Chapter 16
Part 1
Kol absent mindedly walked through the palace. His fingers rubbing the medallion. He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Kessa anymore about the dreams that upset him. She wasn’t right. He worried about her. How stupid was he? He also needed to explore the unexpected kiss.
How could he be so thoughtless? He knew God was trying to tell him something. Was it too soon to voice his concerns to her? ‘FOOL, YOU SHOULD HAVE WAITED!’ He scolded himself as he turned to walk down a different hall. Still rubbing the medallion. ‘No. But what?’
He had never felt this completely lost. There were times he’d been close. ‘Do you love her?’ Raced across his mind. ‘Do I?’ What was this battle?
As he walked past a porter, he stopped staring at the lady. She was too afraid to speak. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Sire,” she finally choked.
“Find Kessa, tell her I want to speak with her.” He moved to leave; thought better of it and took a step back. “Better yet, don’t come back without her.”
“Sire.”
It was two hours before the porter returned. As the library door opened, she ran in slid on her knees to a stop and piled up in a heap in front of Kol. “You are not Kessa.”
She finally squeaked, “no.”
“Well.”
“Barracks, hurt. Can’t,” before she could finish Kol was out the door. He found Kessa in a chair, Max was standing behind her while Rajaf was in front of her and an arrow was through her shoulder. She had her left hand over her face. Her top had been cut exposing all of her arm and shoulder.
Rajaf voiced, “baby girl. There is no way around this. It’s going to hurt.”
Kol could hear her breathe. With each breath that she exhaled, it sounded like waves hitting the beach as a storm approached. “My king.” She spoke.
Max and Rajaf turned to see Kol.
He walked over and knelt on one knee beside of her. “What can I do to help?”
She tried to smile, “magically get this arrow out of me and it not hurt.”
“How did this happen?”
Max answered, “one of us, we are always getting hurt.”
“Solid wooden arrow,” Rajaf scoffed. “Can’t remove the tip off this one.”
“Trainee’s use solid arrows.” Kol raised an eyebrow.
Max lifted his shoulders.
“Go get Carl. Have him break the tail off this thing and get it out of me.” Kessa’s eyes were starting to droop and her skin was turning pale.
Max looked wide eyed at Rajaf. Pleading with him almost.
“Do you have a better idea?” Rajaf asked. Max left.
“Kessa,” Kol called her name softly. Her left arm plopped down on his thigh. Kol took her hand. As her head started to wobble, he took his right hand and placed it at the base of her neck for stability. He noticed she was wearing the necklace he had gifted her.
Max returned with Carl. He was a massive man. Kol wasn’t sure he would have room to work to break the tail off the arrow. Rajaf had a pouch of something. He prayed over it. When Carl put his hands on the arrow; Kessa’s breathing reminded Kol of waves hitting the shore. Her abdomen rippled in pain. Breathe in; out the wave crashed. In was smooth and steady. Out, more waves. Breathe in.
“Kessa,” Kol spoke. “How do you think I’d look without hair?” He looked up. “It works for Carl.”
She looked up at Carl; then back at Kol. A wide smile lit up her face. Kol took his hands putting them at his hair line, trying to hide his hair. “It could work.” He posed his face profile for her.
Max looked at Rajaf with a questioning glance as Kessa started laughing. Carl broke the arrow pulling it out the other side. Rajaf smothered the wound with white liquid from the pouch. Kessa slid from the chair into Kol’s arms. He sat her back up in the chair so Rajaf could dress the wound.
Rajaf smiled at him, “that was clever. Thank you my king.”
Poetry & More 