Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “I will try, and I will succeed… you must learn what your place is, and you will control your abilities around my subjects.”

  “Oh, that was very controlled,” Emily said, smiling.

  “Tsk tsk, my love, you will learn soon enough. Discipline is what you need,” Exavior told her.

  “Funny, that’s what Zohn said.”

  “For once, he is correct. Come to me now and I will lessen your sentence to a small punishment.”

  “May I try something?” Emily asked sweetly.

  There was a pause, “Like what?”

  Emily shut her eyes and kept the phone to her ear. Mark, Silas, and Quinn watched her, curious as to what she was trying to do.

  “Are you there?” Exavior asked.

  There was only silence and the heku could see the concentration in Emily’s face.

  “Emily! I know what you’re trying to do…”

  She frowned slightly and squeezed her eyes together.

  “Stop it! I order you to stop!” Exavior screamed at her. “You are earning the harshest punishment, once I get my hands on you, you’ll pray for death.”

  Emily fell to her knees as blood began to trickle from her nose and she dropped the phone. She leaned over, one hand clutching the sheet and the other supported her on the floor.

  “Chevalier,” Quinn called out, and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

  Mark grabbed the phone and listened, but the line had disconnected. The other Elders met Quinn as he carried Emily to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and she squeezed her eyes shut and wiped away the blood in her ear.

  Chevalier spun and looked around, “Who did she turn to ash?”

  Quinn stepped back, “I don’t think anyone.”

  “Why is she ill then?” Sotomar asked.

  “I think she was trying to turn them to ash over the phone,” Mark said, and handed a warm rag to Chevalier.

  “What?” Sotomar yelled. “Can she do that?”

  “Not that I’ve seen,” Chevalier said, and sat down. “Em… look at me.”

  Emily looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and whispered, “He threatened me.”

  “Who did?”

  “Exavior,” Emily whispered, and pressed her palms into her eyes.

  “Exavior called on Kyle’s phone,” Quinn explained. “He threatened her for turning the eight in the Veyrons to ash… she… she asked if she could try something, and then Exavior became furious. I think he knew what she was attempting.”

  “I earned the harshest punishment,” Emily whispered, and rolled over onto her side, away from the others.

  “Lock down the island,” Chevalier said, and within seconds, an alarm sounded in the city and the castle came to life with the buzzing of guards as they moved to their posts.

  Chapter 18 - Last Chance

  Emily opened her eyes slowly and looked around the familiar bedroom. She saw the door was open, and Silas and Mark were standing outside of it. She swung her legs off of the bed, confused about what happened over the last few days, then remembered pieces of events, but nothing made much sense.

  Emily put on a robe and limped over to the heavy drapes hanging over the small balcony. She stepped out and inhaled the salty air, smiling at the memories it brought back. She looked around the island. Things seemed particularly silent and Encala guards patrolled the castle grounds in groups of three.

  The smell of coffee and pancakes brought her back from a daze, and she went back inside and sat at the table to eat.

  “Good morning,” Mark said from the doorway.

  Emily sat back in the chair with her coffee, “What day is it?”

  “Friday,” Mark told her, and glanced at Silas.

  Emily sighed, “I’ve been here for four days?”

  “Yes, the island is on lockdown right now and no one’s leaving,” Silas told her.

  “Why? What happened?” Emily asked, sitting up.

  Silas glanced at Mark, “The Elder is on the way, he can tell you.”

  “Is Kyle awake?”

  “Yes, he woke up last night,” Mark said.

  Emily put her cup down and walked out of her room and in to Chevalier’s, where Kyle was sitting up on the bed.

  “It’s about time you woke up,” Kyle said, grinning at her.

  Emily ran to him and threw her arms around him, “You’re ok.”

  Kyle hugged her tightly, “I’m ok. I wish you wouldn’t worry about me.”

  Emily pulled away from him and began to unbutton his shirt.

  “Em…” he said, but she shushed him.

  Emily slipped his shirt off and inspected his chest and arms, “Are you healed?”

  “Yes,” Kyle said, and pulled his shirt back on. “Don’t do that when Chevalier gets here.”

  “What did he do to you?” Emily asked, looking into his eyes.

  Kyle glanced at Chevalier as he walked into the room, “It’s not as bad as you think, I’m sure.”

  Emily frowned, “Stop protecting me. What did he do?”

  “I spent most of the time in a cell, bored,” Kyle said, and smiled.

  “You’re lying to me,” Emily said, frowning.

  “What about you? When did you start trying to ash heku over the phone?”

  “I haven’t,” she said, confused.

  “Em, let him rest,” Chevalier said from the doorway.

  “Get dressed too. There are lots of Valle and Encala running around,” Kyle said, amused.

  Emily looked down and blushed at the silky pink nightgown and robe, and then looked back at Kyle, “Rest, then I want to hear everything.”

  Chevalier and Emily went back into her room, and she sat down and poured steaming syrup over the pancakes. He smiled, happy to see her eating again, and sat down in the chair beside her.

  “Why is the island on lock down? Is that an attempt to keep me here?” Emily asked, and took a bite.

  “No, it’s because of Exavior,” Chevalier said. “He’s… well… beyond furious at you.”

