***
Zohn sighed and looked down at Sotomar, who was standing in the trial area with four Imperial Guards, “We have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes you do!” he yelled. “You cannot decide for the entire species to eliminate a faction.”
“We can and we have.”
“Are they all dead then?”
“No, not yet,” Quinn told him. “I would suspect as soon as Emily is better and Chevalier returns, he will deal with them though.”
“No!” Sotomar shouted. “You cannot kill off the last Encala.”
“Again… we can,” Zohn said.
Quinn began to yell, but stopped and frowned when the smell of death filled the palace, “What in the hell is that?”
The Chief Investigator wrinkled his nose, “Someone in the palace died?”
The door to the council chambers violently tore from the hinges as Chevalier walked in, Emily still cradled in his arms.
“No!” Quinn yelled, and stood up.
Zohn was too shocked to speak and could do nothing but look at Sotomar when the enemy Elder stepped toward Chevalier.
“What… no,” Sotomar gasped.
Dustin quietly whispered to clear out the city and the palace immediately.
Chevalier looked up at the Council with hatred in his eyes and they knew immediately that he was beyond reason. Sotomar suddenly stepped back to avoid becoming Chevalier’s target, and he slowly slunk back into the shadows.
Chevalier turned and walked out of the council chambers, then headed up the stairs. He gently laid Emily in bed and covered her with a blanket, and then ordered the fires stoked. When he turned, the Council was standing in the room behind him.
Zohn sat down beside Emily in bed and took her cold hand, “Child…”
Quinn could feel his temper raging out of control and stepped back, unsure of where to go to get the revenge he needed.
“No one touches her until she wakes up,” Chevalier growled, and then disappeared from the room. The Council heard him call for the Cavalry, and preparations were made to find Frederick.
“Call Storm and Anna,” the Chief of Defense whispered.
“No!” Alexis screamed, running into the room. She stood between the Council and Emily’s bed and looked at them. No one would meet her eyes, “No one touches her until she wakes up.”
“I don’t think she’s going to wake up,” Dr. Edwards whispered.
Alexis glared at him, “You all told Mom that Dain was dead when he wasn’t! You aren’t touching her.”
“Dain is a heku…”
“No!” Alexis said again, and Dain appeared beside her. He crouched slightly and his hands balled into fists.
Dr. Edwards took a step back, afraid the young heku’s temper might flare out of control.
“No one touches her,” Dain repeated.
The Council backed out of Emily’s room and met in the conference room. They shut the door and Derrick stood guard as they secretly met.
“Can she still survive?” the Chief of Staff whispered.
“I don’t know… this isn’t an illness…” Quinn said, his eyes full of pain.
“She knew,” Zohn said, and looked around the room. “She told us and we didn’t believe her or prepare for the aftermath.”
“As soon as word gets out, things are going to get nasty,” the Faction Liaison Officer said. “We need to bring in more guards and prepare for a pilgrimage.”
“How long do we wait before we make funeral arrangements?” the Court Reporter asked.
Quinn shook his head, “She can’t be gone.”
“We need to decide what to do with the Elder and Chief Enforcer,” Dustin said softly. “They are no longer in their right minds and are a danger to both themselves and all heku.”
“She warned us that would happen,” the Records Keeper said, and then leaned his head into his hands.
“Do we imprison Chevalier and Kyle then?” the Chief of Staff asked.
“I’d rather not try that, myself,” Dustin said.
“No, we don’t,” Zohn told them. “It is their right to seek revenge if that’s what they want to do.”
“How do we protect the city?”
“By letting them be,” Quinn said. “We let them get their aggressions out and plan the funeral ourselves.”
The Court Reporter sighed, “Storm and Anna were summoned. They should be here within the next few hours to ready… her.”
Quinn frowned and then disappeared from the room. As the door slammed shut, Zohn turned to the others, “Stay out of the way of anyone involved with Emily… that not only means Chevalier and Kyle, but possibly the entire Cavalry and most of the palace staff.”
“And the children?” Dustin asked.
“Dain will be our biggest threat. Don’t catch Alexis’ eye and hope that Allen has some control over them.”
Dustin nodded, “I’ll call in Powan… though I suspect Thukil won’t be much help.”
Zohn sighed, “No, they won’t be. You may call them though, they can assist Chevalier in whatever capacity he sees fit.”
“We did tell Emily that Dain was dead when he was not,” the Chief of Defense said, mostly to himself. “Maybe we should give her time to heal.”
“Dain is full heku,” Dustin said. “Emily was only 51%.”
“Enough that she heals and doesn’t age,” the Chief of Finances reminded them.
“Let’s wait three days then,” Zohn said. “After that time we will need to bury her.”
The Council agreed and adjourned. Most of them wanted to get out of the city and into the safety of their individual covens.
***
“Where is she?” Chevalier growled, and took an ominous step toward the other Elders.
“Chevalier… we have to bury her,” Zohn told him.
Quinn sighed and looked at the Elder, “We’ve let her heal for three days… she’s gone.”
“I said no one touches her!” Chevalier yelled.
