After calling information, she pulled into the City office building and went inside. She made it through security easily and then waited in line at the desk.
“Next,” an elderly man said, looking at her sternly.
“My husband died, and I want to change my last name,” Emily said, and handed over the death certificate she had just received in the mail. “Can I change the surname of my children also?”
Without a word, the man handed her several forms and yelled for the next person in line. Emily spent the next hour filling out paperwork and double-checking everything to make sure it was all in order before going to the next window.
Four hours later, she was no longer Emily Russo, and she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She slipped into the Durango and sat back, reveling in it. Something across the street caught her eye and she grinned, and then drove to the small building across from the city offices. She parked out front and went inside.
Emily inhaled the soft, warm scent of apple pie and walked up to the woman at the desk. She was very pretty and smiled when she saw Emily.
“May we help you?” she asked.
“Your sign says you take walk-ins?” Emily looked around the room. The inviting peach décor was subtle and comfortable with the soft plush couches and rocking recliners.
“Oh yes, what can we get for you?”
“I’ll take it all.” Emily smiled. This was something she had always wanted to do.
“Right away, please come back here with me,” the woman said, and led Emily into a room with dim lights and soft music. “Here’s a robe, slip into it and I’ll wait for you.”
Emily nodded and stepped into a dressing room. She stripped and pulled on the soft pink robe. When she stepped out, the woman had acquired a small tray.
“Have a seat while I get your technician,” she said, and sat out frozen grapes and a warm tea for Emily. Emily watched her leave and then grinned and leaned back in the chair. She thought about how this was so perfect, no heku, no kids, and no guards. There was just her, and she was about to get pampered.
“I’m ready for you,” another woman said when she came into the room. Emily followed her back for a manicure and pedicure.
***
“He at least could have told us he was considering it,” Chevalier growled.
“I agree, maybe this is a ruse, but if he doesn’t go into retirement soon, we may have to banish him for insubordination,” Quinn said, obviously irritated.
“Then this decision is made… again,” Chevalier said, and stood up.
“I’m sorry about your day off. Tell Emily it’s my fault,” Quinn said, standing.
Chevalier grinned, “Not a chance. She’s just barely getting over her dislike for you. It’s easier for us all if we keep it that way.”
The Elders walked out of the Council’s conference room and stopped when they saw Emily’s guards shifting nervously, Mark included.
“What’d she do now?” Quinn asked, amused.
“She got a registered letter in the mail, and then she read it and took off,” Mark said.
Chevalier sighed, “Was she mad?”
“No, not at all, but she wouldn’t let us go.”
“Guess you get the afternoon off. I know you will all party tonight after the coronation, might as well get a head start,” Chevalier said, and patted Mark on the shoulder.
Mark relaxed and grinned, “Don’t have to tell us twice.”
The Elders laughed as the guards blurred away.
***
Emily walked on her heels to the next room, trying not to smudge her recently painted toenails.
“Your facial will be in here,” the woman said, and Emily sat down in a soft recliner to wait.
“Ahh, my dear, are you ready?” Emily nodded, and the woman leaned the chair back and put a warm towel over Emily’s face.
“I’m Selma, by the way,” she said, and started mixing some oils in a small dish.
“Nice to meet you,” Emily said, relaxed.
“Your accent, it’s not from around here.”
“I grew up in Montana,” Emily explained. She found it refreshing to have small talk with someone not trying to kill or kidnap her.
“Oh Montana! What a pretty place,” she said, and pulled the towel off. She began rubbing fruit and lavender scented oil gently into Emily’s face and then massaged her temples. Emily felt herself relaxing further and was almost asleep when the woman spoke again.
“Ok, Dear, time for your massage,” Selma said, and helped Emily to her feet. She took her into a small, dark room that had a waterfall flowing down the wall and scented candles on high shelves.
“Pull off your robe and get under the sheet, face down, I will send in Charles.” Selma bowed slightly and walked off.
Emily laughed, it seemed an odd gesture to bow, but she slipped off the plush pink robe and crawled under the sheet, placing her face in the hole on the head rest.
Emily started to sleep slightly as she waited for her masseuse. When he came in, he said nothing, but pulled the sheet down off of her back and began working the knots in her neck with warm, scented oil.
“That’s a unique smell, what is it?” Emily asked.
Charles laughed softly, “It’s a blend I make, to help you relax.”
“Mmm, it’s working.” Emily could feel her neck and back calming as he gently massaged the knots. The scent was soothing and she felt herself relaxing more.
Charles moved onto her arms and massaged down to her fingers, “That’s a lovely ring.”
“Thanks,” Emily said, her words slightly slurred. She felt a slight tug on the ring.
Charles covered Emily’s back and uncovered her legs. She wasn’t sure why, but she began to feel uncomfortable as he massaged the sweet smelling oil into her thighs.
“Why so tense all of a sudden?” Charles asked her.
Emily shrugged. She still felt relaxed and sluggish from the massage and all of the scents. She felt like hours had passed, even though she had only signed up for an hour-long massage. The room was quiet as Charles worked on her feet and the scents were growing stronger.
