Page 50 of A Petal in the Crown

Gray’s heart had nearly stopped when he’d watched Lea pull the darkness inside her, certain it would kill her. Instead, she’d found a way to take control of the power it had been holding over her. She’d made a choice that terrified her—becoming the darkness. But in the end, it had allowed her to master that raw, dark primary magic. It was as much a part of her as her light, and he loved both sides of her completely and equally. Pride surged in his heart at her strength and bravery, as well as relief thatshe would no longer be suffering as she tried to fight against the magic of the gods.

As the final piece of cloth was draped over the twenty-third body, the sound of hooves made Gray pause. His adrenaline kicked in as he twisted toward the sound, commanding his shadows to search for the approaching horse and its rider, but he pulled them back when he was met with Lea's energy. She was returning, but where she found a horse, Gray didn't know.

"Erik," he said, and Erik met his gaze. "Will you interview the survivors, please? Find out anything you can. How Alaric got here. How long he stayed, and how long the Lonely Death took to take effect. Any information you can glean from them, no matter how small. We don't know what piece of intel could be the key to finding him."

"On it," Erik said, moving immediately toward the decimated church as Gray returned his attention back to the forest, his eyes widening and his head tilting as Lea appeared, holding the reins to a horse with Evangeline sitting on top.

Lea’s eyes were hard, and Gray couldn't discern what emotions her birth mother's appearance had dredged up inside her. Was it anger? Sadness? Her face betrayed nothing—stony and hard. But he couldn't fault her. Gray was sure his face echoed her own. Could they trust Evangeline? They’d left her behind, and yet, she had found them.

As Evangeline approached, she sucked in a sharp breath, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Gray wondered how she knew what she had walked up on. What they’d been forced to witness here—this act of his brother's depravity that would haunt them all for a very long time.

She couldn’t see the lines of bodies or the burned out church. Not after what the Black King had done to her. Was it simply the death hanging heavy in the air that had alerted her to the monstrosities thathad occurred here? The scent of decay and burned wood? Or was it something more?

"Evangeline saw us in a vision," Lea said by way of explanation as they neared. "She said we need her help."

Gray crossed his arms. "Then thank you for coming," he said, still not completely positive he trusted her. "What did you see?"

Evangeline turned toward him, her scarred eye sockets facing him as if she could see into his soul.

"Many things. I'm sure you know the future changes constantly. There are so many outcomes. Too many." Evangeline touched her forehead as if in pain. "I saw the fire, then Alaric disappearing. Someone was helping him, but I couldn't see who it was. I saw cities of death. A final battle, and Lea on her knees. There's so much that needs to be done to keep her safe."

Gray's stomach churned, his shadows instantly finding Lea and wrapping around her body as if they could protect her from the horrors of Evangeline’s visions. "Why was she on her knees?" he demanded.

"She was taking Alaric’s power, but it was too much."

Lea crossed her arms defensively. "The goddess says there’s a way."

Gray’s voice deepened. "Don’t you remember what happened when you tried to take my magic? It nearly killed you."

Evangeline interrupted him. "But ithasworked. You took Genevieve’s power. It can be done. I’ve seen you victorious. That means somehow, youcandrain his magic, return it to the earth, and still live."

"Then we'll practice. We’ll figure it out," Lea said, and Gray turned to her, his face lined with worry and his shadows pulsing. He reached out to cup her cheek, and a petal fell from her crown. His heart skipped a beat as it crumbled into ash, tiny black flecks scattering across the skin of his hand.

A lumpformed in his throat—a fist-sized ball of fury and pain and fear that made it hard to breathe. The flowers were nearly half gone, sporadically falling at the most random times. He's seen petals fall only minutes apart, others hours, even days. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when they would fall—as if the universe didn't want them to know how much time they had left. A cruel trick of the gods to keep them on edge.

Pushing down his worry, Gray pulled Lea into his side, and she melted against him. Even without the mate bond, her uncertainty and self-doubt pushed through her skin and into his, causing his shadows to tremble, desperate to soothe her. But she couldn't be soothed. Not really. Not until Alaric was dead, and to do that, she had to drain his magic.

"If it’s the only way, and that’s what you want, Little Flower, then we’ll try again. We’ll practice as much as it takes," Gray said. "You said the goddess thinks you can do it. That there’s a way to take his magic without it hurting you. She said you could defeat him. Evangeline says she’s seen the same. Then there must be a way to take his power. We just have to figure out how to do it.Safely." He lowered his chin, growling out the last word.

Lea’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue.

"I think I can help find Alaric," Evangeline said. "If I can pick up the trail of his magic…" she trailed off, leaning down to brush her fingers through the grass, searching.

"We’ll take you where he was. What would be most helpful?" Gray asked. "Figuring out his final moments? Walking through what happened when he arrived?"

"I'm not sure." She shook her head.

"Then we’ll try both. Erik is interviewing the survivors. Why don't you join him? See what you can learn, and if it triggers anything." Evangeline bowed her head slightly, but whether in a sign of respect or simpleagreement, Gray wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t need her respect. All he needed was to find Alaric in time to save Lea and his people.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked, pulling Lea close and rubbing small circles on her lower back.

"I’ll be fine," she said, leaning back to meet his eyes. "The trail disappeared at the river. It's just—" Lea's fist clenched. "He's always one step ahead of us. How can he disappear with no trace?"

He has help,a small voice said inside Gray’s head. An unwelcome thought. But Lea was right. Alaric was always one step ahead of them, as if he knew their next move at all times. Was it possible there was another traitor? Someone Gray trusted who was deceiving them all?

The thought made him sick, but he pushed it away. "We’ll find him. I promise you, we will find him, and we will end this."

Lea’s eyes raised to the line of bodies covered in patchwork quilts and children’s blankets. Sheets and coats.

---