“You have to listen to us,” Zohn said. “She’s gone. Anna and Storm have prepared her to be buried. We’ve tripled the guards in the city, thousands of heku from around the world have come to see her laid to rest.”
“She can’t be gone,” he whispered.
Quinn put a hand on his shoulder, “She is. Now we need to prepare for the aftermath and it would help if you were there.”
Chevalier sat down in a chair in the conference room and looked down at his blood caked hands. He hadn’t sat down since he laid Emily in her bed, and had been killing suspected Encala since then. His shirt was torn and crusted in blood, but Frederick hadn’t yet been caught.
“The burial is tonight,” Quinn told him. “We’ve chosen to bury her near Maleth and Jaron.”
Chevalier couldn’t speak. Up until that moment, he truly believed she would recover. As the seconds ticked past, his rage grew and an emptiness unfamiliar to him filled his heart.
“You need to be there,” Zohn whispered.
Chevalier nodded slowly.
“We’ve taken care of everything, but the kids are going to need you. Especially Alexis.”
“Where is she?” he asked, and finally looked up at his fellow Elders.
“She’s in her room with Dain. No one can get near her.”
Quinn sighed, “We’re heading out to begin choosing who will be allowed to attend the burial. We can’t accommodate everyone, but there are some she would want to be… some she would want to be there.”
Quinn found it hard to talk through his rage. He knew he had to keep it controlled until Chevalier was more in control of his. Things had to be done and it wouldn’t wait for anyone.
Chevalier nodded, got up slowly, and walked out of the conference room.
Zohn and Quinn started out for the stables, where the Council City and Thukil Cavalries were waiting for instructions.
Zohn stepped up beside Mark and swallowed before speaking, “We… we will allow only 100 into th
e cemetery.”
Everyone was silent as they watched him. Most were still in shock at the death of their precious charge and Commander. Each was personally anxious to get out and find Frederick, to make him pay for what he’d taken from them.
“There are a few that will be allowed in immediately,” Quinn said when Zohn could no longer speak. “Obviously Lord and Lady Thukil will be let in, along with General Skinner.”
There was a pause while Quinn composed himself, “Lord Dexter, Lord and Lady Bradford from Hall Coven, Lord Taylor from Michael’s Coven, and we believe Lord Clark should be able to attend.”
Zohn simply nodded and followed Derrick out of the stables when he called for him.
Quinn thought for a moment, “The Cavalries have their assignments. Powan and Banks have agreed to patrol the city and make sure no one will get in that’s not preapproved. For now, keep your eyes out and I’ll go select the others we’re going to let in.”
When the Cavalries left solemnly, Quinn turned to Zohn when he returned.
“The Valle Council has arrived and are asking for permission to attend.”
Quinn sighed, “What did you tell them?”
“I told them Sotomar and Ryan would be let in, but that’s all.”
Quinn smiled slightly, “She did always consider them friends.”
“They also want to help find Frederick.”
“No, that is something we need to do.”
“I told them that and they agreed to return to their city after the funeral.”
One of the prison guards called to Zohn from the doors to the stables, “Elder?”
Zohn turned to him, “Yes?”
“Encala Elder William is asking to speak to you immediately.”
“Is he going to tell us where Frederick is?”
“No, Elder. He wants to go to the ceremony.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed, “No.”
“He said that we can’t deny that he and… Lady Emily… were friends and he wants to be there.”
“If he shows up,” Zohn said. “I have no doubt that he will be dead before he steps foot near the casket.”
The prison guard nodded and walked back to the palace. Over the next few hours, Quinn and Zohn fielded requests from Coven Dignitaries to attend the funeral. They made decisions based on encounters the dignitaries had with Emily and soon had filled each seat in the cemetery.
Dustin came into the stables with their green robes, “Elders, it’s time to gather.”
They both pulled on the ceremonial robes and followed the Council out to the cemetery. Lord and Lady Thukil were already seated as Lady Thukil sobbed tearlessly into a tissue while Lord Thukil scanned the area carefully.
Five chairs sat in front of the others, and the Council took up the spots immediately behind them. When Chevalier, Kyle, Allen, Alexis, and Dain appeared, the gathered heku stood slowly and lowered their eyes out of respect. Alexis was clinging tightly to Chevalier’s arm and her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
The five of them sat down in front of the prepared grave without saying a word. Zohn stood and motioned for Emily to be brought out. He noticed Sotomar and Ryan standing off to the side, watching the proceedings, each with a look of disbelief and anguish on their faces.
A lone trumpet sounded from a distance, playing Chopin’s funeral march as the Thukil and Council City Cavalries formed a mounted line from the palace doors to the cemetery.
Mark was the first to step out of the palace in full dress-uniform. Behind him, Silas and Kralen carried the maroon, gold encrusted casket. The pain in their eyes was evident as they slowly walked past the line of Cavalry. Each member of the Cavalry, in turn, bowed slightly to their Commander as she past.
Alexis started to cry harder when the casket was gently placed over the burial sight and Kyle wrapped an arm around her. Mark, Silas, and Kralen all turned and bowed to Chevalier, and then took their places off to the left of the crowd.
