“Yes, Ma’am.”
She cringed when she heard Kyle chuckle, “You ok then?”
“Bodies…,” she managed to whisper.
“It wasn’t a body. You just touched one of the guards.”
“Outside”
Kyle stood slowly, “You saw bodies outside?”
She nodded, and then jumped when a sudden light shone, and Derrick appeared on the stairs with an old lantern that lit up the area around them.
“Half… bodies…” Emily whispered shakily, looking back the way she’d come.
Derrick handed the lantern to Kyle and then blurred away, followed by two of the guards. Emily sat down against the stairs and fought to calm her breathing.
Once calm enough to speak normally, she walked up to the Stair Guard and glared at him, “Why didn’t you answer when I called out for someone?”
The Stair Guard kept looking forward.
Kyle smiled, “He’s not authorized to talk to you.”
Emily started to get mad, “So… so when I called out to see if anyone was around, there were heku there?!”
“Probably, but those heku aren’t permitted to speak to you.”
“That’s stupid! I thought…” She stopped talking when Kyle, Quinn, and Zohn turned to her. She finally started up the stairs, “Never mind.”
Kyle, still laughing, followed her up, “So what happened?”
“Nothing”
“Why the scream then?”
She turned to him and crossed her arms, “It’s stupid that heku can’t talk to me! I couldn’t see…, and no one was talking…”
“So you were afraid of being alone in the palace in the dark?”
“No!”
“You were just afraid because you saw bodies?”
Even the memory of the two bodies made her shiver.
When it was obvious that Kyle was about to start laughing, Emily took the lantern from him and started up the stairs again, followed by Kyle.
She put the lantern down when she got into her room. Both fires were roaring, and she could see fairly well with their light. Kyle shut the door behind them and watched her, still highly amused.
A sudden thought made Emily start to panic, “Wait! If we have no electricity…, then the prison…”
“Is on emergency backup.”
“For how long?”
He smiled, “No one’s getting out of that prison.”
She sat down by the fire, still embarrassed about the brief panic attack in front of everyone, “Where’s Chev?”
“He and the Chief Investigator went into town for a few hours.”
“Why?”
He debated lying but finally decided that she deserved the truth, “There was another attack.”
“In a strip club?”
“Not this time. This time it was just in a regular bar.”
She frowned, “Is the mortal ok?”
“She’s fine, just shaken up.”
“Tell me.”
Kyle sat down beside her, “The mortal was at a bar with some friends. The next thing she knew, she woke up in a hotel with bites across her neck.”
Emily sighed, “I think it’s about time I get involved.”
“How do you plan on doing that?”
“Bait…”
“Too many heku know you. They aren’t going to attack you.”
“I can use a disguise.”
He shook his head, “It’s too dangerous.”
Emily final began to calm down, “I’m ok, really. You don’t have to stay here.”
Kyle grinned, “If you’re afraid of the dark, I can stay.”
“I’m not afraid of the dark.”
“Ok”
She turned to him, “I think it’s about time that the palace staff gets the ok to talk to me though.”
“No”
“Why not? I’m obviously going to be here for a while. It’s stupid to make me irreproachable.”
“It’s done for your safety.”
“No, it’s done to keep me from befriending the staff,” she mumbled.
Kyle chuckled, “That too.”
“You have them all so afraid of me that I can’t even get an answer when I call out for someone.”
“Why didn’t you just call for someone on the Council?”
She sighed and decided to fess up, “I tried to.”
“You tried to call for us?”
“I tried to scream.”
“You couldn’t because you were afraid of the dark?”
“I wasn’t afraid of the dark!”
“Yes you were… do you think the palace is haunted?”
“Go away.”
Kyle turned toward the door with his head cocked slightly to the side. Emily rolled her eyes and put her hands closer to the fire. She was hoping warmth would stop her body from shaking.
When Kyle looked back at her, his eyes were fierce, “Did they touch you?”
She looked up, shocked, “You found the bodies?”
“Answer me.”
“No, they didn’t. What are they?”
“Banished that revived tonight,” Kyle said angrily. “They were coming to the palace to seek help when they ran into you. Your blood caught their attention.”
“But one was only half,” Emily whispered. Her throat was closing off again at the thought of them. She remembered now that the stories of zombies came from recently un-banished heku.
“That sometimes happens if a heku is banished hastily.”
“Only half comes back?”
“Somehow, he only partially reformed. He’ll be ok. Dr. Edwards is helping them.”
“You’re helping them?!” Emily felt the panic returning.
“They are Equites, Em. The Encala banished them 340 years ago, and it’s only natural that they return to us for help,” Kyle explained.
“They wanted to kill me.”
“They are starving and couldn’t help it.”
Emily buried her face in her arms.
She jumped when Kyle touched her shoulder, “I know they looked like…”
“Undead zombies?”
“Yes, those. They are good heku though, good Equites. Once fed and recovered, they’ll feel really bad about what they did to you.”
