Page 46 of Petals for Deadly Power

“It is me who asks the questions,” the Core Cardinal reminded her.

“I would do my best to ensureno onecan harm innocent beings. A title or a crown on someone's head wouldn't stop me from fighting against them. Titles can be revoked; crowns can be destroyed.”

Thrones can be usurped.

The crimson eyes stared straight into Hope’s black ones. “Think carefully about your fifth answer, dearest Hope, for there is nothing more valuable than truth.” The Core Cardinal looked at her for a long time before she fired her last question. “A true protector of Thyria would never risk the land breaking in any way or form. Would you always keep your feelings and needs aside to ensure the preservation of the land?”

Images of dead people inside the Beftac Center appeared in her mind. The number of innocents who died due to the panomquake after her Fifth Ceremony chased her nightmares very often.

The following image hurt even more. A flash of blue eyes, of shadows and night, of pine woods and dark green sparks. It flooded her with fear, with nerves and need and longing, with an urge to cry and scream and kill anyone who wasn’thim.

Ciaran.

Ciaran.

It was a blessing and a curse that she was the heir to the Organ House, and he was the heir to the West House. It was a blessing and a curse that the heirs of the Houses couldn’t be together without destroying the four-petal island where balance ruled.

She swallowed. Being forced to avoid panomquakes would protect Thyria. Being forced to keep her distance—andherfeelings—from him would protect her heart.

“I will never risk a panomquake that can be avoided. I will never allow my feelings and needs to be the cause of one.”

No. Her feelings and needs would cause destruction.Herdestruction.

The Core Cardinal pursed her lips, her wings moving as a crystal feather appeared in front of Hope.

“If any answer turns out to be dishonest or untrue, my feather will break. Oh, and my dearest, blessed quarter of a century to you.”

And with that, the Core Cardinal vanished, the whiteness disappeared, the red cross under her feet ceased to exist.

Hope was back in her seat, with a red crystal feather in her hands, and a devastating, forbidden tangle in her heart.

29

Lenna

“Youtwoarenotso loud now, are you?” Arabella’s smirk had the same effect as a bucket of iced water on Lenna.

The painfully pretty blond held her winning CoreCard up: a Cardinals-damned 55 ofLeafs. The two dice the woman had thrown shone bright on the table, the inner part of the glass cubes filled with red liquid, the symbols facing up mocking everyone else on the table: a number 5, and a Floret. A bloody, cursed Floret.

“Shut the fuck up,” Sasha exclaimed, her jaw dropping as her angry, dark eyes demanded explanations.

Brendon threw his cards on the table, his green eyes narrowing to slits as he threw visual daggers at Arabella. “Either you have weirdly awesome good luck, or you’re an extremely good scammer.”

Arabella lifted her eyebrow, her smirk not faltering as she held her palms up, waiting for what she was owed. The noise of clattering grolls and valers filled the room as the players emptied their pockets for the fifth time in a row.

When her hands were full, Arabella’s eyelashes fluttered, her expression a pretty unbelievable portrayal of innocence. “You expect so little of me?”

“Cheating bitch,” Lenna said with a forced smile, fluttering her eyelashes back at her.

She had been suspicious from the first round, but it had taken all her pride to keep from asking Arabella D’Arcy, from admitting that she couldn’t find out the trick of the blue-eyed beauty.

At this point, Lenna’s pride was as lost as the remaining valers and grolls she had just handed in.

Jake snorted from a couch, his hands behind his head pushing his black hair towards his face. He hadn’t bothered joining the game. Beings could have thought he was just chilling, and then those beings would befools.

Relaxing was not an option for a man like him, for a mind like his. The Fifth only knew what he was thinking about, what Jake was planning, where his head truly was. Other than the lacy, white tights gripping Lenna’s legs and the small black bodysuit marking her cleavage. She had noticed many times how well he was inspectingthat.

When his silver eyes met her golden ones, the corner of his lips tucked upwards.

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