Chevalier nodded, “Call off the search for Emily. The more people that look for her, the harder she will be to find.”
Kyle nodded and took his place with the Council, whispering his orders, which were promptly obeyed.
“Now to find her,” Quinn said.
“You can find her, can’t you, Elder?” Zohn asked. “Rumors are that your bond with her allow you to read her.”
Chevalier sighed, “I can pick up emotions. Something she’s been without for weeks. I don’t even get the fear from her now. It’s almost as if she’s disappeared.”
Kyle frowned, “Do you think Damon found her?”
“No, he was too angry,” Zohn said.
Quinn turned to Chevalier, “If we give her time, she will come out, right? When she gets hungry enough maybe?”
Chevalier shook his head, “She hasn’t eaten in weeks, it’s the one shred of control she had over herself. She’s been wasting away eating only enough to keep herself alive.”
“Damn,” Maleth said angrily.
“Mark said she’s spent a lot of time on the roof lately,” Kyle suggested.
“Yes, contemplating jumping off,” Zohn whispered. He continued when the others looked at him, “I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. I asked if she was considering suicide and she said no… but I could see it in her eyes… and every day her gun had been moved. I think she held it, daily, as well as stood on that roof, trying to decide if she should do it.”
“How do we prevent this in the future?” Maleth asked, clearly upset by what Zohn told them.
“Make her a member of the Council, an official member,” Zohn suggested and shrugged.
Quinn nodded, “That’s not a bad idea.”
“I told you, I’ve been thinking this over for weeks,” Zohn said. “If she’s a member of the Council, then she has the right to do what it is that so irritated Damon. Including, dislike me.”
Chevalier started to argue, but then quieted down. He was right, Emily never had liked him.
“In what capacity will she be in the Council? I’m not sure she’s going to want to come sit in here all day. The child is hyper, you have to admit that, and sitting at a desk all day is not in her nature,” Maleth said.
“We could just modify the laws… so instead of a bonded spouse being an honorary part of the Council, they become a full member directly under their spouse,” Quinn said. “So in her case, she would be the equivalent of the rest of the Council, the level directly under Chevalier.”
“That’s assuming we find her,” Kyle said, looking at the door.
Maleth smiled, “We will find her. Now that no one is looking for her, she may start to feel more comfortable about coming out.”
Kyle shook his head, “Not with Damon around. I have no doubt that her stubborn streak will kick in, and she would wither and die before facing him.”
Chevalier frowned slightly, “I’m getting… feelings and emotions from, her but they are all blurred. It’s similar to when she’s asleep, but I can’t quite put my finger on the differences.”
“At least she’s feeling again,” Maleth smiled.
“Which seems odd. What would make her emotions start to come out now?” Kyle asked.
“Maybe she has finally decided… as she’s not on the roof, I suggest we see if her gun is missing,” Zohn suggested, and blurred from the room. He returned a few seconds later looking pale and fearful, “It’s gone.”
“Damnit,” Chevalier yelled, and hit the table.
“I can’t imagine she would kill herself and leave Allen and Alexis without a mother,” Kyle said, frowning.
“Damon took the children from her though,” Quinn whispered. “He felt that a Nanny was needed to raise them, and Emily only got to hug them each morning for a few moments before they were taken away.”
Chevalier growled, “Why did I not know that?”
“I think Damon kept it from you, and Emily wasn’t in the position to complain,” Quinn told him.
“Bring Alexis to me,” Chevalier hissed, and within a minute, the Nanny came in carrying the red-eyed Alexis. She wore scratchy gray coveralls that had worn a rash on her arms and legs. He quickly stripped her down to her diaper and she settled down some.
Chevalier held tightly to her, “What did you do to her?”
The Nanny looked at the Council, “She cries every day, all day, for her Mother. Damon said it would make her strong. He will want those clothes put back on her also, those were assigned to her by him.”
“Your services are no longer needed,” Maleth scowled at him, and the heku blurred quickly from the room.
