“She doesn’t,” he said, pulling her toward the stairs while the fifth-floor guards watched with wide eyes. “She’s going anyway though, unless she tells me different.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea though.”
“Sure it is. Emily always wants to go horseback riding,” Kyle told the Psychiatrist, and then began to pull Emily down the stairs. She was now digging at his hand with her nails to make him let go, and she looked frantically around the stairs.
“Is there a problem, Chief Enforcer?” Derrick asked as Kyle dragged Emily through the fourth-floor’s foyer.
“Nope, not at all. We’re going out to the horses,” Kyle explained, still pulling her along behind him. Emily was frantically trying to plant her feet, but each time she thought she was steady, Kyle would tug a little harder and she was forced to follow him.
“I think we need to let her go back to the bedroom,” Lori said, following them.
“No, she needs out of that bedroom.”
“What’s going on?” Chevalier asked, appearing on the stairs behind Kyle.
“Nothing’s going on. We’re going out on horseback,” he explained as he swapped to pull Emily with his other hand. The one he had been using was covered in blood and scratches and he wanted it to heal while he used the other.
Chevalier frowned and put a hand on Kyle’s shoulder, “Enough.”
Kyle sighed and looked back at him, “I told her... If she doesn’t want to go, she just has to tell me.”
Chevalier thought for a moment and then stepped aside, “Very well.”
“It’s not a good idea,” Lori told him, frustrated.
“Look, Em. Devia’s waiting for us down by the door,” Kyle told her. She was too panicked to look down at the Border collie, but continuously scanned around her to make sure no one was attacking. Emily was no longer pulling at Kyle’s hand, but was still using her body weight to try to stop him as he headed down the last flight of stairs.
“Elder, please… tell the Chief Enforcer to let her go,” Lori whispered.
Chevalier watched them and ran through options in his mind. Each time he decided that what Kyle was doing would be best for her in the long run, “No, let him do it.”
“She’s terrified.”
He focused in on the terror in her vibrant green eyes and his heart sank, but again he thought of her out on horseback again and let Kyle do what he thought was best.
“See, now we just have to go out the door,” Kyle said, gently pulling her forward. The door guards opened the double doors behind him and then watched in disbelief as the Chief Enforcer dragged Emily out the doors of the palace. “Doing good, Em. We’re almost on the grass.”
Devia looked up at them curiously. It was obvious that the Border collie wasn’t sure if he liked what was happening to his master.
In a last-ditch effort to stop Kyle from moving forward, Emily suddenly dropped into a ball on the grass. He sighed and simply picked her up with hands at her waist and carried her, still in the ball, into the stables, “Fine… that was faster anyway.”
“Elder…” Lori whispered.
He sighed, “Just let them be.”
Lori spun and stormed off toward the palace and then disappeared inside.
Chevalier turned just as Emily stood out of her protective ball and began to fight again. Her feet left drag trails through the soft dirt inside as she fought to get out of Kyle’s grasp.
Kyle stopped just outside of the stall door to Emily’s stallion while Chevalier slipped a bridle on the horse and walked him out into the stables. Emily’s fighting became more frantic and she began to kick and claw to get away.
Kyle turned Emily until her back was against his chest and he trapped her arms across her chest with her wrists firmly at her sides. She still fought against him, but he was easily able to restrain her while the scratches across his hands and forearms healed.
“How do you plan on doing this?” Chevalier asked as he tied the stallion to the hitching post.
“I’ll go with her. The Cavalry’s already up on the hillside doing run-throughs, so we’ll join them,” he said. “Now to figure out how to get her up there.”
With that, Emily’s movements became more desperate and frightened.
“Stop it!” Kyle said sternly when she began to claw at him with her nails
“I got her,” Chevalier said, restraining her from behind. He braced himself for the move the Encala taught her, but she didn’t knock his elbows down with hers or even try to slam her palm into his nose.
