Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “I told her that,” Kyle said. “She didn’t believe me.”

  The Council turned when the three remaining heku came into the room.

  ***

  “So you lied to us just because you’ve only been with the palace for 49 years instead of 50, and you didn’t want to leave?” Zohn asked, frowning.

  “I’m sorry! I love my job, and I didn’t want to lose it. I was only short a few months,” the heku said, looking at the floor.

  “That wasn’t very smart. You could have come back to your job in 6 months… now you’re going to be returned to your coven, your services are no longer needed here,” Zohn told him.

  “Please, don’t do that.”

  “It’s done. Next time the Council asks you a question, you will answer it truthfully.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the heku said, and lowered his head as he walked out of the council chambers.

  Zohn sighed and turned to Quinn, “We need to make some changes.”

  “I agree. We have traitors in our palace and heku who lie. It’s despicable,” Quinn said angrily.

  “After we handle the Katorga Coven, I suggest we make some much needed changes.”

  “Agreed”

  Kyle called out, “Bring the Katorga Coven members back.”

  The six heku were brought back in. The members of the Cavalry were asked to stay, and they moved back along the walls.

  “Why,” Zohn started, standing up. “Why would you try so hard to kill the Winchester?”

  “We didn’t do anything to her,” Bryce said. “Stanton worked on his own.”

  “I did, well, myself and the three that were killed… honorably I might add,” Stanton said.

  Chevalier growled, “How do you figure? They were hiding like cowards in the room of a mortal.”

  “A Winchester… dangerous work, we know what she can do.”

  “Why though? What’s the purpose of killing her?” Quinn asked, frowning.

  “To clean house, of course. We couldn’t get rid of the Council with the Winchester around. We all know that she is attached to every one of you, and wouldn’t let anything happen,” Stanton said bluntly.

  “So you wanted to kill Emily to get to the Council?” Quinn asked.

  “Sounds about right. You have to realize how weak the Council has become. We suspect it’s because of the mortal, in the palace even.”

  “Are you still saying that none of the five heku around you were involved?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Zohn shrugged, “He’s lying.”

  “I am not!” Stanton scowled.

  “He is lying,” Richard confirmed.

  “So did the orders to kill Emily and replace the Council come from Lord Victor?” Quinn asked.

  “I am acting alone,” Stanton said again.

  “This is getting old, and the matter needs resolved before Emily returns in a few days,” Quinn said to Zohn.

  “I agree. I’ll take Elizir down to the interrogation chamber. He’ll talk,” Zohn said, grinning.

  “I won’t talk because I’m telling the truth!” Elizir yelled.

  “Good, then you have nothing to worry about… Richard, come with,” Zohn said. He and the Chief Interrogator led Elizir down to the prison.

  Quinn watched the rest of the heku in the trial area, “The rest of you from Katorga Coven can return to your cells for now.”

  ***

  “Where’s Kyle?” Emily asked as she crawled out of the helicopter.

  “He’s on a mission,” Chevalier told her.

  “When will he be back?”

  “It’ll be a while. He’s taking care of an entire coven,” Chevalier told her. “The ones that were staging the attacks.”

  “Oh,” Emily said, and headed down the stairs.

  “We moved Allen into his own room on the fifth-floor.”

  Emily shrugged, “Fine.”

  She went in to her room and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Chevalier sat down to wait for her. She came out a short time later wrapped in a towel and drying her hair.

  “Feel better?” Chevalier asked.

  Emily shrugged.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No”

  “Do you want to talk?”

  “No”

  Emily crawled into bed after checking for snakes, and rolled onto her side. She turned to Chevalier when he put a hand on her arm.

  “Here’s your meds,” he said, holding out a little pill.

  Emily took it, not wanting to fight, and then rolled over to sleep.

  Chapter 9 - Owls

  “Ready to go back?” Emily asked, holding tightly to Alexis. It’d been two years since the Katorga Coven tried to kill her and remove the Council, and all was back to normal.

