“Morale?”
“Yes, your little… well… ambushes, your personality and flare, it not only keeps the Cavalry on their toes, but wanting to be here. It’s a hard job, pretty thankless, and there are little rewards. Your presence just happens to be one of them.”
Emily frowned, “Are you kidding?”
Silas laughed, “No.”
She crossed her arms, “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” Mark said. “Just because you normally have ulterior motives for everything, doesn’t mean we do.”
“If Kralen agrees to stay, then I’ll think about it, but I need a few days.”
Silas nodded, “Agreed then, we’ll talk again on Saturday.”
“Oh, and Em?” Mark said.
“Yes?” Emily looked over at him.
“Tase me again… and I’ll bite you.”
She gasped, “No!”
“Yes”
Silas laughed and opened the door, but stopped when he immediately came face-to-face with Chevalier.
“Late?” Chevalier asked, raising an eyebrow.
Emily sighed, “Yes.”
“Come on,” he said, and put a hand out.
“If you’re late for something, we can take you,” Silas said as he walked out of Mark’s office.
Chevalier chuckled, “Won’t help.”
Silas shrugged and followed Chevalier and Emily to their room. He stood outside of the door when they went inside.
“How late?” he asked when they were alone.
“A week… but Kralen’s not picking anything up.”
“Let me try,” he said, and she held her wrist out. He grinned, shook his head, and then picked her up so he could more easily smell along her neck. He set her down after kissing her softly, “Nothing.”
“Taste then,” she said, frowning.
“Taste?”
“Yes, it’s more accurate, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Just not my neck,” she told him, and held her wrist out.
“You sure?”
“Yes”
In one fluid movement, he pinned her to the bed and sunk his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck. Emily started to protest, but felt herself relax under his body. When he finished, he pressed his lips to hers and then laughed when she tried to slap him, but he caught her hand.
“I said wrist,” she growled.
“I’m your husband, I don’t have to use your wrist,” he told her, and then kissed her again.
“You do if I tell you to,” she said, and tried to get up, but he held her down.
“Oh? So I have to do as you say?”
“Yes”
***
“So what’s up with you, power struggles, and sex?” Emily asked, and looked up from the bed at him.
Chevalier shrugged and grinned, “No idea.”
“We gotta stop this,” she said, and leaned her head on his bare chest.
“Why’s that?”
“I keep getting pregnant.”
“We don’t know that yet. I don’t detect anything.”
“Yet,” she mumbled.
He kissed the top of her head softly, “I’m sure we’ll know for certain by the time I get back.”
“I forgot you’re leaving again.”
“I’ll only be gone two days.”
“Great, just enough time to get eaten.”
He grinned again, “Have Mark check, will you?”
“I tried that, remember, and you almost tore Kralen a new one.”
“Just have Mark do it… smell only.”
“Fine, who are you taking?” she asked, and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Kyle, Jerry, and Dustin.”
Emily looked over at him and smiled, “Thank you.”
Chapter 8 - Doppelgangers
“Emily?” Zohn whispered, and touched her shoulder. Emily jerked out of a deep sleep and jumped out of bed.
She looked around the dark room and her eyes fell on Zohn.
“I’m sorry to wake you,” he said, and stood up.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, “What’s up?”
“Chevalier is missing.”
“Missing?” she gasped.
“Yes, he, Kyle, Jerry, and Dustin were supposed to be at the Lake Placid Coven last night and didn’t show up. We’ve tried all three cell phones, and no one’s answering.”
“Did they fly?”
“No, Dustin drove his car. The Lake Placid Coven’s been out all night and hasn’t seen any sign of it.”
Emily looked around the room, still confused, “We’ll go then, drive the route and find them.”
“Quinn and the Cavalry already went out. There’s no sign of them,” Zohn said, and watched her, concerned.
“What kind of mission was it?” Emily asked, and picked Dain up when he came out of his room.
“Nothing bad. The Coven Lord asked that some of the Council come to a medal ceremony.”
“Where’s Daddy?” Dain asked, looking up at Emily.
“He’s just away, Baby.”
“We’re still looking and we’ve sent someone to each faction in case this is an attack.”
Emily frowned and put Dain down on the floor, “I’ll go look then.”
“We need you to stay here.”
“No! I can find them.”
“If this is an attack, then we need you in the safety of the palace.”
“No!”
“It’s more important that you stay safe.”
Emily sunk back down on the bed, “I can find him.”
“We’re looking,” Zohn said, and watched her briefly before leaving.
She picked Dain up again and held him close to her, “Alexis?”
A few minutes later, Alexis came in as she read a book, “Yeah Mom?”
Emily turned to her and frowned. Since Alexis’ incident with Gabe, her guard, she’d taken to wearing all black and always looked depressed.
“Your Dad is missing,” she said, and sighed when Alexis shrugged.
“He’ll turn up.”
“Alex… he’s missing. He could be hurt.”
