Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Great,” Emily mumbled. She looked over at Robin and wondered why the room wasn’t fighting him back. She took a sledgehammer to a ceremonial room and it knocked her out, he was prying at a rune with his knife and it left him alone, “Robin?”

  “Yeah?” he asked, though he didn’t stop digging at the rune.

  “Stop it.”

  “No”

  “That’s an order,” she hissed. “Stop it right now.”

  “It’s an order?” he asked, and looked over at her.

  “Yes”

  “Don’t care,” Robin told her, and went back to picking at the wall.

  Emily knew she needed to turn the Ancients to ash before Robin ended up getting knocked out by the room, “Hey! Ancients… guess what? I’m Arrianus’ daughter.”

  They both appeared instantly.

  Gaspar frowned, “Do what?”

  “Arrianus? He’s my father.”

  “That’s impossible…”

  “Is it? Then why do I smell like him?”

  “I’m not quite sure.”

  Dion smiled, “If you were the daughter of an Ancient, you would have been killed at birth.”

  “Yeah, well I wasn’t.”

  Gaspar’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. Emily shut her eyes and concentrated hard. She heard screams coming from the Ancients, but kept concentrating even when her head began to pound. Risking a quick glance, Emily saw that both were on their knees and the heku had fallen silent as they watched the Ancients, shocked. Blood began to roll down Emily’s lips as she continued the assault, afraid she would pass out before the Ancients fell to ash.

  Relief swept over her when she saw Gaspar final fall into a pile of ash beside Dion. She focused on the last Ancient as he writhed in pain and emitted an inhuman scream. Just when his form faded to a small pile, Emily lost consciousness.

  ***

  “She is such a pretty child,” Camber said to Chevalier. Chevalier held the toddler tightly and watched Camber, who was standing before the Council.

  “Camber?” Zohn said. “Did you come here to waste our time?”

  “Oh… no…,” he said, and pulled a paper from his pocket. “I just wanted to submit papers for three turnings.”

  “Your coven is pretty small to do three turnings at the same time,” Quinn said.

  Camber smiled, “I know, but they are beneficial.”

  “Let me see,” the Chief of Staff said. Camber gave him the papers and he started going through them.

  “Can you turn a heku to ash, Child?” Camber asked Megara.

  Megara smiled and nodded.

  “No, she can’t,” Chevalier told him.

  The toddler looked up at her Dad and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Interesting,” Camber said.

  “Loves my Daddy,” Megara said, and kissed Chevalier on the cheek.

  “She seems quite attached to you,” Camber said.

  Kyle chuckled, “You have no idea.”

  “May I hold her?”

  “No,” Chevalier said, frowning.

  “No,” Megara repeated, and then smiled.

  “I see no reason why any of these can benefit the faction,” the Chief of Defense told him.

  Camber frowned, “You’re denying my turnings?”

  “That’s up to the Elders, of course.”

  “Of course,” he said.

  The Court Reporter took the files and then read through the first one, “First up is a 28 year old female, she’s a… she’s really a Psychic?”

  “Yes, she is,” Camber said.

  “She’s too young,” Chevalier told them.

  “You aren’t one to be talking about age,” Camber said.

  Chevalier glared at him, “Excuse me?”

  “Denied,” Zohn said quickly. “We have no use for a Psychic in the faction.”

  Quinn nodded, “State reasons as insufficient purpose.”

  The Court Reporter wrote something down and then read from the next file, “44 year old man, he’s a Crocodile Wrangler.”

  Chevalier chuckled, “Your coven been invaded by crocodiles?”

  “No,” Camber snapped.

  “Watch it,” Kyle warned him.

  Camber sighed, “No, Elder.”

  “No,” Chevalier said to the Court Reporter.

  “State reasons as insufficient purpose,” Quinn said.

  “This is ludicrous!” Camber yelled. “You cannot deny these.”

  “Yes we can,” Zohn said. “Next up?”

  The Court Reporter flipped to the last file, “39 year old Snake Miller.”

