Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Damon grinned, “Like I would betray him. He saved me from the hell you created.”

  Chevalier lit the fire, and the entire room came to life, “The hell we created?”

  “Yes, putting your loyalty into a mortal instead of your own council member. I consider that a hell,” Damon said, relaxing on the ground.

  Chevalier looked over when Allen came in the door, “May I watch?”

  “Yes, just don’t tell your Mom,” Chevalier said, proud that his 11-year-old son was there.

  “Oh, look, little mortal spawn,” Damon said to Allen. “How awful it must be to crave blood yet not be able to feed by yourself… pathetic if you ask me.”

  Allen smiled broadly, “I haven’t had a problem feeding myself.”

  Damon frowned, “Oh, your teeth came in… at least you’re not quite as mortal now. That was embarrassing.”

  “Almost as embarrassing as when Mom caught you banging a hooker when all you really wanted was her,” Allen said, his eyes were suddenly furious.

  Chevalier watched him, amazed. He’d never seen any anger from his son.

  Damon glared at him, “That’s not true.”

  “Not true? You watched her sleep in Paris, I saw you… I saw what you did afterwards. I may have been a child, but I was keenly aware of everything that was going on in that house,” Allen said.

  Damon growled, “Shut up, you little brat.”

  Allen stepped forward and roughly kicked Damon in the neck, and then stepped back to watch the blood pour from his mouth as he choked on it and fought to breathe.

  “Don’t kill him before we can get information,” Mark chuckled.

  “I wonder what that was like. Having the woman you lust after catch you with a cheap hooker,” Allen said, walking around Damon. “I figure that’s why you almost killed her, to wipe that image from her mind, because that let her see you for what you truly are.”

  “You’re sorely mistaken, boy,” Damon growled as soon as he could speak again.

  “I am? So watching her shower, watching her sleep, feeding from her inner thigh… not something you do to someone that disgusts you,” Allen said, his voice calm and relaxed. “It’s something you do to become closer to an object you desire.”

  “It was for control. She needed controlled,” Damon hissed.

  Allen stepped on the top of Damon’s foot, pressing it to the ground as his ankle bones shattered and he screamed in pain. As soon as Damon healed and started to get angry, Allen stepped on his other foot, grinding it into the floor with his boots.

  Richard grinned, “Didn’t know you had it in you, Boy.”

  Allen smiled, “Mom’s temper… Dad’s control.”

  Mark chuckled, “At least that’s not in reverse.”

  “Tell me,” Allen said when Damon had calmed down. “What is the name of this new faction?”

  “Why would I tell you?” Damon growled.

  “My Mom’s to be an Elder. It would be nice to know.”

  “Nescio quid dicas,” Damon said, grinning.

  “Oh, I do think you know what I mean,” Allen said, leaning back against the stone wall.

  Chevalier’s eyes grew wide and he grinned. He wasn’t aware that his son spoke Latin.

  Allen reached over and pulled an iron poker from the fire. He put the red-hot tip a few inches above Damon’s neck, “Maybe I want to etch it into your neck, you know, a formal branding for being so loyal.”

  “You don’t have the nerve,” Damon said, but looked nervously at the glowing orange tip.

  “Fine then… if you won’t tell me the name of the new faction, then I’ll make up a name for it. I’ll burn ‘Proditor’ into your flesh,” Allen said, and burned a deep ‘P’ into Damon’s neck as he screamed in agony. “Now you’re officially labeled as a traitor.”

  The heku watched the young boy, amazed at how calmly he tortured the heku and how much like his father he spoke and acted.

  Allen sighed, “You’re lucky, I need to go try to comfort my sister. Pity, I was just getting started.”

  Allen touched the hot poker to Damon’s upper thigh for a moment and then handed the iron stick to Mark before leaving as Damon’s screams filled the prison.

  Mark grinned, “That was fun.”

  “Enough for the child’s play. I want him in the shackles,” Chevalier said, taking the Spanish flayer down off of the wall.

  “Do whatever you want. I won’t tell you,” Damon said, no longer sounding pompous and haughty.

