Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Noted,” Zohn said, and sat down.

  “Please,” Ingram said. “You have to believe us. We did nothing wrong! We are Equites.”

  “Kneel,” Quinn yelled, and the heku dropped to his knees.

  The Council turned back to the papers in front of them, so Emily did the same, continuing to doodle oddly shaped flowers across the page. After an hour, her legs started to ache. Her feet didn’t reach the floor and her legs had gone to sleep. She leaned back in the chair and put her feet on the desk in front of her, then moved the paper to her lap and started sketching a horse.

  Zohn cleared his throat, and when Emily looked up, the entire Council was watching her. She quickly dropped her feet off of the desk and sat up straight again. Kyle took her paper and wrote on it quickly, and then handed it back to her.

  Do you need a footstool?

  Emily started to write a nasty response, but sighed and just wrote,

  Yes

  Kyle left the council chambers quickly and came back with a heavy wooden box. He slid it under Emily’s chair, and she heard him chuckle as she propped her feet on it.

  Emily stifled a yawn as the second hour of silence drew to a close. She was also starting to get hungry, and a quick glance at her watch showed her it was well after noon. She wondered how long it was going to take the Council to read whatever it was that was written on the papers on which she was drawing.

  Just after the fifth hour of the trial, the Court Reporter handed down another stack of papers. This one containing gruesome color photographs of the carnage left by the Valle. Emily flipped through the pictures and her heart ached at the sight of hundreds of dead heku, killed for no reason while they went about their daily lives. There were bodies piled along the streets, and blood dripped from walls and ceilings.

  Emily stopped at a photo. It was inside a small house located within the city. There were beautifully engraved wooden chairs and tables. The soft couch had embroidered pillows with matching curtains. There was a blood soaked book open on the table, and pieces of a female heku were lying across the chair behind it. The décor reminded her of the ranch she grew up on, and her heart tightened at the thought of how terrified they must have been when the Valle descended on their peaceful lives.

  A tear fell down her cheek as the pictures continued. She glanced up at the cowering Valle and wanted badly to burn them. She could feel the anger rising within her, the fury that made it harder to resist. She wondered if anyone would be mad if she burned them for a few minutes, let them feel pain for what they had done to the Equites.

  Emily jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked up at Chevalier, who took the pictures from her and held her hand tightly. He had noticed the tear streaming down her face, and began to realize what she had in mind. He turned to Quinn and whispered something.

  “Return the prisoners. We will continue the trial tomorrow,” Quinn said to the guards, who quickly ushered the prisoners out of the room.

  Emily felt all eyes on her, so as soon as the prisoners left, she stood up, pulled off her robe, and tossed it on the chair, then quickly left the council chambers and ran into the garage. Within a few seconds, she was on the road leading out of Council City and turned off of the black-top, headed toward the Durango.

  The Durango held some peace, some glimpse of the aloneness that she needed. She reclined in the passenger’s seat and put her feet up on the dashboard. The blanket was freezing from sitting in the cold Durango all night, but she pulled it up and covered her face with it.

  The Council stayed in their seats after Emily left and listened to the Jeep take off.

  “I forgot about the pictures,” Kyle said, stacking his papers neatly.

  “I think she was going to turn them to ash,” Chevalier said, and turned to Quinn.

  Zohn sighed, “It’s too late to stop now. Talk to her and see if you can get her to agree not to turn them to ash during the trial.”

  “Zohn’s right, we can’t stop the trial now,” Quinn said, and looked through Emily’s rough sketches.

  “I can guarantee she’s going to want to see this through,” Chevalier said. “I’ll talk to her.”

  “We may also want to consider a lunch break. I don’t think she’s eaten since this morning,” Kyle said. “I know we don’t normally break at all, but we need to reconsider that.”

  ***

  Emily sat up just after dark and looked toward the trees. In the dark, they were scary, and she realized what could be hiding in there, watching her. She quickly got into the Jeep and headed into town, determined to go and get something to eat.

  She pulled up to a small Italian restaurant and grabbed her book before heading inside and being seated at a small booth. After ordering lasagna and a Coke, she sat back and started to read.

  “May I join you?” She looked up at Exavior.

  “Are you following me?” Emily asked.

  “No, I was passing by and saw you come in,” he said, and slid into the seat across from her.

  “Have a seat,” she mumbled, irritated, and started to read again.

  Exavior watched her for a few minutes before speaking, “Is everything ok?”

  “Not feeling the Valle love at the moment is all.” She sat her book down as the waitress brought her a drink and some bread sticks.

  Exavior frowned, “Oh? Why is that?”

  “It’s a long story. Why are you here? I mean, why are you even this close to Council City?” she asked, and grabbed a hot bread stick.

  “I have a residence here.”

  “What have we here?” Emily heard, and turned quickly. She sighed when she saw Encala Elder William walk up.

  “Looks like a party to me,” Emily said, and then frowned when William sat down beside her. She heard Exavior hiss slightly.

  “Odd to find you in the company of the Chief Interrogator,” William said, watching Exavior closely.

  “Odd to find both of you here, when all I wanted was some Italian food,” Emily said, and moved her Coke away from William. She noticed that William and Exavior were staring at each other.