Quinn took a deep breath and stood up slowly. He walked over to stand beside the casket and spoke as soon as he could control his voice, “Thank you all for coming.”
He took a second, again regaining control, “What does one say when a friend passes? What does one do when someone you care so deeply about is lost?”
“This mortal came to our lives 23 years ago and gently worked her way into our hearts. She saved the faction, she saved the species, and she changed how we all view the mortals that share our existence.”
“Emily leaves behind a legacy that will forever be in our minds and in our hearts. Never before has anyone united the three factions in a friendship that had never before been imagined. Even when that ended, she still felt friendship with them, showing her kind spirit and loving heart.”
“She embodied undying loyalty to the Equites and will be laid to rest among our most prestigious dead… never to be forgotten.”
Alexis stood slowly, her eyes fixed on the casket, “Stop this! She’s not dead.”
Allen stood and pulled her against him, “Alex…”
“No!” she screamed, and pulled away from him. “You can’t bury her! She’ll wake up afraid and cold… she’s always cold.”
“Alex, come on,” Allen said, and tried to pull her gently back to the chair.
“You told me she was going to be ok!” Alexis yelled at her Dad. “You said she was going to heal.”
Chevalier couldn’t think. Her words dug into his soul and his temper again began to rise above what he could control.
Silas moved forward and took Alexis from her brother. He wrapped his arms around her and she cried against his chest as Chevalier quietly watched the small casket.
“Emily…” Quinn started, but had to stop when his throat closed off and his heart sunk.
Sotomar quietly stepped forward and put his hand lightly on Quinn’s shoulder. When no one came to stop him, he recited the ancient burial incantation, his voice rising powerfully above the burial ground of the enemy faction. When he finished the ancient verses, he quietly stepped back to his fellow Valle and lowered his eyes.
Chevalier stood slowly as the casket was lowered into the ground. Silas gently picked Alexis up when she lunged for the casket, and took her into the palace. Allen watched breathlessly as his mother was forever buried in the cold ground.
Mark took a single step forward, but felt Kralen’s hand on his shoulder. He wasn’t sure where he was going or what he was doing, but felt the need to stop the burial, to somehow bring her back and fix what Frederick caused.
Quinn reached down and picked up a handful of dirt in his strong hand, and then tossed it onto the casket, softly whispering a good-bye, “Tedesidero.”
Zohn walked forward and did the same, followed by the Council. Chevalier couldn’t move. He couldn’t will his body to go forward and cover her with dirt. Alexis’ words about Emily being in the cold ground rang through is head and made his heart turn hard and cold.
Without a word, Chevalier disappeared from the burial sight. His movements were caught only by Sotomar, the only other ‘old one’ at the funeral. Sotomar let him go and left quietly with Ryan after Kyle followed Chevalier.
Chapter 21 - Inheritance
It was four days after the funeral before the Council met again. Chevalier hadn’t been heard from and most of the city was still in mourning over the loss of Emily. Allen returned to Island Coven the next day, while Alexis and Dain waited silently in their bedrooms for Chevalier to return.
Zohn sat down and glanced briefly at Chevalier’s empty chair before addressing the Council, “We have a lot to catch up on, so let’s get started.”
Quinn cleared his throat before speaking, “There are some things we need to take care of before Chevalier and Kyle return.”
“Such as?” Dustin asked. He was the only one of the Council who was ready to get back to everyday activities.
“Such as… we need to prepare for Alexis being the next target for the Valle and the Encala.”
“I
f there’s any Encala left,” the Chief of Defense said.
Quinn nodded, “She’s still a target. I realize that there are only around two hundred Encala left alive… maybe less, but the factions still want a Winchester and Alexis is all that’s left.”
“All that will ever be left,” Zohn said. “She cannot have children.”
“Dain also,” Quinn added. “There is speculation about what would happen if Dain were to father a child. We fear that the Valle may want to try this.”
“And Allen?” the Chief of Finance asked.
“He can protect himself and we leave that up to Island Coven. Right now we focus on the two younger children.”
“Have we heard from… him?” the Chief of Defense asked.
Zohn looked down at his hands, “No, neither he nor Kyle have been heard from since the funeral.”
“Encala reports?” Dustin asked.
“The only thing we’ve heard is that those that are left are hiding for fear of being brutally tortured and then murdered.”
“Frederick?”
“No sign of him. Though Thukil and our Cavalry are out there looking.”
“If they find him?”
“He’s to be kept for Chevalier,” Zohn said.
“Easy enough,” Dustin said, and sat back in his chair. “We double the guards on Alexis, four Cavalry at all times.”
“The Cavalry is busy… and still feeling the effects of losing a Commander and their charge.”
“That wasn’t their fault.”
“It was no one’s fault but Fredericks,” Quinn snapped. “However, they have taken it personally.”
Zohn sighed, “We naturally will put the Cavalry on Alexis when they are done helping Chevalier… but until then, she’s sitting alone in her bedroom with only her younger brother to help her.”
“She’ll get over it,” Dustin said.
Quinn glared at him, “Get out of my sight.”
Dustin nodded and blurred from the room.
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 50