“Wait and watch until Fred goes back to his coven, and then attack… I want him, too.”
“Frederick is one of the most notoriously vicious heku,” the Chief Enforcer said.
“He’s a wimp… they build up stories to make you all afraid of him. He’s a powder puff.” Emily turned to the Council, and pointed to the white haired heku on the end, “What’s your name?”
“Winger, Ma’am.”
“You will lead the attack. Let me know when Frederick is in custody. I would imagine he runs his coven like a pre-school.”
“Yes, Elder,” he said, and turned back to the trial area. “Next.”
“Last for today is this,” the guard said, pushing a heku to his knees in front of Emily. She was surprised to see one of the members of her Cavalry knelt before her, and her eyes grew wide.
“Ok, what did he do?” she asked, trying not to meet the eyes of the Equites.
“The Equites have sent spies to find you. This one was near here, watching the palace.”
“Send him back with a warning that we’re stronger than they could ever imagine,” Emily said, and flipped through a book someone handed her full of coven listings.
“Yes, Elder,” the guard said, and drug the Equites away.
“That’s it for today,” the Chief Interrogator said.
Emily nodded, “Fine.”
***
“They did what?” Zohn asked, shocked.
William nodded, “You heard me correctly. This rogue band of Ferus attacked Frederick’s coven in the middle of the night and attempted to kidnap them all, including Frederick.”
Chevalier chuckled, “Are they insane?”
“The entire coven?” Quinn asked, frowning. “During the nighttime even?”
“Obviously, the Encala had no losses and Frederick is livid. He killed the Commander, and so we have no real information,” William said.
“Why exactly are you telling us this?” Zohn asked.
“It seemed to us, the Encala Council, that these attacks were planned by someone not skilled in combat or the ways of the heku,” Reese told them.
“There have been some weird things coming from the Ferus, things we’ve never seen before from a heku coven,” Quinn said, turning to Chevalier.
“I agree. When’s the last time you saw a group of heku hold up a convenience store to steal chips?” Aaron said, amused.
“It has to be,” Chevalier said, shaking his head. “How do we prove it?”
“She’s sending us signals. She knows no heku would knock over a store… we just need to figure out where she is,” Quinn said.
“Frederick killed all of them?” Zohn asked.
“Yes,” William told him. “He was furious that they used such little strategy or tactical advantages, and felt it better if they not live.”
“Have you gotten anything from her?” Aaron asked. “It’s no secret you can feel what she feels.”
Chevalier shrugged, “Nothing very interesting other than she’s having some fun.”
“Fun?” William asked, frowning.
“Yes, I suspect these heku attacks are entertaining her.”
“I’m afraid they will soon realize that her attacks are killing the Ferus only. Not one attack on any of the three factions has resulted insomuch as a broken nail,” Kyle said. “If they realize it, she may be in trouble.”
“Sir,” Derrick said, stepping in. “There’s a delegation of the Ferus here to address the Council.”
William grinned, “This should be interesting.”
Zohn sighed, “Show them in.”
The Encala and Equites watched the four robed figures come into the room. Their hoods covered their faces and their hands were clasped as they walked in.
“Why have you come here?” Chevalier asked.
“We come to seek the release of Vaughn,” the shortest said softly.
“Go back and tell your Elder Emily, that we’re not giving Vaughn back, and she can consider this a warning that she’s next. No more attacks on the factions will be tolerated,” Chevalier growled.
The Ferus were silent for a moment before the shortest heku stepped forward, “Release Vaughn now or the Council will take appropriate action.”
“No,” Zohn said. “Take the message back to your Council, that their one and only Elder is moments from becoming the number one target for all three factions. These attacks are unwarranted and will no longer be ignored.”
“If that is your last word.”
“It is,” Quinn said. The Ferus backed out of the room, and they heard the guards escorting them out.
Mark came in, grinning, “They really aren’t that smart.”
“What now?” Quinn asked, watching him.
“They came in a car and parked it at the gate,” Mark told them. “They said it was by council order that they park it close to the Equites gates… to show they aren’t afraid.”
“She’s going to get herself killed,” Kyle said. “That may seem funny, but their Council won’t put up with that for long.”
“If they decide to banish her…” William said, “For being a weak link.”
Quinn looked over when the phone rang. He frowned and hit the speakerphone button, “Equites Council.”
“Let Vaughn go,” Emily said angrily.
Quinn glanced at Chevalier, and he shrugged.
“No,” Zohn said. “Stop attacking the three factions.”
“We will not! Not until you release Vaughn and swear us in as an actual faction,” she said.
“That’s not going to happen,” Chevalier said, his eyes narrowing.
“The sooner you realize we’re a true faction… then the sooner you’ll have peace, and the sooner you’ll once again be able to sleep at night, Ok?” she yelled, and hung up.
“Dissect that,” Chevalier said. “Everything she said.”
“’Let Vaughn go’… seems straightforward,” Kyle said. “I suspect that was to make the call.”
“Agreed,” Quinn said. “’We will not, not until you release Vaughn and swear us in as an actual faction’”
William shrugged, “That is straightforward also.”
