The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Two: Welcome Home

The black hooves pounded the ground, flinging clots of dirt up into the air. The horse neighed, and shook its head whishing its hair against Rose. She giggled and hugged the horse, rubbing her face gently against its neck.

Keeping his hands firmly around her so she didn’t fall off, Kei grinned to himself. The steed had found the moment he had left the castle. Somehow it had walked across the moat; probably the goddesses had something to do with it.

And now they were on their way back to Vraik. How he was ever going to explain Rose to Durlock, he didn’t know. But if worse came to worse he would let Hilda take care of her. Hilda might not be so good at being a mother, but he would find out. She did take pretty good care of him, so go figure.

“Hey, papa.” Rose turned her head slightly and whipped him in the face.

“I’m not your papa.” How many times did he have to tell her before she would understand that? He was only nineteen, and nowhere near the time of having a child. Although a lot of men his age had children… “Anyways, go on Rose.” She just bit her lower lip and tears weld up in her eyes. Her arms unraveled from the horse’s neck to cross over her chest.

“You are too my papa.” She was pouting now. Great. “You have ta be papa.” A few drops tumbled down her tiny cheeks and his stomach flipped.

“Fine.” Magically the tears disappeared, and she smiled. Kei kicked the horse to go faster, rolling his eyes at himself. Hard to believe a five year old girl could fool him like that. Him, the prince who used to pull tricks and do acting tricks on people. How the mighty have fallen.

“Where we going?” Rose tugged on the horse’s hair playfully.

“We’re heading to a place called Vraik. It’s very far away.” He reached out and patted the horse. “But thanks to this horse here, we’re going to get there very soon.”

“You mean Nightgale.”

“Who?”

“The horse.” Rose hit the steed on his head. “His name is Nightgale.”

“Whatever.” So this is what it was like to have children. There was another moment of silence before she started speaking again. She went on about all kinds of things like how pretty the trees looked, how Nightgale was a perfect horse, how Vraik sounded funny among a thousand other things. He should have felt annoyed—which he did a bit—but he felt happy instead. He saved this girl from a horrible past, and would give her the best future he could.    

A small snore, and then a tiny hand grasped his hand. Rose had fallen asleep while he lost himself in thoughts. Suddenly she screamed and her entire body shook. Nightgale slowed to a walk but didn’t stop. What could he do? He’d never taken care of a child before.

Rose screamed again and began to sob, so Kei turned her around and hugged her fiercely. He kept her as close as possible and as her body trembled in imagined fright, tears rolled down his own cheeks. What horrors she must have experience by Zellock to have this happen.

All through the night he held her close while Nightgale traveled towards Vraik. Her breathing softened and her body calmed as the sun rose up to announce that dawn had come. Rose snuggled deeper into his chest and breathed in relief. The worst was over, and now she could sleep in peace.

Kei touched his eye patch in wonder, but quickly replaced it around Rose to keep her from falling. It was a mysterious eye and supposedly belonged to the Goddess of Chaos. Though supposedly was not the best word to use after that vision. But what had she meant by her champion? If each Goddess had their own champion then Kei doubted he was the only one in the world with these strange powers.