Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

Zohn and Quinn both came into the room, “Chevalier…”

  He turned to them and frowned, “What is this?”

  “Just come talk to us,” Zohn said.

  “I didn’t do this.”

  “For a moment,” Quinn said, stepping aside.

  Chevalier growled and walked out with the other two Elders. He saw Kyle walk into the room just as they started down the stairs.

  Emily looked up at Kyle and then back to Dr. Edwards, “Nothing happened. I told you.”

  “Let me see your side,” Dr. Edwards said, lifting her nightgown slightly. Emily gasped and turned to Kyle, but he was conveniently watching out the window, “This looks pretty bad. It’s a fist.”

  “What?” Kyle hissed, turning around.

  Emily tried to pull her nightgown down, but Kyle blurred to her side and bent down to look, “That is a hand bruise.”

  “Who hit you, Dear?” Dr. Edwards asked her, lowering her nightgown.

  “No one!” she said, frustrated. “No one is hitting me.”

  He took her hands and began looking at them closely, “These look like lash marks on your hands too.”

  “Did he hit you?” Kyle hissed.

  “Kyle… no,” she said sternly. “Chev didn’t hurt me.”

  “He was the only one in here.”

  “That’s it!” Emily screamed. “Get out!”

  “We aren’t to leave you alone,” Kyle said, squaring off. He was ready for this fight.

  “I don’t really care. Get out.”

  “No, enough.”

  “Get out!” she screamed louder, and then stumbled slightly and sat down.

  “Em!” Kyle gasped, kneeling beside her as she pressed her hands into her eyes.

  “Please… go away.”

  “I can’t.”

  Dr. Edwards took her battered hand, “It’s not safe to leave you alone.”

  “It’s not safe to be in here either, apparently,” she said.

  “How bad is your head?”

  “I need to be alone.”

  “Let us help you,” Kyle said softly. “If it’s Chevalier, Elder or not, we can help you.”

  “Get out!” she screamed again.

  Dr. Edwards stood and left quickly, while Kyle pulled a chair up beside Emily. He took her hand and then reached up and lowered the blinds.

  “I’m sorry, ok?” Kyle whispered. “I don’t mean to accuse him, but he was the only one in here last night.”

  “He didn’t do anything.”

  “Do you know what’s happening?”

  “No,” she said softly, and then looked up at him. “I just wake up and it’s worse.”

  “So it’s only when you’re sleeping?”

  “Yes”

  “You’re sure?”

  She nodded, “I’ve not had so much as a scratch while I’m awake.”

  “I’m just trying to figure this out. Why don’t you take something for the headache?” he asked, brushing the hair away from her face gently.

  She sighed, “Because I’m not going to sleep for a while. I can’t handle any more of this.”

  “You can’t stay awake for long.”

  “With enough coffee I can.”

  He tenderly touched the deep bruise on her cheek, “I don’t understand this. Maybe if we had several of us in here while you slept.”

  “I’m not going to sleep with an audience.”

  He smiled, “Why not? It’s fascinating.”

  She looked at him crookedly, “Sleeping is?”

  “Yes”

  “What are Quinn and Zohn doing to Chev?”

  “Probably questioning him.”

  “He didn’t do anything.”

  “It just doesn’t look good. He’s the only one in here last night and you have more injuries.”

  “The other nights though he was on that stupid trial,” she reminded him.

  “Yes, but he came up here to check on you several times.”

  “He does?”

  Kyle smiled, “Yes, he’s very protective, remember.”

  Emily sat up straighter and turned toward him, “Fine then… control me and ask.”

  “You’re going to allow that?”

  “Yes”

  Kyle nodded and then sat down on the bay window beside her. She looked up at him and suddenly let control go. As her breathing matched his, Kyle looked deeply into her eyes and easily got her under his control.

  “I want you to relax and listen to me,” Kyle said calmly. He immediately felt her entire body relax and he held her shoulders so she didn’t slump down into the bay window seat, “You have to trust the Council and listen to what we say about the injuries. Do you understand?”

