Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Alexis smiled, “Not too bad, I guess.”

  “Did you see any heku?” Quinn asked.

  “No, Elder.”

  “Were you able to blend in with the other dancers?”

  “Sure, that was easy. They are pretty good girls, just doing what they can to make a living.”

  “Were they able to give you a description?”

  “No, and everyone wants one from them. Everyone’s nervous that they may be next,” Alexis explained.

  “You work again tonight?” Zohn asked.

  “Yes, Elder.”

  “Thank you then. Get some rest.”

  Alexis bowed slightly and then took Garrett’s hand and led him out of the trial area.

  “I can’t blame him entirely,” Chevalier said when Alexis and Garrett were gone.

  “I can’t either. However, we can’t have him yelling at his superiors,” Zohn said.

  “I realize that. I still think we need to cut him a break though and maybe not allow him to leave his house while Alexis gets ready, practices, or is about to leave.”

  “That’s not a bad idea.”

  ***

  “No, Elder,” Alexis said to Quinn. She’d been working at the strip club for almost a week and had yet to see a heku.

  “Maybe he’s moved on,” Kyle said. “We haven’t had any more attacks.”

  “I’d like to think so, but we can’t drop this mission until we know for certain.”

  “Are you handling it ok?” Chevalier asked her.

  She smiled slightly and shrugged, “I guess. It’s weird, but I’m kind of getting used to it.”

  “And Garrett?”

  “He’s surviving.”

  “Emily will be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll head to the house. I want to get changed and then see how her trip was.”

  “You are excused,” Zohn said, and they watched Alexis leave.

  Outside of the council chamber’s door, Alexis turned to Horace, glanced around for Garrett, and then smiled at her guards, “$200.”

  “No way! You’re lying,” Horace said, shocked.

  She nodded and held out her hand, “Pay up.”

  Derrick chuckled and shook his head.

  Horace sighed and handed her a $100 bill, “I can’t believe you made $200 in tips in one night.”

  “I told you I could,” she said as she slipped the extra $100 into her purse. When they heard the helicopter landing, Alexis and her guards quickly ran out of the palace to avoid running into Emily.

  It was obvious to Derrick that neither Emily, nor her heku guards, were happy when they walked down the stairs. To avoid being yelled at, he quickly opened the door and let them into the council chambers.

  “Welcome back,” Chevalier said smiling. His face fell when he saw the angry expressions on their faces, “What happened?”

  Emily glared at Kralen and then turned to the Council, “That wasn’t a vacation. That was a prison sentence!”

  “Were you confined?!” Kyle yelled.

  “Well… no… but it wasn’t any fun! They wouldn’t let me on any rides. We walked around in the heat and did nothing.”

  Chevalier thought for a moment, “Why were you not allowed to go on the rides?”

  Kralen sighed, “Have you seen them, Sir?”

  “Not in person, no.”

  “They’re mortal concocted contraptions built by the lowest bidder! They aren’t even remotely safe.”

  “It’s Disneyworld! Everyone loves Disneyworld, and you had no right keeping me on the ground.”

  “I wasn’t going to let you go hang upside down by a death trap!”

  “Calm down,” Zohn said, shaking his head. “Kralen, it seems as though there was a misunderstanding. It was assumed by the Council that Emily would be allowed to actually enjoy the park.”

  “She had plenty of opportunities to enjoy it,” Gifford said, shifting nervously.

  Emily spun on Gifford, “Just because I may fit in the kiddie rides, doesn’t mean they are fun!”

  “There was… the… you know, carousel.”

  “I can ride real horses here! Why would I want to get onto fake ones?!”

  “Em, calm down,” Chevalier said, trying not to sound amused. “I’m sure they just had your best interest at heart.”

  Kralen looked over at the Council, “There was plenty to do. I’ve never seen that much food before. There were shows, and skits, and games…”

  “I wanted to ride upside down and scream for my life!” Emily yelled.

  Kralen looked at her with wide eyes, “But…”

  “No buts! That was the dullest vacation ever.”

  “I’m sorry, but I felt it was prudent to keep your feet on the ground.”

  “We let you go on that one ride,” Gifford reminded her. “The one in the little shuttle looking thing with the 3D glasses.”

  “You mean the one that every time it moved, Kralen put his arm across me, so I didn’t fall out of me chair?!”

  Gifford nodded and looked down at the ground, “Yes that one.”

  “You’re lucky I don’t go base jump off of the Statue of Liberty!” Emily turned and then walked out of the council chambers.

  “Sir…” Kralen started to talk, but Chevalier held his hand up.

  “I understand.”

  “Yeah, well now she’s not going to talk to us.”

  “Nope, she’s not.”

  “While you’re here…” Zohn said, looking over at them. “Chevalier and Kyle are headed over to the Encala. We want your team to go.”

  Kralen nodded, “We’ll be ready in 10 minutes.”

  “I think I’ll invite Em,” Chevalier said, standing up.

  “You are?”

  “Yes, but I suspect she’ll say no.”

