Page 74 of A Petal in the Crown

Before anyone could see what she held, she crumpled the letter into a ball and forced it through the shield of air into the fire, allowing the flames to consume the words that had changed absolutely everything.

She’d been working on her plan, but now she had a location. It was time to act.

As if the goddess was listening to her thoughts, another petal fell. Confirmation that the clock was ticking down.

Lea straightened her pristine dress and turned around, plastering a smile on her face as her eyes found Erik and Janelle. She would excuse herself soon; would need to rest for the journey ahead. But she could give them one night of happiness, one night to enjoy each other without the threat of death looming over them. Because tomorrow, everything would change.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and Lea turned to find Gray looking down at her, his eyebrows creased in concern.

“Everything okay?”

Lea leaned into him, desperate to feel his touch for as long as she could.

“Fine,” she said. “Another petal fell while you were gone,” she said. His lips pressed into a grim line as his eyes skated across her crown.

“Soldier’s arrived back from Hampstead. It was as you saw—burned to the ground. The same as the other villages.”

“They found nothing new at all?”

“No. Not about Alaric, at least. But the wildfires are somewhat contained at the moment, and they confirmed that several royal army outposts have been identified.”

Lea nodded, grateful that the soldiers had returned to confirm what she’d seen through their army’s eyes. It was one thing to be able to see what they saw, but without the context, it was hard to have the full picture. They still didn’t know how many soldiers were at each outpost. Or what the closest towns to them were.

“Then that’s where we start,” Lea said, her plan falling perfectly into place.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

Lea sighed, pulling him out of earshot of the others. “We split up. We can go scout the army outposts. Surely, Alaric is at least somewhere nearby one of them. Erik and Janelle can go to one, Thomas another. Once we find out more, we can mobilize the army to join us. Emma can come, bring the potion and take it again, if she’s willing. I think Vincent should go, too. Maybe he can convince some of Alaric’s army to join us. And Tanad. He knows Eudora so well. Maybe he can help us find her. And if we find her…”

Lea trailed off, the seeds planted. Guilt sat heavy on Lea’s shoulders, but it was what had to be done. The more outcomes that were possible, the more confused Eudora would be. Spreading out across the kingdom would muddle her visions, and hopefully, keep her from realizing that Lea now knew where they were.

“We find Alaric.” Gray finished for her, shadows rolling around his feet.

Lea nodded in agreement. “We know where his armies are. That’s so much more information than we had before. He has to be close to one of his battalions. And with the wildfires more contained, we should be safe to travel.”

“Tomorrow then,” Gray said, nodding. “I’ll let the others know.”

Lea reached out and put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Wait. Give them a few more minutes,” she said, her heart throbbing with pain. “Who knows the next time we’ll all be together again?”

Chapter 46

Emma

Emma's head pounded from the intensity of the emotions swirling around her in the room. The air was thick with fear and worry, both spoken and unspoken, and it made it difficult for her to breathe. Her hands flapped at her sides, and she bounced on her toes, desperate to expel the weight of everyone else’s feelings, but it was like trying to shake off a heavy cloak.

Thomas moved to her side, somehow sensing her need for space without touching her, as if he was the one with the gift of empathy.

It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy his touch. He would often casually graze her arm or hold her hand, and his physical contact usually brought her peace. But in this moment, it felt as if he understood that having to process any more sensory information might cause her to explode. His presence next to her was a steadying force, calming her amidst the onslaught of feelings radiating off the others.

No one argued with the plan as Gray and Lea presented it, but still, an undercurrent of anxiety and uncertainty swirled through the group like the wildfires still sparking throughout the kingdom.

“Emma, I’d like you to stay here with the rest of the army. When Alaric is found and we mobilize our armies, you can join them. If you're willing to take thepotion, that is. I hope you will consider it. We don't know what advantage could tip us over the edge to victory.”

The gravity of Gray’s words weighed on her, but she nodded, agreeing even though she was terrified. It didn’t sound like they were going anywhere that would have spirits to speak to and gather information. She couldn't fight.Wouldn’tfight. But taking the potion, especially knowing the moonflowers could bring her back? That was something she could do.

“Thomas,” Gray started, but Thomas cut him off.

“I’d like to stay here with Emma.” Thomas lifted his chin, almost as if in a challenge, then took a deep breath. “Please. If I’m needed somewhere else…” he trailed off, his internal struggle pinging off Emma’s skin. She could feel the battle within him, a fierce desire to protect her butting up against his need to serve the rebellion.

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