“That mortal?” Chevalier frowned.
“Ashes on a whim?” Kyle growled.
“Is that what happens in the barracks? Rumors spread about my wife?” Chevalier hissed.
Leonid addressed Kenneth, and spoke calmly, “I’ve seen more devotion out of that mortal tonight, than I have ever seen out of you, Kenneth.”
Kenneth growled.
“I don’t appreciate my orders being disobeyed,” Kyle said angrily, and the Elders backed off from him.
“I apologize, Sir. It was a misunderstanding,” Kenneth stood at attention.
“What we need is an example,” Kyle scowled.
Kenneth looked at him, nervously, “Sir?”
“Of what happens when my orders aren’t followed.”
“Yes, Sir. You have to see it though…” Kenneth said, becoming angry.
“See what?” Kyle asked.
“How that mortal runs this palace. It’s disgusting how you all cater to her, and abide by her every wish. Just once I wish your minds would clear, and see her for what the rest of us do,” Kenneth spoke as if he had limited time.
Chevalier glared at him, “Which is what exactly?”
“A spoiled brat.”
“Damon,” Kyle said.
Damon lunged at Kenneth and swiftly decapitated him.
He held up the heku’s head, “We should hang it in the barracks.”
Kyle grinned maliciously, “Do it. Don’t mention Emily, just the broken order.”
Damon nodded and blurred away with the head.
“Someone get this… thing… out of my office,” Chevalier said, and watched as one heku arrived and removed the body, and another cleaned up the blood.
“I suggest we keep the entire palace on alert. Make sure if Emily comes out of her room, that she sees no one,” Kyle said.
Chevalier nodded, “Put a shadow on her. Someone you trust to not be seen. If she leaves the palace, I want to know, and we need the city in their houses.”
“I will do it,” Mark said, standing at attention.
Chevalier nodded, “Do not be seen.”
Mark nodded and blurred from the room.
***
Emily opened her eyes and looked around the room. It seemed surreal. She wasn’t sure what to believe. She was finally warm, and her clothes dried from the rain and hail the night before. She looked down at herself. All of her clothes were encrusted with dirt, and her feet were throbbing because of the cuts from the gravel. She hadn’t wanted to change, hadn’t wanted to even trust enough to undress.
“Emily?” Sam said from Allen’s door.
She turned and looked at him, suspiciously.
“Mommy!” Allen yelled, and ran at her. He jumped on the bed and into her arms. She held him tightly as tears spilled from her eyes. She kissed him and pulled him closer to her.
Sam walked slowly to the bed, “Are you ok?”
Emily’s hair was knotted and dirty. Her clothes were covered in soot, and he couldn’t help but glance at the bottom of her feet, which were full of cuts and inflamed skin.
Emily didn’t answer. She just glared at him and held Allen.
“Do you want me to help you into the bathroom to clean up?” Sam asked, watching her carefully.
“Sir, Sam’s with her,” Mark said from outside her door, he whispered too softly for anyone but heku to hear.
“Damn, we forgot about Sam,” Chevalier whispered back. “Is she angry at him?”
“No, she just sounds suspicious,” Mark answered.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you, Sam?” Emily asked, with a tense edge to her voice.
Sam wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t seen her for over 48 hours, and hadn’t been informed of what happened to her while she was away.
“I… don’t know how to answer that,” he said, moving to the foot of her bed.
“Stay away from us,” she said to him.
“Please let me help. I can get some food and bandage your feet.”
“I’m watching you,” she said, and he bowed and left the room.
“Sam’s out of the room,” Mark reported, quietly.
Chevalier relaxed some when he heard Sam order breakfast, enough for an army.
A few minutes later, Sam returned with something hidden in his shirt. He didn’t see Mark watching from the shadows, but he locked the door after he was inside.
“Sam’s back, he’s hiding something,” Mark whispered.
“Tell me if you hear anything, I want to know what he’s up to,” Chevalier said. He sent his senses out, but her lack of trust blocked him.
Mark watched as a heku knocked on the bedroom door and waited for an answer.
“Put it down and step away,” the servant heard from the shadows. He did as he was told and blurred away.
A few moments later, the door opened. Sam grabbed the tray and shut it again, quickly locking it.
“Mommy, let go, I’m hungry,” Allen said, pulling against her.
“Wait,” she said, and watched Sam as he put the tray on the table. He lifted the dome and walked backwards into Allen’s room.
When Allen’s door shut, Emily let Allen go. He ran to the table and started to eat the pancakes. Emily stood up slowly. Her entire body was sore, and her feet were screaming painfully. She limped to the table and sat down, looking around, suspiciously.
