“Without justification?” Zohn growled. “You held four of our council members for 5 months, replacing them with doppelgangers that sat on our Council and assaulted members of this faction.”
“No one was hurt. It was harmless!”
“It was harmful!” Quinn yelled.
Emily started for the door.
“Mom…” Alexis sighed.
“Ma’am, not sure you should go in there,” Derrick said, and blocked the door.
“I have a bone to pick with them,” she said, and stared at Derrick until he sighed and opened the door.
The Encala didn’t turn when she walked in, but the Equites’ eyes grew wide.
Emily’s eyes narrowed toward them. William and Frederick fell to their knees as they grasped at their burning chests.
“Em…” Kyle said.
William fell forward, gasping for breath, as Frederick groaned and sunk to the ground, writhing in pain.
“Emily, please stop,” Zohn said.
She concentrated harder. She didn’t want them to turn to ash. She wanted them to feel pain, the pain she carried for a year. As the burning smell filled the council chambers, the Encala’s skin began to bubble and turn red, filling with blisters.
“Let her go,” Chevalier told the Council when Kyle and Dustin stood up to stop her.
“Mom,” Alexis said softly, and put her hand on Emily’s shoulder.
Emily looked over at her and the Encala were released from the pain and laid silently while their skin began to heal.
When Frederick managed to get to his hands and knees, Emily jumped forward and kicked his ribs, sending him onto his side. He was too weak from the burning to fight back and clutched his bruised ribs as they healed. William looked up at her just as she slammed her cast into the side of his face.
Frederick flew at her, but found himself immediately restrained by the Chief Interrogator and the Chief of Staff. William stood more slowly as Dustin and the Chief Investigator took his arms to hold him away from Emily.
Chevalier gently put an arm around Emily’s shoulders when she started toward them.
“Let’s take a second and calm down,” Quinn said softly.
“You couldn’t leave me alone, could you?” Emily asked as she fought back the tears. “You tore me away from my home and my family.”
“You held me hostage for 16 months!” Frederick yelled.
Emily’s voice was soft and full of pain, “You killed my friends, and now you’ve ruined my life, broken up my family, and ostracized me from the Equites.”
“You deserved it,” Frederick hissed.
“Frederick, enough,” William told him, and looked over at Emily. “We had to fight back. You wouldn’t stop.”
“I did stop. I returned Frederick and washed my hands of you… then you came at me again.”
“You deserved all the pain and humiliation.”
“Well you won. Now it looks like I get to live without my daughter, and soon I’m sure my son will want to be with his Dad. I hope you’re happy, I’m alone now,” she said, and Chevalier let her go when she pulled away from him and headed for the door.
“Happy that you’re alone? No!” Frederick growled. “I’ll not be happy until you’re dead.” Without stopping, Emily left the trial area and went up the stairs to check on Dain. The Council let the Encala go and returned to their seat.
“You could have warned us that she’s back,” William growled.
“She’s not back. She’s merely here for some business and will be leaving soon,” Zohn explained.
Frederick grinned, “You won’t take her back?”
Chevalier hissed, “No, because of you she won’t come back to Council City.”
“Good, out from under the Equites’ thumb. She’ll be easier to repay for what she did to me.”
“Touch her and I’ll finish wiping out your faction!” Chevalier said, and stood up. His mere presence made Frederick take a step back, and the dark features Chevalier had brought the Council to silence.
“Let’s leave,” William said, and walked backwards toward the door, too afraid to turn his back on the sinister Equites Elder.
Frederick spun and stormed out of the Equites council chambers, followed quickly by William.
Chevalier sat down, and spoke with a furious voice, “When she leaves here, we’re putting her out for the wolves.”
“Yes, we are,” Zohn said, “But what do we do?”
The Council stood suddenly when the Council chamber’s door flew open and crashed against the stone walls. Dain blurred in and stared at his Dad, “Where is my Mother?”
Those that hadn’t seen Dain were shocked at his size, and watched him with awe.
“She’s not hurt,” Chevalier said, and walked down to his son. He stood only 6 inches taller than Dain, and had broader shoulders and a wider stance, but Dain was still massive against most heku.
“Where is she?” Dain asked, and took a step towards his Dad as his hands balled into tight fists.
“She’s here somewhere in the palace with Alex.”
“She better be,” he said, and blurred from the room.
Chevalier sighed and looked back at the Council, “He’s 3 inches taller than before he slept.”
Kyle nodded, “Yes, he is… I’d wager he’s put on over 10 pounds of muscle, too.”
“Chevalier is big, even by heku standards,” Zohn said. “It stands to reason that Dain will be a large heku also.”
“Yes, but he’s 7… so he has a lot of growing years,” the Chief of Staff said.
“Maybe, Allen quit growing when he hit 9, so Dain will stop here eventually,” Kyle reminded them.
“She’s been feeding him,” Chevalier whispered, and walked back up to his chair.
“By herself?” the Chief of Defense gasped.
