Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Why did they put her in prison?”

  “She turned some Valle to ash and won’t say why.”

  “Damnit,” Mark growled. “I can get her to tell them.”

  “Not if we can’t get into the prison.”

  “When is Chevalier supposed to return?”

  “In 6 days. The other two Elders will be gone about that long also.”

  Mark sat down, obviously furious, “They can’t keep her in prison, it’s freezing down there.”

  “And they didn’t allow her to get dressed.”

  “What’s she wearing?”

  “Some little pink thing. She was asleep or I would imagine would have grabbed a robe.”

  “Great,” Mark growled, deep in thought. “Get Tobin, now.”

  “Yes, General,” he said, and blurred away to get one of the palace’s prison guards that was applying for a position on the Cavalry. It was only a few minutes later that the heku guard came into the Cavalry barracks where Mark was waiting.

  “You called for me?”

  “Emily’s been put in prison…”

  “Yes, she has.”

  “She’s not sufficiently dressed to keep warm in there. She’ll need a robe and blankets.”

  “Sorry, Sir,” Tobin said. “We’ve been banned from taking anything to her, food and blankets included.”

  “Why?” Mark yelled.

  “I don’t know. It just came down from the Council.”

  Mark sighed, “The Elders aren’t going to like this.”

  “I fully expect them to punish us for this,” the prison guard explained. “However, right now Dustin has been put over the Council.”

  “Go away,” Mark growled.

  ***

  “Emily! I still love you,” David yelled across the dark prison. Emily shivered on the cold bed. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was curled up on the cot. As procedure dictated, all lights in the prison were turned off.

  Vaughn chuckled from across the hallway, “You have quite the following.”

  “You Bitch!” Larry yelled. The former leader of the V.E.S. was still serving time in the Equites prison, “It’s about time they threw you in here to rot with us.”

  “I hope you die down here,” Cody yelled.

  “Leave her alone!” David screamed.

  “Ask your precious guards to let you in my cell. I’ll warm you up,” Vaughn said, still amused.

  Emily sighed, “Just shut up.”

  ***

  “We can’t leave her down there,” the Chief Interrogator said, turning to the Council.

  “Yes, we can. She needs to answer my question,” Dustin told him.

  “The Elders will be back in four days. If they find out we kept her down in the cold prison without food or warmth, they’ll banish us all,” the Chief Investigator told him.

  “I’m tired of this! I’ve been listening to you all complain about this for two days and I won’t have it,” Dustin said. “Either deal with it quietly, or visit your covens.”

  The Chief Investigator, Chief Interrogator, Records Keeper, Faction Liaison Officer, Chief of Staff, and Chief of Defense all got up as one and left the council chambers.

  “Anyone else want to complain?” Dustin growled.

  “No, Sir,” the rest replied, and turned back toward the trial area.

  At the front doors to the palace, the Chief Investigator turned to the others, “We can’t let this happen.”

  “He is starving her, she has to be freezing, and I can hear the prisoners yelling at her from here,” the Chief of Staff said, obviously upset.

  “If we defy him, then we essentially defy the Elders, as they’ve left him in charge,” the Chef of Defense reminded him.

  “I know, let’s all just go.”

  The others nodded and left for their individual covens.

  ***

  “Sir, here they are,” Derrick said. His tone was respectful, but it was obvious he wasn’t happy about what was going on.

  Mark, Silas, Kralen, and Jaron walked in leading the rest of the Cavalry, all surrounded by city and palace guards.

  “I’m highly disappointed in you,” Dustin said to them angrily. “My orders are law right now, and I forbade you from going into the prison or helping Emily. Right now she’s a traitor to the Equites, yet you chose to defy the Council and help her.”

  Mark glared at him, “She’s cold, hungry, and scared down there.”

  “I can tell you what happened,” Silas said. “Kralen and I were there too.”

  “No, she should answer my question, and I will let her go,” Dustin told him. “As for the Cavalry, you’re all relieved of duty… return without honors to your covens.”

