“I suggest she return to the island and be kept there under house arrest,” Dustin said, and sat back down.
“Try it, Toto,” Emily yelled.
“Stop it!” Quinn growled, and then his face calmed and he faced Emily. “Before you decide to do away with the Equites Council, why don’t you just let us explain why this is best for them?”
“No, burying someone alive is never the best… if it were up to me, we’d go dig all of the retirees up immediately.”
Quinn smiled, “That would make a lot of heku very mad.”
“Custody or not… do it and burn,” Emily said angrily, and then walked out, followed by Mark. Three other guards fell in behind her, no longer guarding her, but set to protect the Council.
***
Emily rode through the dark trees, heading toward the Durango. It was harder at night. She hoped if she got lost, that the Encala would find her. It wasn’t hard to slip out of the palace. They thought they were keeping a closer eye on her since she threatened the Council, but putting city guards on her was a big mistake.
After a few minutes of wandering in what she thought might be the wrong direction, she finally gave up and called out, “William, I’m lost.”
“Starting to wonder,” Frederick said from just behind her.
“Sorry, I’ve never done this in the dark,” she explained, and pulled her horse around to follow him. She was further from the Durango than she thought. When Frederick joined William and Aaron by the Durango, Emily slid off her horse and tied it to the fender.
“We appreciate you coming,” William said, motioning for her to sit in the Durango. When she sat down, Aaron handed her a warm blanket.
“No problem, your offer is intriguing.”
“I’ll tell you what we propose, and you can add what you’d like. First off, we want to hit covens away from Council City at first. We don’t mind the factions knowing the Encala are going on a killing spree, but we’d rather not let anyone know that you’re involved.”
Emily nodded, “That would be my preference also.”
“Because the Ferus covens are so large, and we’ll be limited by transportation… we’ll need the numbers evened up a bit before we can go in without risking any Encala lives.”
“So I ash a few and then you all take over?”
“Yes, we know that you’re limit is about 400 before you require more than a full night to recover.”
Emily grinned slightly, “Nothing’s secret, eh?”
“No, not really,” William chuckled. “So after we wipe out a Ferus coven, we’ll return you to a home… we’ll purchase one if we need to. We don’t want to overdo it and risk hurting you, so we’ll space things out, making sure you’re completely recovered before going after another. In this manner, we hope to be done in just over a year.”
“When do we start?” Emily asked.
“Do you have anything to add?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“What is done to aid in your recovery after a mass slaying?”
“Sleep, they just let me sleep.”
Aaron nodded, “We’ll contact you with a location where we can start.”
“Any Ferus factions by Savannah, Georgia?” Emily asked.
“Yes, there are three,” William told her. “Why?”
“I have a home there, a plantation. No one would think twice if I was to go visit for a few weeks, and Chev has promised me no Equites guards when I’m there.”
“That’s perfect. We can do a trial run and make sure you recover easily.”
“I’m on house arrest right now,” Emily said. “So I’ll be ready to leave in the morning.”
“Why are you on house arrest?”
“I threatened to turn the entire Council to ash if they put two of my friends into forced retirement.”
“The two sleeping guards?” Frederick asked.
“Yes”
William grinned, “Did you really threaten them?”
“Yes, I did. So I’m not allowed to leave… no better time to head to Georgia.”
“We’ll be ready… when you get to Savannah, let us know, and we’ll arrange the troops. We have two large covens near there we can elicit for help,” William told her.
“You better get inside before you catch pneumonia,” Aaron told her.
Emily handed the blanket back and smiled, “Thanks… this’ll be fun… maybe we’ll do the Valle next.”
William chuckled as she got onto her horse and disappeared into the night. She rode into the stables, fully aware that someone was in there as she’d turned the lights off when she left, and they were back on.
“Do you want to explain where you’ve been?” Chevalier asked angrily. The entire Cavalry was gathered. They were headed out to find her.
“No, I don’t,” she said, and slid off her horse. One of the members of the Cavalry took the stallion to put him away for the night.
“What would possess you to go out in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures?” Mark yelled.
“None of your business,” she told him, and headed for the door. Chevalier grabbed her arm and flung her around to face him.
“Where were you?”
“Out riding,” she told him. “I needed to think.”
“Alone? At night?”
“Yes, some of us actually think at night, too.”
Chevalier began to drag her into the palace.
“Stop it!” she yelled at him.
“No, I’m going to personally make sure you get in bed and stay there.”
“No, I have other plans.”
He didn’t speak until they got into the room and he threw a nightgown at her, “Get ready for bed.”
“No,” she yelled, and threw the nightgown onto the dresser. “I told you, I have other plans.”
“Get in bed,” he growled.
“No”
“Stop telling me no… now get in bed.”
Emily sighed and pulled out her suitcase and began packing.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to Savannah, and it damned well better be heku free and remain heku free for my stay,” she told him, and zipped up the suitcase.
“Don’t leave, not now,” he said, calming some.
