56. Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Lea
T hunder boomed in the distance, and Lea's head snapped up, searching between the trees for any hint of what had caused it. It couldn't be a storm... Surely the god of the sun wouldn’t allow them reprieve from the punishment of trying to cook them alive. Yet, above the tree line were deep gray rain clouds. Massive and intimidating, flickering with lightning and billowing toward them at an unnatural speed.
"Look. Up ahead," Henry said, pointing toward the darkening horizon.
Lea didn't know whether to be upset, frustrated, or thrilled. After all, she would do anything for relief from the stifling heat. But they were nearing the army encampment, and her panic about what she was about to have to do was easing in.
Every few minutes, Gray looked over at her, counting the white flowers on her crown. But Lea didn’t have to look to know they were running out of time. Only two remained. It didn't mean much—it could be hours, it could also be days. But one thing was for certain.
They needed to hurry.
Lea urged Luna to run faster, leaning down and sending healing magic into her body as her muscles worked to their limit to get her to Alaric .
Just south of the town of Pontor, Genevieve had said, but even that was vague.
"We can't keep up!" Cole shouted. "Our horses need rest."
Lea turned her head to see them lagging behind, their horses clearly exhausted, but she couldn't stop.
"We have to keep going, Gray," she said.
He nodded, his eyes dancing over her crown once more.
"Meet us there," he shouted over his shoulder. He understood the urgency, and Lea was grateful.
Patrick and Cole stopped riding, disappearing out of sight, but Henry remained right behind them, his horse struggling to maintain their rapid pace.
Please, gods, Lea prayed, slowing just slightly to ensure Henry could keep up. I know you're angry with me, but please, without him, this plan doesn't work, she added silently. Please , she begged again and again.
They crested a hill, and several miles in the distance, smoke appeared.
"The camp!" Lea shouted, relief and fear pounding through her blood. Gray's chin lowered in determination.
Fat raindrops began pelting their faces, soaking their clothes in seconds as the sky darkened further. Maybe it was a blessing. Maybe it would help provide her some cover, make it harder for Gray to find her after she fled. She had no idea how long Henry would be able to hold time for. She just had to hope it would be enough.
They didn't bother hiding their approach as they descended upon the encampment. Gray called on his shadows, and Lea on her flames, a massive wave of darkness heading toward the royal army, intended to intimidate and terrorize. Obsidian led them straight into the middle of camp, and royal guards scrambled for their weapons as Gray jumped to the ground .
"Don't bother trying to fight. Tell me where he is, and I won't kill you," Gray ordered, rain pounding against his shoulders and shadows exploding as far as Lea could see.
The soldiers froze as long tendrils of darkness shot from Gray’s arms and around their bodies like snakes, reaching for their throats, ready to snap their necks in a second.
"Tell me! Where is he?" Gray roared, and his own thunder and lightning joined the storm overhead, matching its ferocity, every scrap of his power buzzing around them a testament to how much he loved her.
Lea slid off her horse, following close behind Gray, her eyes searching for danger.
The soldiers remained silent. "You remain loyal to him?" Gray lowered his chin, snapping a nearby soldier's neck, and he crumbled like a tree in an earthquake.
"What has he done for you? Left you here to fend for yourselves?" Snap . Another soldier fell. "One of you will tell me." Snap . "Or do you all prefer death?"
Gray threw his arms out, and lightning crashed in a white-hot flash of fury. Six more soldiers fell to the ground.
"Wait!" a young soldier called out, raising his hands in the air and falling to his knees in the mud. Tears streamed from his eyes, snot dripping down his nose.
"Please, I'll tell you. I hate him. I never wanted to support him. I swear it. Please, don’t kill us. I didn’t know about the rebels, or I would have tried to join you."
Lea felt a stab of sympathy for the boy, and for Gray, knowing he would blame himself forever if he’d missed someone who’d wanted to follow them. But maybe this was how it was supposed to be all along. Fate .
"Tell us where Alaric is," Gray said. "If you lie to me, I will know. She will know."
