“With an Elder? No, Sir.”
Chevalier sighed and called for Dr. Cook. When the doctor came in, Emily stood up and faced him.
“What’s the problem?” Dr. Cook asked.
“I don’t believe there is one,” Emily told him. “However, the Elder thinks I should be seen.”
“Just give her a complete physical. I want anything out of the ordinary, though I already know about the marks on her arm,” Chevalier told him.
Dr. Cook nodded, “Have a seat.”
Emily walked over and sat in the chair beside him. He was starting to get nervous, waiting for her to turn him to ash at any moment. When he started to get into the physical and met no resistance, he relaxed some.
After poking her finger, Dr. Cook frowned, “Your blood sugar is way low, when’s the last time you ate?”
“I fed a few nights ago,” Emily told him.
“Why has it been so long?”
“That’s not long, you know as well as I do that heku need only feed every few weeks.”
“Yes, I do know that… humans, however, should eat at least 3 times a day.”
“I’m aware of that, but as I’m not human, I don’t see the reason to bring it up.”
Dr. Cook glanced at Chevalier.
“She’s heku,” Chevalier said, and shrugged. “Just finish.”
Dr. Cook nodded and continued, quickly figuring out why he was called. For the next hour, he checked her over, finally realizing he couldn’t ask her anything and get a straight answer. When he was done, he turned to Chevalier.
“Other than the bite mark and the low blood sugar, I’d say exhaustion and that’s about it. She’s starting to get dehydrated though. She should drink something.”
Emily nodded, “I can go find a donor tonight after duty.”
“Water would be better.”
“Why?”
“It’s… that’s just what I recommend. Heku have to drink water to survive,” Dr. Cook lied.
“Any sign of a head injury?” Chevalier asked.
“None at all.”
“Poisoning?”
“No”
“Then what can cause her to… do this?”
Dr. Cook shrugged, “I’ve never see it before, so I’m not sure. You may need a psychiatrist, not a general practitioner.”
“Would that help?”
“I honestly don’t know, but that would be my next course of action.”
“Find one and get them here quickly,” Chevalier said, and turned back to Emily. “I order you to drink water.”
Emily glanced at the pitcher of ice water on the table and then nodded and poured herself a glass. She smelled it and wrinkled her nose before taking a timid drink. She immediately began to gag, and sat the glass back on the table.
“More… finish it, now,” he told her sternly.
Dr. Cook watched her force down the rest of it, and then sighed before leaving to find a psychiatrist.
“Done, Elder,” she said, still looking sick.
Chevalier handed her jeans and a t-shirt, “Put those on.”
“I have my uniform.”
“Do as I said,” he snapped.
She nodded and went into the bathroom to change.
Chevalier called for Mark, and both were waiting when she came out.
“Elder’s orders, Sir,” she said, saluting Mark.
“What is?”
“The clothing, Sir.”
“Oh, right… I need you reassigned, for now you will be one of 5 guards on Dain,” Mark told her.
“Yes, Sir, are we expecting trouble?”
“No, but just in case.”
“Right away, General,” she said, and followed her guards down to the game room where Dain was playing.
Mark watched her leave and then turned to Chevalier, “Did the doctor find anything?”
“No, other than what’s resulted from not sleeping or eating… those bite marks though… I can’t figure out who Emily would allow to do that. It had to be someone she knows and trusts.”
“Or someone who threatened her,” Mark growled.
“That, too.”
Kyle knocked and then entered the room, “We’re certain it’s Alieno.”
“Great… so we have to find out who did it before we can stop it.”
“Quinn got a hold of Camber. He vehemently denied turning her into a heku.”
“Of course he did, who would admit to that?” Chevalier asked.
“Either way, he’s on his way back and should be here tomorrow,” Kyle told him. “Have you… have you tried controlling her?”
“No, why would I?”
“Her subconscious might still know who did this.”
Chevalier whispered to one of her guards, several floors below, “See if you can lock her gaze.”
There was a brief pause before a hurried answer, “Not at all.”
***
The Council sat around the large conference table with Mark, Silas, and Kralen. Camber disappeared the night they called for him, over a week ago, and since then, Emily began to deteriorate. Not eating or sleeping was beginning to take its toll, and this private meeting was to discuss options.
“Reports… Kralen?” Zohn asked.
“Nothing, we can’t find any runes on anything she’s been near.”
“Silas?”
“We’re still trying to track Camber down. His coven said he came here, but no one’s seen him in 9 days.”
“Mark?”
“My part is fine. She’s now guarding Dain during the day and still in bed at night, though she doesn’t sleep.”
“I can see how her mind might think she’s heku, but her body has to know it needs to sleep,” Quinn added.
Chevalier shrugged, “She won’t… she lays in bed with her eyes shut, but never sleeps.”
“How did it go when we told her to check food for poisons?” Zohn asked.
“Not well. She had to forcefully take each bite and gag it down. She didn’t get enough to help.”
“Have you just tried to reason with her?” Dustin asked. “There are obvious signs she’s human.”
