Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Emily couldn’t respond. The feel of his hands against her skin made it hard to breathe, and she couldn’t get the sight of his torture out of her mind.

  “Take a hot bath and then nap. I’ll come get you this afternoon, and we’ll try the tour again,” Exavior said, and handed her the medication. Once she’d taken it, he left her alone.

  She did as she was told, but couldn’t fall asleep until the medicine kicked in. She dreamt of swimming in the castle’s pool, of eating dinner with the kids, and the feel of Chevalier’s arms wrapped around her. The dream shifted suddenly and it was Chevalier in Exavior’s interrogation room, looking at her with predatory eyes as he starved in front of her.

  Emily jerked awake suddenly and sat up. She was on top of the covers in her room. The fire was roaring and it was too warm. She heard a chuckle and noticed Exavior was lying beside her.

  “Nightmare?” he asked, smiling, and ran his fingers lightly from her knee up to her inner thigh before she pushed his hand away.

  “Don’t,” Emily said, and stood up.

  “Lay down, my love,” he said, and pulled her back onto the bed. He took her wrist in his hand and frowned at the bruises that formed from the restraints.

  She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he held it tightly and then kissed the bruise. He started kissing her neck and moved up to her lips, pressing them hard against hers as his hand slid up her short dress and ran lightly along her waist. Emily pushed his hand away, but he just chuckled and brought it to her back, using it to press her body against his.

  Exavior growled when his phone rang, and he rolled onto his back and answered it, “What?”

  “No I can’t come to a council meeting right now,” Exavior said after a pause.

  Emily thought for only a second before screaming, “Help me!”

  Exavior slammed the phone shut and covered her mouth and nose with his hand, “Do not do that!”

  Emily struggled under his hand. She couldn’t breathe, and she pulled at his fingers with her hands.

  “I thought we went over the disobedience,” he hissed, his eyes furious. “Unless you want a turn in my room, I suggest you behave.”

  Exavior watched as she struggled to move his hand. He smiled as her weak body fought against him, bringing out his primal desire to inflict pain. He ran his eyes down the delicate curves of her body and the smooth, soft skin the dress revealed. He grinned as her fighting stopped and she fell motionless on the bed, then removed his hand as she went unconscious, and she began to breathe.

  Exavior kissed Emily softly as she began to wake up, “Don’t defy me again.”

  Emily looked fearfully up at him and nodded as her head pounded from the lack of oxygen. He kissed her forehead softly as her throat burned and her lungs ached from fighting to breathe.

  “I need to go return that call. Stay here until I get back,” he said, grinning. He knew she had no choice. As he blurred from the room, the two door guards appeared and Emily pulled her dress down and reached for the covers.

  Exavior returned an hour later, and Emily hadn’t moved. He sat down on the side of the bed and rubbed her back gently.

  “You caused a handful of trouble for me. I guess it’ll calm down though,” Exavior said. His anger was again under control.

  Emily looked over at him and peered into his eyes, “Please, let me go.”

  “You’re so beautiful, do you know that? I bet Chevalier doesn’t tell you often enough. Come, let’s go on the grand tour.”

  Emily stood up and pulled her dress down again. She felt almost as if it were shrinking, “Can I please get a longer dress?”

  “Not a chance,” Exavior said, running his eyes down her body. “I like to be able to see you.”

  “Yeah, so do your guards,” she told him, hoping jealousy would win out.

  “I bet they do. They know you’re mine though,” he said, and put his hand out to her. Emily hesitated, took it, and then followed Exavior back out into the room with the couches.

  “Where did we leave off?” he asked, leading her toward the stairs. “Oh yes… those are all extra rooms, for when I have guests.”

  Emily didn’t comment. She noticed there were now four guards following them. They started down the same set of stairs that Emily had run down earlier, and Exavior turned right at the bottom, talking about different art pieces he had obtained and about their country or time. Emily paid close attention to exits from the mansion and where rooms were situated. She wished she could remember where the interrogation room was located, but she was too upset and couldn’t remember any landmarks.

