Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Emily pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, “Kidnap me? What do the unfactioned want with me?”

  “We don’t know. That was the only information the Cavalry could get.”

  “Great”

  “So, again, we need you to stay in the city for a while.”

  “Fine by me. No use putting the Cavalry in danger because I’m craving something,” Emily said, and it was becoming obvious that she was upset about the attack.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Kyle told her.

  “Yes, it was,” she said, and then turned and walked out of the council chambers.

  Chapter 8

  “Pizza then,” Kralen said.

  Emily was sitting in the bay window with a book and just shook her head. She hadn’t been out of the palace since the unfactioned attack a month prior, and the Council wanted to see if her guards could get her out. No more attacks had happened, and it was assumed that it was the unfactioned that were behind them.

  Mark thought, “Let’s go riding then. You haven’t been out in a while.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, and then went back to reading her book.

  Kralen watched her for a moment before sighing, “You do realize that that attack wasn’t your fault.”

  Irritated, she looked up, “You said they were out to kidnap me.”

  “Right, but not your fault.”

  “Had I not been there…”

  “Then we would have been obligated to destroy them anyway. It’s still an outstanding order to kill all unfactioned.”

  “You wouldn’t have even been there if I wasn’t craving Chinese food.”

  “Which you are again,” Mark said. “So let’s go.”

  Emily looked over when she heard a knock on the door, “Come in.”

  Gifford, the member of the Cavalry from Thukil, came in with a box, and the smell of egg rolls filled the room, “As ordered.”

  Mark’s eyes narrowed, “You went and got Chinese food?”

  “Yes, Sir. She asked for it.”

  “Who approved that?”

  “The Chief Enforcer, Sir.” Gifford waited for more questions, and then finally put down the box and bowed before walking out.

  Emily dug through the box and pulled out an egg roll before sitting back to eat.

  “So you’re just going to stay in the palace from now on?” Kralen asked her.

  “No”

  “It’s just…” He stopped speaking when her phone rang.

  Emily looked at the ID and then motioned for the heku to leave before answering it, “Hi, Dain.”

  “Hi, how are things going?” he asked.

  “Ok, I guess.”

  “Still not leaving the palace?”

  “No. Where are you, Dain? Please tell me.”

  “If I tell you and then Dad touches you, he’ll know.”

  “That hasn’t worked in a long time.”

  “Doesn’t mean it won’t come back.”

  She sighed, “I miss you.”

  “I know. This is good though. Time away from Dad is just what I needed.”

  “Oh! I forgot. I have a message from Alexis.”

  “What is it?” Dain asked. Emily wasn’t sure, but he sounded reluctant.

  “She said to tell you that she wants to help you and wants to talk to you. Why don’t you call her?”

  “I don’t want to call her.”

  “Please. She’s really worried about you, Dain.”

  “Alex thinks she can patch things up, and I’ll come back.”

  “I want you back,” Emily said, and her voice cracked slightly. “Call Alex, see what she can do.”

  “Will you feel better if I talk to her?”

  “Yes”

  “She won’t involve Dad?”

  “No, I promise. She cares about you.”

  “Ok, I’ll call her when we’re done.”

  “Are you sure you’re ok? You sound so tired,” Emily said.

  Dain sighed, “I’m fine, Mom.”

  “Will you call tomorrow?”

  “Yes”

  “I love you, Dain.”

  “I know, Mom. I’ll call Alex now.”

  Emily nodded and hung up. Her heart ached and she wanted to see Dain badly, but he hadn’t given any indication of his location. She was still irritated that Chevalier didn’t really seem to mind that Dain had taken off, and he had even made a comment that he thought it would be good for the young heku.

  ***

  “We’re just going to talk to him,” Alexis said as she drove toward the city.

  Allen watched out the window, “I thought we were doing this to put a stop to his behavior.”

  “First, we need to talk to him. He doesn’t know you’re coming, and we don’t need an instant fight.”

  “If we get the chance though…”

  “Fine, we’ll need a signal.”

  Allen smiled slightly, “If you see me attack him, then turn him to ash.”

  “Nice, Allen,” Alexis sighed.

  “Seriously, we need to handle this. It’s been too long.”

  Alexis pulled into the warehouse district and turned off the car in front of an abandoned warehouse.

  Allen looked up at the dark face of the building, “You sure he’s in there?”

  “It’s where he said to meet him.”

  “Let’s go then,” he said, and got out of the car.

  Alexis led the way into the cement building and then smiled when she saw Dain waiting, “Hi.”

  Dain nodded toward Allen, “You didn’t tell me he was coming.”

  “He cares about you too, Dain. He’s your brother.”

  “Yeah, well he’ll run to the Council.”

  Allen shook his head, “I already know and haven’t told them yet. Though I think they should know.”

  “Why did you come then?” Dain asked, looking at Alexis, though it was obvious he was avoiding her eyes.

  “I care about you, and I want to help you get out of this mess before you end up banished.”

  “They can’t catch me to banish me.”

  “Someday they may though.”

  He shrugged, “I’m not coming back.”