  “Don’t you realize what’s going to happen when the Elders return?” Silas growled. “You could be banished for this.”

  “Do not speak to me like that!” Dustin said. “I am in charge, and if she won’t answer my question, then she can stay in there.”

  “With all due respect… you’re wrong,” Silas told him.

  “Derrick, take him to the prison,” Dustin yelled. “The rest of you leave immediately.”

  Silas was hauled way to the prison, while the rest of the Cavalry began to fight and argue with the city and palace guards. Before the mutiny was over, Mark and Kralen were also thrown into the prison, and the rest of the Cavalry was forcibly removed from Council City.

  Dustin sighed and looked over at the Chief of Finance, “This is out of control. How can our elite guards turn on the Council?”

  “Lack of respect. Their leaders are too attached to her.”

  “I’m right though. One simple answer, and I’ll let her out of prison, out with food and warmth.”

  ***

  “What happened?” the Chief of Finance asked when Allen, Miri, and Alexis were thrown into the council chambers onto their knees.

  “Where is the Coven Liaison Officer?” one of the guards asked.

  “Dustin is away, what happened?”

  “Allen and Miri attempted to get into the prison, after Alexis turned the two prison guards to ash,” the guard explained.

  “You turned two guards to ash?” the Chief of Finance yelled at Alexis.

  The 11-year-old nodded, “Yes, I did.”

  “Leave Alex alone,” Allen growled. “You cannot keep my mom down there. She’s mortal. She can’t live without food and in those cold conditions.”

  “She can and she is,” he told the young heku. “All she has to do is answer the Council’s question and we will let her go.”

  “My Dad will be back in two days… you can either let her go now, and lessen your punishment, or wait until he gets back and face him directly,” Allen said angrily.

  “I should banish you three for this insubordination.”

  “You can’t touch Alexis. She’s mortal,” Miri yelled. “Do what you want to me. It won’t change the fact that you’re killing Lady Emily because of your pride.”

  “Shut up, girl,” the Court Reporter yelled.

  “I’m sentencing Miri to banishment for 300 years,” the Chief of Finance said. “Put her in prison until the Chief Enforcer returns.”

  “No, don’t touch her!” Allen said, and stood up. He began to fight with the guards, and was soon pinned to the floor by three palace guards.

  “It’s ok, Allen, the Chief Enforcer won’t banish me,” Miri said, and calmly walked out with the palace guard.

  “Now what to do with you two,” he said, watching Allen and Alexis.

  “Alexis is too young to be held responsible for her actions. Let’s just confine her to her room with Dain,” the Court Reporter suggested.

  The Chief of Finance nodded, “Very well, take her to her room and confine her there.”

  “No!” Alexis screamed. Allen could tell she was trying to catch the eyes of one of the guards.

  “Alex no, just go, wait for Dad to get back.”

  Alexis looked over at him and nodded. She then walked
out after the palace guards.

  “You, Boy, have already been stripped of your rank and guard title… what to do with you now?”

  “It won’t matter, not when Dad gets back,” Allen told him.

  “We’ll see about that. He’s going to be concerned about the mutinous nature of his elite guards and now his family.”

  Allen grinned, “Keep thinking that.”

  ***

  “Lady Emily?” Miri called from two cells down.

  “Who is that?” Emily asked, and sat up, shivering.

  “It’s Miri.”

  “Miri? Why are you here?”

  “Alexis called us… Allen and I came and tried to get to you.”

  Emily’s lips were dry and cracked and she shivered uncontrollably in the cold, “Where are they?”

  “I don’t know… I’ve been banished, but I honestly don’t think the Chief Enforcer will do it. I was brought here before Allen and Alexis were sentenced.”

  “You tried to get me out?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry we failed.”

  “If you’d have joined the Ferus with me, you wouldn’t be in prison,” Vaughn said to her.

  “Emily! I love you and I’ll get you out!” David yelled.