  “I had this installed for you,” Exavior said, and opened the door to a hot, muggy room. A large hot tub was situated in the middle of the floor and a dressing curtain was off to the side, “We’ll come in here later.”

  Emily followed Exavior as he showed her his state of the art kitchen, his game room, and the large TV room with shelves full of movies. She noticed he neglected to show her into the prison or the interrogation room. He was pleased to show her a work-out room with a TV treadmill, also installed just for her benefit.

  After hours of following Exavior around as he bragged about art or mortal amenities installed for her, they arrived back at the white room with the couches that led to the bedroom doors.

  “Now, for a surprise,” Exavior said, obviously pleased. “This should help you while you stay here. Go in and get dressed. The guards will bring you down to me in an hour.”

  Emily watched as Exavior strode away, almost in a strut. She glanced at the guards and then walked into the room. She went to lock the door, but found the lock was removed. There was a garment bag hanging by the bathroom door, and Emily ignored it and went over to sit in the bay window.

  “You have thirty minutes,” one of the in-room guards said. Emily didn’t respond. She just watched out the window at the snow falling.

  It was quiet in the room until the guard spoke again, “You have ten minutes, and if you don’t get dressed… we’ll dress you.”

  Emily sighed and stood up. She unzipped the garment bag and gasped. It contained a long billowy white wedding dress. She threw it and the veil on the floor and turned to the guards with her arms crossed.

  “I’m not wearing that,” she said angrily.

  “Oh yes you are. Seven minutes and I’ll put it on you myself,” the guard said, grinning. “I hope you don’t. I wouldn’t mind seeing that body of yours.”

  Emily screamed and grabbed the dress, then disappeared into the bathroom to put it on. The sleeveless dress had diamonds hand stitched into the fitted bodice. The skirt was a shiny, white material that fit over a hoop and trailed several yards behind her. She looked in the mirror and cringed, she looked like a southern bell bride.

  Emily came out of the bathroom and glared at the guard when he sighed, disappointed. She let just a flash of burn go, and he fell to his knees briefly before standing up, his eyes furious.

  “Do that again, Sweetheart, and even Lord Exavior won’t be able to stop me from draining you,” he growled.

  “Lord Exavior… can kiss my ass,” Emily said, and sat down in the bay window again.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s what he has in mind,” the other guard said, laughing when Emily glared at him.

  “Come on, Princess. Time to go,” the guard told her, and opened the door. She left the veil on the floor and pulled up the front of her skirt so she could walk without tripping.

  Emily was surprised to hear music and laughter coming from the banquet hallway. Exavior appeared at her side and kissed her softly. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with the gray Valle cape flowing behind him, and numerous medals lined his collar.

  “Where’s the veil?” he asked.

  Emily shrugged.

  “Get it,” he told the guard, who blurred away and returned with it almost immediately. Exavior pulled Emily’s hair back and fastened the veil to her head. He hung the front part down over her eyes as she glared at him.

&n
bsp; “I’m not marrying you,” Emily said angrily.

  “Best bring 4 of you with her, make sure she comes,” Exavior said, grinning, and disappeared into the banquet hall.

  One of the guards roughly shoved a bouquet into her hand, and Emily heard the wedding march begin. She turned and looked behind her, but the guards were already heading into the banquet hall. One of them had a firm grip on her arm and was pulling her down the aisle. Emily gasped. The banquet hall was full of people, mortal and heku, all smiling at her and commenting on how beautiful she looked.

  Exavior was standing by what appeared to Emily to be a reverend, and the guards stopped a few yards away from him.

  “Who here gives this woman to this man?” the Reverend asked, looking at Exavior nervously.

