Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Explains the sudden interest in motorcycles and leather,” Kyle said, and headed back into the house.

  “That was fun,” Chevalier chuckled. “Hope her revenge isn’t too bad.”

  The V.E.S. drove through the night, and then stayed at a hotel before heading back out the next morning. They made it back to Emily’s apartment just in time for the sun to set. She made some coffee and they sat down to discuss what happened in Great Falls.

  As she sat down on the couch, Bruce looked at her, concerned, “I’m worried about what happened, Emily.”

  “I am too. We were too late to save the mortal,” Emily said, sipping her coffee.

  “I’m talking about you standing up to 20 vampires by yourself, calling them names, pointing your gun at them,” Bruce said, and sighed.

  “I’m not afraid of them.”

  “That’s what scares me, Baby. You have no sense of self-preservation,” Bryce said, and squeezed her knee lightly. “You can’t kill the vampires all yourself, no matter how badly you want to.”

  “Oh, I want to, and I will get them, that I promise,” Emily said, ignoring the way they all looked at her like she was delusional and overconfident.

  “They like, threatened to eat you,” the nature loving girl said. “You stood there while they watched your neck and you didn’t… like… back down… whoa.”

  Emily rolled her eyes, “I’m not afraid of them. That doesn’t make me reckless and suicidal. It means I’m confident that I can handle them. They’re like bullies… stand up to them and they will back down.”

  “It makes me worry about you, Em. Maybe you need to lay off the hunting for a while,” Bruce said. His hand moved slightly up her thigh.

  “Lay off vampire hunting?” Emily asked. The V.E.S. was always fighting to recruit hunters, so she was surprised they would let her go over this.

  “You can’t let your anger get you. You have to stay calm and focused,” Bruce told her.

  “Show no fear.”

  “No… show fear… be afraid of the undead.”

  Emily tried not to laugh, “You’re firing me?”

  “Not as my secretary… and no, not as a hunter, but I think you need a break.”

  “We’re going to head out, Bruce,” the older man said.

  “Ok, we’ll see you Monday at work.”

  The rest stood up and took their leave, giving lame excuses to get away from what they thought was about to be a fight.

  Once Emily and Bruce were alone, he turned back to her, “I love how dedicated you are to the cause, but I can’t let you die because of that loyalty.”

  “I’m not going to die, Bruce. Damn, you act like I offered to feed them… they didn’t attack me, wanna know why? They’re wimps, bullies who can’t handle being challenged,” Emily said, getting irritated.

  Bruce was on her in an instant. His lips pressed hard against hers as his hand wrapped around to the back of her neck.

  Emily pulled back and slapped him, “Go away.”

  “Listen to me. I care too much about you to let you go fight vampires when you obviously aren’t afraid of them.” He started to move closer to her on the couch.

  “Bruce, I said go away.”

  “Emily…” he said, and kissed her again, pushing her back on the couch.

  Emily pushed against him, “Get off of me… now.”

  “You don’t have a boyfriend… I know that. You’re guarded and unsure,” he said, and kissed her neck. “You need someone to love you.”

  “Damnit, get off of me,” Emily growled. His body weight was crushing her, and she couldn’t get her arms free to hit him. Her face wasn’t near enough to his neck to bite him, and she was straining to find some kind of weak point to strike. She squirmed to get out from under him as she felt him at her neck.

  “You’re so tough. You need someone who can take care of you, to keep you safe,” he said finally, and looked up at her, smiling, before he kissed her again.

  Emily finally managed to get a hand free and slammed her palm up into Bruce’s nose. He screamed, his eyes watering as he rolled onto the floor and blood poured out of his nose. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the keys to the Harley, leaving the helmet behind as she sped off away from the apartment.

  She was so mad that she was in tears by the time she hit the Interstate, fuming at how yet another mortal attacked her, assuming she was weak and easy to prey off of. She was seething, speeding back to the heku who respected her and didn’t treat her like a sex object that could be taken at will. She found she hated mortals more and more, their disgusting glances, the way they looked at her body like it was for sale in a market.

