Page 86 of A Petal in the Crown

"A few more days," Thomas said. "They should find Alaric soon, and then we can put all of this behind us. We can move forward."

Emma squinted as the sky darkened on the horizon, enormous storm clouds drifting above the trees.

"Thomas, what’s—"

A bolt of lightning crashed into the ground just outside the castle walls, followed by the sound of fat raindrops hitting the dirt.

"It’s raining!" He sat up, his eyes wide and a smile spreading across his face as he held out an open palm toward the sky. "Thank the gods. Let’s go inside before it ruins the weapons. I don’t want them to rust."

They scrambled to their feet, gathering as many of the weapons as they could hold before sprinting toward the castle. The breeze blowing off the storm kissed Emma’s cheeks, cooling the sweat dripping down her neck, and she sighed in relief. A storm would be glorious, and Emma considered dropping the swords and daggers inside and returning to stand in the rain, her arms outstretched and her face toward the sky. She imagined the water hitting her skin, washing away the sweat, dirt, and grime that seemed so permanent these days.

"We’ll come back out, I promise," Thomas said, as if sensing her thoughts.

Emma smiled, following him up the stairs. Rain. She couldn’t believe it. Did this mean the sun god had forgiven Lea? That this reprieve was his way of saying he hoped they succeeded?

They reached the top of the steps, but Emma stumbled backward, throwing her arms in the air as a hawk swept down in front of the doorway. She shrieked, teetering dangerously backward on the edge of the step. The weapons crashed to the ground as she reached her arms out, trying to regain her balance, but Thomas caught her before she could fall, his own weapons clanging against the stone steps.

Emma’s heart pounded as he pulled her close, the bird soaring away as if it hadn’t just tried to break Emma’s neck.

"What the hell was that about?" he muttered.

But Emma didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. She was too focused on the scroll at her feet, about six inches long and dotted with raindrops. There was no seal, no bow or writing to indicate who it was for or who had sent it, but she was certain it hadn’t been there before.

With a shaking hand, Emma reached down to pick it up.

"Is it a message?"

“I think so,” she said, unrolling the scroll.

Thomas,

Lea has told me her plan. She assures me that it will work, but I fear she isn’t being forthright with me. Call it a father’s intuition. I write to you in hopes that you can pass this message to Evangeline. Lea has promised me her success has already been seen by her birth-mother. That it is already foretold. Please, ask Evangeline if Lea is telling the truth. I need to know if, by helping her, I am giving her a chance to defeat Alaric, or sending her to her death.

All I want is to protect my daughter.

Henry.

Emma’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she passed the note to Thomas, her mind racing too fast to allow her to speak the words out loud. She knew Lea had been up to something, hiding her true intentions, but Emma had hoped it’d simply been to throw Eudora off. They’dallavoided talking about their plans and their thoughts regarding what they should do and when they should do it, so as to keep the possibilities open in Eudora’s visions. But now, knowing Lea had asked for Henry’s help, her plan was clear.

Lea had divided them on purpose, choosing to bring Henry to freeze time so she could get away—alone. Lea was planning to battle Alaric by herself, and she was willing to give up her life to do so.

"Oh, Lea," Thomas rasped, his voice heavy with emotion, waves of anger, terror, and frustration radiating off him. "We have to follow her. We have to bring the army. What if he brought his soldiers with him? What if this was his plan all along? Does she think she can take on a battalion of thousands?"

Emma’s mind continued to spin. She didn’t know what Lea was thinking, but shedidknow someone who might. Grabbing Thomas’s hand, she snatched the letter from him and ran through the corridors, up the stairs, down the long hallway, past the red tapestry andstraight to Evangeline’s room. She didn’t knock or announce herself, bursting through the door so hard it slammed against the wall with a crack.

"Lea needs our help," Emma said, out of breath. She leaned against the wall, reciting the letter to Evangeline.

The witch’s mouth pinched as she turned away, not saying a word, placing a hand on her chest.

"You knew," Emma breathed, her heart dropping into her stomach. "She’s going to sacrifice herself, isn’t she? She’s going in there alone sono one else gets hurt."

"Dammit, Lea," Thomas muttered, starting to pace.

Evangeline held up her hands. "Lea’s plan can work. Ihaveseen it. There’s a reason she’s kept it a secret from you all. The goddess told her she has to be the one to kill him. She’s the only one who can. Gray can’t do anything other than distract her. And Eudora is watching you. You know this. Shecouldn’ttell anyone. Not unless she wanted the future to solidify and alert Eudora and Alaric."

"But how can she take that much magic? She’s never taken more than enough to light a candle," Emma asked.

"With my help," Evangeline replied. She closed her eyes and waved her hand in the air, muttering something incomprehensible. Within seconds, a shimmering blue door appeared, like water rippling down a brook.

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