Page 37 of Petals for Deadly Power

“Some beings would think it was not clever to make the goddess of your ordeal wait, Jake Coralt of the Organ House.”

Jake snorted lightly. “Some beings would think the goddess could have picked a place less than a thousand steps away to meet the striver.” He turned around, his black waves moving with the air. “Long time no see, East Cardinal.”

The Cardinal of the East stood taller than him in the middle of the platform, her red-feathered wings splayed proudly, her red eyes fixed on his silver ones, her red hair moving backwards as the wind hit her. Her countless scars crossed her beautiful, otherwise perfect face from side to side.

“Is it your bravery or your arrogance that made you think you would be a worthy striver of my feather?” Her eyes narrowed, her pursed lips showing that murderous anger he had met before.

“Very kind of you to ask, my dear. It is familiarity.” He tilted his head to the side, the corner of his lips tugging upwards, daring the Cardinal to challenge his words.

“Do not disrespect me, Jake Coralt,” her voice was a calm, lethal whisper.

“Do not forget I know your power like the palm of my hand, as the strings of my heart, as the words in my mind.” His voice softened as his stare hardened. “Do not forget I knowyouknow. I will not disrespect you,my dear, as long as you donotdisrespect me.”

The East Cardinal tilted her head back, her penetrating stare strong enough to throw him over the platform and into the sea, if she wanted.

“Some beings would think it is not clever to threaten the goddess that will oversee your ordeal before she deems you worthy, Jake Coralt.”

“Those beings would be wrong to think I give a fuck about their opinion.”

The nostrils of the East Cardinal flared, and his heart skipped a beat when she disappeared.

Nothing happened. Nothingat all. Could she deny him the opportunity to enter her ordeal? Could sherefusehim as a striver?

They needed the East feather to get the Fifth Power. It was the only way to get rid of the male who destroyed his existence by making it agonizing; who dared touch his sweet fire and take her panom powers away, who hurt his Lenna into unconsciousness and assumed there would never be consequences. The Fifth power was the only way to kill his father.

Jake inhaled deeply, goosebumps trailing up his legs as his jaw clenched. Thereweregoing to be fucking consequences.

The Harming Cardinal couldn’t ignore him. Shewouldn’tignore him, because he was not going to let her.

“I am here to prove I’m worthy of your wickedness, East Cardinal. Harm me, bitch, or let me Harm.” His voice faded without an answer. “What is it you want from me?”

From the air came a chuckle, followed by the East Cardinal’s voice. “I want it all,my dear. I want your suffering, your pain, and your scars. I want you to regret breathing, to be ashamed of living. I want your torment and your torture.”

He smiled; his goal achieved. His ordeal was happening.

“Then take it,” he encouraged her.

One second, he stood on the platform. The next, he was free falling, his limbs out of his control, until his back was against the metallic side of the navia, his legs floating on the water, his hands—

Cardinals guide him. His hands werepinnedto the metal, red crystal shards protruding from his palms—the palms he needed to use to perform any magic. The dripping blood diluted with the Radel Sea at the fast pace it dropped.

He looked up, the tall wall of the crescent side towering above him, and at the very top, barely visible, shone a small, red reflection.

It could only be one thing: the feather he’d claim.

With a grimace, he pulled his bleeding hand off the wall. His whole body hung dangerously from the hand still pinned. He lifted his free hand to his mouth, biting the crystal to take it out of his flesh. He couldn’t.

Jake groaned at the pressure on the other hand. If the crystal broke, he would end up in the sea, and his ordeal would fail.

He slammed the free hand against the wall, above his head, the crystal secure in place before he pulled his other hand off the wall and pushed it upwards. Painful climbing, he could do.

Between forced groans and muttered curses at the shape of the fucking navia, Jake climbed. He pinned his right hand upwards. He let his left hand free and pinned it again.

He would lose a lot of blood—nothing he wasn’t used to.

He would ignore the pain—his endless, always-present, most trustworthy friend.

He would persevere, like he always fucking did.

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