“Mommy… you’re dirty,” Allen said, and took another bite.
Emily grabbed a piece of bacon and ate it, fully expecting the food and warmth to disappear at any moment. Once she’d started eating, she couldn’t stop. When they were done, Allen ran into his room and got Sam.
Emily watched Sam carefully.
“Please, I got some things for the cuts on your feet,” Sam said, showing her some peroxide and bandages.
She nodded, but narrowed her eyes at him. He moved to her, slowly, and picked up one of her feet, setting it on his knee. He cleaned them and winced every time she did, he still wasn’t sure if she was going to kill him or not. Her eyes were vicious and untrusting. After he’d gently bandaged her foot, he moved on to the next and did the same. Once he was done, he stood and sighed with relief.
“Can I take Allen out? His tutor is here,” Sam said to her, lowering his eyes.
“Yes,” Emily said, apprehensively. She still wasn’t sure any of this was happening.
“Sam and Allen are out of the room,” Mark whispered from the shadows, unseen.
“What’s she doing?” Chevalier asked.
“Sounds like she’s back on the bed.”
“If she falls asleep, I want to know,” Chevalier said.
“Will do, and Sam forgot to lock the door,” Mark told him.
Only a few minutes later, Mark notified the Elder that she had fallen asleep. He watched as Chevalier blurred up and quietly opened the door. He checked for himself, and Emily was sound asleep. He left the door open for a fast escape and walked to the bed to look down at her. She hadn’t changed her clothes from the Mortal Trap, but he was glad to see her feet were bandaged.
He stood perfectly still and watched her. He knew from the motion of her face that her dreams weren’t pleasant, and that she could wake up at any moment.
Even in her sleep, Emily felt that she was being watched. She opened her eyes and sat up suddenly, looking around the empty room. The breakfast tray was still on the table, the fires were burning, but the room was silent.
Emily stood up and limped to the door of her room. She knew she couldn’t stay there forever. She opened the door and scanned the hallways to make sure they were empty.
Chevalier heard Mark’s order loudly, though he knew Emily’s mortal ears couldn’t pick it up. He ordered all of the hallways cleared immediately, which meant she was out of her room.
“Where is she going?” Chevalier asked, looking at his office door.
“Not sure yet, down the stairs,” Mark answered.
Chevalier listened to the sounds of the palace. He was pleased t
o hear nothing but the sound of one set of uneven footsteps.
“She’s going to the game room,” Mark said, sounding uncertain.
Chevalier frowned, “Stop her if she tries to go through.”
“Yes, Sir,” Mark answered, and then paused before giving a report. “Just her arm. She didn’t go all the way.”
“I’m here, too,” Kyle whispered from the dark shadows in the game room.
Chevalier heard a scuffle and ran for the game room. He blurred inside and saw Emily on the floor with Mark sitting on her legs. Both Mark and Kyle were trying to catch her arms as she clawed at them and screamed. Kyle caught her wrists in his hands and held them to him.
“Emily,” Chevalier said, kneeling down. “You can go anywhere and do anything… but go through that wall.”
Emily stopped struggling and just watched him.
“Ok?” he asked. He wanted to reach out and touch her.
She just stared at him, skeptical.
“Let her up,” he said, and stood. Mark and Kyle both let her go and stood up, moving off into the shadows.
Emily stayed on the ground, not moving. Her eyes were fixed on Chevalier.
Chevalier backed slowly out of the room, “Three new recruits are starting today. Kyle and Damon will take care of them for you.”
She narrowed her eyes, still lying on the floor. When he was gone, she sat up and looked toward the shadows. She knew they were there. Kyle gave the order and both he and Mark left the room.
Emily got to her knees and stood up, slowly, and then limped back up the stairs into her room.
***
The three new recruits stood at attention facing Damon and Kyle. They were lined up in front of the stables.
“Here’s how this is going to work. We’re going to start with the non-horse related training until Emily gets back on her feet,” Kyle said to them.
“Yeah, I bet she stays off of her feet,” one of them said, grinning.
The other two laughed and he added, “And on her back.”
Damon blurred to him and knocked him to the ground with a fist to his neck. The guard coughed and choked for a few seconds, and then healed and looked up at the Chief Enforcer, wide eyed.
“That’s enough of that. She’s the Elders wife,” he scowled, and stood up.
The guard got up slowly and then fell back to attention.
Kyle watched them closely and continued, “I’ll say this once… and only once… Emily is to be treated like an officer when you are in her presence. She will teach you everything you need to know about horses, and will be treated with the uppermost respect.”
“Yes, Sir,” the three said, simultaneously.
