Kralen frowned, “What’s going on?”
“Am I with the Equites?”
“Of course…”
“Damnit!” she screamed, turning them all to ash. She mumbled about being kidnapped again and headed down to the council chambers.
She was tired of being kidnapped from her home with the Valle, and planned on making an example of the Equites by turning their city to ash. She wondered how long she’d been in the Equites care, and if the Valle had already tried to get her back. She knew Sotomar would be furious that the Equites had again taken his wife.
“Good even…” Derrick started to ask, but instantly turned to ash. She stepped over him and through the door to the council chambers.
Zohn looked up from a roster, “Hello, Emily. Do you need something?”
She stormed forward and crossed her arms, glaring at the Council, “When will you stop!?”
“Stop what?” Chevalier asked, looking at her curiously.
“Stop kidnapping me! What the hell do you think I’m talking about? You keep taking my from my home… and I’m not letting you get away with it this time.”
“Kidnapped?” Kyle asked, confused.
“Don’t act stupid with me. You know I belong with the Valle, my home is there, my husband is there…”
“Wait!” Quinn said quickly, and she glared at him. “Who are you bonded to?”
“That’s a stupid question,” Emily snapped. “You know I’m bonded to Sotomar and have been for over 30 years.”
“I see,” he said, leaning back.
“Damnit,” Chevalier hissed too low for her to hear.
“So this is what I’m going to do,” Emily said. Kyle cocked his head slightly to the side when reports of ash came from around the palace. “I’m going to wipe out your beloved city… and make you watch.”
Her eyes narrowed and Chevalier roared and fell back in pain when the burning hit. Kyle was on her in an instant and, without thinking, sunk his teeth into her neck. When she relaxed beneath him, Quinn knelt down at her side and locked her gaze.
Chevalier caught his breath, and then was caught in the tight hands of the Chief Interrogator and Chief Investigator when he lunged at Emily. It took him a few minutes to regain his control, then they let him go and he slowly walked down to where Quinn had Emily locked.
“Edwards,” he whispered, and then knelt down beside Kyle. He inspected the bite carefully and saw that Kyle was no longer feeding, but was keeping contact in case she broke Quinn’s gaze.
“What’s wrong?” Dr. Edwards asked when he entered the council chambers and saw Emily pinned to the ground. Quinn had her hands trapped above her head just in case she broke his gaze.
“Knock her ass out,” Zohn snapped.
Dr. Edwards nodded and then readied a sedative. He injected it and less than a minute later, Emily fell unconscious.
Kyle let go of her neck and looked up, “I didn’t know what else to do…”
“I know,” Chevalier said, and clapped him on the back. “You probably saved Council City.”
“Ash reports?” Zohn called out. Palace Guards reported that the four members of the Cavalry guarding Emily, and the council chamber Door Guard, Derrick, were all turned to ash. Everyone in the city had felt the burn, but none had been turned completely to ash.
Chevalier gently picked Emily up and she hung limply in his arms, “I thought once she remembered that their façade would be gone.”
“Apparently not,” Quinn said.
“Start reviving,” Zohn said to Kyle. Kyle glanced once more at Emily and then left the room.
“Now what?”
Chevalier watched her sleep, “We’re enemies. It’s going to be hard to keep her here.”
“So we restrain her to the bed… again…” the Chief of Finance suggested.
“In Chevalier’s room? Bad idea” Quinn told him.
“Why?” Chevalier asked.
“You’re the main enemy, remember? You hold everything Exavior did, everything Salazar did, the Encala… you are responsible for all of that. It may not behoove us to keep her in your room.”
He sighed, “True.”
“We’ve never successfully kept her restrained though,” Quinn said. “Before we know it she’ll be back with the Valle.”
“So put her in prison,” the Records Keeper said. “She can’t get out of a cell.”
“She’s tormented in prison,” Zohn said. “They call for her blood…”
“We have the old oubliettes,” Richard said. “So we put her in there.”
Chevalier frowned, “How fast can we humanize one of them? She’ll need a bed, table, chairs, warmth, a bathroom… we need to be able to pass food in to her.”
Zohn called out orders into the air, including turning the adjacent oubliette into a mortal bathroom, and then turned to Chevalier, “Now how do we keep her from turning Council City to ash?”
Mark came into the room, “I heard…”
“Suggestions?” Quinn asked.
“I suggest we make someone immune,” Mark said. “She’s proven that she won’t ash a city if there’s still one person alive that would have full control of her if she passes out.”
Chevalier watched her face as she slept and then nodded, “Let’s do it. She may test it though, so we have to actually make one of us immune.”
“It should be you,” Zohn said. “She already hates you.”
He nodded and laid her down, “Get it over with.”
Quinn knelt down beside Chevalier and then looked at him before sinking a fingernail deep into his arm. They watched as the blood drained out of him and he turned pale and began to pant softly.
“When he’s done… get her into the oubliette while we calm him,” Zohn whispered to Mark.
Mark nodded and picked Emily up, then let one of her arms fall to her side for Chevalier’s use. Silas and Kralen both appeared and put themselves between Chevalier and Emily.
