Eternity of Vengeance (Extended Edition) : Book 7 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “What might that be?”

  “I assume you are aware that another body was found, another victim of the serial killer known as Heartbreaker?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “I happened upon the crime scene… the park where the body was found, and the mortal police were just leaving the area. I got curious and went to the chalk outline on the sidewalk and found the fading scent of a heku,” she explained.

  Quinn frowned, “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, Elder. I wish I could place a faction, but I have never encountered an Encala or a Valle. It was not the scent of an Equites.”

  “That’s disturbing.”

  “The News isn’t saying much about the serial killer, but I also smelled no blood in the area.”

  “None at all? Or just faded?” Zohn asked.

  “None, Elder.”

  “Were you alone?”

  “Yes, Elder.”

  “Take the Chief Investigator to the scene,” Chevalier told her.

  She nodded and left the room with the Equites Investigator.

  “This takes on a new meaning if the serial killer is a heku,” Kyle said, turning toward the Elders.

  Zohn nodded, “Yes it does, more so if it’s not an Equites.”

  “We need to keep Emily and Alexis out of the mortal city,” Dustin said. “It’s not safe, especially if it is a heku.”

  “That’s true,” Chevalier said. “I spoke to her though, and she hasn’t run off since she snuck out for coffee with Kralen 4 months ago.”

  “Alert the Cavalry that the Heartbreaker may be heku. Have them up her security. I’ve seen, at times, she has only one or two guards,” the Chief of Defense said.

  Zohn frowned, “What happened to 4?”

  Kyle sighed, “We’ve been using the Cavalry more and more to handle Encala skirmishes, and she’s often left with the palace guards. While they may be more than efficient at protecting the palace, they are sometimes lax when assigned directly to Emily.”

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “Remedy that.”

  “Yes, Elder,” Kyle said, and disappeared from the room.

  Zohn turned to Chevalier, “Whose turn is it?”

  “I think it’s Richard’s,” Chevalier told him, and turned to the Chief Interrogator.

  The Chief Interrogator stood up, “I’ll see what I can do… this plan doesn’t seem to be working.”

  “I had no luck at all,” the Chief of Staff told him. “She is getting suspicious.”

  Chevalier grinned, “I told you she would do that if you all make a point to interact with her out of the everyday norm.”

  “There is no everyday norm. We only spoke to her when she came before the Council,” Richard said. “However, she’s not been in 7 months.”

  “Not since the Encala Council confronted her,” the Chief of Staff said.

  Quinn thought for a moment, “Why don’t you tell us who is on the ‘Damon Follower’ list, and we’ll work with those.”

  “Oh no, I’m not giving out that list,” Chevalier said, and then laughed. “It’s best if we just back off… She’ll come around when she feels more comfortable.”

  The Chief Interrogator sat back down in his chair, “Very well.”

  “Elder?” Derrick said, stepping into the room.

  Chevalier sighed, “What did she do now?”

  Derrick smiled slightly, “Her guards advised me that she is currently in a fight with Dain in her office.”

  “Alone?” Chevalier gasped.

  “Yes, Elder. They are unable to get in.”

  “Let’s go see what’s up,” Zohn said, standing up.

  Chevalier grinned, “You go. Let me know if it’s an emergency.”

  “Not my family,” Zohn chuckled, and waited for Chevalier. He finally stood up and they both headed down the stairs to Emily’s office on the third floor.

  Silas saw them coming and turned, “She dragged him into her office by his ear.”

  “Over what?” Chevalier asked, stepping closer to listen carefully through the door.

  “We aren’t sure,” Kralen told him, and turned toward the door. The heku could hear Emily screaming through the door.

  “Never! Do you hear me?” Emily yelled.

  “Yes, Mom… but…” Dain mumbled.

  “No! No buts… now stand up straight.”

  “Mom…”

  “No! You do not crouch at me!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Now get those hands out of fists… this instant.”

