Elemental Prince by Megan Fall
Chapter 36
Emmalyn
Emmalyn watched as the two brothers squared off. She assumed Kell would ease into the questions, but that wasn’t the case at all. Emmalyn understood how frustrated Kell was, but he didn’t mince words. The bold accusation stunned both Emmalyn and Thane. His brother recovered quicker than Emmalyn, however; and the glare showed exactly what he thought of Kell’s question. All she could do was stand back, watch, and wait to see how this played out.
“You think I am behind the assassination attempts on Emmalyn?” Thane thundered as he glowered at Kell. “Are you fucking serious?”
Thane was always the quieter brother, Kell told her. He thought things through in his head thoroughly before speaking. He was softer and mostly stayed on the sidelines, preferring to let Kell take the lead. But not now. His fury was evident and he wasn’t backing down. He faced Kell head on and looked ready to attack her husband.
“A royal is behind the attack. That much is clear. You are the only royal left,” Kell challenged defiantly.
“I have been by your side all our lives. I have supported you in every way possible over the years. We are brothers. Brothers do not betray each other,” Thane countered just as angrily.
“You are in a position to know my every move, and someone who Seraphine could be romantically involved with,” Kell pushed.
“I know your moves because you keep me abreast of things,” Thane shouted as he raised his arms in the air then dropped them in frustration. “And I can’t stand Seraphine. The thought of being in the same room with her makes me nauseous.”
Kell narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to his brother. “You are the second born. If I die, you take my place. All the power is transferred directly to you. You will then decide the fate of all the lands.”
Thane huffed out a breath, indicating how ridiculous the idea seemed. “When have I ever given you any indication that I wanted such power?”
“Everyone wants that power,” Kell declared. “It is human nature to crave what is not yours.”
“You think I want to be in the spotlight? You think I want to be the person to decide the fate of Terrasen? You are out of your fucking mind,” Thane growled. “I’m comfortable with books and numbers. I can’t fight worth a damn, nor do I want to. You were made to rule. You are a true warrior. The people know who you are because you show your face. You keep order in the land by warring against those who defy you. I could never do that, nor would the people accept me.”
“You are my brother, therefore they would accept you,” Kell snorted.
“Not if I didn’t earn my position. The people follow you, and if I was to steal your position by force, they would hate me,” Thane snorted right back.
“But you would have my warriors behind you. What they think would be irrelevant.”
Thane huffed again and rolled his eyes. “Your warriors wouldn’t follow me. There would be mutiny.”
Kell scowled and changed tactics. “You don’t like Emmalyn. It is clear that you are wary of her.”
“Because in all your years, you have never shown an ounce of compassion towards anyone you have taken to bed. Yet suddenly you found someone you love. You married her for God’s sake. It is not like you. I wonder if she weaved a spell around your heart,” Thane grumbled.
Kell lost some of the hostility and his shoulders slumped at Thane’s explanation. “She has changed me. I love her. I love her like I love no other. I fell for her the instant I laid eyes on her, and the thought of someone taking her from me would destroy me. I need her. I need her as much as I need air,” Kell admitted, bringing tears to Emmalyn’s eyes.
She couldn’t keep her distance any longer. Emmalyn rushed from the tree line straight at Kell. He realized her intentions only a minute before her tiny body hit his and braced for it. She slammed into him at full force and Kell caught her, wrapping his powerful arms around her and holding on tight. She needed to feel his touch after the heartfelt declaration.
“I see now why you are accusing me,” Thane sighed, drawing their attention back to him. “Your love is clear. I still don’t know Emmalyn, but I know you brother. If you feel this strongly about her, I will ignore my reservations and accept her. She is family now.”
Kell dropped his head on her shoulder and his whole body relaxed. “Thank you,” he huffed in a tone of voice indicating that the argument was over. “I don’t know what to do,” Kell sighed after a moment. “It makes no sense. There are no other royals in the realms.”
Emmalyn glanced at Thane and noticed he was deep in thought. “I honestly don’t know what to tell you. Could a cousin have opened the portal? There must be male cousins in the royal bloodlines who could be behind all this.”
“No,” Kell grumbled as he swung Emmalyn over to his side to fully face his brother. “Only a royal who has at one time worn a crown is able to open the portal. It must be a royal or a direct descendant.”
“So, it could be any one of the young boys from the Larkinge Kingdom,” Thane declared. “They are true royals regardless of their age.”
“But none of those boys are old enough to be dating Seraphine,” Kell frowned.