Kyle untied the stallion and swiftly mounted it bareback, “Ok, hand her up.”
“If you tell me to stop, I will,” Chevalier whispered into her ear. She didn’t seem to hear him, but kept fighting. He waited only a few seconds before lifting her up to Kyle.
Kyle held her firmly to the horse and restrained her arms with one of his while he led the horse with his free hand, “We’ll be back.”
“If she gets worse, just come back.”
Kyle nodded and headed out in a fast canter for the city gates. Once clear of the buildings, he kicked Emily’s stallion into a full gallop and raced toward the Cavalry.
Mark turned when he heard someone approaching and smiled, “Em! Good to see you out.”
His face fell when he saw the terrified look in her eyes and how her entire body was fighting against Kyle’s grasp
“We thought some sun would be good,” Kyle said, stopping the stallion between Mark and Silas.
Silas watched Emily closely, “We thought? Looks to me like she doesn’t like the idea.”
Kyle looked down at her and shrugged, “She didn’t say any different.”
“We sure this is a good idea?” Mark asked as he heard Emily’s heart race.
“No, we aren’t. She can’t sit up there though. It’s time she gets out.”
Silas nodded and turned back to the Cavalry, “Team 4 start up.”
“Do you want me to take her so you can heal?” Mark asked, looking at Kyle’s bloodied arm.
“No, I think we’re good. Going to head out to the trees a bit.”
Kyle kicked the horse softly and started a slow walk along the trees. Once clear of the others, he whispered into Emily’s ear, “You know I’m here if you want to talk.”
When she didn’t even pause in her struggle to get free, he sighed, “It’s just… we’re worried about you. You’ve been back for two years and you still aren’t talking, you are afraid of Allen, and now I’m thinking you might be afraid of being out here on horseback, too. You’re stronger than this, Em. Time to pull out of it and tell us what’s happening.”
A sound off in the trees caught Kyle’s attention and his restraining arm tightened around Emily when he caught the sound of approaching footsteps. The Cavalry heard it too, and four of them were instantly at his side, scanning the trees carefully. Seconds later, the rest of the Cavalry rode up and they formed a long line with Kyle in the center.
“Who’s in there?” Kralen yelled toward the trees.
Emily stopped fighting, but her breathing began to pick up as five heku stepped out of the trees. They wore the signature gray capes of the Valle’s Imperial Guard and didn’t seem afraid by the ominous force of 98 mounted Equites.
“Stop there,” Mark growled when the Valle cleared the trees.
“So it’s true,” the closest one said, watching Emily.
“Calm down,” Kyle whispered to her when her heart rate raced.
“Why are you this close to Council City?” Mark asked them.
The Valle smiled at Emily, “May we talk to you for a moment?”
“No!” Silas and Kralen both yelled at him.
He looked from the Cavalry to Emily, “We heard rumors that you had returned, and we were to bring word back to the Council of your well-being.”
Emily’s body began to shake and a gleam of sweat formed.
“You tell your Council to mind their own business,” Mark told him.
&nbs
p; “She’s perfectly capable of speaking for herself,” the Valle said haughtily. “I’m sure she doesn’t need the Equites speaking for her.”
“Yes she is… and yes we are,” Mark said. “You have five seconds to disappear or we’ll consider this a breach of our land and you will be imprisoned.”
“Just talk to us, Lady Emily, please,” the shortest Valle said.
“Damnit,” Kyle growled when Emily fell limp in his arms. He turned the horse back for the palace and kicked him into a gallop, glad he was on the racing stallion.
Mark smiled at the Valle, “Too late.”
Chevalier and Dr. Edwards heard Kyle’s call and met them in the stables. By the time Kyle arrived, Emily was having a small seizure and her eyes were rolled back in her head. He dropped her down to Chevalier’s waiting arms and he immediately blurred her to her room where he laid her softly on the bed as she relaxed.
Dr. Edwards sat down by her on the bed and instantly took a blood pressure, “It’s too high… way too high.”