“We tried, and she gets irritated and drops into guard mode, answering with curt, yes and no, answers.”
“Dr. Cook said if we can’t find a solution, she’ll need to go on I.V.’s,” Kyle reminded them. “Maybe we should do that before it gets worse.”
Chevalier shrugged, “At least this time she would leave it in.”
“Which is almost worse.”
“What are we going to do about tomorrow’s meeting?” the Chief Interrogator asked. “We need Emily there as a peace keeper if all 3 factions are to be present.”
“I know, but what are we supposed to do?” Kyle asked, irritated.
“She can act… tell her we need her to pretend to be a human,” Quinn suggested.
“Then do what when she doesn’t act like Emily, or when things get out of hand and she doesn’t turn anyone to ash?” Chevalier asked.
“For now, tell them Emily is sick and request a new date,” Zohn said, and the Court Reporter wrote down instructions.
“I think we need to go to extreme measures before Emily becomes seriously ill,” Kyle suggested.
“Like what?” Chevalier asked.
“Like… feed from her to lock her gaze and see if you can undo what was done.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Dustin said.
“I can try,” Chevalier said. “To make it more effective though, I should feed while another tries to control her.”
“It’ll take an ‘old one’ if it’s going to be done,” Quinn said.
“He’s right, or we risk having to do it again,” Zohn added.
“Derrick, bring Emily in,” Chevalier called out, and then turned to Kyle. “You do it, wrist only.”
Kyle nodded.
“Mark, Silas, and Kralen… you may have to hold her down.”
“Yes, Elder,” they all said.
Emil
y stepped in and bowed slightly, “You called for me?”
“Yes, Emily, come lay on the table,” Quinn said, and smiled.
Emily frowned slightly and then did as she was told, laying down on the table the Council was seated around.
“Give Kyle your hand,” Chevalier said, and took up a position by her head.
“What’s going on?” she asked, and held her hand out for Kyle.
“Nothing much, just do as you’re told,” Chevalier said.
Kyle nodded at the Elder and quickly sunk his teeth into Emily’s soft wrist. She gasped and started to struggle, but the three guards pinned her down easily.
“Em, look at me,” Chevalier whispered when her body began to fall limp. Silas, Kralen, and Mark let go of her and moved back, ready to restrain her again if the need arose.
Emily looked up with sleepy eyes and he was immediately able to lock her. Kyle let go of her wrist and she blinked a few times, starting to come around.
“Keep going,” Quinn whispered.
Kyle sighed and returned to her wrist, drinking slowly so as not to drain her.
Once Emily’s breathing matched Chevalier’s, he spoke, “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Are you heku?”
There was no answer, so he concentrated more.
“Answer me,” he whispered. “Are you heku?”
“I don’t know,” she said back dreamily.
“I need you to think back… follow with me as we go back to last Monday.”
“Ok,” she whispered.
“You were cleaning the barracks.”
“Yes”
“Why?”
“I lost guard hours in a poker game.”
“Right… good… after you cleaned the barracks, what did you do?” he asked, his voice soft and rhythmic.
“I went to get Leonid.”
“You were digging?”
“Yes”
“Who was there?”
“No one.”
Chevalier paused when Kyle let go of her wrist. He was afraid if he kept going, he would take too much. Once Chevalier was sure he could keep her controlled, he continued.
“Think harder, while you were digging, who came out?”
“Camber”
“To talk you out of digging?”
“No”
Quinn glanced at Zohn quickly and then back to Emily.
“What did he say about rescuing Leonid?”
“He’d help if I would talk to him,” she said, her speech soft and slow.
“He would help you dig?”
“Yes”
“Did he?” Chevalier asked.
“Yes”
“He dug up the Elder?”
“No, he went down 5 1/2 feet only,” she told him, her body completely relaxed.
“Why only 5 1/2 feet?”
“Close enough I could hear if Leonid was screaming.”
“Was he?”
“No”
“Then you got out of the hole?”
“No,” Emily said, and her breath caught. Chevalier held her gaze while she calmed down.
“Why didn’t you get out?”
“It was too deep.”
“Camber wouldn’t help you out?”
“No”
“Why?”
“The Council thought he took me away. I was going to stay down with the dead,” she whispered, and her body tensed for a brief moment before relaxing again.
“Damn, he’s losing control,” Zohn whispered to Quinn.
“Camber told you he would leave you in the hole?”
“Yes”
“Unless what?”
“I listened to him.”
“Then what?”
“He tried to lock my eyes,” she said, and frowned slightly. Chevalier knew he only had limited time.
“Did he?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then what did he do?”
“Jumped down and…” She started to breathe faster but eventually relaxed again, “Fed.”
“After he fed, he locked your eyes?” Chevalier asked, controlling his voice to keep it calm and comfortable when his insides were raging with anger.
“Yes”
“I want you to tell me, word for word, what he said to you,” Chevalier told her.
Emily’s voice rang softly through the quiet conference room as she repeated the words Camber used for Alieno.
“Then what did he do?” Chevalier asked, still holding her head gently in his hands.
“Then he drew on my stomach.”
