Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Just a headache,” Silas explained.

  “Who is with her?”

  “She’s asleep.”

  “That was awesome… what she did,” one of the guards said, grinning.

  “I’m honestly surprised she left any,” Silas said, raising his eyebrows.

  “I know. I’ve never seen her let any go for us to play with.” Mark chuckled and then turned serious, “Let’s go call the Elder.”

  Silas nodded and followed Mark back to the castle. The castle was called off of lockdown and Mark went to Kyle’s office to call.

  “Chevalier here,” his voice sounded over the speakerphone.

  “There’s been a factionless attack on the island,” Mark said.

  “What!?” Chevalier growled.

  “It’s ok. Emily evened up the numbers, and the guards took out the rest of them,” Mark said. “We have a few of their leaders in the prison for you.”

  “How many did she take out?”

  “Looks like around 400,” Mark told him.

  “Wait… she left some?” Chevalier sounded confused.

  “We were surprised too. She left over 1,100 of them, and said it would do the guards some good to kill,” Mark said, amused.

  “That’s… interesting… how is she?”

  “She’s asleep,” Mark said. “She complained of a headache, that’s all.”

  “I’ll be there in three hours.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Mark said, and turned off the speakerphone.

  Silas met Mark in the foyer, and they went into the conference room to wait for Chevalier.

  “I want a report on the attack,” Chevalier said as he sat down with Mark and Silas. Kyle came in a few minutes later and joined them.

  “Factionless heku decided to take over Island Coven for themselves, 1,558 of them. They knew our numbers here, and thought they had the advantage,” Mark said. “We were at a standoff when Emily arrived and provoked the leader a bit before turning 400 of them to ash.”

  Mark glanced at Silas and then back to the Elder, “She told the leader that she was leaving enough of them for the guards to kill.”

  Silas chuckled, “She said she thought it would be good for the guards to kill something.”

  Kyle grinned, “It only took her 13 years to figure that out?”

  “Keep going,” Chevalier growled. He wasn’t finding this at all amusing.

  “The fight was pretty short, only about twenty minutes. There are seven factionless left down in the prison. We were able to keep their leaders alive, except for the head heku, and Emily turned him to ash when he started getting crude,” Mark said. “The guards disposed of the bodies in a large fire.”

  “How are the guards behaving?” Chevalier asked.

  “The first three days was… interesting,” Silas said, stifling a grin.

  “Interesting?” Kyle asked.

  Mark nodded, “Emily was still mad at the Elder, and took it out on his guards.”

  Chevalier grinned slightly, “Better them than… never mind…”

  “They were starting to act up,” Mark said. “One specifically, but she let him burn for a bit and he shaped right up. She had them doing 8 count bodybuilders for almost an hour straight.”

  Chevalier frowned, “Why? That won’t make them tired.”

  “She knew that,” Mark said. “She wanted to get lunch, and I think that was her way of keeping them occupied.”

  “I take it when she got back is when she offered to let them feed?”

  “She did what?” Kyle growled.

  Mark nodded, “Yes, and I was livid, but you know? Once she ashed the two that took her up on her challenge, they were terrified of her.”

  “Severely terrified of her. They haven’t even breathed out of line in the five days since then,” Silas told them.

  Kyle sighed, “You know what? I don’t really want to know.”

  “Any other problems?” Chevalier asked, irritated.

  “Had the V.E.S. show up… and Exavior,” Silas said.

  “Why was Exavior here?”

  “He came to do a welfare check on Em. He said the Valle heard the V.E.S. were out looking for Madison and Cody, and he came to check on her,” Silas said. “So she told him to leave and told the pier guards to kill him if he stepped foot on the pier.”

  “Of course she did,” Chevalier said, and grinned slightly.

  “She also said he knew that you and she were fighting,” Silas said.

  “How the hell is he finding all this stuff out? It’s been three years that he’s known everything she says,” Kyle asked, frustrated.