“What happened?” Chevalier asked when Kyle came in.
“You know she was having problems anyway,” Kyle whispered, afraid of disturbing Emily. “It got worse up on the hills, but when some Imperial Guards appeared. Her heart was out of control and she started to seize.”
“The Valle!?” Chevalier hissed.
“Yes, they came to see if the rumors about Emily were true. I think the gray capes might have sent her over the edge.”
Dr. Edwards was obviously angry, “Why was I not consulted about this? Her body can’t take that much stress!”
“It’s my fault,” Chevalier told him. “I thought it would do her some good to get out on a horse. I knew she was panicked, but really thought that once she felt the horse and got some sun and fresh air, that she’d calm down and enjoy it.”
“Yeah well it didn’t,” Dr. Edwards said, turning back to her. “Now she’ll need to rest and we have to keep things calm.”
“We didn’t know the Valle were going to show up,” Kyle told him, a little irritated that he spoke to the Elder in that manner. “Yes she was panicking up on the hills, but she just needed time to relax.”
“We don’t know that now do we?”
“Meaning?” Chevalier asked. He’d picked up on the patronizing tone of the doctor and was getting angry.
“Meaning… we have no idea what that bastard planted in her head. She may have been reacting to a threat, or external stimulus that we don’t even know about.”
“She loves horses… all we did was try to remind her of that.”
“Not yet, she’s not ready.”
Lori cleared her throat from the doorway, “You do realize that even post-ictal, she can hear you?”
Chevalier lowered his voice so Emily wouldn’t hear him, “I don’t care how much you think you know her, or how much you understand the mortal body… but Kyle and I know Emily, and Emily wouldn’t be kept up here hiding from the things she loves.”
“This isn’t your Emily,” Dr. Edwards said. “She may never be the same and can’t be treated like nothing’s changed!”
Lori broke in, “I disagree. This is his Emily and she will recover from this.”
“We don’t know that! We can’t put any more pressure on her than we already have by forcing her to do things that she used to like. Too much has happened for us to assume she’ll return to how she was.”
“Get out of Council City,” Chevalier yelled, no longer caring if Emily heard. He held his hand out for Kyle to stay. The heku all left immediately, not wanting to feel the Elder’s wrath. Once they were alone with Emily, he sat down beside her and took her hand.
“She’ll be back,” Kyle whispered.
“I know.”
“Every day I see little glimpses of Emily in there. I just think it’s going to take time. Look what she’s gone through already. You’d think her time in Exavior’s custody would have changed her too, but it didn’t.”
“I agree, but if the doctor doesn’t stop the path he’s on… he’s going to find himself back on Island Coven permanently.”
“I’ll talk to him. Doctor or no, he can’t treat you like that.”
Chevalier nodded and watched her sleep, “How can we get her to do something? I don’t even mean talk… a nod would be nice.”
“I obviously don’t know,” Kyle said with a slight smile. “I thought today would do that.”
“It might have if the Valle hadn’t interrupted.”
Kyle sighed, “Now that they know… they may try to get her.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Maybe you and I need to go talk to them.”
Chevalier looked over at him, “That may not be a bad idea.”
“It might pre-empt an attack if we stress how bad off she is.”
“Let’s stay until she wakes up and I’ll tell her. I don’t want to just disappear. Let’s take Mark, Horace, and Cavalry team 7.”
Kyle nodded and headed off to make arrangements.
Chapter 29 - Pins
“Em, calm down,” Chevalier said, taking her hand.
“We’ll only be gone a few days,” Kyle assured her. “Quinn, Zohn, Silas, and Kralen are still here to watch over you.”
Emily tightened her death-grip on Chevalier’s arm.
“They know you are here now,” Chevalier explained. “We just need to go make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”
“Sir, we’re ready,” Mark said from the door.
Chevalier nodded at him and then turned back to Emily, “Just stay up here and no one will bother you, ok?”