  Quinn shook his head, “Denied.”

  “No!” Camber shouted. “These are important to me and I won’t be denied.”

  “Yes you will,” Zohn said. “State reasons as insufficient purpose.”

  Camber crouched slightly and hissed.

  “You may go,” Quinn said, irritated.

  Derrick opened the door and pulled Camber from the room.

  The Court Reporter shut the file, “Those were insane. Why in the world would the faction need a Crocodile Wrangler?”

  “He’s just trying to cause problems,” Kyle said.

  “Now that that’s over. What do we do about Emily’s disappearance?” Quinn asked.

  Chevalier sighed, “She’s been gone for 7 days. I’m not even sure which way she drove.”

  “The Encala…”

  “Won’t tell us a thing.”

  “Maybe we need to force it out of them.”

  ***

  “I said, Doooooctor, is there nothing I can take?” Elliott sang.

  Emily heard the singing and slowly opened her eyes. When they adjusted, she saw the two piles of ash lying among the clothes of the Ancients.

  “Robin?” she whispered, unable to fully use her voice.

  “Emily,” he said, and then grinned. “That’s a funny name… Emmmily.”

  “Can you focus for me, Robin? I need you to untie my hands.”

  “Well who tied them?”

  “The Ancients did.”

  “Ask them to untie them.”

  “They are ash. I need you to untie them.”

  He frowned, “Did you turn them to ash.”

  Emily thought for a moment, “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “They fed off of me.”

  “I am thirsty too.”

  She sighed, “Don’t do it, Robin.”

  “I’ve never fed from an unwilling donor,” he said, and turned back to the wall.

  Emily finally managed to sit up, and continued to struggle against the leather binds.

  “You say yah yah, ain't there nothin' I can take. I say

  Waah waah…” Elliott sang loudly.

  “Elliott, shut up!” Emily yelled. She sighed when he only got louder, “Robin… can you get my phone out of my front pocket?”

  Robin looked over at her and shrugged, “I’m sure I can.”

  “Do it, please.”

  He sighed and then crawled over as she knelt up higher. He stuck one hand into her front pocket, and then smiled and pulled her body close against his, “You’re kinda hot.”

  “The phone… Robin… focus,” Emily said, trying to pull away from him.

  He reached down quickly and kissed her, then slipped his hand out of her pocket and wound it behind her neck. She sighed and let him kiss her, and then looked into his eyes when he pulled away and smiled.

  “Phone now, please.”

  He nodded and reached into her pocket, then pulled her phone out.

  “Is there signal?” Emily asked.

  He shook his head, “Nope… we’re too far in this hole.”

  “Damnit,” she whispered, and looked around.

  Robin smiled and pulled her close again, “Let’s do it… right here on the floor.”

  Emily smiled, “Sure, Robin. Untie my hands and we’ll have a go.”

  He nodded vehemently and quickly tore the leather from her wrists. Befo
re she could even stand, he kissed her again passionately.

  When he pressed against her shoulders to lay her down, Emily pushed away from him and smiled, “Not here, Robin.”

  “Why not?” he asked, frowning.

  “I’m mortal. It’ll hurt my back,” she explained, and then stood up and flexed her hands to get the circulation going again.

  He stood up and nodded, “We’ll find a bed.”

  Emily grabbed her phone and looked at it, “I need to get a signal… stupid phone has the worst reception.”

  Robin quickly took it out of her hand and easily snapped it in half, “Yeah… stupid phone.”

  She sighed, “Why did you do that?”

  Robin turned and started to wander toward the door, “I need to find a bed.”

  Emily quickly scooped the ashes into pockets in her backpack, and put it on before turning to Elliott, “Elliott, come on…”

  “Dooooctor, is there nothing I can take?” he sang.

  “Elliott!”

  He finally looked over at her, “Don’t interrupt my song.”

  “I had to interrupt, you’ve been singing forever!”

  “No, it’s only been 9 days.”

  She gasped, “We’ve been here for 9 days?”

