Encala

by T. M. Nielsen

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  Emily grinned and took a bite of cracker.

  “I wasn’t abusing her… this time she was abusing me,” Chevalier said, still grimacing.

  “I don’t think that’s against the rules.” Mark was watching him, cautiously.

  “Try this,” Chevalier said, handing Mark the Sprite.

  Mark looked down into the glass.

  “Seriously, try it,” Chevalier said again.

  Mark took the glass, unsure if that was a serious order. He smelled the contents and Emily giggled again when he made the same face Chevalier made when he smelled it.

  “Go, Boy,” Chevalier encouraged, grinning.

  Mark put the glass to his lips and hesitantly tipped it back and immediately began to gag. He dropped the glass and it shattered on the floor, sending Sprite and shards of glass across the bathroom. He ran for the door, and Emily heard it open and slam.

  “That was mean,” she said to Chevalier, taking another bite.

  “I need to go,” Chevalier said, getting to his feet.

  “Are you going to be sick?” she asked, slightly amused.

  He groaned and ran from the bathroom. Emily crawled to the door just in time to see him disappear. She turned to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, then began sweeping up the glass.

  “Ma’am?” she heard from behind her. She turned to see two heku in masks watching her, “We have someone coming to clean that up.”

  “Who are you?” she asked, kneeling by the broken glass.

  “You don’t know us… we’re just here until your personal guards can be summoned. The… erm… Elder and Mark needed to go feed,” he stammered, nervously.

  “Because of Sprite!?” she gasped, and suddenly found that incredibly funny. She sat down on the floor and laughed as the heku watched her curiously.

  Emily went to stand up and cut her palm on a piece of glass. As her blood hit the floor, she looked up fearfully.

  One of the guards had his hand out to help her up, “Can’t smell a thing, you’re ok,” he said.

  She took his hand and stood up, grabbing her crackers on the way out. There was already a glass of Sprite on the table. She headed for it, but felt the world begin to spin again and soon found herself in the arms of a strange heku.

  He sat her down in bed and moved away from her quickly. The other guard came up and handed her the glass of Sprite, “The... erm... Elder… he said… that you… um… owe him some… of that.”

  She nodded and drank a sip, “That I do.”

  Emily put the glass down suddenly and pressed her hands into her temples, moaning.

  “Ma’am?” one of the guards said, nervously.

  When she didn’t answer, she heard them summon the doctor. She couldn’t complain. The pounding in her head made the voices sound funny, and she couldn’t focus her eyes. The world began to spin and she screamed when the pain intensified. Her scream echoed through the walls of the palace, and guards from all stations blurred to her room. The first to arrive was Kyle.

  “Emily?” he said, sitting down by her and looking at the guards. “What happened?”

  “She was just drinking and she started screaming. I swear, nothing happened,” he stammered out.

  “Emily?” he asked again, but she was writhing with pain and moaning.

  “Where’s that doctor?” one of the guards yelled.

  “I’m here,” he said. “Clear this room.”

  All of the guards except Kyle and the two from earlier left the room. The doctor looked into her eyes with his flashlight and felt along her neck and spine. He frowned as she fell silent onto the bed.

  “What’s wrong?” Kyle asked.

  The doctor shook his head, “Do you really want to know?”

  Kyle frowned, “Of course I do.”

  “She has multiple concussions, one recent, from the car wreck, and a few… a few that are older.” He looked over at the wall.

  Kyle sighed, “From the Ancient?”

  The doctor nodded, “She has to have had a headache for weeks, but I’m guessing didn’t tell anyone or thought it was the pregnancy. It’s going to take a while before it can heal all the way. The pain shouldn’t be this bad, though. I need to do some research.”

  “What do we do?”

  “I need to get an I.V. in her. She’s not getting enough fluid. I would feel better if she’d take pain meds, too.” He looked over at Emily as she slept.