“He’s fine, he’s heku,” she said, and sat down by the fire.
“Way to care, Alex,” Emily growled, and started for the door. She opened it and was immediately blocked by Silas, Kralen, and two other members of the Cavalry.
“We can’t let you go, Em,” Kralen told her. “We’ll find him.”
Emily set Dain down, “I just need to talk to Mark.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“He’s in his office,” Silas said, and moved aside. Kralen alone followed Emily up the stairs and she knew why. She’d promised not to slip him when he agreed to be her guard again.
Emily knocked and then stepped in when Mark called for her. She shut the door behind him and watched him for a few seconds.
Mark looked up, “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Did Chev… tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“What I need you to do?”
Mark leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
She sighed, “I need you to smell my wrist.”
“Why?” he asked, frowning.
“Just do, please,” she said, and held out her hand.
“Tell me why first. It’s not proper.”
“Come on, Mark, it’s bad enough…”
“No, tell me why and I’ll tell you if it’s something I’ll do.”
“Chev said to ask you.”
“The Elder said nothing to me.”
“Fine, then I’ll ask Kralen again,” she said, and turned for the door, but he was already standing in front of it. “I hate when you do that.”
“Why?”
“It’s shocking to suddenly see someone appear.”
“Not that, Em…” he said, and rolled his eyes.
“Oh… well… you can’t tel
l anyone, not even the Council.”
“The Elder said this?”
“Not that part, that’s my request.”
“Tell me, and then I’ll decide if I’ll keep it a secret,” Mark said, and didn’t move from the door.
Emily shifted nervously and looked down at her hands, then whispered, “I need to know if I’m pregnant.”
“Oh,” Mark said, his eyes wide.
She held her wrist out and without another word, Mark took her hand and inhaled deeply at her wrist, ignoring the way it made him salivate. He shut his eyes and calmed the thirst before speaking, “It’s normal.”
“Thanks,” she said, and started around him.
“How long?”
She shrugged, “Just a little late is all… the scent usually doesn’t come this early, but he wants me to have you check while he’s gone, so no one tries to eat me.”
Mark smiled slightly, “They better not.”
“I’ll have you check tomorrow,” she said, and he moved aside so she could leave. She blushed when she saw Kralen and he looked at Mark and shrugged before following her back to her room.
“What do you want for breakfast?” Silas asked when he saw her return.
“Nothing,” she mumbled, and opened the door.
Kralen touched her shoulder, “We’re not going to let you starve while the Elder is away.”
“Away? You mean missing?”
“What do you want?”
“Coffee,” she whispered and shut the door. She looked up and saw Dain and Alexis on the floor staring at each other, “What are you doing?”
Neither of them moved, so she went over to look out the window, “They won’t let me go after your Dad.”
Neither responded, so she turned and looked at them again. They were sitting cross-legged, facing each other. She stepped closer and saw that their breathing was in sync.
“Dain!” she said, and rushed forward. She knelt down and looked closer. Alexis had a vacant expression and Dain was whispering too softly for Emily to hear.
“Dain, stop it!” Emily hissed, and pulled on his arm. His expression didn’t change, but his concentration deepened and he kept his eyes locked on Alexis’.
“Silas!” Emily yelled, and stood up when they walked in. “What’s he doing!?”
Silas immediately appeared at Dain and pulled the young heku to his feet. Dain looked up at Silas and then back to Alexis. Kralen was knelt down by Alexis, but she was still staring off into nothing.
“What’s going on?” Emily asked, and knelt down by Alexis.
“What did you tell her?” Silas asked Dain, and picked him up by his shoulders.
Dain shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“What!” Silas yelled, and shook Dain briefly.
Dain glared at him, “She was being mean.”
Kralen immediately re-locked Alexis’ gaze and was softly talking to her.
“Dain!” Emily screamed, and pulled him from Silas. “What did you do?”
“She was being mean,” Dain repeated.
“Never… ever, do that to her. Do you hear me?”
Dain nodded and looked over as Alexis began to stir. Kralen finally stood up and helped Alexis to her feet.
“You little vamp!” Alexis screamed, and started for Dain. Emily turned to block Dain, but he was gone.
Silas sighed, “I’ll get him.”
She watched as Silas blurred from the room.
“Are you ok?” she asked, and knelt down beside Alexis.
“I hate being human!” the teenager screamed, and stormed out of the room.
Emily looked over at Kralen, “Maybe we were both better off in prison.”
Kralen grinned, “I know I was.”
“Hey,” Emily gasped, and he walked out and shut the door. She could hear him laughing in the hallway.
She sat in the bay window and looked out over the city, wondering what happened to Chevalier.
***
“Kyle?” Dustin whispered, and shook him as Jerry watched.
Kyle opened his eyes and sat up quickly, “Where are we?”
They all looked around the deep hole they were in. It was a cylindrical room of dirt and the only light came from over fifty feet above them.
“I don’t know,” Dustin said, and turned to look at the walls.