“Turn over, Dear,” Charles said to her.
She held the sheet while she rolled over and he immediately put a warm rag over her eyes. She heard him sit in a chair by her head and began to massage her scalp, face, and neck. He slowly moved down to massage the oil into her shoulders and upper chest, and Emily felt something brush her lips. It happened so fast she began to think she’d imagined it.
All at once, she felt lips press against hers as hands slid lower down her chest and lightly brushed her breast. She pushed the face away from her and sat up, clutching the sheet close to her. She pulled the washcloth off of her eyes and stared at the masseuse while her eyes adjusted to the dark.
Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Sotomar?”
Sotomar smiled, “You remember me.”
“Oh, my God!” she screamed, and stood up. “What the hell?”
“Don’t panic, I’m a trained masseuse,” he said, and raised an eyebrow.
Emily put on the robe, keeping a close eye on Sotomar, and cinched it closed with the belt, “What the hell do you want?”
“Only to help you relax. You are quite tense. Seems the Equites aren’t doing enough to keep you comfortable.”
Emily glared at him, “Why can’t you just leave me alone? I haven’t attacked anyone in a long time. I’m tired of it.”
“This isn’t an attack, the Valle own this little place. I was called when you came in the door. It’s nothing more than a business,” he said, clearly amused.
Emily glanced at the massage oil and picked it up when she saw its crimson color, “Is this blood?”
“Some of it, it’s a special blend of oils like ochun and elegua.” He took the bottle from her, “It’s mine though, you’d need to make your own.”
“You! You rubbed blood into my back? That’s so… nasty!” Emily said, and tried to op
en the door, but it was locked. She turned around, angrily, “Open it.”
“It’s customary to lock the door during a massage,” Sotomar said, watching her.
Emily glared at Sotomar and watched him fall to his knees, clutching his chest and the familiar smell of burning filled the room. She frowned when he didn’t turn to ash, and tried again. His screams filled the room, but he never fell.
“Can’t do it can you?” Sotomar asked, his voice strained as he stood up.
Emily began to panic, “What did you do?”
“Just a precaution, sadly temporary though,” he said, and smiled. “Now come, finish your massage.”
“Let me out of here,” she glared.
“Answer me a question first.”
“What?” Emily asked, crossing her arms.
“When are you planning on producing another child?” Sotomar asked, and sat down. The burn was lingering in his chest.
“What kind of question is that?”
“A valid one.”
“One that’s none of your damn business, now let me out,” she said again.
“As a show of good faith, I will,” Sotomar said, and unlocked the door.
Emily grabbed her purse and ran out of the building, still in the robe, and got into the Durango. She pulled quickly into traffic to head back to Council City.
Emily glanced into her rear-view mirror and saw three identical red Lamborghini Reventon’s right behind her. They spanned the three lanes of the Interstate and were quickly closing the distance. She pegged the Durango at 100 mph and kept a close eye on the approaching cars. She grabbed for her cell phone, but it wasn’t in her purse anymore. She turned off onto the small road that went to Council City.
“Damnit,” Emily yelled when one of the Reventon’s quickly passed her on the median. She was now surrounded by the red cars. They were approaching the woods that eventually led to the west side of the palace, when the car in front of her began to slow, just as the sun set and it started to get dark.
“Let’s see you off-road those babies,” Emily said, and popped the Durango into 4-wheel drive on the fly, and then turned a hard right. She watched the Reventon’s screech to a halt as she mowed down a barbed wire fence and sped across a rocky field.
She didn’t slow, even when the terrain became dangerously rocky and the Durango began to make horrible clunking noises. The engine died at the tree line, and smoke began to pour from under the hood.
Emily glanced quickly behind her and stepped out of the Durango. She slipped on a pair of cowboy boots that she kept in the back of the car and grabbed a Smith & Wesson .357 from the glove box. Looking behind her again, she ran into the woods, cursing the bulky robe.
She didn’t stop or slow down as she ran through the trees. She no longer knew which direction she was going, and her senses were aware of every noise around her. She knew she gained a head start by taking the Durango off-road, but she also knew that the Valle would be blurring behind her, edging closer quickly.
Emily realized she was running in a blind panic and stopped to lean against a tree to try and get her bearings. She couldn’t see the sky through the dense trees, but there was just enough light she could see the ground. She found a patch of moss beside one of the trees and ran left, heading west toward the palace.
“Emmmily,” she heard someone yell from behind her. She didn’t turn around, but kept running toward what she hoped would be the safety of Council City.
Emily knew she was slowing down. She couldn’t see as well anymore, and she had been running for too long. She couldn’t keep up the pace. She hoped that the guards were partying in the woods again, like they had for Quinn’s coronation. If she could reach them, she knew she would be safe.
Emily suddenly saw a light ahead and realized it was a campfire. Soon, she could hear music playing. As she got closer, the music grew louder and she heard the smashing of glass against a tree. She pushed harder and ran into the clearing. The music suddenly stopped, and the partying guards looked at her, confused.
Mark came up from behind some of the others, “Emily?”
“Mark...” Emily panted. “Valle.”
