“Thank you,” Emily said, and winced when Lord Thukil again fell to one knee and bowed. She heard the rustling behind her and knew that all of the heku had done the same.
She reached out and hit Chevalier lightly on the arm when she heard him chuckle. She was relieved when Lord Thukil stood up again.
“Please, come visit us again soon,” Lord Thukil said. He smiled and took her hand and kissed it softly.
“I will… thank you,” Emily said, and took Chevalier’s hand. He led her out of the banquet hall and up to the Thukil’s helicopter where Kyle, Zohn, the doctor, Silas, and Alexis were waiting. She hopped in, still blushing, and buckled herself in. Three of the Thukil Cavalry Lieutenants joined them to help her in the trial.
“Nice, I don’t even have a medal of honor.” Kyle grinned.
The helicopter ride was short. It was only a few miles to the waiting jet, and soon they were at 32,000 feet and heading for Council City. Emily unbuckled her seat belt and crawled onto Chevalier’s lap. She was still feeling groggy and needed to feel his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and leaned his cheek against her as she slept.
“Ever held a Commander before?” Kyle chuckled.
“No, I think this is a first,” Chevalier said, laughing.
Zohn watched her, “It’s hard to believe that someone who desires to be held, has the ability to massively slaughter our species.”
“I’ve always found it hard to believe how that temper can come from such a tiny package,” Kyle added.
Chevalier winced, “Don’t let her hear you call her tiny.”
Kyle grinned, “Oh come on, Elder. You have to admit when she stands by some of the heku, she looks like a child.”
“Nope, I won’t admit to that,” Chevalier said, grinning.
“It’s hard to think of her as a child when she wears… well… we all saw that leather getup,” Zohn said. When Chevalier growled, he added, “All I’m saying, is she’s a bit curvy to be thought of as a child, and if the Elder did, surely they wouldn’t be bonded.”
“Change the subject,” Chevalier said, irritated.
The Thukil Cavalry members that were on the plane shifted nervously in their chairs. The conversation wasn’t one they wanted to be present for.
Kyle grinned, “Calm down Elder. We won’t touch her, but we’re still men and it’s our nature to notice things.”
“It’s a compliment to you that we notice some of her feminine features,” Zohn said matter-of-factly. “She looks delicate and fragile, in harsh contrast to the heku women, so we can’t help but see it.”
“Enough,” Chevalier hissed.
Kyle and Zohn glanced at each other and then the both turned to look out the window.
Chevalier was suddenly aware of the strip of skin showing above the belt on her pants and pulled her cape to cover her better. He also hadn’t noticed before how the diamond cut-out on her shirt showed the slightest hint of cleavage, so he pulled her a little closer to him.
Emily groaned slightly in her sleep and her hand grasped Chevalier’s shirt. Zohn and Kyle turned to look at her, concerned.
“Nightmare,” Chevalier said to them.
“Can you see those?” Zohn asked.
Chevalier nodded, “Yes, they appear like a movie to me. I have to be touching her though, if I’m not, all I get are the emotions from it.”
“Is it about the Encala attack?” Kyle asked.
“No, it’s about… well…” Chevalier hesitated.
Emily sat up suddenly and yelled, “No, Damon!”
Chevalier pulled her back to his chest, and she laid her head against his shoulder and her eyes slowly shut again.
“Still having nightmares about him?” Zohn asked, frowning.
“Once it’s in her dreams, it stays. She still has nightmares about her ex-husband,” Chevalier said, brushing the hair away from her face.
The jet landed, and they all piled into the Blackhawk helicopter for the ride to Council City. Emily watched out the window as the city she had grown to hate came into view. The pilot circled twice and then landed softly on the roof. When he cut the engines, the palace doors opened and members of the Equites Cavalry opened the helicopter door and stood at attention.
“The Council is ready for you, Sir,” Mark said as Chevalier stepped out. Chevalier nodded and blurred away to the council chambers with Kyle and Zohn.
