“I thought she was going to attack us with it,” Kyle said softly.
Chevalier nodded, “I did too.”
Mark blurred into the room with Dr. Edwards. He was carrying his black bag and immediately went to Anna and took the towel from Emily’s back.
“Put her on the bed on her stomach,” Dr. Edwards said as he sat his bag down and began digging through it.
The second Chevalier put Emily down on the bed, she scrambled across the bed and stood up, facing them.
“We need to treat that,” Chevalier told her from the bed.
She looked from him to Dr. Edwards.
“You know what? I’m tired of playing this game,” Kyle growled. Anna lunged for him as he blurred toward Emily and she barely missed him. Chevalier saw immediately Kyle was doing, and moved out of the way. Within seconds, Emily was restrained face-down on the bed with her hands and feet tied to the headboard and footboard.
“That’s one way, I guess,” Chevalier said, smiling slightly.
Dr. Edwards sat down beside her and she quit fighting as he looked over her back, “They need stitches, but I’m afraid this one’s pretty close to a kidney. How big were the knives?”
Mark disappeared and then reappeared with the cat o’nine tails.
“Who hit her with this?” Dr. Edwards growled as he examined the sharp metal hooks.
When Chevalier turned away, Mark answered, “She hit herself with it.”
“These are deep enough to get to a kidney,” the doctor told them. He pulled out a needle and syringe, and within a few minutes, Emily was unconscious on the bed.
“Go find out why she did that,” Chevalier whispered to Mark. He nodded and disappeared from the room. The heku in the room watched Dr. Edwards while he carefully stitched the eight deep gashes across Emily’s back, and then focused in on one of them.
“I think we’re ok. She did lacerate her kidney, but I don’t think it’s deep enough for tubules and ducts,” he said after examination.
“She’s gone. This just proves it,” Chevalier said from the window. He stood watching the rain lash against the side of the castle while Dr. Edwards finished stitching the wounds.
“We don’t know that,” Kyle replied.
“Yes we do. Emily wouldn’t have done that.”
Kyle’s heart pounded, “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying we take her to a hospital.”
“We can’t, they will know she’s not aging.”
Chevalier sighed, “Not if we move her every 5 years or so.”
“We have to give her more time,” Kyle said, walking over to stand by him.
“No we don’t. We’re punishing her by keeping her here. We can’t help her like the mortals would be able to.”
“I don’t want to send her away,” Kyle whispered.
Chevalier’s voice cracked slightly, “Neither do I. I can’t keep her here just hoping that she’ll return. She’s obviously not going to ever be what we remember.”
Kyle turned and looked at Emily. Dr. Edwards was just pulling the covers over her, and she was still restrained face-down on the bed. He knew Chevalier was right, but the thought of sending her away to a hospital was more than he could bear.
Dr. Edwards walked up to them, “I can make arrangements. There’s a really good facility just outside of Council City.”
“Please,” Kyle said desperately. “Just give her a little more time before you commit her.”
“She just flogged herself, Kyle,” Chevalier said softly. “There are a lot of things in our world she can hurt herself with. I count us lucky it was just the whip and not something more.”
“I’m not…”
“Neither do I!” Chevalier yelled. “We can’t keep her with the heku. She’s not in her right mind and all we’re doing is prolonging her suffering by not giving her what she needs.”
Kyle turned and angrily walked out of the room.
“Is there nothing left of her?” Chevalier whispered.
Dr. Edwards sighed, “Not that I can see.”
“Make the arrangements. We’ll move her as soon as she’s healed.”
The doctor nodded and walked out of the room.
Chevalier turned and looked at Emily. His heart sank at the thought he was having to send her away, but he truly believed that keeping her close was selfish and put unnecessary stress on her fragile mind.
After a few minutes, he sat down beside her and took her hand in his, “I’m sorry, Em. I’m sorry that I’ve put you through this for two years. I really thought I could get you back.”