She felt a rush as the guards blurred to her.
“Where?” Mark asked, looking into the woods.
“Emmmmmily,” someone yelled again from the dark woods.
Emily had barely even blinked when the clearing emptied out, and she heard the sounds of movement behind her. She turned and ran toward where the guards had gone. It wasn’t far before she heard the sounds of fighting. She drew her pistol and ran forward, unsure how many Valle were after her.
The trees suddenly filled with fighting heku. Emily couldn’t tell in the dark which were Equites and which were Valle. Blood and body parts were flying, and the woods were filled with growls and hisses.
Emily saw Silas and ran toward him. He had three Valle attacking him, and she stood off to his side and concentrated. One of the Valle fell to the ground, screaming, but didn’t turn all the way into ash. He stood up slowly and his eyes fixed on her.
Emily took a step back and raised her gun toward him.
“Go ahead, Sweetheart, shoot me,” he said, stepping toward her.
Emily pulled the trigger, but the heku turned into a blur and the gun was ripped from her hand. The Valle smashed the butt of the gun against the side of her face, and she fell back against the mossy ground as blood poured from her cheek. She saw him disappear as someone slammed into him, then she slowly got to her feet and steadied herself against a tree as her head cleared.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her from the ground as a hand pressed against her mouth.
“Shhhh, Child, don’t make this painful,” a heku whispered into her ear. “Come with me, and the Valle will leave some of your guards alive.”
Emily bit his hand and her mouth filled with blood as he screamed, but quickly began to heal. She head butted him hard and heard his nose shatter as she finally pulled loose from his grasp. He looked up at her with infuriated eyes and appeared just inches from her. She turned just as he punched and hit her lower ribs. She felt the painful stab as her ribs broke and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
“You bitch, that hurt,” he growled, and then disappeared when one of the Equites blurred into him and pushed him into a tree. The thick tree cracked and then fell with the force of the hit, and Emily got to her feet, holding onto her side.
The woods quickly grew silent as the fighting stopped. Emily looked around but couldn’t see what was going on. She turned away from where the fighting had been, and started to run, unsure if the Equites or the Valle had won. She wasn’t able to move as fast as she would have liked, her ribs were stabbing painfully into her side with each breath.
“Em, stop!” Mark yelled from behind her, and she turned slowly. She saw the familiar Equites guards step closer to her. They were covered in blood, their clothes were torn, and some were supported by others as they fought against wounds that healed too slowly.
“Meet in the clearing,” Mark said, and picked Emily up. She groaned as the movement sent painful stabs through her chest. He blurred her back into the clearing by the fire and laid her gently on the ground.
Emily looked up and saw the Equites guards all emerge into the clearing. Those that were injured were laid down beside her. She jumped when she heard a loud shout.
“That was awesome!” one of the guards shouted, and she saw the euphoric expression on his face. Others joined in, cheering, and the clearing filled with the excited talks of battle.
Mark knelt down beside Emily and looked down at the bloody robe, “Where are you clothes?”
Emily sighed, “It’s a long story.”
Mark grimaced and wrinkled his nose, “You smell like the Valle.”
“Like what?” she asked, not sure she heard right.
“Very strongly like the Valle, ugh,” Mark said, and turned her head toward the fire so he could see the gash on the side of her face.<
br />
“I’m sorry I broke up your party,” Emily said as he studied the cut on her face.
Mark laughed, “That’s the most fun we’ve had at a coronation party.”
Emily looked at him, “Fun?”
One of the guards ran over, “Great move, Lady Emily! You should bring Valle to all of our parties.”
Emily just shook her head.
Mark sighed, “Course, someone’s got to go tell the Elder.”
Emily grinned, “Can’t I just go to a hotel for a week?”
He picked her up as gently as he could, and then chuckled, “I’m not going to be the one to tell him where your clothes are, or why you smell like the Valle.”
“If you all would stop sniffing me, you wouldn’t notice,” Emily said, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Are cowboy boots and a robe this year’s new mortal fashion?” Mark asked, and then blurred her back to the palace.
“I’m thinking not.”
“Where did you come from anyway?”
“I have no idea. I was getting chased by the Valle in sports cars, so I took the Durango off-road and it died by the trees.”
“You know what?” Mark said. “I’m thinking I don’t want to know.”
Mark stepped into the palace and started up the stairs when he heard someone behind him. He turned just as the entire Council stepped out of the reception hall in a crouch and looked up at Mark. He was covered in blood and his clothes were torn. Chevalier appeared at his side and growled when he saw Emily.
“This should be good,” Kyle said, and then he frowned when he saw Emily’s blood covered robe and the gash on her cheek.
“We smelled Valle,” Zohn said, looking around.
“Erm... that’s Emily,” Mark told him, and then winced.
Zohn leaned forward a bit and smelled her, “Ew, that is Emily.”
“Stop sniffing me!” Emily yelled, and pushed him away.
“Let’s talk in the bedroom,” Chevalier suggested, and they all blurred into the room. Mark laid Emily down carefully on the bed, but she groaned slightly when the stabbing pain hit.
Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Page 63