  She gasped softly, but didn’t speak. Confused, Kyle tried again but got no audible answer. He was in full control, could feel her wielding under his power, but got no compliance.

  He waited a few minutes to make sure she was firmly locked, “Emily, who is hitting you at night?”

  She inhaled sharply and began to shake.

  “Talk to me… anything…” he ordered, but she started to breathe quickly. Although he felt no loss of control, he wasn’t getting a reply.

  When he felt her pulse race, he quickly broke control and then caught her when she fell forward slightly.

  “Are you ok?” he asked, sitting her up to look at him.

  She nodded, “Just really tired.”

  “It didn’t work.”

  “I allowed it though.”

  “I know, but it didn’t work. I’ve never seen that.”

  Emily leaned back and pulled a blanket over her shoulders, “Then I have to figure this out on my own.”

  “No you don’t. We’ll keep trying,” he said, and then watched her. He could tell she was fighting sleep, “Why don’t you just take a nap. I’ll stay here.”

  She shook her head, “No. If Chev can’t stop it, no one can.”

  “Maybe…”

  “No. Please go get Chev out of whatever it is they’re doing to him.”

  Kyle thought, and then nodded, “Ok.”

  She watched him leave and then ordered some strong coffee as she leaned back against the wall and looked over the bedroom.

  Kyle knocked on the Elder’s private conference room, knowing that was strictly against the rules.

  “Enter,” Quinn said angrily. He frowned when he saw it was Kyle, “You knocked?”

  “I’m sorry, Elder. I felt it was important.”

  “Come then,” Zohn said, still eyeing Chevalier. “You’re not supposed to leave her alone.”

  “I don’t think it matters if she’s alone or not,” Kyle said. “She allowed me to control her.”

  “She did?” Chevalier gasped, shocked.

  “Yes, and I got nothing.”

  “So she told you she didn’t know…”

  “No, she wouldn’t speak. I had full control at all times, but she wouldn’t answer me,” Kyle explained.

  “How can that be?” Quinn asked. “Maybe she held back.”

  Kyle smiled slightly, “I’ve controlled enough mortals to know when I have a full lock, Sir.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “She still swears to me that Chevalier didn’t do it.”

  “I didn’t,” Chevalier said. “I watched her all night, and she didn’t so much as flinch.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Zohn said. “Emily’s always been restless… why since her capture has she been quiet?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You’ve seen dreams though, right?”

  “Yes”

  “Normal?”

  “Pretty much,” Chevalier said. “I don’t see anything different, nothing that would keep her as still as she is.”

  “Ever notice she always seems tired too?” Kyle asked. “I’ve suspected that since her return, she doesn’t sleep well.”

  “She’s never slept well while pregnant,” Quinn added. “If I remember correctly, that�
��s common.”

  “It’s not just lately though.”

  Chevalier nodded, “I’ve seen that too. I wish we could interrogate Andrew.”

  “Figure out why her forearms are in so much pain?” Zohn asked.

  “That… and see if there’s anything we don’t even know about.”

  “I suggest we have three or four of us in her room while she sleeps tonight,” Kyle said. “If she sleeps tonight. She’s ordered strong coffee and told me she’s not going to sleep.”

  “I wouldn’t either,” Chevalier sighed. “She’s getting abused in her sleep.”

  “The voice has me concerned… the ‘get out’ voice,” Quinn said. “Yet it didn’t sound familiar?”

  Chevalier shrugged, “It’s a disembodied voice, it could be anyone.”

  “Allen used to hear the Encala’s Ancient. Maybe we should call him to see if he hears anything coming in.”

  Chevalier looked at Quinn, “That’s not a bad idea.”

  “We could just use Dain or Alex though,” Kyle said.

  “They’re all on such different levels though,” Quinn said. “I mean… Alex is barely heku, Dain is full, and Allen is mostly… we may need his mostly to hear it.”

  “Bring Allen immediately,” Chevalier called out. Within minutes the sounds of a helicopter taking off shook the palace.