  “Sure,” Allen answered and pulled the reins. “Do I have to go? It seems stupid.”

  “Yes, you have to go. Will you all trust me?” Emily frowned. She’d been over this with both Allen and Chevalier, and she wasn’t going to bend.

  “An orthodontist though? Honestly? Who cares that my teeth are a little crooked.”

  “Deal with it, we’re going.”

  “Dad said…”

  “You’re going,” Emily told him, and stopped the stallion in front of the stables.

  “3pm?” Allen asked, slipping off of his mare.

  “3pm,” Emily confirmed, and walked her horse into her stall.

  Emily glanced over at a group of Cavalry members standing around looking at something. She slipped off of the stallion and walked over, “What did you find?”

  “Look at this,” Mark said, holding something out to her.

  Emily walked up and looked at the bones and tissue in his hands, “Oh my God, put that down!”

  “What is it?” Silas asked, stepping back.

  “Owl pellets, seriously, put it down and go wash your hands,” Emily said with a disgusted look on her face.

  “What’s an owl pellet?” Mark asked, looking closer at the bones in his hand.

  Emily took another step back, “It’s what the owl spits out after they eat a mouse whole… you have the inedible parts left in your hand.”

  “And you think it’s gross?” Mark asked, a mischievous grin crossed his face.

  Emily pointed at him and stepped back again, “Come near me with that thing and so help me… I’ll ash you.”

  “How can someone as tough as you are, be afraid of this?” Mark asked, and took a step towards her.

  “I didn’t say I’m afraid of it,” Emily said, carefully watching him. She grabbed the cattle prod from a shelf and started walking backwards.

  “Going to floor me over a dead mouse?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Mark chuckled, “You put a cat in my bedroom.”

  “You can’t prove that was me,” Emily said, stifling a grin.

  “You moved my desk to the roof.”

  “Again, can’t prove that was me…. Silas, stop him,” Emily begged, still walking backwards.

  “You haven’t had a personal guard in 18 months, I can’t help you now,” Silas told her.

  “Well… I want one now,” Emily told him.

  Silas grinned, “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “I don’t suppose you’re the one that exchanged my hot blonde donor for the little old man, either?” Mark asked, gaining on her.

  “I wouldn’t!” Emily yelled, and put a hand out. “Get away from me with that thing.”

  “If you don’t like them dead, do you mind them alive?” Mark asked, and took a squirming, live mouse from Silas.

  Emily’s eyes grew wide, “Seriously… not funny anymore.”

  “How can you be afraid of mice? You work in a barn,” Silas asked, laughing.

  “Any ideas who put Ferris Bueller on the missing guard report?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Emily grinned, “Ok, so that one was funny.”

  “Or how about who might
have put pink dye into the laundry when they were washing the Cavalry’s white shirts?” Silas asked, stepping to move around Emily.

  Emily backed into someone and spun quickly. She had bumped into Kralen, who was smiling. She quickly turned back to Mark and Silas, and felt Kralen’s hands on her shoulders.

  “Don’t do this, I’m serious!” Emily yelled, and pushed back against Kralen.

  “I have a deal for you,” Mark said, and stopped moving forward.

  Emily’s eyes narrowed, “What?”

  “Tell us what you thought the ancient’s room was for two years ago, and I’ll let you go.”

  Emily blushed, “No.”

  Silas put his mouse on the ground. The scared little creature ran from the heku, which put him in a direct path towards Emily. She screamed and clawed her way onto Kralen, hanging on with her arms and legs. She suddenly found herself surrounded by the palace’s door guards and the rest of the Cavalry, all on defense.

  “You screamed?” the door guard asked, looking around for an attacker.

  Emily was looking at the ground, “Where’d it go?”

  “Where did what go?”

  “She’s afraid of a mouse, stand down,” Mark told them, laughing.

  “Lady Emily?” Derrick asked, pushing through the crowd. “The Council wants you.”

  Emily was still watching the ground from Kralen’s back, “I’m not getting down until you tell me where it went.”