Quinn and Zohn walked in and stood beside Mark.
“We’ll be back,” he whispered, and gently pried her hand off of his arm. “If you need anything, Quinn and Zohn are here.”
Emily lunged forward and tried to grab his arm again, but Silas gently restrained her, “We’ll be here, Em. They’ll be ok. The Valle are too afraid of the Elder to try anything.”
A stray tear fell down her cheek as Chevalier and Kyle left her room and headed off to the Valle. The Equites decided to drive it, and everyone they were taking fit into two black Suburbans.
“I specifically wanted us in this vehicle together so we can discuss options about Emily’s inability to speak,” Chevalier said, an hour into the drive.
Kyle glanced over from the driver’s seat and nodded, “It would really help if she would just tell us what’s going on. I still think Salazar did something that made her afraid of Allen and horses.”
“So you gave her the option of not going out on horseback if she’d just tell you no?” Mark asked.
Chevalier nodded, “Yes, but she didn’t so much as shake her head.”
“I honestly thought she’d talk when we took the wolves.”
“So did I, actually.”
“What other options do we have?” Mark asked.
“Maybe we bring in another Psychiatrist,” Kyle said. “I mean… I’ve heard that it can take a team of specialists to fix some of this stuff.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Chevalier told him. “When we get back, let’s have Jerry look through the records for 2 more Psychiatrists.”
“Have you considered bringing in William?” Mark asked.
Chevalier looked back at him, “Why would we do that?”
“Well… Salazar fed her a fear of some of the Equites. His faction led to a generalized fear of the Valle. Maybe the Encala are safe from his lies.”
“Can we trust him for that?” Kyle asked.
“I’m going to have to think on that one. Mark has a good point. Salazar might not have considered turning her against the Encala.”
Mark shrugged, “Course, there’s no guarantee William will even set foot in our walls again.”
“We let him go.”
“True, but only after killing the rest of his faction.”
Chevalier chuckled, “True.”
“I still think the horseback idea was good,”
Kyle said, mostly to himself. “If the bloody Valle hadn’t shown up, I really think she would have calmed down.”
“Yeah, so do I. We could try it again.”
“What about the yacht? Take her away from everything for a while.”
“That’d be ok if we could be guaranteed there wouldn’t be any storms,” Chevalier said.
“Oh yeah, that’s right.”
“What about… sec,” Chevalier said, and answered his phone. “Chevalier here.”
He listened for a second to the soft sound of breathing and smiled, “Em?”
“She called you?” Kyle asked, surprised.
Chevalier held his hand over the phone, “Not sure, no one’s talking.”
Kyle chuckled.
“Em, if that’s you, do something so I know.”
“This isn’t the Winchester,” a voice whispered.
Chevalier frowned, “Ok then, who is it?”
“You’ve only scratched the surface.”
“Of what?”
There was a pause before the voice replied, “Of what happened in Green Mountain.”
“Salazar’s having problems speaking at the moment. Why don’t you tell me?”
Chevalier glanced over at Kyle when he got no response.
“Who is that?” Kyle whispered.
“Not a clue,” Chevalier replied, and then thought before speaking. “You apparently know what happened. What will it take to get some information from you? Or do I have to find you and get it out of you?”
“While you are at the Valle, ask for Reed.”
“Who is Reed?” Chevalier growled slightly when the phone disconnected.
“Reed?” Mark asked.
“Apparently we’re supposed to talk to Reed when we get to the Valle.”
“Never heard of him.”
“Well, we’ll just have to find out.”
After two days of driving, the Equites stopped outside of the front gates to the Valle’s Palace City and waited for permission to enter. Chevalier called to check on Emily and found out she hadn’t left her room, but that Zohn, Kralen, and Silas were out checking on an unresponsive Coven.
Sixteen Imperial Guards came to the gates and the highest ranking came forward, “The Council will see you now.”
Eternity of Vengeance (Extended Edition) : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 67