  “We searched her room for bugs, and didn’t find anything,” Mark told them.

  “Very well. I want to go talk to the guards. Call them to the south lawn,” Chevalier said, standing up. “I’ll be there after I check on Emily.

  ***

  Emily rolled over and pulled the covers up higher on her shoulders. She caught the scent of steak and opened her eyes. Sitting up, she saw the steaming plate of steak, baked potato, and corn on the table. She looked around the empty room and crawled out of bed, frowning when she realized she was still in her Thukil uniform. As she sat down at the table, she remembered the attack.

  She ate quickly and then got out of the dirty uniform and slipped on clean jeans and t-shirt. She was just pulling on her cowboy boots when she heard a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she called out, and tied her hair up.

  “How are you feeling?” Dr. Cook asked, walking into the room.

  “Fine,” Emily said, and walked past him into the hallway. She passed Silas silently and heard him follow her down the stairs. Her stallion was waiting for her outside the front door, and she jumped into the saddle and started toward the lines of guards on the south lawn.

  “Welcome back,” Kyle said, smiling.

  “Did you have to bring the doctor?” Emily growled.

  Kyle chuckled and turned back to the guards. Chevalier was lecturing them on what he expected in his absence in the future. He was also explaining how he was going to be putting in a wrought iron gate across the entrance through the cement wall. It could be closed by the pier guards, and they were now to patrol in two’s along the outside of the cement wall instead of singly.

  “Silas?” Emily asked.

  Silas turned to her.

  “Is it against any policy to torture and interrogate a member of an opposing faction’s Council?”

  Silas grinned, “Depends.”

  “Good enough, come with me,” she said, and rode off.

  “Do we want to know?” Kyle asked him.

  “I don’t even want to know,” Silas said, and blurred after her.

  Emily slipped off of her horse and put her arms around Silas’ neck. She whispered as softly as she could into his ear and slipped some handcuffs into his pocket, “Time to act… be mean.”

  Silas nodded and then followed her into the palace.

  “I need to talk to you in private,” Emily said, and glanced nervously around the room.

  “What’s up?” Silas asked.

  “Not here,” Emily whispered, and pointed up to the bedroom. She ran up the stairs, and Silas followed her, a little nervous about what she was doing.

  Emily went into her room and shut the door, then turned to Silas, “Remember when I told you that if I ever left Chevalier, that I would tell you first?”

  Silas frowned, “Yes, I do… is it time?”

  Emily nodded, “Yes, and I don’t really know where to go. The Encala once offered me my own coven, so I’m thinking about taking them up on their offer.”

  “I’m not sure I’m all that happy about you going to the Encala,” Silas said, starting to sound angry.

  “I think I’d be a good Coven Leader. I just hope their offer still stands. I can’t stand to be around Chevalier one second longer.”

  “I can’t allow you to go live with the Encala. You belong to the Equites,” Silas said, taking a step towards h
er.

  Emily frowned, “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  “Yes you do. You just don’t accept the fact that we own you, like cattle,” Silas told her, and grinned evilly.

  Emily glared at him, “Excuse me?”

  “You’re our property. We allow you to run free because there are… you know… fringe benefits in it for the Elder, but in all honesty, I’m ok to lock you up.”

  “You can’t lock me up. I’d ash all of you before I’d let you do that.”

  “You can’t though, Kyle already told you… we found out how to make ourselves immune to your little trick,” Silas said, and pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket.

  Emily backed away from him and grabbed her cell phone, but Silas took it away from her.

  “Give me that,” she demanded.

  “No, I’m not going to let you call the Encala or your little boyfriend over in Valle to come and save you,” Silas said. “I’m tired of your whiney assed attitude, and obnoxious disobedience. It’ll do you some good to sit in prison and rot while the other prisoners savor you and hiss for your blood.”

  Emily screamed and fought against Silas when he restrained her and managed to get the handcuffs on her.

