Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Emily rolled onto her back and put her arm under her head, “I don’t think he’ll attack me.”

  “We don’t know that… Enter.”

  Emily sat up and covered herself with a blanket as the servant put a tray on the table, bowed, and then left, shutting the door behind him. She watched him leave, and then went to the table and sat down. She lifted the dome from the tray and sat it down beside the tray.

  “Other than Kyle’s interrogation, how was the ride?”

  “Fine,” she said, and cut into the steak, then took a small bite. “If I’m going to be alive forever, I can’t keep getting pregnant.”

  “But it’s so much fun trying,” he said, grinning.

  Emily threw a roll at him and took another bite of steak, “Then you have the baby.”

  “Those little pills don’t work then?”

  “I’m not sure, why don’t you ask Alexis and the baby when it comes.”

  Chevalier chuckled, “I see… well… what else is there?”

  “Abstinence, I’m cutting you off.”

  “Like you have the willpower to cut me off.”

  Emily glanced up from the steak, “Wanna bet?”

  “Sure, you seem to like bets. I’m betting I have more self-control than you do.”

  “You have the self-control of a two-year-old, bet’s on.”

  “What do I get when I win?” Chevalier asked, sure of himself.

  “You won’t win… what do I get?” Emily sat the fork down and glanced at the bathroom.

  Chevalier sighed, “Running?”

  Emily nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

  He gave her a few minutes, and then went in and sat down on the floor beside her, “Have you kept anything down today?”

  “Orange juice,” she whispered from the floor.

  “Damnit,” he hissed, watching her lie on the floor.

  “I want a pool,” she said softly.

  Chevalier grinned, “If I lose the bet, you want a pool?”

  Emily nodded, her eyes still shut.

  “Fine… if I win, I want to know what the ancient’s room was for.”

  “Deal,” she whispered, readjusting to a cooler spot on the tile.

  “You agree to that? You must really think you’re going to win.”

  “I am.”

  ***

  Emily waited until her stomach settled down, and then slowly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt. She’d been confined to the bathroom for the last two weeks, but finally felt like she might make it down the stairs. She ran a brush through her hair quickly and then stepped out into the hallway.

  “What’ll it take for you all to stay here?” she asked the four members of the Cavalry.

  “What’re you up to?” Silas asked, crossing his arms.

  “Tell me, what it’ll take… I need an hour alone.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  Emily leaned back against the wall, “Silas, you know I’m going to get time alone… you can either let me, or you can wait until I just do it anyway.”

  “No,” Silas said, glancing at the other three. “Orders were that you stay guarded.”

  “I need to be alone.”

  “No”

  Emily went back into her room and slammed the door. She looked around the room carefully and then back to the door, thinking. She grinned when she had the plan formulated, and took a drink of Sprite, just to calm the last of the flutters from her stomach.

  Taking a deep breath, Emily ran from the room, past the heku. They fell in behind her and she ducked around a corner and concentrated quickly. She heard them stop running just as they got to the corner.

  “What was that?” Silas asked.

  “I don’t know… best get back to the door before someone finds us away,” another guard said.

  “Do you think she’s up to something?”

  “No, I think we were headed to do something and forgot.”

  “That makes no sense,” Silas said, and they went back to her door.

  Emily leaned back against the wall until the world quit spinning, and then walked down the back servant’s stairs to the hallway with the prison. She pushed the brick and then walked down.

  “Ma’am?” the prison guard asked, frowning. “You’re not supposed to be down here.”

  “I am too. You need to double check your orders and don’t push me, or I’ll tell Chevalier you’re behind on your policies,” Emily said, and walked past them. She grinned slightly when they fell back to the door.

  Emily walked through the cells. She jumped a few times when starving heku slammed into the bars, reaching out toward her, begging her and hissing about her scent. She finally saw him and sat down across from his cell.

  “What do you want?” Damon asked, watching her from the bed.

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “The last few months… why did you have to push it to that level?”

  “You needed discipline… I only knew the surface, if I had the knowledge I do now… it would have been 1,000 times worse,” he said angrily.

  “What is it you know now, that you didn’t know then?”

  “What a whore you are.”

  Emily frowned, “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “When are you going to tell the Elder about Allen?”

  “What about Allen?”

  Damon grinned, “Exavior told all of us. We know, and if you don’t tell Chevalier, I will.”

  “About what?”

  “About how Allen isn’t his.”

  Emily sighed, “Who else would be his Dad?”

  “Exavior is, and you know it. Keith was right. You have always been a little slut,” Damon told her, scowling.

  “You can’t honestly believe that.”

  “I do, and you can’t fool the Equites for long. It’s been 15 years, and they will find the truth soon.”

  “What truth might that be?”

  “That you can’t keep your legs together,” Damon told her. “I don’t blame Chevalier. If I had you in my bed, I wouldn’t let you go either.”

  “If I’m so adulterous, why did Exavior fight so hard to get me?”

  “He knew that with punishment, you would learn to be loyal.”

