Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Where is Dain?” Chevalier asked, noticing the silence in the palace.

  “Outside with Silas,” Emily said. “Did you call me in here to ask where the baby is?”

  “No, we have an idea,” Kyle said. “Something you may find useful and may be curious about.”

  “Ok… what?”

  “We want to run an experiment to see if heku are more drawn to your scent than just to feed,” Quinn said.

  Emily frowned, “Do what?”

  “You might as well just tell her,” Zohn said. “We want to see if your scent is a turn on to heku.”

  Emily blushed and her eyes grew wide, “Excuse me?”

  “Zohn…” Chevalier hissed.

  “Well, that is what this experiment is about,” Zohn told them, and sat back in his chair.

  “What exactly are you proposing?” Emily asked, her blush deepening.

  “We want to put you into a room with some more disciplined heku guards, and see if we see a change in their behavior when you come into the room,” Quinn explained.

  “And if they are… erm… attracted to my scent, then what?”

  “Then we know… it’s curious to us how heku will do anything to get near you, it’s not just to feed. The heku last week knew he would get killed, but had the sudden desire to touch you,” Zohn said.

  Emily frowned, “I don’t know.”

  “We want to make sure it’s not your looks that they are attracted to…” Zohn said, and shut up when Chevalier growled.

  Emily frowned and wrapped her arms around herself and spun to leave.

  “Em?” Chevalier sighed.

  She turned back around.

  “Are you bleeding?”

  “Probably”

  “You’re with 36 heku guards, and 7 new recruits. What could you possibly be injured doing?”

  Emily turned around, irritated, and left after saying “None of your business.”

  Chevalier grinned, “After so many thousands of years. I’ll never get used to being told no.”

  “Well I don’t like being told no,” Zohn said. “You asked her a direct question, and she should have answered.”

  Chevalier went out to where Emily was assigning horses to the new members of the Cavalry. He walked up to Silas, who had sleeping Dain in his arms.

  “How’s it going?” Chevalier asked.

  “Different,” Silas answered, smiling.

  “How so?”

  “These guards are from Powan. They aren’t falling for Emily’s charm, and she’s getting frustrated that they won’t break procedure.”

  Chevalier grinned, “Nice.”

  ***

  “Hey,” the guard said, approaching the Winchester slowly. It was just after 2am and she was out walking through a dark park. She turned to him and put her hand up for him to stop.

  “Get back,” she whispered.

  “You threatened my Council,” another guard said, taking a step forward. “We don’t take kindly to that.”

  “You’ll burn if you don’t stop,” she whispered.

  The first guard stopped, “We don’t want to hurt you. Just talk to us for a minute.”

  She lowered her hand and the heku tried to see her face under the black hood of her cape.

  “Are you a Winchester?” he asked.

  “Tell your beloved Council that revenge is a dish, best served cold,” she whispered and took a step back.

  “Meaning?” he asked.

  “They deserve no explanation,” she hissed, and turned to walk away.

  “Stop,” the third guard said, blurring to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, “You need to come with us.”

  The three fell to their knees as their chests burned, and when the pain stopped, they looked up and she was gone.

  “Great, let’s go tell the Captain,” the first guard said, and they all blurred back to the palace. Mark immediately led them in to the Council.

  “What’s up?” Zohn asked, looking up.

  “They encountered the Winchester,” Mark said. “Tell them.”

  The first guard relayed what happened, word-for-word, ending with the burning pain.

  Chevalier sighed, “Revenge? For what?”

  Quinn shrugged, “I’m guessing the attacks on her.”

  “Damn, to be that close,” Zohn growled. “This is getting to be too much. She’s been seen twenty four times in the last month, and we’re no closer to finding out who she is.”

  “Keep trying, see if you can reason with her to come without violence,” Quinn said, and the guards all bowed and left.

  Emily appeared in the trial area and walked forward.

  “Why are you up so late?” Chevalier asked, concerned.

