Elemental Prince by Megan Fall
Chapter 37
Kell
Kell slowed Zephyr to a canter as he rode through the first burned village. It was devastating to see. Where houses once stood, only charred wood and ash remained. Nothing had been spared. Crows flew overhead and landed sporadically to pick through the ash like scavengers. The warriors that had once lived in this village dismounted and stared at the destruction brokenly. Kell could see the hope each one had carried thus far on the journey, seeping from their bodies.
The second village was much the same. And the third as well. By the time they reached the castle gates, Emmalyn was sobbing and half of Kell’s men had broken off from the group. Some went in search of their families, others stayed in the villages to look for salvageable items. Kell knew it was futile, but it gave them a purpose.
Kell and the remaining warriors rode on, and the sight they encountered was just as devastating. Tents were set up as far as the eye could see. Food was being dished out to the soot-covered inhabitants and huge barrels of water were scattered around everywhere. The temporary camp was crude and obviously erected quickly, but effective.
As he passed, each villager looked up in sadness with an exhausted gaze that almost brought Kell to his knees. They were losing hope, and he couldn’t allow it. Kell needed to find the bastard who was behind the attack on his people. It was bad enough to threaten Emmalyn and himself, but to attack the villagers was unacceptable.
Kell watched silently, not at all surprised as Emmalyn slipped from Beauty’s back and hurried to a young boy covered in soot. She leaned down and tore a strip from the bottom of her dress, dipped it in a bucket of water nearby and wiped the boys face. Almost immediately, an orderly line of equally stained children formed in front of Emmalyn. Emmalyn smiled at each one and spoke softly, cleaning and comforting them as best she could.
“Oryn,” Kell grunted. “Get her some clean towels and a comfortable chair. Pick four warriors to stay by her side. Let her continue for as long as she needs. I will be back shortly.”
Oryn nodded and Emmalyn gave him a small smile. It was forced, but it meant the world to Kell. Emmalyn was proving once again that she belonged by his side. Without hesitation, she jumped in to do whatever she could to help. He was proud to call her his wife. Kell instinctively dismounted and pulled her tight against his chest, and kissed her soundly. He released Emmalyn, strode back to Zephyr, and jumped back up on his back. He ignored the gasps from the villagers.
“Where to?” Behr questioned as he pulled up to Kell’s side.
“To find my parents,” Kell answered. “I need to find out what has happened and what they have done.”
“I’m staying with Emmalyn,” Thane announced as he dismounted and stopped by her side. “I can do more here than with you.”
Kell nodded then swung away and navigated Zephyr carefully through the crowd. The greetings from the villagers were subdued. The entire atmosphere reeked of defeat, and he hated it.
Kell made his way to the foot of the castle where he found his parents. His mother was assisting an older lady inside, while his father was looking on angrily. Kell knew the anger wasn’t the result of her actions, but that her actions were necessary at all.
“Father,” Kell shouted to gain his attention. Both he, Behr, and Torin dropped to the ground and moved closer. His father seemed genuinely relieved at the sight.
“Kell,” he huffed as he relaxed his features. “It is good to see you home.”
“Tell me what is being done,” Kell ordered, forgoing a heartfelt greeting.
“We are moving the old and injured into the castle. We have healers set up in the main ballroom and have erected temporary beds. Food is being cooked nonstop and distributed, and we have barrels of clean drinking water throughout the camp,” his father explained.
“We need to clean up the burned villages,” Kell declared. “The ash will blow everywhere if we get even the smallest wind and make things worse.”
“I agree,” his father nodded. “But our priority so far is the people. The men you left behind have been busy bringing the villagers here and setting up tents. Their time has been consumed just taking care of that task.”
Kell stumbled back as his mother took him by surprise and barrelled into his chest. Kell automatically wrapped his massive arms around her and held on tight.
“It is good to have you home,” she whispered as tears fell from her cheeks.
“It is good to be home,” he admitted. “I’ve missed you.”
“As have I,” she returned pulling away and wiping her face with the sleeve of her dress.
“Are you well?” Kell inquired as he studied her small frame. His mother was only slightly taller than Emmalyn.
“I am unharmed, but my heart is breaking. I am just thankful our people are alive. It could have been so much worse. It will take a long time for them to heal. Sometimes emotional scars can be more harmful than physical ones.”
Kell nodded, knowing her words rang true. “Any word on who did this? Surely someone must have seen something.”
