Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

Chevalier went down to his office and stepped in. Damon was already waiting for him.

  “Why do you have to irritate her like that?” Chevalier asked, sitting behind his large desk.

  “Because it’s so easy,” Damon said, grinning.

  “So what did you need?”

  Damon became serious, “The blood drink… I don’t think that was an accident.”

  Chevalier frowned, “Explain.”

  “Did you happen to taste it?”

  “No”

  “It wasn’t human blood, it was heku.”

  Chevalier growled, “Whose?”

  “I don’t know. I just got curious and tasted a drop. Did she swallow any?”

  “I don’t think so,” Chevalier said angrily.

  “I don’t know much about those runes, but if it’s Vaughn’s blood…” Chevalier’s growl cut him off.

  “Find out.”

  “Ok, might I suggest we send Elder Quinn to ask? He has quite a talent for getting information,” Damon smiled.

  “Yes, go ask him please, and let me know.”

  Damon nodded and walked out of Chevalier’s office. He grabbed a stack of file folders, and was about to go through them when he heard a council summons.

  Chevalier was the first to make it to the council chambers, but the others soon followed. There was an empty chair in the Chief Interrogator’s seat. No one had been elected to fill that spot yet.

  “I’ve summoned you all because a representative from the Valle has asked for an audience,” Maleth said.

  “Great,” Damon hissed.

  “Let them in,” Maleth said, and all eyes turned toward the door. Exavior entered, followed by four Valle Imperial Guards.

  “What can we do for you today?” Quinn asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “We have come to ask for the release of Sotomar,” Exavior said.

  “No,” Chevalier said bluntly.

  “We call for diplomatic immunity on his behalf.”

  “No”

  Exavior frowned, “You won’t even discuss conditions for his release?”

  Quinn growled, “He led an attack on our city. Come to think of it, so did you.”

  “An attack that was warranted,” Exavior said.

  “Warranted? We returned the Encala’s Elder, against my better judgment, mind you,” Chevalier hissed.

  “That is only half of what was taken from them,” Exavior reminded them. “So let’s discuss Sotomar.”

  Chevalier raised his eyebrow, “He is a prisoner of war, and we aren’t letting him go.”

  “That remains to be seen. I am also here to check on the welfare of the Winchester,” Exavior said, looking directly at Chevalier.

  His eyes narrowed, “She’s not doing well, thanks to your infiltrator crashing her helicopter.”

  Exavior looked visibly shaken, “What?”

  “Surely you realized you haven’t heard from Frank lately?” Quinn said.

  “We…” Exavior looked at one of the Valle with him. “We weren’t aware there was a problem.”

  “How badly is the girl injured?” one of the Valle asked.

  “She’s none of your concern,” Quinn answered.

  “It is of our concern. The Winchester’s welfare is important to all factions,” Exavior said, irritated.

  “If it was so important to you, then your faction wouldn’t have downed her helicopter,” Maleth snapped.

  “I insist on seeing for myself that she is alive,” Exavior said bluntly.

  Damon eyed Chevalier, who nodded.

  “I will take you, but only you,” Damon said to Exavior.

  The other Valle moved to stand around Exavior, and one of the guards spoke, “We do not trust you to take him alone.”

  “It’s ok, let me go,” Exavior ordered them, and they fell back.

  Damon hurdled the desk and landed in front of Exavior, “Follow me, then.”

  Damon led Exavior to Emily’s room and stood outside of her door, “Wait here.”

  Exavior nodded, and Damon disappeared into Emily’s room.

  “What do you want?” she asked, looking up from the bed.

  “You have company. I’m just making sure you were decent,” he said seriously.

  Emily frowned, “Who?”

  “Exavior, be careful what you say to him, ok? I’ll be in here just in case.” His seriousness made her nervous.

  She nodded.

  Damon walked over and opened the door. Exavior walked in and stood by the door, looking over Emily.

  He frowned, “How are you?”

  Emily glanced at Damon, and then back to Exavior, “Alive.”

