Page 28 of Kissed By the Sun

His gaze softened, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the gravity of the situation. "Because you're worth it," he said simply. "I couldn't let you die. Not when I had the power to save you."

A maelstrom of emotions swirled within me – gratitude, fear, anger, and something else I wasn't quite ready to name. I wanted to berate him for his recklessness, to demand he find a way to undo it. But I knew it was too late. The sacrifice had been made.

Instead, I leaned closer, wanting to touch him, but holding back so I didn’t hurt him. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice thick with unshed tears. "But don't you dare think this means you can leave me anytime soon. Tell me what I can do to help. Do you have anything in your pack?” As soon as the words left my mouth I realized that our packs had been abandoned in the watchtower during the fight.

“There’s nothing you can do. Either my body will heal this or it won’t,” he wheezed. His face had gone paler than I’d ever seen it and I knew that the likelihood of his body healing his injuries was slim to none.

Panic flared in me. I’d meant what I said. I couldn’t lose him. I didn’t care if we went to the elves and he still wanted to have the soul bond broken, at least then I’d know he was out there somewhere, living his life. None of it would matter if he was already dead.

I stared down at him desperation flooding my veins, and I felt that strange stirring within me again. The connection to the sun, to Thorn's magic. It pulsed beneath my skin, growing stronger with each passing moment. Without fullyunderstanding what I was doing, I placed my hands on Thorn's chest, focusing on that warm, golden energy.

"Senara," Thorn's voice was weak, but there was a note of warning in it. "What are you?—"

"Shh," I hushed him, closing my eyes and concentrating. I could feel it now, the ebb and flow of life force between us. Thorn had given so much of himself to save me. Now, it was my turn.

I could almost feel the moon goddess by my side, guiding me, whispering what I needed to do next to the borrowed power within me. Her energy coursed through me, filling me with the steady, calm light of the moon and stars, which acted as a counterweight to the fiery, unpredictable nature of Thorn’s magic.

I reached deep within myself, grasping at that power. With all my will, I pushed it towards Thorn, imagining it flowing from my hands into his body, mending broken bones and replenishing what he had lost.

A gasp escaped my lips as I felt the energy drain from me. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before—exhilarating and terrifying all at once. I could sense Thorn's life force growing stronger, his breathing becoming more even.

"Stop," he rasped, trying to push my hands away. "You don't know what you're doing. The price?—"

"I don't care about the price," I gritted out, redoubling my efforts. "I won't let you die for me, Thorn. I can't."

The world began to spin around me, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. Still, I pushed on, determined to give Thorn every last ounce of strength I could muster.

Just as I felt myself begin to slip away, strong arms encircled me, pulling me back. "Enough," Thorn's voice was stronger now, tinged with a mixture of awe and fear. "Senara, that's enough. Come back to me."

I blinked, the clearing slowly coming back into focus. Thorn was sitting up, holding me against his chest. The pain and weariness had faded from his face, replaced by an expression of wonder.

"How did you do that?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "That shouldn't have been possible."

I shook my head, feeling dazed and slightly dizzy. "I don't know. I just... felt it. Your magic, the sun's energy. It was like it was a part of me.” Silently, I added,Plus, the goddess guided me and told me what to do.

Thorn's brow furrowed. "The Blood Fire Phoenix is an ancient and powerful magic. It's not meant to be shared or transferred. And yet..." He trailed off, studying me intently.

"And yet?" I prompted, nervous energy flooding my system. The implications of what I'd just done were starting to sink in.

Thorn shook his head, a mix of awe and concern in his eyes. "And yet you wielded it as if it were your own. More than that, you combined it with something else - something I've never felt before. It was like... moonlight and starfire."

I swallowed hard, thinking of the goddess's presence I'd sensed. "The moon goddess," I whispered. "I felt her guiding me."

Thorn's eyes widened. "The moon goddess? But why would she..." He trailed off, lost in thought for a moment before his gaze snapped back to mine. "Senara, what you did was incredible, but also incredibly dangerous. You could have killed yourself."

"I couldn't let you die," I said fiercely, gripping his shirt. "Not after everything you've done for me."

His expression softened, and he pulled me closer. "Thank you," he murmured against my hair. "But please, don't ever risk yourself like that again. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, especially if it was because of me."

I nodded, too exhausted to argue. As the adrenaline faded, I felt a bone-deep weariness settle over me. I looked down at my hands, still tingling with residual energy. "What does this mean for us?"

Thorn was quiet for a long moment, his gaze distant. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and thoughtful. "I'm not sure. But I think...I think it means our bond goes deeper than either of us realized."

A shiver ran through me at his words. Our bond. The very thing we'd been thinking about breaking. And now...

"We should rest," Thorn said, breaking into my thoughts. "We're both exhausted, and we need to figure out our next move. Plus, we’ve lost the corrupted horde for the moment at least so we should take advantage of that.”

I nodded, suddenly aware of how drained I felt. As Thorn helped me to my feet, I couldn't help but notice how easily he moved, how the injuries that had seemed so dire just moments ago were now all but gone.