“It’s getting worse. We can’t have this,” Leonid said.
“Now though? It seems like an unstable time for such a change,” Chevalier said dryly.
“It has to be now,” Leonid said.
“Why are you telling me?” Chevalier asked.
“It’s going to be you,” Maleth said.
Emily felt Chevalier’s hands ball into tight fists and she started to panic as he growled deeply.
She cleared her throat and felt all three look at her, “What’s going to be him?”
Chevalier sighed, “They want me to take Selest’s place as an Elder.”
She frowned, “No.”
“Excuse me?” Maleth asked, shocked.
“I don’t want him to be an Elder.” Her voice was higher than usual as the panic grew.
“Emily, not now,” Chevalier hissed at her, and her eyes grew wide.
“When?” He turned and asked the others.
“Soon, things have gotten bad,” Maleth told them.
Chevalier turned to Emily, and then back to the Elders, “Why did you have Emily come?”
Leonid sighed, “We hope to avoid the nasty battle with her supporters… Emily gives us the advantage of a clean kill.”
She gasped and pushed her chair back to stand, but Chevalier’s hand shot out and held her in her chair.
“No, I can do it,” Chevalier said angrily.
“You know how many supporters Selest has. It’s more than just doing away with her. We would need to get through her protectors. If Emily could simply… turn her to ash… it would avoid any unexpected complications,” Leonid explained.
“No,” Emily whispered.
“Emily, it’s for the good of the faction,” Maleth said, and pulled his hood back so she could see his face.
She shook her head.
Leonid brought his hood down, followed by Chevalier. She looked into his eyes and could tell he wasn’t happy.
“She can’t kill an Elder. You know what the implications would be,” Chevalier said.
“No one would know what happened, that’s the beauty of it,” Maleth said excitedly. “Never have we been able to replace a member of the Council without fighting and innocent heku dying.”
“I said I can do it… alone,” Chevalier growled at them.
“That would be too messy… then we would have the years and years until the faction members all trusted you again,” Leonid reminded him.
Emily’s mind swam, she thought of Larsen and how he was ousted for being thought of as weak. Everything involved in being an Elder scared her. The Elders were above reproach and they were both hated and feared by anyone outside of the Council. She didn’t want to move off of the island. She didn’t want her husband to have endless meetings and missions.
Maleth reached out and touched her arm lightly, “We can’t order you, Emily, you aren’t a heku. So we have no right to force you to do this.”
She pulled away from his touch and looked at Chevalier, “Don’t do it.”
“I have to. They can’t order you, but once the decision is made to replace an Elder, it’s permanent,” he said to her.
“No,” she said, and turned to the Elders. “Pick someone else.”
“The decision is made,” Leonid said to her. His eyes were warm and understanding.
“I saw what happened to Larsen,” she whispered, her eyes quickly darting across the table.
Maleth stiffened, “Larsen?”
“Yes, the former Elder. He’s been living in a crypt under the island for 600 years,” she said, not looking up from the wood pattern on the desk.
“How do you know this?” Leonid asked quietly.
Emily looked at Chevalier and frowned.
Chevalier turned to them, “Larsen broke out of the crypt and took Emily for a few days. I told this all to Selest.”
“She failed to pass that information on to us,” Leonid hissed.
“Has he…” Maleth began, but Chevalier nodded.
“I took care of him.”
“My point is that he was banished for being weak and turned into this old… shrivel… slumped over thing that spent his days plotting revenge. He was vile, he smelled, he hated…” Emily shivered.
“That won’t happen to Chevalier, Emily. He’s stronger than Selest and Larsen combined. It’s unfortunate you had to see that, and we apologize for any harm he might have done,” Leonid said.
“Pick someone else,” she said angrily.
“We can’t,” Maleth said. “Chevalier is the strongest of the Council, probably even more so than Leonid or I. We need that on the Council.”
“What happens to Emily when I’m made an Elder?” Chevalier asked softly.
“What do you mean what happens to me?” she asked, her eyes scanning them.
“An Elder can’t have a mortal wife, it’s a sign of weakness. It’s never been done,” Maleth said, sighing.
Emily was so angry she felt tears in her eyes, “So that’s it then? I kill off an Elder, Chevalier takes her place, and then what… I go back to Montana? Take Allen and start over without him? Sounds easy to you I would imagine.”
“Except, we can’t let a Winchester out of our protection,” Leonid said, rather coldly.
Emily stood up and glared at them, “How about I ash you both right now and we start a new Council.”
Maleth and Leonid jerked and pushed their chairs back away from her, horrified.
“Emily, stop,” Chevalier said kindly and touched her arm.
Emily continued to glare at the two Elders.
“She’s not going to turn you to ash,” Chevalier told the Elders.
Emily sat down and gave the Elders an icy stare. The Elders calmed some and pushed their chairs back to the table.
“We will have to discuss the bonding later, for now we just need to take care of Selest,” Maleth said as he watched Emily carefully.
“Oh you think? I say we discuss the bond now, or I walk,” Emily yelled at them.
“Child, you can’t just walk… there are a thousand heku on this island that will do our bidding. You know, at least for now, you can’t get away,” Leonid said, amused.