  Mark and Richard hung him from the shackles, facing the wall, and tore his shirt from his back, exposing the flesh beneath it.

  Chevalier let his arm fly and the flesh on Damon’s back peeled away as he screamed and his knees gave out, hanging him by his wrists.

  “Where can we find Exavior?” Richard asked, leaning against the wall by Damon.

  “I won’t… tell… you,” he choked, and then screamed when the metal teeth scraped into his back again.

  Mark reached over into a bucket behind the guillotine and grabbed a handful of salt. The next time Chevalier cut Damon’s back with the flayer, Mark threw pinches of salt, slowing down the healing and causing additional pain.

  “You have no right… to do… this,” Damon moaned.

  “I do too, if not for needing information… then for the harassment of my wife,” Chevalier said, amused.

  “I can’t tell you…” Damon panted. “I don’t know where he is.”

  Richard watched him and shrugged, “He’s lying.”

  ***

  Emily sighed softly, and started to stir as the sedative wore off. Silas and Kralen watched her closely, the reminders firmly in their hands. Her eyes opened and she pulled at the restraints slightly and then looked up at her wrists.

  “Damnit,” Emily growled. She looked over at Silas, “Let me out of these.”

  “Sorry, Elder’s orders,” Silas said.

  Emily frowned, “Well don’t stand there and watch me, it’s humiliating.”

  “Ok, we’ll wait outside your door,” Silas said, and he and Kralen moved outside of her door.

  Emily grinned. One of the tricks the Encala had shown her was how to get out of those exact kinds of restraints. Grimacing, she popped her thumb out of joint and easily slipped her hand out of the restraint. From there, she unfastened her other hand and then her feet. She tiptoed quietly over to the large wardrobe and sat down inside after grabbing her phone.

  “Encala Council,” someone answered.

  “William?” Emily whispered, soft enough she couldn’t hear her own voice.

  “Emily, what’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

  “Exavior offered to let Kyle and the Valle’s Chief Enforcer go if I bring Damon and Samuel back with me,” Emily explained.

  “And the Equites won’t let you go…” William said.

  “I can ash all of them and get Kyle back.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” William said. “They now have our Chief Enforcer.”

  “What? When?” Emily asked, frowning.

  “He has been missing since last night, and we suspect Exavior has him.”

  “Are you missing any banished?” Emily whispered.

  “No, we were able to move them inside… so by Damon and Samuel, do you mean the former members of the Equites Council?”

  “Yes, Exavior sent them to get me.”

  “Have they been interrogated?”

  “Chevalier’s down there right now.”

  “So why are you whispering?”

  “I tried to run.”

  “They cannot let you go, Emily. It’s too dangerous. So can I surmise that you slipped your restraints?”

  “Yes, thanks,” Emily whispered, amused.

  “Well, there are other ways to keep you in the palace without restraints,” William said, irritated.

  “I can kill him, William. I can get the banished and the Chief Enforcers back… they were… torturing… Kyle.”

  “What do you want us to do?
”

  “I want you to come get me and let me go after him. I know where he is,” Emily said. “He told me.”

  “You know?” William asked, shocked. “Where is he?”

  “I’m not telling you,” Emily whispered, frowning. “Just come get me.”

  “I’m sorry, Child. On this matter, we agree with the Equites. You need to let us handle Exavior.”

  Emily angrily slammed her phone shut and sat back in the wardrobe to think. She decided that the first thing she needed to do was tell the Elders that all three Chief Enforcers were now in Exavior’s hands. She sighed and climbed out of the wardrobe and stepped up behind Silas and Kralen, they were deep in conversation and didn’t hear her approach.

  Kralen, Silas, and the two guards dropped to their knees, groaning with pain and clutching at their chests. She concentrated, calming herself so they didn’t fall to ash. As soon as they fell unconscious, she ran out of the room, her bare feet padding silently down the marble stairs.

  She looked around the main foyer and didn’t see any guards. Emily realized that she’d given herself the opportunity to escape from the palace, and ran into the garage, then slid into the purple Aero and pulled the backup key from her pocket. She turned it, and nothing happened, the engine didn’t turn over and no lights came on.