  “Where what went?” Derrick asked, scanning the ground.

  “The mouse.”

  “You can’t go to the Council’s summons because of a mouse?”

  “It ran off, Em, you’re safe,” Mark said, amused.

  Emily crawled off of Kralen and smoothed down her shirt, “This isn’t over.”

  “I’m sure it’s not,” Mark told her.

  Emily followed Derrick into the palace, keeping a close eye around her. She heard the Cavalry laughing behind her and ignored them.

  She didn’t stop scanning the ground until she got into the trial area of the council chambers. She looked up and blushed slightly when she saw them all looking at her. There were two heku standing before them, and she walked forward to stand beside them. Her eyes grew wide when she realized it was Exavior and Sotomar.

  “First off, Lady Emily, are you injured?” Zohn asked, somewhat irritated.

  Emily frowned, “No, believe it or not, I’m not always hurt.”

  “We heard a scream,” Quinn said, concerned.

  “Nothing I can’t handle, I assure you,” Emily said, grinning.

  “I apologize for taking you away from… whatever it is you were doing,” Zohn said.

  “I was in the middle of being tortured by the Cavalry. Something I’m sure I’ll reciprocate when we’re done,” she said, smiling sweetly.

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “Do I want to know?”

  “No, you don’t,” Emily said, and glanced at Sotomar. “Nice to see you again.”

  “You too, Child,” Sotomar said, and bowed slightly.

  “Enough with the pleasantries,” Zohn interrupted. “Emily, we’ve brought you here because Sotomar has come to seek the release of their Chief Interrogator.”

  Emily frowned, “Since when has the Council asked me when someone wants a prisoner released?”

  “Since you are the one that put him there,” Quinn chuckled.

  “Oh yeah, that’s right,” Emily glanced at Exavior and then back to Sotomar. “You haven’t replaced him yet?”

  Sotomar smiled slightly at the rude question, “Yes, we did, and he is retiring.”

  Emily shrugged, “I guess it’s ok. It’s been two and a half years. That’s long enough.”

  “And the stipulations?” Sotomar asked.

  “Stipulations? Wasn’t he breaking one of your stipulations when I ashed him?”

  “Yes, he was.” Sotomar obviously wasn’t over that misconduct.

  Emily thought for a moment, “Let Chev set the stipulations while I talk to you alone for a moment.”

  Sotomar frowned, “Ok.”

  The Council watched as Emily led Sotomar out of the council chambers. When they left, the Council turned their attention back to Exavior.

  “Do you love her?” Quinn asked bluntly.

  “Yes,” Exavior replied.

  “Do you wish to marry her?”

  “Yes”

  “Would you break any rules to get near her?”

  “Yes”

  Chevalier growled, “Then let’s not let him go.”

  “So you would risk Emily disappearing, just so you can be near her for one moment?” Quinn asked, frowning.

  “I believe that if she were to do what she has warned, she would take me with her,” Exavior said, amused.

  Zohn raised his eyebrows, “You really believe that… that’s surprising.”

  “Of course I do, it’s true.”

  “Let’s make this simple… no rules…” Quinn said.

  “None?” Exavior asked questioningly.

  “None... but if Emily turns you to ash again, you’ll be banished.”

  “Deal, she won’t do it again… she loves me.”

  “I see,” Quinn said, and leaned back in his chair.

  Emily and Sotomar came back into the council chambers. She had something clutched tightly in her hand, and Sotomar was laughing. They turned to face the Council.

  “So?” Emily asked.

  “We’ve agreed to let him go.”

  “I agree that he may go,” Emily said, smiling.

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “Might we ask what you are up to?” Zohn asked her.

  “No, you may not.”

  “What did you give her?” Zohn asked Sotomar.

  Sotomar smiled, “Something private. Not dangerous though, I assure you.”

  “We have set but one stipulation,” Quinn told the enemy Elder. “If Emily turns him to ash again, he will be banished.”