“Is that a challenge?” Emily asked, trying again to stand up again, but Chevalier stopped her.
“I wouldn’t do that, Leonid. She’s escaped from here often enough,” Chevalier said, grinning, and then he nodded when Maleth looked at him questioningly.
“Very well… what are our options?” Maleth asked Leonid.
“Simple,” Leonid said thoughtfully. “We break the bond or…”
Both Emily and Chevalier shouted, “No.”
“Or,” he emphasized. “We go with her being bonded to Kyle.”
“I don’t want to pretend to be with Kyle,” Emily said, crossing her arms.
“Why can’t we just use the Winchester thing… she’s not merely a mortal and everyone in this room knows that,” Chevalier suggested.
“That might work, but of course, then we would have to let everyone know who she is and what she can do. Do you want that?” Leonid asked Emily.
“Perfect, so I keep my husband, but now everyone’s afraid of me,” Emily said icily.
“Do you have any suggestions?” Maleth asked her.
“Yes, I do… find someone else,” she hissed.
“Let’s just calm down,” Chevalier said, taking Emily’s hand. “I’ll take care of Selest alone, and then the heku will just have to live with the fact I’m bonded to Emily and if they have a problem with it, I’ll take care of them, too. A few missing heku and no one will mention it again. If they think I’m weak… then bring them on.”
“You can’t take on Selest and her supporters alone,” Leonid said.
“I can and I will. I’m not going to bring Emily into this,” Chevalier said dryly.
Leonid looked at Maleth, and then back to Chevalier, “Very well.”
“Wait,” Emily said. “I’m not ok with this.”
Chev
alier smiled at her, “It’s going to be easy, Em. Don’t worry about it.”
She frowned, “No, find someone else or I’ll disappear.”
Leonid gasped, his eyes wide, “What?”
“Yeah… if I’m that valuable, then you’ll meet my demands or I’ll disappear. Ask Chev, I can do it.” She looked at them boldly.
“Em,” Chevalier whispered. “They can’t find someone else.”
“We can have you restrained,” Maleth said bluntly
Emily stood up and glared at him, “I dare you.”
“Sit, Em,” Chevalier said to her, and then turned to Maleth. “If you threaten my wife again, you’ll be an Elder short.”
“Find someone else.” Emily gritted her teeth and accentuated each word.
“They can’t, Emily, it’s done,” Chevalier said to her calmly.
“Fine… I’m leaving then.” She tried to storm out of the conference room, but found her way blocked by Kyle, “Move.”
Kyle glanced at Chevalier and held his position.
Emily spun and glared at Chevalier, “I won’t stand for this. I’m not going to sit by and watch our lives upended by this. I don’t want to leave the island, and I don’t want to watch you buried for 600 years. It’ll be easier if I just go, then I don’t have to watch.”
“You don’t have to leave the island. This will still be Chevalier’s coven, and he can come back on weekends,” Maleth said, and recoiled when Emily jumped at him angrily.
“Then what? Then if he needs a booty call he comes back? Is that what I am?” she asked, seething.
“That’s not what I meant,” Maleth said quickly. “I just meant he’s not restricted from coming back when he wants.”
Emily screamed and walked to the door, when Kyle met her, she glared at him, “Get out of my way or I’ll make you.”
Kyle looked at Chevalier, and then stepped back. He looked into the room, and then shut the door.
“That little one has a temper,” Maleth said, shocked.
Chevalier nodded, “Yes… I’m aware of that.”
“That could be a problem while you are an Elder,” Leonid said.
“How so?” Chevalier asked.
“If her temper interferes with the everyday workings of Council City… if she’s seen as a liability,” he answered.
“My coven loves her. I’m amazed at the lengths they will go to protect her. They know of her temper, they know of her abilities, but they are loyal and devoted to her. Sometimes I wonder if she leaves, if they would follow her.” Chevalier smiled.
Maleth nodded, “I can see that. We’ll be watching her though.”
“Unless she disappears as threatened,” Leonid said.
“I’ll handle that. If she insists on going, then I’m not going to stop her… not that I really could. She’s headstrong, and once she makes up her mind, there’s no stopping her,” Chevalier explained.
“We can’t have an unprotected Winchester.”
“I would, of course, keep an eye on her,” he promised.
Maleth sighed, “Get her to move to Council City, into the palace with us. Things will be easier there, and we can help keep an eye on her.”
“It’s not going to be easy to get her to move to the palace. She loves it here, her horses are here, and her cattle.” Chevalier tried to make them understand, “Kyle is here also, and they are close friends. She’s not going to want to leave him.”
“Then bring Kyle with, he can keep an eye on her,” Maleth said.
Chevalier chuckled, “Just don’t tell Emily she has another… what does she call it… babysitter. She’ll disappear before you can count to ten if she thinks she’s being personally guarded.”
Maleth nodded, “Bring Kyle along, if that will help her.”
Chevalier nodded.
“He can help protect her from the heku servants… they aren’t going to tolerate the mortal well.”
“Emily can handle herself, trust me. I’m more worried about them than her,” Chevalier said, chuckling.