  “But…”

  “Do it,” she growled. “If you ever expose your teeth and crouch at me again, I’ll not hesitate to throw you over my knee. Is that understood?”

  Chevalier cringed slightly and glared at Kralen when he laughed.

  “Yes, Mom,” Dain whispered.

  “You’re 8 years old!”

  “I know.”

  Chevalier sighed and knocked on her door, ready to defend his son, “Em? Can I come in?”

  “Is your Dad in on this?” she yelled at Dain, and Chevalier winced.

  “No”

  “Is he?”

  “No, he didn’t know… I was just…”

  “Stop! I’m not listening to this. You aren’t to leave the palace without my permission, is that understood?”

  “Mom…”

  “Is… that… understood?” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Yes, Mom,” Dain whispered.

  “Who gave it to you?”

  “It’s… it doesn’t matter, I’ll give it back.”

  “Who!?”

  Chevalier knocked again, “Em… let me in.”

  “Answer me!” Emily screamed.

  “It’s not what you think though,” Dain explained.

  “Is that what I asked?”

  “Well… no.”

  “Then who gave it to you?”

  “Gave him what?” Chevalier whispered to her guards.

  Kralen shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

  “Dain! I’m waiting,” Emily said, obviously furious.

  Dain sighed, “Stuart gave it to me.”

  “The Cavalry Stuart?”

  “Yes… but Mom, I asked him for it.”

  “Stuart!” Emily screamed. “Get to my office, now!”

  Chevalier’s eyes grew wide and he turned when the Cavalry member walked calmly up the stairs and bowed toward the heku at Emily’s door.

  “What did you give Dain?” Zohn whispered to him.

  “Just a copy of the Council City Guard Manual, Elder. He asked for it,” Stuart explained.

  Chevalier turned to him and whispered, “You’re on vacation. Go to your coven for a week.”

  “Sir?” Stuart asked, confused.

  Zohn grinned, “Trust us… get out of Council City immediately.”

  The Cavalry member nodded, still confused, and disappeared from the palace.

  Kralen and Silas jumped back when Emily’s door slammed open. She stormed out and turned to Silas, “Where’s Stuart?”

  “He’s on leave this week,” Silas said, taking a step back. The heku looked into her office and saw Dain in the corner, watching her with wide eyes.

  “Mark!” Emily screamed, and went back into the office again, slamming the door after her.

  Mark appeared suddenly and frowned slightly as he saw the heku gathered outside of her door.

  Silas grinned, “Did you want buried at Hall Coven or here in the City?”

  “Why am I dying?” Mark whispered. It was obvious from the looks on the heku’s faces that something was wrong.

  “If you think for one second I’m going to let this happen, you have another thing coming!” Emily screamed from inside her office.

  Mark grimaced and looked over at her door, “Who’s in there with her?”

  “Dain is,” Kralen whispered.

  “She’s actually mad at Stuart, but we decided to spare his life and sent him away for a week,” Zohn whispered to him.

/>   “Do you!?” Emily yelled.

  “Mom, just list…” Dain started.

  “No you listen to me! Where the hell is Mark?”

  Mark grinned slight, “I quit.”

  “You can’t quit, get in there,” Zohn told him and chuckled.

  “Last I heard, the Ferus was looking for more leadership… maybe they’ll take me.”

  “Not a chance… I’m sure I’m next in line to get yelled at and I’m not in the mood,” Chevalier told him, and then reached over and knocked on Emily’s door.

  “It’s Mark,” he called through the door.

  “Get your ass in here,” Emily yelled, and Dain opened the door. The massive 8-year-old started to step out of her office, but she reached over and pulled him back inside by his collar. Mark glanced once more at the Elders and then walked into her office. She slammed the door after him.

  “Is Chevalier out there?” Emily snapped at Mark. Zohn looked over just as Chevalier disappeared from the hallway. He grinned and whispered through the door.

  “He… he’s not here right now,” Mark told her.