  “The Council has wrongly assumed that those attacks were the work of unfactioned heku,” Allen explained. “If you stop and come back, they’ll never know.”

  Dain studied Allen, “You’re going to let me walk free among the heku after knowing what I did?”

  Alexis walked forward, “You’re our brother. We love you and only want what’s best.”

  “Allen won’t defy the Council.”

  “I already have,” Allen said.

  “Why, exactly?”

  “You’re young and made a stupid mistake.”

  “You blame this on youth?”

  “Yes”

  “Stop it,” Alexis said when she saw that both Allen and Dain were getting defensive.

  “I’m tired of being told how immature I am!” Dain yelled.

  “Then stop acting immature,” Allen told him.

  “Listen,” Alexis said, stepping between them. “If word of this gets out, it threatens to tear apart this family. Dad will want you banished. Mom will fight the punishment, and eventually, Dad will win, which would cause an irreparable rift between them.”

  “Good, then maybe Mom will get away from him,” Dain growled.

  “You want Mom and Dad apart?” Allen asked.

  “Yes! She can do better.”

  “That isn’t for us to decide,” Alexis said. “What we’re here to do is see how we can help you.”

  Dain leaned against the stone wall, “Then what? Then I move back into the palace and keep getting treated like an out of control toddler?”

  “Why attack innocent mortals?” Allen asked. “I don’t understand why all of the bites and why you are even doing it.”

  “It was an accident the first time, then I found that their fear is intensely satisfying.”

  Alexis gasped, “You
do it because you like to be feared?”

  “They’re just mortals. As a heku, I have a right to seek pleasure from them in any way I see fit. Their fear intensifies the feeding experience.”

  “Just mortals?!”

  “Yes. We’re superior and all I do is express that.”

  Allen was speechless as he watched his brother.

  “Dain, how can you say that?” Alexis asked breathlessly. “Mom and I…”

  “Are immortals.”

  “We’re mostly mortal and you know it.”

  “No you’re not. You don’t age. You don’t die, and you heal.”

  “Still”

  He shrugged, “I won’t do it forever, but it’s my right. Each bite makes them panic more. When you bite a mortal, they relax, and I don’t let it get to that point before I break contact. It keeps their heart pounding, and the blood tastes sweeter.”

  “Dain,” Alexis whispered.

  Allen moved slightly and Dain turned to him in a crouch, “Don’t get all high and mighty, Allen. I’m not going to let you take me down either.”

  “What you are doing isn’t right!”

  “It’s my birth right.”

  “Not only are you risking our family falling apart, but you’re putting the heku as a species in jeopardy.”

  “What will the mortals do if they find out about us? We can handle them.”

  Allen stood up straight, “It’s over, Dain. You need to come with us.”

  Alexis frowned and watched them. She knew Allen was right. What Dain said had proven to her how far his thoughts had fallen and how imperative it was that he was put away.

  Dain laughed, “Who’s going to take me? You?”

  “If we have to. Alex and I are prepared to bring you before the Council.”

  “No!” Alexis yelled. “We can’t turn him over for banishment. We have to think through this. There has to be a way to safely fix this.”

  “It’s too late,” Allen told her. “He’s done too much.”

  Dain chuckled, “Besides, I’m sure the Council already knows that it wasn’t the unfactioned.”

  “What did you do?” Alexis asked, shocked.

  “I was thirsty…”

  “Where is she?”

  “She’s already been found.”

  “So you’re doing this all on purpose?” Allen said. “You’re attacking them and leaving them to be found.”

  “Of course! I’m going to prove to the heku that I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

  “You mean prove to Dad,” Alexis said.

  “Dad’s not worth it. If it wouldn’t hurt Mom, I would have killed him long ago.”

  “Where is this even coming from?”

  “Years and years of being ignored and taken for granted.”

  “This isn’t the way to earn respect, Dain,” Allen told him.

  “You do it your way, and I’ll do it mine.”

  “Dain, this is insane! Do you know what this is going to do to Mom?” Alexis asked.

  Dain nodded, and for the first time, looked upset, “I wish I could shield her from this.”

  “Well you can’t. You know you’re going to get caught, and she’s going to fight your punishment. Things are good right now, calm.”

  “For now! Mom needs out from under Dad before he kills her.”

  “Dad’s not going to hurt Mom.”

  “He will eventually.”

  “You have no idea what you’re even talking about,” Allen said, irritated. “You weren’t around when those two used to fight. Things have changed. They've grown, and their relationship has evolved. Their bond is good for both of them.”

  “No it’s not. It’s good for Dad and the Equites. He doesn’t care about Mom. All he cares about is what she does for the faction.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “He cares even less about us kids,” Dain said.

  “I’ll give you that,” Allen told him. “However, that doesn’t give you the right to use your abilities to harass mortals.”

  “Dad and the Equites aside. How can you do this to Mom?” Alexis asked. “What you’re doing is going to kill her.”

  “They aren’t going to catch me, and unless Allen squeals, she won’t know.”

  “Oh, I’m going to the Council now,” Allen told him. “You have to be stopped.”

  Dain snarled at him, “Why don’t you just stop me now?”

