Healing Fire

by Angela Castle

  Healing Fire

  Book Three in the Kingdom of Kell Series

  Angela Castle

  Published by Rogue Phoenix Press

  Copyright © 2012

  ISBN: 978-1-936403-98-1

  Electronic rights reserved by Rogue Phoenix Press, all other rights reserved by the author. The reproduction or other use of any part of this publication without the prior written consent of the rights holder is an infringement of the copyright law. This is a work of fiction. People and locations, even those with real names, have been fictionalized for the purposes of this story.

  Dedication

  Special thanks to the staff at Rogue Phoenix Press for encouraging me to write another Kell book, my proof reader, Serena, and the supportive ladies of the MRWG.

  Chapter One

  Rejected again, Melor clenched his fist as he watched his friend kneel down and present the protector's bracelet to the woman they both had been courting the past four days.

  Chosen by Jane, with the aid of the Ruby of Worth, it would glow every time a woman worthy to live in Kell came into the dating agency.

  The beautiful ebony-skinned woman had now chosen the youthful warrior, Kina. Melor turned away, marching quickly through the narrow halls. He had obviously wasted his time.

  In the city of Los Angeles, he met many beautiful earth women, of different sizes and personalities, the most desirable ones, soft tall with attractive curves to drive any sane Kell man mad with desire. His smiles and words of flattery; nothing but wasted breath for all eight women had chosen other Kell men, over him.

  Was he too gruff or tall for the smaller human woman? The other Kell men had been a few inches shorter. They had also cut their hair to attract a female, while he refused to change anything other than his clothing. Was he really so different and undesirable as a protector?

  He left the embracing couple, making his way to the adjoining comfortable room set up for Kell men. The larger sized room held a plain wooden table, a few chairs, some bookcases and a row of lockers. One to hold their weapons and another with larger sized human clothes so the Kell men could make themselves appear more human before they greeted the human women.

  He yanked open the cabinet which held his blades and clothing. He wanted to get back to the familiarity of his home; to ride his stag again and train with the other men. He needed to work out his angry disappointment before his rage got the better of him.

  "Melor?"

  A soft hand touched his arm. He spun around to stare straight at Lady Jane, wife or protected of his Kell commander Drystan.

  Concern shadowed her lovely blue gaze. He had been with the warrior party the day they found her. Jane had defied death after falling though a portal, which connected their worlds. Every warrior had desired her. She was the first female they had seen since the brutal murder of their own women and children by the Drac. But the Commander's fierce possessiveness over the earth woman made them all keep a safe distance.

  A pang of envy mixed with his rage. His hopes and expectations of finding one woman seemed to crumble at his feet. He longed to find a woman who looked at him the same way the other women looked at their Kell men. Every rejection left him feeling bitter and hollow inside.

  "Forgive me, Lady Jane." He stepped back to give her a respectful bow. "I wish to return to Kell. There is nothing for me here."

  "Don't lose heart, Melor. Just because you have not found your protected today, does not mean you won't. These things take time."

  "Do you know why? … Have any of the ladies told you why I am not worthy?" He needed to know, to understand.

  "I am sorry, Melor. One of them did mention you tended to scowl a lot, but you are far from unworthy. You are brave and handsome. I just know there is a lady out there for you. You should not let a few rejections make you give up. I know you would never give up in a battle." She raised a challenging eyebrow.

  Melor shook his head. "A battle and the blade is all I know. This battle of the heart is a very different matter. Not everyone is destined to find someone. My place is on Kell, to protect and guard the people, including the new women."

  Jane studied him for along moment. "I think you are wrong. I strongly believe there is someone for everyone. You need to believe it too."

  The conviction of her words did nothing to relieve the lonely ache in his heart. But he had made his choice.

  "I have been a warrior for too long; have witnessed and been the cause of too much death. Women from this world are not for me. I thank you for your concern and for your efforts, but I must insist on returning to Kell."

  Her chest heaved in a soft sigh. "Very well if that is what you want. There is another lady who's just come into the office, maybe…"

  "No," he snapped with a little more force than he had intended. He immediately regretted his burst of anger. Jane had worked tirelessly to help the men of Kell; to find them brides from among her people. Women who could accept the fact they were from another world. Women of great value and worth.

  "Forgive me. I would appreciate it if a portal back to Kell could be opened."

  "I shall go fetch the crystal and tell Drystan you are leaving." She turned away.

  Melor watched her walk out of the door. He ripped off the t-shirt, replacing the coarse fabric with the softer Kell shirt; put on his belt and attached the blade. His crystal dagger, he slipped into his boot.

  From his pocket, he pulled out the golden promise bracelet; the same one his father had given his mother. The gems gleamed even in the dull light of the artificially lit room. He shook his head before shoving the bracelet back into his pocket. Perhaps he would gift it to one of the younger warriors. His life and duty was to protect the Kingdom of Kell. He would continue to do so until the end of his days.