“So it’s set then? You are going to take care of Selest yourself,” Leonid confirmed.
“Yes, she’ll be banished within the next two weeks,” he promised.
“We will make preparations for the coronation,” Maleth said, then stood and replaced his hood.
Chevalier nodded and escorted Maleth and Leonid to the helicopter pad.
Once he saw them off, he slowly walked to Emily’s room. His mind whirled as he thought of how he could get her to go along with this. He wasn’t kidding when he said he would let her go, but he doubted he could live without her. She had somehow weaseled her way into his soul, and without her, he would be incomplete. Chevalier looked around the castle on his way to her room, he would miss this place. It would always be here and he would still be in charge, but he would no longer be living here as he had for the past three hundred years.
Chevalier stood at the door to Emily’s room and watched her frantically throwing clothes into a bag. She was crying and mumbling under her breath. Allen was sitting on the bed playing with her cell phone.
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned into him and buried her face in his chest.
“Emily, this is not bad, ok? This is good, it’s a promotion.” He tried to sound excited.
“Don’t do it… let’s run… let’s go to Colorado and stay there,” she begged.
“I can’t let my faction down.”
“Please,” she said softly.
He kissed the top of her head. “Try it out, for me. If you hate it, then I’ll buy you your ranch and the heku will be out of your life forever. That’s a promise.”
“Maybe I don’t want all heku out of my life, Chev. Why are you doing this? Is this a power trip? Is it not enough to run your own coven and be Chief Enforcer?” She was trying to understand.
“It’s not the power. It’s my responsibility to see that the Council, and especially the Elders, are strong and formidable. It’s time for Selest to be replaced, and I’m the only logical replacement.” He ran his fingers through her hair.
“This is my home,” she said softly.
He pulled her tighter to him, “Try it, for me. At least give it a few months.”
“Will we have our own home in the new city?” She tried to find something positive about moving.
“No, we’ll be in the Elder’s palace.”
She winced, and he couldn’t help but grin.
“Will they have a place for Patra?”
He sighed. He knew this was coming, “Em, there’s no barn in the city. Sam can stay with them, and you can come back any time you want. I’ll even buy you your own helicopter.”
“I like Selest,” she said softly.
“I know.”
“I’m not ready to live in a palace.”
Chevalier chuckled, “Dear, that palace isn’t ready for you.”
She looked up at him, “What do you mean?”
“No one in that palace is less than 1700 years old and never has a mortal lived there… especially one with your… hrm… temper and appeal.” He grinned.
Her eyes narrowed, “Appeal?”
He kissed her forehead, “Trust me. They’ve never seen anything like you before.”
“How so?” She pressed.
“Well… Selest is currently the only female heku living in the palace. It is often attacked, and only the most elite guards live there. Maleth and Leonid aren’t bonded, so that leaves just her.” He felt her wince.
“Perfect”
He laughed, “It’ll be ok.”
“When are you going to… you know… Selest?” she asked, pulling away from him.
“Within the next two weeks.”
“So soon?”
He nodded, “The sooner the better.”
“Will Kyle help you?”
“No, I need to do this alone. It’s going to cause quite the commotion, and the least amount of heku involved the better,” he said, and
gently ran his thumb under her eye to wipe away a tear.
“They were right then, it would be easier if I just did it,” she said, mainly to herself.
“I am not going to ask you to kill her. I can do it.”
“I know you can, but if I do, it won’t cause World War III.”
He brushed his lips softly across hers, “I have it covered, and you need to trust me.”
“Perfect,” she said again. “You’re taking me to the capital city of a species that more-or-less hates mortals and doesn’t think that we’re fit to share this planet with them except to feed off of.”
“Normally true,” he said, “But you know from your experience here that with you, that is not the same.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“There’s one other thing… about the palace.” He couldn’t help but grin.
She looked up at him, “What?”
“The Elders are… well… like royalty.” He saw her grimace.
“What does that have to do with me?” She was almost afraid to ask.
“Never mind, we’ll discuss it later.”
“No tell me now, I don’t want any surprises.”
“There’s a coronation… and… well... you’ll need to be there too.”
“No crowns.”
He laughed, “No, no crowns.”
Emily pulled away from him, “I don’t like this.”
“I know,” he said, watching her as she quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt.
“I’m not going to be paraded around in frou-frou dresses and putting on balls and crap,” she said, slipping on her Ropers.
He chuckled, “I’m not asking you to do anything out of character.”
“You already have.”
“Fair enough. I won’t ask you to throw a ball, deal?” he asked, amused.
Emily rummaged through the suitcase she brought when she left Montana and pulled out a pair of spurs, then slipped them onto the back of her boots.
Chevalier raised an eyebrow, “Spurs?”
“Yeah well... I need to get out some frustration,” she said, and grabbed her leather gloves and cowboy hat.
“Who is getting your wrath today then?” He was shocked. He couldn’t imagine her using spurs on one of her beloved horses.
“Damnit is,” she said, kissing him lightly.
“Damnit? Em, you didn’t name that poor colt, Damnit.” He shook his head, and then laughed when she nodded.
Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series Page 25
