Emily ripped the reins from Mark’s hand, and kicked the stallion into a canter, heading back into the city. Mark held tightly to her so she couldn’t get off, and they rode silently back to the palace. They stopped by the stables and Mark slid off the stallion, dragging Emily with him.
She started to complain, but realized Mark was too mad to calmly discuss things. Three other members of the Cavalry followed along behind them as they took her to the council chambers. If they were in session, she was to either be with them, or one of them was to miss the session and follow her around. The emergency warranted all members of the Council, so she was forced to sit in on the session.
Derrick opened the door for her, and she stepped into the trial area, rubbing her arm where Chevalier had gripped her too tightly. She saw the gray capes of the Valle as she walked forward.
Sotomar turned and nodded at her and then faced the Equites Council.
“It’s been seven days,” Sotomar said. “No word, no reasons.”
“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Quinn said, and glanced over at Chevalier.
Emily walked up and sat down in Kyle’s chair, still too mad to talk to any of them.
“We don’t feel that it’s a coincidence, nor do we feel that the missing banished are a coincidence. The Chief Enforcers are the only ones that can revive them early,” Sotomar said.
Chevalier glared at him and then looked over at Emily when she sat up straighter and looked at Sotomar.
“Is your Chief Enforcer missing?” Emily asked.
“Yes,” Sotomar said.
Emily turned to Chevalier, “Are we missing the banished also?”
Chevalier sighed, “Some.”
“Damon?” Emily asked, frowning.
Chevalier turned away from her, but Zohn responded, “Yes.”
“So that’s how Exavior’s building his faction? By reviving the banished?” Emily asked, turning to Sotomar.
“That’s what we suspect.”
Emily turned to Chevalier, “I can stop this.”
“Don’t think that joining him will stop him,” Sotomar said. “That would only drive him to establish a new faction earlier.”
“Is the Encala Chief Enforcer missing?” Emily asked, crossing her arms.
“We don’t know. They haven’t said,” Sotomar told her.
Emily pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed William.
“She has the direct number to an Encala Elder?” Sotomar asked.
“Yes,” Chevalier sighed.
“William, it’s Emily,” she said, glancing at the Valle.
“I need to know if your Chief Enforcer is missing.”
There was a pause while the others waited.
“Well put him under lock and key. He’s the only one that’s not missing.”
Emily frowned and yelled into the phone, “Don’t give me that crap, William. I don’t need that from you, too.”
Emily slammed the phone shut, “He’s home.”
“The Valle gathered up all of the banished that are left, and have reburied them in an old ancient’s room under our protection,” Sotomar said.
The Council glanced at Emily and she blushed, still scowling.
“We’ll do the same. I’m sure we can spare the old ancient’s room here also,” Quinn said, grinning slightly.
Emily stood up, “Am I a prisoner here?”
“Sit down, Em,” Chevalier said sternly.
“Am I?”
“No”
“Then I’m going after them,” Emily said, and started down the stairs to the door.
Sotomar took her by the arm, “We cannot allow you to go.”
“I don’t think you have a choice,” Emily said. “They are captured because of me, and now they have Damon. I’m going and I’ll get them all back.”
“No,” Sotomar said softly.
Emily pulled her arm roughly away from him, “It’s my life and you have no say in it.”
“If you agree to join him, he will still keep the Chief Enforcers,” Sotomar told her. “What better way to start a new faction than by reviving those who hate the current ones?”
“Trust me, I can stop him. I can just ash all of them… he’s no longer immune,” Emily said.
“He was immune to you?” Sotomar asked, shocked.
“Yes,” Emily said, and started for the doors. She opened them and Mark blocked her way, “Move.”
“No,” Mark said, crossing his arms.
Emily grabbed her phone when it rang, “What?”
“My love, how are you?” Exavior asked calmly.
“How did you get this number?” Emily asked, her body tense.
“I know everything. When will you see that? Are you ready to join me?”