  Exavior glanced nervously at Damon, and walked over to the bed and knelt down, “I didn’t know.”

  “You were too busy trying to kill off my faction,” she said, irritated.

  “I had to.”

  “Ok”

  “Emily, I’ve been able to keep factioning out of our friendship,” he said softly.

  Emily nodded.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m ok.” She glanced at Damon again, and then back to Exavior.

  “Will you leave for a minute?” Exavior asked Damon.

  “No,” he said, crossing his arms.

  Exavior nodded and turned back to Emily, “Have they hurt you?”

  Emily frowned, “No, this was all your people’s doing.”

  “I’m not my faction.”

  “You attacked us.”

  “I wouldn’t have hurt you,” he promised her.

  “From what I hear, you’re pretty adamant on taking me though.”

  “That’s faction work,” he said. “I can separate it out from our friendship.”

  “I don’t know if I can trust you,” Emily told him.

  “If I wanted you, I would have taken you the first night when you were alone in my truck,” he reminded her.

  “You would now though, right?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “I wouldn’t,” he said, and touched her arm softly.

  “Back off,” Damon yelled, as he grabbed Exavior’s collar and threw him across the room.

  Exavior stood up angrily, “I didn’t hurt her.”

  “Hands off,” Damon scowled at him.

  “I’m done here,” Exavior said, turning for the door.

  “Exavior?” Emily asked, and he turned around. “The Equites won’t hurt me.”

  “Give them time. You have my number,” he said, and walked out.

  Damon turned to Emily, “Are you ok?”

  She nodded and he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Damon followed Exavior back to the council chambers. The Valle returned to his faction members as Damon returned to his seat.

  “I have confirmed that she is alive. Now back to Sotomar’s release,” Exavior said coldly.

  “I think we are done here,” Quinn said.

  “We will be back,” Exavior told him.

  “Very well, we will be ready for it,” Maleth told them.

  The Valle left the room and Chevalier turned to Damon, “So?”

  “Not much to say. She was pretty cold to him, and he didn’t like that,” Damon told him.

  “How do we get through to them that Emily’s not up for grabs?” Quinn asked, irritated.

  “It may be permanent. Yet another reason for the factions to hate each other,” Maleth said.

  The Council heard a scuffle from in front of their doors. They blurred to the hallway, and saw the four Valle guards being restrained by Equites troops.

  “Where is Exavior?” Damon scowled.

  “The Lady was in the fifth-floor foyer when he came out, he grabbed her and took off,” one of the Equites said, putting the Valle he was holding into a choke hold.

  Chevalier was gone in a flash, followed by Damon. They appeared in their bedroom, but it was empty. Continuing up the stairs, they appeared on the roof and saw Exavior in front of Emily. Mark was crouched defensively between them. She was l
eaning against the wall of the roof in only a nightgown, and her crutch was lying at her feet.

  Damon and Chevalier walked up to them.

  “I told you, they haven’t hurt me,” Emily said, frustrated.

  “I don’t buy this helicopter story, Em,” Exavior said.

  Mark growled, “It’s not a story.”

  “You’re pushing your diplomatic immunity,” Damon said, and Exavior spun to face them.

  “I had no choice. I had to talk to her alone. She’s not going to admit in front of you if she’s being abused,” Exavior said angrily.

  “The only one that’s hurt me today is you,” Emily said, her voice gave away the pain she was feeling.

  Chevalier appeared at her side, “What’s wrong?”

  “My back… he picked me up,” she whispered, and her breath caught.

  Damon had Exavior on the ground in an instant, his hands wrapped around the Valle’s neck, “I warned you not to touch her.”

  Exavior glared, “I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He looked over as Mark and Chevalier helped Emily toward the door. She was groaning. The movement sent her back into spasms.

  “Emily,” Exavior said, but his voice was cut off by Damon’s hands.

  “Stop,” she cried out, and fought to catch her breath through the pain. “I can’t do this.”