  “I am,” one of the guards said, and pulled Emily so she was standing by Exavior. Emily looked up at him, shocked, and then back to the Reverend. As he began to talk, Emily noticed the he was a mortal and very much afraid of his surroundings.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here…” She heard the Reverend begin the usual marriage ceremony, and she looked around the room, not paying much attention. The banquet hall that she had seen earlier was transformed from the grays of the Valle, into the whites and blacks of a modern wedding.

  “Do you, Exavior, take Emily to be your wife – to live together after…” The Reverend paused and glanced at Exavior, “God’s ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keeping yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” Exavior said, and kissed Emily’s hand lightly.

  The Reverend turned toward Emily, “Do you, Emily, take Exavior…”

  “No,” Emily said before he’d finished.

  Exavior squeezed Emily’s hand painfully, “Yes, she does.”

  “I do not,” Emily said, gritting her teeth through the pain. It felt as if Exavior were about to break her hand.

  “She does… proceed,” Exavior growled.

  Emily sighed and stopped paying attention again when the Reverend switched to Latin to finish the ceremony. She didn’t look up at Exavior when he pulled on her ring from Chevalier, and then slipped a large diamond ring on her finger above it when it wouldn’t come off.

  Emily grinned slightly at the frustrated look on his face.

  After a few more minutes of Latin verses, the Reverend handed Emily a ring and Exavior held out his hand. Emily moved her hand toward Exavior’s and then dropped the ring as she looked into his eyes. He caught it before it hit the floor and slipped it on his finger.

  “She’s just nervous,” he said, smiling, and turned back to the Reverend. Emily rolled her eyes, but figured no one could see it under the veil.

  After a few minutes, Exavior pulled close to Emily, lifted her veil over her head, and pressed his lips to hers while the audience erupted into cheers. He turned to face the crowd and then led her back up the aisle as she glared toward the guards at the door.

  Exavior then led her into a small private room with a table in the center. A piece of paper and a feathered pen sat on the table, and Exavior leaned over and signed it.

  “Sign that,” he ordered.

  Emily looked over at it and saw that it was a marriage certificate from the state of Alaska, “No.”

  “Sign it,” he said again sternly.

  Emily crossed her arms, “No.”

  Exavior shoved Emily against the brick wall and his hand dug painfully into her stomach, “Do what I tell you.”

  Emily shook her head, unable to speak.

  He shifted his hand slightly, and the movement shot pain through Emily’s chest and down into her arms. She couldn’t breathe as his hand pressed roughly against her lungs and diaphragm, and it felt like his hand was about to break through her skin. He moved back quickly and she fell to her knees, gasping for air.

  “If you think you can resist me, when no heku can, think again. I don’t even have to leave bruises where they are visible,” Exavior said, and pulled her roughly to her feet. He shoved the pen into her hand and forced it down onto the paper.

  Emily managed to scribble out some semblance of her name before he let go of her hand and she sunk back to the floor. The pain from his hand against her stomach left a lingering ache that made it difficult to stand or breathe. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen and leaned over, desperately needing to relieve the pain.

  “I wish you wouldn’t make me do that,” Exavior said, sounding regretful. “I have ways of hurting a mortal that no heku ever thought possible, and I don’t want to use those on you… if you would just do as you’re told.”

  She leaned over and put her forehead against the floor, curled up into a protective ball as tears streamed down her face. She just signed a marriage certificate, making her and Exavior legally married.

  Exavior watched her proudly for a few minutes before pulling her to her feet. He took her left hand and removed the large wedding ring and tugged at the essence ring from Chevalier. It wouldn’t budge, so he put his ring back on her finger and dried her tears with his hand.

  “Let’s go to the reception,” Exavior said, smiling, and took her hand. Emily wrapped her other hand around her stomach, trying hard not to bend even though that lessened the pain.