“Yes, but the factions won’t let me… why the hell are you reviving the banished? Are you that stupid?” Emily asked, dodging Mark’s hand when he tried to take her phone.
“You know very well why. To start my own, superior faction,” Exavior told her.
“Damon though? Why Damon?”
“I thought he would be one of my stronger supporters, come to find out, he has harsh issues with you and is now in my prison until I decide what to do with him.”
“I want to talk to Kyle.”
“The boyfriend is occupied,” Exavior said, amused.
“Tell me how to get away from the Equites, and I’ll exchange myself for Kyle and the Valle’s Chief Enforcer.”
“Quite the offer. I’ll think about it and, Dear, I’m sure you can get away if you really want to.”
“Yeah right, I’m watched like a hawk… hey!” Emily screamed when Sotomar took the phone.
“Exavior… what have you done?” Sotomar asked, his voice calm. He hissed when the phone disconnected and handed it back to Emily.
“I think we need her phone,” Zohn said.
Emily glared at him, “I wouldn’t push it. You don’t have anyone to revive you.”
“Everyone calm down,” Quinn said. “Emily, we really need you to trust us. All three factions are in agreement that you need to stay under our protection and not fall back into Exavior’s hands.”
“He has my best friend and I can get him home safely,” she reminded them.
“We know that, but leave it to us.”
“Like I have for two months?” Emily asked, and stormed out of the conference room. The Chief Interrogator followed her and her three guards up to her room where she slammed the door and locked it.
Emily sat down hard against the chair and bit at her knuckle as she watched the fire.
“Mom?” Allen asked, coming in from the hallway.
“Did you break that lock again?” Emily asked.
“Yes, that’s what Dad does,” Allen said, and sat down in the chair beside her.
“Where’s Alexis?”
“Studying, that’s all she does.”
“Sounds familiar,” Emily said, smiling.
Allen sighed, “I heard what happened in the council chambers. They are right, you can’t fix this problem.”
Emily looked over at him, “I don’t remember asking you. You’re the kid, why do I have to keep reminding you?”
“Because I overstep and I’m intellectually years above my true age,” Allen reminded her.
“I was being facetious,” Emily sighed.
Silas knocked on the door and came in, “We all up for a movie?”
“Sure,” Emily sighed, and then forced Allen to go along against his will. The guards waited outside of the game room and the Chief Interrogator got permission for two guards to replace him while they were watching a movie.
Silas put in a movie as Alexis joined them. Allen opted to sit to the side, and Emily went to make popcorn. She put it in the microwave and checked to make sure no one was watching as she slid the picture and the door spun, depositing her onto the bar’s floor. She grabbed a wooden plank she’d hidden in there, and jammed it into the door.
Emily grinned and po
ured some ancient bourbon into a glass and sat cross-legged on the bar and downed the shot. She shook her head against the burn in her throat and poured herself another, then glanced up at the clean window, and took another shot, immediately pouring herself another one.
She stood up, laughing at the way the world started to shift, and then piled the tables, three high. She took the shot glass and the bottle of bourbon, and climbed up slowly onto the first table and somehow managed to make it to the third one and onto the ledge with the windows. She looked out over the ancient’s room, and when she didn’t see anyone, she opened the window and glanced down. The floor was almost ten feet down from the window.
Emily sighed and jumped, making sure to save the bourbon when she landed, but slightly twisting her ankle in the process. She accidentally dropped the shot glass and it shattered on the floor. Emily froze and looked toward the door, but no one came running in.
As quietly as possible, Emily opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. Within a few minutes, she’d managed to get onto the roof and sat in the lower part of one of the turrets with her feet dangling over a hundred feet from the grass below. She watched out over the stables and took another drink directly from the bottle.
“Emily, let me in,” Chevalier yelled, pushing against the revolving door.
Silas sighed, “She was just making popcorn.”