  “Do it, I’ll make sure the I.V stays, and I’ll take the blame for the medicine,” Kyle said. Within five minutes, she had an I.V. in and fluid was dripping quickly into her vein. The doctor left just as Kyle sat by her side and wrapped a strong hand around the I.V. sight.

  Kyle sat motionless for hours as he watched her sleep. He smelled the acrid medicine coming from her, but ignored it. She was sleeping soundly and the I.V. was putting color back into her.

  “What happened?” Chevalier asked, blurring into the room.

  “She got a headache and passed out again,” Kyle explained. “The medicine was my idea, she can get mad at me for that. The doctor said her concussion is really bad. It’s going to take time and sleep to heal. He also said something else is going on, but he can’t tell what.”

  “Is he trying to find out?”

  “Yes, but he said it can take time.”

  Chevalier just nodded and saw Kyle’s hand wrapped tightly around her arm at the I.V.

  “Did she really make you drink Sprite?” Kyle asked, and wrinkled his nose.

  “That stuff should be banned. It’s awful,” he said, sitting down. A rustling in the corner made him look up.

  “You are relieved. There are two of us in here now,” he said, just as someone blurred out of the room.

  “I’ve always wondered what that tastes like. It smells bad,” Kyle said, looking over at her glass.

  “Have at it. I’m sure she won’t mind,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “No thanks, I’m full.”

  “I had to feed three times before I got that taste out of my mouth.”

  Kyle just grinned and nodded, “I bet.”

  Emily slept through the night. She began to wake up as the medicine wore off and then sat up and looked around the room.

  “Good morning,” Kyle said, smiling at her, with his hand still tightly grasp around her I.V.

  “Where’s Allen?” she asked, her head still slightly foggy.

  “Sam has him at breakfast.” Chevalier took her hand.

  Emily jerked her hand away as her eyes fell on the I.V. and she pulled at Kyle’s fingers, “Let go.”

  “Not this time, doctor’s orders,” Kyle said, watching her.

  “Em, how’s your headache?” Chevalier asked, trying to distract her.

  “Let go or I’ll ash you,” she said angrily.

  “Emily!” Chevalier yelled, surprised.

  Kyle just grinned, “Ash me if you want, but I’m not letting go.”

  Chevalier put his hand under Emily’s chin, and moved her face toward him, “Calm down.”

  “Get it out,” her eyes were furious.

  “It’s an I.V., that’s all. You need fluid.”

  “Now”

  “No”

  Emily laid back down against the bed and stared at the ceiling.

  Kyle looked at Chevalier, and he shrugged.

  She sat up suddenly, and swung her legs out of bed, then stood up on shaky legs.

  “Emily, lay down,” Kyle said, still holding her arm.

  “Bathroom,” she said, and began to walk quickly toward the bathroom. Kyle grabbed the I.V. bag and went with her. Halfway there, Emily paused and collapsed. Kyle caught her just as she was about to hit the floor. Chevalier was at their side in an instant.

  Emily reached both hands to her chest, then swiftly pulled out her I.V. and looked up with a glare, “There, now I can go alone.”

  Kyle sighed and set her down, then she disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.
>
  “I can’t believe she did that,” Kyle said, wide eyed.

  Chevalier chuckled, “I can.”

  “What’s with her and needles?” Kyle asked, sitting on the chair by the fireplace.

  Chevalier shrugged, “I don’t know.”

  Emily emerged a short time later, fully dressed. Her hair was pulled back into a long French braid that fell down her back.

  “Going somewhere?” Kyle asked her.

  “I keep telling you, I’m leaving.” She sat down to slip on her shoes, but paused to press her palms to her eyes and then stood up.

  “Headaches again?” Chevalier asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  She nodded and leaned her head against his chest.

  “Do you have to go right now?”

  “I’ll be right back, ok? I need to clear my head,” she said, pulling away and grabbing a cracker.

  “Where are you going then?” Kyle asked.

  Emily turned to him, “To express my new freedom.”