  “So Exavior and my infidelity aside, why did you do it, Damon? After Paris… we were slowly recuperating, but then you had to overstep.”

  “I couldn’t stand it anymore. Couldn’t stand to see the Equites stoop to listening to a mortal. Course… now I’m sure they’re aware you aren’t a mortal, now are you?”

  “I’m not sure what I am,” Emily said, and sighed. “Do you hate me that bad?”

  “Yes”

  “Tell me why.”

  “What’s not to hate?”

  Emily nodded and stood up.

  “Don’t go!” Damon growled.

  Emily turned toward him, “Why not?”

  “Don’t you want to know more?”

  “No, I’ve found what I wanted with you,” she said, and walked over to the back wall of the prison.

  She stood outside of the entrance to maximum-security and sighed, realizing Adam was in there, but so was Exavior, and she had some questions for him that only he could answer. She checked behind her, and then opened the door to the dark hallway with the tiny holes along the top. Since her first visit, she discovered a small button that opened the door, which allowed her to go in alone. She got the crate and moved it to the end peep-hole, the one that looked newly bricked in, then shut her eyes and calmed her nerves before standing up on the crate and looking in.

  Exavior immediately looked up and met her eyes. She could tell he was in pain. The electrified shackles were buzzing, and the veins in his neck and arms stood out as the muscles strained.

  “Can you hear me?” she asked.

  Exavior nodded and watched her eyes.

  Emily frowned. She’d never seen the look on his face, pure anger, “Why did you do it? Why couldn’t we just be
friends?”

  He exhaled slowly and growled.

  “I don’t understand how you went from the guy at the wedding, to the guy that put me in a torture room, and then built a new faction aligned against me.”

  “I… love you…” he said, strained.

  “You don’t torture the person you love, even if you can’t have them.”

  “You were… mine.”

  “I never was, Exavior. I’ve never felt like that about you.”

  “Alec… gave you to me,” he said, glaring at her.

  “He… when?”

  “Three… years old…”

  “He had no right to do that. You should have known that.”

  “Why can’t you… love me?”

  “You chose to overstep. You chose to be in here as opposed to being my friend, my valued friend.”

  “Let me go.”

  “I miss the friendship.”

  Exavior grimaced, “Let me go…”

  “I can’t trust you.”

  “Allen…”

  “What about him?” Emily asked, trying to ignore the hisses coming from the other cells.

  “Mine,” he groaned.

  “No he’s not, you know that.”

  “Should… be.”

  “You just can’t stop it can you? You can’t let it go. If I got Chevalier to take you out of here, the first thing you’d do, is profess your love to me and try to kidnap me.”

  “You are mine.”

  “Alec is an idiot. He had no right to give away his 3-year-old niece.”

  “Mine,” he said, and she felt his eyes lock on hers and felt the familiar pull of his mind trying to take control of hers.

  She shook her head, “It’s too late for you then, isn’t it?”

  “Em…”

  Emily’s eyes filled with tears, “I trusted you, and loved you like a brother.”

  “You will… be mine.”

  Emily leaned her head on the brick wall as the tears fell. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but at least wanted him to try to return as her friend. She wanted him to admit he’d done wrong and to try to prove he was worthy to be set free.

  She screamed when strong arms pulled her roughly from the crate. The Chief Interrogator growled and grabbed her wrist, pulling her from the maximum-security room. She didn’t fight against him. She was done with Exavior and knew she couldn’t get away.

  “You don’t have to do that, that hurts,” Emily said as he dragged her up the stairs.

  “You have no business being in there,” he growled angrily.

  “You’re hurting my arm,” she said again. He slammed open the council chamber’s door and threw her inside. She landed on her knees and turned to look at him with wide eyes.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Quinn yelled.

  Emily turned to him and stood up slowly as the Chief Interrogator took his seat. She glanced at the empty seats where Kyle and Chevalier normally sat, and suddenly felt alone.

  “Richard, is there some reason you threw her in here?” Zohn asked, irritated.

  “She needs to come before the Council for being in the maximum-security prison block,” Richard said, glaring at her. “It’s against the policy for anyone but guards and selected Council to be down there.”

  “I am a member of this Council,” Emily said, glaring at him.

  “Not one authorized to be in there.”

  “I thought I was granted the same rights as a full member of the Council.”

  “Only myself, the Chief Enforcer, and the Elders have access to that prison section. No other council member is granted that. They have no need to be in there.”

  Emily rubbed her wrist where he’d held her, “I’ve been in there before and never had to face the Council.”

  “What were you doing in there?” Quinn asked softly.

  “I went to talk to Exavior, and before your guards tattle-tale, I talked to Damon too.”

  “Why would you do that?” Zohn asked, frowning.

  “Exavior was my friend,” she said, and it made her angry how the tears started to flow, no matter how hard she tried to control them. She turned and headed for the door.

  “We aren’t done here,” Richard told her.

  Emily turned to him, “I’m done here.”

  “Richard…” Quinn growled, and Emily shut the door before she could hear what Quinn was going to say. She walked up the stairs and couldn’t even look at Silas as she passed him. She could only imagine how angry he was.

