Page 83 of A Petal in the Crown

She pressed a hand against her sternum, trying to force her heart to slow. It didn’t help. Her heart continued to slam against her ribs, each beat coming faster than the last.

Erik’s brows lowered as he rushed to her side, his eyes flicking back to the window and his hand going to the hilt of his sword. "What is it?" he asked.

Janelle tried to speak, but only air escaped her lips. She cleared her throat, meeting Erik’s eyes, and he leaned closer, cupping her face.

“Is it them?” he asked, his voice like gravel. His eyes were dark, dancing with flames, but his touch remained gentle. Steady and strong.

She nodded.

Erik didn’t move for several seconds, staring into her eyes with a look that said everything he wasn’t. That he loved her. That he was sorry for what had happened to her. And that he was going to fucking rip them limb from limb.

Janelle had spent years dreaming of this day. Of getting revenge against Jakob and Stefan. But now that they were here, just feet away, Janelle felt the urge to run. To take Erik far away from the terrible men who had hurt her and make sure they could never hurt either of them ever again.

But the tension in his posture told Janelle that nothing would deter him from enacting his revenge. And even if she could convince him to run with her, she loved him too much to deprive him of his vengeance.

Erik finally stood, his flames growing until they began to singe the curtains by the window.

"Hey! Who’s there?" someone yelled from outside as smoke escaped through the small crack between the panes of glass.

"Your worst fucking nightmare," Erik growled as he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, lifted his chin, and stormed toward the door.

Chapter 54

Erik

Janelle said something to Erik as he left the room, though he wasn't sure what. He could no longer hear her over the roaring of blood in his ears. Kicking open the front door, he raised a hand in front of him and plastered a smile on his face.

It was the most difficult thing he had ever done, pretending that he wasn’t ready to rip each of their hearts out and force them to watch as they stopped pumping, but he took a deep breath. His fury was still there, simmering and ready, but he needed the men to put their guards down, and to do that, he had to at least appear calm.

"Weapons down. We're no threat to you," he said, hoping that they couldn’t hear the fury in his voice.

The men narrowed their eyes, scanning the area as if searching for the rest of the rebel army hidden within the ten tiny buildings.

"Hey, I know you," one of the men said. "You’re the commander’s second."

Erik tilted his head, assessing. "And you are..." he trailed off.

"So glad to see you," the man said, lowering his sword. "We wanna join the rebels. The army Evander is leading."

Erik crossed his arms and tilted his head as if confused, but he knew exactly why the man was so happy to see him. It was becausethey were cowards. Men without enough conviction to stay in the fight when the tides began to change. Not really men at all. Still, he didn’t answer, waiting for the man to say more.

"The rebellion?" he finally said. "Alaric is crazy."

Erik lifted his chin. "Ah. I see. So, you’re ready to pledge yourselves to your new king? You’ll bravely fight at our side?"

"Of course." The soldier nodded his head emphatically.

"You believe in a better kingdom where Fae and humans can live together?"

"Oh, for sure. Absolutely."

"I’d like to hear it from all of you, if you don’t mind."

Three of them quickly agreed, and Erik roved over the men, meeting each of their eyes and staring at them until they looked away. None lasted more than a few seconds, exactly as he had anticipated. They were weak.

"You," Erik said to the fourth man from the left whose face had bent in a scowl when he’d mentioned Fae and humans living in peace. "What's your name?"

"Stefan, sir," he replied, bowing his head slightly. Erik's gut rolled in disgust, and his blood warmed to near boiling.

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