  Emily stepped closer to Mark, “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  “Well… no,” Mark said, and took a step back. His back hit the wall and his eyes grew wide. It wasn’t often he saw Emily this mad and he was silently waiting for the burn to begin.

  “What makes you think I would allow my 8-year-old to join the guard staff?” she screamed.

  “I wasn’t aware he…”

  “Don’t lie to me! Your Cavalry gave my son a manual… Why would they do that if they weren’t trying to recruit him?”

  “Mom… I asked…” Dain started, but Emily’s glare shut him up.

  “Em… calm down,” Mark said. “No one’s trying to put Dain on the guard staff.”

  “Yes they are! The same thing happened to Allen… It starts with a glance at the manual, and turns into banishment from this city!”

  “As far as I know, Dain’s never expressed an interest in the guard staff.”

  Emily was suddenly toe-to-toe with the massive General, “It’ll be over my dead body before my son joins your guards.”

  “It’s not even been considered.”

  Emily pushed him as hard as she could, though he didn’t budge, “Don’t defy me on this!”

  “I’ll talk to Stuart…”

  “I asked Stuart for a manual, Mom,” Dain said, and then took a step back when Emily turned on him.

  “Why?”

  “I was just curious how your guards were trained… that’s it.”

  “You’re what?” Mark asked, frowning.

  “I wanted to ensure that my Mom is well protected,” Dain explained.

  This time it was Mark who stepped toward the boy, “You doubt our ability to protect your Mom?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Emily stepped between them, finally calming down, “Calm down, Mark.”

  Mark pointed, his finger just inches from Dain’s face, “You… are an infant and know nothing!”

  Dain pushed Emily aside and shoved Mark.

  “Stop!” Emily screamed when the two immediately began to fight. She was thrown back against her desk by one of them when she tried to get into the middle of it. She gasped and ran for the door when Mark slammed Dain onto her desk, sending computers and wood flying around the room.

  As soon as the door opened, Mark and Dain flew out of her office and Mark pinned Dain against the far wall, leaving a long crack up the marble.

  “Do not attack me!” Mark growled, and tightened his hand around Dain’s throat.

  “Let him go,” Emily yelled, and started to pull at Mark.

  Chevalier appeared on the landing and picked Emily up off of the General, “Let him do this, Em.”

  “No! He’ll hurt Dain.”

  “Yes, he will… but he’ll heal and he’ll learn from it,” Chevalier explained.

  “If you ever so much as look at me wrong, I’ll send your head through the wall… is that understood?” Mark asked, and slammed Dain’s head back against the wall.

  “I understand,” Dain growled at him. Mark let him go and took a step back.

  “I told you, Dain. Don’t mess with anyone in this palace,” Chevalier told him. He let Emily go and she rushed to Dain to make sure he wasn’t injured.

  “He’s fine, Em,” Mark told her.

  Emily moved forward and slapped Mark, “Keep your hands off my son.”

  “Our son, and I say the boy had it coming,” Chevalier told her.

  Emily turned to Dain, “Get in the truck.”

  Dain nodded and disappeared. Emily spun and started down the stairs.

  “Where are we going?” Silas asked, following her. He gasped and took a step back when he felt the burn in his chest begin. Emily disappeared down the stairs. He turned to explain to Mark and Chevalier why he backed off, but could tell by the look on their faces that they felt it too.

  “Just let her go burn off steam,” Chevalier told them. “I personally don’t want to mess with her when she’s in this bad of a mood. Kyle’s gone for three more days and I don’t like spending my time smoking.

  “Agreed,” Mark said, straightened his uniform, and then walked up the stairs to his office.

  ***

  “I just wish you would stay out of it. I can handle it,” Dain told Emily.

  “I’m not going to let them bully you around just because they can,” she told him.

  “I can take it though.”

  “You can… but you don’t have to.”

  Just before the gates to the city, Emily slammed on the breaks and threw open her door.

  “Is that Alexis?” Dain growled, and opened his door.