“We aren’t blaming you. You had the kids,” Quinn said, and turned to the door. “Will you let me in, Emily?”
“Let’s go in through the ancient’s room,” Mark said, and headed for the door. The others followed him as he went down the stairs and around to the old wooden door. He pushed it open and walked inside, immediately spying the broken shot glass and the open window above.
“Damn,” Kralen said, and looked around. He picked up one piece of the shot glass and smelled it, “Bourbon.”
“So she’s free and drinking,” Chevalier said, sighing.
“Spread out, see if we can find her before she kills herself,” Quinn said, and everyone blurred in different directions.
Kralen appeared in the stables and peered in each stall. Chevalier went into the prison and checked some of her hiding spots. Quinn went into the servant’s area and checked all of the rooms. Zohn headed for the roof, following a hunch.
Zohn stopped and watched her back as she looked out over the palace grounds. He saw her take a long drink from a half-empty bottle of bourbon and debated calling for Chevalier, but decided to talk to her himself.
“Can I have a seat?” Zohn asked, grabbing her shoulders before she fell off of the roof when she jerked.
Emily looked over at him and scooted to the side. Zohn sat down beside her and hung his feet over, looking down to the grass below. Emily took another drink of bourbon, and then handed it over to Zohn.
He took it, grinned, and then took a long drink, “Wow, it’s been a while since I had a drink.”
“Damon’s back,” Emily said, and took the bottle from him to take another drink.
“Yes, he is,” Zohn said, and took the bottle again when she offered it. He brought the bottle to his lips and drank until it was almost gone. Emily watched, her eyes growing wide.
“Damn, Zohn,” Emily laughed. “Don’t drink it all. I don’t think I can climb back up there and get me another bottle.”
“Why are you up here?” Zohn asked, looking down at the corral.
“Would you believe I slipped my guards?” Emily asked, finishing the bottle of bourbon.
“Yes, I would, but why the roof?”
“Maybe I want to jump.”
“I doubt that.”
“Maybe I want to figure out how to fix all of this.”
“Now that… I would believe,” Zohn said.
“Why won’t they let me fix this… my way? I can do it,” Emily told him, her words slightly slurred.
“You’re so important to us, that we wouldn’t risk losing you.”
“That’s bullshit… it’s a cop out. Do they not think I can do it?”
“No, I don’t think anyone thinks that... but we also see the way your entire body tenses when we even say his name. It’s worrisome how you’ll react when you are face-to-face with him,” Zohn explained.
“I can’t let him keep my best friend. I know Kyle’s being tortured,” Emily said, tears filling her eyes.
“Yes, I’m sure he is... but he’s a heku, he will recover,” Zohn said. “You, however, cannot.”
“So turn me first and then I’ll go get them.”
Zohn looked at her and frowned, “You’ve never brought that up before.”
“It’s because I don’t want to turn, but I will if it will allow me to go and get Kyle back,” Emily explained.
“It’s not an option,” Zohn said. “We don’t know if you would survive being turned.”
“Why don’t you make yourself useful and go down to get us something to drink,” Emily suggested, looking back over the dark grounds of the palace.
She laughed when Zohn returned after only being gone a few seconds and he had a fresh bottle of vodka in his hand. He pulled the top off and took a drink before handing it over to Emily. She took a long drink and almost fell off the turret when she handed it back. Zohn’s arm shot out and braced her.
“Hey!” Emily yelled when strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her off of the ledge. She tried to pull away, but one hand went over her mouth while the other pinned her arms to her side and held her at her waist.
Emily fought against the arms, but fell silent when she saw Zohn blurring around two heku in a fight. There were growls and hisses as bodies flew around her, slamming into walls, sending rocks shattering.
“Wait it out, Sweetheart, then you and I get to go for a ride,” Damon whispered into her ear. She tried to turn them all to ash, but the alcohol clouded her mind and she couldn’t get the focus she needed.
