“Stop,” she said, touching his hand and exploring his palm and each finger.
When she was done, she took his left arm and also laid it against her stomach. Her fingers ran lightly along his shoulder and down onto the muscles in his arm, again tracing the veins and contours lightly.
“Em…”
“Shhh,” she said again, her eyes following her fingers as they lightly felt to their way to his forearms.
He brought his hands up and took her face in them and kissed her passionately. He growled when she pulled away.
“Stop,” she told him sternly.
She carefully ran her fingers along the back of his neck, feeling along his spine and the way his skin goose bumped at her touch.
Her fingers softly worked their way to the front of his neck and along his jaw line, then gently outlined his shoulders and traced their way back to his upper chest.
He shivered as her hands traced the chiseled contours of his chest and he grabbed her again to kiss her.
Emily pushed him away, “Stop.”
Her eyes were focused on his chest. Her fingers delicately brushed every part of it as she meticulously touched the skin, and outlined each muscle in his torso.
“What exa…” She shushed him again. He glanced at Kyle in the rear-view mirror, and saw Kyle shrugged slightly.
Chevalier let his eyes take in Emily to get his mind off of the way her touch felt. He noticed how much she had changed in the last few weeks. Her breasts were fuller, and her stomach had grown quite a bit, even her hair seemed longer. He reached out to brush it off of her shoulder, but his hand was pushed away.
“I said stop.” Her eyes never left his chest.
He shivered again as she ran her fingers ever so lightly down his sides to the edge of his pants, and then traced his belt line across his stomach to the center.
Chevalier reached out and took her hands in his, “Emily, if you don’t stop, I’m going to have to rip Kyle’s eyes out.”
She tried to pull her hands away from his, but couldn’t, “I’m not done, turn around.”
“What are you doing exactly?” he asked, meeting her eyes.
His insides cringed as her striking green eyes began to fill with tears, “You were burned, all over.”
He nodded, “I’ve healed.”
“I want to make sure,” she said, and started to slide off of his lap. She was determined to check out his back now.
He stopped her from leaving his lap, “Emily, look at me.”
Her eyes met his again, and he wondered if their intensity would ever stop piercing into his soul.
“I’m ok.” He wrapped his arms around her.
“I want to see your legs.” She undid his belt, deciding to see if his legs were burned.
His hands were quickly on hers again, “Seriously, Emily… I only have so much control.”
“How can you be sure that you aren’t injured anywhere?” She didn’t pull her hands away this time.
“I just know. I’m fine.” He reached up and wiped the blood away from under her nose, “When did this start?”
She shrugged, not taking her eyes away from him.
“Just after she destroyed about 13 heku at once,” Kyle said from the front seat.
Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “How many did you kill total?”
She shrugged again.
“Eighty three,” Kyle replied.
Chevalier sighed, “Do you have a headache?”
“Let me see your back,” she said again, and tried to slide off of him.
He stopped her, “Headaches?”
She nodded, “Sort of.”
He thought for a moment, “Maybe you did too many, Emily. I hadn’t thought about what it could do your body.”
Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled close against him, “Promise me you’re ok,” she whispered.
“I promise,” he said, and kissed her softly.
Her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed her lips against his. Her body pressed closer to him as he gasped and broke the kiss.
“What?” she asked, looking at up at him.
“What was that?” he asked, looking down.
She grinned, “You got kicked.”
“Hmm,” he said, and kissed her again.
Chapter 9 - Familiar
Emily floated on the top of the warm water, her arms were extended and relaxed, and her eyes were closed. The water sloshed softly against the side of the pool and she could feel the baby moving inside of her. She was able to let her mind wander. Things had returned to normal with the exception that David was now back in prison. He asked to see her daily, but she hadn’t yet been down to see him. Chevalier stopped working such long days, and Kyle was back as her personal guard.
The pool was one place she was allowed to be alone. She grinned because she knew why she was allowed to swim by herself. She had outgrown the one piece swim suit and the bikini left nothing to the imagination. Chevalier had become more jealous as her body changed with the pregnancy. He watched the shadows closely when she walked, making sure no servant looked at her for too long.
Emily was sure the only reason Kyle was allowed near her, was because it almost caused an argument between she and Chevalier. He had been extra careful to watch his temper around her.
The Equites offered the Valle a peace treaty, for now, and they accepted. They had already taken out not only Ulrich’s coven but also a large coven that housed a lot of the Valle guards. The Valle had limited troops and limited funds and could not afford another skirmish. For now, they were leaving Emily alone and she was finally feeling safe again.
Emily slowly began to work her way to the edge of the pool. Once her fingers began to prune she knew it was time to get out. She’d spent time every day in the pool. It lessened some of the normal aches and pains of pregnancy.
She stepped out of the pool a little awkwardly. Her petite form had some problems keeping balanced the heavier the baby became. She grabbed a towel from the warmer, and buried her face into the soft fibers. As she dried her legs, she felt an arm around her waist and a hand over her mouth before she could scream.
“Calm, Emily, I won’t hurt you,” Sam said, holding her tight enough she couldn’t get loose.
Emily tried to scream, but couldn’t get a sound out through his hand.