Kralen took her arm and held it out when Chevalier’s blood stopped draining, “You get her wrist only.”
Chevalier stood up and tensed his body, ready to attack.
“Wrist,” Silas hissed.
Chevalier immediately grabbed her hand and roughly sunk his teeth into her wrist. The council chambers fell silent while Dr. Edwards watched Emily for signs of hypovolemic shock.
It was only a few minutes later when the doctor spoke, “Enough…”
“Elder,” Silas said, putting a hand on Chevalier’s arm. He growled deep, but kept drinking.
“We got him,” Zohn said, and then slammed into Chevalier, knocking him away from Emily's wrist. Quinn, Silas, and Kralen both tackled Chevalier when he knocked Zohn flying. When Chevalier looked up, Emily was already gone and he angrily growled at the Council as they blocked him from the door.
“Elder…” Kyle said, walking into the room.
Chevalier blinked a few times and then bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to clear his head.
Quinn smiled, “Easy enough… now you’re immune.”
“Everyone’s revived,” Kyle said. “Mark has Emily in the oubliette. Everything’s done except the bathroom but it’ll be ready in the next 2 hours and then they’ll break a door between the two rooms.”
Chevalier nodded and finally returned to his seat, “That’s so dangerous.”
“We had to,” Zohn said, sitting down. He grasped his side as he recovered from a nasty bite from Chevalier.
“Sorry,” he said, smiling slightly.
Zohn shrugged and leaned back in his chair.
“I want you watching her for a while,” Quinn said to the doctor. “Make sure she has what she needs.”
Dr. Edwards nodded and disappeared.
“Can we lock her and do what the Valle did?” the Chief of Defense said.
Chevalier shrugged, “Do we dare mess with her mind again?”
“It’s too risky,” Kyle said. “Someday that’s going to scramble her brain and she’ll lose
her mind.”
“Hasn’t she already?” Zohn whispered.
***
Emily sighed and rolled over, then opened her eyes to look at the strange bed. The bed was soft and comfortable, and the covers were warm, but there was an odd feeling in the room.
She sat up. The room was small and dark, with only a small window, high on the wall that was covered by thick bars. Besides the bed she was in, there was a table and chair, a desk, and a couch near a large TV. She noticed a small trap door along the floor beneath the tiny barred window.
Emily stood up and steadied herself against the headboard on the bed before walking over to turn on a lamp. With the added light, she could see a hole in the wall across from her bed, and peered through it into a small bathroom with a toilet, tub, sink, and shower.
After making sure she was alone, she walked up to the wall with the tiny window, but it was too far above her head to see out.
“Hey!” she yelled. “Get me out of here!”
Dr. Edwards peered in at her, “Emily… who am I?”
She glared at him, “You’re one of the Equites stooges. Let me out or I’ll ash your city.”
“You cannot,” he said. “Chevalier is immune to you. Turn the city to ash and you will pass out and be at his mercy.”
She growled slightly and then crossed her arms.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, studying her.
“Pissed”
He smiled, “I would imagine. Your dinner will be here shortly.”
Chapter 21
Mark came into the council chambers and walked up to Chevalier, “It’s a no-go. She’s not eating.”
Chevalier pinched his nose between his thumb and finger, “Of course she’s not eating.”
“Has she said anything?” Zohn asked.
Mark smiled crookedly, “She’s called us lots of way fun names.”
“Other than that?”
“No, Elder. She’s keeping pretty quiet, all things considered.”
Chevalier shrugged, “I guess I could go talk to her.”
“She’s not going to talk to you,” Kyle said. “Send Hillock.”
“I hate to do that. He could say something to validate what she thinks is real.”
“He might be able to get her to eat though. He’s been cooperating.”
“He loves her,” Richard reminded them. The Chief Interrogator had spent a lot of time with Hillock and was shocked at his intense feelings for Emily.
“I’m thinking,” Chevalier said, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. “It’s been 4 days and she’s not eaten, and history proves that she’d starve to death before doing so.”
The Council fell silent when they heard Emily scream from the oubliette, “Hey old piece of shit! Face me like a man why don’t ya? Stop hiding behind your jockeys and come fight me!”
Chevalier chuckled, “Well at least we know she’s alive.”
“Want me to go talk to her?” Kyle asked.
“Nope, I’ll go,” he said, standing up. “Might as well let her think her name calling is getting her somewhere.”
Zohn grinned and watched him leave.
Chevalier walked down to the oubliettes on the first floor. They hadn’t been used in almost 1500 years, and most of the staff didn’t even know they were there until they were instructed to modify them to hold Emily.
“Elder,” Silas said, smiling crookedly.
Chevalier shook his head and then stood on the small stool that allowed them to see into the high window, “You called?”
Emily glared up at him, “Oh look… you actually came. Get in here so I can show you how much I appreciate you showing up.”
He smiled, “I’m not going in there. What do you need?”
“I need you to stop being an asshole and let me go!”
“No, is there anything else?”
She crossed her arms, “Yeah.”
“What?”
He ducked down just as her lunch tray slammed into the tiny window, sending food splattering across the hall.
Once clear, he peeked back into the window, “Feel better?”