  “Now I have to start over,” he said, and then smiled before breaking into song again. Emily walked over and picked up his hand, and then pulled until he relented and stood up, though the singing never stopped.

  “I found a bed,” Robin said, and then turned back for the door.

  “I have a headache,” Emily told him as she pulled Elliott toward the door. “Once we get into the palace, I promise.”

  He smiled, “I can’t wait.”

  “I bet… Let’s get back to the Jeep.”

  With Robin leading, Emily forced Elliott out of the caves while he sang through his song over and over. She was relieved to see her Jeep still sitting where they’d left it, and within a few minutes they were on their way to Council City.

  “She put the lime in the coconut and mixed it all up,” Elliott continued to sing from the back seat.

  “Stop it,” Emily said, and slapped Robin’s hand away from her knee.

  ***

  Derrick blurred into the trial area and the Council looked up at him, “Lady Emily called.”

  “Where is she?” Chevalier asked, standing slowly.

  “She wouldn’t say,” Derrick explained. “She gave me a new cell phone number for you to call… One of those pay by the minute ones.”

  Chevalier quickly dialed her number.

  “I’m sorry, ok,” Emily said when she answered.

  “Where are you?”

  “We’re ok… we’re…”

  Chevalier frowned, “Who is singing?”

  “Elliott, shut up!” Emily yelled at him.

  “To relieve my bellyache,” he sang, even louder.

  Kyle looked over when the Council turned toward Chevalier. Even though his phone was turned down, they could hear the singing, “Who is that?”

  “Elliott, apparently,” Chevalier said, and then shrugged.

  “We’re ok, Chev,” Emily assured him. “I’ll explain when I get back in the morning.”

  “Do I need to talk to Elliott?”

  “No, we’re good.”

  “I’ll send cars to meet you.”

  “Chev… I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, and then shut her phone. She sighed when Robin immediately laid his head in her lap and smiled

  “You have an amazing body,” he said, and slipped his hand under her shirt.

  Emily grabbed his wrist, “Nice to know.”

  Six hours later, Mark and Silas pulled up alongside her in their cars. She smiled, and hoped neither noticed that Robin’s head was still in her lap. Mark did frown when he saw Elliott in the back of the Jeep, singing at the top of his lungs.

  She was trying to focus on the road when Robin tenderly touched her face, “I love you.”

  Emily sighed when her phone rang, “Yes?”

  “What the hell is going on over there?” Mark yelled.

  She took Robin’s hand and pushed it back down to the seat, “Nothing.”

  “I saw him touch you!”

  “I’ll explain later.”

  “Pull over!” Mark screamed when Robin’s hand appeared again and firmly grasped her left breast.

  Emily slapped his hand, “Robin, I said stop it.”

  “Pull… over…” Mark growled.

  “No,” Emily told him. “It’s not his fault.”

  “How is that not his fault?!?”

  Emily hung up the phone and glanced at Robin, “You better sit up before your General sees you.”

  “Mark? He won’t care… I love you,” Robin said, and then lightly ran his hand up her thigh.

  She grabbed his wrist again, “Stop it.”

  Silas honked, and when Emily looked over, he angrily held his phone up to the window.

  Emily smiled and grabbed for her phone, then wrestled it from Robin, and finally called Silas, “Well hello.”

  “Pull the hell over, now!” he yelled.

  “No… if I do that then you and Mark are going to tear Robin to pieces before I can even explain.”

  “Tell them I love you,” Robin said.

  “He what!?” Silas yelled.

  “We’re four hours out of Council City… He can grope all he wants and then I’ll explain it,” Emily said. “You better go ahead and warn anyone I see that if they try to touch one hair on his head, I’ll ash them before they get a chance.”

  Silas simply growled and within a few minutes, pulled ahead of Emily and Mark and soon disappeared.

  “Let’s get bonded,” Robin said, and lightly kissed Emily’s hand.

  “I already am, remember?”

  “I’ll just kill him… then you’ll be free.”

  “Sounds like a plan, but let’s wait a bit.”