Mark looked up to help Emily out and froze, surprised. He couldn’t help but run his eyes down her and the modified guard uniform. He reached up and grabbed her around the waist and helped her down.
“Commander?” Mark chuckled.
Emily nodded and turned to make sure the Thukil guards were taken care of.
“The… erm… Council was told a Commander and three Lieutenants would be testifying, but I don’t think they knew that you were the Commander,” Mark said, grinning.
“Perfect,” Emily sighed. She wasn’t looking forward to the amused looks from the Council.
“They are waiting for you,” Mark said, and headed for the door. Emily followed him and felt the Thukil Cavalry close behind her. She had the sudden feeling she was now doubly guarded by no one’s order.
Emily tuned the guards out as they began to compare training and tactics, something that didn’t interest her. She had just stepped down onto the fifth floor when she was hit hard from the side. Her feet left the ground as she flew across the foyer and slammed into a door. The doorknob smashed painfully into her ribs and she fell to the floor.
As Emily leaned back against the door to wait out the pain, she heard the growls and sounds of tearing flesh as guards, both Equites and Thukil, violently dismembered her attackers. As the blur of fighting cleared, she saw the bodies of four dead heku, all wearing the symbol of the Equites guard. Members of both Cavalries stood up from crouches, their eyes fierce and furious as they looked around the foyer for any more attackers. They were covered in blood, more evident on the white shirts of the Equites than on the dark green of the Thukil Cavalry.
“What the hell was that?” Emily groaned.
“Attacked by Equites Palace Guards?” one of the Thukil Cavalry growled at Mark.
Mark just glared at him and knelt down beside Emily. She was clutching her side with her good hand, “Let me see.”
Emily raised the side of her shirt slightly, and Mark hissed at the dark bruise that was already forming and the small amount of blood seeping from around it.
“We should get the doctor,” Mark said. He stood up and helped Emily to her feet.
“No, no doctors. I’m ok.” Emily smiled and started down the stairs again, still grasping her side.
Derrick eyed the guards suspiciously and his eyes narrowed, “Were you attacked?”
“Yes, let’s get this over with so I can get to the island,” Emily said, irritated, and straightened up with her hands at her sides. She decided it would be better to put up with the pain, than be seen crouched over.
“Sir, the... ermm… Commander and the Lieutenants from Thukil are ready,” Derrick said to the Council. He eyed the two Encala Elders cautiously as they stood in front of the Council.
“Very well, bring them in,” Maleth said. He noticed Kyle grin at Zohn, but ignored them.
Derrick nodded and opened the door. Emily was the first to enter, followed by the Thukil Lieutenants. The council members all began to chat quickly when they realized that Emily was the Thukil Commander. Emily walked up and stood beside the Encala Elders. Chevalier was pleased when the Thukil guards stood in a formation between her and the enemy Elders.
Maleth smiled, “Lady Emily, congratulations on your… promotion, shall we call it?”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him.
Chevalier sighed and motioned for Emily to come up to him, “Commander… a moment, please.”
Emily walked up the stairs and over to the Elders. They turned their chairs to face her. They all noticed that the strip of skin visible on her side was slowly turning pu
rple.
“Yes?” Emily asked, and knelt down to talk to them.
“Emily, you were away from me for 5 minutes… why do I smell blood?” Chevalier asked, frowning.
Emily grinned slightly, “You would be amazed how fast a heku can attack.”
Chevalier pulled her shirt up slightly and growled at the black bruise forming on her ribs. Emily laid her shirt back down, embarrassed.
“Who?” Chevalier hissed.
Emily shrugged, “I don’t know. They were torn to pieces before I could figure that out.”
“They?” Quinn asked.
Emily sighed, “Yes, four of them.”
“We’ll handle that later, please return to your place,” Maleth said. Emily nodded and stood up, wincing slightly. She walked back down and stood by the Thukil guards again.