  “I’m not going to fight you.”

  “Afraid?”

  “It would save Mom some pain if you would just come with us to the Council.”

  “And give myself in? No way.”

  When Dain suddenly disappeared from the warehouse, Alexis turned to Allen, “You can’t tell them.”

  “I damned well can, and I am going to.”

  “We have to help him.”

  “No, Alex. It’s gone too far. Dain needs stopped, and you and I can’t do it.”

  “I can’t take it! I can’t handle how mad Dad is going to be or how hurt Mom is going to be.”

  “We can’t allow him to keep attacking innocents.”

  “We just need to talk to…”

  “No. Talking’s done. It’s time to enlist the Council.”

  “Listen to me! This is our family, our responsibility. You and I need to handle Dain on our own.”

  Allen sighed, “We can’t. He’s too strong.”

  “We can too. We have experience on our side.”

  “We do not. You’re trying to stall to keep the Council out of this.”

  “I don’t see why you’re so hell-bent on telling them!”

  “Because he’s attacking innocents, and we can’t stop him alone.”

  “Don’t do this,” Alexis begged. “Don’t tell them yet. We have to handle this alone.”

  “I’m not breaking heku laws any more. We have to tell them.”

  Alexis’ eyes narrowed, “Don’t tell them.”

  “It’s too late. My mind is made up,” Allen said, and then started out for the car.

  Alexis stopped him, just as he got to the car, “You go tell the Council if you feel it’s necessary. I’m going to keep looking for Dain.”

  “Suit yourself,” he said, and then drove off angrily.

  Once Allen sped off, Alexis returned to the warehouse and called out, “Dain? Allen’s gone. Please, let me help you.”

  “You can’t help me,” Dain said from behind her.

  She turned to him, “We have to get you out of here. Allen’s going to tell the Council.”

  “I’m not afraid of the Council.”

  “I am. If they find you, they will banish you.”

  “They can’t catch me though.”

  “You know they will. Have you ever won a fight against Dad?”

  “Well… no,” Dain said as he sat down on an old broken chair.

  “That’s because he’s an Old One. He’s stronger and faster, and that’s strengthened when he’s mad.”

  “So?”

  “So you need to get out of here before he finds you.”

  “I don’t have anywhere to go.”

  Alexis thought for a moment and then sighed, “Garrett and I have a house you can stay in, until I can figure out how to fix this.”

  “Can I tell you something in secret?” Dain asked.

  Alexis nodded.

  “It got out of hand. The first was an accident, and I just couldn’t stop. Now I’m afraid of being banished. I can’t handle that long in the ground, Alex.”

  Her heart sunk, “Then stop, Dain. Stop attacking them and let me figure out how to help you.”

  “I tried to stop it, but when I’m thirsty, I can’t control it.”

  Alexis moved forward and hugged him, “Go to my house. Lay low, please. I need to fix this.”

  “You can’t fix it. I have to try to run.”

  “You can’t run forever, and Dad’s not going to stop looking for you. He’s going to take this personally, and he’s going to treat it like a pr
ivate vendetta.”

  “I know,” Dain said, and then stood slowly. “Where’s your house?”

  “It’s in the Trinity Parish in Jersey.”

  Dain thought for a moment and then nodded, “Ok, I’ll go. See what you can do, but don’t put yourself into danger.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Dad’s going to fight to get this out of you. If he controls you and gets it…”

  “He won’t.”

  “If he does, you need to tell me as soon as possible so I can leave.”

  “I will. I swear.”

  ***

  “Sir, Allen needs to address the Council,” Derrick said as he stood at the door to the council chambers.

  “Now isn’t a good time,” Chevalier said.

  Allen looked around the Door Guard, “I know who’s attacking mortals in the city.”

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed and he motioned Allen in, “Tell us.”

  Allen bowed slightly to the other Elders, and then cleared his throat, “Before I tell you who it is, I want to explain something to you.”

  “Go ahead,” Zohn said.

  “I will admit that I’ve kept this information for a few months, and I ask that I not be punished for it.”

  “You kept it from us?!” Chevalier hissed.

  “Yes… Alex and I thought we could handle it on our own.”

  “Why would you and Alexis risk your lives to take down this heku?” Kyle asked, frowning.

  Allen sighed and his shoulders dropped, “Because Dain’s doing it.”

  “What makes you think that?” Chevalier asked skeptically.

  “Alex caught him in the act. I’ve just come from a meeting with him, and he readily admitted it. He’s hiding from the Council.”

  “You’re certain?” the Chief Interrogator asked.

  “Yes, Sir. Dain’s gone, as far as I can tell. He doesn’t want to stop and feels it’s his right as a heku to feed from any mortal he wants.” Over the next hour, Allen relayed their conversation verbatim for the Council.

  Chevalier hissed softly.

  Allen looked at him, “Alex and I didn’t want this to get back to you and Mom. If you find Dain and banish him, Mom will retaliate. We thought if we could take him down, just us, that we wouldn’t have to face that.”

  Kyle nodded, “When we catch him, Emily is going to fight it.”