Page 45 of A Petal in the Crown

"Evangeline had a vision? And Alaric’s there?" Thomas asked.

Erik pressed his lips together. "That's what she thinks."

Thomas’s nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, looking at Emma as if assessing if she was prepared for what the next few days might hold.

"Your dagger?" he asked again, and Emma nodded, grateful for the reminder. Holding it would ground her. Calm her mind and give her something to focus on.

"Yes." She opened her shoulder bag and rooted around, her shoulders relaxing as her fingers found the hilt.

"Keep it touching your skin," Thomas reminded her, not unkindly. "Remember, it will warn you of danger."

With a grateful smile, Emma nodded, moving to clip her bag back to the saddle. She paused as a glint of silver caught her eye from within the bag.

"What's that?" Thomas asked, leaning over to peek inside.

"I don't—" Emma shoved her hand in the bag, her face paling as her fingers found what had caught Thomas’s attention. A vial. Her heart picked up in rhythm, thumping furiously against her sternum. She’d packed this bag herself, had checked it nearly every day since, just in case something had fallen out or she’d forgotten something important. "I don't know how this got in here." Emma pulled the vial from her bag, a twin to the one Eudora had made for her that would tether her to the Earth.

"You didn't put that in there?" Thomas asked, and Erik stiffened.

Emma shook her head. "No. I haven't seen or spoken to Eudora since we left Bearswillow," she said, her breaths growing shallow. Panic bubbled inside her chest, and Emma worried she was going to hyperventilate and faint.

"Hey." Thomas leaned over, placing his hand on her lower back. "It's okay. We already know we can't trust the witch. She’s just playing with us. Trying to keep us on edge."

"Lea and Gray banished her earlier today," Erik chimed in. "She must have slipped it into your bag before she left."

Emma's breathing grew even more ragged.

"It's nothing," Thomas repeated, rubbing slow circles on her back. "It means nothing."

Struggling to slow her breath, Emma nodded. "Okay," she said. "Okay. She probably had extra, right?"

"I'm sure that's all this is," Thomas said, handing Emma’s reins back to her and leaning over to give her a peck on the cheek before they started moving. Blood rushed into Emma’s cheeks as she kicked her own horse's sidesto cause her to trot forward, but even as she tried to convince herself that there wasn’t a deeper meaning to the potion being snuck into her bag the very day they left to go after Alaric, Emma couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was coming.

After all, Eudora could see the future. Did she know that they would need the potion again, and soon? Did she not realize that Emma almost hadn’t survived the last time? It was all she could think about as they rode in silence—what Eudora’s intentions had been. What tricks she could be playing now, or what mind games. Emma turned it over and over and, analyzing it from every angle, not even paying attention to where they were.

Her horse simply followed along, cantering when Obsidian cantered, galloping across fields when he galloped. And stopping when Obsidian stopped suddenly, his ears folding back and his eyes darting around nervously.

"What's wrong, boy?" Gray asked the clearly unsettled animal. The magnificent black stallion pawed at the ground. He was nervous, but why?

Gray’s shadows shot outward, Lea's following closely behind as they searched for whatever threat Obsidian was detecting. Erik drew his sword, whispering in Janelle's ear.

"Do you sense anything?" Thomas asked Emma, but she just shook her head, no. "Then what—"not even a second later, a surge of magic rushed across the land, throwing their hair back and causing the horses to jolt backward. A pink and red haze grew from the horizon, magic still flowing past them, shimmering and bending the grass and branches with immense force.

Emma’s jaw dropped, her breath escaping in a whoosh of awe.

The sun was rising.

Erik tilted his head back as the first rays of light met his skin, the dark circles beneath his eyes fading as his magic replenished itself. Lea and Gray shared another loaded look, one that echoed Emma’s own feelings. Seeing the sun after weeks of night should be nothing but joyful. But it wasn't joyful.

It was terrifying.

The sun no longer looked like the sun. It was at least five times its usual size, burning orange and red, and so hot, Emma had the sudden urge to take off her jacket. But that wasn't even the most unusual part. As the sun rose, the black sky faded away, turning a deep, blood red.

Thomas once again reached for Emma. And once again, she was grateful for his need to be close to her in moments of uncertainty. Because this? It seemed like an omen.

But an omen of what? Terrible things to come? Without night, Thomas would no longer be able to make his weapons. Gray's magic would take some time to weaken, but if the day lasted long enough, it could leave them vulnerable and without his full ability to protect them.

The thought made her want to throw up.

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