  “Listen to them call for you… these beings you once loved… they turned on you and you can meet them in hell,” Larry shouted.

  “Shut up!” Mark yelled. “I will get out of here, and I’ll make sure you pay for this.”

  Miri sighed, “Lady Emily, ignore them. The Elders will be back in two days and this will all end. I’m sure of it.”

  “Look at me, Emily,” Vaughn said, suddenly standing at the bars to his cell. “I can make your body warm. I can make the hunger go away. Just trust me enough and let me control you for only a short time.”

  “Don’t do it, please… just two days,” Miri said.

  “Shut up, Girl!” Vaughn hissed.

  “Listen to me, Emily,” Miri said softly. “Two days… this will all be over.”

  Emily spoke through chattering teeth, “It’s just so cold.”

  “I know… do what you can to stay warm, he’ll be here.”

  “Trust us, Em,” Silas said from far away. “We’ll get out, I promise.”

  She nodded and sat against the wall of her cell on the floor and pulled the thin, stiff mattress over her. The cement was freezing and uncomfortable, but the mattress kept some of her body heat in. She coughed into her arm and tried to focus on Chevalier’s return.

  ***

  Dustin returned from a short absence and sat down with a smile, “How are things going?”

  “We cannot do this anymore,” the Court Reporter told him. “We’ve been to see the Lady. She’s going to die down there if you don’t let her back up here. She’s not a heku.”

  “I know that and all she has to do is answer me.”

  “Then I will be going,” he said, and stood up to leave.

  “As will I,” the Chief of Finance told him. “Her children risked their lives to help her, and have been punished. I can’t do this and I won’t be here when the Elders come back to a dead Winchester.”

  “Go then!” Dustin growled. “They will stand by my decision.”

  “Think of what you’re doing… remember when Zohn sent her on a mission? The other Elders were livid… this is much, much worse.”

  “Go,” Dustin said, and pulled out a ledger. He began to write as the rest of the Council left for their covens. When he was done logging what happened, he sighed and decided to give Emily another chance.

  “Good evening, Sir,” the prison guards mumbled.

  Dustin ignored them and walked over to Emily’s cell, “Are you ready to tell me what the Valle did?”

  “No,” she whispered, shivering. He could hear the slight wheeze as she breathed.

  His eyes narrowed, “Guards, get that mattress. She’s too comfortable with it.”

  “Please, no,” Emily said when the only source of warmth was ripped out of her hands. She curled up into a ball on the cement and began to rock as her cell door was slammed shut.

  “Last chance. If you don’t tell me now, then I’ll let the Elders deal with you.”

  She began to cough into her arm as Dustin shrugged and walked away.

  “Dustin!” Mark yelled. “Listen to her. She’s getting sick… she needs warmth.”

  “Traitor,” Dustin growled, and walked up the stairs.

  “Miri, can you see her?” Mark asked.

  “No, I can’t,” Miri answered.

  “Silas?”

  “No, Sir, I can’t.”

  “Oooh, I can,” Vaughn said, and grinned. “She’s pretty bad off. She’s pale, running a fever, and that cough is getting worse.”

  “Kralen?” Mark called out.

  “No, I can’t see her,” Kralen said.

  “I love you so much,” David yelled.

  “Oh, shut up!” an unknown prisoner yelled at him.

  “Who can see Emily, other than Vaughn?” Mark called out. “I can reward you.”

  “I can see her,” one of the prisoners said. He was housed in the cell next to Vaughn.

  “Who are you?” Mark asked.

  “Pollard, I’m an Encala.”

  Mark sighed, “Can you lock her gaze? As I said, I will reward you for it.”

  “Emily?” he said, and went to his bars.

  “Oh sure! Trust the Encala,” Vaughn said, laughing.

  “Emily, look at me,” the Encala said.

  “No,” Emily whispered, and then started to cough.

  “Emily, trust me, just let him get a lock on you,” Kralen said. “I know you can control that… he can help.”