“Commander, we were told you were the only witness to the impending attack,” Quinn said to her. Chevalier had to fight from grinning. Emily was over 18 inches shorter than the heku around her, and Kyle’s comment about her looking like a child flooded back to him.
Emily stepped forward, “Yes, I was.”
“What exactly did you see?”
“I was out in the woods… lost…” Emily ignored the way Chevalier sighed, “I heard voices, and when I got closer, I saw hundreds of Encala lined up. William, Koly, and Vaughn were giving them orders.”
“Please, tell us what was said, verbatim,” Quinn requested.
Emily looked at Chevalier with wide eyes. He smiled and turned to the Elders for a moment before turning back to the trial area.
“I apologize, please tell us what was said,” Quinn said, and smiled at her. He noticed how she tensed when he spoke to her, and it concerned him that she still viewed him as a threat.
“They were saying that because I was on the Island, they were going to attack Thukil first, and then move on to Council City. Valle’s Ingram and what’s his nuts were supposed…” Emily stopped when Maleth held up his hand.
“What’s his nuts?” Maleth asked, confused.
Kyle had to turn his chair around, so the Encala didn’t see him laughing.
Koly turned and glared at her, “His name is Selhman.”
Emily was still watching Maleth, “Ingram and Selhman, were supposed to be in either Council City or Thukil, so they were just going to stick with those two cities.”
“She’s lying!” William scowled. “We were running a training exercise, nothing more.”
“I am not lying.” Emily turned and glared at him.
“Emily!” Chevalier said sternly, when he saw her begin to concentrate on William.
William looked at her with wide eyes when she sighed and turned back to the Council.
“Zohn… impressions?” Quinn asked.
“The Encala is lying. I believe the Commander,” Zohn said, using her official title for the trial.
“We demand that you release the Valle prisoners immediately,” Koly said angrily.
Quinn ignored the Encala, “Lieutenants, what is your part of this?”
One of the Thukil Lieutenants stepped forward, “After we found the Commander in the woods, we set out in a search pattern. The three of us found a clearing in the trees with piles of ashes and scattered clothing from an Encala Army.”
“Was a count made?” Maleth asked.
“Yes, Sir, there were 718 individual piles of ash, all lined up in formation, and three more off from the others. They turned out to be the Elders,” he said.
“Have any of the Encala’s Army been revived?” Maleth asked.
The Lieutenant grinned, “No, Sir, they have all been banished per the Elder’s orders.”
“Very well, so we have the Commander’s word against those of the Encala Elders,” Quinn said.
Emily’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“She’s not a Commander! She’s just a mortal,” Koly said angrily.
“She is my Commander,” one of the Thukils said, glaring at him.
“Mine too,” the other two said together.
“As far as this court is concerned, she is a Commander with the Thukil Cavalry and will be addressed and respected as such,” Maleth said to the Encala.
“She is nothing but a girl. A power hungry child that should be punished for her crimes against the heku. If she ever falls into the Encala hands again, she will be, and it will be a pleasure to teach her submission and respect,” Koly growled.
The three Lieutenants crouched slightly toward him and ducked away just as Emily put a .45 into each of the Encala, clean shots to the head.
“Damn that felt good,” Emily said, grinning.
“Commander, please stop shooting the defendants,” Quinn chuckled.
The Lieutenants laughed and stood back up, watching the Elders heal and enjoying the pain the bullets caused.
Emily holstered her gun, “Sorry, won’t happen again.”
“Guards, take them to cells,” Quinn said, and as soon as the Encala could stand, they were escorted out of the trial area.
“Mark,” Chevalier said, and the Captain came into the trial area.
“Yes, Elder?” Mark asked, stepping up by Emily. His shirt was still covered in blood.
“Now… what happened to Emily in the 5 minutes that I was away from her?” Chevalier frowned.
“The entire 5th floor guard staff attacked her,” Mark said, obviously angry still.
Maleth hissed, “The entire fifth-floor guard staff?”
“Yes, Sir,” Mark told him.
“She would be safer in Thukil,” one of the Lieutenants said.