  “There’s no use fighting. You’re just a weak… insignificant… little mortal. Once you pop out more babies, then we might as well just get rid of you anyway,” Silas said.

  Emily cringed, “You can’t get away with this! Chevalier will let me out.”

  “No he won’t. He’s had it with you, too. All you do is fight… and bitch… and moan,” Silas said, forcing her out the door.

  Emily fought against him and he had a hard time holding onto her. She bruised so easily it was hard to hold tightly without leaving marks. The guards in the castle watched nervously as a member of the Council City Cavalry roughly pulled the Elder’s mortal wife into the prison.

  “Let her go!” David yelled angrily.

  “I told you this would happen,” Sam said as they passed his cell.

  Emily got a good kick off and displaced Silas’ kneecap. He managed to hold on, and one of the guards opened a cell in an empty row and Silas pushed Emily inside.

  “You can’t keep me in here,” Emily screamed.

  “Watch me,” Silas said as his knee healed.

  Emily sat down on the bed, glaring at him.

  “Don’t let her out,” Silas told the guards, and headed up out of the prison. He ordered the entire castle to stay quiet about her being in prison, and then headed out to the south lawn.

  “What was that all about?” Kyle asked.

  Silas glanced around the area and then whispered, “Emily, put her in a cell.”

  “Why?” Kyle asked, confused.

  “She was threatening to go to live with the Encala, and I couldn’t let that happen. She belongs to the Equites.”

  Kyle nodded as he realized what Emily meant when she asked if they could interrogate a member of an opposing faction’s Council, “Good, it’s about time she’s put away for a while.”

  Chevalier released the guards after a few hours and turned to Silas, “Where’s Em?”

  Silas grinned slightly, “I put her in prison.”

  “What? Why?”

  “She threatened to go live with the Encala. I’m tired of her being a pain in the ass, so I put her in lockup,” Silas said.

  Kyle nodded, “She is property of the Equites and needs to learn that.”

  “Obedience, that’s what she needs to learn,” Mark said. He’d also heard Emily’s comment about interrogating council members.

  “Have you all lost your minds?” Chevalier growled.

  “She acted like someone from one of the other factions would come and get her,” Silas said, watching Chevalier closely. “She’s wrong though, they know she belongs to us.”

  Chevalier nodded, partially understanding, “Just keep her in there until she learns submission.”

  “I think I’ll run down and make fun of her,” Kyle said, heading into the castle.

  “Me too.” Mark grinned, and followed him inside.

  Chevalier stood toe-to-toe with Silas while he explained what was going on. As soon as he was done, Silas and Chevalier blurred down into the prison with Mark and Kyle.

  “It’s about time they put you where you belong,” Kyle said, looking in at Emily.

  Emily glared at him, “I’ll get out, just wait.”

  “Emily, I love you!” David yelled, his voice filling the prison.

  Emily rolled her eyes and sat down on the hard bed, still in handcuffs.

  “She’s too weak to get out of here,” Mark told the guards, and then turned to Emily. “Back up to the bars and I’ll take the cuffs off you.”

  Emily did as she was told, and rubbed her wrists after he broke the handcuffs off of her. Chevalier handed a blanket through the bars, “Can’t have you freezing to death in here.”

  Emily wrapped it around her.

  “I would take care of you! I love you,” David yelled.

  Kyle backed away from Emily’s cell and disappeared deeper into the prison. There was a sound of a cell door opening and then the screams began.

  “If you agree to stay loyal to the Equites, and stop acting like a spoiled brat, we may let you out in a week or so,” Mark told her.

  “Kiss my ass,” Emily said, glaring at him.

  “I thought that was my job,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “You better hope your ash protection never wears off, or you’ll be fried before you can say help,” Emily said.

  “That’s it… interrogation room,” Chevalier growled.

  “What? No!” Emily yelled as Silas opened the cell door and grabbed her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “This’ll be fun, it’s 13 years coming,” Mark said, and followed Silas as he led Emily out of the prison, fighting.