  “What were your plans with her?” William asked.

  “Just visiting, we’re friends,” Exavior explained.

  Emily rolled her eyes. She knew that nothing good could come out of this.

  “Do the Equites know you are here in the company of a Valle?” William turned away from Exavior to face Emily.

  “No, I just came to eat,” Emily said, and sighed. “I didn’t realize there was a heku convention in town.”

  The waitress came up and handed Emily a plate of lasagna, “Anything else for you?”

  “I’m good, unless these two want to eat,” Emily said, and grinned as she grabbed her fork.

  “No, thank you,” William told her.

  “I’ll have what she’s having,” Exavior said, and smiled at William.

  “Would you two stop glaring at each other? People are starting to stare,” Emily whispered.

  The Valle and the Encala both relaxed and sat back further in their seats.

  “How are you then?” William asked her.

  Emily finished her bite and then shrugged, “Ok.”

  “She’s fine. The Valle watch over her,” Exavior said.

  “Yeah right, last time I saw you, you tried to kill me… twice,” Emily said, and grabbed the bottle of parmesan.

  William frowned, “You tried to kill her?”

  “It wasn’t like that! She got in the middle of a fight,” Exavior explained, and William nodded, understanding.

  “I don’t care about the circumstances. If you ever start to snap my neck again, I’ll ash you first,” Emily said, now getting mad.

  “You can’t step into a heku fight, it’s too dangerous,” William said.

  “You’re defending him?”

  “No, defending our species.”

  “Ok,” Emily said, and took another bite. “I’m alive. You both can go so I can eat in peace.”

  “I’ll
stay here as long as he is here,” William said, motioning to Exavior.

  “I’m not leaving you alone with an Encala, either,” Exavior told her.

  “Great.” Emily took another bite, now anxious to finish and get back in the Jeep.

  The waitress brought Exavior some lasagna and then smiled nervously at Emily before leaving. Exavior stirred it a bit, and then took a bite while William watched, cringing.

  Emily pushed the breadbasket towards Exavior, “So, William, what brings you so close to Council City?”

  “Rumor has it that Ingram and Selhman are being tried,” William explained. “Therefore, I have to be available.”

  Emily frowned, “I thought they were both Valle.”

  “The Encala have some stakes in this as well.”

  “Like what?”

  Exavior cut in, “Like something that’s none of your business.”

  “Is that why you’re here too, the trial?” Emily asked Exavior, and pushed her half eaten lasagna away from her.

  “Finish eating, you look ill lately,” Exavior told her, and pushed the plate back.

  “Are you here for the trial, too?” Emily asked again, ignoring the plate.

  “Yes,” Exavior said, and then sighed.

  “So you two are in cahoots,” Emily said, and frowned at Exavior.

  Exavior’s hands clenched into fists, “No, we are not.”

  “Waitress! Two shots of tequila and another Coke, please,” William said.

  “We’re going to have drinks together?” Emily asked, laughing.

  “Yes, I thought it fitting.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Certainly, I’m sure the Chief Interrogator and I have enough control.”

  “That we do,” Exavior said, and took his shot from the waitress. Emily watched as he and William both downed their drinks and ordered another round.

  “While you two drink it up, I think I’ll be heading back,” Emily said, and waited for William to get up so she could leave.

  “No, I think it’s more fun with you here,” William told her, and then drank his second shot.

  “Another round?” the waitress asked them.

  “Keep them coming, and get the lady some cheesecake,” Exavior said, grinning.

  Emily frowned, “Who said I want cheesecake?”

  “Of course you do, you’re too thin.”

  “He didn’t mean to be rude,” William told her. “You do have to admit you are getting thinner, and your color is off.”

  “What the hell? You two keeping tabs on everything about me?” Emily asked angrily.

  “Yes, we do,” William told her, and grinned.

  “Let me up.”

  “No, we’re drinking,” William said, and Emily glared at Exavior when he downed his drink and didn’t come to her defense.

  “I’m not bailing you two out of jail, just so you know.”

  “Figured, we won’t end up in jail though,” Exavior said, grinning.

  Emily grabbed her phone from her purse when it rang, but William tore it out of her hand and gave it to Exavior.

  “Give that back,” Emily yelled.

  “No, I don’t want your little Elder coming to break up the fun,” William said, and nodded to Exavior.

  “You are supposed to be enemies.”

  “Oh, we are,” Exavior told her.

  “Well act like it! You two are acting like a couple of frat boys out on vacation. Give me that!” Emily grabbed for the phone when it rang again.

  “Incessant isn’t he?” Exavior asked, and looked at the phone. “Oh, never mind. It’s not the husband, it’s the boyfriend.”

  A man that had been watching them from the corner came up and nodded to Emily, “These two bothering you?”

  Emily nodded, “Yes, but I can handle it, thanks.”

  “Get lost,” William said, and glared at the man.

  “Excuse me?” the man asked angrily.

  “Seriously, we’re ok, thanks though,” Emily told him.

  “I got some friends that can come help you out to your car. If you’re ready to go,” the man told Emily.