  “Dain is hungry,” Emily said, and walked up to the council platform. She handed him over to Chevalier and looked around, “What’s up? You all look mad.”

  “The Winchester slipped through our fingers again,” Chevalier told her, and ordered a bottle for the baby.

  Emily smiled, “The little mortal got away from you again?”

  “Yes, you find that amusing?” Zohn asked, irritated.

  “Well you know what the Klingon’s say?”

  “The what?”

  Emily sighed, “Seriously, a little pop culture never hurt anyone.”

  “Well, what do they say?” Kyle asked, confused.

  “Google Klingon sayings.”

  “What?”

  “Pop culture…” she said, and walked out of the room and headed upstairs to bed.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Quinn asked.

  “I don’t know,” Chevalier said.

  “Oh well, we’ll try to catch the elusive Winchester tomorrow night,” Zohn said.

  ***

  “Look, there she is,” Mark said, pointing off to the north of them.

  Kralen squinted, “Yep, sure is.”

  Kralen, Silas, and Mark blurred and surrounded her.

  “Enough running,” Mark said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  She spun out from under his hand and whispered, “Leave me alone.”

  “No such luck, come with us,” Silas said, and took her arm.

  She tried to get out from his grasp, but he held her tightly. Suddenly, she started to laugh.

  Mark glanced at Kralen, and back to the Winchester.

  “Damn, had to be you three,” Emily said, and dropped her hood, still laughing.

  Silas gasped and let go of her arm, “But… what… Em?”

  “You’ve been doing this for two months?” Mark asked, shocked.

  “Yes… as I said, revenge is a dish best served cold.”

  “Revenge for what?” Kralen asked, still surprised.

  Emily shook her head, “I thought you all had perfect memory.”

  “The Council’s going to love this,” Mark said, and threw Emily over his shoulder.

  “Put me down!” Emily yelled, still laughing. She felt the wind fly past her as Mark blurred her back toward the palace.

  “They brought the Winchester,” Derrick said hesitantly.

  “Bring her in,” Zohn said, sitting up straight.

  Mark came in with Emily thrown over his shoulder. The Council couldn’t see her face yet.

  “Mark! Put her down,” Quinn said.

  Mark shrugged and set Emily on her feet. The cloak covered her face, and she stumbled a bit on the platform shoes before moving closer to the Council.

  Zohn looked down at her, “How dare you threaten us.”

  Mark stepped forward, “Elder…”

  “Be silent, Mark,” Zohn said angrily. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

  “Sir,” Silas said, but was hushed by Chevalier.

  “The scent is very close to Emily,” Kyle said. “Though… not exact.”

  Emily started to laugh, no longer able to contain herself. She saw the confused looks on the faces of the Council and pulled her hood back, and then removed her wig, “You all need to study up on your Kl
ingon.”

  “Em!” Chevalier said, shocked.

  “Was… you’ve done this?” Zohn asked.

  “Revenge is a dish best served cold… an old Klingon proverb,” she said, grinning.

  “Actually, in 1782 a Frenchman said it, La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid,” Quinn corrected.

  Emily shrugged, “The meaning still stands.”

  “What, exactly are you seeking revenge for?” Chevalier asked, still not sure what was going on.

  Emily crossed her arms, “Clark Coven ring a bell?”

  Kyle gasped, “You did all this to get back at us for that?”

  “I did,” Emily said. “Don’t play pranks if you can’t mess with the big boys.”

  They watched as she slipped her finger under the strap on her 6 inch platform shoes and pulled them off, and then removed her blue contacts.

  “I… I can’t believe you did this,” Zohn said, eyes wide.

  “She did vow to get us for that,” Richard, the Chief Interrogator, reminded them.

  “Still, that was months ago,” Kyle said, shaking his head.

  “Thus the saying,” Emily said, smiling.

  “Ok, now we can discuss her punishment,” Chevalier said, turning his chair.

  Emily’s eyes grew wide and she took a step back, “No.”

  “We do need to prove to her that we’re the superior species,” Quinn said, smiling.