She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, “I’m taking Dain, and we’ll be back in a week or so. The threat still stands, so I suggest you keep Silas and Kralen above ground.”
“Em, it’d help the Council a lot if you’d abide by the house arrest.”
Emily reached up and kissed him softly, “I’ll be back in a while.”
“Don’t go, please, the Council needs to talk to you about the threat.”
“Stop making me talk to the Council… You’re my damned husband, and I’m talking to you only… no more Emily vs. the Council,” she yelled. “Alexis! Bring me Dain.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Get away from heku and get some rest… no Council, no Physical Therapists, no guards, nothing.”
“Just take Mark.”
“No,” Emily told him, and took Dain’s hand.
“Then wait an hour and I can go.”
“No, it’ll be good, everyone can stand down and relax,” she said, and smiled.
“Yeah because we’re all relaxed when you’re alone,” he growled.
***
Emily, dressed in head-to-toe black, peered around the cement wall. Frederick and the Encala’s Chief Enforcer were with her along with a coven of 800 Encala heku.
Frederick whispered, “Just 350 if you can… we’ll get you back and William’s waiting at your house with Dain.”
Emily nodded and replied, “Clear the gate and get me inside so I can see better.”
Frederick motioned for the coven army and they descended on the front gate guards and quickly took them out.
“Go,” Frederick whispered.
Emily stood up out of her crouch and took off running for t
he Ferus compound. As soon as she stepped inside, with the Encala behind her, the city alarm sounded and Ferus flooded out of their homes. She concentrated and easily took out 350 of the enemy, then stumbled back slightly and felt a strong hand supporting her.
The Encala moved, en mass, into the Ferus coven and Emily could hear the sounds of heku fighting as someone picked her up. She fell asleep as she was blurred back.
“How did it go?” William asked, taking Emily from one of the guards.
“Easy enough. I’m imagining they’re done by now,” the guard said, bowed, and then left.
William laid Emily down and covered her with a blanket. He gently washed the blood from her nose with a warm rag and then waited for the others to return. Before dawn, he shut the heavy curtains and sat down on a chair to wait for her to wake up. Dain stayed on the floor playing with the two dogs.
He looked up when there was a knock on the door and Frederick came in, smiling, “Simple.”
“The entire coven, then?”
“Yes, all gone. Emily turned 350 to ash and put us on a more even playing field. They’re all dead now.”
“So next we can try one a little bigger.”
Frederick nodded, “I’d say so. There’s one nearby that’s 1200. If she can take out 400, then we’ll be good.”
William nodded and watched her sleep.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?”
“What is?” William asked.
“Sleep”
“Yes, it is… she doesn’t sleep peacefully though. She’s quite restless.”
“Have you considered damage control, for if the Equites find out?”
“I don’t think it’ll be us that needs saved,” William explained. “I think it’ll be her that’s in trouble, and if she needs a safe haven, we offer it.”
“You’ve fallen for her.”
William frowned, “I have not.”
They both fell quiet and watched for 26 hours until she woke up. She opened her eyes and looked around the room until her eyes fell on them, “What time is it?”
“4am,” William whispered. “Can we get you anything?”
“Juice and ibuprofen,” she said, and sat up. She pulled Dain off of the bed next to her and cradled him in her arms. “How did it go?”
Frederick went to get what she asked for, so William could give her an update, “It went well. You took out enough that we didn’t lose anyone.”
“Good, so we go again tonight?”
“I’d like to wait a few days, until you’re feeling all the way normal.”
She grinned, “It’s just a headache.”
“If we go tonight, it’ll get worse, and then we’ll be no better than the Valle.”
Frederick came back in and handed her two pills and juice, “Anything else?”
Emily smiled briefly before taking the pills.
“What?” William asked.
“I was just thinking how livid Chev would be if he knew I was housing a few hundred Encala.”
“That he would be.”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t find out.”
Frederick changed the subject quickly, “The next Ferus outpost by here is about 1200 heku.”
“How many do I need to clear out?”
“400 should do it.”
Emily nodded, “Ok… leave so I can get some sleep.”
“Shall we take Dain?”
“No, it’s… hold on,” she said, and grabbed her phone. “Hello?”
She grinned, “Hi, Chev.”
William grinned.
“No, I’m ok, just a headache.”
Frederick heard a noise downstairs and left the bedroom.
“Yes, lots of rest, I promise.”
She nodded, “I promise, ok, love you.”
Emily hung up the phone and put it on the bedside table.
“If you need anything, just call,” William told her, and left her alone to get some rest.
***
“Good morning,” Chevalier said, and kissed the tip of her nose.
She wrapped her arms around him, “Good morning to you, too.”
“We need some help in the council chambers.”
“Is that a ruse to get me to come talk to the Council?” she asked, and sat up.
Chevalier chuckled, “No, the Valle and the Encala are here to talk about attacks on the Ferus.”
“Tell them I’ll come down when I’m more awake.”
“Are you feeling ok?”