  Emily frowned, “What did I do now?”

  “Do you remember him calling Kyle and you answered?”

  “No, when was that?”

  “Four nights ago,” Chevalier said. “The night you tried to turn heku to ash over the phone.”

  Emily sighed, “I’ve wanted to try that.”

  Chevalier chuckled, “Well you did, and it didn’t work... but he’s livid.”

  “Peachy,” she sighed. She wondered what the chances were that Exavior would suddenly decide to just leave her alone.

  “He’s called several times to talk to you, and each time, threatens to find you… he knows you’re here now,” Chevalier said.

  “That doesn’t take rocket science though,” Emily said, still eating her pancakes.

  “We want you to stay until the problem with Exavior is resolved.”

  “No, I said I’m leaving and I am… lockdown or no.”

  “He has the docks covered,” Chevalier said.

  “That’s what helicopters are for,” Emily said. “I can’t take the kids in the Aero anyway. I’ll need the Jeep.”

  Chevalier sighed, “Please stay until we get Exavior. It’s too risky, and if he gets a hold of you and the kids… I can only imagine what he would do with them.”

  Emily’s body tensed slightly and Chevalier knew he’d hit a nerve. She put her fork down and sat back with the coffee.

  “Your plan to return to the moral world isn’t going to work as long as Exavior is looking for you,” he told her.

  Emily sighed and disappeared into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later in a new bikini that Margaret made for her. She headed out the door, tying her hair up as she went.

  Silas and Mark glanced at her and then at each other before following her as they looked at the walls. Chevalier followed them down, but headed to his office instead of the pool. He grinned and shook his head as the guards inside the palace glanced quickly at her and then looked away at anyth
ing they could find.

  When she disappeared into the pool, Mark and Silas stayed outside and Chevalier went into his office. Sotomar and William were still on Island Coven, but the other Elders had already returned to their respective palaces. Valle and Encala guards were patrolling the island and the Equites guards were inside the castle.

  Emily crawled into the warm water and went under briefly before emerging and rolling onto her back. She shut her eyes and floated on the water, listening to the sound of the filters. She had to concentrate on the feel of the water as images from her torture by Exavior flashed in her mind.

  “Enter,” Chevalier said, shutting the financial book for the island.

  Sotomar and William came in and sat down, “The guards say she’s swimming?”

  “Yes,” Chevalier said. “If she’s here, that’s where she goes to think.”

  “That’s hopeful,” Sotomar said.

  “I had to take a low blow,” he explained. “I hate using her nightmares against her.”

  “It’s for the best.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Any word from the front lines?”

  “Just that the forces on the docks are growing, and apparently all three main cities are surrounded by once factionless heku,” William told him.

  Chevalier tapped his fingers on the desk, “If he manages to round up every factionless heku, his group is going to be formidable.”

  “We were talking… about a way to get Exavior,” Sotomar said, and looked at William.

  “Using Emily as bait,” William said.

  Chevalier rubbed the back of his neck, “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Not if we combine forces and have them ready. He won’t be able to get her by us,” Sotomar said.

  “We also think it may prove to her that we trust her and need her,” William said.

  “Let’s talk to her before I change my mind,” Chevalier growled, and followed the other Elders out of his office.

  “If she says no…” Sotomar started to say.

  “She won’t,” Chevalier sighed. “She wants to do this.”

  Sotomar opened the door to the pool room and froze for a split second before diving into the water, followed by Chevalier and William. Mark and Silas heard the commotion and ran into the pool room, also diving in. They joined in the fight as one heku held Emily under the water while the other four fought with the Elders and guards.

  Mark and Silas focused on the one heku holding Emily under the surface, and blood flooded across the water as they quickly pulled him apart. Mark grabbed Emily’s limp body and hauled her out of the water. He listened for a breath, and when Emily didn’t breathe on her own, he began blowing air into her lungs.

  Chevalier had the head of one of the heku and tore violently, ripping his head from his body as another jumped on his back and began to get a grip on his neck. Chevalier pulled the heku over his head and ripped his arm off before also removing his head. He crouched in the water and turned around. The other Elders were covered in blood and panting as they checked for more attackers. The pool water was colored pink with blood and body parts skimmed across the bottom.

  Their eyes fell on Mark and Silas as they worked to bring Emily back. Water poured out of her lungs when Silas pressed on her chest, and then Mark plugged her nose and breathed air into them.

  “Jesit!” Sotomar called out, and walked out of the water, watching Emily.

  “Yes, Elder,” the Valle guard said.

  “Get ten heku in here. I want the parts gathered up and figure out who they were,” he growled, and the heku nodded and blurred away.

  Chevalier knelt down beside Emily and watched Mark and Silas work to get her breathing. William and Sotomar walked up and stood a few feet away, watching.

  After a few minutes, Emily gasped and began to cough as the last of the water came out of her lungs. Mark rolled her onto her side and she struggled to breathe through the violent coughing. Once she was able to catch her breath, she laid back onto the cement, panting.

  The room suddenly filled with Valle as they waded through the pool and pulled out heku parts, then tossed them onto the cement for examination.