He sat back against the headboard and shut his eyes, then focused on the slow rhythmic sound of her breathing and heartbeat. The emotion he was feeling was foreign to him and he hated how it made his heart ache.
When Emily died, he thought it was the worst thing he’d had to endure since turning. Now, he realized the only thing harder than losing Emily, was having to give her up.
Early the next morning, Emily woke up and looked up at him as he sat deep in thought on the side of the bed.
He smiled at her when he noticed she was watching him, “Good morning.”
She pulled slightly at the restraints, and then fell still and looked around the room.
“We can’t let you go yet,” Chevalier whispered. “You’re back is pretty bad.”
Emily pulled again at the restraints.
He debated telling her that he was sending her away, but decided to keep that until the last minute, “Why did you do it, Em? Why would you flog yourself? I just don’t understand.”
She looked into his eyes and her piercing green gaze made his heart sink further. He was finding it hard to breathe as he watched her.
Chevalier looked over at the door when he heard a light knock, “Enter.”
Mark and Kralen came into the room and when they saw Emily awake, they both disappeared to hide the blood on their clothing.
Chevalier chuckled slightly when Emily looked over at him, “They’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, they came back in the room, no longer covered in blood.
“Sorry about that,” Mark said, and then looked down at Emily. “Feeling better?”
She looked up at him, but didn’t respond.
Kralen sat down in a chair beside Chevalier and lowered his voice so Emily couldn’t hear, “He didn’t want to tell us this. It took a lot of convincing.”
“Did you get a reason?”
Mark joined them, “Yes, and he had a good reason not to want to tell us.”
Chevalier frowned, “What might that be then?”
Kralen smiled at Emily and then turned back to Chevalier, “Salazar has her convinced that any punishment given to him because of her capture, would be given back to the punisher unless she faced the same.”
“Wait. So…”
Mark lowered his voice. “So, because we flogged him… he would flog us in return, unless she took that same flogging.”
Chevalier’s face softened and he smiled, “She was protecting us?”
“Yes, she was.”
Kralen watched Chevalier, confused, “Because she hit herself with the whip, he won’t punish us for his beating.”
“She’s not gone,” Chevalier said, and then smiled at Emily when she looked over at him.
“What do you mean?” Mark asked.
“My Emily isn’t gone.”
“You’re happy that she did that then?” Mark asked, utterly confused.
“Anna, tell Dr. Edwards to cancel the arrangements,” Chevalier called out to the door.
Kyle appeared a few seconds later, “We’re not sending her away?”
“You were going to send her away?” Mark gasped.
Chevalier looked up at Kyle, “She is back.”
Chevalier kissed Emily lightly on the forehead while Mark explained to Kyle what they had learned from Salazar. Both Mark and Kralen were surprised when Kyle smiled at Emily.
“Nice, Em,” Kyle
said.
“Have you two lost your minds?” Mark whispered. “She flogged herself to protect the heku. How can you be happy about that?”
Kyle looked over at him, “Because, that’s classic Emily.”
“It’s our Emily,” Chevalier said, and brushed her hair away from her face.
Chapter 31 - Pink
“But how many other things have we just not encountered?” Kyle asked as he held Emily’s arms.
“I’m guessing a lot,” Chevalier said as he held Emily’s feet. “He’s not going to tell us because he’s hoping we don’t find out about them.”
“It’d help if you would tell us,” Kyle said to Emily. He looked up to see if Dr. Edwards was almost finished, and then turned back to Chevalier, “Salazar’s on his way back to the palace and should be there shortly after we arrive.”
“Done, no more stitches,” Dr. Edwards said, standing up. “You’re all healed, Kiddo.”
When Kyle and Chevalier let Emily go, she sat up, pulling the blanket with her to cover herself.
“I had Margaret put some new overalls in the bathroom,” Chevalier told her, then watched Emily hurry into the bathroom to get dressed.
