“No”
“No?”
She smiled, “No.”
“Why not?” Mark asked, suddenly tensing.
“Because nothing’s wrong and I like to see you squirm.”
Mark smiled, “You do, don’t you?”
She nodded and plated the pancakes, then sat down to eat, “So when are you going to tell me why I have 6 guards instead of 4?”
He flipped the chair and then sat in it backwards, facing her, “Two of these are in training.”
“Right… and the two last night were just talking to Kralen. Then the two yesterday were asking Silas something…”
Mark smiled, “I told the Elder that wasn’t going to work.”
“So spill it.”
“Easy enough. Old Ones are stronger than most heku. If they’re going to target you, then we have to up your security.”
Emily shrugged, “Whatever floats your boat.”
Mark leaned forward a bit, “You have a mark on your neck?”
“So?” she said, and then stood up to put her plate in the sink. As she poured a glass of milk, Kralen moved closer to her and leaned down to look.
“It’s a welt,” he said, looking over at Mark.
Emily pushed against his arm, “Stop inspecting me.”
He smiled and stood up, “Then stop getting hurt.”
“I’m not hurt!” she hissed, again surprising the guards as to how many heku traits she exhibited.
“Good morning,” Dr. Edwards said as he walked in.
Emily turned and glared at Mark, “Seriously?”
He shrugged, “You’re up at 3am… You smell like blood and have bruises on your wrists. What was I supposed to do?”
“Let’s see… I’m pregnant and had the munchies… that can happen at 3am without needing medical advice. I’m accident prone and probably cut myself trying to shave legs that I can’t even see.”
Dr. Edwards chuckled, “True.”
“I also don’t have bruises on my wrists.” She looked down at the yellowing color, “I’m guessing it’s from the fact that I’m swelling so bad that my coat cut into my wrists.”
“Swelling’s bad?”
She looked at him, “So?”
“That’s not healthy.”
“Go away.”
“Let me just look you over,” Dr. Edwards said as he pulled his stethoscope out of his bag.
Emily smiled, “As a member of the Council, I’m ordering you to go away.”
“Hey,” Mark snapped.
Dr. Edwards thought for a moment and then left.
Emily smiled, “That’s kind of handy.”
“Can’t just let him look, can you?” Kralen sighed.
“I can… but I won’t,” she told him as she headed for the door. They followed her in silence as she went up to the game room and picked out a movie.
“You’re not even going to try to sleep?” Mark asked, watching her settle down on a large pillow.
“No”
“Why not?”
She sighed, “Go away.”
Mark smiled, “You can’t pull that on me.”
She huffed and then turned around to watch the movie. Almost an hour into it she turned to Mark again, “Did you see that they banished the Chief of Staff?”
“Former Chief of Staff… yes I did.”
“Why?”
“I’m not privy to that information.”
“Privy?”
“It means that they don’t tell me.”
She frowned, “I know what it means… it’s just… British is all.”
He chuckled as she turned back to the movie.
“It’s freezing in here,” she mumbled as the credits began to roll.
“No, it’s 72 degrees.”
“Which is freezing.”
“32 degrees is freezing,” one of the newer members of the Cavalry informed her.
She glared at him, “Don’t be so literal.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And don’t call me Ma’am!”
His eyes grew wide and he looked at Mark, who just grinned.
“Em, what’s wrong?” Chevalier asked as he walked into the game room. He ignored the Cavalry as they bowed slightly at his presence.
She turned to him, “Why did they banish the Chief of Staff?”
His eyebrows rose, “It was time. Why do I smell blood?”
“Oh my God!” she yelled, and then stood up with much effort. “Why don’t you all just go away?”
“Well why?” he asked, following her out of the room. “And why are you even up this early?”
She rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs.
“Em?”
“What?”
“Why are you up?”
“Damn! I was hungry, ok?”
Chevalier stifled a grin, “So everything’s ok?”
“Peachy,” she grumbled as she walked into the bedroom and shut the door before any heku could enter.
Mark chuckled, “She’s also on to the 6 guards.”
“I figured she would be soon enough,” Chevalier said, turning to Mark. “She has bruises on her wrist.”
“Not if you ask her.”
“Is she upset about the change in Council?”
“She seemed more frustrated.”
Chevalier nodded, “Ok, call if you need me.”
Chevalier watched the door for a bit before heading down to the Council. As he sat down, the other Elders turned to him.
“So?” Quinn asked.
Chevalier nodded, “He’ll be here this afternoon to take his place as Chief of Staff.”
“We’ll have the coronation tonight then.”
Zohn leaned in, “Did you see her?”
“Yes,” Chevalier whispered. “I saw the bruises on her wrist and the mark on her neck. That could be a scratch though.”
“I thought it looked like a welt.”