  “Damnit,” she cursed, and got out of the car. She popped the hood to check the battery, but it was missing. She went to the Jeep and checked under the hood, its battery was also missing.

  “Nothing in here runs,” Quinn said from behind her. Emily pushed the hood down without even turning around.

  “Exavior has the Encala’s Chief Enforcer,” Emily told him, and started walking out to the stables. She could hear Quinn walking behind her.

  “Where is he, Emily?” Quinn asked as she stopped at the corral and leaned against the fence, watching the horses inside.

  “William wouldn’t come get me,” Emily said. “He told me to stay here.”

  “All three factions agree that you need to stay away from Exavior.”

  “I’m not weak.”

  “No one thinks you are.”

  “I can do it, they know I can. Exavior can’t have more than 1800 and I’ve ashed that many at once.”

  “Again, no one doubts that you can.”

  Emily sighed, “Don’t tie me back up.”

  Quinn grinned, “Why would I? Apparently it doesn’t work.”

  Emily heard footsteps behind her and already knew who it was. She kept watching the horses eating lazily in the corral.

  “Come on, it’s about time I get on a horse,” Quinn said, and took Emily’s hand, leading her into the stables.

  Silas and Kralen mounted up and met them outside the stables when Emily brought her horse out. She hoisted herself up on the stallion bareback and reached down for Quinn, “Come on, Elder.”

  Quinn looked up at her, “Are you going to push me off and take off?”

  “Like I could,” Emily said, and Quinn slipped onto the stallion behind her. She kicked the horse into a walk, and the three horses made their way slowly out of the city.

  As they neared the top curve on the hill before the trees, Emily looked back toward the road and saw Chevalier’s McLaren, Zohn’s Jaguar, and four Suburban’s speeding down the road.

  “No!” Emily screamed.

  “It’s best this way,” Silas said softly.

  Emily looked over at him with angry tears in her eyes, “You did this on purpose…”

  “Damon caved. He told us where Exavior is,” Kralen explained.

  Quinn grabbed onto Emily when she kicked the horse hard and it jumped into a fast gallop, heading for the trees. Silas rode up alongside her and took the reins, pulling the horse back.

  “Stop it!” Emily yelled. “I can catch them.”

  “No, you’re staying here,” Quinn said from behind her. “Trust us.”

  Emily slipped out from under his arms and ran as fast as she could for the trees. She heard movement behind her and arms wrapped around her. She hit her elbows against Kralen’s arms and spun suddenly, smashing her palm into his nose and dropping him to the forest floor. She turned and ran deeper into the trees.

  Silas caught her easily and grabbed her by the wrist, slinging her around, “Stop.”

  Emily kneed him in the groin, but he dodged her hand and spun away from her before she could hit him. He started to drag her back toward the palace, but she faked a trip and when he turned around, she balled up her fist and hit him just under the chin, collapsing his windpipe. He fell to the ground, fighting to breathe.

  She pulled her hand out of his grasp and ran for the road. It was too late to catch the convoy, but she ran to get away. She knew they would restrain her if they caught her and that they would be angry at the assaults.

  Emily stopped suddenly when a line of Encala Army appeared ahead of her, their red capes flowing in the strong breeze. She turned to the left and saw a line of Valle Army closing in on her. Spinning, she came face-to-face with the Equites Cavalry, and she started to panic as she turned and looked around for a way out.

  “Emily, calm down,” Lieutenant Andrew said, putting his hands out. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

  “Get back,” Emily growled. “You know I can ash all of you.”

  “No one doubts that,” Silas said from behind her, and she spun quickly to face him. “Kralen and I aren’t mad either.”

  “Stop moving!” Emily screamed, and the three lines of guards stopped moving when they saw the terrified look cross her face.

  “The Elders sent us, from all three factions, to ensure you stay away from the impending war,” Lieutenant Andrew said.

  “I should be there and you know it!” Emily screamed at him, and spun when she saw the Valle line moving toward her. They stopped when she glared at them.

