Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  The shrill alarm was still sounding as Chevalier ran through his mental image of the city and found a suitable location he could use to wait out the panic. He had no problems getting to the abandoned house. No windows were unlocked, but he was able to break one of the locks and slide the window open. The house was damaged on the inside, and he easily found a suitable hiding spot. One of the closets had caved in, leaving a small area that he was able to crawl into.

  Chevalier waited and watched as the hours flew by. Two hours after the alarm sounded, it ended, but the rush of feet and angry voices in the streets continued. He could smell the tension and the terror. He heard voices yelling about the missing Elder and Valle Warriors attacking as he came face-to-face with several of Selest’s guards.

  The job had been too easy, further proof that it was past time for Selest to be removed from office.

  Chapter 17 - Moving

  “Emily, wake up.” Kyle’s voice was in whispers, but urgent.

  “What’s wrong?” Emily sat up and put her hand on Allen’s back. He was still asleep.

  “Come on, we’re in lockdown,” he explained, and pulled the covers off of them before picking Allen up. A piercing alarm sounded through the island.

  Emily followed Kyle through the secret wall and down the stairs to the cave bedroom, “Kyle, tell me what’s going on.”

  “There’s been an attack on one of the Elders,” he said, lying Allen down on the bed. He turned to comfort Emily, but was surprised because she was smiling slightly.

  “Is she dead?” Emily asked, watching his eyes.

  Kyle’s eyes narrowed, “How did you know it was Selest?”

  She sat down and rubbed Allen’s back as he began to wake up. They were both silent until he fell back asleep.

  “My God, it’s Chevalier,” Kyle said, shocked.

  Emily shrugged.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” he said sternly.

  She frowned, “I’m not supposed to. I’ll be good and stay down here until the alert is over.”

  Kyle leaned over and looked directly into her face, “What did he do, Emily?”

  “You know I can’t say,” she told him, her hand still on Allen.

  Kyle stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  “Gah, Kyle…” Emily hissed when Allen woke up. She rubbed his back softly and curled up next to him.

  “Daddy?” Allen asked sleepily.

  “He’ll be home soon,” she said, and kissed his cheek softly.

  Emily drifted off to sleep curled up next to Allen.

  ***

  Chevalier put the last of the dirt over the former Elder’s banishment sight and sat down to lean against a tree. As he watched the mound of dirt, his mind whirled. He’d done it. He killed an Elder, which in heku tradition, made him an Elder. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number.

  “It’s done,” he said when he heard Leonid’s voice.

  Leonid sighed, “Come back to Council City.”

  “I need to go and get Emily first,” Chevalier replied. “Then I’ll be there.”

  “No, come directly here. We’ll have Kyle bring her and the boy.” Leonid hung up, and Chevalier growled slightly. Leonid had no right to tell him what to do, at the moment of Selest’s burial, he became Leonid’s equal. He opted to go to Council City and wait until his coronation to begin exploring his new powers.

  ***

  “Emily?” Kyle said, touching her shoulder. She woke up with a jerk.

  “It’s ok, it’s just me,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I got word from the Elders. It’s time for us to go to Council City.”

  She nodded and picked up Allen.

  “Are you sure about this?” Kyle asked, unmoving.

  She looked at him, “No, I’m not. In fact, I’m very much not sure about any of this, but tell me what my options are.”

  He shook his head, “I can’t believe he did it.”

  “It sounded like he didn’t have a choice to me.”

  “Still… Chevalier’s an Elder now. That makes you part of the faction’s royalty, for lack of another word. I’m just shocked.”

  “I promised Chev two months. If I don’t like it, then… I’m gone,” she said sadly as she watched Allen sleep in her arms.

  “Then what?” Kyle asked anxiously. “Then you disappear and go back to being plagued with heku attacks? Running a ranch by yourself, being a single parent?”

  “What am I supposed to do?” she hissed angrily.

  “I could go with you,” he said, taking her hand.

  “Kyle…” She didn’t know what else to say. He’d kissed her once, she hadn’t forgotten that, but since then they had been only friends.

  He leaned toward her and pressed his lips to hers gently as his hand slipped behind her neck to hold her close. She was still able to pull away from him and look down. He stood up, shut his eyes, then opened them slowly, “Let’s get ready to leave.”

  Emily nodded and carried Allen up the stairs. Anna was waiting for them in Emily’s bedroom.

  “I’ll get him ready,” she said softly.

  Emily nodded and then turned when she felt a hand on her arm, “The Chief Enforcer had me make this for you. You’ll need to wear it tonight,” said Margaret.

  Margaret held up a simple, dark blue slip dress. She smiled when Emily took it and thanked her. Emily was surprised because her dresses were usually a lot more revealing. Margaret also handed her a box and hugged her.

  “We’ll miss you, Child,” she said, then left quickly.

  “So everyone knows now?” Emily asked Kyle.

  Kyle nodded, “Official word came down from the Elders an hour ago.”

  As Emily headed to the bathroom to change, she felt a hand on her shoulder, “Em?”

  She turned and looked at Kyle, “Keep it in mind, ok?”