  “Allen?” Emily called out, and watched the door, waiting for him to come in.

  Silas opened the door, “He’s out playing baseball.”

  “Where is Chevalier?”

  “Last I heard, he and Kyle were going out to a coven to see why they quit responding to Elder’s summons.”

  “How do you know that and I don’t?” she asked, frustrated.

  “Because we couldn’t find you to tell you.”

  “How long will they be gone?”

  “A week, at most.”

  “I’m alone…” she said, and turned toward the fire.

  “We’re here.”

  “Please, just go.”

  Silas nodded and shut the door.

  ***

  “Emily, it’s a boy,” Dr. Hayden said, and handed the newborn baby to her. She held him in her arms and smiled at his black hair and dark eyes.

  “He’s beautiful, Em,” Exavior told her, and kissed her forehead.

  Emily frowned, “Where’s Chevalier?”

  “Why would he come? He knows this baby is mine,” Exavior said, and touched the baby’s cheek lightly.

  “No, no it’s his.”

  “It’s not either, stop pretending.”

  Dr. Hayden came over and smiled, “He needs to eat.”

  Emily nodded and looked down at the baby. He was watching the vein in her neck and opened his mouth, revealing the sharp canines.

  Emily screamed and sat up in bed, looking around the room while she caught her breath.

  “Come closer to me, my love,” Exavior said, and pulled her closer.

  She fought against his hands as he pulled her closer.

  “Emily, Em, it’s me, Silas,” he said, pulling his hands away.

  Emily sat up in bed and looked over at him.

  “It was just a dream.”

  She scrambled out of bed and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Silas returned to the hallway.

  “Is she ok?” Kralen asked, leaning against the wall.

  “Yes, it was just a bad dream.”

  “Damn, she’s had nightmares constantly since the Elder left.”

  “He should be back tomorrow, it’s been 6 days,” Silas said, and glanced at the door before returning to his post.

  “I’ve never seen her this upset when he’s away.”

  “He’s not going to be happy when he finds out she’s not sleeping,” Silas said.

  “Odd isn’t it?”

  “What?”

  “When we’re hungry… we eat… if we’re tired, we rest… she doesn’t take care of her basic needs.”

  “She hasn’t for as long as Kyle’s known her. I heard him talking about it.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Kralen said, looking back down the hallway.

  “She never does,” Silas chuckled.

  Silas glanced back at the door when they heard the bathroom door open.

  Kralen sighed, “She’s crying.”

  “She has been for days,” Silas said.

  “Has Quinn talked to her?”

  “She won’t talk to him, or Zohn either.”

  “Did the prison guards tell you what Damon said to her?” Kralen whispered, glancing at the door.

  Silas nodded, “Yes, they did.”

  One of the newer guards grinned, “Think it’s true?”

  Silas slapped him upside the back of the head, “No, it’s not true.”

  He cringed, “How do you know? The guard
said she didn’t deny it.”

  “Drop it,” Kralen growled. “We don’t talk about Emily like that.”

  “Yes, Sir,” he said, and turned back to his post.

  “Talk about me like what?” Emily asked, coming out of the room.

  “Nothing, Em,” Silas said, glaring at the other member of the Cavalry.

  Emily turned to the strange heku, “What was said?”

  “The Commander said no.”

  “I’m a Commander, too, and I want to know.”

  “Mark,” Silas called.

  “Tell me, now, that’s an order,” Emily yelled, and crossed her arms.

  “Quinn… Zohn…” Silas called when Mark didn’t come.

  The heku glanced nervously at Silas and then back to Emily, “We were talking about what Damon said to you in the prison, and mentioned the guards said you didn’t deny it.”

  “That’s what the guards are talking about?”

  “Yes, Ma’am, I guess so.”

  Emily nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “What’s going on?” Quinn asked when he and Zohn came up to the fifth-floor.

  “Sir, please stop Commander Emily’s questioning of the guard,” Silas said.

  “What did you ask?” Zohn asked her.

  Emily was watching the floor, “Cancel my guards… next guard I see around me gets ashed.”

  “What? Why?” Quinn asked, turning to Silas.

  “Just… leave me alone,” Emily said. She went back into her room and shut the door, locking it behind her.

  “Had to tell her didn’t you?” Silas yelled at the guard. “Couldn’t pause… buy some time until an Elder got here?”

  “What exactly was said?” Quinn asked angrily.

  The guard relayed, word-for-word, what was said, and Quinn pushed him toward the stairs, “Get to my office… now.”

  Zohn followed Quinn and the guard down, after telling the Cavalry to back off to the third-floor and stay there until further notice.

  Emily appeared a few minutes later with a bag over her shoulder. The Cavalry backed off from the stairs when she came down and passed them, heading for the garage.

  Zohn and Quinn both looked up when they heard the Harley take off from the garage.

  “Damnit, there she goes,” Quinn sighed, and turned back to the garage. “What to do with you.”

  “You heard Commander Silas tell you not to tell her,” Zohn said.