  Sotomar nodded, “Sounds reasonable. We will also be setting restrictions for him.”

  Emily started to follow Sotomar and Exavior out of the room, but the Chief Interrogator called her back.

  “Yes?” she asked him.

  “It concerns me that you requested alone time with the Valle Elder,” the Chief Interrogator said.

  “Alone time? Seriously? You make it sounded like a conjugal visit,” Emily said, frowning. “I simply wanted to ask him something.”

  “Which is what, exactly?”

  Emily glared at him, “Are you interrogating me?”

  “No, I am not,” he replied.

  “Then what’s up with the twenty questions?” Emily asked, crossing her arms.

  “It’s a simple question that I would ask any Equites if they were to request a private visit with an opposing council member,” the Chief Interrogator said calmly.

  “I thought as a member of this Council, that I couldn’t be questioned on my behavior, unless it’s by an Elder,” Emily said, and grinned.

  Quinn chuckled, “She is correct.”

  The Chief Interrogator sat back in his chair, irritated, and waited for an Elder to ask her, but then became furious when they didn’t.

  “If that’s all, I have a prank to play,” Emily said, and started again for the door.

  “A prank? Em… on who?” Chevalier asked.

  She smiled at him, “Not on anyone in this room. You’re safe.”

  Emily left the room and glanced at the floor guards. They were all in conversation, so she slipped the tiny vial from Sotomar into her pocket and snuck the back way to the sixth-floor rooms. They housed the leaders of the palace guards, and Mark’s room was one of them. She stopped in front of his door and listened closely, but didn’t hear anything. She tried the door, but it was locked, so she slipped a stolen key from her pocket and was soon alone in his room. Once her breathing calmed down, she took the tiny vial and popped the lid off. She smelled the dark liquid and shrugged, it seemed har
mless.

  Emily got onto her hands and knees and laid the vial down on the floor beneath Mark’s bed, and then quickly ran out of the room. She already had a full bucket on the roof, now she just needed the guards from outside to come inside, and her plan would be set in motion.

  She got to the roof and looked straight down onto the door guards. Today it was Mark and Kralen because the lower ranks were all in training. It was just the Cavalry that was left in the palace.

  Emily positioned the bucket of sudsy water carefully over the door, held her breath, and then dumped it. It was a few seconds before the cold water hit the heku beneath her.

  “Emily!” Mark yelled, and she dropped the bucket and ran into the helicopter. She wasn’t supposed to be able to access the helicopters, but had managed to steal a set of those keys also and thought it would be a good hiding spot.

  She knew her plan worked when no one appeared on the roof and she stifled a laugh, wondering how hard the guards were searching for the owner of the scent. The Valle scent that Emily had been given by Sotomar.

  The Elders waited in the council chambers while the rest of the palace was put on alert to find the sources of the Valle smell.

  Chevalier chuckled, “They aren’t going to find any Valle.”

  Quinn nodded, “I thought so.”

  “Why not? It smells like hundreds of them are here,” Zohn asked them, confused.

  “Do you remember the last time we smelled Valle that strongly in the palace?” Chevalier asked him.

  “Yes, I do, it’s when Sotomar put the scent on… ooooh,” Zohn said, understanding. “Well call off the units then.”

  “We can’t, what if we’re mistaken,” Quinn said, and leaned his head back on his chair.

  “She should be punished for this,” Zohn said angrily. “She’s disrupting the Council’s session and wasting the guard’s time.”

  “And bringing life to a lifeless palace. Let her have her fun… I suspect the scream earlier was from something the Cavalry did to her,” Quinn said, grinning.

  “This is not how a palace should be run. Not one that we are still trying to get back on track,” Zohn told them. “Discipline is essential, and if members of the Cavalry don’t show it, then maybe they should all be replaced.”

  “Just because you don’t like Emily, doesn’t mean that the guards have to hate her also,” Chevalier said, amused. “They aren’t showing a lack of discipline, and she keeps them on their toes. It’s good for them.”