She watched as he answered what he knew.
“She does sustain injury from things we do not.”
Sotomar smiled at Emily and then turned to Ovidius.
“The rate of healing is substantially slower.”
It was quite a while later that Sotomar turned to Emily, “They want to know what it is you want.”
“Want? What do you mean?”
“What is your purpose with the heku?”
She glanced up at Chevalier, and he nodded and smiled.
“I… the Equites have taken me in. They are my family, my friends, and my entire world,” she said. Although timid, her voice carried easily to the gathered heku, “I don’t know why they keep me, other than everyone’s afraid of Chev.”
Sotomar chuckled, and turned to the gathered, “That would be Equitis.”
“My husband is Equites, and my children have sworn their allegiance to them also… except Megara, that is…”
“She’s only 3 years old,” Chevalier explained.
“What do I want? I want everyone to go back to the way they were and forget about me. I want to get on with my life and not fear that I’ll meet one of you in a dark alley. I want to know that my children are safe, and that you aren’t going to try to kill them either. I also want to make sure that none of you will harm the Equites because I’m here.”
“Em… for hell’s sake… stop protecting us,” Chevalier said. His words were mad, but his voice was kind and caring.
She ignored him and continued, “The Valle and the Encala are my friends, and I don’t want them hurt because of that either. I’m not going to threaten you, I’m not going to hurt you or seek you out… unless you mess with someone I care about.”
Sotomar turned to her, amused, “We can protect ourselves also.”
“How can we protect ourselves?” Ovidius asked. “You have the ability to summon us and either turn us to ash or knock us unconscious at will.”
“I do… but I’m not going to.”
“How can we know that?”
She shrugged, “I don’t know. I can assure you I won’t be doing Aboleo again… it not only hurt the ones that were after me, but it hurt two Old Ones that I care very much about.”
Sotomar smiled broadly.
“I understand my mistake, one which took an Ancient to fix… one that then caused all of this. I get into trouble a lot, that’s not going to stop, but I’ll stop sticking my nose into heku business.”
Chevalier looked over the crowd, “Not to mention… to get to Emily, you have to get through me.”
“And me,” Sotomar said.
Ovidius stepped down and moved to the stage, “I stand by her also.”
Chevalier’s eyes narrowed when General Meun stepped up to the platform and took Ovidius’ place. Emily moved closer to Chevalier and gripped his arm tightly.
“Into trouble a lot? Why don’t we address some of those issues before we all get feeling warm and fuzzy about this nuisance,” General Meun said, glaring at Emily.
“Meun…” Chevalier growled.
“Let’s start by addressing Emily turning an enemy Elder to ash, and then hiding the ashes and keeping them for 16 months as a punishment.”
“She’s already paid dearly for that,” Sotomar shouted. Gasps and talking sounded through the gathered heku.
“I’m sorry,” Emily whispered, and gripped tighter to Chevalier.
“Shall we then talk about how she went behind the Equites’ backs and joined up with the Encala to exterminate a rogue coven?”
“Stop it,” Chevalier hissed at him.
General Meun smiled, “Let them hear it all…”
“You’re treading on very thin ice.”
“Should we also bring to light when she threatened all three factions with an ultimatum? They were to play nice in the sandbox, or she disappeared and took the heku children with her,” Meun continued. “Or how about because of an infatuation with her, a fourth faction was established… one that continually destroyed heku until we… again… had to intervene to stop it.”
“This is absurd,” Sotomar told him calmly. “None of this has anything to do with this gathering.”
“Let him keep going!” a voice shouted from the back. “We’re hearing what we need to know.”
“Why do you need to know this?” Chevalier asked, obviously furious.
“To make a decision… an educated decision… on how to handle the half-breed,” Meun answered.
Emily gasped, and turned to run, but Chevalier took her hand and smiled at her, “I won’t let it happen.”
“Let them get out frustrations,” Sotomar said to her. “We won’t allow them to harm you.”
Meun grinned maliciously, “The half-breed also played a joke on the Equites’ Council that took 2 months of their time… 2 entire months.”
A murmur ran through the heku.
Chevalier chuckled, “That was payment for something we did to her. There was no harm in that.”
“Using Emily’s abilities… the Valle wiped out many Equites and Encala covens. So she lied… she has turned heku to ash against her will.”
“That’s different,” Sotomar growled.
“Nonetheless, she did,” Meun said, pleased at the angry responses he heard from behind him. “She’s too dangerous to live… Had the ancient ritual been successful, she would have been turned heku… as a monster.”
Emily panicked and tried to pull away from Chevalier, but he held tightly.
Sotomar’s eyes narrowed, “You cannot blame her for that. Her abilities kept it from happening so even if it’s tried again, it won’t work.”
“Another point. Try to turn her and she massively puts heku to sleep for months! She’s a danger.”
“Not if heku stop trying to turn her,” Chevalier said.
Meun’s grin broadened, “She attempted to destroy a ceremonial room with a sledge hammer.”
Irate shouts were heard among gasps and talking.