  ***

  Emily sat back in bed and glared at the heku in her room. Chevalier, Kyle, Quinn, and Allen were standing around the bed.

  “No, I’m not going to sleep with an audience,” Emily said, frowning.

  Chevalier sat down and took her hand, “You’ve been awake for 3 days straight. You can’t keep this up and we’re all here to make sure nothing happens.”

  Emily looked at Allen, “Then why bring Allen in?”

  “The voice I told you about. We want to see if he catches an outside influence.”

  “No, it’s too dangerous for him.”

  Allen sighed, “Stop trying to protect me. I’ll be fine. A voice can’t hurt me.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Well it’s not going to work,” Allen said, crossing his arms. “I’m staying.”

  “Fine by me,” Emily snapped. “You can visit with me while I stay awake!”

  Allen looked over at Chevalier, so did Emily, and her eyes narrowed.

  “What did you do?” she asked as a wave of fog began to sweep over her.

  “You can’t stay awake,” Chevalier said. “So I … well I spiked your coffee.”

  “You what!” she screamed. She looked at the heku and started to panic, “How could you?”

  “Trust us,” Quinn said, and then smiled when she started to sway slightly.

  “Relax, we’ll be here,” Kyle said softly.

  Emily frowned and then laid down, feeling light headed, “No. I can’t take the pain right now.”

  “We’re here, Mom,” Allen said. Emily looked up at him and was surprised how much he acted like Chevalier. She smiled slightly as she drifted off to sleep.

  “She’s out,” Chevalier said, and then pulled the covers off of her. “You have where to watch. See if we can actually see the injuries happen.”

  The heku positioned themselves around the bed and watched her sleep.

  “Damn, she’d been pissed,” Allen chuckled.

  Chevalier smiled, “That’s why we’re not going to tell her how closely we watched.”

  As night drew on, the heku watched Emily sleep and kept a close eye out for the sign of any injuries.

  “Dad,” Allen whispered, shocked. Chevalier looked over and saw that Emily’s wrist had begun to bleed around a darkening bruise.

  “Here,” Zohn said quietly, and bent down to study a new welt that had just appeared across her shoulder.

  “Are you getting anything, Allen?” Chevalier asked.

  “Nothing”

  He thought for a moment and then reached down to touch her arm. He tensed when the sound of the voice screamed in his mind, “Get out!”

  “Let go!” Quinn said quickly, not bothering to be quiet.

  Chevalier let go and looked up at him, then down to Emily, “Oh my God.”

  “It got worse when you touched her,” Zohn said as he dabbed at a bloody gash on her forehead.

  “Wake her up before she dies,” Allen said, starting to panic.

  “We can’t, we drugged her.”

  “Then don’t touch her!”

  “I won’t,” Chevalier said, ignoring Allen’s ordering tone of voice.

  “What is that?” Quinn asked, bending to look at her forearms. He frowned as he watched the muscles contract independently of each other.

  “I’m not sure,” Chevalier said, and then called for Dr. Edwards.

  When the doctor came in, he went to Quinn and watched her arm, “What the hell…”

  “What is that?” Quinn asked him.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that.” Dr. Edwards reached down and touched her arm, “It’s hot too, but her skin’s not burning.”

  “Damnit… damnit…” Quinn hissed, and then picked up Emily’s hand. As they watched, her nail beds depressed beneath her nails and began to bleed. “How the hell is this happening?”

  “Ship Salazar out to Powan,” Chevalier said. “I want to know if he’s doing this somehow.”

  Quinn nodded and called out orders to Mark.

  “I’m waking her up,” Dr. Edwards said as he dug through his bag.

  “We drugged her though.”

  “I can counteract that.” The doctor filled a syringe and then exposed Emily’s battered thigh long enough to inject her. He stood back and within just a few minutes she began to stir.

  Allen called out for coffee, and then covered her with the blankets. When she woke up enough to move, Emily groaned slightly and ran for the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

  Allen frowned and looked at the bathroom door, “Wow, she’s sick.”