  When she pulled the Harley up to the front doors of the palace, she threw it down, screaming. The guards watched her, unsure what to do. She threw her keys at the palace and stormed in through the doors as the guards moved off to the side, shocked.

  Emily headed up the stairs and spun suddenly when she heard the hisses from behind her. She saw the main-floor guards crouched toward her, their hands balled into fists.

  “What the hell?” she asked, taking a step backwards up the stairs.

  They started to advance on her and she screamed, “Mark!”

  Emily heard growls from behind her, and she turned to see the second-floor guards also crouching. She heard Mark growl loudly as he slammed into one of the main floor guards, calling out for the Cavalry. The first two members of the Cavalry appeared in the door and started for the second-floor, but froze when they approached her and turned thirsty eyes towards her.

  “Chev!” Emily screamed as she became trapped on the stairs between hissing heku. She heard the doors to the Council chamber fly open as the thirteen council members blurred down the stairs.

  Emily was swept off of her feet, and she watched down the stairs as someone blurred her into her room. She looked up as Zohn set her down and turned toward the door, then she backed up to the window slowly as he turned around and crouched, his strong arms curved to his sides. His eyes were feral, inhuman, as he faced her and hissed.

  “Zohn, no…” Emily whispered, starting to panic.

  He gasped suddenly and stood up straight, “Emily, I’m so sorry.”

  Emily sunk down against the wall and sat on the floor with her knees pulled tightly to her chest, “What’s going on?”

  Zohn spun suddenly toward the door when he heard someone approach. He instantly appeared in the doorway, crouched toward the others, “Get back.”

  “It’s ok,” Kyle said, putting his hands out. “We’re in control.”

  “Get back,” Zohn said again.

  “Zohn, we’re ok,” Chevalier said, and Zohn finally stood up.

  “I… I almost attacked her,” Zohn whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  Chevalier nodded, “It’s ok, I don’t think she knows… let me talk to her.”

  Zohn nodded and stepped away from the door. Chevalier walked into the room, taking a second to make sure he was under control before shutting the door and walking towards her. She was rocking slowly, her head buried in her arms as they clutched her knees tightly against her chest.

  He knelt down beside her and jerked his hand away when she screamed as he touched her.

  “Em, it’s ok,” he said softly, and put his hand back on her arm.

  She looked up at him, terrified, “What… why? They just… I couldn’t stop them.”

  “You’re pregnant,” Chevalier said.

  Emily shook her head, “No… no I’m not.”

  “Come here,” Chevalier said, and pulled her into a strong embrace. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly.

  Emily’s shaking lessened in his arms and she whispered, “Mortals attacking me… heku attacking me… no where’s safe.”

  “You’re safe here. We just didn’t know… it caught us off guard,” he said softly.

  “I’m not pregnant,” Emily said again, resting her head on his chest.

  “What do you mean, mortals at
tacking you?”

  Emily shrugged, “Just my night to get assaulted I guess.”

  Chevalier pulled away from her slightly and lifted her chin with his hand to talk to her, but frowned, “What’s on your neck?”

  Emily moved away from him and looked into the mirror, “Sonofabitch! He gave me a hickey.”

  “What’s a hickey?” Chevalier asked, bending down to see her neck.

  “I shoulda hit him harder,” Emily growled.

  “That’s it… what happened?” he asked, getting angry.

  Emily leaned back against the wall as she started to tear up again, “Another case of being out strengthened by another mortal. I hate them, you know that? I’m seriously starting to hate them.”

  Chevalier’s face darkened, “What happened?”

  “It’s embarrassing, ok? Just drop it. I’m not going back to the V.E.S. I’m not going back to the apartment,” Emily said, mad enough she couldn’t stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. “Just between you and I? The ultimatum is off… I can’t live in the mortal world. I can’t do it.”