  Chevalier picked Emily up off of the cement and cradled her as he watched the heku try to figure out who the attackers were.

  “I’m ok,” Emily whispered. Her throat was burning from the water.

  “Who were they?” Chevalier asked.

  “I didn’t see them,” she said hoarsely, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “Sir,” one of the heku said, coming up to Sotomar.

  “Who were they?” he hissed at the guard.

  “We don’t have names yet, but there were 2 Valle, 2 Equites, and 1 Encala,” he reported.

  “I want names,” Chevalier growled, and carried Emily out of the room.

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

  “Emily was attacked in the pool. They tried to drown her,” Mark said, still shaking.

  “What? Who?” Kyle asked angrily.

  “We’re trying to find out,” Silas said.

  “Which means Exavior has people on the island,” William said, glancing out the window.

  Emily sat up, her breathing finally slowing, “I have to get out of here.”

  “They’re everywhere,” Sotomar said. “I have an idea how to secure the castle… if Chevalier will allow me.”

  “Do it,” Chevalier growled.

  “Thank you,” Emily whispered to Mark and Silas.

  Chevalier’s face softened and he looked at them, “Yes, thank you… how did you know how to do that?”

  Mark grinned slightly, “CPR is required Cavalry training… we guard a mortal.”

  Kyle smiled, “He’s good… I never thought about that.”

  “I say we step up the plan,” William said. “Exavior needs stopped… now.”

  “What plan?” Emily whispered.

  Chevalier looked up at the ceiling and then back to her, “We want to use you as bait to get to Exavior.”

  “What?” Kyle hissed.

  “It’s the fastest way to get him.”

  “What’s the plan?” Emily asked, and then started coughing again.

  “We’re working on details,” Chevalier explained, patting her back. “We wanted to know if you’re up for it before we do anything solid.”

  “Let’s do it,” Emily whispered, and looked at the others.

  “We need to talk where we won’t be overheard,” Chevalier said. “The best room for that is the interrogation room.”

  “Let me change,” Emily whispered, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  “You’re seriously taking her into an interrogation room?” Kyle asked, surprised.

  “If there were anywhere else, I would go there, but it’s built to be silent,” Chevalier explained.

  Sotomar came back in, “There are no longer any heku in the castle, aside from who is in this room, the boy, and Zohn, who is still in the conference room. The guards are grouped in 4’s with either a Council City Cavalry member or one of my Imperial Guards at the lead. The groups were arranged so all 3 below the leader are strangers.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Ok, but who is guarding my prisoners?”

  “I’ve had them turned to ash for now.”

  “That should do.”

  “Where is she?” Sotomar asked, looking around.

  “Changing, we’re headed into the interrogation room to discuss things. It’s soundproof,” Chevalier said, grinning slightly.

  “Unless the first door is left open, in which case just enough of the screams escape,” Kyle chuckled.

  Emily came back out in a black cotton summer dress. Her hair was down and fell softly against her back, “Ok, let’s go.”

  Chevalier led them all down to the interrogation chamber and turned to let them in. He was surprised to see that Allen had joined them, “Were you invited?”

  “No, but I’m coming,” he said, and tried to step past his D
ad.

  “No”

  “This concerns danger to Mom. I’m going to hear what it is,” Allen said, and folded his arms at his chest.

  Chevalier stepped in front of him, “What makes you think you get a say in this?”

  “Chev…” Emily said softly from behind him.

  “Because at times, between you, myself, and Mom… I’m the adult,” Allen said calmly.

  Sotomar chuckled, but Chevalier’s eyes darkened, “Watch what you say, Boy, and wait upstairs where you belong.”

  “No, I’m coming in,” Allen said.

  “Chev, no!” Emily yelled when Chevalier hauled Allen up the stairs with an arm around his neck.

  Emily started after them, but Kyle held her back, “Let him handle the boy, he was out of line.”

  “He’s 11,” Emily said angrily, and tried to pull away from Kyle.

  “Only in years,” Kyle said. “If he doesn’t start respecting those above him, he’s never going to make it in the heku world.”

  “Doesn’t matter, he’s coming with me when I leave,” Emily said, and when she went back into the interrogation room, Kyle let go of her arm.

  Chevalier came down a few minutes later, “Ok, let’s get started.”

  “If you ever grab Allen by the neck again, I’ll burn you,” Emily said, glaring at him.

  Chevalier stifled a grin and sat on the rack, “Any ideas?”

  “Why do you have a saddle horse in here?” Emily asked, and sat on it.

  “Please… Dear… that’s not a saddle horse,” William said, and pulled her off of the wooden device.

  “I think it would be best to launch our plan in Council City,” Sotomar suggested. “That way we have the Thukil Cavalry at our disposal. It’s well known to all of us that Emily uses the horse to get away and think, so there’s nothing odd about seeing her out and the Thukils would need to be there to match her horse.”

  “Agreed,” Chevalier said. “There are also the trees, which will give good hiding spots.”

  “I suggest our first course of action is to never speak of the plan after this meeting. Just say it will go into affect the moment we reach Council City,” William said.

  “Can you act?” Sotomar asked Emily, and she hid something behind her back.