  Emily nodded and went to change. The dress was elegant and beautiful, and she loved the feel of the satiny material against her skin. She was a little embarrassed at the way it clung to every curve of her body, but it was modest by Margaret’s standards. She pinned her hair up into a bun and let soft tendrils fall down to frame her face and cascade down her back.

  Lastly, Emily opened the box Margaret gave her and gasped. Inside of the black box was a diamond necklace. She ran her fingers along the clusters of diamonds in a delicate platinum setting. She picked it up, almost afraid to touch it, she’d never seen anything so beautiful.

  “Let me help you,” Kyle said from behind her. He reached around and took the necklace from her and gently laid it across her neck. He brushed her hair away from the clasp and fastened it. Emily pulled away from him when she felt the soft caress of his lips against her shoulder.

  “Kyle, don’t,” she said, stepping away.

  “You look amazing,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Emily whispered, and then headed back out into the bedroom. It looked so empty. Her things were all packed in boxes that were stacked high in the corners. She picked up a blue scarf from the table and wrapped it around her shoulders, then wondered when she would be back. She already said her good-byes to Sam and to her horses, but at this moment, everything seemed so final.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Kyle said, taking her arm.

  Anna kissed Emily on the cheek and put Allen down on the ground. Emily took his hand, and they walked up to the roof where the helicopter was waiting. Kyle helped her crawl inside and then handed Allen up to her. They seat belted in, and Emily watched her beloved island slip out of view.

  Emily drifted off to sleep, watching the terrain fly by, and only the sound of the pilot’s voice woke her up.

  “The coronation has started, we’re right on time,” he said to Kyle.

  “Thank you,” Kyle said, and smiled at Emily.

  “It’s started already?”

  Kyle nodded, “Yes, your arrival is toward the end. They will be done with the heku ceremony before we get there.”
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  “Why did I have to dress up if I’m going to miss it?”

  “You have to be presented to the Elders.”

  “What do you mean… presented?” she asked, wide eyed.

  Kyle laughed, “It’s all ceremonial. The coronation will make Chevalier officially an Elder, but you still have to be accepted.”

  Her eyes narrowed, “What do you mean accepted?”

  “Don’t worry, you just walk in and take your place with Chevalier. It’s simple.” He watched her getting flustered and panicky.

  “How many heku are we talking?” she asked nervously.

  Kyle just grinned, “I’ll be behind you carrying Allen.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.” She scowled at him.

  Emily looked out over the city. The lights twinkled, and she thought the city was surprisingly beautiful. Finally, she saw the palace. It was enormous and stood ominously at the head of the large city. The helicopter circled once and then landed smoothly on the roof. She saw an army of guards form a line out from the door.

  The pilot powered down the helicopter before Kyle opened the door. Allen reached for Kyle when he put his hands out. One of the guards stepped up and reached out to help Emily out of the helicopter. She blushed when he put his hands around her waist and easily lifted her out. The same guard then extended an arm to her.

  She looked at Kyle and he chuckled, “It’s ok, I’ll be right behind you.”

  The heku led her past the line of guards and into the door. Emily studied at the large palace. It was full of intricately carved statues and polished marble floors. She was looking around so intently that she barely noticed when the guard stopped at a set of double doors.

  “One moment longer,” he said to Emily, though he never looked at her.

  Emily checked behind her, and Kyle smiled. Allen reached for her, but Kyle whispered into his ear and he pulled his arms back.

  When the guard opened the double doors, Emily turned quickly and pulled away from him as she caught sight of the massive room filled with thousands of heku in dark green robes. They all turned to her as she headed the other way. The guard looked at her, shocked, and reached out to take her arm again. He forcibly pulled her through the door. Emily turned and looked wide eyed at the room. She couldn’t breathe. The heku was cutting off the circulation to her arm and she wanted to run.

  “Emily, breathe,” Kyle whispered and grinned. “Just walk to him.”

  Emily’s eyes met Chevalier’s. He was sitting at the other end of the room, watching her. She focused on him as the guard escorted her through the room, then felt the eyes of thousands of heku on her and began to blush. She prayed silently that she wouldn’t trip over the floor-length dress and pulled the scarf tighter around her shoulders. As she walked, she felt the dress pressing against the curves of her body and she cursed Margaret silently.

  She couldn’t help but notice the reaction of the heku as she passed. Some quickly turned their heads away from her, while others inhaled deeply and shut their eyes. She realized her blood was affecting them already.

  At the foot of the stairs leading up to the platform with the Elders, the guard stopped and Emily looked up at him.

  Elder Leonid stood and smiled at Emily. She watched him as he spoke to those gathered in a language she didn’t understand. The heku in the room all responded with an unfamiliar word. Maleth then stood and addressed them, and again, Emily wasn’t able to understand what was being said.

  Finally, Chevalier stood and held his hand out for Emily. She picked her dress up a bit and walked up the stairs to take his hand. He squeezed her hand tightly and smiled at her. She tried to avoid turning around to face the heku, but once he sat in his chair, he motioned for her to stand by his side.