  Emily held her finger up and took another step back, “No… we’re even now.”

  Emily spun when Chevalier appeared behind her and spoke, “Our prank lasted only a few minutes… you’ve had us chasing ghosts for two months.”

  She backed up from him, “It’s not my fault if my pranks are better.”

  “Better?” Kyle asked when she ran into him as she backed up. He put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Yes, better. It just means I’m smarter than you are,” she said, smiling broadly.

  “Digging it deeper, are we?” Richard said from beside her.

  “I personally don’t think it’s funny. She’s wasted countless of our hours,” Zohn said, irritated.

  “Re vera, cara mea, mea nil refert,” Emily told him, and turned back to Chevalier when he took a step towards her.

  “Well aren’t we full of surprises today,” Chevalier said, looking down at her. “When did you learn how to quote Gone with the Wind, in Latin?”

  “One might be surprised at what you can Google,” Emily told him, and gasped when Chevalier threw her over his shoulder and started out of the palace, followed by Kyle, Richard, Mark, Silas, and Kralen.

  “Put me down! We’re even,” Emily yelled, and fought to get out of his grasp as he walked into the stables.

  “String it up,” Chevalier said, and Kyle chuckled and disappeared from Emily’s view.

  “Wait… what are you doing?” she asked, trying to see. Her feet were tied together and suddenly she was hanging upside down from the rafters, while the heku moved back.

  “Now… let’s see…” Chevalier said, and looked around.

  Emily slipped off the long black dress so she was just in jeans and a t-shirt, “Let me down!”

  The stables filled with the Cavalry, who all looked from Emily to the Council nervously, and then backed out and shut the doors after them.

  “Some guards you are!” Emily yelled at them.

  “Oh, I know,” Kyle said, and opened up a stall door.

  “No!” Emily screamed, and tried to untie her feet.

  Chevalier’s Arabian walked out and immediately began sniffing at her hair.

  “Go away!” she yelled, and pushed against his nose.

  “Whose species is superior?” Chevalier asked, leaning back against the wall.

  “Mine!”

  “She’ll change her mind,” Chevalier said, smiling.

  “Ew ew ew,” she yelled after the stallion sneezed on her.

  “I almost feel sorry for her, but not quite,” Kralen said.

  “Species… Emily… whose is superior?” Kyle asked, smiling.

  “Mine is,” she said, and pulled her hair out of the Arabian’s mouth.

  “Going to be a long night, Em,” Mark said, sitting down on a bale of hay.

  “No! No!” Emily screamed when the Arabian turned around and picked at the hay. She pushed against his rump to keep her face away from his hind end.

  Mark blurred across the barn and Emily turned when he chuckled. He had a squirming mouse grasp between his fingers and her eyes grew wide.

  “Mark, I’ll ash you… so help me…”

  Chevalier grinned, “You don’t like mice?”

  “Em, how can you be afraid of mice? You work in a barn,” Kyle chuckled.

  “I’m not afraid of them,” she said, her eyes locked on the rodent.

  Mark took one step closer to her and held the mouse out, “The superior species?”

  “Mark, stay away from me!”

  Mark stopped and looked around, confused, “What exactly’s going on here?”

  “Emily!” Kyle gasped.

  “Put the mouse down,” Emily said, watching Mark.

  He looked down at the mouse and around at those gathered, “I’m… what’d she erase?”

  Silas went over and took the mouse from Mark, and then took a step toward Emily, “Em…. Whose is the superior species?”

  “No!” Emily yelled, putting her hands out. “Quinn!!”

  “Yes?” Quinn asked, stepping in.

  “Help me, please,” she said, still watching the mouse.

  “Of course, Dear,” he said, and moved over beside her. “As soon as you tell us who the superior species is.”

  “Quinn! Damnit, let me down,” Emily yelled, and then brushed the Arabian’s tail out of her face. “Go away!”

  “I was told I could find…” William began, and his eyes grew wide, “Your Chief Enforcer in here.”