  The heku were joined by Kyle just as they stepped into the interrogation chamber and shut the door. Silas let Emily go, and she went over and tried to sit down in a small wooden chair filled with tiny holes, but Mark grabbed her arm.

  “Would you not sit there?” he asked, shaking his head.

  “Oh,” Emily said, and sat on a nearby table.

  “What exactly are we going to interrogate Exavior about?” Chevalier asked.

  “About how in the hell he know so much about me? No one can find bugs, but he sure knows a lot,” Emily explained.

  “It gets complicated when it’s an enemy council member though.”

  “So can we do it or not?”

  “I’m going to have to say no, but we can still question him,” Chevalier said.

  “Fine… then strap him in that chair and let me have at him,” Emily said, raising her eyebrows.

  Chevalier chuckled, “You’re going to torture a heku?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “It’s not in your nature. Let us talk to him in my office,” Chevalier said.

  “Not in my nature? Want to let me have a go at you in here?” Emily asked, irritated.

  Chevalier chuckled, “That’s not in my nature.”

  “You don’t give me enough credit. I’m meaner than I look.”

  Chevalier nodded, “That you are.”

  “If you can’t get information out of him, then I get a shot in here,” Emily said.

  Kyle nodded, “We could put some guards down here with her.”

  “If he’s not here tomorrow, I’m letting you out. I don’t like you in the prison,” Chevalier said, changing the subject.

  “I’m ok for a few days, as long as they leave the lights on at night and I have a blanket.”

  “I sent David to Council City,” Kyle told them.

  “Oh, good, he’s annoying,” Emily said, and grabbed an odd device off the wall. She started spinning the turning head as the leaves of the metal device expanded.

  “Seriously, Em, that’s just wrong,” Kyle said, and took it from her, hanging it back on the wall.

  Emily grinned a
nd grabbed another device off the shelf by her. This one looked like a pair of shears, but the blades made up a crocodile head with sharp teeth, “What’s this?”

  Kyle took it from her, “Stop.”

  Chevalier chuckled, “Some of these are antiques that aren’t used anymore.”

  “I also want one of you to have a talk with Sam down here, something’s weird with him,” Emily said.

  “Weird, how?” Kyle asked.

  “He’s just suddenly decided that I need to go back to the mortal world. He disappears for years, and now he’s all trying to help me. I don’t trust him, and get the feeling he has some ulterior motives.”

  “That’s not a problem. I want to have a chat with the boy,” Chevalier said, grinning.

  Silas blurred from the room suddenly and returned a few minutes later with a plate. He handed it and a glass of milk over to Emily, and she sat it on her lap and started on her dinner.

  “Don’t you think it’s going to be obvious that I wasn’t tortured?” Emily asked, and took a bite of the hot cheeseburger.

  “Not necessarily. There are things that don’t leave marks,” Kyle told her.

  “Like what?” Emily asked, looking around the room.

  “Let’s not go over the stuff in here,” Chevalier said, shaking his head.

  Emily ate in silence and looked at the torture devices in Chevalier’s private interrogation room. It was a lot smaller than the one in the palace, but had stranger devices and didn’t smell like dried blood like the one in the palace.

  “How many days are we going to give him to show up?” Silas asked.

  “If he heard, he’ll be here within 24 hours, I’m sure,” Chevalier said. “His coven is in Rhode Island, not too far.”

  “I made it here in about 7 hours,” Emily said, finishing her milk.

  “Ready to go back?” Mark asked.

  Emily nodded, “Yeah, it’s getting late and I’m tired.”

  “I had them smuggle you in a pillow,” Silas said, and trapped her hands behind her back.

  “Oh, nice, thanks,” Emily said, and let him lead her back up the stairs.

  As they walked into the foyer, Emily grinned and slipped her wrists out of Silas’ soft grip. She took off for the front doors, but only got a few steps before Mark tackled her, pinning her arms to her side and lifting her so her feet were off the floor.