  Jane returned and close behind her was his commander, head of the King's warriors. They had fought many battles side by side and Melor was proud to see his commander so content with his protected lady. Cupped in his large arms, a little infant girl wiggled and fussed. The large man handed the babe to her mother.

  They named the first human-Kell child, Joy. He still remembered the week-long celebration; much Kell wine had been drunk by all.

  Kina walked in from the other room, tightly holding his new wife's hand.

  "Lady Jane, I wish to take my protected Lady Maria to Kell."

  "This is so exciting. I can hardly believe this is real, that I'd ever find someone as wonderful as Kina," the dark-haired beauty exclaimed, smiling up at her new protector.

  Melor stiffened and gave a curt bow to the couple. "Congratulations. May the Moon Goddess bless your union."

  Drystan stared at him. "Jane tells me you wish to leave too, Melor."

  "Yes, Commander. I think it best."

  "Not everyone finds their match first try, my friend. I hope you will come back and try again."

  Melor held his tongue not wishing to have another conversation as to his reasons in wanting to return to Kell.

  Drystan nodded. "Very well."

  Thankfully, his commander did not say anything else, but must have seen the unspoken words in the other man's eyes. No doubt the commander would speak when it was time to return to Kell.

  "Oh, isn't she the cutest little thing you ever saw?" Maria broke away from Kina to coo over the infant. Her round chubby face and wide, dark blue eyes made her the center of attention wherever Jane and Drystan took their daughter.

  Jane's smiled with loving pride.

  Another pang of envy hit him knowing he would never know the feeling of holding his own child. It did not matter anymore.

  "If you please commander, a portal." He did not wish to sound insistent, but being in the room with the happy couples made his stomach knot.

  Drystan pulled out
a long slim shiny black box from his back pocket. Opening it, he saw several gleaming blue gems. He picked one out, handing it Melor.

  "Proceed, and the portal will close after you. See the Palace courtyard in your mind and will it to open; and it shall."

  Melor took the gem, smooth and cool in his palm, and did as Drystan instructed. In his mind, he saw the wide expanse of calming grey stone of the floor, the tall walls of the palace imbued with colorful crystals. Before them a blue swirling mist began to grow rapidly until it was large enough to accommodate his size.

  Kina retrieved Maria, scooping her up into his arms. She gazed in awe at the amazing display of gently swirling blue mist.

  "It is a new custom to carry our protected through the portal." Kina grinned at Maria, carrying her forward, vanishing into the portal. Melor made to follow, but the infant's sudden screams jolted him, and he turned to look at her.

  Jane rocked her child trying to calm her, just as the ground began to shake under their feet.

  "Earthquake! Get under the door frame!" Jane yelled.

  Drystan grabbed hold of Jane and the baby, pushing them under the door frame and holding on to the edge.

  Melor lurched forward, unstable on the shaking ground. He braced his feet apart to steady himself. From the corner of his eye, he saw the normally placid swirling portal begin to spark. The swirl turned into a fast churning vortex. Bright blue and white lightning bolts shot out in haphazard directions. The lightning struck objects at random, exploding chairs into splinters, and shredding the books on the shelves.

  Melor ducked one lightning bolt as it whizzed by his ear narrowly missing his head and hitting the weapons locker behind him, blowing it into a million pieces. He dived and rolled to avoid a flying dagger. He jumped to his feet, right on the edge of the violent portal. His arms cart-wheeled as the ground continued to shake, but he was too far off balance; he tumbled backwards into the darkness.

  ~ * ~

  Summer Rose gritted her teeth, breathing through the pain in her right leg. Just another typical day. She really needed more painkillers but knew she shouldn't take any for another two hours.

  She wanted to curse a blue streak and rage at the flat tire, instead she stretched her back and wiped the sweat beading on her forehead with the back of her hand.

  "Mom, you okay?"

  Summer glanced up at Blossom, and her sole reason for living. "I'm okay, baby. I'll have it changed soon."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?" She'd been asking that same question for the past hour as Summer struggled to change the flat tire.

  The sun was setting and the Humboldt Redwood Forest Road could be treacherous at night with wildlife deciding to cross the road at any given time.

  Summer struggled to keep a clear head. With a final shove, the awkward tire slid into place on the wheel bolts.

  "Ha! Take that Mr. Simmons!"

  "Who's Mr. Simmons?"

  "My high school teacher, baby. He used to tell us girls were no good as mechanics."

  "Mom you are no good with mechanics." Her cheeky seven-year-old daughter grinned.