“Try the last part… ‘The sooner you realize we’re a true faction… then the sooner you’ll have peace, and the sooner you’ll once again be able to sleep at night, Ok?’” Zohn said. “She knows we don’t sleep at night.”
“The sooner you realize we’re a true faction,” Aaron said, thinking.
“She keeps saying sooner?” Chevalier said, shrugging.
“We have a Sooner Coven,” William said. “In Oklahoma.”
“Named after a heku?” Dustin asked.
“No, Oklahoma is the Sooner State,” William explained.
“She ended the sentence with Ok,” Chevalier said. “Call Bennion Coven, tell them to check their state.”
“Right away,” Mark said, and disappeared from the room.
***
Emily looked over at the Council, “That’s the fourth try. It doesn’t sound like they want to let Vaughn go.”
“We have to get him back. You aren’t technically qualified to run a faction,” the Chief Interrogator said.
“Hey! I’m doing my best,” Emily said angrily. “If you don’t like how I do things, then I suggest you get out.”
“No, no, Elder, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then back off!”
“Yes, Elder.”
Emily stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut. She went to her room and laid down on the bed. Her heart was aching for the baby she’d never been able to spend time with, and hearing Chevalier’s voice made it worse. She’d been looking for a way out for six weeks and hadn’t seen anything. They watched her carefully, though she hoped the phone call and message from the Equites threatening her might make them let up a bit.
She sat up when there was a knock on the door, “Come in.”
The Chief Interrogator entered and turned away from her. She’
d obviously been crying, “Do you need anything?”
“I need out of this damned palace! I’m mortal, I need to see the sky and get some fresh air,” she said, and shut her eyes to keep from crying. “You do all realize I need sun to live?”
“Let me talk to Val,” he said, and left the room.
Emily leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling until another knock sounded, “Come in.”
Val and the Chief Interrogator came in and she glanced over at them.
“I’ve informed them that it is true, as a mortal you need the sun,” Val said. “The Council has agreed to let you take one trip out of the city to gather anything you might need, and then has agreed to let you out of the palace once a day to get some sun.”
Emily sighed, “It’s about time.”
“We’re sending four of the guards with you, and the Chief Enforcer, if you try to run...” the Chief Interrogator said.
“Why would I run?” Emily asked. “Where exactly would I go?”
“That is true… still… the guards will be necessary.”
“I’ll do anything just to get out of here,” she said. “Do I get clothes at least?”
“No, the purple robe will suffice.”
“Fine, let’s go,” she said, and started for the door, followed by the doctor and the Chief Interrogator.
Emily was shown into the garage where four cars were parked. The four guards crawled into the back of a black Suburban and Emily got into the passenger side, while the Chief Enforcer crawled into the driver’s side and started up the engine. They drove out of the city in silence while Emily watched the terrain. She rolled down the window and took a deep breath of the fresh country air.
“What store?” the Chief Enforcer asked.
“I don’t know this area. Somewhere that I can buy a swimsuit and some personal items,” she said, still watching out the window.
“We do not have a pool.”
Emily smiled, “I need sun, and I’d rather not lie out naked.”
“Oh, right,” he said, grinning slightly.
Emily turned away from the window when the beautiful hillside faded away into cement walkways and large stores. She sat back and let the Chief Enforcer find a store, then sighed before heading in, not looking forward to the odd looks. With her purple robes and five hulking bodyguards, she imagined she would cause quite a commotion. To help some, she pulled her hood up to shadow her face.
The people cleared out of their way, staring with wide eyes as they moved away from the six odd figures. She pulled a bikini off the shelf and handed it to the Chief Enforcer. He frowned slightly and took it, carrying it awkwardly through the store. After grabbing a few more items, she went to the car with the guards while the Chief Enforcer paid for the items.
Emily sat in the car and looked around her, waiting for him to get through the long lines. A sleek red sports car caught her eye, as there was a matching black one beside it. She couldn’t quite tell, but it looked like there might be a V on the tires. She glanced back at the guards and smiled. She was able to watch the two cars without them knowing, because her hood was still up.
Her heart almost stopped when she saw the four huge men come out of a store and head for the cars. She knew she had limited time. They were only a hundred feet from her, but she knew she couldn’t outrun the heku in the car. As the heku neared their cars, Emily sprang from the car and ran for them.
She heard a growl behind her as one of the Ferus guards grabbed her, catching the attention of the Valle.
“Sotomar!” Emily screamed before the Ferus heku put his hand over her mouth. The Valle glanced at one another and then headed over for where the Ferus were restraining her.
“There a problem?” the tallest one asked. Emily noticed the insignia on his collar and saw he was a General in his coven.
“No, just a problem child,” one of the Ferus said. Emily bit his finger, and he pulled it away quickly as blood filled her mouth.
“Take me to Sotomar,” Emily said, and he put his hand over her mouth again.
“Who is that?” the Valle asked, stepping closer.
“None of your business. Get back,” the Chief Enforcer said, blurring up.
Emily was frustrated with the standoff. She had recently tried to burn the Ferus, but hadn’t been able to work up the energy, or she would do that now.