  Chevalier walked up to the bedroom and opened the door as Emily was putting her things away, “I’m sorry about your trip.”

  She shrugged, “I should have known.”

  “I’m headed to the Encala. Do you want to go?”

  Emily looked over at him, “Why?”

  “One of their covens in Germany attacked an Equites coven last night. We wiped them out, but I want to go make sure there’s no retaliation.”

  “Do you need me there?”

  “No, but I thought I’d offer to let you go.”

  She sighed, “I’m not ready to see him.”

  He kissed her lightly, “I figured. Don’t go base jumping while I’m gone, ok?”

  Emily finally laughed, “I promise, if you promise not to get imprisoned.”

  “Nope, not making that promise,” Chevalier said as he walked out the door.

  She looked around the room and was already bored. As she wandered around the bedroom looking for something to do, she saw what a sunny day it was and how the horses were all shut up tight in the barn. The heku meant well, but because they hated the heat of day, they wrongly assumed that the horses should be kept out of it too.

  After slipping on some cowboy boots and a pair of chaps, Emily called for Quiesco and Sebastian to follow her. She saw the St. Bernard run out of Megara’s room, but the Bulldog looked up from her bed and then returned to his usual nap position. Giving up on the Bulldog, Emily headed down to the stables, meeting up with Devia, who was walking slowly out of the stables to greet her.

  “How are you old boy?” she said as she knelt down to pet him. His muzzle was now fully gray, and she often wondered if his eye sight was going. She once told Chevalier that would be the hardest part of immortality, outliving so many precious pets.

  Devia wagged his tail and then followed her into the barn. Once she had six horses tethered to her Stallion, she saddled up and met up with her guards just outside of the stables.

  “Where are we going, Ma’am?” Gifford asked. He wasn’t sure if Emily had forgiven him yet for the Disneyworld mishap and still felt like she distrusted Thukil.

  “Just out. I want to get these six out for the day. Their owners are of
f on that long mission.”

  Gifford nodded and then silently informed Mark that they were headed out of the city. Just as they passed out of the Council City gates, Emily stopped and looked over at a group of people standing in front of the farmhouse. The lone heku guard was obviously trying to get rid of them.

  “Are those V.E.S.?” Emily asked.

  “No, Ma’am. Those are from ‘We the Followers’.”

  “Who?”

  “They think we’re a cult. They started coming around here a few months ago, swearing that they needed to save our souls.”

  Emily smiled slightly, “Seriously?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Do they realize what their initials are?”

  “What do you mean, Ma’am?” Gifford asked, looking over at her.

  “WTF…”

  He just shrugged.

  “Nothing, let’s go talk to them,” Emily said, and kicked her horse lightly.

  Gifford simply did the same, and the guards followed Emily. The farmhouse guard looked up when he heard horses, and then smiled and shook his head, “Here’s the Lady of the house.”

  When the twelve Bible wielding mortals came toward her, she laughed that the farmhouse guard had successfully diverted the entire group in her direction.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, adjusting her hat.

  “We’re here to save the souls of those in this compound,” the eldest man said. He had the signature white patch at his neck that was worn by most theological professionals.

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “By listening to our message, we can prove to you that you are on the wrong path.”

  Emily leaned forward slightly, “How do you even know I’m on the wrong path?”

  “Proverbs 30:14 says, ‘There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from mankind.’”

  She frowned, “So… wait… what?”

  His voice rose and grew stronger, “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood…”

  “Wait! I don’t drink blood. What the hell kind of stuff do you think goes on here?”

  His eyes narrowed at her use of a curse word, “We know what goes on here, and it’s my duty to save you.”

  “You don’t have a clue what goes on here. I don’t drink blood. I don’t have fangs, and you are all annoying me… and trespassing.”

  “Kneel down before me and pray!”

  “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them,” Emily said, sitting back in the saddle. “I have no religious obligation to kneel before you.”

  He snarled at her, “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live!”

  “If we’re going to sit and yell Bible verses at each other, you might as well make them relevant.”

  “Your soul is already damned.”

  “I’m thinking probably so.”

  He looked shocked at that statement, “You admit to being the Devil’s advocate?”

  “No, but I do admit to being really irritated that you’re here bugging me when I have work to do.”

  “I can save you!” he yelled, raising the Bible above his head.

  “It’s too late.” With that, Emily turned her horse and headed out for the hills. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the W.T.F. members crawling into their cars.

  “That was interesting,” Kralen said, riding up.

  “You saw that?”

  “Yes”

  Emily looked over to her other side and saw that Silas had joined them also.

  “We should have had you talk to them when they first showed up.”

  “They’ll be back… they always are.”

  “True, however, they may think twice.”

  She shrugged and stopped her horse up on the green hills. Two of the Cavalry took off in a race across the thick grass, and Emily sat back to enjoy the sun.

  After a few minutes of silence, she frowned and looked over at Silas, “How old are you?”

  “Why?”

  “Just curious.”

  “1,550.”

  Emily turned to the other guards, “Who’s the eldest here?”