  Kyle appeared behind her, and gave her an injection before she even saw him. Exavior watched, horrified, as he saw what he caused. Emily slowly relaxed into Chevalier’s arms. He handed her to Mark, who blurred her away. Kyle and Chevalier walked over to where Damon had Exavior pinned.

  “Consider diplomatic immunity, broken,” Chevalier said. Kyle nodded and disappeared to have the Valle guards moved to the prison.

  “I… I didn’t know,” Exavior said as he stood up.

  “If she spends the next four weeks back in bed, I’ll come kill you myself,” Chevalier said as Damon pulled Exavior down into the palace.

  Chevalier walked into Emily’s room, and tensed when he heard Mark growl. He spun quickly on the Elder and then stood up out of his crouch, “Sorry, Elder.”

  Chevalier looked over at Emily. She was back in bed with her arm and leg propped up and was fast asleep.

  “Stay with her, I’ll be back,” Chevalier said, and Mark nodded.

  By the time Chevalier got to the prison, Quinn and Maleth had already arrived to watch the Valle’s Chief Interrogator put into a cell, far away from Sotomar.

  Damon slammed the door and turned to the Elders.

  “Notify the Valle that their group assaulted the Winchester, and is being held here until a decision is made on a punishment,” Maleth said to Damon.

  Damon left just as Kyle walked around the corner, “I advise we reinforce the perimeter around the city. I wouldn’t put it past the Valle to try to break their council members out.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Do it.”

  “Let me talk to her,” Exavior said, from beside his bars.

  Chevalier glared at him, “You’ve done enough.”

  “She has to know that I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he said.

  “That remains to be seen,” Chevalier said to him.

  “I do believe I need to converse with the chef,” Quinn said, and a dark smile crossed his lips as he moved off to another part of the prison.

  Chevalier returned to Emily’s room and excused Mark, though he heard Mark stand outside of her door. He pulled a chair up by her bed and watched her sleep. Chevalier was deep in thought about the Valle prisoners when her voice brought him back.

  “Tell him to stop it,” Emily said, barely above a whisper.

  Chevalier wasn’t sure she was awake, but when he looked over at her, she was watching him.

  “Tell who to stop?” Chevalier asked her.

  “Kyle”

  “He’s trying to help,” he told her.

  “I’m tired of being drugged against my will,” she said, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

  “We had to get you back down the stairs. It was hurting you too much.”

  She nodded, “I guess.”

  “How bad is your back?” he asked her.

  “It’s not hurting right now.”

  “What did he say to you?” Chevalier asked.

  “He wanted to know who broke my arm and leg,” she said, frowning.

  “They don’t believe the helicopter crashed. They think it’s a fabricated story to cover your injuries,” Chevalier said with a slight grin.

  “Yeah, I kinda got that.” Emily looked over when someone knocked on her door.

  “Enter,” Chevalier barked.

  Quinn walked in and smiled at Emily, “How are you, Dear?”

  “Fine,” she said, and Chevalier chuckled. He knew Emily didn’t like the new Elder.

  “Did you… last week… ingest any of the blood?” Quinn asked, concerned.

  “No, I spit it out,” she said. “Nasty stuff.”

  Quinn chuckled, “Very well, as long as you are sure.”

  “Why?” she asked, and looked at Chevalier when Quinn didn’t answer.

  Chevalier sighed, “It was heku blood. We aren’t sure why he slipped it to you though.”

  “Well… we do now,” Quinn said.

  “Tell me,” Emily demanded.

  Chevalier nodded to Quinn, who continued, “The only thing keeping the runes on your leg from reaching full power… as in, the ability to call you to them, or the ability for them to fully control you, is to consummate the bonding, or exchange blood.”

  Chevalier growled.

  “So that was Vaughn’s?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

  “Yes,” Quinn said. “Has he… ever… you know… fed?”

  “No!” Emily almost yelled.

  “Good, good, then neither of the two parts have been added to the ritual,” Quinn said, smiling.

  “They are trying to get the hard part done first, getting her to drink heku blood. After that, the other part is easy,” Chevalier said, looking at Emily.