  Summer chuckled, gazing over Blossom's long soft, sandy brown hair. So much like her father's, but she had Summer's grey blue eyes. Big and wide with lovely long lashes. From the moment she held her baby girl in her arms and saw her big eyes, she knew her daughter would grow up to be a heartbreaker.

  She spun the bolts before using the tire iron to tighten them firmly. Pleased with her success, she pumped the jack to ease the car back onto the road. She wiped her dirty hands on her jeans and climbed to her knees, but could no longer ignore the painful throbbing in her right leg.

  "Mom?"

  "My pills baby, can you get them please?" To hell with waiting another two hours, she needed pain relief now.

  Blossom scurried around in the front seat of their truck.

  Most days she was good, but when she over-exerted her leg muscles, the pain deepened. Summer leaned against the car, drawing in slow breaths of mountain air.

  "Here Mom." Blossom placed the two pills into the palm of Summer's hand. She threw them back, gladly accepting the bottled water from her daughter, taking several long gulps.

  It was days like this Summer wished she'd listen to her mother and catch the next flight back to Australia.

  She shook her head. This was still Tyler's country, the place of their daughter's birth. She would honor him by doing what she believed he would want.

  "Thanks, baby." Summer smiled at Blossom.

  Blossom leaned in, wrapping her arms around Summer. She breathed in her daughter's soft fresh scent of the floral shampoo they used at home.

  "C'mon my little Koala, let's head home."

  Blossom helped throw the jack and tire iron into the trunk before climbing in and buckling up their seatbelts. It wasn't long before they moved along the well known road towards home. They were five miles outside of Fortuna, on the outskirts of Humbodt Redwood Forest.

  Summer listened to her daughter talk about the pony one of her girl-guide friends owned.

  Summer home-schooled Blossom, but still went into town three times a week letting her daughter interact and play with kids her own age.

  "White as snow, Mom. I'd love a pony like that."

  Summer hid her smile at Blossom's pleading tone. She kept her eyes on the road as it wound round the next bend.

  "You know as well I do, we can't keep a horse or a pony. They require a lot of care, and you know I can't do much, baby."

  Blossom sighed. "I know."

  Summer's heart ached, wishing she could give in to her wants and desires, but Summer was physically limited with what she could do.

  A sudden streak of lightning tore through the sky making Summer and Blossom glance upwards.

  "Wow, Mom. Did you see that?"

  "Strange, I didn't see any sign of a storm earlier. I can still see the stars."

  Summer jumped when bright blue and white lightning sparked from above. Blossom screamed in fright as a large dark figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the road out of nowhere.

  She slammed on the brakes. Wheels squealed as the car skidded across the road. A loud thump. Summer's stomach pitched as everything came to a standstill. Her whole body shook. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her fingers burned in pain. The pounding of her heart thrummed in her ears, as her memories came back of herself screaming desperately, trying to get to Tyler's broken body crushed under six tons of twisted burning metal. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth, the smoke choking her lungs, for a moment suddenly she was back there again.

  "Mom?"

  Summer choked back a sob, turning to examine her daughter. Trembling, she fumbled with her seat belt before reaching for Blossom and pulling her into a tight embrace.

  "Oh God baby, are you okay?"

  "Yeah, Mom, let go. You're crushing me," Blossom's voice muffled against her chest. She pulled back letting her daughter breathe. Summer sucked in air through her nose, letting it out through her mouth, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

  "I'm okay, but I think we hit something."

  "I know, stay in the car. Hopefully it's just a deer, or a smaller animal."

  From the shadow, Summer could have sworn it was a person rather than an animal. She prayed she was wrong. Sucking in a deep breath, she opened her door, easing her feet onto the ground.

  Using her car to lean on, she inched around the truck. The dim light of the vehicle's interior, cast light on the figure. She limped forward before sinking to her knees beside the huge man who lay in the middle of the road.

  "Good God, Mister. Where the hell did you come from?" She touched his shoulders gently.

  He let out a pained groan, his eyes fluttered open for just a moment, before closing again. "Kell," mumbled his deep rich voice. "Must go home..."

  "Mister, you're in Humboldt Redwood Forest. Were you hiking? Where's your home?"

  Carefully she ran her hands over his large muscular
limbs searching for broken bones, ignoring the fact she encountered what appeared to be a long sword attached to his thick belt. When she reached his head, in the dim light she could just see the fine angle of his jaw; sensual looking full lips. Instantly, she wanted to see what he looked like in full light.

  "Mister, I can't find anything broken, but most definitely you've hit your head. Can you get up?"

  Every part of the man's body went limp as he slumped into unconsciousness. Good God, what was she going to do now? Her limbs shook in panic, making her whole body ache.

  Stay calm, think clearly. She couldn't leave him here, nor could she simply wait for someone to happen by. She had no choice but to move him; she wasn't far from home.