Page 81 of A Petal in the Crown

"I’ve got you," Erik whispered, his voice tight with emotion. He scooped her into his arms, holding her close as branches crashed all around them, the earth still trembling beneath his feet, and ran. Fasterthan she had ever seen him move, Erik leapt over fallen trees, dodging craters as the world crumbled. His jaw was set with fierce determination, his muscles straining as he held her tightly against his chest, trying not to jostle her body.

"Just a little further," he murmured, his voice barely audible above the roar of the collapsing forest and blood pounding in her ears. "I’ve got you. You’re safe."

And somehow, through the haze of pain and fear, Janelle believed him. She believed him, because Erik had always been her protector. Honest and steady and true. Even now, with the world unraveling around them, she had no doubt he would find a way to get them out of it.

Branches continued to crash down as they neared the clearing, but Janelle could feel her grip on consciousness slipping. The edges of her vision blurred, darkness creeping in as her body gave in to the overwhelming pain and exhaustion. Erik’s voice grew faint, distant, and he cried out in relief at the sight of a clearing ahead.

As Erik laid her gently on the ground, her vision dimmed completely, and she surrendered to the sweet, merciful pull of unconsciousness. He cupped his hand against her cheek, tapping it, trying to wake her, but it was no use. The last thing she heard was his voice, full of love and fear, whispering her name.

Chapter 52

Lea

Lea’s anticipation built the closer they got to Pontor. But instead of getting more nervous, she felt relief. All this would be over soon. Another petal had fallen, and now only five remained. She was one tick closer to being separated from her mate for eternity. She couldn’t allow that to happen. Eudora and Alaric were close, and in a few hours, they would find the encampment and have information to report back. And more importantly, she would find Alaric, and end him.

Lea watched Gray’s back as they rode, his strong, broad shoulders that had carried the weight of this kingdom for a century. For him, it would be over soon as well. She thought once again about her birth mother’s offer—to give her the magic Lea would steal from Alaric. Allow her to pay the cost of stealing so much power. It was so tempting, but Lea knew deep down she couldn’t do it. Even if she wanted to, Evangeline had suffered enough, and a painful death wasn’t something she could add to that list.

Obsidian slowed, his head swinging around as he pawed at the ground.

“What’s going on, boy?” Gray asked, leaning down to pat his mane as he sent his shadows out, searching for whatever his horse had sensed. Lea commanded hers to join him, and together they spread throughout the trees.

It was only a few moments before they felt what had caused Obsidian to pause. Lea and Gray met each other’s eyes as the earth began to tremble, the trees shivering and shaking.

“Run,” Gray ordered, and Lea didn’t hesitate. She bolted forward, the others following behind her as tree branches began to groan overhead.

A massive branch cracked above them, crashing into the ground with a boom that made Lea’s ears ring. Her horse jumped over the branch as she drew her sword, pulling its magic into her body and amplifying it outward. Lea formed a hard shield of air around them, gritting her teeth as she forced it to remain solid while they moved. Gray’s shadows reached out in front of them, picking up branches and throwing them out of the way. Branch after branch crashed against her shield, splintering it with every blow.

She threw more magic into it, clenching her jaw harder with every crack.

A fissure opened in the dry earth in front of them and Daniel’s horse tumbled, throwing him to the ground. He fell out from under the shield, only for a moment—but it was a moment too long. An enormous branch crashed down, falling from directly above him and hitting him in the head, killing him instantly.

“No!” Lea cried out, but Gray’s shadows urged her forward. She wanted to return to Daniel, to find a way to heal him, but it was too late. She didn’t need Emma there to know he was gone.

“We have to stop!” Lea cried, pulling her horse to a halt.

“No!” Gray shouted. “It’s too dangerous!”

“I can’t keep us all safe if we’re moving,” she said.

Gray’s eyes flashed, his shadows surging forward as if they could pull them to safety, but instead, he pulled Obsidian up next to her, and the others followed suit. Lea tightened the shield around them, the strain farless intense now that they were no longer moving and in much closer proximity to one another.

“Daniel— Can we get to him?” Cole asked.

A mix of pity and guilt settled behind Lea’s sternum, and she rubbed it, trying to soothe it away. “He’s gone,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. I know he was your friend.”

Cole’s face turned white, and he looked back, craning his neck to see his friend’s body. Lea commanded her shadows to wrap around Daniel, blocking the sight of his body. Cole didn’t need to see his friend’s brain splattered across the ground.

“I’ll burn him,” Lea said. “It will have to do for a burial. Okay?” she asked Cole.

Cole cleared his throat, nodding. Still holding the shield in place, Lea let her fire trail out from her feet, inching toward Daniel until his body was engulfed in black flames.

“May the gods hold you,” Patrick and Cole muttered together while Lea recited the prayer silently in her head.

“Do you think this is the god of the sun?” Gray asked.

Lea shook her head, anxiety swirling in her gut. “The goddess said the universe would try to correct what has been taken from it. The sun? That was him. But the wildfires…. This…” Lea trailed off.

What else would they face before they found Alaric? And if the universe was intent on killing her, and the god of the sun was punishing her, how far would they go to keep her from winning this war?

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