“The Valle won’t stand for this.”
“The Valle will live. Now how do we get you to eat?”
“Oh, that’s an easy deal.”
“Name it.”
“You die and I’ll eat.”
“I’ll make sure you’re notified if I do,” he said, hiding his amusement.
“Why don’t you go blow your Council and leave me alone,” she said, and sat down on the couch, facing away from him.
Chevalier stepped down and looked over as Silas stifled a laugh, “That went well.”
“Yeah well… if she won’t eat we’re going to have to put Hillock in there with her.”
Silas grimaced, “Seriously?”
“Do you have any ideas?”
Silas thought for a moment and then shook his head, “Not really.”
“Kralen, you’re with me,” Chevalier said as he headed down into the prison, followed by Kralen. The prison fell completely silent when he walked in, all too afraid of catching the Elder’s attention and being punished. His callous ways of inventing new torture had them all terrified.
He walked over and looked into Hillock’s cell. The Valle stood up to face them, “What now?”
Chevalier studied him before speaking, “Emily’s not eating.”
“Is she ok?” he asked, frowning.
“The Valle’s planted memories surfaced again and she thinks she’s an Equites prisoner.”
He sighed and sat down, “Great.”
“Yeah… well we think you can get her to eat.”
“Does she remember me?”
“We actually haven’t asked.”
He shrugged, “I’ll try.”
“There’s a stipulation,” Chevalier said, irritated. “You aren’t to validate anything she believes is real right now.”
“Ok,” he said, hesitantly.
“You get her to eat… that’s all.”
“Can I stay with her in the oubliette?”
“No,” both Kralen and Chevalier said at once.
He nodded, “Fine… tell me what you’ve told her and I’ll stay with the story.”
“We’ve told her the truth, about what the Valle planted,” Kralen told him. “She doesn’t believe any of it though. We aren’t even sure seeing a Valle will help, but we want you back in uniform.”
He nodded and took his old Imperial Guard uniform back from one of the Palace Guards.
“Traitor!” Sotomar yelled, his voice echoing through the prison. “It’s disgusting how you help them.”
“She’s not eating,” Hillock called back. “You always said it’s our responsibility as Valle to make sure Emily’s taken care of.”
“I can’t wait to get you back to the Council,” Sotomar growled.
Chevalier chuckled and followed as Kralen escorted Hillock out of the prison. They stood before the only door into the oubliette.
“I’ll be watching you,” Chevalier told him. “Don’t fuck with me on this.”
“I won’t,” Hillock said. He knew even if he wanted to defy the Equites, the Old One wouldn’t allow him to do it for long.
Kralen opened the ceiling entrance and saw Emily look up and move just before Hillock dropped down.
“Oh my God, Hill!” Emily yelled, and ran into his arms.
He wrapped his arms around her, “I’ve been worried about you.”
She pulled away from him and looked up at the ceiling panel that was removed to access the oubliette, “Let’s get out of here then.”
He led her over to the soft couch and sat down beside her, “I need you to listen to me… ok?”
She looked over when Chevalier’s face appeared at the window, and then turned back to Hillock.
“The Valle… we… well… we altered your memories…,” Hillock explained.
She pulled her hand away when he tried to take it, “Stop doing what
that oaf of an Equites told you to do! What? Did he torture you?”
“He didn’t torture me for this,” Hillock said. “I’m telling you the truth… you are, and always have been, an Equites.”
She glared at him, “Are you an Equites spy?”
“No! I’m trying to help you. You live here in the Equites palace, you have children, you h…”
“Stop it!”
“Listen to me, Em. The Valle screwed up your memories. It’ll come back and as soon as it does they will let you out of here.”
She leaned back against the wall and watched him, “Then who am I bonded to?”
“Chevalier”
She laughed sarcastically, “That buffoon? No way.”
Hillock looked over at the untouched food on her table, “You need to eat, Em.”
“No I don’t. They’ll have to let me go before I die.”
Chevalier sighed and then ordered Hillock out of the oubliette.
“I have to go,” Hillock said, and stood up.
Emily rushed to him and put her hand on his chest, “Don’t leave me here alone.”
His eyes narrowed and he glanced at Chevalier briefly before looking down at Emily, “Eat, and I can stay.”
Emily glared at Chevalier in the small window, and then nodded, “Fine.”
Chevalier was relieved when she sat at the table and started to eat while Hillock got instructions from Mark on how to behave. When she was done eating, Emily moved to the couch and started flipping through channels, trying to find something to do.
Hillock sat down beside her, making sure not to touch her while Chevalier was watching. She smiled and then laid down with her head in Hillock’s lap. He gasped and looked up at Chevalier, but he was no longer watching.
“How did they get you?” Emily asked after a few minutes.
“Same time they got you,” Hillock explained. He lightly began to run his fingers through her hair.
“Anyone else?”
“Nope”
“Bastards, can’t they leave me alone?”
“I’m guessing not.” He jerked his hand away quickly when Kyle peered in and growled lightly.
Feeling comforted that she was no longer alone, she soon fell asleep. When Kyle disappeared from the window, Hillock lightly began to rub her back as he watched her sleep.
Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series Page 55