“I’ll let you go if you promise not to scream,” he whispered.
She clawed at his hand on her mouth, drawing blood with her fingernails.
“Stop, I’m not here to hurt you… please trust me,” he said as she struggled to get loose. Emily tried to concentrate, to turn him to ash, but it didn’t work and she again tried to scream.
“Emily, stop! I belong to you now… don’t you understand? Lord Ulrich is dead. I’m now your familiar.” His words came out quickly and Emily stopped struggling.
He slipped his hand off of her mouth so she could speak, “Your what?”
“Your familiar,” he said, finally letting her go.
She turned on him and took a step backwards, “No, no you turned me into the Valle and I was tortured, Sam. You were like a father to me.”
The pain in her eyes made him recoil, “I didn’t know they would do that, I swear. In the past when Lord Ulrich has taken a Winchester into protection, he kept them safe in the castle.”
“That is nice for them, but I was tortured in a prison,” she scowled at him.
His eyes fell, “I know.”
“You did that. Sam, my father was your friend and you… you let them hurt me. You always promised me, from the time I was a toddler, that you wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.”
“I know,” was all he could think of to say. “Still, I am yours to command.”
She glared at him, “Then go kill yourself.”
He winced, “I can’t do that, though. I am your familiar until the time of your death.”
“Kyle!” she yelled.
Kyle appeared in the door, and a growl echoed off o
f the walls in the room as he appeared between Emily and Sam. Sam didn’t flinch or wince away from the fierceness in Kyle’s eyes.
“Did he touch you?” Kyle asked and watched Sam.
“He said he’s my familiar now that Ulrich is dead,” she explained quickly.
Kyle glared at Sam and blurred behind him, grabbing him by the throat and around his shoulders, “We’ll see about that.”
Emily quickly slipped on some shorts and followed Kyle and Sam out into the hallway as they headed for the prison. Kyle was too mad to realize Emily was behind him as he stepped into the cell area and ordered the guard to open a cell. He threw Sam roughly inside and Sam’s body crashed into the wall of the cell. The guard slammed the cell door shut and locked it.
“Emily?” David called from the adjacent cell and Emily froze.
Kyle turned to David, “Do not speak to her,” he hissed.
David stood up and walked to the cell door, “Emily, please, talk to me.”
Emily moved back a step. Her eyes went from Sam, to David, and back again as she walked backwards stiffly.
“Leave her alone,” Sam hissed at David.
“Both of you shut up!” Kyle growled.
The familiar and the Valle both became silent.
“Emily, order Sam to stay in the cell… tell him not to turn into a cat,” Kyle told her softly.
She looked at him, “Do what?”
“Tell him… please.”
Emily turned to Sam and frowned, “Stay here. No turning into a cat.”
“As you wish,” Sam said, bowing.
Emily stiffened as Sam agreed to what she had said.
“Come on, Emily,” Kyle said, taking her arm gently.
“Emily, please… just a moment. Talk to me, I can’t live like this… I can’t live without you,” David begged.
“One more word and I’ll end this now,” Kyle hissed at the Valle.
Emily let Kyle lead her back up the stairs. She was confused. Her mind was sifting through what Sam said. Her eyes were far away and when Chevalier spoke, she didn’t hear him.
“Emily?” he said again.
She looked up at him, and the confusion was evident on her face, “What?”
“Kyle, what’s going on?” Chevalier demanded.
“Sam’s back,” he said, and hurried on when Chevalier’s eyes flared. “He’s Emily’s familiar now that Ulrich is dead. I… I should have seen this coming. I didn’t think that he wouldn’t have another heir.”
Chevalier met Emily’s eyes, “Emily, breathe.”
She inhaled and looked around the room. Somehow she’d gotten up to the main foyer.
Chevalier nodded, “We need to decide what to do with him. I don’t care whose familiar he is, he betrayed her.”
“I agree… they aren’t that easy to get rid of, though. He’s now bound to her by blood.”
“What? How?” Emily asked.
“You’re the only blood relative left of Ulrich, so when he died, the familiar passed to you,” Kyle explained.
“Let’s go talk to him,” Chevalier said, and started toward the prison.
“Wait, Sir,” Kyle said, and he left Emily’s side and whispered to Chevalier. The words were too soft and too fast for Emily to make out.
Chevalier looked at Emily, and she took a step back when she saw how angry he was.
“How dare he talk to her,” he hissed.
Emily suddenly understood and relaxed.
“Bring Sam up here, into the library,” Chevalier said, and he took Emily’s hand and led her to the library as Kyle went to get the familiar.
Emily sat down in a chair in the library, and looked high up among the rows and columns of books.
“We’ll figure this out, this isn’t bad… ok? This is not a bad thing,” Chevalier said.
She nodded.
“If he is yours… then he can’t hurt you. He can’t do anything but what you say,” he explained.
“I don’t want him,” she told him, and turned to look at the door when Kyle walked in alone.
He sighed at Chevalier, “He won’t leave the cell because Emily told him to stay. He put up a fight when we tried to force him, and I thought maybe it wasn’t worth it.”