“She isn’t to be touched either. I don’t care if it seems polite, keep your hands off and your noses away,” Kyle said to them, irritated at the smugness on their faces.
Damon and Kyle turned when they heard footsteps and saw that Emily was limping toward them. Kyle was surprised to see she’d showered and was wearing clean clothes. He turned back and glared at the three recruits.
“Good morning, Emily,” Damon said, looking at her strangely. Her eyes had changed, the fierce passion was gone.
She nodded at him and went into the stables, quietly followed by Ford.
“Follow her, get your horses,” Kyle said to them. They turned and followed her inside.
Damon looked at Kyle, and he shrugged.
Emily came out a short time later with the cattle prod in her hand. Damon winced when she walked past him, but she didn’t stop. She continued into the storage room and put it away. She then walked over to Patra’s stall and slipped onto her, bareback, and led her out to the front.
“Ok, bring your horses out here,” Kyle said, frustrated.
The three heku walked out with their horses bridled and brushed. Emily watched them, but said nothing.
“Couple of rules, first, never stand or walk behind a horse. Only mount from the left and they are now your responsibility, you feed, water, and take full care of them,” Kyle said, when Emily didn’t speak up.
The largest of the recruits had a horse that was starting to shy away from him. He yanked hard against the reins, “Stupid horse, behave.”
Emily slipped off of Patra and limped over to him. Kyle grinned, waiting for her to give the guard a lashing. She took the reins from the heku and hoisted herself up onto the nervous horse, clicked her tongue, and then walked the mare slowly out toward the city.
Kyle frowned and jumped on Patra, “Damon, watch them.”
He kicked Patra into a gallop and caught up with Emily, “Em?”
“Yes?” she asked, quietly.
“Are you ok?” he asked, matching her speed.
“She’s just skittish around your kind. She’ll be ok,” Emily said, patting the mare’s neck.
“I wasn’t asking about the horse.”
Emily turned the mare around and headed back toward the stables. Kyle followed her, silently. She took the mare over by her guard and stopped her to face him.
“Take a step forward,” she softly said to the heku.
The guard looked at Damon, who nodded, and he took an irritated step toward the mare. The horse whinnied and took a nervous step back.
“Shhhhh,” Emily whispered, and patted the mare’s neck.
The guard snarled and took several steps toward the uneasy horse. The mare reared back and stomped at the guard, then bucked. Emily held on for a few seconds but then fell backwards, landing hard against the ground. She saw the horse’s hoof and was able to roll out of the way before it stomped her. Kyle grabbed the horse’s reins and pulled her way from Emily and the guard.
“What the hell was that?” Damon snapped at the guard, and then knelt down by Emily. He looked down at her as she tried to catch her breath.
“Are you hurt?” he asked her, and she shook her head. She slowly got to her feet and limped over to the mare. Taking the reins from Kyle, she led her back into the stable and disappeared around the corner.
Kyle was toe-to-toe with the guard in an instant, “What was that?”
“Stupid horse,” he growled.
Kyle swung back and punched the guard, shattering his lower jaw. The guard bent over in pain as his jaw healed.
“Anyone else want to act up?” he asked, turning to the other two.
The other two shook their heads as the third joined them.
“When a horse is acting strangely, let Emily take care of it,” he said to them, sternly. They nodded.
They waited a few minutes for Emily to bring out another horse, and when she didn’t, Kyle ordered the two to take theirs back to the stalls and give them food and water. Kyle took Patra’s reins and handed them to the third, telling him to do the same.
“She’s…” Damon started, but Kyle held up his hand.
“I hear,” Kyle said, and walked into the stable. It took him a few minutes to find her. Checking every stall and finding them empty, he finally crawled up into the loft and found her curled up and rocking on the straw.
He watched her for a moment. Her head was down against her knees and he could hear her crying softly.
“Em?” he whispered, hoping not to scare her.
She looked over at him and whispered, “Are you going to bite me?”
Kyle heard the heku below them freeze and listen.
“No,” he assured her.
“I can’t fight you,” she whispered, and laid her forehead back against her knees.
“How can we convince you that this is real?” he asked, softly. He was relieved when he heard Damon order the guards to return to the barracks.
“It’s not,” she whispered, and began to rock again.
Kyle silently jumped back down by the stalls and went out to Damon.
“Want me to talk to her?” Damon asked. “From what I could gather, I wasn’t in the trap.”
“Can you be nice?” Kyle asked, suspiciously.
Damon frowned, “Little credit.”
> He walked into the stables and up the ladder to the loft. He tried not to look too hard at her as she rocked in her protective ball.
Encala : Book 3 of the Heku Series Page 35