Page 15 of A Petal in the Crown

"You’re letting me go back?" Lea’s voice cracked, and for the first time since she died, some small glimmer of something other than anger and sorrow sprouted in her chest. The darkness inside her fought against it, trying to suffocate and smother it away, but Lea held on.

The goddess nodded, pulling her to stand. "Against my better judgment, I am. But you must gonow."

"But the god of the sun said there would be consequences. That—" Adelaide started.

"I know what he said," the goddess snapped, leading Lea down the hill and deeper into the shadowy night. "And he will be furious. With you, and with me. Therewillbe consequences for allowing this, Azalea. With Emma no longer tethered to this side…"

The goddesses’ hands shook, but she quickly clenched them into fists. "I am breaking a very sacred vow by giving you another chance at life." She paused, turning to Lea and staring at her with an intensity that made Lea feel truly frightened of her for the first time. "But I have no choice. You are the only one who can defeat Alaric. You must understand this. Please.Youare our only hope.Youmust go back, andyoumust find him and kill him. And you must do so before hell descends upon earth."

"What do you mean?" Lea didn’t really care what the consequences were. She would do absolutely anything to get back to Gray, to get back to earth, and help him defeat Alaric.

"The universe requires balance," the goddess said, echoing Eudora's words. "It will try to correct what I’ve done, but I don’t know how. My husband will likely have his own punishment for you," she said, plucking a petal from the flower and pushing it into Lea's hands. "I can only grant you so much time. And a sacrifice will be required to allow you to return."

"Name it." Lea said, her skin buzzing and hands shaking.

The goddess traced the moonflower crown along Lea's head with a delicate finger. As she caressed the thorny vine, the flowers glowed, so bright, Lea was forced to squint against the light. A buzz of electricity flowed from the crown, down her neck and arms, through her torso and legs. As the sensation spread, Lea felt it dive beneath her skin, wrapping around her still heart and sinking into her blood.

"The moonflowers are a gift from nature. A mixture of my magic, and the magic of the earth. They do not live forever. You will have until the last petal falls from the crown to kill Alaric and restore peace to the kingdom. That is all the time I can give you."

"And if I don't kill him before the last petal falls?" Lea asked. She’d learned her lesson about not being specific enough with bargains with the universe. With sacrifices.

"If you fail, your heart will stop beating when the final petal turns to ash. You will be separated from your mate, even after death." The goddess's eyes were brimming with sorrow. "And it will not be undone."

Lea felt as if she might vomit, nausea churning deep in her stomach. She’d rather not exist at all than spend an eternity without Gray. Wasn’t sure she could risk such a thing. But what other choice did she have? Leave him and her people to die a painful death and allow her kingdom to be destroyed in the process?

"There are other conditions," she continues, a heaviness in her tone. "It must be your hand that delivers the killing blow. The magic Alarichas stolen must be taken from him, as well as his own. What’s happening now—Alaric holding so much power—it’s… unnatural."

Lea nodded fervently, determined to succeed. "I can do that. I took his magic before."

"That was but a drop of what he holds inside him, Azalea. It will be different this time. You had your chance to kill him once—to take his magic. And you failed. To take it now…" the goddess trailed off. "The universe will not allow you another chance without consequence. To hold the enormity of his magic…" She met Lea's eyes, and her voice softened. "You will not be allowed to survive with that much power. Itmustbe returned to the earth."

"How?" Lea's stomach dropped.

"I cannot say." The goddess shook her head.

Lea clenched her fists, fire wrapping up her arms. "So either way, I die?" Fury rose inside her, igniting her body from the inside out.

"That’s not what I said. There is a way you succeed. A way you can defeat Alaric, return his magic to the universe, and still survive. But I can’t say more. To do so would further upset the balance. This is your riddle to solve. Your battle to win."

Lea’s nostrils flared as she exhaled sharply.

"This is how it has always been. By using the earth’s magic to allow you to live,everythingwill be disrupted. I would not be surprised if the universe itself tries to destroy you until its power is returned. Succeed, and all will be right. But it must beyouwho corrects the imbalance. You must destroy him. But"—the goddess lifted Lea’s chin—"do not destroy yourself in the process."

Lea’s dark magic thrummed in her chest.

Destroy.

Destroy.

Destroy.

The begging—no, demanding—grew louder. But Lea pushed it down, using every bit of her strength to bring the darkness to heel. She could do this—had to do this. There would be a time to unleash this wild power, but only when Alaric was in front of her. Then, and only then, would she give in to its call.

"I agree," Lea said, turning to her mother. Adelaide placed a shaking hand over her mouth, her eyes flicking between the goddess and Lea.

"Please consider this," Adelaide begged. "The darkness inside you. I can feel it, Lea."

Lea squeezed her mother’s hands. "I have to help him."

---