“No, but my cousin theory would explain the age issue. Cousins are royals in word only, but hold no power. If one of them is bedding Seraphine, manipulating a young boy and forcing him to do their bidding would be the easy part.”
Kell rubbed the back of his neck in obvious frustration. “So, we head to the Kingdom of Larkinge and question the boys.”
“It’s the only other scenario that makes sense,” Thane pushed.
Kell nodded and the decision was made. He leaned down and stroked Emmalyn’s cheek, gaining her attention. “We have a destination to undertake my wee warrior.”
Emmalyn smiled up at him. “We do. I’m sorry you couldn’t find the answers you desire, but I am happy to learn that your brother isn’t behind all this.”
Kell’s body relaxed as he pulled her to his chest once more. “Me too,” he admitted.
As Kell started to head back, Thane caught his arm and stopped him. Emmalyn looked up at Thane and realized his steely gaze was locked on her.
“I am sorry my actions caused you to feel uncomfortable in my presence. I never meant to inflict upon you any undue stress. I love my brother and I worry. Please accept my apology and believe that I will never again give you a reason to doubt me. You are my family and I will treat you as my sister from now on,” he declared.
Emmalyn smiled and whispered the words in her heart. “I understand and I forgive you.”
Thane surprised Emmalyn by suddenly pulling her away from Kell and wrapping his arms around her. He was leaner than Kell and a bit shorter, but his hug was just as fierce. She could feel his acceptance and her heart warmed towards him.
“I will love him always,” Emmalyn whispered into Thane’s ear. “I promise I will never give you any cause to doubt that.”
Thane turned his head and kissed her cheek before letting her go. His smile was brilliant as he looked at the couple.
“You were made for each other,” he acknowledged, before turning and disappearing back into the forest.
“I never should have doubted him,” Kell sighed as Behr stepped into the clearing.
“His actions gave you cause to,” Behr grunted. “And you need to be thorough. You were right to question his motives.”
Kell nodded. “He understood why I had to do it.”
“He did,” Behr immediately agreed. “And he won’t hold it against you. He appreciates the position you are in and knows how close the two of you are. It is a good thing. You will see him acting extremely differently now. All will be well.”
Emmalyn was about to comment but Torin came crashing through the clearing. His eyes were hard and his posture stiff, signalling the coming of bad tidings.
“Five of our warriors, who we left behind at the Kingdom, just arrived,” Torin growled. “They come bearing bad news.”
“What news do they bring?” Kell demanded.
“Three of the villages surrounding the castle were burned to the ground several days ago,” Torin declared. “The warriors left immediately to seek us out.” Emmalyn gasped as Kell’s eyes darkened in fury.
“The people?” Kell pushed.
“Thankfully are fine,” Torin relayed. “Only minor injuries to report.”
Kell dropped his head in relief and Emmalyn tightened her grip on his side. She wanted to provide words of comfort, but this wasn’t the time.
“The people have been moved into the castle and the injured treated. However, I can only assume this is just the beginning. The situation will most likely escalate.”
“Agreed,” Kell grunted. “Someone wishes me to stop digging. They are purposefully drawing me back home.”
“It appears so,” Torin admitted. “I don’t like it. They must want you back for a reason and you are falling right into their trap.”
“Maybe so, but I refuse to stay away when my people need me. They are my first priority.”
“And Emmalyn?” Behr questioned.
“She will remain by my side. No one will touch her,” Kell growled.
“I will do everything you ask of me,” Emmalyn interrupted. “You need not worry.”
“I know sweetheart,” Kell assured her. “But I agree, I am being drawn back home. I may well be riding into a trap.”
“You don’t have a choice,” she frowned.
“I know,” Kell acknowledged. “Which is the reason we must remain extremely alert. I don’t want to walk into any surprises.”
Behr nodded. “I will ready the men so we can be on our way immediately.” Behr and Torin jogged off to rally the warriors.
“Are you worried?” Emmalyn asked hesitantly.
“No,” Kell growled. “Whoever is doing this will eventually get sloppy. By doing as expected, they will undoubtedly believe they have me right where they want me.”
“And you disagree?”
Kell grinned, but it was a savage grin that gave her pause. “They underestimate me. They also have no idea that we are married now. My powers have increased and I am deadlier now than I ever was. You can believe I will use every tool at my disposal to see them fall.”
The fierce expression and rigid posture told Emmalyn that Kell spoke the truth. She was staring at the Elemental Prince, and she shivered. He was a force not to be messed with.