“Oh, I don’t want him forever.”
“You don’t?”
“No, once the year is up and he begins to feel pain, then I’ll decide how much pain he needs to feel before they are avenged.”
“We can make it easier for you, though.”
“I don’t think the Equites are going to keep me locked up forever,” she said, and smiled slightly. “Course, they think they will find him.”
“The Encala are going to take this as an act of war.”
“I thought about that, and I wish I knew how to keep the Equites out of it.”
“By coming to the Valle,” Sotomar suggested.
“Then that just brings the Valle into it.”
“Form an alliance with the Valle, and we will stand by the Equites against the Encala.”
“I haven’t forgotten that it was the Valle that enlisted the Encala’s help in the first place.”
“That had nothing to do with you, though.”
“It doesn’t matter. You attacked my friends and family. That automatically involves me,” Emily explained.
“Think about it. If the Valle stands by the Equites, then the Encala will have no choice but to lay low and leave us all in peace.”
“I can’t trust you either.”
“Try”
Emily nodded and stood up, “I will think about it.”
Sotomar smiled, “That’s all I ask.”
He took her arm and they walked out together, and returned to the council chambers.
“Why have you released her?” William growled.
“Because there’s no reason for her to be restrained. She cannot run from us,” Sotomar told him, and watched as Emily walked up onto the Council stand and sat beside Chevalier. She took his hand under the table.
“Did she tell you where he is?”
“I did not ask. It’s of no real concern to the Valle.”
William’s eyes narrowed and he turned back to her, “Consider any alliance or friendship now null and void and you… my Dear… are now target number one for the entire Encala faction.”
“Understood,” Emily whispered, watching him closely.
“If the Equites cannot get some control over you, then we’ll have to take that control upon ourselves.”
“Do not threaten us!” Kyle yelled. “Now, get out.”
William spun angrily and blurred from the building.
Sotomar smiled, “You still have a bit of a limp.”
“Yes,” Emily said, it wasn’t something she could hide.
“I can help you.”
“I’m fine. It’s going away.”
He nodded, “Think about the alliance, Emily. The Encala aren’t going to stop until Frederick is returned.”
“I will.”
Sotomar smiled and then turned and left the council chambers.
Zohn turned to Emily, “Please, for the sake of preventing a war, where is he?”
“It won’t prevent a war if I return him. They’ll just attack because I once had him.”
“That’s not true. We may be able to peacefully resolve this.”
She sighed, “He killed members of my Cavalry. Jaron saved my life once, yet he died in front of me on the battlefield.”
“He died honorably.”
“He died when I could have prevented it,” she said, and her eyes began to fill with tears. She hated to cry in front of anyone, so she stood and started for the back door.
“We’re not done,” Quinn told her.
She stopped and nodded, then wiped a stray tear from her cheek, “I’m not telling you. I’ll return to house arrest.”
“We’re releasing you from house arrest,” Kyle told her.
Emily turned around, “You are?”
“Yes,” Chevalier said. “There are rules, however. You aren’t completely off the hook.”
“Rules?”
Quinn nodded, “No slipping your guards.”
“No going out by yourself,” Zohn added.
“Is that all?” she asked.
“No, that’s not all… No going into the prison,” Kyle said.
“You stay at the palace. You may visit the other house for renovations, but you must stay here at night,” Zohn said.
“No memory wipes or turning anyone to ash,” Dustin said. “No one…”
Emily nodded, “Ok.”
“You don’t have to worry about being attacked. You won’t be alone long enough unless you are in our room,” Chevalier told her.
“And my wardens?”
“Return as bodyguards.”
She smiled, “Thank you.”
“We will continue to try to find Frederick and please… think about telling us where he is,” Quinn said.
“They were my Cavalry. I will let him go when I feel he’s been punished enough,” she told them, and then left through the back door.
“If human emotions rule out, she’ll lead us to him,” the Chief Investigator whispered.
Chevalier nodded, “Let’s hope so.”
Emily walked out and met up with Silas and three members of the Cavalry, “So now that I’m sprung, will you all lighten up?”
Silas grinned, “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“Maybe… We’re spending a lot of time trying to find Frederick. It’s getting a bit annoying.”
“Oh, well… stop looking. You aren’t going to find him.”
“We can’t stop looking,” he said, and they followed her down the stairs. “We need to find him to prevent a war.”
She stopped at the front door and turned around, “Is that why I’m free? They hope that I’ll tell you where he is?”
“No, they freed you because it’s been long enough.”
She smiled slightly and walked toward the stables. Mark and Kralen were in the stables talking quietly.
Kralen turned toward her when they came in, “You free?”
“Yes, pretty much. Lots of restrictions though,” she said, and headed for the stall of her stallion. She stopped in front of it and touched the lock, “Why is he locked up?”
“You’ll have to take that up with Dustin,” Mark said. “He doesn’t think it’s a good idea for you to have the fastest horse.”
Emily reached over the stall and rubbed her stallion’s nose, “How long has he been locked up?”
“We take him out. He won’t let anyone ride him though,” Kralen said, and leaned back against the wall.
