Page 24 of A Petal in the Crown

Gray

Lea’s panic at watching another petal fall had calmed by the time Erik banged on the door. “Gray!” he called, his voice urgent, and Lea sniffled, wiping her tears away with the heel of her hand. “It’s Tanad,” Erik said as Gray yanked open the door. “He’s here.”

“Let’s go.” Gray grabbed his sword, reaching out for Lea’s hand, but Erik pushed past him, grabbing Lea in his arms and wrapping her in a bear hug. He lifted her off her feet, squeezing her so tight, Gray feared she wouldn’t be able to breathe.

Lea hugged him back, the two of them embracing for so long it would have been awkward if it was anyone else. Erik exhaled and put her back on her feet, holding her at arm’s length, examining her.

“You really burned me. Like, really bad,” he said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

Lea raised her chin, trying to hide a smile. “You really deserved it,” she answered, and Erik laughed, his face bright with joy at seeing her again.

“Agree to disagree there,” he said with a wink before turning and leading them toward the entrance of the cavern.

They walked in silence, Erik checking over his shoulder every few seconds as if he thought Lea might disappear again. Gray couldn’t blame him. If her hand were not firmly within his own, he’d be doing the same.

It wasn’t until they stepped through the shimmering magic and into the fresh mountain air, that Gray let go. And only because his heart nearly stopped when he saw what was waiting for him.

King Tanad had been very clear when they’d left Calir that he would not force any of his soldiers to join another kingdom’s war. But looking at their sheer numbers now, Gray wondered if he’d changed his mind. Hundreds upon hundreds of men stood on the mountainside outside the cavern, if not thousands.

A wave of gratitude so potent it threatened to knock him over washed through Gray as King Tanad approached. That he’d convinced so many to risk their lives to help them was a remarkable testament to their friendship, as well as to what the relationship between their kingdoms could be like once his brother was overthrown.

Gray looked at the sky, wondering what time it was, and how long they’d been traveling. It was still dark, as pitch black as the middle of the night, and it concerned him that they’d risked scaling the mountain under these conditions.

“Commander,” Tanad said, bowing his head slightly. Gray returned the gesture, a signal to their people that they were to be treated as equals, and not only that, but partners.

“Is there danger?” Gray asked, his voice hushed as he leaned forward to shake the foreign king’s hand. “Did something happen to require you to travel through the night?” The terrain of the mountains was uneven—rocky and unstable in places. A single misstep on the wrong steep slope could cause a rockslide that would have devastated their entire army.

Tanad’s eyebrows scrunched, and he inclined his head. “Have you not ventured outside? Has no one told you?”

Gray narrowed his eyes. “Told me what?”

Erik cleared his throat, stepping forward. “Between Lea returning and then dealing with Alex… Well. I was waiting for the right time.”

“The right time for what?” Lea asked, squeezing her hands into tight fists. Gray could sense her trying to control her temper, could feel the heat emanating off her skin as she tried to quell her flames. One after another, she took deep, slow breaths, trying to master her emotions, but the crackling at her feet only grew louder.

“The sun did not rise this morning.” Tanad said, turning his gaze to the sky where the moon glowed brightly overhead. Tanad seemed perplexed rather than worried, his eyebrows slightly raised and his hand out as if trying to sense what magic was responsible.

“It didn't— What?” Gray called on his night magic, pushing the clouds from the sky, but it remained just as dark as it had been seconds before.

“There will be consequences…” Lea whispered, her words pensive and soft as her expression turned haunted. “The god of the sun tried to stop me from returning, but the goddess sent me back, anyway. She said there would be consequences,” Lea repeated, speaking directly to Tanad.

“I see,” Tanad said. “Never a boring moment with you, is there, my dear girl?”

The sound of beating wings echoed around the rocky terrain, interrupting them. A steady flap that made Gray pause and Lea stiffen beside him, cursing under her breath.

She glared at Tanad.

“I'm going to prepare to search for Alaric,” she said, turning on her heel, but Gray caught her arm.

“What’s going on?” he asked, searching the sky again. Black flames sparked at Lea’s fingers as she clenched her jaw.

“If I don’t walk away now, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from killingher,” she said.

“Who?” Gray asked, not understanding. The flap of the bird’s wings grew louder, the animal getting closer until an enormous blue heron appeared, floating over an outcropping of jagged rocks and morphing into a human woman before his eyes.

“Me,” Eudora said, a sick smile spreading across her wrinkled face.

Lea stiffened. “Howdareyou come here,” she hissed, fire billowing around her in a halo of vengeance. Gray took a subtle step forward, putting himself between Lea and the witch who had so thoroughly deceived them. Gray’s own magic expanded, pounding beneath his skin to be set free. He’d gladly rip Eudora apart inch by inch, slowly and tediously, for what she’d put them through. But Tanad had brought them his own men, was willing to sacrifice their lives and his own to protect Desia.

---