“We have been told the attackers wore black clothing and covered their faces. No recognizable markings or insignias showed to tie them to any one Kingdom. They came in quickly, torched the houses and stables, and slipped away. No one knows their identity,” his father huffed.
Kell was furious. The culprits were skilled at being invisible. Either they were pulling a lot of strings, or had a goddamned army at their back. It made no sense.
“I’ll post men in every village. If another attack comes, they’ll be ready. I won’t let any others be destroyed. I will also send out a party of men to track the ones responsible. Hopefully we can find some evidence as the tracks shouldn’t be too difficult to follow,” Kell grunted.
“That’s a good idea. However, you only know about the three villages burnt,” Kell’s father pointed out sadly. “It took some time for word to reach you and for you to travel back.”
“How many more have been decimated?” Kell fumed. He grit his teeth and studied the grounds around the castle. He began to realize that more than three villages worth of people were gathered close by.
“We have lost four more. That makes seven in total,” his father reluctantly admitted. “Although in the last village some of the inhabitants suffered serious burns. It appears things are escalating.”
“Burns?” Kell questioned.
His father hung his head and refused to meet Kell’s anger. “Houses were torched with families still inside. No one was killed, but the injuries are severe.”
“Goddamnit,” Kell shouted as he took a step back and ran his hands through his hair.
“I will head inside and see where I can help,” Torin announced as he trotted towards the castle doors and disappeared inside.
“You must put an end to this,” his mother pleaded. “It won’t stop and I’m terrified of what will happen next.”
Kell leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was the only comfort to offer. “Tend to the people,” he soothed. “I will find the ones responsible and make them pay.”
Without uttering a word, she turned and shuffled away. She had faith in Kell, and if he promised to find them, she believed him.
“Go,” Kell ordered his father. “There is much for you to do. You are still King. The people need you.”
The King nodded, straightened his back and also left. Kell was grateful. He needed time alone with Behr to think.
“Someone wants you to suffer,” Behr grunted once his father was out of earshot. “They can’t get to you or Emmalyn, so are settling for wounding your people.”
“We need to gather all the villagers inside the castle walls, including those who have not yet been attacked. The devastation will continue and some may die if we don’t act quickly. This is a priority,” Kell ordered.
“I will gather the men, split them into groups, and depart at once,” Behr promised. “I will update you as soon as we return and everyone is safe.”
“I am going with you,” Kell announced, taking Behr by surprise.
“Wouldn’t it be best if you stayed here?” Behr questioned with a frown. “You need to be in the middle of things and stay close to Emmalyn.”
“I need to be out there,” Kell growled as he waved his arms in an arc. “I need to use my elemental abilities and find the men responsible. They aren’t far and will most likely strike again soon. I will be ready and waiting when they do.”
“And Emmalyn?” Behr inquired.
“Is safe,” Kell huffed. “She’s on castle grounds and surrounded by my warriors and the villagers. It’s the best place for her.”
“I’ll assemble five groups. That should be enough to cover the kingdom. We’ll head out in different directions and each group will take a tracker,” Behr explained.
“Sounds good,” Kell agreed. “The other crews will head straight to the burnt villages to assess the damage and start cleaning up, so we can put all our effort into tracking the bastards responsible. I want everyone heavily armed and ready for anything, even the cleanup crews.”
Behr nodded and dashed off. With a plan of action in place, Kell headed back to Emmalyn. He wasn’t surprised to find her surrounded by children, and his heart swelled. He wished to see her pregnant with his own child. He had never considered such a foreign thought before, but did now. He wanted a family, and he wanted it with his wee warrior.
Kell strode towards her and scooped her up in his muscular arms. She squealed in surprise and the surrounding children giggled. Kell took her lips in a soft kiss. He wanted to show his love, not ravish her in front of the children. She returned the kiss and clung to him, and he never wanted to let go. But time was of the utmost importance so he reluctantly released Emmalyn.
“I have to leave you for a short time,” Kell explained setting her back on her feet. “I need you to stay with Oryn and the warriors you are familiar with. Do not leave with anyone you do not know, even one of my own men. I have no idea who is trustworthy.”
“Okay,” Emmalyn answered without argument.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Kell replied with a smile. Then turned his attention to Oryn.
“Protect her with your life and do not leave her side,” Kell ordered.
Oryn nodded. “May the souls of fallen warriors protect you and give you strength.”
Kell turned away and headed for Zephyr. The time had come to put his powers to good use, and he couldn’t wait. Heads were about to roll.