Lea raised her sword in front of her, gripping the hilt tightly.
"And I won’t snap your neck," she added coldly. "I will skin you alive."
Gray stepped forward, his shadows squeezing tighter.
Lea ran a finger along the blade of her sword. "And after that, I will remove your veins one by one, plucking them out like weeds until you bleed out in a slow, horrifically painful death."
"I won't lie!" the boy cried. "I won't lie. He's in the Wicked Wood... just south of here. He comes every few days, takes a few of our men." The boy shivered. "I think he drinks their blood, I don't know... but you have to stop him. Please, you have to stop him.” The boy pulled at his hair. “I'm sorry," he sobbed.
Gray looked to Lea, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the sword’s hilt. Nothing. It remained cool and stagnant in her hand.
"He’s telling the truth," Lea said, turning to the young soldier. "You're saying the rest of your men are with him? There should be hundreds more of you."
"He's been steadily taking us little by little for weeks. I haven't seen the camp, but he was very clear—if something were to happen, if he calls—he's directly south. Ride until you reach a lake, the only water source in the Wicked Wood. That's all I know."
Lea nodded at Gray, confirming the boy was telling the truth.
"You, I will allow to live," Gray said, releasing the boy from his shadows. With a flick of his hand, he snapped the necks of the remaining soldiers. As one, they fell in a synchronized dance of death, mud splashing her legs as their bodies hit the ground with a thud.
Lea sucked in a breath in shock, but quickly pushed the feeling down. They deserved this. Every last one of them who hadn’t stepped forward. They were no longer a threat. Though there were still more of Alaric’s men they would have to kill. The other encampments were close enough to ride into battle when Alaric called.
"My threat stands," Gray said to the young soldier. "You remain here. I don't trust you enough to let you follow. Stay, and I'll allow you to live."
The boy gulped, sitting back on his heels.
"Let’s go," Gray said, grabbing Lea's hand and hurrying back toward Obsidian.
But Lea dug in her heels. She reached out and cupped Gray's cheek. Her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest, the agony spreading between her ribs and into her stomach almost unbearable. Gray tilted his head at her, eyes filled with concern.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked, his shadows instantly wrapping around her, caressing her from head to toe.
"No. I just needed to tell you how much I love you," Lea said, tears filling her eyes.
"Why are you crying?" Gray's voice was panicked, and he tried to pull back to look at her, but she refused to move.
"We still have time," he looked at her crown. "There are two petals left. We have to go, if we hurry—"
"I know," she said, her voice breaking. "I love you, Gray. You are the love of my life. After this... Please, please try to forgive me."
His eyes widened in panic as he grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him, his fingers digging into her arm with bruising strength as he twisted toward Henry, but he was too late. Henry did as he promised—freezing time with only seconds to spare.
Gray's hand was outstretched toward her father, shadows suspended just feet from his fingertips, hovering in the air like ice. His mouth was open in a snarl, his eyes full of shock and fury and betrayal.
"I’m sorry," Lea whispered, sobbing as she disentangled herself from Gray's arms. She reached up once more and stroked his cheek. "I'm so, so sorry. Forgive me,” she said through her tears, then jumped on Luna’s back.
She didn’t turn around, couldn’t look back as she raced toward her fate. She couldn’t bear to see Gray’s face again, the hurt in his eyes. Not if she was to do what needed to be done.
The sky grew darker, and without slowing down, she looked up to see the moon rising from the horizon and rapidly moving toward the bright red sun.
"Gods above," Lea whispered, shivers running down her spine as the sun was completely eclipsed. Within moments, she was pitched into complete darkness, the only light the occasional crash of lightning that brightened the sky every few seconds.
Lea used the brief flashes of light to navigate her way south, feeling, for the first time, like maybe the goddess was helping her after all. Because in the pitch black of night, there was no way Gray would be able to find her once time moved forward again.
Not as the heavy rain turned the ground to mud, washing away her horse's footsteps. Washing away everything but her lies and betrayal.