“Yes, I presume that’s why she’s so pale.”
“One mortal cannot possibly sustain a full grown heku,” the Chief Investigator said, and then shook his head. “He’ll kill her.”
“How else was she supposed to feed him? Not like she could just go buy some at the store,” Kyle said, slightly irritated.
“Dad?” Alexis said softly, and the Council looked down at her as she walked into the trial area.
“Did Dain find your Mom?” Chevalier asked.
She nodded, “Yes.”
“Is she getting ready to leave then?”
“Yes… but…”
“What’s wrong?”
Alexis glanced back at the door and then looked at her Dad, “I want to stay here.”
“Does your Mom know?”
“Yes, I told her I’m staying if it’s ok with you.”
Chevalier smiled slightly, “You are more than welcome to stay here.”
“That leaves Mom living alone with Dain.”
“It’s not your responsibility to watch over your Mom and brother,” Chevalier told her. “Do what is best for you, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Alexis smiled, “Thank you… as soon as she’s done feeding Dain, she’s going to leave.”
“She’s feeding him now?”
“Yes”
Before she’d even finished her word, Chevalier and Kyle disappeared from the council chambers.
“Oh, she’s not going to like that,” Alexis gasped, and ran out of the room.
“No, she’s not,” Zohn sighed.
Chevalier and Kyle appeared in the bedroom and stopped. Emily was lying down on the bed with her right arm outstretched while Dain sat at her side with his teeth sunk into her wrist. His eyes were closed and he was slowly drinking, savoring her blood as he drank.
“Enough!” Chevalier growled, and pulled Dain away from Emily.
She blinked a few times and then sat up and grasped her wrist, “Leave him alone!”
“You cannot feed him,” Kyle hissed, and stepped between Chevalier and Emily.
“I can too. I have been for a year.”
“He will kill you,”
Chevalier growled.
“I won’t hurt her,” Dain told him angrily.
“You aren’t old enough to know when to stop.”
“When I start to feel anxious and sweaty, I tell him to stop,” Emily said, irritated. “That works for us.”
“That anxiety is a sign he’s overfed!” Kyle yelled.
“What am I supposed to do?” Emily screamed. “Run out to a donor bar? Steal from the blood bank? This is what we do, and you don’t have to like it. As soon as my truck gets back here, we’re leaving.”
“What are you supposed to do? You stay with the heku where we can help him,” Chevalier said calmly. He let go of Dain’s arm and walked around Kyle to talk to Emily, “Don’t go.”
Emily looked up at him, “I… I tried… once. I got a donor for him. He won’t drink it.”
“It was disgusting,” Dain said, and moved to Emily’s other side.
“Of course he won’t drink it, Em. We’ve told you how succulent your blood is. It’s like giving a child cake for a year and then expecting him to eat onions,” Chevalier explained.
She fought back the tears, “I’ve done what I can to feed him…”
“You’ve done an incredible job, but he’s getting too big. You need heku help now.”
She looked up into Chevalier’s eyes, “You want me to leave him here?”
“No!” Dain said, scowling, “I’m not leaving her.”
“No, I want you to stay here with us,” Chevalier said.
“Come on, Dain. Let’s get you something to drink,” Kyle said, and stepped toward the door.
Dain looked at Emily and she nodded for him to go. He hesitated, and then followed Kyle out the door, shutting it behind him.
“Em…” Chevalier whispered, and stepped towards her.
She looked up at him and her heart skipped a beat.
“I love you,” he told her. “I don’t want to live without you again.”
“I can’t,” she said, and he instantly picked her up and pressed his lips gently against hers. She pushed against his shoulders, but he held her tightly and then pressed his lips more firmly against hers. Suddenly, Emily cried out softly and then wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.
***
Emily laid her head on Chevalier’s bare chest to hide the tears that were streaming down her face.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered, and brushed the hair off of her cheek.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she said, and shut her eyes.
“That’s not exactly what I had planned either, but it’s not a bad thing, right?”
She shrugged, “It’ll make it harder to leave. I miss you so bad.”
“Then don’t leave.”
She turned her face and rested her forehead against him, “Do you know how hard it is, to wake up every morning, and know that you’re going to be alone?”
He sighed, “I don’t get to sleep to forget that I’m alone.”
“Everyone saw,” she whispered.
He gently ran his fingers up her back, “Saw what?”
“The insults, the way he treated me. How he threw me out and wouldn’t let me take my Jeep or clothes…”
“They know it wasn’t me.”
“It doesn’t matter. The humiliation is still in their minds.”
“It doesn’t matter to them. They want you back.”
She looked up into his eyes, “They don’t want me back, they want you back… which apparently takes me.”
He frowned, “What do you mean?”
She crossed her arms and rested them on his chest, “I heard you’ve become a pain in the ass Elder.”
“Oh?” he asked, amused.
“Rumor on the outside has it that you’ve become a bit harsh and cruel.”