  She frowned, “I’m not that easy to feed off of.”

  Chevalier chuckled, “Yes, I know.”

  Quinn left, and Emily watched him go and then turned back to Chevalier.

  “Do you need anything?” he asked.

  “No,” she sounded irritated.

  “Mark’s outside of your door if you do. I need to go finish some things,” he said, then kissed her softly and left.

  Chevalier met with Quinn and Maleth in the ante-chamber off of the Council’s room. He sat down and joined in the conversation.

  “He’s gruff, but can he get information?” Maleth was asking Quinn.

  “I can train someone if we need to.”

  “Who’s on the table?” Chevalier asked.

  “We’re talking about Zohn,” Quinn answered.

  “I don’t know him,” Chevalier frowned.

  “I’ve only heard rumors that he does interrogations for his coven,” Quinn said.

  “Why don’t we try him out? Bring him in and see what information he can get out of the Valle guards in the interrogation chamber?” Chevalier suggested.

  Maleth smiled, “That’s a good idea, actually.”

  “As long as he doesn’t question Sotomar or Exavior, that gets a little touchy when diplomatic relations are involved,” Quinn said.

  “True,” Maleth said.

  “It’s settled then, bring him in and see what information he can squeeze out of them,” Chevalier said.

  “Now the hard part… what do we do with Exavior and Sotomar?” Quinn asked, sitting back in his chair.

  Chevalier sighed.

  “Sotomar is being held on what charges, exactly?” Maleth asked.

  Quinn grabbed a file, “Unwarranted acts of war against Council City.”

  “They will fight the ‘unwarranted’ part,” Maleth said.

  “Yes, but that’s the charge.”

  “Ok, and Exavior?” Maleth asked.

  “That one’s tricky,” Quinn
said. “There’s actually no law against assaulting a mortal, or a Winchester.”

  Chevalier frowned, “What about a member of the Council?”

  “There is a law against that, but as she’s the only mortal ever to be bonded with a council member, they may contest that the rule doesn’t apply,” Quinn explained.

  “Get someone to dig through the books, there has to be something,” Chevalier said, irritated.

  Quinn nodded, “Already on it. Unless we can come up with a charge, we’ll have to let him go.”

  Chevalier nodded.

  “On another note,” Maleth said. “The Cavalry has requested to be reinstated as Emily’s personal guard.”

  “Nothing would please me more,” Chevalier said, with a slight grin. “However…”

  “However… she doesn’t want a personal guard, and we promised not to assign them to her,” Maleth nodded.

  “Reason with her, had Mark not been with her in the helicopter, she would have died,” Quinn said.

  “Yeah... reason with her… that’s not as easy as it sounds,” Chevalier said.

  “Will Mark try? Right now she sort of… owes him,” Maleth suggested.

  Chevalier nodded, “I will ask.”

  “Are you coming tonight, then?” Quinn asked, standing up.

  “Damn, I forgot about that,” Chevalier said. “Did we promise the three of us would be there?”

  “Yes, we did,” Maleth said, smiling. “It’ll be good for you! We’ll feed on the way back.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Let me grab my robe. I’ll meet you at the helicopter.”

  Chevalier nodded at Mark and whispered instructions to him. Mark agreed, and then Chevalier went into Emily’s room. She was sitting up on the side of her bed.

  “I did it!” she said proudly.

  Chevalier smiled, “Impressive.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, watching him.

  “Why do you assume something is wrong?”

  “What bad news did you come to tell me?”

  Chevalier sighed, “Ok, I forgot that I have an induction ceremony tonight in Illinois. They asked for the three Elders to come, and I already promised I’d be there.”

  Emily laughed, “That’s not bad, go.”

  “I hate to leave you,” he said, sitting by her on the bed.

  “I’ll be ok, if I get bored I’ll go visit Exavior in the prison,” she said, and winked at him when he looked at her, shocked.

  “You aren’t helping,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “Just go,” she said.