“Yes, why?”
He studied her, “Just lately there’ve been days when you don’t get out of bed.”
“I’m getting old, what can I say?” Emily told him, and started to get out of bed. “I’ll be right there. See if someone can scrounge me up some coffee.”
“Ok,” Chevalier said, and watched her disappear into the bathroom. He blurred back down to the council chambers and sat down. A servant delivered coffee just before Emily arrived and sat at her chair with the Council.
“Thank you, Emily. We were worried this could turn nasty,” Zohn said.
Emily nodded and put her feet up on the desk, leaned back, and sipped her coffee.
“I don’t see why we brought in Emily. She’s threatened to turn this Council to ash,” Dustin growled.
“We aren’t going to bury Silas or Kralen today, so I think we’re safe,” Quinn said, and grinned slightly.
“It’s ok, Scooby. If I do it, I’ll ash you first so you won’t worry about the others,” Emily said, and took another sip.
“How dare you!” Dustin yelled, and stood up.
“Sit down, she was kidding,” Chevalier sighed.
Dustin sat back down angrily and yelled for Derrick, “Let them in.”
The three Encala and the three Valle Elders all came in and stood with their factions in front of the Equites Council.
“Good to see you, Emily,” Sotomar said, and smiled.
Emily ignored him and studied her coffee. She was afraid to look at the Encala. Any wrong glance could let the other Elders know that she’d spent a lot of time with them over the last few months.
“Why were we summoned?” William asked.
“It was actually because of the curiosity of this Council and the Valle Council,” Chevalier told him.
“Ok… curiosity about what?”
“About how you’re able to take out so many Ferus over the last four months, when we are all aware you have very low numbers.”
“There’s no law about taking out the Ferus. I don’t see as though this should be an issue,” Frederick said, starting to get irritated.
“No, we’re not at all mad about their slow extermination. We are more concerned about how you are doing it,” Sotomar told him.
Encala Elder Aaron grinned, “We have our ways and it’s nothing illegal.”
“How then? Enlighten us.”
“No, it’s not any of your business how we have grown a strategic advantage.”
“Strategic advantage?” Quinn asked.
“Of sorts, yes,” William answered.
“How many Ferus strongholds have you destroyed in the last 4 months?” Valle Elder Ryan asked.
William smiled, “We’ve completely wiped out twelve of them.”
“As Valle, we’ve managed four, and we are stronger. How are you doing it?”
“Again, we don’t wish to give away our secrets… We may need to use it on you someday,” William said, and grinned.
“Is that a threat?” Sotomar growled.
“Calm down, that didn’t sound like a threat to me,” Emily told him.
Sotomar glanced at Emily and then back to William, his voice now calm, “It just seems to the Valle and the Equites that you may have some type of weapon that could be beyond what is allowed by this species.”
“We don’t, rest assured, we are breaking no laws,” Frederick told him.
“To gain a tactical advantage then, why not tell us so we can assist in exterminating the Ferus?” Zohn asked.
“No, we do not wish to divulge our methods.”
“Have there been Ferus attacks on the Encala?” Chevalier asked.
“No, they are leaving us alone,” William replied.
“Then why are you doing it?”
“I saw what was done to Emily, and consider her a friend. We won’t stand for a Valle mistake to cause her harm.”
Emily smiled slightly and set her coffee cup on the desk.
Sotomar’s eyes flared, “They are trying to butter up the Equites to form an alliance!”
“As have you, so calm down,” Emily told him.
“No I will not calm down… if the Encala think for one second that they can align themselves with the Equites to fight the Valle, they are gravely mistaken.”
“No one’s said anything about forming an alliance with the Encala,” Zohn told him. “But Emily is right. You’ve both tried to turn her to your side.”
“It’s preposterous if the Encala think they can befriend her and win an alliance,” Valle Elder Ryan snapped.
“Excuse me?” Emily said, irritated. “I don’t want in on this little…”
She stopped when the trial door suddenly flew open and Silas came in, enraged, “Where is Exavior?”
“Silas!” Emily yelled, and stood up.
“Where is he?” Silas growled, and stepped toward the Valle.
“Silas…” Chevalier said softly.
Emily ran down to the trial area and threw her arms around him, “You woke up!”
His body was tense and he ignored Emily as he focused in on Sotomar.
“He is dead. I killed him in the Ferus’ ceremonial room when we released Emily,” Sotomar explained.
Silas pulled away from Emily and used his hand to gently lift her face to look at him, “Are you ok?”
She nodded, “I’m fine… that was months ago.”
Silas frowned and looked at the Council, “Months?”
Mark stepped into the trial area when the Council called him, “Yes, Eld… Silas!”
“General,” Silas said, and bowed slightly.
“He’s a little behind,” Chevalier said, and smiled. “Please see if you can help.”
Mark nodded, “Come, we have a lot to talk about.”
Emily hugged Silas again and then started out with the guards.
“Emily? We’re not done,” Quinn told her.
Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series Page 51