“No more than usual.”
“Not what I heard.”
“From whom?” he asked, smiling slightly.
She shrugged, “Just around.”
“So, your field hands were talking about how mean I am?”
“Maybe”
“I admit I’ve been in a bad mood.”
“Bad?”
“Fine… maybe I’ve been a bit callous.”
“How about heartless and unsympathetic?”
“That’s pushing it… besides… rumor on the inside has it that you are a bit of an authoritarian.”
“Me?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“It’s not true,” she said, and leaned her head back on his chest. She shut her eyes and listened to the sound of his heart.
“Stay,” he whispered.
She sighed, “Alexis wants to stay.”
“I told her she could.”
“Dain is getting harder to handle.”
“No, Em,” Chevalier said, and she looked up at him. “I want you to stay with me. I don’t want you to stay for the kids… I want you to stay for you.”
“It’s been a long year,” she said, and he saw tears filling her eyes.
“Yes, it has.”
“I’m so tired,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“Dain is just… he’s big.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I can’t stay here.”
“We’ll help you adjust.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
He lifted her chin up so she faced him, “Then don’t.”
“If I don’t leave, the Encala will attack you.”
Chevalier grinned, “They can’t.”
“Why not?”
“There aren’t enough of them left.”
“Now… give them 100 years.”
“We’ll still always be stronger. We grow as they do.”
“Things will never be the same.”
“Give it time.”
“Can I take a shower?”
He sighed, “Of course you can.”
Emily sat up and pulled one of the blankets up with her when she stood. She wrapped it around herself and headed into the bathroom.
Chevalier ordered her some lunch and heard a knock on the door. He slipped his pants on and opened the door. A servant was cowering in front of him.
“El… Elder…”
“What?” he asked, frowning.
“There’s… no… there’s no food… here…”
“Stop shaking. I’m not going to kill you,” Chevalier growled, and it infuriated him when the heku began to panic more.
“Pp…pp… p… pizza… the Chief Enforcer ordered… pizza,” he stammered out.
“For hell’s sake, calm down and go grocery shopping,” the Elder told him, and shut the door, shaking his head.
Chevalier waited for her to shower and thought about ways to keep her in the palace. He knew now was the time to talk her into it. She was close to caving, but her stubbornness kept her from committing.
He was brought out of his meditative thoughts when he heard the shower turn off. He could hear Emily getting dressed and wondered how long it would take her to feel comfortable around him again, and how long it would take her to fall in love with the heku and the palace like she once was.
Emily stepped out of the bathroom as she braided her hair and wound a rubber band around the end.
“There’s pizza on the way up,” he told her, and stood up slowly.
“I’m not hungry,” she said, and began to dig through her bag.
Chevalier gently pushed her against the wall and pressed his body against hers, with his hands behind her on the wall. He looked into her eyes, “You need taken care of.”
She frowned, “I’m…”
He cut off her words with a soft kiss and then whispered, “I’m going to take care of you.”
“Ser…” she started, but his lips again cut her off.
“Stop talking, and listen,” he whispered.
“There…”
“Stop”
“But…”
“Stop,” he said again, and then kissed her softl
y before looking into her eyes. “You’re not alone anymore… You’re going to stay here and let me take care of you.”
“Cheval…”
“Stop arguing”
“But…”
“No, I’m not going to hear it. You need taken care of, badly, and I’m going to do it. You’re going to do what I say… you’re going to listen to me, and we’re going to take the advice of the doctor.”
“But…” He pressed his lips to hers, and then looked down at her.
“You’re going to eat, and sleep, and enjoy being here… you’re not going to worry about money… or the kids…”
She frowned and he kissed her before she could talk.
“For once in your life, you’re going to let go and let me take over… you’re going to let me take care of you like I’ve always tried to.”
“Ch…” His soft kiss broke off her words and then he looked at her.
“I’m going to take care of you, and you’re going to allow it.”
She couldn’t breathe. His closeness to her and the words he spoke were consuming her and she fought against how right it felt, and how perfect his promises sounded. The weight of the last year, of Dain’s attacks, his feeding schedule, running a ranch, attacks from the mortals, and the fear of the heku all flooded away and she felt the strong protection of his body and the loving way he looked at her.
“Right?” he whispered, and kissed her softly.
She nodded, unable to speak.
“You’re going to let me take care of you?”
She nodded again.
“And protect you?”
Emily blinked back the tears and nodded.
Chevalier smiled and kissed her again, “Good… now it’s time for pizza.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his again as her legs wrapped around his waist.
He pulled away from her and smiled, “As much fun as this sounds… you need to eat.”
“Ok,” she whispered, and bit lightly at his neck as her hand wound through his hair.
“Or…”
“Hmm?” she sighed, as she ran her lips along his jaw and up to his mouth.
***
Chevalier laid Emily gently on the rug in front of the fireplace and smiled down at her, “That wasn’t on my agenda of how to take care of you.”
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 30