  From beside the gate, Gabe, Alexis’ former bodyguard, looked over at the truck and took a step back away from Alexis. He had been talking to Alexis as he leaned against the wall beside her and his hand was lightly brushing hair off of her cheek.

  Emily scrambled out of the truck when Dain blurred to the guard and slammed him up against the wall.

  “Dain, get in the truck,” Emily yelled. Dain growled once and then slowly walked to the truck.

  “Mom, this isn’t what it looks like,” Alexis told her, but Emily noticed the blush in her cheeks.

  “We were just talking,” Gabe told her.

  “I’m not leaving with you,” Alexis yelled.

  “Gabe, get in the truck,” Emily said, and walked back to the old Chevy.

  “What?” he asked, shocked.

  “Mom, no!” Alexis screamed.

  Emily turned back to the guard, “I’m a member of the Council and I suggest you get in the damned truck.”

  “Don’t do it Gabe,” Alexis begged.

  “I have to…” Gabe told her, and walked to the truck. He got into the front seat of the truck while Emily crawled into the driver’s seat and Dain got in back. Alexis screamed at her Mom as she pulled out of Council City.

  Dain growled softly from behind Gabe and he watched out the window, too terrified to move.

  “Are you Alex’s guard again?” Emily asked him after a few minutes of silence.

  “No, Ma’am.”

  “Where are her guards?”

  “I don’t know, Ma’am.”

  They drove in silence for almost an hour before Emily finally pulled over into a small park and got out, “Come on, we’ll talk over here.”

  Dain and Gabe got out of the truck, both too afraid to defy Emily. She walked over and sat down on a picnic table.

  “Why are we here, Mom?” Dain asked, and scanned the area quickly.

  “Have a seat, Gabe,” Emily said, and patted the picnic table beside her. Without a word, he complied.

  Dain grinned at the frightened look on Gabe’s face as he sat beside a mortal a fraction of his size. The young looking heku stood almost 3 inches shorter than Dain, but his shoulders were broader and his uniform shirt clung tightly to massive muscles. He had short spiked brown hair and dark eyes.r />
  Emily sighed, “This is where I get confused. Heku, at least most I’ve met… are intelligent and make wise decisions.”

  Gabe didn’t reply. He just watched her.

  She looked over at him, “So are you just that stupid?”

  “Ma’am?”

  Dain grinned.

  “Stupid… are you not as bright as most?”

  “I don’t understand, Ma’am.”

  “How old are you Gabe?”

  “1,188 years old.”

  “Ok… well that’s old enough to be smarter than that.”

  “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Alexis…”

  “Is a friend.”

  “No, she’s not. I may not be thousands of years old, but I can spot affection from miles away.”

  “Friends only.”

  “See Dain over there?” Emily asked, and motioned to her young son.

  “Yes,” Gabe said, and swallowed hard.

  “He’s a hair taller than you, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes”

  “Ever met his Dad?” Emily asked, and turned to look at him with a glare.

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “That kind and patient heku… the one with infinite tolerance and caring. The one who wouldn’t hurt a fly and strives to be kind to all creatures… that’s the Dad we’re speaking of, right?” Emily asked.

  “Erm… Ma’am?” Gabe wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Yeah… that’s not the Dad I’m talking about either. So you’ve met the Elder, correct?”

  “Yes”

  “Could he remove your hand if he had the desire?”

  “I’m sure he could.”

  “Your head?”

  Gabe nodded, too afraid to speak any longer.

  “With one word he could have you banished?”

  Again he nodded.

  “Killed?”

  Gabe glanced nervously at Dain.

  “Yet you decide to touch his only daughter?” Emily asked, looking over at him. “If you’re afraid of me right now… you’ll never make it with the Elder.”

  “Friends…” he whispered.

  “How old is Alexis?”

  “She… she’s 15.”

  Emily grinned, “And in your infinite wisdom, you guessed that the Elder would be ok with you dating his 15-year-old daughter?”

  “No, Ma’am… not dating… friends.”