A single gunshot rang out through the palace. The council members all appeared in the foyer and looked around anxiously. Chevalier looked up the stairs, trying to figure out where she was. No one else in the palace would have a gun. He held Alexis tightly and she had a strong grip on his shirt.
“Did she… just…” Zohn asked, his voice trembled.
“No,” Chevalier said. “It may have been a warning, but she’s still alive.”
“Well she’s obviously not asleep,” Maleth said, looking around.
“Which still makes me wonder about her garbled emotions. They aren’t flowing like in a dream, more sporadic and chaotic,” Chevalier frowned.
Kyle grinned, “You mean… like she’s drinking?”
Chevalier turned to him and they both blurred to the game room, followed by the Council. The room was dark and empty, and Chevalier paused at the mirror, “She could ash us.”
“She’s not in here though,” Zohn said, looking around.
“There’s a hidden bar behind this wall. She found it by accident a while back,” Chevalier said, looking at the mirror. “If she’s found something to drink, it’s in there.”
“Emily?” Maleth yelled toward the wall.
“If I remember correctly, she couldn’t hear through the wall, so I’ll wait out here in case she does ash you,” Kyle said, and took Alexis from the Elder. He watched as the wall spun quickly and returned to its place without the Council.
The first thing the Council saw was a dress hanging from the mirror behind the bar, with a bullet hole through it.
“Em?” Chevalier called, and looked around the room.
“Shhhhh, he’ll hear you,” Emily whispered from behind the bar. Her words were slurred and hard to understand.
“Emily, Damon’s gone,” Maleth called out toward the bar.
“Amos, did you hear that?” she whispered. “Damn, I’m out of Jack, time for the vodka.”
An empty liquor bottle flew out from behind the bar and smashed on the floor before the Council.
The Council all peered over the bar and as soon as they saw her, all but Chevalier blurred back to the doorway. Emily was lying on the floor behind the bar with her feet crossed against the top of the bar railing. She was wearing only a bra and panties and had the 9mm perched in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other.
Chevalier watched her, “Who is Amos?”
Emily grew silent and stared up at him, then whispered, “Amos, do you think Chev saw us?”
“Yes, I see you,” Chevalier said, looking down at her.
Emily leaned her head up and took another drink, spilling most of it down into her hair.
Chevalier ducked just as another shot rang out through the palace. One of the tiny windows high on the wall shattered. He carefully peeked back over the bar and saw Emily staring oddly at the gun. Before she could react, he grabbed the 9mm out of her hand and tossed it back to Zohn.
“Heeey,” Emily said, frowning and looking around the floor. “Where’d Amos go? I’m almost drunk enough to use him.”
“Use him for what?” Chevalier asked, watching down at her unsteady hands.
“I was married to this guy named Keith… a long time ago,” Emily tried to explain to Chevalier, though her slurred words were making her hard to understand.
“I think I remember that.”
“If
I knew he was mad, I’d drink first, because it never hurt as bad that way,” Emily said, and took another drink from the vodka bottle.
“Let’s go, Em,” Chevalier said, and rounded the bar. He stopped when he saw she had the cattle prod.
“Did you take Amos?” She frowned at him.
“Yes, I did.”
“Give him back… now.”
Chevalier unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to Emily, “Get dressed.”
“No!” Emily yelled, and the council members saw her bra fly over the bar. “Damon said only dresses are baf…bei…bafen… erm... supposed to be worn by the wife of an Elder. Wait till he gets a load of this outfit.”
“I’m not sure what you have on can be considered an outfit, put on the shirt,” Chevalier said, laughing.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “He already kisses me… this wouldn’t help with that at all. Hold James.”
Chevalier reached out and took the cattle prod she offered, and then tossed it back to Maleth. After the fourth try, she was able get her arms through the arms on his shirt, although it was on backwards.
Emily grabbed the vodka and took another drink, “Ok, I’m ready for Amos.”