  The reception hall was decorated with red and white roses and there were servants running around with trays full of champagne flutes and small decorated pastries. The mortals came up and congratulated them. They all seemed to know Exavior well, and were anxious to get to know Emily. The heku watched them carefully, and Emily saw more than one look at her and then turn to another and whisper. She wondered what the chances were that there was an Equites in the group who would tell Chevalier where she was.

  The mortals began leaving after a few hours, but the champagne kept coming as the heku all drank and talked into the early morning hours. Exavior kept Emily close to his side and dragged her from group to group to introduce her. The pain in her stomach had subsided, but left her feeling nauseous and the smell of the pastries made it worse.

  Just as the morning sun appeared over the mountains, Exavior led her back up to her room.

  “Go and change into your nightclothes. You can sleep as late as you like,” he said, and sat down on the bed.

  Emily disappeared into the bathroom and threw the white dress on the floor, kicking it into the corner. She pulled on the short satin nightgown and got ready for bed, taking as much time as possible while she thought through how to handle Exavior.

  She finally emerged from the bathroom and her eyes grew wide when she saw Exavior lying in the bed with nothing on. She turned quickly and returned to the bathroom and heard him chuckle.

  “Come back out here, stop panicking. I’m not going to try anything,” he said, amused.

  Emily looked quickly around the bathroom. There were no windows, and the only door led back out to the bedroom.

  “I’ll come get you, you know that,” he said, starting to sound irritated.

  Emily walked back out and looked at him. He had the covers pulled up to his waist and was patting the bed beside him, “Time to sleep.”

  “I’m not tired,” Emily said, and moved against the back wall.

  “Now,” he said sternly.

  Emily sighed and went over to the bed. She laid down on top of the covers, as far away from him as possible. He chuckled and reached over, pulling her closer to him.

  “I want to see your stomach,” he said, lifting her nightgown.

  Emily tried once to pull it down, but he just laughed and pulled it back up.

  “Hmm, it’s bruised pretty badly,” Exavior said, and touched the bruise softly. He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her pills and juice. He handed them over to her, and she hesitated and then took them.<
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  “That’s the last of them,” Exavior told her. “You should be all healed.”

  Emily pulled her nightgown back down and rolled onto her side away from him. She felt the bed shake when he laughed as he pulled the blankets over her and slid her so her back was against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

  Exavior pulled the strap of her nightgown down onto her arm and started to kiss her shoulder lightly. She cringed, hating the feel of his lips on her skin.

  “Make love to me,” Exavior whispered into her ear.

  “Do I have a choice?” Emily snapped.

  Exavior chuckled, “Of course you do. I’m not Jeff.”

  “Then, no,” Emily said.

  “I’ll get that ring off you eventually,” Exavior said, and kissed up her shoulder to her neck. He kissed her until she fell asleep and her blood began to smell like medicine.

  ***

  Chevalier growled and crumpled the paper in his hand.

  “What is it?” Quinn asked, and took the paper from him. He smoothed it out and gasped, “A marriage certificate?”

  “For who?” Zohn asked, and looked at it. “Oh… wow.”

  “Well, we know she’s in Alaska,” Quinn said, and handed the paper over to Kyle.

  Kyle frowned, “They got married?”

  “Then the bond is broken,” Quinn whispered.

  Chevalier shook his head, “It’s not, though.”

  “She agreed to marry Cody and the bond broke… she marries Exavior and it doesn’t?” Zohn asked, confused.

  “She willingly agreed to marry Cody. I suspect she didn’t agree to the marriage with Exavior, so the bond held, which has to make Exavior extremely angry,” Chevalier sighed.

  “That’s good though,” Quinn said.

  “He’s malicious and ruthless. If she defies him much… she’s going to get hurt,” Chevalier said. “I’d rather her play along and save herself, than to fight back and put herself at risk.”

  “Contact the troops, the Valle and the Encala, move all efforts to Alaska and I’ll contact the state to see if they know where these two are,” Quinn said. “I’ll see if I can find this Reverend Johnson, and see if he knows anything.”