Page 33 of Petals for Deadly Power

She didn’t want to pace any-fucking-more, thank you very much. She wanted totalk.

Lenna debated between sending him an ink threatening to cut his balls—an absolutely empty threat that she would never perform for her own sake—or getting out of her very comfortable, silk burgundy nightwear to go find him wherever he was in the navia. Even if the navia wasthatbig.

The worst thing that would happen if she didn’t change her clothes was that one of the three courtrades would see her in her very transparent trousers and shirt. Lenna stopped her too-high-to-count step, putting her hands on her hips, and concluded that she didn’t care enough about how others saw her to be bothered to change. Especially when she cared even less about what others thought of her. They were lucky the navia was already becoming cold, or her clothing selection would have been definitely more revealing, and definitely less covering.

She stormed towards the black door, ready to find the silver-eyed man that was too late to bed. As she opened the door, her face crashed against a wall. A wall of flesh and muscle that towered above her.

“Why such a rush?” Jake asked.

“The Supreme Leader of the Ocean dared to appear. May the Fifth bless his slow ass.” She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him inside the cabin. Luckily, he didn’t offer resistance, because if he did, Lenna wouldn’t have moved him in twenty-five years.

Jake widened his eyes, cracking a laugh. “The Sovereign Ruler of this cabin is in a mood.”

Lenna opened her mouth. “I upgrade you to boss of the ocean and you make me ruler of this cold misery?” She lifted her arms, pointing to the place around them. “Gracious is the piss-taking Supreme Leader.”

Jake grinned while chuckling, andthatwas a very gracious sight. He looked to the side, shaking his head slowly.

“No, what?” Lenna asked.

“I’m not saying it. You will tease me to death if I do, and I may end up dead right here, right now, cursed for calling you such a corny thing.” He folded his arms.

It was Lenna’s turn to grin. Was he trying to show determination in his decision? Because the amused glitter in his eyes showed the complete opposite.

“Jake Coralt of the Organ House calling me something corny? The Fifth crusade can fuck off. I offer my soul to the Cardinals for this.”

He let go an exasperated sound. “Weren’t you in a rush to find me? What did you want?”

Lenna pushed her tongue inside her cheek, lifting her eyebrows. “Don’t you think for a minute that you’re getting out of this conversation. Because it is not a debate. Tell me the cheesy thing. I will do whatever you want in exchange.”

Jake’s eyes darkened immediately, his head tilting upwards as his now grave voice said, “Careful there, sweet fire. You could ignite.”

Lenna put her finger on her lips, tapping it a few times, reminding him of what she wanted.

“I will say it once, and I will never say it again. And if I survive saying those fucking words aloud, you will owe me a desire of my choice. Deal?”

Lenna nodded, biting her tongue now that he seemed to be about to tell her. Jake exhaled deeply. He was the loser of this battle, but the winner of a future one.

“I was going to call you the Sovereign Ruler of my heart.”

Lenna’s jaw dropped dramatically, and she covered her wide-opened mouth with both hands.

“Cardinals take me away. That is very over-the-top, but also very . . . Cute?” It seemed absolutely wrong and against the Laws to call Jakecute. A black-haired panom that towered over her, full of inks and muscle, that fucked her like there was no tomorrow, and with such an unethical and troubled past? She had never cared about the Laws before, and she was not going to start now.

Lenna grinned. “Verycute, Jake. And you were right. You have no idea how many times I will tease you with this. Now that I will never become the Ruler of the North House, I will very happily take on the responsibility of ruling your heart.” Her lips curled upwards. “And that is as much sentimental sappy bullshit as we can both tolerate.”

She walked towards him and placed a kiss precisely on that part of his chest. “I was looking for you because Ayla got the North Cardinal’s feather.”

“One ordeal done, four to go,” he said, holding her hand and pulling it until he was sitting on the bed. “How is she?”

It warmed a deep part of her that the man who never cared about anyone other than himself and Lenna was asking about her sister’s wellbeing. Lenna knew it wasn’t common courtesy. There was nothing about Jake that was common, and he lacked all courtesy.

She smiled, letting him guide her to his lap on the bed. “She was well enough to send me ink.”

“Did she tell you anything about the ordeal?” he asked, and then quickly added. “Actually, I prefer not to know.”

Lenna looked at him in silence, swallowing. He preferred not to know, because Jake was going to be the next striver.

Lenna had barely seen the three courtrades guiding the navia. They seemed like pretty efficient and helpful beings, but they definitely liked to mind their own business. There was a mute male, a bald male, and a short-haired, lanky female. According to them, the navia had been traveling in a straight line towards the East since they left Thyria.

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