“He kissed you, Em?” Chevalier asked, his voice soft.
Even drunk, the thought brought tears to her eyes and she nodded, “Can we get a shower curtain?”
“Yes,” Chevalier whispered.
“I’m glad you aren’t here. He said if I showed you these, he would banish you,” Emily said. She pulled the shirt up and lifted her right leg, exposing multiple puncture wounds on her inner thigh.
Chevalier turned around, his eyes furious. Maleth stepped up to the bar and knelt down beside Emily. He pulled the shirt down to cover the punctures.
“Please, let’s go,” Maleth said, and tried to pick her up but she pushed his hands away.
“No, where’s Amos?” she asked Maleth.
“Zohn has the gun,” Maleth explained.
“Nooo, not Zohn, he hates me.”
“I don’t think he does,” Maleth said.
“Then tell him to give me the gun. I’ve almost had enough to drink now,” Emily said, and drank more of the vodka.
“I think the Council would prefer if you not kill yourself,” Maleth told her, trying to lock her eyes.
Emily turned her head quickly to the side, “Don’t do that.”
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,” Maleth said, and stood up when Chevalier knelt down again.
“Please,” Emily begged, her eyes pleading. “Give me the gun.”
“No”
Emily covered her face with her hands and started to cry, “I can’t live like this. He watches me, he listens to me… and my baby… I need my baby.”
“Damon’s gone. Kyle has Alexis out in the game room,” Chevalier told her.
“Damn, I wish I could believe you and if I see you later I’ll ask you if you were lying to me when you said that… or if you were even here when you said that for me to believe,” Emily sighed, and took another drink.
Chevalier gave her a half-smile, “I have no idea what you just said.”
“Shhh, I slipped the guards. He’s going to kill me.”
“Damon’s gone, Em. No one’s going to kill you.”
“I can’t do it anymore,” Emily told him. She was serious, but her words were slurred worse.
“I know.”
“So hand me the gun,” Emily whispered, then her eyes slowly began to shut and her hand slipped off of the bottle of vodka.
Chevalier picked her up and carried her into the game room.
“Wow, that took a while,” Kyle said. “What happened to Em?”
“She finally passed out,” Maleth said.
“After she sobers up, I want to revive Damon and put him through a proper trial,” Chevalier growled.
Kyle nodded, “Just let me know.”
Chevalier took Emily up and laid her down on the bed while Silas and Kyle spoiled Alexis with ice cream and games. They tried to get Allen out of class, but he refused to leave his Technical Writing class.
Chevalier pulled off the shirt Emily put on backwards and then climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around her.
Chapter 17 - Kyle
Emily ran frantically toward the trees. She covered her bare chest with her arm and glanced back quickly, Damon was catching up. She pushed harder. If she could get to the trees, someone would be there to help her.
“You’re mine to control, no one will help you,” Damon said, laughing behind her.
Emily saw someone ahead of her. She ran for him and saw that it was Zohn, standing in front of a large hole in the ground.
“Please, help me,” Emily begged Zohn as she ran up to him.
“I can’t. I’m too busy banishing the Elders to the ground,” Zohn said, and poured ashes into the hole.
Emily gasped and started for the trees again. She was freezing out in the cold, but there was warmth in the trees, safety and warmth if she could just make it there.
“Emily,” Chevalier’s voice echoed from the trees.
Emily kept running, but the trees moved further away. She fought through the blizzard as it burned her eyes and made her head ache. She felt Damon’s hand grasp her shoulder.
“Em, it’s me,” Chevalier said softly, as she pushed against his hands, screaming.
Emily sat up and looked around the room. Her head hurt and the entire room was spinning. She grabbed her head and groaned.
Chevalier took a cup of coffee from the table and held it out to her, “Try this.”
She nodded and sipped at the coffee, ignoring the way her stomach turned. As soon as she realized she was topless, she pulled the sheets up around her and looked around the room nervously.