  “Em…” he said, his features softening. “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s not your fault. Was it Bruce?”

  Emily sighed and nodded, “Yes.”

  “Do me a favor, stay in the room until I get back, ok?” he asked, heading for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To burn off some anger. We’ll deal with the rest when I get back.”

  Emily nodded, “I’ll stay here.”

  Chevalier left her room and shut the door. The second he got into the hallway, the rage returned to his features, and he blurred down the stairs and into the council chambers. The Council all looked up at him.

  Quinn stood up, “What’s wrong?”

  Chevalier was so furious, his arms shook, “I’m going to kill Bruce Isaac.”

  “What happened?” Kyle asked, standing.

  “Stay out of my room until I get back,” he said, and disappeared from the room. Seconds later, the Council heard the McLaren leave the garage.

  “We need to consider damage control,” Zohn said to the others.

  “He’s more careful than that. I’m more worried about how we treat the main and second-floor guards,” Dustin said, irritated.

  “What can we do?” Zohn asked. “I almost attacked her myself. We need to stress to Emily that when she’s pregnant, she can’t hide it. She has to let us know.”

  “If she knew,” Kyle reminded him.

  “How can she not know?”

  Kyle shrugged, “I’ve never been pregnant now have I?”

  “Well I would think she could just… tell.”

  “This is a useless conversation until we know if she’s even aware of it,” Quinn said. “For now, let’s get back to the land dispute.”

  Emily sat in her room for a couple of hours, watching out the window over Council City. She was hungry, but too afraid to ask for food, unsure why the heku were suddenly unable to control themselves around her. She was starting to feel sick and hadn’t eaten since they left Clark Coven, so she risked it and ordered shepherd’s pie.

  Twenty minutes later, Emily heard a knock on the door and called out, “Leave it and go.”

  “Em, it’s me,” Kyle said. “It’s ok, I’m acclimated.”

  She walked over to the door and opened it, standing aside. When Kyle came in, she shut it behind him. He went over and put the tray down on the small table in her room and then turned and smiled.

  “Thanks,” she said softly, and went over to eat.

  “Is that a hickey?” Kyle asked, shocked.

  “Apparently it is,” Emily whispered, and took a bite.

  “Congratulations,” he said, and, sat down across from her.

  “I really don’t think I’m pregnant,” she told him, and grabbed the cheese toast.

  Kyle grinned, “You are.”

  Emily sighed, “Well great…”

  “You do know how that happens, right?” he asked, amused.

  Emily glared up at him, “No, why don’t you enlighten me.”

  “Hickeys… that’s what does it,” he chuckled.

  Emily sat her fork down, “Bruce did that.”

  “Damn,” Kyle growled. “Do mortal men have no control at all?”

  “None… not one single shred of it.”

  “You’re done with the V.E.S. then I take it?”

  “He went after Bruce, didn’t he?”

  “Yes”

  She pushed her plate away, “Reinstate my guards.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes”

  Kyle nodded, “Ok.”

  “I broke his nose.”

  “Bruce’s?”

  Emily laughed slightly, “Yeah.”

  Kyle turned toward the door slightly, “Seems you and I are needed in the farmhouse.”

  “Am I going to get eaten on the way?” she asked, standing up.

  “No, the way’s clear,” he said, smiling apologetically. “Let’s go.”

  They were in the tunnels to the farmhouse in a few minutes, and Kyle blurred her through them. They were too dark to see with the human eye. He made sure the guard in the farmhouse stayed far away from Emily while she opened the door.

  “Oh, hello officers,” Emily said, stepping out onto the porch.

  Kyle glanced nervously at the guard.

  “Emily Winchester?” one of them asked.

  “Yes”

  The officer grabbed her roughly and pushed her against the house, “You’re under arrest for assault.”

  “Hey!” Kyle yelled, going to the door.

  “Stay back, Son,” another officer said as the first put handcuffs on Emily.

  “It’s ok, Kyle, stay back,” Emily said, cringing when the officer shut the handcuffs too tightly.