“So we’ve figured out how to stop this in the future?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, it’s simple. We just don’t let her see Salazar and we don’t mention anything we’re doing to him,” Kyle said.
“And Allen?”
“We’re working on that. She doesn’t believe us and still insists that we either imprison him or banish him.”
“Course, maybe she’s right.”
Chevalier glared at him, “No, she’s not right.”
Dr. Edwards shrugged, “Just an idea. Ok so, I’ll head back to the palace with the Cavalry and meet you there.”
Kyle nodded and watched him go, “He’s getting on my nerves.”
Chevalier chuckled, “I hear ya.”
Emily came out a short time later in a gray t-shirt and the blue overalls.
“Ready to go?” Chevalier asked.
Emily looked between Chevalier and Kyle, but didn’t move.
“We’re not banishing him,” Kyle told her.
She glared at him and looked at Chevalier.
“I agree with Kyle.”
Emily sat down on a chair by the fire and crossed her arms.
“You can protest all you want. We’re not going to banish Allen,” Chevalier said.
They watched her as she sat silently by the fire and watched the flames.
“We really need to go,” Kyle told her. “The Elder and I have a meeting.”
Emily glanced at the door and then back to her fire.
Chevalier grinned, “That a hint that you want us to leave?”
When she didn’t move, Kyle chuckled, “Em, we can’t leave you here alone. With our luck you’d find the whip again and one flogging is enough.”
“Elder?” Anna said from the doorway. When he looked over, she smiled, “Miri would like a moment with Lady Emily.”
He shrugged, “Make it fast. I want to get going soon.”
Miri bowed when she walked into the room, and smiled brightly, “It’s good to see you, Elder.”
He just watched her.
She shifted uncomfortably and then walked over to Emily, “May I sit down?”
Emily watched her closely as she sat in a chair by the fire.
Miri glanced at Chevalier again and then turned to Emily, “Allen and I spent the night trying to decide how to prove to you that he’s not an imposter. We finally decided maybe it would be best to just show you.”
Miri held her hand out, revealing the platinum and diamond ring Allen gave her when they were bonded.
Emily looked at it and gently ran her finger along the inlaid jewels.
“If Allen had died, the ring would have come off,” Miri said.
“Brilliant,” Kyle whispered, watching to see what Emily did.
Chevalier watched intently as Emily tried to pull the delicate ring from Miri’s finger. When it wouldn’t come off, she pulled her hand back and just watched the ring curiously.
Miri smiled, “It’s still firmly attached. I would have known if Allen died.”
Emily looked down at her own hand.
“It came off when you died,” Chevalier told her. “You still have it for when you’re ready.”
She looked up when Allen walked into the room. He stopped just inside the doorway, “Do you believe us now?”
Emily turned back to the fire, deep in thought, while the others looked at one another.
“What now?” Miri asked, too softly for Emily to hear.
“Just wait, I guess,” Chevalier said to her.
“She has to see that it’s me,” Allen told them.
“It’s hard to know what she sees and understands. We have no idea what all she’s been told and what she believed.”
“Did he really bury her?”
Chevalier nodded, still too angry about that to speak openly about it.
“Lady Emily?” Miri asked softly. She reached out and wiped a tear from Emily’s cheek, “I’m here if you need to talk about it.”
After a few minutes, Emily got up from her seat and slowly walked over to Allen. It was obvious that she was studying everything about him, and he stood still so he wouldn’t scare her.
Finally, she reached up and gently put a hand against the side of his face, then let her fingers lightly trail down to his shoulder as she looked into his familiar green eyes.
Suddenly, she began to unbutton his white shirt and he grabbed her hands, “What…”
“Just let her do it,” Kyle told him, and smiled crookedly. “She’s done that to all of us.”
Allen let go of her hands and she unbuttoned his shirt and lifted his t-shirt so she could see his chest.
