“All that will ever be left,” Zohn said. “She cannot have children.”
“Dain also,” Quinn added. “There is speculation about what would happen if Dain were to father a child. We fear that the Valle may want to try this.”
“And Allen?” the Chief of Finance asked.
“He can protect himself and we leave that up to Island Coven. Right now we focus on the two younger children.”
“Have we heard from… him?” the Chief of Defense asked.
Zohn looked down at his hands, “No, neither he nor Kyle have been heard from since the funeral.”
“Encala reports?” Dustin asked.
“The only thing we’ve heard is that those that are left are hiding for fear of being brutally tortured and then murdered.”
“Frederick?”
“No sign of him. Though Thukil and our Cavalry are out there looking.”
“If they find him?”
“He’s to be kept for Chevalier,” Zohn said.
“Easy enough,” Dustin said, and sat back in his chair. “We double the guards on Alexis, four Cavalry at all times.”
“The Cavalry is busy… and still feeling the effects of losing a Commander and their charge.”
“That wasn’t their fault.”
“It was no one’s fault but Fredericks,” Quinn snapped. “However, they have taken it personally.”
Zohn sighed, “We naturally will put the Cavalry on Alexis when they are done helping Chevalier… but until then, she’s sitting alone in her bedroom with only her younger brother to help her.”
“She’ll get over it,” Dustin said.
Quinn glared at him, “Get out of my sight.”
Dustin nodded and blurred from the room.
“She’s not eating, sleeping, or letting anyone in her room,” the Chief of Defense reported.
Quinn smiled slightly, “That sounds familiar.”
“Emily and Alexis were unique,” Zohn whispered. “That child is now alone.”
“What of Dain, then?” the Faction Liaison Officer asked.
“We hope he’s strong enough to protect himself, but he’s young and inexperienced,” the Chief of Staff said.
“What do you think about Dain’s ability to father a Winchester?” the Court Reporter asked Zohn.
Zohn shrugged, “I guess it’s possible, but we may never find out. Other speculations are about if Alexis were to turn a mortal… would her powers move on to them? Similar to the original ancient who started Powan by passing on his abilities.”
“Other ancients didn’t pass on their abilities though,” Quinn said.
“True”
Whispers suddenly erupted from all around the palace. Chevalier and Kyle had just returned to the palace with Frederick, and those who saw them spoke of the immense rage the Elder and Chief Enforcer had.
Quinn looked at Zohn, “Clear out the palace again.”
Zohn nodded and turned to the Council, “Go to your home covens, we will call when things are clear.”
“We should evacuate the Elders also,” the Chief of Defense said.
“No,” Zohn told him. “We’re safe.”
The Council quickly disbanded and headed for their covens while the entire palace emptied out. Most heku in the city did the same and soon, an eerie silence passed through the large city. When screams started from the dungeon, Zohn looked at Quinn.
“I keep reminding myself that it is deserved,” Quinn whispered.
Zohn simply nodded and turned to the trial room door when it opened. Dain stepped in and shut the door behind him.
“Yes, Child?” Quinn asked.
“Dad is back?”
“Yes”
“Who does he have?”
Zohn sighed, “Frederick was found.”
Dain grinned evilly and disappeared from the room. Prison guards asked the Elders if he was to be allowed into the prison and he was granted the right to help avenge his mother’s death.
Quinn turned suddenly when the back doors opened, “The palace is to be cleared… oh…”
Alexis stepped in, still red eyed and timid as she shut the door behind her.
Zohn smiled softly, “Are you ok, Alexis?”
Alexis nodded, but seemed unsure.
“Is there a problem?”
She shook her head.
Quinn put his hand out, “Come… sit with us for a bit.”
Alexis thought for a moment before taking his hand and he helped her to sit down in the chair next to him. She jumped and looked over when new screams filled the palace.
Zohn looked toward the door, and then back to Alexis, “Is it the screams that’s bothering you?”
She shrugged.
“Are you afraid?”
When Alexis started to nod, her eyes filled with tears.
“His rage won’t extend to you, Child.”
“It’s…” she whispered, and then looked down at her hands.
“Tell us, maybe we can help.”
“No one can help me.”
Quinn took her hand gently, “You aren’t alone.”
Just the thought brought a new round of tears as the hole in Alexis’ heart grew bigger and there was nothing she could find to stop the pain.
Zohn watched her for a few moments before speaking, “He didn’t mean to lie to you.”
Alexis didn’t look up from her hands, “He promised me she was going to heal.”
“He thought she would… we all did.”
“I can’t do this,” she said through sobs.
“Do what?”
“I can’t live without my Mom.”
“I know it’s going to be hard, but we’re all here for you.”
“She was so strong, and I’m not like that.”
Zohn glanced at Quinn briefly before speaking, “You are stronger than you can imagine. Having the blood of both Chevalier and Emily, you are probably stronger than both of them.”
“No,” she whispered. “I’m not. I’m afraid of being alone, of being tortured and kidnapped like Mom was. I can’t do what she did and I can’t fill her shoes.”