  “I think that’d be me, Ma’am,” one of the Cavalry said. She didn’t know him well, but he’d been her guard on numerous occasions.

  “How old are you?”

  “Almost 2,500.”

  “So you were around when the Bible was being written?”

  “Yes”

  She smiled, “Is it true?”

  He glanced nervously at Kralen and then swallowed hard, “I can’t say, Ma’am.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I know for certain if it is.”

  “Right… you know if there was a flood that covered the planet…”

  “Yes, I know, one way or the other.”

  “So was there one?”

  “It’s not something we talk about.”

  “Why not?”

  He sighed, “It’s part of being a mortal… figuring out for yourself if there is a God, and if so, which God to follow. It’s a rite of passage, an important one, and we don’t get involved.”

  “I’m not a mortal though,” Emily reminded him.

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “They won’t even tell us, Em,” Silas said. “Because I wasn’t around when it happened, I’m kept in the dark.”

  “I’ll just ask Chev.”

  “He’s not going to tell you either.”

  “We’ll see…”

  He nodded and turned to watch the heku that were racing. Just as they were all about to head back in, Kralen turned toward Council City and cocked his head to the side slightly.

  Emily watched him closely, “I’m not getting called into the Council, right?”

  “No,” he said, and looked at her. “You’re needed at the farmhouse.”

  “The holy rollers are back?”

  “No, we need to hurry though. They called for the Elder, but he’s gone, so now they want you.”

  Emily shrugged and turned her horse for the gates, “Odd, but ok.”

  When they arrived, no cars were visible and the only thing out of the ordinary was a box on the front step. The farmhouse guard walked out the front door, looked down at the box, and then went to meet Emily.

  “Ma’am… I’m sorry to call you back,” he said, shifting nervously.

  “What’s up?” she asked him.

  “The box, Ma’am. I… well… see for yourself.”

  Somewhat irritated, Emily dismounted and handed her stallion’s reins over to Kralen before walking up onto the porch. As she neared the box, she gasped and then ran toward it when she heard a shrill cry. She looked down, wide eyed, at a screaming baby wrapped up in blue blankets. He was nestled into the box and wasn’t happy.

  Emily reached down and picked him up, then bounced him against her shoulder, “Why is there a baby here?”

  The guard cringed slightly and held out a note.

  She took it and read it while she bounced lightly,

  Dain,

  I’m so sorry to spring this on you. This is your son, Asher. I should have told you about him before. I have no money, and I’m going to Europe with Trent. He’s yours now. God bless,

  Trina

  Emily looked down at the baby and sighed, “I’m going to kill him.”

  “So why is it here?” Kralen asked, looking down at her.

  “Because Dain’s an idiot,” she said. The farmhouse guard took the baby long enough for Emily to get back onto her stallion, and then she took him and cradled him.

  “The baby is Dain’s?” Silas asked, shocked.

  “Seems so, though I want to hear it from him first.”

  They could tell that Emily was livid, so they followed her back to the palace in silence. When they
were almost at the stables, Emily called out for Dain to meet her in her office.

  “Maybe it’d be better if you talk to him in a conference room,” Kralen suggested.

  “No, I want him in my office.” Emily slid off of the horse, still carrying the baby, and headed inside.

  “But in your office, we can’t intervene if there’s a problem.”

  “Oh, there’s a problem!” she yelled.

  Alexis was just walking down the stairs when Emily entered. She frowned and walked to her Mom, “Where’d the baby come from?”

  “Can you take him and feed him?” Emily asked, handing the baby over to her daughter. “There are still bottles around here somewhere.”

  Alexis nodded, “Yeah… but where’d he come from?”

  Emily was too mad to speak, and when she was told Dain was waiting by her office, she stormed up the stairs.

  “Hey, Mom, what’s up?” Dain asked.

  Without a word, Emily grabbed his ear and pulled him into her office. Kralen called for Mark when she slammed the door without letting any of the guards in.

  “Ouch,” Dain yelled. “Let me go.”

  Emily twisted his ear hard before letting go, and then shoved the note at him, “Care to explain?”

  Dain read it and then started to panic, “No… I… I didn’t know…”

  “Who is she?!”

  “Just a girl, Mom… that baby can’t be mine.”

  “Did you sleep with her?”

  “May… well…,” Dain sighed. “Yes.”

  She took a step toward him, obviously furious, “Did you use protection?”

  His shoulders sunk, “No.”

  “Then he is yours! How stupid can you be, Dain?!”

  “I figured she’d be on the pill… ya know?”

  “What’s going on?” Mark asked when he appeared beside Kralen and heard Emily screaming.

  Kralen filled him in, and he immediately called for the Elders. When Zohn walked up the stairs and frowned at the screaming from Emily’s office, Kralen told the Elder about the note and the baby also.

  “Emily, let me in, please,” Zohn said, knocking on her office door.

  “I fought for you! I told your Dad how mature you are and how ready you are for responsibility… then this happens?!” Emily yelled. “I’m half tempted to cut it off if you can’t keep it in your pants!”