“Maybe”
Emily tossed and turned for a couple of hours before resigning herself to being up for the day. She stepped into a hot shower and sighed as the hot water began to loosen the tight muscles in her back.
As she stepped out of the shower and wrapped in a heated towel, she noticed the burning in her back again and turned to look in the mirror. She gasped as she saw the blackening bruises of strap marks across her back.
Emily jumped when Chevalier knocked on the bathroom door, “Em?”
“I’ll… be right out!”
“You ok?”
“Yes,” she said, checking out the bruises on her back again. Now she wasn’t sure how to get out of the bathroom. He was sure to see the bruises if she walked out in a towel.
After a few minutes, he came to the door again, “Are you ok?”
“Sure”
“Then why are you just standing there?”
She sighed. It was irritating how much the heku could hear, “Because.”
“Oh that’s helpful,” he said, amused.
“I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Ok… I have your dress ready for the coronation tonight.”
“Damnit, I don’t want to go.”
It irritated her how he found that funny, “We need you there.”
She silently mimicked him behind the door, “Go away.”
“Fine, but the dress is here,” he said, chuckling, and then left the room.
Once he was gone, she peeked out into the room to make sure it was clear and then quickly dressed in a long-sleeved sweater to hide the darkening bruises on her wrists.
She glanced once at the dress and saw that, even though maternity cut in the front, the back was plunging and she didn’t know how to hide the bruises. Emily spent a few hours in front of the bay window watching the snow, trying to figure out how she could get lashed without even knowing it and who had done it.
Not knowing what else to do, she called Andrew.
“Em! How are you?” He sounded honestly pleased to hear from her.
“Ok,” sh
e whispered.
“What’s wrong?” His voice suddenly turned concerned.
“Something weird happened.”
“Tell me.”
“When I woke up this morning at like… 3am…”
“You’re hesitating… you can trust me.”
“I have bruises on my wrists and lash marks on my back,” she whispered even softer.
“What!?” he screamed.
“I don’t know how they got there.”
“You don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“So someone controlled you long enough to erase it!”
She thought before speaking, “No… I can’t be controlled like that. I’m not sick.”
“I saw Chevalier control you completely when Salazar came,” Andrew reminded her.
“I allowed that.”
“Oh that’s right. I forgot you can do that.”
“I don’t know what to do. Chev had this ridiculous dress made with a plunging back for tonight. I can’t hide this.”
“Em, don’t hide it… tell the Council,” Andrew said. “You’re obviously being beaten!”
“No I’m not!”
“Are you protecting the heku who did it?” Andrew asked, sounding angry.
“No!”
“I can see you doing that.”
She frowned and hung up the phone, then turned back to the snowy window and watched the heku and their wolves patrolling the palace lawn.
Emily didn’t answer when a knock sounded. Mark waited a few seconds and then walked in, “Em?”
“Yes?” she said, not looking over at him.
“Lunch is here.”
“I’m not hungry, just take it back.”
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and fought a wince when Mark’s hand brushed one of the lash bruises, “Please, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t feel all that hot,” she told him. “Tell Chev I’m not going to make it to the coronation.”
Mark sat down beside her, “There’s more.”
She fought back the tears, “I’m ok.”
“Tell me.”
She turned to him with flowing green eyes, “Please tell him I can’t go.”
He studied her before nodding, “I will, but he’s going to want to know why.”
“Tell him I’m just sick.”
“Are you?”
She nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Mark stood up and then helped her stand. She walked over and watched him leave before pulling off her robe and sliding into bed. If she were going to be convincingly sick, she had to stay in bed.
***
“Are you sure you can’t go?” Chevalier asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Emily nodded and pulled the covers up around her shoulders more.
He studied her for a bit and then nodded, “Ok. I wish you could though. It’s seriously breaking tradition for you not to be there.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and looked up at him.
He saw confusion in her gaze and mistook it for illness, “I’ll explain it to the others. Get some rest, ok?”
She nodded and rolled onto her side as he left. Emily wasn’t sure what to do. She was starving, but was supposed to be too sick to eat. She was also tired of lying in bed all day, but couldn’t get up or she’d be asked again to go to the coronation.
After hours of tossing and turning, she finally fell asleep. When she woke up, it was still dark outside and she could hear the sounds from the coronation reception coming up the stairs. As she went to burrow deeper into the warm covers, the blankets brushed her back and she fought back a scream.
Moving slowly to lessen the pain, she reached over and turned on the bedside light, then inhaled sharply when her wrists were now black with small amounts of blood seeping out of what looked to be fresh wounds.
Knowing she had to move fast or she risked Mark coming in. Emily jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She heard Mark peek into the room and then shut the door behind him when he didn’t see her.
When she was sure no one was going to check on her. She pulled up her night gown and looked into the mirror, wide eyed. The lashes that were light yellow bruises were now deep black and blue welts. Some of them were cut slightly and she had dried blood on her nightgown. She changed her nightgown and then looked around the bathroom, as if to find something to explain the late-night lashings.
