“She’s not eating, sleeping, or letting anyone in her room,” the Chief of Defense reported.
Quinn smiled slightly, “That sounds familiar.”
“Emily and Alexis were unique,” Zohn whispered. “That child is now alone.”
“What of Dain, then?” the Faction Liaison Officer asked.
“We hope he’s strong enough to protect himself, but he’s young and inexperienced,” the Chief of Staff said.
“What do you think about Dain’s ability to father a Winchester?” the Court Reporter asked Zohn.
Zohn shrugged, “I guess it’s possible, but we may never find out. Other speculations are about if Alexis were to turn a mortal… would her powers move on to them? Similar to the original ancient who started Powan by passing on his abilities.”
“Other ancients didn’t pass on their abilities though,” Quinn said.
“True”
Whispers suddenly erupted from all around the palace. Chevalier and Kyle had just returned to the palace with Frederick, and those who saw them spoke of the immense rage the Elder and Chief Enforcer had.
Quinn looked at Zohn, “Clear out the palace again.”
Zohn nodded and turned to the Council, “Go to your home covens, we will call when things are clear.”
“We should evacuate the Elders also,” the Chief of Defense said.
“No,” Zohn told him. “We’re safe.”
The Council quickly disbanded and headed for their covens while the entire palace emptied out. Most heku in the city did the same and soon, an eerie silence passed through the large city. When screams started from the dungeon, Zohn looked at Quinn.
“I keep reminding myself that it is deserved,” Quinn whispered.
Zohn simply nodded and turned to the trial room door when it opened. Dain stepped in and shut the door behind him.
“Yes, Child?” Quinn asked.
“Dad is back?”
“Yes”
“Who does he have?”
Zohn sighed, “Frederick was found.”
Dain grinned evilly and disappeared from the room. Prison guards asked the Elders if he was to be allowed into the prison and he was granted the right to help avenge his mother’s death.
Quinn turned suddenly when the back doors opened, “The palace is to be cleared… oh…”
Alexis stepped in, still red eyed and timid as she shut the door behind her.
Zohn smiled softly, “Are you ok, Alexis?”
Alexis nodded, but seemed unsure.
“Is there a problem?”
She shook her head.
Quinn put his hand out, “Come… sit with us for a bit.”
Alexis thought for a moment before taking his hand and he helped her to sit down in the chair next to him. She jumped and looked over when new screams filled the palace.
Zohn looked toward the door, and then back to Alexis, “Is it the screams that’s bothering you?”
She shrugged.
“Are you afraid?”
When Alexis started to nod, her eyes filled with tears.
“His rage won’t extend to you, Child.”
“It’s…” she whispered, and then looked down at her hands.
“Tell us, maybe we can help.”
“No one can help me.”
Quinn took her hand gently, “You aren’t alone.”
Just the thought brought a new round of tears as the hole in Alexis’ heart grew bigger and there was nothing she could find to stop the pain.
Zohn watched her for a few moments before speaking, “He didn’t mean to lie to you.”
Alexis didn’t look up from her hands, “He promised me she was going to heal.”
“He thought she would… we all did.”
“I can’t do this,” she said through sobs.
“Do what?”
“I can’t live without my Mom.”
“I know it’s going to be hard, but we’re all here for you.”
“She was so strong, and I’m not like that.”
Zohn glanced at Quinn briefly before speaking, “You are stronger than you can imagine. Having the blood of both Chevalier and Emily, you are probably stronger than both of them.”
“No,” she whispered. “I’m not. I’m afraid of being alone, of being tortured and kidnapped like Mom was. I can’t do what she did and I can’t fill her shoes.”
“No one is asking you to.”
Alexis nodded and looked up at them, “I know what’s going to happen. I’m the last Winchester now, but I’m not my Mom and I can’t live with the pain and suffering.”
Quinn nodded slightly, “I see what you’re concern is and I’m not sure you should be worrying about that. Do you know what your Mom told the Council?”
“No”
“She told us that we gave her a wonderful life and that she couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“So?”
“That tells me that even though she dealt with pain and hardships… it was nothing compared to the happy life she had with the heku.”
Zohn nodded and then smiled softly, “She… she always amazed me how well she bounced back from something. It was like she wasn’t going to let anything break her spirit and get her down.”
Quinn looked around the trial room, “Just when I thought she might finally have had enough, she’d do something… something that only Emily would do.”
“Like the time she put a sick horse in Dustin’s office… there was… vomit… all over his desk.”
Quinn grinned, “Or when she secretly replaced the Council’s robes with pink ones.”
Alexis started to laugh through her tears, “You should see what she had planned that never got carried out.”
“Oh, like what?” Zohn asked.
“Let’s just say that there’s still an order out there for 46 cases of light bulbs that should arrive within the next few weeks.”
“My God, for what?” Quinn asked.
Alexis fell deep into thought before speaking, “She never would say.”
“Your mother paved the way for you to have a lot better of a life than she had… and from the way she talked, hers was pretty good.”
“I know,” Alexis said, and looked toward the door when a new round of screams started.