“Damon’s gone,” Chevalier said, and kissed her shoulder softly.
Emily turned to him and frowned, “He’s gone?”
“Kyle’s going to be the new Chief Enforcer. He turned Damon to ash.”
“He’s gone?”
“Yes”
“It’s over?”
Chevalier nodded and handed Emily some aspirin. She took them with the coffee and ran her eyes once more around the room.
“When you feel up to it, the Council wants to talk to you,” Chevalier told her.
Emily froze, “Why?”
“It’s ok.” His hands massaged her neck, “They want to know what Damon did while we weren’t watching.”
“If he’s gone, why does it matter?” She pulled the covers up higher and gripped them tightly.
“I want to bring him back and put him on trial.”
“Don’t, please.” Emily turned toward him and her eyes were panicked.
“He needs to be punished for the things he did that were uncalled for,” Chevalier said, and pulled the sheet away from the puncture wounds on her thigh.
She quickly covered them back up, “Just leave him gone.”
“Let me try him for what he did, Em,” Chevalier asked. “Please.”
Emily nodded finally, “Ok.”
“Now are you really saying Ok, or are you just being obedient?”
Emily kissed him softly, “Ok.”
“Eat breakfast, please, and then come down.” Chevalier slid out of bed as she went into the closet. When she came out, he was gone and she had on a nightgown. She ran into the nursery and pulled Alexis out of bed, holding her tightly. She carried the baby out and sat her down so they could eat pancakes together.
Emily smiled at Alexis, “Want to show Damon that we can dress like we want to?”
Alexis smiled and nodded.
***
“Sir, Lady Emily is on the way down,” Silas said as he put Alexis on the floor. She ran to Chevalier and he grinned at her pink, frilly, ruffled dress. Her hair was pulled into two ponytails that fell into ringlets on her neck.
“Come on, Lexi, let’s go,” Silas said, and held his hand out. She hugged Chevalier and kissed his cheek and then ran to
Silas.
“Kyle,” Quinn said when the door shut behind the toddler.
Kyle nodded and walked down into the trial area. He dumped the ashes out and let a drop of his blood fall onto it. He stood back and watched the ash slowly turn into Damon as he screamed in pain.
“How dare you,” Damon said, glaring at Kyle.
“I’d suggest you behave during this trial,” Kyle told him, and then took his place on the stand.
“I am on trial? For what?” Damon hissed.
“Crimes against a member of the Council,” Quinn said. “Specifically, heinous crimes against Emily.”
“Ha! I perfected her. I turned her into an obedient woman who now looks and acts like the wife of an Elder,” Damon growled.
Damon turned as the door to the trial area opened, and the council members all stared with open mouths and wide eyes as Emily entered. She wore a dangerously short black leather tube top and leather micro skirt with thigh-high leather stilettos. Her hair was pulled up into a spiky ponytail and she had a delicate gold chain around her tiny waist. Their eyes took in the dark purple bruises in the shape of a hand on her arm where Damon had dragged her out of the room.
“What? You said the wife of an Elder should always wear a dress.” Emily walked past him and smirked at Chevalier as he watched her, shocked. The rest of the Council stifled grins and turned back to Damon.
“You should thank me for getting rid of that… that attitude!” Damon glared at her as she sat down on Chevalier’s lap.
“I… erm… will write the… charges… as we find them,” the Record Keeper said, trying to ignore the way Emily’s body looked in the black leather.
Kyle chuckled and glanced quickly at Emily before turning to Damon.
“What are the charges we know about?” Quinn asked.
“Feeding without consent,” Chevalier said.
He shook his head and laughed when Emily propped her right stiletto’d foot on the table in front of him and exposed her soft, white inner thigh with its clearly visible puncture wounds. The members of the Council gasped as they saw proof of his feedings.
“That was for control, to prove her obedience, nothing more,” Damon said in his defense.
“Still feeding without consent,” Kyle said angrily.
Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Page 38