Chevalier’s hands tightened into fists, “Stop it, or so help me, Meun, I’ll destroy you.”
Sotomar stepped forward, “This is all true… What Meun is leaving out is the good thing that Emily has done.”
“Such as?” a voice asked from the darkness.
Sotomar smiled, “She’s saved the species… the entire species… twice.”
“How?”
“When the rogue 4th faction took over the Valle Council, imprisoning Elders from all factions… she risked her life to rescue us. She was in a coma for 3 ½ months because of that.”
“What’s the second time?”
Sotomar looked at Emily with great admiration, “Emily risked her own life to infiltrate the V.E.S. and destroy evidence that the vampire exists. She then brought out the heku that were imprisoned by the cult. She’s shown the heku an entirely new world… one with caring, compassion, and selflessness. She’s united the three factions as no other has and brought years of peace.”
“Some of us don’t like peace,” Meun hissed.
“She’s been kidnapped and tortured beyond what even heku can imagine. She’s been tormented, gone through pain and suffering, and been persecuted by heku since she found out about us,” Sotomar said. “Yet this child has chosen to not only stay with the heku, but has taken it upon herself to protect the species.”
Meun started to laugh, “This puny being cannot protect us.”
“That’s not the point. Mortals hate us… they seek us out, make movies about their hatred… but this one… she’s different…”
“She stays with the heku because we give her everything she wants! She’s nothing but a spoiled child.”
“She takes very little,” Chevalier said. “It’s sometimes irritating how little she takes from me, and I’m her husband. She keeps her small bank account and uses it only. I’d love nothing more than to buy her the world… but she won’t take it.”
“We give her protection…”
“She usually protects
herself, much to my displeasure.”
“Enough,” Emily whispered. The entire room fell suddenly silent, and all eyes turned to her, “You don’t have to do this. I won’t stand here and watch the species fall apart because I’m here…”
“Damnit, Em,” Chevalier growled. “Why do I have the feeling you’re about to try to protect us again?”
“I have a home of my own now… I have money… I’ll leave the heku, if you’ll leave Chevalier and Sotomar alone over this,” she said softly.
“No”
“Emily, don’t do this,” Sotomar said to her.
She shrugged, “If the Old Ones will promise to leave them alone… then I’ll promise to stay in my home in the mortal city and not bother the heku again.”
“No,” Chevalier said again, eyeing General Meun angrily.
Meun’s eyes narrowed, “That’s not good enough.”
“Then what do you want from me?” Emily asked him.
“Death,” he hissed.
Sotomar smiled, “Seems you’re out numbered.”
Emily looked at him, confused. She hadn’t heard anyone say anything against the General.
General Meun glared at her, “This isn’t over.”
The General stepped down, and Sotomar went to the front of the stage, “This questioning is over. Emily is under the protection of all three Councils. We order no retaliation against her, and no Old One will even contact her without the explicit authorization from Chevalier.”
Emily looked up at Chevalier, and he was carefully scanning the heku.
“There are still three Ancients out there,” Sotomar continued. “Watch for signs of them. They will surface soon enough. Retirements are set up for those that have requested it. The others may return to their covens.”
Emily watched as the Old Ones left the Equites’ great hall. When it was empty, Sotomar turned and smiled at Emily, “You did brilliantly, my Dear.”
Emily was finding it hard to breathe. The massive room began to close in on her and she pulled away from Chevalier.
“It’s ok, Em,” Chevalier told her. “The ones that left here against you were minor… and General Meun is already facing the Council.”
“I can’t stay here,” she whispered, and took a step backwards toward the stage door.
“What’s wrong?” Sotomar asked. “They aren’t mad at you.”
Emily spun and ran from the room.
Chevalier sighed, “She takes things very personally.”
Sotomar nodded, “She still thinks we’re in danger for having her with the heku.”
“Yes, she does.”
“So will she disappear?”
“I’m not sure.”
Sotomar heard the Cavalry call to the Council that Emily was out on horseback and had threatened to turn anyone to ash that followed her.
“I need to go deal with Meun,” Chevalier said, and then turned to Sotomar.
He nodded, “My helicopter is waiting.”
Emily flew through the trees. The only way to clear her mind was with the feel of the horse beneath her and the wind in her hair. She let the stallion lead the way as he wove in and out of the dense forest as tears streamed down her face.
She hated that the Old Ones wanted her dead. She knew most would return to retirement, but that left some and she was afraid that they would attack the Equites to get to her.
***
Chevalier sat down, and his features let the Council know how furious he was with General Meun. The General stood in the trial area and glared at Chevalier.
Zohn turned to the General, “Ok, now why are you here?”
“I would imagine for picking on the little mortal,” General Meun said sarcastically.
“Watch it,” Kyle hissed.
“Have you forgotten who we are?” Quinn asked, glaring at him.
“No, Sir, I haven’t,” Meun said.
Zohn turned to Chevalier, “What are we talking to him about?”
“He tried to rally the Old Ones to kill Emily.”