“Would you like us to take you away from the noise?”
“No… I just… I’m not a full-heku I guess.”
“What makes you say that?” Zohn asked.
Alexis smiled at him, “I don’t mind the noise… I’m just glad I’m not helping.”
Quinn nodded and then smiled at Alexis, “Tell us what your mother thought the ancient’s room was for.”
Alexis started to laugh, “She wouldn’t even tell me.”
“Damn”
The screams suddenly stopped and the young girl looked at the doors, “Maybe he’s done.”
“I’m afraid not,” Zohn said. “He’s waiting for Frederick to regain consciousness.”
“I wish I could hear like the heku.”
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t. It’s never quiet.”
“True,” Alexis said, and then stood up. “I’m going to have more guards now, aren’t I?”
“Yes”
She thought for a moment and then headed up the stairs.
“She may not be full heku, but I am, and I’d like to see what they’re doing to Frederick,” Zohn said, and headed for the door. The prison guards bowed to him when he walked through and he noticed that not a single sound could be heard from the prisoners.
The amount of blood covering every surface in the interrogation room shocked Zohn. He moved into the room quietly and stood back along the wall with Dain and Mark as Chevalier and Kyle methodically began to skin Frederick as his screams again filled the palace. Small shreds of his skin fell to the floor of the interrogation room, and Dain took a step back to avoid being close to it.
Mark watched for the enemy Elder to go unconscious, and would tell Chevalier and Kyle. They would stop and wait for him to
come fully around before continuing. Zohn hadn’t seen this done before and was stunned at the sheer brutality of it. He fought against his instincts to join in and cause even more pain, but understood that it was his responsibility to stay calm for the faction, in case a decision was needed.
After a few hours, when the novelty of it wore off, Frederick was hung in the shackles to heal.
“It’s quiet,” Chevalier said as he watched Frederick.
“We’ve cleared out the palace,” Zohn explained.
“Where’s Alex?” Dain asked.
“She’s fine… she went back up the stairs.”
“Did you tell her she can’t come down here?”
“No, I did not. She didn’t wish to join in.”
Dain shrugged and turned back to his Dad, “Now what?”
“Now we start an eternity of suffering,” he said, still watching Frederick.
Zohn frowned, “What do you have in mind?”
Chevalier let Frederick down from the shackles and the Encala looked over at him with wide eyes.
“Kyle… put out the dagger,” Chevalier whispered, and grasped Frederick’s shoulder.
Without a word, Kyle pulled the Chief Enforcer’s dagger from his pocket and held it out.
“Touch it,” Chevalier growled.
Zohn gasped and Frederick jerked away from it, “No.”
“Chevalier…” Zohn whispered.
“Do it,” Chevalier ordered.
“Chevalier… it’s not right.”
“I said touch it!”
Frederick looked down at the dagger and shook his head, “No, I won’t do it.”
Quinn appeared in the room and stood to the side of Frederick, “Chevalier, we must hold with tradition.”
“Touch it,” he said again through clenched teeth.
Kyle took a step forward and Frederick pressed hard against the rock wall behind him, “The Elder said to touch it.”
Zohn put his hands out, “Please, Elder… we can’t force him to touch the Equites dagger.”
Dain frowned slightly, “Why?”
“It causes an eternity of pain, hunger, and torment,” Zohn explained. “It’s never been forced on anyone because once it’s done, it cannot be undone.”
With speed known only to an ‘old one,’ Chevalier took the dagger from Kyle and plunged it into Frederick’s chest, sinking it deep within his heart. When he stepped back, it was the first the heku had even seen him move.
Kyle tore his dagger from Frederick’s chest as the Encala screamed inhumanly and fell to his knees. The strong burning scent filled the interrogation room and Zohn and Quinn moved back against the wall. Four minutes later, Frederick’s screams stopped as he fell to a pile of ash at the feet of Chevalier.
“That’s…” Quinn started, but couldn’t speak of it.
“No one must know,” Zohn whispered.
Dain snarled, “So he’ll never be out of the pain?”
“Never,” Kyle said, wiping the dagger off on Frederick’s shirt.
Chevalier looked down at him, “It’s still only a fraction of the pain he caused.”
“We have to bury him immediately,” Zohn said, and started forward.
“No,” Chevalier growled. “He deserves the punishment Emily preferred…”
“You’re going to scatter him?”
Chevalier nodded and reached down to grab a handful of ashes.
“He’s already in eternal pain,” Quinn said. “What more can you do?”
“We’ll just have to see,” Chevalier told him, and headed up the stairs. He stepped out into the silent night and threw the Encala’s ashes into the strong breeze. When he turned around, Kyle handed him a small leather bag with the rest of Frederick’s ashes.
Chevalier took the bag and tucked it into his pocket. When they went back into the palace, Alexis was at the foot of the long staircase and looked up at them. She avoided looking at her Dad, but turned suddenly and went back up the stairs.
He watched her go and felt the familiar ache.
“She’ll be ok,” Zohn said softly. “It’s just going to take some time.”
“Would you like me to go and talk to her?” Quinn asked.