Emily screamed, and tried to get her elbow into Damon’s stomach. Damon jumped back away from flying metal when Zohn threw Selest down onto the tail boom of Equites 1 and her body broke through the metal, shaking the entire roof. Zohn immediately turned his attention to the dark-skinned heku fighting alongside Selest as the former Elder’s body slowly healed.
Someone began pounding on the door to the roof, but it was wedged shut with a steel bar, braced against the roof’s floor.
“Been thinking about you for eight years,” Damon whispered. “I have some revenge to play out before I return you to your husband.”
Emily couldn’t stop watching the fight. Images blurred rapidly around the roof, slamming into the helicopters and the turrets. Blood splattered across the surface of the gravel roof.
“Handy catching you too drunk to ash,” Damon said, and ran his tongue up her neck. Emily cringed and squirmed in his arms. She knew if she could get turned around and get a hand at his neck, she could drop him and open the door, “Interesting about your age, too. I didn’t see that coming.”
Selest growled and joined back in the fight, jumping squarely onto Zohn’s back and pulling at his neck. He got his hands around her head, and flung her over his shoulder, slamming her into the roof’s ground as the sound of bones shattering echoed onto the lawn.
Damon wrestled Emily to the edge of the roof and looked over the low turret, “Damn… reinforcements are coming.”
Emily pushed back as hard as she could as he looked over the edge of the roof. The stone corner on the turret caught him squarely in the back, and he roared, gripping her tighter, “Stop fighting me, Bitch.”
Emily started to panic. The fight was slowing and she wasn’t sure how much longer Zohn could fight the two heku by himself. He was completely covered in blood, and she wasn’t sure if it was his or that of the enemy. Selest’s body flew across the roof and she landed squarely against the door to the helicopter, denting in the metal with a loud boom.
“Damon…” Chevalier growled, jumping over the stone wall and landing on the roof.
Emily watched a
s the roof flooded with Equites. Zohn fell back against the helicopter, panting and in pain as the Cavalry restrained Selest and the strange male heku.
Damon hissed and backed against the stone wall, holding Emily firmly between him and the Equites, “Don’t come any closer or the slut gets it.”
“When did you stoop to working for Exavior?” Chevalier asked furiously.
“When I was banished for trying to protect the strength of the Council,” Damon said, shifting his grip slightly on Emily’s mouth.
Quinn came up to stand by Chevalier. Emily rarely saw the amount of rage that crossed his features, “You can’t get away, Damon. Let her go.”
“No, I don’t think I can, but I can kill the Bitch… once and for all,” Damon hissed. “I’ve waited eight years to have my hands around her neck, remembering the sweet taste of her blood as I starved under the ground.”
“Damon, you swore you wouldn’t kill her. She belongs to Lord Exavior,” Selest yelled.
“Shut up!” Zohn growled, and punched her, shattering her jaw.
“Let her go. We can discuss this calmly,” Chevalier said, softening his voice.
Damon took his hand off of her mouth and wrapped it around her neck tightly, “I can snap it in an instant.”
“Where’s Kyle?” Emily asked frantically.
“I was going to bring a message from him, but he’s in too much pain to talk,” Damon said, pleased.
His hand tightened around her neck and suddenly, she wasn’t able to breathe.
“Damon, stop it,” Chevalier growled. “You don’t want to kill her… it’s me you want.”
“I can get you by killing her though. It’s too easy… that’s why you all need replaced,” Damon said, and grinned.
Darkness crossed Emily’s vision as she struggled against his hand, fighting to breathe. Mark scaled the wall behind Damon and stood behind him on the turret. He glanced once around the roof and then slammed into Damon, sending him and Emily into the ground. The Elders blurred forward and pulled the former Chief Enforcer off of Emily as Chevalier and Damon blurred into a fight. Emily struggled to her knees, the force of Damon and Mark falling on her knocked the breath out of her, and she was barely able to take in rapid, shallow breaths.
Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series Page 50