more firmly—and yanked backwards.
"Stop!" Gray yelled, but she couldn't. Wouldn't.
"Lea!"
Stars dotted her vision as her lungs twisted closed. She couldn't breathe, her heart pounding so rapidly she could feel her pulse in her throat and her temples. But still, she hung on, pulling with everything she had.
Something wet dripped from her nose, and her vision faded, but the last thing she saw as she fell into black, quiet unconsciousness was a river of blood floating from her face and down the stream. A crimson reminder that she would never be strong enough. That the universe hated her, and that if she couldn't find a way to take Alaric’s magic, they were all doomed.