  “Just look at me,” the Encala tried again. One of the door guards blurred to his cell and opened it. He quickly pulled the Encala out and hauled him to the other end of the prison to a different cell.

  “Damnit,” Mark growled.

  “You all be quiet!” the guard growled. “The next one to make a noise gets the interrogation chamber.”

  The prison fell quiet as Emily rocked on the hard cement and coughed often. She could no longer feel her hands, and she watched her breath in the freezing air as it drifted off and disappeared. She could feel it getting harder to breathe, and her head began to pound as her fever grew.

  ***

  “Wow, it’s quiet in here,” Quinn said when he stepped off of the helicopter.

  “Yeah, it is, where are the guards?” Chevalier asked, and looked around the empty roof.

  Kyle walked over and looked over the side of the roof, “Hmm, the Cavalry’s horses aren’t out in the corral.”

  “The quiet is good after that nightmare,” Zohn said, and headed for the door. “I’m thinking about taking a week vacation.”

  Chevalier opened the door, “Go to the island, it’s much more peaceful than your warring coven.”

  Zohn laughed, “It’s peaceful now! They are all too afraid Emily will come back.”

  Quinn frowned and glanced around as they walked down the stairs, “Where are all of our guards?”

  “Odd, isn’t it?” Zohn said, noticing that there were no floor guards.

  Kyle blurred down the stairs and then returned, “Powan is guarding outside of the palace.”

  “Powan is?” Quinn asked, confused. “Did they say why?”

  “They just said to speak to Dustin,” Kyle answered, and stepped into the council chambers.

  Dustin smiled, “Welcome back.”

  “Where is everyone?” Chevalier asked. Dustin was the only council member left and it was during regular hours when the entire Council should have been convened.

  Dustin sighed, “It’s been a long week, to say the least.”

  “What happened?” Zohn asked.

  “Well, for starters, I dismissed the entire Cavalry, except for the General and the Captains, and they are imprisoned.”

  Kyle gasped, “Why?”

  “Traitors, they broke a direct order fr
om the Council.”

  “The Cavalry did?” Chevalier asked, shocked.

  “Yes, and then started a fight when they were told to return to their covens. The fight was led by Mark, Silas, and Kralen, and they were imprisoned. The rest were sent back to their covens without honor,” Dustin explained.

  Quinn sighed, “Great… what was the direct order?”

  “That involves another explanation on something,” Dustin said, and braced himself. “They broke a direct order to stay out of the prison.”

  “Why was the Cavalry so bent on getting into the prison?”

  “To help Emily.”

  “Emily’s in prison?” Chevalier yelled.

  “Yes, she is,” Dustin said proudly. “She refused to answer a simple question and was thrown in there. The Cavalry tried to get a blanket and food to her.”

  “Wait!” Zohn growled. “She’s in the prison with no food or warmth?”

  “Correct, and I took her mattress because she was using it to get warm.”

  Kyle followed the three Elders when they blurred down to the prison. They could hear the heku prisoners screaming for Emily’s blood as they entered the front foyer. Using rage, they instantly appeared in the prison and the guards turned on the lights.

  “Elders,” the guards said, and bowed.

  “I love you, Emily!” David screamed.

  “So help me, when I get out of here you’re dead!” Silas growled.

  “Feel that hatred, Bitch!” Larry yelled. “How are those warm, carrying vampires now?”

  “Silence!” Zohn shouted. “The next one to speak will be killed.”

  The entire prison fell silent when they heard the Elder. Chevalier quickly found Emily and waited for a guard to open her cell. She was no longer able to rock as she sat on the cement, her fever was too high and she was breathing in short raspy breaths. Her thin nightgown was wet with sweat, and she was coated in dirt from the cement floor.

  Kyle rounded the corner and gasped when he saw her. Chevalier walked in and picked her up, wincing at how hot her body was.

  “Chev,” she whispered, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “Damnit,” Kyle growled as he felt her forehead.