  “William… William… I’ll join the Encala if you let me down,” Emily said, and screamed when Silas moved the squirming mouse towards her.

  “Superior species, Em,” Kralen said, grinning.

  “Come on in William, what did you need?” Chevalier asked, smiling.

  William looked at Emily, and turned his head to see her right-side-up, “Do you require assistance?”

  “Yes!” Emily yelled, and reached out for him.

  “Interesting,” he said, and went over to Chevalier. “We’ve finished cleaning out the Ferus hold in Oklahoma, and would like to turn some of your previously banished criminals over to you.”

  “Let me go or I’ll ash Zohn,” Emily said, and started to laugh.

  Chevalier glanced at her, “Why would you do that?”

  “Because then he’d make your life a living hell for having me around,” she said, and grinned.

  Emily screamed as Silas put the mouse even closer to her. She started to panic and fight to get her feet untied, “Species… which one is it Em?”

  “That’s it… I’ll get you back for this,” Emily said, looking over at Chevalier.

  “I’m sure you will. Now say it and we can go inside.”

  Emily glared at him, but started to laugh, “Fine! Yours is.”

  “Ours? What might our species be?”

  “What!? Let me go!”

  “Say it,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “Damnit… The Valle, they’re the superior ones,” she said, and started laughing again.

  William raised an eyebrow, “I see this… what is this? Punishment… is warranted.”

  “Just letting her know who’s in charge here,” Kyle said, and smiled over at Emily.

  “Oh… you did not just say that!” she yelled.

  “Say it,” Silas said again, and pushed the mouse so it was almost touching her stomach.

  “No!” Emily screamed. “No! I’ll say it… get it away!”

  Silas moved the mouse away from her, “I’m counting to 10.”

  Emily mumbled and grinned, “There.”

/>   “Louder,” Chevalier told her.

  “Heku, ok? Now let me down.”

  “What about the heku?” Kralen asked.

  Emily screamed and then started to laugh, “Heku are the superior species… happy now?”

  Chevalier chuckled, and let her down. She untied her feet and then slapped him on the chest and looked at him, “You’ll pay for that.”

  “I surely hope so,” Chevalier said, and tried to kiss her, but she moved away from him.

  “Not today leech. You’re on your own,” she said, and ran into the palace.

  Kyle smiled at William, “Let’s go see about those prisoners.”

  “I’m still confused why we tied her up,” Mark whispered. He was led away by Silas and Kralen as the rest of them headed into the council chambers.

  “Done playing?” Zohn asked angrily.

  “Yes, we are,” Quinn said, and sat down. “You really could lighten up.”

  “That was irresponsible and destructive of her. We’ve wasted countless hours pursuing her façade.”

  “You’re just mad because she won,” Chevalier said, and sat down.

  “If this Council is going to show strength, we need to rule with an iron fist and not play games.”

  “Show them in, Derrick,” Quinn said, grinning.

  Emily sat down in the dining room for dinner while the Council was in session. She held the baby in one hand, while she ate with the other and watched Allen and Alexis talk over their drinks.

  Finally, Allen looked over at her, “Did I hear you scream that the heku are superior?”

  “Yes, but it was coerced,” she said, and took another bite.

  “Coerced?”

  “Yes, I was bullied into it.”

  “By whom?” Allen asked.

  “Your Dad and his posse.”

  “Then I assume you’ll be getting him back?”

  Emily grinned “Of course I will.”

  “You’re asking for trouble,” Allen told her.

  Emily frowned, “Alexis, I said you had to eat food tonight, too.”

  “Mom, I don’t want any,” Alexis said, wrinkling her nose at her hamburger.

  “It wasn’t a suggestion, eat it.”

  “Dad said I don’t have to.”

  “Your Dad’s not here, eat.”

  Alexis cringed and took a small bite of the hamburger, and then looked up at Allen, who shrugged and began reading again.

  “Why are you reading the Cavalry Manual?” Emily asked.