  Kyle looked at Chevalier, and he nodded, “We’ll wait here for you.”

  She grabbed her riding gloves and walked out of the room.

  “We can’t let her go alone,” Kyle reminded him.

  “We have to if we want her to stay,” Chevalier said, obviously scared about her outing.

  Emily saw the curious looks as she walked through the castle alone. Everyone she saw was wearing the hospital mask, and the entire castle smelled like menthol. She went into the dining room and smiled at Allen.

  “Want to go for a ride?” she asked him, and he nodded, hurrying to finish his breakfast.

  “I’ll go with you,” Sam said, standing up.

  “No, you’ll go wait in the bedroom with the other mother hens,” she said, smiling. She always enjoyed being able to boss him around. It was some consolation after what he did to her.

  Sam nodded and reluctantly went up to the bedroom to wait.

  “You too, huh?” Kyle asked when Sam walked into the room.

  “She called us mother hens,” Sam said, sitting down with the heku to wait.

  Chevalier chuckled.

  Emily took Allen’s hand and walked out to the stables. She looked around, and things looked the same. Someone had kept up with the horses, and for that she was grateful. After slipping a bridle on Patra, Emily led her out and hoisted herself up, bareback. She then reached one arm down and pulled Allen up, putting him in front of her.

  “Emily?” she heard from behind her and turned.

  “Hi, Mark,” she said, smiling. He didn’t have a mask on because it wasn’t needed outside.

  “Shall I go with you?” he asked.

  “No, wait for me in my bedroom,” she ordered, and he sulked off as she watched him.

  Mark walked into her bedroom and frowned at the others gathered, then heard Chevalier laugh.

  Kyle sighed, “I guess you join us.”

  Mark sat down hesitantly, “What’s up?”

  “She’s expressing her freedom,” Chevalier said, still laughing.

  “By the time she’s done, you’ll need a bigger room,” Sam mumbled, and watched the fire.

  Emily kicked Patra into a trot, and breathed deeply of the fresh air. There was something exhilarating about being out by herself in a city surrounded with danger, and she smiled as she kicked the mare into a gallop through the city streets. She soon found herself up on the green hills outside of the city again. She stopped Patra on the ridge and looked over the quiet city.

  “Run!” Allen said, kicking Patra with his little feet. The mare snorted and stood still.

  “In a sec, Allen,” Emily said, shutting her eyes and taking in the sounds around her.

  “Emily,” she heard the whisper behind her, and she turned and saw a heku in the signature red robes of the Encala.

  Emily turned Patra around quickly to face him. He had his hands up toward her in a gesture of peace.

  “One more step and I’ll ash you,” she warned.

  “I haven’t come to hurt you. I’ve come with an offer,” he said, lowering his hands.

  She looked at him carefully, “What offer?”

  He smiled, warmly, “I come to offer you your dreams.”

  “I’m listening,” she said, pulling Allen closer to her.

  “We’ve been watching you, and we know what you want, Emily. Join the Encala, and we will give it all to you.”

  “What exactly do I want?”

  “Freedom of course,” he said, still smiling.

  “Seems to me like I have freedom.”

  “For now, but they will take it away, will they not?”

  She shrugged.

  “I have many things to offer you. All you have to do is come with me, and live in the Encala palace… of course… we could give you your own home, perhaps a small farm outside of Paris? Or maybe Rome?”

  Her eyes narrowed as he spoke.

  “We offer you permanent freedom. No more being treated like a child. You are an adult, you don’t need a babysitter. We offer you free reign of our entire kingdom, every heku at your command. No more being restrained or forbidden, no more tricks, or deceit.”

  “You seem to know a lot about this,” she said, skeptically.

  “I know more than you can imagine. You are Encala by blood. It’s your destiny to return home,” he said, watching her.

  Emily frowned, “What do you mean Encala by blood?”

  “Lies, Emily, they have been lying to you from the start. Your father was Encala, an Elder actually.”