“No,” Chevalier told him, and started up the stairs. “I’m ready to give a full report to the Council.”
Dain blurred up the stairs after Alexis as the heku went into the Council Chambers. The room was dark and empty, but the Elders took their places, and waited as the Cavalry joined them down in the trial area.
Zohn sighed before speaking, “Very well… are there any Encala left?”
Chevalier smiled slightly, “By last count there are less than 40, and that includes those in our prison.”
“Did we lose any?”
“No”
***
“You can’t be down here,” the prison guard said to Alexis when she walked down the stairs.
“You let Mom down here.”
“You’re not Emily.”
“Fine… if you want to face my Dad, go tattle-tale,” she said, and walked past the guards and down to the last row of cells. The guards quickly spoke and decided they weren’t ready to address Chevalier with anything.
When Alexis found the cell with William in it, she sat down across from him and leaned back against the wall.
William looked up at her and his eyes were full of pain.
“Mom wouldn’t want you in here,” Alexis said.
“I know.”
“They killed Frederick.”
“I heard.”
“Did you know what he was doing?”
William sighed and shook his head, “No, or we would have stopped it.”
“She considered you a friend.”
He sunk his head into his hands, “She was mine also.”
Alexis watched the Encala Elder for a few moments, studying how the anguish in his face expressed the pain he felt at the loss of Emily.
“If you leave here, what will you do?”
“They’ll never let me out,” William whispered.
“Still… if they do…”
“I would try to rebuild the Encala.”
“From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing left of your faction.”
“It would be my duty to rebuild.”
“Are you afraid of what will happen to the heku with only two factions?” Alexis asked him.
“Yes, I am.”
“What can I do to help you?”
William looked up at her, “Nothing, Child. You need to forget me down here.”
“Why? Mom wouldn’t.”
“Your Mom was…”
“Stronger, I know.”
“No… she knew the heku better, knew how to work the Council to get what she wanted.”
“I feel like I need to stand up for what my Mom would have wanted and let you free.”
“When Chevalier is done with the other Encala Council… I fully expect to die.”
“But you didn’t kill Mom.”
“He doesn’t care. He will kill anyone who might be involved, no matter how remotely.”
“I could go to the Valle and ask for help,” Alexis suggested.
William smiled, “You’re more like Emily than you admit to.”
“No I’m not, or I would already be on my way to the Valle.”
“Alexis?” Chevalier said from down the hallway. She stood up and turned suddenly toward him as William stood and watched Chevalier.
“You’re not going to hurt him,” Alexis yelled.
“This is none of your concern… get back upstairs,” Chevalier growled, then tightened his hands into fists.
“No!” Alexis said. “Mom wouldn’t want William dead and I’m the only one that can stand up for what she wanted.”
“You don’t know anything!” Chevalier yelled. “It’s his faction that killed her and they will all pay for that.”
“He didn’t do it.”
“Alexis… I’m not going to tell you again, g
et upstairs.”
“I hate you,” Alexis whispered harshly.
“I know.”
“Hurt William, and I’m joining the Valle.”
“Alexis, don’t do this,” William whispered. “Don’t put yourself in danger for me.”
“Don’t speak to her!” Chevalier roared.
Alexis moved a step closer to the Encala Elder’s cell, “Come near him and you’ll have me to deal with.”
Silas appeared in the hallway and moved up to Alexis, “Come on, Lexi… let’s go.”
“Back off, Silas,” Alexis said to him, and pushed him away from her.
Silas thought for only a second before grabbing Alexis and blurring her up the stairs. He was glad she had to catch the eye of a heku to turn them to ash, had she been Emily, he would already be.
“Put me down!” Alexis screamed. Silas gently set her down in her bedroom and blocked the door.
“You need to let your Dad handle this.”
“You mean I need to let my dad turn into a tyrant and slaughter innocent heku all because he couldn’t protect my Mom?”
Silas growled slightly, “Don’t say that.”
“It’s true! If he had done as he promised, and protected her, she’d be here right now to defend William herself.”
“He did all he could.”
“Get out of my room,” she snapped at him, and turned to look out the window. Silas nodded and left, but stood outside of her door with three other members of the Cavalry.
“Mom…” Alexis whispered, and leaned her head against the cold window. “I can’t do this alone… You can’t leave me here.”
She finally cried herself to sleep late into the night. After a lot of talking from Quinn, Chevalier decided to hold off killing William for the time being, but instead finished killing the rest of the Encala Council and any prisoner associated with the Encala faction.
By the following morning, the palace was once again full and the Equites Council was gathered in the council chambers. Chevalier and Kyle were the only ones absent, but the screams coming from the prison let the Council know to leave them be. As an ‘old one,’ Chevalier could easily win a fight against any of them and no one wanted to risk getting on his bad side.
Quinn and Zohn filled the Council in on the talk they’d had with Alexis, and some of their thoughts on keeping her and Dain safe. The Encala weren’t brought up as a threat any longer. The few left were so deeply in hiding they suspected they would either never be found, or would eventually give in and join the Valle.
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 51