She shivered again at the thought. The sight of the bodies dragging toward her through the mud made her want to run.
He rubbed her back lightly, “Are you going to be ok? Your heart is still racing.”
She nodded and then looked up at the fire.
Deciding his best bet was to get her mind off of the un-banished heku, Kyle smiled, “What was the Ancient’s room for?”
“Oh my God! Are you all still harping on that?” she asked, watching the fire.
“Sort of. We were talking about a secondary location for banished, and it came up again.”
“Well drop it.”
“I don’t want to drop it. We all still want to know.”
“I don’t really care. I’m not saying.”
“Was it truly that bad?”
“Yes”
He thought for a moment, “You realize after all this time, it’s probably worse in our imagination than the truth.”
“Don’t care.”
“You’re the most stubborn immortal I’ve ever met.”
She frowned slightly, “When did I become an immortal?”
“When you stopped aging and can’t die.”
“I’m still not immortal.”
“Aren’t you?” Kyle asked.
“I don’t feel immortal,” she said, and brought her knees up to her chest.
“Just because you aren’t full heku, doesn’t mean you’re not immortal.”
“Humans are mortals.”
“Apparently, not all of them.”
She shrugged, “I still think I’m mortal.”
He smiled, “You’re not.”
“Are you just here to irritate me?”
“Nope, I’m here to keep you f
rom being afraid of the dark.”
She sighed. This is just what she didn’t need, another reason for the heku to think of her as a child.
Kyle glanced toward the door, “I have to go though. Chevalier is back.”
“I’ll go with you,” she said, standing up with him. The lights had just come on, but she didn’t want to be alone.
He chuckled and opened the door.
“What?” she asked, walking out.
“You’re afraid of the dark.”
“I am not. Now stop it.”
Kyle opened the council chamber door for her, and they both walked in. Chevalier was laughing about something, and Emily was pretty sure she knew what. He kissed her softly and then she sat down beside him in the chair.
“We’re ready for the report,” Quinn said when everyone was settled.
The Chief Investigator turned to the Elders, “It’s the same thing. The bite patterns are the same, the bite width and depth. It seems as though the heku has moved from the strip clubs and has branched out to local bars.”
“Which is all the more dangerous,” Zohn said, irritated.
“This girl had twelve bites across her body but remembers nothing.”
“Twelve?”
“Yes, Elder. Which means the bites aren’t feeding only.”
“Why else bite?” Emily asked, frowning.
Chevalier shrugged, “Other than as an assault, we're not sure.”
“You’re positive that the same heku did all twelve bites?” Zohn asked.
The Chief Investigator nodded, “Yes, everything points to a single heku attack.”
“Any sexual assault?”
“No”
“Was there a faction distinction?”
“It’s an Equites,” Chevalier said. “No doubt about that.”
“We risk exposing the heku if these don’t stop,” Kyle said.
“We’ve come up with a suitable punishment,” the Chief of Defense started, but Emily cut him off.
“Wait! I don’t want to hear this.” Emily got up and quickly ran out of the council chambers.
***
Alexis nodded, “I understand.”
“We have to assume that you won’t see him after this amount of time,” Zohn told her.
“I know. It's just scary for them, and I’m irritated that after three months, I haven’t seen him.”
“We also feel it is safer for you and your Mom to stay within the Council City walls until he’s caught.”
“I will do as you ask, but I need to go get some things from the club and say goodbye,” Alexis said. It was obvious that she was upset about being pulled off of the mission.
“No…,” Zohn started.
“Yes, you may go,” Chevalier said. “Please, be extra careful.”
“I will. I need to do some things though,” she said, almost in tears. Before she broke out crying, she turned and disappeared from the council chambers.
“Why is she upset?” the Chief of Finance asked.
Chevalier looked over at him, “She has formed friendships and felt as though her presence at the club was protecting the dancers.”
“That and she has the emotions of a mortal,” Quinn added.
“Mostly,” Chevalier agreed.
Alexis wanted to say goodbye quickly and get back into the city as the Council asked, so she left immediately. As she drove, she thought over how to tell the other girls why she was leaving. What she couldn’t do was tell them how dangerous the mortal city was, and she wanted badly to tell them to get out and never come back, but that was overstepping.
She pulled her silver Camry up in front of the closed club and then used her key to get inside.
“Alexis! You’re early,” the owner of the club said with a smile.
She walked over, forcing a smile, and sat down at the table beside him, “I have to quit, Carl.”
He frowned, “Why? You’re my best dancer.”
“The guy I told you about, Garrett… we’re getting married and moving to California,” she said, feeling guilty about lying.
“Is there anything I can do to get you to stay?”
Alexis shook her head, “No, I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
She stood up and hugged Carl before walking into the back of the club to gather her things. Luckily, it was empty and she packed her things and then wrote a long note saying goodbye to the dancers. She couldn’t see them. That would only remind her how much danger her leaving would put them in.