  The guard put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder, “We’ll get her. Don’t cause troubles.”

  As the patrol car took off with Emily in the back, Kyle turned toward the guard, “What the hell did you call Emily to the farmhouse for?”

  The guard backed up, “The officers asked for her.”

  “No good can come of that!” Kyle yelled. “Get to the council chambers… now.”

  Kyle stormed into the council chambers and slammed the door behind him. The guard walked up and stood in front of the Council as Kyle took his place.

  “Is there a problem?” Quinn asked, looking down at the guard.

  “Emily was just arrested for assault,” Kyle hissed.

  Zohn frowned, “Wait… two things come to mind. The first, is who she assaulted… and the second, is how the police got her.”

  “She assaulted Bruce Isaac after he attacked her. Mike here called us to the farmhouse, and the police were waiting.”

  “You called Emily when the police were looking for her?” Quinn asked, shocked.

  “Yes, Sir,” the guard said. “I thought it was inappropriate to question them on what they wanted with the Lady.”

  “We can’t teach common sense,” Zohn sighed. “It seems to me that to protect a member of the Council from the mortal police would come naturally.”

  Kyle slammed his fists down, “Had you at least told me the police were asking for her, I would have been able to intervene.”

  “I’m sorry,” the guard said. “I will remember that in the future.”

  The Council cringed when they heard the McLaren drive into the garage several hours later.

  “I’m not telling him,” Zohn said.

  Quinn sighed, “Neither am I.”

  “I know exactly who should tell him,” Kyle said, and looked up when Chevalier came in, obviously feeling better.

  “Tell me what?” he asked, glancing at the guard in the trial area before taking his seat.

  “Did you kill him?” Zohn asked.

  Chevalier nodded, “Yes, I did… the second he got back to his house. What is it no one wants to tell me?”

  Quinn looked down at the guard, “Tell him.�
�

  The guard glanced up at the Elder and sighed, “Lady Emily’s been arrested for assault.”

  “I wondered what that Sonofabitch was doing at the police department,” Chevalier growled. “Did she turn herself in then?”

  “Keep talking, Son,” Zohn said to the guard, and Chevalier turned his attention back to him.

  “I was on duty in the farmhouse… the police came looking for her, so I called into the palace for her and the Chief Enforcer,” the guard said, watching the ground.

  “Did you tell Kyle that the police were looking for her?” Chevalier asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “No, Sir. I didn’t think it was my place to interfere.”

  “So you led my pregnant wife into the hands of the police?” he hissed.

  “I didn’t know they wanted to arrest her. They said they wanted to talk.”

  “Kyle, get Emily out of jail… you and I, Boy, need to have a one-on-one.”

  Kyle hurdled the desk and blurred down to his Ferrari. He drove to the police station and parked next to a line of patrol cars. The police watched, shocked, as the massive man got out of the expensive car and walked into the station.

  “Can I help you?” the woman at the front desk asked.

  “I’m here to bail out Emily Winchester,” Kyle said, pulling his wallet from his pocket.

  The woman thumbed through a notebook and then nodded, “Sure, but she’s in interrogation right now.”

  “Interrogation? For what?” Kyle asked.

  “Sir, that’s none of your concern. Wait in the waiting room and I’ll let you know when she comes out.”

  Kyle sighed, “I’ll get the lawyer. Stop the interrogation until he gets here.”

  While the receptionist called into the interrogation room to stop the questioning, Kyle called the Equites lawyers and had them en route within minutes.

  “Come on, Winchester,” the gruff deputy yelled. “Your lawyer is here and the detectives want to talk to you.”

  Emily stood up and slipped her hands through the bars so the deputy could put cuffs on her before opening the cell door. She followed him to an interrogation room and sat down, glancing at the one-way mirror.

  A younger man came in wearing a black Armani suit with perfectly trimmed nails and soft hands, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Winchester. I’m Sean, and I represent your husband’s company.”