  “Where’s Mark?” Emily asked scathingly.

  “He’s with Chevalier,” Silas said.

  “Now what? You tie me to the bed? Put me in a prison cell?” Emily asked, breathing rapidly as she felt the guards inching in on her.

  “Nothing like that, we won’t restrain you,” Silas said. “We’ll just watch you carefully.”

  “First person that touches me gets ashed,” Emily warned. “Now back up and let me on my horse.”

  “Tandem only,” Quinn said, and Emily glared at him as he repeated. “Tandem only.”

  Emily growled and hoisted herself onto her horse. She kicked hard and the stallion lurched forward into a gallop, and then jumped the heku as they crouched to avoid getting kicked. She pulled ahead of them on Keith’s fastest horse.

  As she broke out of the trees, well ahead of the blurring heku, she pulled her horse to a sudden stop and he responded by rearing back angrily. She held on and then glared at the entire Thukil Cavalry when the horse settled. They were mounted and quickly formed a circle around her.

  “Let me through,” she yelled.

  “Sorry, Commander, Elder’s orders,” Darren said sternly.

  Emily backed her horse up, watching Darren closely.

  “Don’t do it,” Darren said, and his horse shifted nervously.

  Emily was beyond seeing reason. She felt trapped and terrified. The horse leaned his ears back as it sensed her tension and panic and his tail began to swish anxiously.

  “He’s going to buck,” Darren said calmly. “You’re scaring him.”

  Emily kicked the stallion and he took off, quickly hitting maximum speed as she ran straight toward the center of the Cavalry. The footed guards watched nervously as she sped toward the others. At the last second, the two Thukil guards pulled their horses to the side and the others took off after her.

  Quinn sighed as he saw the 76 horses racing down the hills toward the road. They formed a V with Emily at the lead, but the others were catching up with her quickly. One of the front guards had a lasso in his hand and was expertly twirling it in the air, ready to catch Emily’s stallion. As the Captain neared her, he got up on o
ne knee and steadied himself. When his horse caught up to her, he launched himself into the air and knocked Emily off of her horse just as the other guard lassoed the stallion and took control.

  The Cavalry swiftly ran around the two on the ground, and Darren pinned her as she screamed at him, “Don’t do this!”

  Darren stood up angrily and pulled her to her feet by her arm, “Now… calm down.”

  Another member of the Thukil Cavalry grabbed her other arm, and they walked her back toward the castle as she limped and fought against them.

  They neared the palace and the other guards were all waiting there for her with Quinn in the front, and Encala’s Elder Aaron to his side. The Thukils let Emily go when she was surrounded by guards, and she limped forward toward the door.

  Quinn stepped in front of her, “How badly are you injured.”

  Emily reached up and slapped him across the face and then stepped around him and headed inside. Blood began to soak through the back of her shirt as she headed up the stairs slowly. Allen met her on the stairs and glared at the guards behind her as he helped her up to her room.

  “William’s here, we’re heading out,” Aaron said to Quinn.

  “Thanks for your help,” Quinn told him, and turned to the guards. “Did she turn anyone to ash?”

  “No, Sir,” Silas told him.

  “Here’s how it’ll work. The Thukil Cavalry will patrol the perimeter of the palace. She’s been known to jump out of windows, so make sure you can see every inch of the walls,” Quinn said. “Powan will patrol inside with the Council City Guards, but only the Cavalry will be allowed to guard inside of her room.”

  “You have your orders in regards to anyone non-Equites around the palace,” Quinn reminded them. “Once the Valle and Encala head out, only Equites are allowed in the city, and only authorized guards are to be anywhere near the palace.”

  “Do you all have your notes?” Silas asked, and everyone nodded. “Keep them in your hands. We don’t know how many minds she can wipe at once, and don’t want to take chances.”

  “Silas and I will be in her room,” Kralen said. “The Elder had her phone disconnected, and everyone needs to be ready for a fight. If you start to get lax, just remember how many heku she just got away from out in the trees.”