  Kyle put Allen on the ground, and he ran up the stairs and into Chevalier’s lap. He hugged Allen tightly and then took Emily’s hand again. Emily stood, horrified, as everyone watched her. Some seemed mad, others confused, while still others smiled broadly. She could feel herself blushing more and she glared at Kyle as he bowed and walked out of the room. She wanted to go with him. She would do anything to get away from the eyes.

  It seemed like an eternity to Emily before Maleth excused the heku and they began to file out of the room. Chevalier stood when the coronation hall was empty and sat Allen down in his chair. He took Emily in his arms and held her tightly.

  “Welcome home, Em,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

  “We are so glad to have you here, Emily,” Maleth said, smiling.

  “At least someone is,” she said, pulling away from Chevalier.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  She shook her head, “Nothing.” Her mind ran through the different emotions from the crowd of heku, from angry, to happy, to disappointed.

  Leonid knew what she had seen, “It’s ok, Child, they are just not used to a mortal in the palace.”

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “They better watch themselves.”

  Leonid broke the tension, “Why don’t you show Emily to your new room. I’m sure she’d like to get settled. I will have some dinner brought up.”

  “Good idea,” Chevalier said, and then took Emily’s hand and picked Allen up with one arm.

  Emily followed silently through the enormous palace. She watched the servants bow to Chevalier and eye her suspiciously. It seemed like they walked forever when he turned into a silent hallway and opened the door at the end. She stepped into a massive bedroom made up in deep purples and reds. The bed was larger than hers on the island, and the room had two fireplaces.

  She let go of Chevalier’s hand and looked around. There were candles burning instead of lamps, which threw most of the room into dark shadows. She opened the first door to reveal a large bathroom, it only contained a shower. She sighed, there was no sink, no tub, or toilet. This was going to be worse than she had thought.

  “I’ll have something put in that. They aren’t used to needing bathrooms,” he said, watching her.

  She nodded and opened the next door and walked inside. She entered into a light blue nursery full of toys and stuffed pillows. The crib was cherry wood and matched the small wardrobe and changing table. She wondered who made this and how they thought her sixteen-month-old still slept in a crib and wore diapers.

  The next door by the nursery, to her shock, was another nursery. It was decorated in light pinks and had a beautiful white bassinet and rocking chair. She quickly stepped out and looked at Chevalier.

  “I didn’t tell them to put in another nursery, I swear,” he said, knowing she’d be mad at that. She always made it abundantly clear that one baby was enough.

  Emily walked over to the next door. This one was a walk-in closet larger than her room on the ranch and full of clothing. She looked through them and noticed most were dresses, she sighed and closed the door as she left.

  “What do you think?” Chevalier asked.

  She shrugged.

  He sat Allen on the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist, “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “That was humiliating,” she said, laying her head against his chest. She became irritated when he laughed.

  “How was that humiliating?”

  “Everyone but me was in green robes, and you didn’t tell me I had to be paraded through them. They hate me,” she said, looking up at him.

  “No they don’t, they hate me. It’ll take a while before they forgive me for killing Selest,” he said, and touched her cheek softly.

  “You didn’t see their eyes. Some of them seriously hate me. I could see it.” Emily pulled away from him and sat down by Allen on the bed.

  “They better hope I don’t see it.” He sat down by her and took her hand.

  “You can’t kill everyone who doesn’t like me, Chev.”

  He grinned, “I don’t have to, just a few before they will learn.”

  She frowned, “Two months?”

  He nodded, “Just give me two months.”

>   “They don’t like mortals then I take it?”

  “Some,” he admitted.

  “What about the heku who live in the palace?” she hated to ask, maybe she didn’t want to know if she was in danger.

  “They are devoted to the Elders. When the Elders said you were to be part of the palace, they accepted that also,” he explained.

  “So no thirsty attacks?” she asked, wincing.

  He laughed, “No, Em, not from the ones that work here.”

  “Right,” she said, and stood up to look around again. She opened up her suitcase and took out a nightgown as Chevalier watched her.

  “It’s going to be ok, Emily.”

  “It’s cold in here,” she said softly to herself. When she turned to the bathroom to get dressed, she jumped as a heku appeared by the fireplace next to her.

  “Out,” Chevalier hissed at him.

  The heku looked up at Emily, terrified, and blurred from the room. She turned questioningly to Chevalier.

  “They are anxious to make a good impression on you. They will calm down, I promise,” he explained.

  “Why are they trying to impress me?” she asked curiously.

  Chevalier smiled, “They are under the impression that if you don’t like them, they may be out of a job.”

  She put her hands on her hips, “How is it they came to be under this impression?”

  “I think Maleth may have let it slip. They are just trying to make you feel at home. They know if you are comfortable, I am comfortable, and right now, I am their worst nightmare.”

  “I don’t like this,” she said, disappearing into the bathroom.

  Emily slipped off the dress in the cold bathroom and felt tears well up in her eyes. The empty bathroom was scary, and the mirrors showed the vast darkness behind her. She put on the nightgown quickly and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up. Her bathroom on the island was always warm and pleasant.

  When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed that both fireplaces were roaring and there were plates on the table. Allen was already at the table eating when she sat down. She looked at the food and suddenly wasn’t hungry. Emily pushed the duck ala o’range away and sat back to cut up Allen’s sandwich.