“What did he draw?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did it hurt?”
“No”
“Then what did he do?”
Emily blinked a few times, “I’m sorry, Elder. What did you want?”
Chevalier let go of her and stood up, “Nothing, you may go.”
She nodded and quickly climbed down off the table and disappeared out the door. Mark, Silas, and Kralen left for their posts after being excused by the Elders.
“That idiot,” Zohn growled. “He didn’t place anything into her head. He let her decide what she thought we wanted her to be.”
“So she thinks we want her to turn?” Quinn asked, frowning.
“Not necessarily. She may just think we want her to be heku or like a heku… obedient, quiet, patient, that sort of thing,” Zohn said.
“Then the rune is on her body,” Kyle said, thinking.
“I’ve seen her stomach, when the doctor was giving her a physical… there’s no rune there,” Chevalier told them. “Unless he used something to hide it.”
“Like what?”
Chevalier’s eyes glared, “Like something he can’t hide from an ‘old one’.”
“Find Camber,” Quinn growled.
Chevalier disappeared from the room and appeared in the game room, “Clear out.”
All of the guards, including Emily, began to leave, but he reached out and held her back. Silas came and took Dain.
“Is there a problem, Elder?” Emily asked.
“Lift up your shirt, I want to see your stomach,” he ordered. It was unsettling how quickly she obeyed and without questioning or complaining. She lifted her shirt up to expose her abdomen, and waited patiently while Chevalier pulled up a chair and began to stare at the tight contours of her stomach.
Slowly, his keen eyes began to pick up the faint outlines of a rune, and within a few minutes, it became clear to him, “Very well, guard my bedroom door.”
“Yes, Elder,” she said, pulled her shirt down, and left.
Chevalier reappeared in the conference room at sat down, “I can see it now, I just wasn’t close enough before, nor did I concentrate.”
The Court Reporter shut his phone, “Neither the Valle nor the Encala want to cancel. They said if Emily is too ill to attend, then it will have to be done without her.”
“It won’t be nearly as civil,” Zohn said. “But I don’t see as though we have a choice in the matter.”
“Unless we can find Camber,” Quinn said angrily.
“Council… Camber is on the phone for you, shall I patch him in?” Derrick asked from the doorway.
“Do it,” Chevalier growled, and then hit the phone when it rang. “What have you done?”
“Please, understand, this isn’t what I meant to happen… it’s all gotten out of control and I fear for my life,” Camber explained.
“Undo it.”
“I will if you’ll just hear me out… I wanted you to see the true Winchester personality, not the strong-willed, stubborn Child that one represents.”
“So you told her to become what we wanted… or what she thought we wanted?” Zohn yelled.
“I didn’t realize she thought you all wanted her to be a heku.”
“We don’t! We need her back by tomorrow. We have a meeting she must attend,” Quinn said.
“Assure my life will be spared, and I wil
l do it,” Camber said pleadingly.
“Why would I do that? I can find you,” Chevalier reminded him.
“I know… but you’ll have your wife back sooner if you will promise that this will be forgotten.”
“Why did you do this? It doesn’t make sense…” Dustin told him.
There was a sigh across the phone, “Winchester women were beautiful and elegant. They were the most loyal and obedient wives. They were adoring mothers with calm, sweet personalities. I just wanted you to see that, for only a moment, to truly realize how wonderful the Winchester women used to be.”
“How wonderful they used to be?” Quinn yelled. “We much prefer the little red-headed spitfire who challenges us to stay on our toes and never lets a day pass without bringing joy to this palace.”
“I realize you all adore her, but if you could see a glimpse of her history…”
“Bring back my wife, or when I do find you, I will make it more painful that you could ever imagine,” Chevalier growled.
“I want to return to my coven, unharmed,” Camber said. “I will release her if you will guarantee my safety.”
Zohn hit the mute button, “Do it… we need her tomorrow.”
“He will mess up later,” Quinn told him. “Every Coven Leader makes mistakes… we’ll be watching him.”
“He can’t let her go though… he’s too infatuated with her history,” Kyle said. “I can’t see him ever just letting her be.”
“We need her back,” Zohn said softly.
Chevalier growled.
Quinn sighed, “It’s two to one… agree to his terms.”
“We’ll get him later,” Zohn said.
Dustin pushed the mute button, “We agree to your terms. Release her immediately and we will leave you alone with your coven.”
Camber sighed with relief, “It’ll take some time. She will regain herself soon.”
“We need her by tomorrow.”
“I understand,” Camber said, and hung up.
“Keep this quiet for now,” Quinn ordered. “If he doesn’t come through, we need to lessen the impact and right now, things are going smoothly with heku Emily.”
The Council all agreed.
“For now, it’s bedtime,” Chevalier said, and stood up. It was obvious to everyone there that he wasn’t happy with the decision to let Camber go.
“Elder,” Silas said when Chevalier came up to the bedroom door.
Emily bowed slightly and stood at her post.
“Inside, Commander,” Chevalier told her. It hadn’t taken long for everyone to realize she responded better to her title than her name.
Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series Page 36