“If the lady wants to talk to the Elder, we’ll take her,” the Valle said, and his three companions began to surround the Ferus.
“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” the Chief Enforcer said. “She’s just confused.”
The Valle beside Emily inhaled and hissed slightly. She looked at him with wide eyes as he turned to the others, “Smell that?”
The tallest Valle nodded, “You have a Winchester there.”
“No, it’s not…” the heku holding her said nervously.
“It’s kinda funny that the factions have been looking for the Winchester, and here you have a mortal yelling for our Elder.”
“She’s delusional.”
“Pull her hood down,” the Valle said, leaning back against a nearby car.
“No reason to… why don’t you move along. We aren’t hurting anything,” the Chief Enforcer said, and motioned for the heku to move back to the car with Emily.
Emily finally got a clear shot to the heku’s knee and kicked at it, displacing his kneecap as he screamed and fell to the ground.
She ran for the Valle, “I’m Emily, help me!”
The Chief Enforcer caught her and threw her up against a truck. She slunk down to the ground as the Valle attacked the Ferus and they blurred into a fight in the dark parking lot. Emily sat on the cold cement, leaning back against the truck, her head pounding. The fight didn’t last long, and she looked up as the Valle neared her, crouched slightly with tightly clenched fists.
The General knelt down, “Lady Emily?”
She nodded, but could feel the blood drip down the back of her neck, “Don’t come too close.”
“We smell it, it’s ok,” he said. “Can you stand up?”
Emily nodded again and he helped her to her feet. She glanced at the dead Ferus and let him lead her back to the sports cars. She cringed, but crawled in on one of their laps as they sped off toward their coven.
“This’ll be an interesting conversation with the Council,” the heku said, laughing. “All three factions are out looking for you.”
“I couldn’t get away from them,” she whispered.
The heku that she was sitting on began looking through her hair, “You have a few cuts, but they don’t look very bad.”
“We’ll see better inside,” the General said. Emily watched his face. She could tell he was very young when he turned, but his eyes held wisdom and compassion beneath the rugged exterior.
“Thank you,” Emily told them softly. “If you hadn’t noticed me, I think I might have been punished.”
“It’s our pleasure. I’m sure we’ll be rewarded for returning you,” he said, smiling.
Emily nodded and watched as the city turned back into country and farms, and the cars were soon pulling in to a compound surrounded by high cement walls. She got out of the car with help from a shocked guard, and then followed the General into the coven’s mansion.
“Charlie, what did you bring back?” a heku asked. He was obviously the Coven Leader, and had dark gray robes on that were embroidered with golden V’s.
The General smiled, “Believe it or not, we brought back the Winchester.”
The Coven Leader looked at Emily, “You are?”
Emily nodded, “Yes, they fought off the Ferus and freed me.”
“Come, let’s call the Council,” he said, and held out his hand. Emily nodded and walked up the stairs, and took his hand, “Are you bleeding, Child?”
“Yes,” she said, and froze.
“What happened?” the leader asked the General.
“One of them threw her up against a truck when the fight sta
rted,” the General explained.
“You better come too, explain why the Lady is injured,” the Coven Leader said. The General nodded and followed them up the stairs and into a conference room. They sat around a small table and the Coven Leader dialed on speakerphone.
“Council,” Sotomar growled, obviously angry.
“Elder, it’s Lord Darby from the Slade Coven… we have just freed the Winchester from the Ferus.”
There was a pause, “Is this a joke?”
“No, Sotomar, it’s true,” Emily said.
“She is injured slightly,” Lord Darby said.
“I’m ok, really,” Emily told him.
“How badly?” Elder Ryan asked.
“She was thrown up against a truck. She has some cuts on her back and head,” the General said.
“We’re sending a helicopter, you two come back here with her,” Sotomar ordered.
“Yes, Sir,” Lord Darby said, and turned off the phone.
“Would you like to lie down?” the General asked.
Emily nodded, “Yes, please.”
She followed Lord Darby to a small room, barely large enough for a bed. He smiled and shut the door behind her after putting a cell phone down on the bed. Emily sat down and called Chevalier.
“Who is this?” Chevalier growled.
“The Valle freed me,” Emily said, suddenly breaking into tears.
“Em! You’re free?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I couldn’t get away.”
“We’ll come get you, where are you?”
“Sotomar is sending a helicopter,” Emily told him.
“I’ll wait for you at the Valle Palace, are you ok?”
“Yes, mostly… I just need to lie down for a second.”
Emily heard Chevalier talking to someone and then he turned back to the phone, “Rest then, we’ll see you at the palace.”
Emily nodded and shut the phone. She curled up on the bed, surprised that it was over and she was going home. Before long, she drifted off to sleep and didn’t wake up until the sound of a helicopter landing shook the large house.
She sat up to clear her head before walking out into the hallway.
“Oh good, you’re awake. Shall we go?” the General asked. Emily nodded and followed him out to the helicopter. The noise had caught the attention of the entire coven, and heku were lined up watching the Council’s personal helicopter. The General helped her up into the helicopter, and she buckled in, pulling at the stiff purple robe to try to get comfortable for the ride.
Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series Page 84