Miri giggled slightly at the embarrassed look on Allen’s face, while Chevalier chuckled softly.
Emily frowned slightly and moved to Allen’s back, then lifted his shirt to look there.
“Now what’s she looking for?” Kyle asked no one in particular.
“Not sure, that’s new,” Chevalier answered. “Em, what’s up?”
After running her fingers lightly down his back, she reached around to his waist and started to undo his belt. He gasped and moved away from her, but she glared at him and walked up to undo his belt.
“Mom, stop it,” Allen said, turning bright red. Miri started to giggle harder at the small amount of proof that Allen was 25% mortal.
“What exactly are you doing?” Chevalier asked her as he moved over to save his son.
Emily opened his belt and undid the top button on his pants while Allen tried to get away from her without hurting or scaring her, “Dad, get her off.”
“Em…”
Kyle started to laugh when Emily pulled his pants down on his hip, exposing an old scar that ran part of the way down his hip.
“Got bucked off a horse before I started to heal like a heku,” Allen stammered, trying to pull his pants out of his Mom’s hand. “Seriously, Mom, give it to me.”
Chevalier stood back and grinned, now too amused to intervene.
“Stop it!” Allen gasped when she pulled his pants down to his knees, exposing bright pink boxers. Miri was now laughing too hard to help, and Allen was frantically pulling at his pants to put them back on.
Emily bent slightly to look at the back of his thigh, where another small scar was visible.
Miri finally gasped for air and managed to speak, “Oh, it’s still there Lady Emily!”
“What’s still there?” Allen asked, buttoning his pants.
“You have a scar on the back of your leg.”
“I do!?”
“Yes, a little round one.”
“That’s right,” Chevalier said, nodding. “You fell in the stables and jammed a pitch fork prong into your leg.”
Emily stood back and frowned slightly as she watched Allen fasten his belt.
“Yeah w
ell she didn’t have to show everyone,” Allen grumbled.
“While we’re all here, wanna explain the pink?” Chevalier asked, fighting a grin.
Allen’s blush deepened, “It’s… no… well…”
Miri finally regained some control, “I got them for him. I swore no one would ever see them!”
“Yeah, well…”
“I didn’t expect his Mom to de-pants him,” Miri said, and then broke into another round of laughter.
Chevalier watched Emily as her face went from confused, to understanding, and then a slight smile formed on her lips.
“It’s not funny,” Allen said to Miri, irritated.
Miri was laughing too hard to answer him.
Allen looked over at Emily and noticed the hint of a smile, “It’s not funny.”
Emily suddenly ran forward and wrapped her arms around Allen. He smiled and hugged her tightly, “Finally.”
She buried her face in his chest as the tears began to stream down her face.
Allen frowned and whispered to his Dad, “She’s crying.”
He nodded, “Let her.”
A few minutes later, Emily pulled away from him and then reached up and took the Island Coven Guard insignia off of his collar. Once it was safely tucked into her pocket, she walked over to Chevalier. Miri had finally stopped laughing and moved to stand beside Allen.
“We’re heading back. Want go to?” Kyle asked them.
“No, I have duty tonight,” Allen said.
“I’m going to be too busy telling Mirella about this.”
“You wouldn’t…”
Miri winked at him and then walked out of the room.
Allen sighed, “Yeah, she would.”
Chevalier ushered Emily out of the room so they could get into the helicopter.
Kyle stopped Allen in the doorway with a hand to his arm, “Pink?”
“Can it, shorty,” Allen mumbled, and walked down the stairs as Kyle, who was only an inch shorter than Allen, started to laugh.
Once in the helicopter, Kyle told the pilot to get going, and they lifted off and headed back to the palace.
***
“Did you have plans today?” Chevalier asked when Emily got out of bed. She glanced at him and then went into the bathroom to get dressed, “Don’t forget we’re meeting with those 2 new Psychiatrists tonight.”
Eternity of Vengeance (Extended Edition) : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 72