“I’ll be safer when I get back to the island,” Emily told him. “So let’s end this and I’ll be on my way.”
Quinn nodded, “Very well, leave us while we decide on the Encala.”
Chevalier watched as Emily, the Thukil, and Mark left the trial area, “Damnit, there goes that idea.”
“Why did they have to do this now? I was sure we could get her to stay,” Maleth sighed.
“We’ll just have to let her go back to the island and try later,” Zohn said.
Kyle nodded, “I can stay with her there. Maybe I can talk her into it.”
“Yes, do that, we’ll see after things calm down,” Chevalier said.
“Impressive that she’s now a medaled Commander,” Quinn said, smiling.
Kyle chuckled, “We should have done that. I didn’t even think about it.”
“Let’s do it now and change the guard’s uniforms,” Zohn laughed.
Chevalier glared at him, “Enough with how she’s dressed.”
“I take it no one’s opposed to finding the Encala guilty of attacks on Thukil?” Quinn asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Now we need a punishment. We can only keep one of them though,” Zohn said.
Chevalier shrugged, “Keep Koly for 150 years and let William go with a warning.”
“It’s too bad we can’t kill all of them for being dumb enough to attack with all three Elders present,” Kyle said.
“Derrick, bring them all back,” Maleth said. The Council watched as Emily and the Thukil came in, again the Cavalry stood so they surrounded her. The Encala were brought in next and stood before the Council.
“We as the Equites Council find you both guilty of attacks on the Equites’ Thukil Coven,” Quinn said, standing. “As per wartime etiquette, we are releasing William as the sole Encala Elder, and sentencing Koly to 150 years for his crimes.”
“That’s preposterous! You can’t take a mortal’s word over ours,” Koly screamed. “It’s disgraceful how the Equites have fallen as strongest of the factions.”
“Fallen?” Chevalier asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes fallen! You have stooped to listening to mortals and…” Koly’s eyes widened and he gasped and clutched at his chest, falling to his knees.
The Thukil guards glanced nervously at each other as a burning smell filled the room. Emily was looking directly at the Council.
“
Stop her!” William yelled, watching the suffering Elder.
Koly screamed and writhed on the floor in agony.
“Just don’t kill him, Commander,” Zohn said, not actually wanting her to stop.
William growled, “I said stop her!”
Koly fell silent as he went unconscious. The burning smell started to dissipate, and Emily smiled at the Thukils.
“We won’t stand for this,” William hissed.
“So much control, it’s impressive,” Quinn said to Emily.
“I demand you do something,” William roared.
Maleth looked at him calmly, “Do something about what?”
“You cannot allow her to torture a heku.”
Emily smiled, “That wasn’t torture. I’ve learned how to burn individual body parts.”
William’s face fell and his eyes grew wide, “You wouldn’t.”
“Thukil, you are free to go,” Maleth said quickly, before Emily took the challenge.
The Lieutenants left with Emily, and were laughing among themselves.
“You just let her walk out of here?” William asked, irritated.
Maleth looked at him curiously, “Would you rather her show us her new found talent?”
“Do you know if she can really do that?” Kyle asked Chevalier.
“Not a clue,” he said, chuckling.
Zohn laughed, “She was lying.”
“You may go,” Quinn said to William, and he stormed out of the room.
Guards came and carried Koly down to the prison as the Council began to leave the room.
“I’ll be ready to go to the island in 5 minutes,” Kyle said, heading into his room.
“Give us an hour,” Chevalier chuckled, and disappeared into the bedroom. He shut the door behind him and watched Emily for a few moments as she packed. He scanned the room quickly to make sure they were alone.
“I really like that uniform on you.” Chevalier grinned and appeared behind her.
Emily laughed, “Don’t get too used to it.”
“I figured,” he said, and unfastened her cape, then threw it onto a chair.
Emily turned around and smiled, “I’m a Commander, so you can’t just do with me as you will.”
Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Page 51