  “She’s with us,” Exavior said, and pushed the man’s hand off of the table.

  “Exavior, stop it,” Emily hissed, then reached out for William, but he was already standing up.

  “You thinking you can get by me, Son?” William asked.

  “William, sit down,” Emily begged.

  As William reached out and pushed the man, four more men came up from a table behind them. Emily got between them and pushed William away with her back, while she held her hands out to the mortals.

  “Calm down, we were just leaving,” Emily said.

  One of the mortals pushed Emily out of the way, and when she hit the table, the entire restaurant broke into a fight. She tried to pull Exavior off of four men, while William took off across the restaurant after a few more that were getting bottles to use as weapons. Emily dodged a flying piece of glass and slipped a $50 under her plate before heading for the door.

  She was almost to the door when a hand connected with the side of her face, and she fell back against a window, breaking through it and landing on the glass covered cement. She felt cuts on her forearms when she struggled to stand up, and her head swam, but she made it to her feet and leaned against the Jeep as she waited for the world to stop spinning. She heard sirens in the distance as arms wrapped around her waist, and before she could react, she was lying down in the back of the Jeep.

  William spun the tires and pulled out of the restaurant, heading away from the sirens and taking an immediate back street to get away from the police.

  “Take her to my house,” Exavior said from the passenger seat.

  “I’m not going to a Valle home,” William scowled. “I have a hotel room, we’ll go there.”

  “She’s not going to back to an Encala hotel room either. We might as well just take her home.”

  “Oh, yeah right, us in Council City? We’ll be arrested.”

  Exavior sighed and looked back at Emily. She was still lying down and had her arm draped over her eyes. There was blood dripping onto her shirt from her forearms.

  “Never mind, let’s just return her. They’ll let us go,” William said. “We have diplomatic immunity.”

  “We’re bringing her back injured… that could start a small war,” Exavior explained.

  William glanced back at Emily, “We obviously didn’t hit her, her jaw’s not even broken.”

  “Just pull over. I’ll drive from here,” Emily said, and sat up. She flexed her jaw and glanced in the rear-view mirror at the bruise forming. “Damnit, this is going to cause a problem.”

  “Will it help if we go explain everything?” William asked.

  “Why are you being so nice to me, William? You hate me,” Emily said.

  William chuckled, “I don’t hate you.”

  “Why then? I know why Exavior is... but when did you become an Emily fan?”

  “Everyone is an Emily fan, my Dear. You just don’t normally see us away from our factions,” William said, and Exavior nodded.

  “Just take her back to Council City. We’ll explain what happened, and I’m sure they’ll be more than ready to get rid of us,” Exavior said.

  “Fine, but if I end up in the Equites prison, I’m coming after you,” William said as he pulled off of the Interstate and onto the road to Council City.

  “No, don’t,” Emily said, and laid back down when the world began to spin again.

  “Hmm, that’s not very safe. The city guards just waved us in,” Exavior frowned.

  “They know my Jeep,” Emily said.

  “I can’t believe I’m about to drive into the Equites’ garage,” William said, and looked up as the Jeep disappeared into the large underground garage.

  Exavior was out of the Rubicon first and opened the back, holding a hand out for Emily. She took his hand, and almost fell when she got to her feet as the world shifte
d out from under her. Exavior put a steady arm around her, and she took a deep breath and headed inside.

  “Should we go then?” William asked. “The blood… the scent…”

  “Don’t be an idiot, use some control,” Exavior growled.

  Emily glanced down at her forearms and saw that they were covered in dried blood. She shut her eyes as the building began to twirl, and Exavior picked her up.

  “Damnit, don’t pick her up,” William hissed, glancing nervously at the door to the palace.

  “So just let her fall?” Exavior asked, and stopped at the door. “Do we knock?”

  “I don’t know,” William whispered. “Damn, we shouldn’t even be here.”

  “Buck up, open the door and let’s go in,” Exavior said, and took a deep breath when William walked in, following him.

  William turned to Exavior when the palace went into lock down, “I think they know we’re here.”

  “Just find the boyfriend,” Exavior said.

  They were suddenly surrounded by members of the Cavalry, palace guards, and all of the council members except for the Elders.

  Kyle and Mark stepped forward, “Care to explain?”

  Kyle took Emily from Exavior.

  “Let them go. They were just helping me home,” Emily whispered. Her head was pounding.

  Mark looked at her and then back to the enemies, “She’s injured?”

  “I can explain…” Exavior said. “I was driving by when I saw Emily going into a restaurant, so I decided to go see her.”

  “I came by later and saw him in the window,” William added. “I went inside, and couldn’t just leave him with the Winchester.”

  “This isn’t telling me what I want to know,” Mark hissed.

  “Ok, so we had a few drinks, and a mortal started to pick a fight with us,” Exavior explained. “So… it turned into a fight, and at some point, one of the mortals hit Emily through a plate glass window.”

  “That’s when heard the police coming, and we drove off in her Jeep,” William said. “So here is your Winchester, and we’ll be gone now.”

  “Phone,” Emily whispered.

  “You took her phone?” Kyle asked, frowning.