“No one is asking you to.”
Alexis nodded and looked up at them, “I know what’s going to happen. I’m the last Winchester now, but I’m not my Mom and I can’t live with the pain and suffering.”
Quinn nodded slightly, “I see what you’re concern is and I’m not sure you should be worrying about that. Do you know what your Mom told the Council?”
“No”
“She told us that we gave her a wonderful life and that she couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“So?”
“That tells me that even though she dealt with pain and hardships… it was nothing compared to the happy life she had with the heku.”
Zohn nodded and then smiled softly, “She… she always amazed me how well she bounced back from something. It was like she wasn’t going to let anything break her spirit and get her down.”
Quinn looked around the trial room, “Just when I thought she might finally have had enough, she’d do something… something that only Emily would do.”
“Like the time she put a sick horse in Dustin’s office… there was… vomit… all over his desk.”
Quinn grinned, “Or when she secretly replaced the Council’s robes with pink ones.”
Alexis started to laugh through her tears, “You should see what she had planned that never got carried out.”
“Oh, like what?” Zohn asked.
“Let’s just say that there’s still an order out there for 46 cases of light bulbs that should arrive within the next few weeks.”
“My God, for what?” Quinn asked.
Alexis fell deep into thought before speaking, “She never would say.”
“Your mother paved the way for you to have a lot better of a life than she had… and from the way she talked, hers was pretty good.”
“I know,” Alexis said, and looked toward the door when a new round of screa
ms started.
“Would you like us to take you away from the noise?”
“No… I just… I’m not a full-heku I guess.”
“What makes you say that?” Zohn asked.
Alexis smiled at him, “I don’t mind the noise… I’m just glad I’m not helping.”
Quinn nodded and then smiled at Alexis, “Tell us what your mother thought the ancient’s room was for.”
Alexis started to laugh, “She wouldn’t even tell me.”
“Damn”
The screams suddenly stopped and the young girl looked at the doors, “Maybe he’s done.”
“I’m afraid not,” Zohn said. “He’s waiting for Frederick to regain consciousness.”
“I wish I could hear like the heku.”
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t. It’s never quiet.”
“True,” Alexis said, and then stood up. “I’m going to have more guards now, aren’t I?”
“Yes”
She thought for a moment and then headed up the stairs.
“She may not be full heku, but I am, and I’d like to see what they’re doing to Frederick,” Zohn said, and headed for the door. The prison guards bowed to him when he walked through and he noticed that not a single sound could be heard from the prisoners.
The amount of blood covering every surface in the interrogation room shocked Zohn. He moved into the room quietly and stood back along the wall with Dain and Mark as Chevalier and Kyle methodically began to skin Frederick as his screams again filled the palace. Small shreds of his skin fell to the floor of the interrogation room, and Dain took a step back to avoid being close to it.
Mark watched for the enemy Elder to go unconscious, and would tell Chevalier and Kyle. They would stop and wait for him to come fully around before continuing. Zohn hadn’t seen this done before and was stunned at the sheer brutality of it. He fought against his instincts to join in and cause even more pain, but understood that it was his responsibility to stay calm for the faction, in case a decision was needed.
After a few hours, when the novelty of it wore off, Frederick was hung in the shackles to heal.
“It’s quiet,” Chevalier said as he watched Frederick.
“We’ve cleared out the palace,” Zohn explained.
“Where’s Alex?” Dain asked.
“She’s fine… she went back up the stairs.”
“Did you tell her she can’t come down here?”
“No, I did not. She didn’t wish to join in.”
Dain shrugged and turned back to his Dad, “Now what?”
“Now we start an eternity of suffering,” he said, still watching Frederick.
Zohn frowned, “What do you have in mind?”
Chevalier let Frederick down from the shackles and the Encala looked over at him with wide eyes.
“Kyle… put out the dagger,” Chevalier whispered, and grasped Frederick’s shoulder.
Without a word, Kyle pulled the Chief Enforcer’s dagger from his pocket and held it out.
“Touch it,” Chevalier growled.
Zohn gasped and Frederick jerked away from it, “No.”
“Chevalier…” Zohn whispered.
“Do it,” Chevalier ordered.
“Chevalier… it’s not right.”
“I said touch it!”
Frederick looked down at the dagger and shook his head, “No, I won’t do it.”
Quinn appeared in the room and stood to the side of Frederick, “Chevalier, we must hold with tradition.”
“Touch it,” he said again through clenched teeth.
Kyle took a step forward and Frederick pressed hard against the rock wall behind him, “The Elder said to touch it.”
Zohn put his hands out, “Please, Elder… we can’t force him to touch the Equites dagger.”
Dain frowned slightly, “Why?”
“It causes an eternity of pain, hunger, and torment,” Zohn explained. “It’s never been forced on anyone because once it’s done, it cannot be undone.”
With speed known only to an ‘old one,’ Chevalier took the dagger from Kyle and plunged it into Frederick’s chest, sinking it deep within his heart. When he stepped back, it was the first the heku had even seen him move.