“Where’s the Elder?”
“I haven’t seen him either, course… you just showed up. I’ve been here for 3 days.”
“Down here?”
“Yes”
Kyle sighed, “I was being interrogated by the Encala.”
“I figured,” Jerry said, and looked up. “I assume the Elder is being interrogated also. What were they asking about?”
“Mostly about some of our big covens, strengths, numbers, outposts, that sort of thing.”
“Nothing about Emily?” Dustin asked, shocked.
“Nope, though I can’t help but think this is in retaliation for her taking Frederick.”
***
“Em?” Kralen said after knocking on the door.
“Come in,” she called out. Kralen came in and found her sitting in the bay widow again. She hadn’t eaten since Chevalier disappeared and spent most of her time sitting in the window looking out. Alexis was back in school, and Dain was attending his classes with two guards to watch him. In the last couple of days, he’d locked Alexis’ gaze four times and twice attempted to lock Emily’s.
“He’s back,” Kralen told her and smiled.
Emily gasped and stood up, “He is?”
“Yes, he’s in the garage.”
She ran past him and headed quickly down the stairs, taking two at a time in bare feet. Her four guards ran behind her, also glad to see the four missing council members back safely. When she saw him, she ran to him and put her arms around him.
“I don’t think so, just a random unfactioned I think,” Chevalier said to Zohn. Zohn was surprised that Chevalier didn’t react to Emily’s hug.
“Are they dead?”
“Yeah, we killed them all,” Kyle said, and started inside.
Emily looked up at Chevalier, “Are you ok?”
“I’m heku,” he said, and pulled away from her to walk after Kyle and Jerry. Dustin followed him in and Emily glanced back at Kralen, and they went into the palace.
They all walked into the council chambers and when Chevalier sat in his chair and turned toward Quinn, Emily sat down beside him.
“Good to have you back,” Quinn said, and smiled.
“It’s those unfactioned, not Ferus, but unfactioned… They wanted information on the palace,” Chevalier told him.
Emily sat quietly behind him and watched how Kyle, Jerry, and Dustin were whispering in the corner.
“It was stupid for them to think they would get information from you,” Zohn said.
“It was, but we handled them. What is going on here?” Chevalier asked.
“It’s been quiet. We’ve spent most of our resources looking for you four.”
Emily reached down under the desk to take Chevalier’s hand, but he pulled his out of hers and opened up the log book for the last few days. She frowned slightly and then quietly stood up and left.
“Dain’s been… controlling Alexis a lot lately,” the Chief Interrogator told him.
Chevalier shrugged, “He’s heku, it’s his right.”
Quinn frowned, “It is?”
“Yes… why has J.R. been put on suspension?”
“He snuck out again to meet up with a donor,” Zohn told him.
“Kill him, that’s my suggestion then. Suspension is too lenient.”
“We considered it, but he’s very young,” Quinn said.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Zohn started to say something, but stopped. Chevalier usually gave young heku one chance before banishment, but this heku had been in no trouble until now.
“What else?” Chevalier asked, and looked up.
Quinn cleared his throat, “We’re
ready for the Madden trial.”
“Good, let’s get it over with.”
“Don’t you want to rest? It could take weeks.”
“No, let’s do it,” Chevalier told him.
“You don’t want time with the family first?”
“Oh right, yes, just an hour or so,” he said, then stood up and blurred away.
Emily looked over from the bay window when Chevalier walked in and she set her book down, “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Yes, I would imagine,” he said, and sat down on a chair by the fire. “Come, we must talk.”
“Ok,” she said, and sat her book down before moving to a chair beside him.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think over the last few days, and I’m not sure our current arrangement is working.”
“Arrangement?”
“Yes, by keeping Frederick, you proved to me that you may not be ready to run free with the heku, and I think it’s time to rein you in,” he told her, and sat back in the chair.
Emily frowned, “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is… no more running around the palace. If you need to go somewhere, then you’ll need to have your guards ask permission.”
“What?” she whispered.
“You have to see how Frederick’s capture put a strain on our marriage, and right now, I’m not sure it’s working out.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Well it did. I don’t feel as close to you, and I don’t feel as though I can trust you… It’s going to take a while to get that back.”
The cold way he spoke sent chills up her spine, “Chev…”
“We’ll try the new way. See if I can learn to trust you again or if you are too loose of a cannon for this to work. I took a big risk bringing a human into the palace, and I see now that may have been a mistake.”
“I don’t understand what…”
“Alexis has the same rules you do.”
“But…”
“Dain is free to roam the palace. He’s full heku and will be treated as such,” Chevalier told her, and then stood.
Emily just watched him. Her heart sunk at how quickly she could lose him now.
He opened the door and then turned around, “Pick up this room, it’s a mess.”
She nodded and he shut the door behind her. She looked around the massive room and saw only one pair of shoes sitting out of place. She got up and put them away and then returned to the window to think.
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 21