She smiled, “That’s because he’s mine.”
“Dustin reissued you Jaron’s mare.”
Emily turned and her eyes narrowed, “He reissued me a horse?”
“Yes”
“We’ll see about that. He has no right to do that.”
“Yes he does, he’s on the Council,” Mark told her. They were prepared for a fight and knew it was coming. They warned Dustin about it, but he didn’t seem worried.
She took a deep breath and smiled.
“What?” Silas asked, nervous about how she reacted.
“I’ll get my horse back, but Frederick remains under my control.” She noticed that all three of them winced slightly when she said that.
“Why don’t you end this and just tell us,” Mark said, irritated. “We’re spending every free moment looking for him.”
“You won’t find him. There’s no reason to look.”
“We have to. We’re trying to avoid a war.”
“The Encala won’t attack. William’s just mad, but he knows I can pretty much annihilate any army he produces,” Emily said, and walked over to Jaron’s mare.
“We going out?” Kralen asked.
“Sure, I need out of here,” Emily said, and slipped a bridle on the mare. By the time she walked Jaron’s mare out onto the palace grounds, Mark, Silas, and Kralen were already mounted and waiting for her. She jumped into the saddle and they all headed out.
***
“Lady Emily wants to speak to Dustin,” Derrick said to the Council.
Dustin smiled, “I was waiting for this.”
“What did you do?” Chevalier asked.
“I assigned her to a new horse.”
“Why would you do that?” Kyle asked, frowning.
“It’s too dangerous for her to have the fastest horse,” Dustin explained. “Add in the level of experience she has, and she can too easily escape any of us.”
“That is true,” the Chief Interrogator said.
“Let her in,” Dustin told Derrick.
Emily came in with the two dogs at her feet and moved to stand before Dustin, “Give me back my horse.”
“No”
Her eyes narrowed, “That stallion is mine.”
“Until we find Frederick, I won’t risk you getting away and going to him,” Dustin said.
Emily smiled slightly, “I’m not going to go to him. He still has months before he’s even in pain, and he’s fine where he is.”
“Nevertheless, you will keep the other horse.”
“No! That stallion is mine.”
“You’ll keep Jaron’s mare.”
“Fine, then I quit,” she said, and turned to walk out.
“You can’t quit,” the Court Reporter said, shocked.
She turned to him, “Yes I can. I’m not longer a member of your Cavalry.”
“Rank isn’t something you can quit,” Dustin told her.
“Watch me, Cujo,” she growled, and left the trial area.
“That was productive,” Chevalier said, and opened up the ledger in front of him.
“She’ll come around,” Dustin told him, grinning.
Kyle sighed, “You have no idea how much she does to those horses that we don’t know how to do.”
“She’ll come around.”
Kyle shrugged, “Ok.”
Emily angrily left the council chambers and ignored her guards when they tried to talk to her. She got to the stables and crawled under the stall door to her stallion. Once there, she began brushing him down, still seething that Dustin tried to take him away.
“You quit the Cavalry?” Mark asked, shocked. He’d just come into the stables after talking to the Council.
“Yes, I did,” she snapped, still brushing down her horse.
“Why are you being so stubborn?” he asked. “Just give us those ashes and you can have your damned horse back, and everything will return to normal.”
“No, and Dustin’s lucky I don’t do the same to him.”
Mark gasped, “Emily…”
“You cannot threaten the Council!” one of her guards growled.
“They have no right to take my horse away from me,” she whispered, and her voice cracked.
“Out,” Mark told her four guards, and she heard them leave.
Emily leaned her head against the stallion.
“They were under my command when they died,” Mark said, looking over the stall at her.
“I could have stopped it,” she whispered.
“We asked you not to.”
“Right, and because I obeyed, they died.”
“Vengeance is mine to get though. I was their leader.”
She shook her head, “No, it’s my fault they are dead. I owed Jaron my life, and yet I let him die.”
“He wouldn’t blame you for that, and if he were here, he’d tell you to let Frederick go.”
“You get revenge your way. I’ll get it mine,” she whispered, and started to brush the horse again.
Mark sighed, “It’s getting dark and your dinner is ready.”
“I’m not hungry,” she told him, and started to braid the stallion’s tail.
“I have to go to a meeting. Your guards are outside of the stables.”
Emily nodded and kept braiding. After doing all she could with her horse, she again crawled under the door and into the stables, then looked around. Only a few lights were on, and it was dark enough that most of the stable was thrown into shadow.
“Are you ready to head in?” one of the guards asked her. She turned around when she didn’t recognize the voice and saw a guard she didn’t know.
“Who are you?”
“I’m General Meun from the Samuel Coven. I’m here to cover for some of your Cavalry while they’re gone,” he said, crossing his arms.
Emily glanced at the three members of her Cavalry behind him and then shrugged, “No, I’m not ready to head in.”
“Let’s make this simple… I’m here to get you to tell me where Frederick is.”
“Why would I tell you?”