“Fine… we’ll go down and maybe take care of David while we’re at it,” Chevalier said.
Chevalier slipped off his shirt and handed it to Emily. She was so shocked by what happened, she’d forgotten she only had on a pair of shorts and the bikini top. She slipped on the shirt and followed them down into the prison as she rolled up the sleeves to free her hands.
The two guards bowed to the Chief Enforcer as he stepped into the cell room. The prison fell eerily quiet in his presence. He glared across the cells, making sure they all knew he was there. His threatening stare brought fear into them.
“Emily… Emily, please, I love you. Talk to me,” David said, coming to the bars of his cell.
“I’m warning you, Valle,” Kyle said, and kicked the bars roughly. “You hold your tongue around her. We have business that doesn’t include you.”
“Chevalier will kill you eventually, Emily!” David said.
Kyle grabbed his keys and started to open David’s cell while he continued, “You know he will. I love you Emily. I would never hurt you. You know that.”
Emily looked at him with wide eyes as Kyle stepped into the cell and shut the door behind him.
Chevalier spun her around and pressed her face into his chest as the screaming began. Her body tensed at the crunching and tearing sounds coming from behind her. She jumped as a loud crash echoed off the walls of the cell area, and turned slowly when the room fell silent.
Kyle was crouched in the corner of the cell, covered in blood. His fists were clenched tightly and his breathing was harsh and fast. He slowly stood up and adjusted his shirt and looked down, then quickly ripped off his shirt and threw it into the corner. Emily wondered briefly what he was trying to hide.
As he stepped, shirtless, out of the cell and locked the door, Emily gasped. David was still alive, but his feet and hands had been ripped from his body and were strewn around the cell. He was gasping for breath and groaning in pain.
“Kill him. Don’t leave him like that,” she whispered.
“We can’t kill him, not yet,” Chevalier said, and turned her away from David’s cell.
“Why not?” she asked, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to forget the image behind her.
“He’s a prisoner of war. He can’t be killed until the Valle have a chance to petition for his return,” he growled, obviously not pleased with that.
“I can kill him, Emily, just ask,” Sam told her.
Emily opened her eyes and looked at Sam, “I don’t want a familiar, Sam.”
“It’s not up to you. I’m bound to you by blood, and have been for hundreds of years,” he said softly.
“Bonds can be broken,” she whispered.
“Not this one,” he said, looking into her eyes.
Chevalier watched them carefully. He knew that Sam was right, but he also knew that Emily wasn’t going to understand. He knew she had to see it for herself and grasp the reality of it. Sam was hers in every way, shape, and form. Sam, who once betrayed the strong trust she had for him. Chevalier didn’t envy Sam for having to become the familiar of a woman he so strongly deceived.
“Then I can order you to go away… forever,” she said.
“Yes you can, but I’d be around… it is my job to watch over you for the rest of your life.” Sam’s eyes were intense.
“Then what? When I die what happens?” She already knew, but wanted to hear him say it.
“Then I will become the familiar to your eldest child.”
Emily turned to Chevalier, “The bond can’t be broken?”
He shook his head.
“Do you trust him?” she asked.
Chevalier nodded, “He can’t hurt you. It’s not a question now, he cannot do it.”
“He turned m
e over to the Valle,” she said, shocked.
“On Ulrich’s orders. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t like him, but as a familiar… he’s unable to betray you now.”
“Emily, I love you,” David said softly from behind her.
“Are you kidding me?” Kyle yelled, turning to him. David had healed and was standing at the door reaching for Emily.
Chevalier let Sam out of his cell, and Emily told him to follow them just as Kyle stepped into David’s cell again. Emily, Chevalier, and Sam headed up the stairs as the screaming began.
Emily kept a close eye on Sam. She didn’t care what Chevalier said, she didn’t trust him. His betrayal was still too fresh in her mind. The muscle spasms in restraints and the humiliating exams were still his doing, and she was very much aware of that right now.
Chevalier opened the bedroom door for Emily and let both her and Sam inside. She turned and glared at Sam.
“Did you kill my Dad?” she asked him angrily.
“No! I wouldn’t ever have hurt him,” Sam said quickly.
“Emily, bed,” Chevalier said, pointing.
She spun on him and glared, “No.”
“Doctor’s orders, your blood pressure was up again, remember?” He sat on the edge of the bed.
She scowled at him and sat on the bed cross-legged.
“Listen to the doctor, Emily. Do what’s best for your health and the baby,” Sam said, agreeing with Chevalier.
Emily flew out of the bed and landed hard against Sam, knocking him to the floor and pinning him to the ground with her body and hands. He didn’t resist, it wasn’t his place to stop her.
She looked down into his eyes enraged and screamed, “You have no right to tell me what to do for my health!”
“Em,” Chevalier said, amused, as he picked her up off of the familiar. “I don’t think tackling anyone was part of the doctor’s orders.”
He sat her down on the bed and her temper flared when she saw the humor in his eyes.
Sam got up and brushed himself off, “The Winchester women were historically temperamental when with child.”
Emily started off the bed again, but Chevalier held her back.
“Why don’t you shut up, Sam?” he asked, fighting another chuckle.
Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series Page 11