  He nodded and then leaned toward her and began kissing her stomach.

  She sighed and pulled her shirt back down.

  Hours later, the Gate Guards let Emily through, and then watched, confused, as Elliott began yet another round of singing from the back of the Jeep.

  “Stop at the barracks,” Robin said, finally sitting up. “I have a bed in there.”

  “Oh that’d be fun with the entire Cavalry watching,” she said, and passed by it quickly without stopping.

  “True… we’ll use your bed.”

  “The one I share with your Elder? Think that’s a good idea?”

  Emily stopped her Jeep in the garage and then looked over when the Cavalry appeared, with Silas and Mark in the lead. She gasped when Robin instantly moved to her and pressed his lips hard against hers.

  Kralen blurred to the Jeep and tried to pull Robin out by his collar, but Robin tightened his grip around Emily and Kralen’s strength broke her out of the seat belt and she fell after them and landed hard on the garage floor.

  “Don’t touch him!” she yelled, grabbing onto Kralen’s wrist when he started to break Robin’s neck.

  “Doctor! Is there nothing I can take?” Elliott sang as the Cavalry pulled him out of the Jeep also.

  “I love her… isn’t she sexy?” Robin asked, looking over at Mark with a smile.

  Mark growled, but Horace put a hand on his arm, “We promised the Council we wouldn’t hurt him.”

  “Keep your hands off of her,” Kralen hissed, and then shoved Robin toward the door.

  “Fine… until we find a bed.”

  Emily blushed and followed them up to the council chambers. Derrick frowned at Elliott, who was still singing, so he opened the door quickly and followed the others in.

  “Stop singing,” Zohn said to Elliott sternly.

  “Don’t say that, it makes him louder!” Emily yelled over Elliott’s rising voice.

  “That’s an order,” Quinn growled.

  “You put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up…”

  �
��Stop it!”

  “I said, Dooooctor...”

  “Take him to a cell,” Zohn said, frowning.

  “No, this isn’t his fault,” Emily said, and crossed her arms.

  “Besides, we’ll still be able to hear him from there,” the Chief of Defense said, loud enough he could be heard over the singing.

  “What do you mean it’s not his fault,” Chevalier asked.

  She sighed, “We… well… Dion…”

  Chevalier hissed, “You found Dion!”

  “Yes”

  “Where is he?”

  “In my bag,” she said, and then glanced at Robin. She was thankful that he was currently preoccupied with a gash on the wall of the council chambers.

  Chevalier smiled slightly, “Dion’s effects will wear off in a couple of days.”

  “I smell dead heku though,” Kyle said, and looked over as Elliott started to dance along with the song.

  Emily looked over at smiled, “You go, Elliott.”

  “Take him to the barracks until he recovers,” Zohn said. “I can’t stand that noise.”

  Mark nodded at Horace, and soon two members of the Cavalry walked out with Elliot. His voice soon trailed off and silence filled the palace.

  “Dion?” the Chief of Staff asked, looking over at Chevalier.

  “He has a natural intoxication ability… it affects all heku within just a few minutes of being around him. It will wear off soon.”

  “Why didn’t it affect Robin?” Zohn asked, and looked over at the heku.

  Without warning, Robin spun, put his hands under Emily’s arms, and brought her up so he could kiss her as he dropped one hand and gently squeezed her butt.

  Emily squealed just as he was torn away from her and she landed hard against the ground, “Don’t hurt him!”

  Chevalier stood up and was immediately restrained by Zohn and the Chief Interrogator.

  “I love you,” Robin said to Emily from Silas and Kralen’s grasp.

  “It’s not his fault either,” she said, standing up finally.

  “You promised we’d find a bed…”

  “Shut up, Robin,” she whispered.

  “Get him out of my sight,” Quinn yelled. Kralen and Silas wrestled him away from the council chambers as he professed his undying love for Emily.

  She turned to the Council, blushing, “He’s sorry… I’m sure he’ll be embarrassed if he remembers.”