“Because, I’m not your friend, and I don’t like you. I’m your guard for a week and I will make your life a living hell.”
Emily frowned, “Chevalier knows you’re here?”
“Nope, Sweetheart, I was sent in by Dustin.”
She crossed her arms and faced him, “Why would he send you?”
“Because, I’m an ‘old one’,” he told her, and took a step closer.
The Cavalry glanced nervously at him.
“Not even an ‘old one’ can control me when I don’t want them to,” she told him, taking a step back.
Meun grinned, “Wanna bet?”
“Does anyone besides Dustin know you’re here?”
“Dustin’s all I need for permission to get the Encala Elder back,” he said, and looked into her eyes.
Emily turned her head away from him, “Stop it!”
“I also have permission to do whatever it takes…”
She looked at him with wide eyes, “Meaning?”
“Meaning…” he whispered, and his eyes fell to her neck. “Meaning you can let me control you, or I’ll force it.”
She gasped and covered her neck, “Chevalier outranks Dustin, and I can assure you he won’t like this.”
“By the time I get what I need, it’ll be too late.” He blurred to her and pinned her against the wall.
“Stop it!” she screamed as he ran his nose up her neck. She saw the Cavalry guards looking at her, shocked. They weren’t sure what to do. She was in their care, but the General’s orders came from Dustin, a member of the Council.
***
Kyle chuckled, “That’s new. I hadn’t heard that one before.”
“It’s true, I swear!” a panicked heku said from the trial room floor. He was knelt before the Council and his eyes darted nervously between them.
Zohn laughed, “We should let you go just for sure enjoyment.”
“Yes, yes, let me go,” the prisoner said.
“We’re not that nice,” Quinn said, grinning. “All in favor of banishing this poor unfortunate heku, say…”
The Council all looked toward the door when they heard the Aero peel out of the garage and speed off.
Three members of the Cavalry blurred into the conference room.
“You’re supposed to be guarding Emily!” Dustin growled.
“She left after turning the General to ash,” one of the Lieutenants said.
Chevalier gasped, “Emily turned Mark to ash?”
“No, Sir, General Meun.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed, “From Samuel Coven?”
“Yes, Sir… he…” the Lieutenant glanced nervously at Dustin, “Fed from her… so she turned him to…”
“What!?” Chevalier growled and stood up.
“I gave him permission to control her at any cost,” Dustin said calmly.
Zohn stood up and turned to him, “You gave an ‘old one’ permission to control Emily, even if he had to feed to do it?”
“Yes”
Chevalier blurred to him in an instant and slammed him into the ground, pinning him by his neck, “You had no right.”
“He can get Frederick’s location,” Dustin gasped, fighting to breathe.
“Let him up,” Zohn growled. “I’m not done with him.”
Kyle was shaking with anger and stood up, “I’m going after her.”
“Go,” Chevalier hissed, and Kyle disappeared. Seconds later, they heard his Ferrari take off ou
t of the city.
“What gave you the right to go behind the Elder’s backs and get someone to assault Emily?” Quinn yelled.
“To prevent a war… it was necessary to take drastic action,” Dustin said, slowly crawling to his feet. “The Elders are now free from blame on that attack. She can blame me. Had it worked, we wouldn’t have to go to war with the Encala.”
“Some of us want to go to war with them,” the Chief of Defense told him. “Emily just gave us a good reason.”
“She has no right to keep an enemy Elder hostage!”
“You have no right to send a heku after a member of the Council without Elder approval,” Zohn yelled.
Chevalier’s hands balled into tight fists, “You’ve overstepped for the last time.”
“I acted for the benefit of this Council!” Dustin yelled.
“Everyone calm down,” Quinn shouted, though he was obviously angry also.
“Sit down,” Zohn said, and everyone but Chevalier complied.
“Derrick, take him to prison,” Chevalier whispered angrily.
Dustin’s eyes grew wide when the council chambers filled with guards and he was forcibly moved down into a cell.
“Verbatim,” Quinn said, looking at the three guards.
The highest ranking stepped forward and told the Council everything that happened from when Mark left until General Meun arrived as their team lead.
“So did he successfully bite her?” the Chief of Staff asked.
“Yes, Sir,” the guard told him. “I don’t think he was able to weaken her though. I believe the second he broke skin, she turned him to ash.”
“Kyle will find her,” Zohn said to Chevalier.
“She’s afraid to come back. Not only did she ash someone, which was part of the agreement for her release, she also took off on her own, breaking yet another of the rules,” he said, and sat down, still seething.
“I don’t blame her,” Quinn said, looking over at the guards. “I vote for no punishment on this.”
“I concur,” Zohn said. “She was defending herself against an attack. Though I wish she wouldn’t have taken off, I can’t say as though I blame her either.”
***
Emily sped through the city in her sleek purple sports car. Her hands were shaking and she fought back tears. She’d just broken two rules of her release from house arrest, and she could only imagine how furious the Council would be over it. She finally pulled over in the warehouse district and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel, not sure what to do. She knew if she went back, they would yell at her. She also knew they would check her house first for her.
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 5