With tears in her eyes, she put the note on the main make-up table and then hurried out to her car. She pulled on sunglasses and started up the car, just as she heard the sounds of a struggle. Alexis’ hearing wasn’t nearly as sensitive as the heku but was much stronger than mortals.
Alexis killed the engine and looked around the bright street. None of the mortals walking along the busy street seemed to hear the struggle or the faint pleading of a woman, begging her attacker not to kill her.
Without another thought, Alexis got out of the Camry and headed toward the sounds. Mortals smiled at her as they passed, and she nodded politely but was focused on the sounds of panicked pleading. When the begging stopped and the sounds of struggle faded, she broke into a run.
There was an abandoned warehouse nearby, one that was dark and quiet. It would be the perfect spot for an attack, human or heku. She didn’t care of the species. She felt like she needed to help. The warehouse door was ajar, and she listened inside and heard movement but no more sounds of a fight.
As quietly as she could, she stepped inside and instantly smelled blood. Her heart raced as she moved toward the scent as her mouth salivated. A slight movement inside of a room caught her attention, and she moved toward it, already gearing up to turn a heku to ash or overpower a mortal.
Alexis reached out and put her hand against the door, and pushed it open quickly, falling into a crouch. She gasped and stood up when Dain looked up from an unconscious mortal, and his eyes grew wide as he stood slowly.
“Dain?” Alexis whispered, too shocked to say more.
Dain looked down at the woman and then disappeared from in front of Alexis. She didn’t come even close to being as fast as Dain, so she didn’t follow him but instead went to check on the woman. She counted eight bites on the woman’s neck and saw the paleness that came with overfeeding.
Alexis sat back against the wall and fought to calm her nerves. While part of her was ready to ash her brother herself, another part of her strongly wanted to protect him. He attacked this young woman in the middle of the day, not only breaking the donor rule, but also risking exposure of the entire species.
Knowing only too well what this could cause in the family and the faction, Alexis formed a plan. The first thing she needed was the help of someone clear-headed and not prone to immediate violence.
Alexis pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the Council.
“Kyle here.”
“Kyle, there’s been another attack,” Alexis said, fighting to calm her voice.
“Where?” Kyle growled.
“The victim is by the club, just south of it in an abandoned warehouse.”
“Stay there. We’re on the way.”
She refused to lie, so she just shut her phone and then checked once more on the victim before running back to her car. Within a few minutes, she was on the Interstate headed east. It was only minutes later that her phone rang, and she ignored it. She knew the Council would be furious that she left the woman’s side, but she had to get to the Island.
The drive was long, and her mind whirled with options and possibilities. Her phone had quit ringing, but she could imagine the City Guards fanning out looking for her. Her only concern was that they would find Dain before she did.
Once on the island, she sped toward the outskirts where Allen and Miri lived. She saw Allen out on the front step when she arrived, and she screeched to halt outside of his house and checked around her for any signs that the Council had followed h
er.
“Alex!” Allen said, coming out to the car, “Everyone’s looking for you.”
She nodded and got out, “We need to talk.”
He saw the expression on her face and frowned, “What’s wrong?”
“Inside, where we can’t be heard.”
Allen opened the door for her, and she walked in, her heart racing at what she had to do.
“It’s so good to see you Alex,” Miri said, smiling. She was in the middle of folding laundry and stood up to greet Alexis.
Alexis nodded to her, “I need to talk to Allen, alone please.”
“Oh, ok,” Miri said, and then glanced nervously at Allen before leaving the house.
“Tell me what’s up. You’re making me nervous,” Allen said as he sat down on a plush couch.
Alexis sat down beside him and took a deep breath, “Do you know about the heku attacks in the mortal city by Council City?”
“Sort of. I mean, I’ve heard the Council is putting a lot of resources into finding the heku.”
“It’s Dain,” she whispered.
Allen smiled, “It’s not Dain.”
She nodded and watched him.
He studied her face and his frown deepened, “Is it really?”
Alexis explained in detail everything that had happened, and then sat back while Allen thought it over.
After almost twenty minutes, Allen finally spoke, “We have to tell Dad.”
“We can’t! Dad and Dain are already on the outs… then the Council will banish Dain, and you know it.”
“If he’s done it, then he needs banished.”
“No he doesn’t! He’s just confused.”
“He knows better though. He’s an Elder’s son for God’s sake.”
“Dad will either kill him instantly or banish him… Mom hates banishment and probably wouldn’t forgive him for it.”
“What do you want to do then?” Allen asked. “If it really is Dain, we can’t let him continue.”
“Exactly… we… you and I will stop him.”
Allen sighed, “He’s full heku. So he’s stronger and faster than I am. He’d hear us coming from a mile away.”
“Not if he thinks we can help him,” Alexis said. “We need to gain his trust. He knows I know. He saw me.”
“Then what do we do when we find him?”
“Then… I turn him to ash.”
“He’s not going to look you in the eye.”
Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series Page 17