Unsure what to do, she went back into the bedroom, crawled into the closet, and called Andrew.
“Why are you up this early?” he asked without saying hello.
“It happened again,” she whispered.
“The lashings?”
“Yes, but it’s really bruised this time and bloody.”
“Who did it!?” he yelled.
She shook her head and fought back tears, “I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?”
“I don’t remember it happening. My wrists are bruised more now too.”
“Then it’s the Council.”
“They wouldn’t do this.”
“They would.”
She sighed, “Even if they did, I’d remember it.”
“Not if they controlled you.”
“They didn’t!”
“I’m not going to let this happen,” Andrew said, irate. “I’ll stop it.”
“No!” Emily gasped. “Don’t come here and accuse the Council of anything.”
He sighed, “A heku needs to intervene.”
“Let me figure this out first.”
“You can’t hide it.”
“I can just try,” she whispered, and hung up the phone.
“Em?” Chevalier said from in the bedroom. “Are you in the closet?”
“Well… yes,” she said.
“Taking a break?” he asked, sounding unsure.
“No”
“Then come out.”
“No”
“What? Why not?”
“I’m… I don’t know why.”
He sighed and she could tell he was now at the doors to the closet, “You’re not making sense.”
She racked her brain trying to think of a reason to be sitting in the closet, “I saw a mouse.”
“There’re no mice in the palace.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I can smell them… I know there aren’t.”
“Oh well then, I guess I thought I saw one?” She didn’t mean to make it a question, and winced when it came out as one.
Chevalier opened the door and looked down at her, “Come out.”
She hadn’t realized that her wrists were covered by her robe, and she was afraid if she stood up they would be exposed, “I’m fine here.”
He crossed his arms and looked down at her as she sat in the closet and watched him.
Chevalier finally shook his head, “Fine… I’ll have your breakfast brought in.”
She nodded and then smiled slightly when he shut the closet door before leaving. After she heard her breakfast delivered, she finally crawled out and sat down to eat, making sure her robe covered her wrists in case anyone came in.
***
“Is there some reason I haven’t even seen you in four days?” Chevalier asked through the bathroom door.
“Nothing I can think of,” Emily said as she studied the deep black welts on her back, thighs, and arms. The lash marks were getting worse and now she sported a bruise on her cheek that was starting to swell into her left eye.
“You’re just acting strangely. Is it the weight thing?”
“No”
“Then why can’t I see you?”
Emily pulled on the thick velvet robe with its high collar and long sleeves, and then sat on the edge of the tub, “I’m just going to bathe.”
“I’ll join you then.”
“No”
He sighed, lou
d enough she heard him through the door, “Fine.”
Emily didn’t know how to not make him mad. She knew it wouldn’t take a heku but a second to smell the dried blood on her back, and didn’t know how to hide it. The only thing she could think of was to try to avoid any contact until she figured it out. The problem was, was it wasn’t going away and every time she slept, it got worse. She was tired from being up in pain most of the night, but the slightest sleep made things worse.
Chevalier sat down in his spot and looked over at Kyle, “She’s now hiding in the bathroom.”
“It has to be the weight thing again,” he said. “She knows how big the baby’s gotten.”
“Still… no one’s seen her in 4 days. Not even her guards have actually seen her.”
Quinn frowned, “So go see her.”
“I don’t want to just break into the bathroom while she’s bathing.”
Derrick stepped into the room, “The Encala have representatives here.”
“Why?” Zohn asked.
He smiled, “They didn’t say.”
Chevalier shrugged, “Whatever, let them in.”
It was obvious from how Andrew and William entered that they were furious.
“What brings the Encala here?” Zohn asked, frowning.
“I won’t sit by and let you beat her!” Andrew yelled. William put a hand on his arm to stop him from advancing on the Equites Council.
“Excuse me?” Kyle asked angrily.
William silenced Andrew with a glare, “We want to see Emily.”
“She’s being a tad elusive at the moment,” Quinn said. “I’m sure she won’t see you either.”
“She’ll see me,” Andrew hissed.
“I’m still trying to figure out why you think we’re beating her,” Chevalier said, irritated.
Andrew glared at him, “Let me see her.”
“She’s not letting any heku see her right now,” Kyle told him.
“Just Equites!” Andrew yelled.
Chevalier stood up and growled, his body ready to attack.
“Derrick,” Zohn called out. When the heku entered he motioned to Andrew, “Please escort Andrew to the Elder’s bedroom so he can speak to Emily. If she refuses, don’t let him in.”
Derrick nodded and moved back so Andrew could pass by. Once at the door, Derrick knocked and waited for an answer.
“Who is it?” Emily called through the door.
Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series Page 24