“Why would you do that?” Quinn asked him.
Meun stared at Chevalier, “Because she needs to die for crimes against the heku.”
“I’m actually quite surprised at the things you told the gathering,” Chevalier said to him. “How do you even know about Emily trying to destroy a ceremonial room?”
“Dustin told me.”
“So you and Dustin were…”
“Vying to get rid of the bitch, until she died, that is.”
“Interesting,” Zohn said.
“I’ve heard enough,” Quinn said, re-stacking some papers. “I say 600 years.”
“Ditto,” Zohn said.
Chevalier kept quiet and watched Kyle banish the Old One.
“Now bring in Mark,” the Chief of Staff said.
Mark came in with four guards around him and smiled sheepishly at the Council.
Chevalier chuckled, “Let him go.”
“Why was he in prison?” Zohn asked. The guards around Mark disappeared and left him alone in the trial area.
“I think he and Andrew had some problems in the panic room, and Emily was irritated with that,” Chevalier said.
“That heku is annoying,” Mark told them. “Several times I had to put him in his place.”
Zohn smiled, “I can see how that might have been needed.”
“He loves her,” Mark said, looking at Chevalier.
He nodded, “I figured as much. Did he act on that?”
“No”
“Then let him go,” Chevalier said. “I’ll tell Em we couldn’t hold them just because they fought.”
Several minutes later, Andrew appeared beside Mark in the trial area, “You can’t hold me.”
“We aren’t going to,” Chevalier told him. “We did as Emily asked, and consider time spent in prison to be enough.”
Andrew smiled, “Yes, I learned my lesson in the four hour prison sentence.”
Mark chuckled.
“I’ll chastise you then,” Quinn said, and looked over at them. “Next time you two are alone in the panic room with Emily… please refrain from fighting.”
“Yes, Elder,” Mark said, stifling a grin.
Andrew shrugged, “It helped pass the time.”
“Your Council has requested that you return,” the Chief of Defense said to him.
Andrew nodded and then left the trial room.
Mark sighed, “Silas said she’s out alone.”
“Yes,” Chevalier replied. “It was a rough few hours.”
“What was decided?”
“They decided to leave her alone.”
Chapter 15
Emily was just sitting down to make coffee when she heard the doorbell ring. She put her cup in the sink and then went to see who it was. The Cavalry only let certain people onto the property, and had set up a security desk to appear as mortal security.
Alec was just shutting the door when Emily arrived.
“Who was it?” she asked.
“It’s a package, for you from the Encala,” Alec told her, and then handed her the heavy box.
“Oh good.”
“What is it?”
She just watched him as she disappeared into her office on the 2nd floor and locked the door behind her. She’d been waiting patiently for the package William promised her, and quickly tore it open and lifted out the massive 3-ring binder.
Emily sat down on an overstuffed chair and began going through the binder, which listed all known Ancients, their abilities, and personal things about them. She was warned by William that if any Equites caught her with the information, they would take it away, so she was in a hurry to get through as much as she could before someone found out.
The files were interesting. She was amazed at some of the abilities the Ancients possessed, and how few of them had abilities. She knew most didn’t, most were just powerful heku, but those that did were intensely frightening.
The hours poured by quickly as she delve
d through the files of the Ancient heku. She spent an extra-long time on her father’s file. Because the files came from the Encala, they mentioned his time as an Elder and his encounters with Emily’s mother, though there was nothing about her heritage or any information about producing children. It wasn’t until the last notation that Emily was even brought into the file. She found it interesting how casually the Encala were going to accept her into the faction when they found out their Ancient had a child that wasn’t immediately killed, as tradition dictated.
Emily was so engrossed in the files, that she jumped when someone knocked.
After calming her voice, she called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Chev.”
She stood up and quickly locked the binder in her small safe before going to the door and stepping out.
“Hi,” she said, smiling up at him.
He chuckled, “What did you hide?”
“I didn’t hide anything.”
“So I didn’t hear the dial on your safe?”
She sighed, “Stop being nosey.”
“I wasn’t being nosey. It’s not my fault if I can hear that,” he said, and took her hand.
“Well… yes, I hid something. Just stay out of my office.”
“I will… is it dangerous?”
“No”
“Fine… come sit down in my office,” Chevalier said, and then headed to the office she made for him in the mansion.
She sighed, “Am I in trouble?”
“No”
Emily stepped into the office and sat down in the overstuffed chair she’d put in there just for her use, “So what’s up?”
Chevalier sat down beside her and looked into her eyes, “Wanna talk about why you called the Valle?”
Her eyes narrowed, “How do you know I did that?”
“Sotomar called me.”
“Did he tell you why?”
“No, he said it was personal.”
“If it was so personal, why did he call you?”
“He felt it was dangerous.”
Emily crossed her arms, “So you don’t even know why I called, but are bringing it up because Sotomar said it’s dangerous?”
“Yes”
“It’s not.”
Chevalier smiled slightly, “So tell me why you called them.”
Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series Page 39