  “Everyone out,” Chevalier said. “She doesn’t need listeners.”

  They all nodded and left the room as Chevalier went and knocked on the bathroom door, “Em, you ok?”

  “Go away,” she mumbled.

  “I want to see your forehead,” he told her, remembering the fresh gash that appeared while she slept.

  “I’m begging you, go away.”

  When he heard her voice crack and realized that she was crying, he sighed, broke the lock and walked in anyway. Emily was on her knees beside the toilet, and curled up into a ball with her arms wrapped around herself.

  He knelt down and touched her back lightly, “We’ll figure this out.”

  “I’m being punished,” she whispered, and began to rock slowly.

  “By who?”

  “Salazar”

  “He can’t punish you,” Chevalier said. “He’s locked in the prison… well now he’s on the way to Powan.”

  “He is punishing me.”

  “For what?”

  She sniffled slightly, “He told me if I ever got pregnant from anyone but him… he’d punish me. Now he is.”

  Chevalier grabbed a cool rag and laid it across her burning neck, “He can’t punish you though.”

  “I don’t know how he is… but he is.”

  “I’ve sent him away. If he was doing this somehow, it’ll stop.”

  She shook her head, “No it won’t. He told me no matter where he was, he’d punish me. I wouldn’t…”

  “Wouldn’t what?” he asked softly.

  “I wouldn’t give him one.”

  “I know.”

  “He was dead set that it had to be consensual.”

  Chevalier nodded.

  She looked up at Chevalier with tear filled eyes, “I didn’t want another baby.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “He’s going to punish me until I either have this baby or I die.”

  “How though? He’s not been up here. We watched the assault happen right before our eyes last night a
nd you didn’t so much as flinch in your sleep.”

  “I hurt everywhere,” she whispered, and returned to her tight ball as she rocked.

  “I’m going to take Kyle and Mark to the Valle and find out what’s going on,” Chevalier hissed.

  When Emily didn’t answer, he called for Silas to come into the room and then he left and went to the council chambers.

  Zohn looked up when Chevalier entered, “Is she ok?”

  “No, she’s not. Kyle, Mark, you’re with me,” Chevalier said, and then turned and disappeared from the room. When all three were in the helicopter, they headed out for the Valle.

  “Em?” Dr. Edwards asked from the door. She’d managed to crawl into bed and was curled up under the blanket, staring at the darkened window.

  “Go away,” she whispered.

  “I can help with the nail pain.”

  Emily looked over at him, “How?”

  He smiled, “Not even medicine. May I show you?”

  Hesitating, she finally put one hand out to him. Her knuckles were bloodied and swollen, and there were dark bruises on her nail bed. Dr. Edwards sat down beside her and gently took her hand, then applied firm pressure to the nails on her exposed hand.

  “Is that better?” he asked, watching her.

  Emily nodded, “Yes, thank you.”

  “He’ll figure this out.”

  “Maybe”

  “I believe he will.”

  “How early can we take this baby?”

  “How early?”

  “Yes”

  “Well… we try to get to 37 weeks. That’s another 10 weeks from now.”

  Emily turned and looked out the window.

  Dr. Edwards softly patted her hand, “I have an idea. Are you ok here alone?”

  “Go”

  He left, leaving her door open so the six guards could see into the room. She glanced at them and then turned back to the window.

  Emily wished Chevalier was there with her. Although she didn’t know how the assaults were happening, she felt utterly alone. She wanted nothing more than to have the baby and get on with her life. She wanted to go horseback riding through the snow, or try out the new Rubicon Chevalier had bought her and tricked out.

  “Why don’t you go swimming?” Kralen said from the doorway. Emily looked over at him and then thought before nodding slightly.

  He smiled, “We’ll clear the out-building.”

  She got up and grabbed her swim suit before heading into the bathroom to change. After much complaining, she’d managed to get a decent maternity swim suit that covered her entire tummy.