  “My dad was mortal,” she corrected him.

  “No, he was, in fact, Encala. Allen was your mother’s husband, but you were conceived by means of an Encala Elder. One that became smitten with your mother… she didn’t know it. He had the ability to erase her mind.”

  “You’re lying,” she snapped at him.

  “I’m not, I am telling the truth. After you were born, he became drawn more and more to her blood until… well sadly… he couldn’t stop. We were saddened when he took the life of your mother and your brother, but you stopped him, and we knew for certain that you were Encala.”

  “I don’t have a brother. You obviously have the wrong person,” she said, still watching him.

  “Don’t you ever wonder why your abilities are so strong? It’s because you have the blood of two heku running through you... the original of Lord Ulrich, and then your father’s blood.” He stayed still and watched her, never taking a step or moving at all.

  Emily’s mind whirled. Things from her childhood began to make sense and it infuriated her.

  “You belong with your family. We won’t lie to you as the Equites have. It’s a shame that even your husband lied to you about such things. Of course, bonds are easily broken.” He smiled warmly.

  “Chevalier knows?” she asked, mostly to herself.

  The Encala nodded.

  “Come with me,” she said, turning Patra back toward the city.

  The Encala hesitated, “They will kill me the second they see me.”

  “No, they won’t, not if I tell them not to. If they try, I’ll ash them,” she said, angrily.

  The Encala smiled. He knew he’d gotten through to her, “As you wish then.”

  As they passed into the city, there were shouts and gasps from the houses and stores when they saw Emily on horseback and the Encala walking calmly at her side. By the time they reached the palace, the city had been shut up tightly. Emily was glad no alarm was sounded. She wanted to be able to walk through the palace without being surrounded by guards.

  She slipped off of Patra and took Allen by the hand and held her other hand out for the Encala. He looked at her hand, then to her eyes.

  “It’ll be easier for me to control,” she said. He nodded and took her soft hand in his.

  Emily approached the front door guards as they crouched low and hissed.

  “Stand back, he’s with me,” she said, and they looked at each other, shocked.

  It
was easier than she thought to get through the palace. All she had to do was threaten any Equites she came to, and they backed down. It was obvious to her, that Chevalier had given them orders to obey her at all costs. When she got to her bedroom, she stepped inside and all eyes fell to her.

  “Welcome back,” Chevalier said. He froze and crouched when an Encala walked in casually behind her.

  “He’s with me,” she said angrily at the Equites who were crouched and ready to attack.

  “Sam, take Allen,” she said, and Allen walked over to him. Sam picked him up and hurried from the room.

  “If you attack him, I’ll ash you before you touch him,” she said, shutting the door behind her.

  “Emily…” Kyle said, still crouched, his voice turning into a hiss.

  “Stop it,” she yelled, glaring at them.

  Chevalier was the first to stand back straight, but his eyes didn’t leave the enemy standing in his room.

  “Are you going to explain about your… friend?” Chevalier asked, motioning for the others to stand down.

  Emily stood in front of the Encala protectively, and faced Chevalier, “Who is my father?”

  “Emily, I can explain,” Chevalier said, but she held up her hand.

  “Who is my father?” she asked again.

  His shoulders fell, “I don’t know who he was.”

  “I do, he was an Encala Elder,” she said, growing angrier.

  “Allen was your Dad. He raised you and loved you,” Chevalier whispered.

  “How did my mother die?” she asked, taking a step toward him.

  “She was killed by the heku,” Chevalier sighed. He knew this would only drive a wedge further between them.

  “And my… my brother?”

  “Same.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, balling her hands into fists.

  “It wasn’t important. You know who your family is.”

  “You lied to me.” Her eyes were hurt.

  “That was in Colorado. I had forgotten about it.” He tried to convince her. His heart ached at the pain in her eyes, the betrayal, and he noticed the Encala standing behind her looking calm and relaxed.