The Crowns Curse

Chapter 31

Emma

Emma limped over to the door. Who was there? 

The doctor opened the door. “Is something the matter?” he asked. 

Emma peered around him and saw a large group standing around the house. 

“Are you Dr Emmett Cooke?” a woman asked. 

“Yes I am, Ma’am.” Mr. Cooke nodded. “What is your problem?” 

“We need your help. Our doctor’s office collapsed with our resident doctor in it.” the woman explained. 

Emma gasped. 

“Is the doctor  alright?” Mr. Cooke asked, worry flashing in his eyes. 

“No one knows. There is rubble everywhere, not one person can get around it to get to the doctor.” the woman said, her worry growing more prominent. 

“Daddy? What happened?” Olive asked, wrapping her arms around her father’s leg. 

“Stay here, Olive. Daddy needs to help these poor people with something. Stay here with Isaac and Mama, ok?” Mr. Cooke explained, patting Olive on the head. 

“Ok!” Olive ran off, deeper into the house. 

“Kayson, Emma, come with me.” Mr. Cooke instructed. 

Emma looked to Kayson. He nodded, then they both followed Mr. Cooke out of the house. “What happened?” she asked someone nearby. 

“Someone came to town and wrecked the place. Everything is in shambles.” a man explained. 

Emma felt her face pale. Could that have been Xander? “Kayson.” Emma waved him over. “I was right. My dreams always come true.” she whispered. 

“What do you mean?” Kayson matched her tone. 

“The town has been destroyed.” her voice was barely a whisper. 

“And Xander?” Kayson stepped closer. 

“I think he was the one who destroyed it.” 

“KAYSON WOOD!!! GET OVER HERE RIGHT THIS MOMENT!!!” a woman yelled. 

Kayson’s face reddened. 

“Who is that?” Emma asked, looking around for who called out. 

“My mother.” Kayson looked down at his feet. 

Emma held back a laugh. 

A woman a little shorter than Kayson walked up and grabbed him by the ear. “WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN?!” she hissed. 

“Ah, ah, Mother, can you let go of my ear please?” Kayson asked, trying to escape his mother’s grasp. 

Kayson’s mother sighed, then pulled him into a hug. 

Kayson winced. 

“Kayson, you're hurt!” his mother backed away, placing her hands on his shoulders. 

“Yeah, not like it's really hard to tell.” Kayson gripped his side. 

“What happened?” Mrs. Wood asked, her face full of worry. 

“I-” 

“Emma!” Father’s voice sounded behind her. 

Emma whipped around. “Father?” 

“Oh, thank the heavens you are safe, Emma!” Father pulled her into a hug. 

“Emma!” a familiar voice sounded behind Father. “Where have you been?” 

Emma backed out of her father’s embrace and looked to see who was there. “Mother?” Emma felt her eyes tear up. 

“Oh, Emma. What happened?” her mother also pulled her in an embrace. 

“We- I-'' Emma couldn't speak. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her mother was there, holding her in her arms. “I’ve missed you, Mother.” her voice was almost a silent whisper. 

“I have missed you too, my dear. It has been far too long.” Mother squeezed her tighter. 

“Emma.” Kayson’ voice sounded behind her. 

She slowly, reluctantly, pulled away from her mother’s embrace, turning to face him. 

“Look,” he pointed at a tall pile of rubble. 

Atop the pile was a familiar figure. Xander. 

“Is that the cursed queen’s crown?” Father asked, fear mixing with uncertainty in his voice. 

“It is indeed.” Xander walked down to them, stopping in front of Emma. “And she led me right to it.” he smirked. 

“You WHAT?!?” Both Mother and Father turned to her. Emma flinched. 

“Can we talk about this elsewhere ? Somewhere private?” she asked. 

“Alright.” Father sighed. 

Mother, Father, Kayson, his mother, and Dr. Cooke followed her around a patch of rubble, and far enough from the crowd to be out of earshot. Xander had started following at first, but Kayson told him off. 

Once everyone was settled, and quiet, they all got a better look at each other. Kayson’s mother’s jaw dropped when her gaze landed on Dr. Cooke. 

“Emmett?” she asked. 

Dr. Cooke narrowed his gaze, then a look of recognition crossed his face. “Lillian?” 

“You two know each other?” Kayson asked. 

Dr. Cooke took in a small, barely audible breath. He looked at Kayson. “You are Kayson Wood. My nephew!” 

Kayson stood in shock. 

Doctor Emmettt Cooke was Kayson’s uncle? That was an unexpected surprise. “Now is no time for a reunion.” Emma said. Though she would very much liked to have sat there all day, catching up with her mother. 

“Right. What are we going to do about this new problem?” Kayson asked. He turned to Emma. 

“Emma,” Father looked at her, his expression blank. “Why did Mr. Brooke have the queen’s crown, and why did he say you led him to it? Is that where you have been these past few days?” 

Emma looked down at the ground. How was she supposed to answer this? Father would be furious to find out she had disobeyed him and gone after the thing that had cursed her in the first place, but she needed his and her mother’s help to fix this wrong. 

Realization touched every line on Mother’s face. “You wanted to be free.”