Kyle tore his dagger from Frederick’s chest as the Encala screamed inhumanly and fell to his knees. The strong burning scent filled the interrogation room and Zohn and Quinn moved back against the wall. Four minutes later, Frederick’s screams stopped as he fell to a pile of ash at the feet of Chevalier.
“That’s…” Quinn started, but couldn’t speak of it.
“No one must know,” Zohn whispered.
Dain snarled, “So he’ll never be out of the pain?”
“Never,” Kyle said, wiping the dagger off on Frederick’s shirt.
Chevalier looked down at him, “It’s still only a fraction of the pain he caused.”
“We have to bury him immediately,” Zohn said, and started forward.
“No,” Chevalier growled. “He deserves the punishment Emily preferred…”
“You’re going to scatter him?”
Chevalier nodded and reached down to grab a handful of ashes.
“He’s already in eternal pain,” Quinn said. “What more can you do?”
“We’ll just have to see,” Chevalier told him, and headed up the stairs. He stepped out into the silent night and threw the Encala’s ashes into the strong breeze. When he turned around, Kyle handed him a small leather bag with the rest of Frederick’s ashes.
Chevalier took the bag and tucked it into his pocket. When they went back into the palace, Alexis was at the foot of the long staircase and looked up at them. She avoided looking at her Dad, but turned suddenly and went back up the stairs.
He watched her go and felt the familiar ache.
“She’ll be ok,” Zohn said softly. “It’s just going to take some time.”
“Would you like me to go and talk to her?” Quinn asked.
“No,” Chevalier told him, and started up the stairs. “I’m ready to give a full report to the Council.”
Dain blurred up the stairs after Alexis as the heku went into the Council Chambers. The room was dark and empty, but the Elders took their places, and waited as the Cavalry joined them down in the trial area.
Zohn sighed before speaking, “Very well… are there any Encala left?”
Chevalier smiled slightly, “By last count there are less than 40, and that includes those in our prison.”
“Did we lose any?”
“No”
***
“You can’t be down here,” the prison guard said to Alexis when she walked down the stairs.
“You let Mom down here.”
“You’re not Emily.”
“Fine… if you want to face my Dad, go tattle-tale,” she said, and walked past the guards and down to the last row of cells. The guards quickly spoke and decided they weren’t ready to address Chevalier with anything.
When Alexis found the cell with William in it, she sat down across from him and leaned back against the wall.
William looked up at her and his eyes were full of pain.
“Mom wouldn’t want you in here,” Alexis said.
“I know.”
“They killed Frederick.”
“I heard.”
“Did you know what he was doing?”
William sighed and shook his head, “No, or we would have stopped it.”
“She considered you a friend.”
He sunk his head into his hands, “She was mine also.”
Alexis watched the Encala Elder for a few moments, studying how the anguish in his face expressed the pain he felt at the loss of Emily.
“If you leave here, what will you do?”
“They’ll never let me out,” William whispered.
“Still… if they do…”
“I would try to rebuild the Encala.”
“From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing left of your faction.”
<
br /> “It would be my duty to rebuild.”
“Are you afraid of what will happen to the heku with only two factions?” Alexis asked him.
“Yes, I am.”
“What can I do to help you?”
William looked up at her, “Nothing, Child. You need to forget me down here.”
“Why? Mom wouldn’t.”
“Your Mom was…”
“Stronger, I know.”
“No… she knew the heku better, knew how to work the Council to get what she wanted.”
“I feel like I need to stand up for what my Mom would have wanted and let you free.”
“When Chevalier is done with the other Encala Council… I fully expect to die.”
“But you didn’t kill Mom.”
“He doesn’t care. He will kill anyone who might be involved, no matter how remotely.”
“I could go to the Valle and ask for help,” Alexis suggested.
William smiled, “You’re more like Emily than you admit to.”
“No I’m not, or I would already be on my way to the Valle.”
“Alexis?” Chevalier said from down the hallway. She stood up and turned suddenly toward him as William stood and watched Chevalier.
“You’re not going to hurt him,” Alexis yelled.
“This is none of your concern… get back upstairs,” Chevalier growled, then tightened his hands into fists.
“No!” Alexis said. “Mom wouldn’t want William dead and I’m the only one that can stand up for what she wanted.”
“You don’t know anything!” Chevalier yelled. “It’s his faction that killed her and they will all pay for that.”
“He didn’t do it.”
“Alexis… I’m not going to tell you again, get upstairs.”
“I hate you,” Alexis whispered harshly.
“I know.”
“Hurt William, and I’m joining the Valle.”
“Alexis, don’t do this,” William whispered. “Don’t put yourself in danger for me.”
“Don’t speak to her!” Chevalier roared.
Alexis moved a step closer to the Encala Elder’s cell, “Come near him and you’ll have me to deal with.”
Silas appeared in the hallway and moved up to Alexis, “Come on, Lexi… let’s go.”
“Back off, Silas,” Alexis said to him, and pushed him away from her.
Eternity of Vengeance (Extended Edition) : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 51
