Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “I don’t and you know it! You’re the one sleeping with Dad’s nurse…”

  Keith moved to her quickly and backhanded her, “Watch what you say about me, Bitch.”

  Chevalier could feel pain come through the dream and began to wonder if the dream was her mind’s way of making sense of the pain she was feeling from the fall.

  “You better let me go before Chevalier gets here,” Emily said, grinning up at Keith.

  “Who?”

  “He’ll get you back for this. He won’t let anyone get away with hurting me.”

  “Who’s that, Emi? That your boyfriend?” Keith asked, seething.

  “He’s my husband.”

  “I’m your husband,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re just not very bright, are you?”

  “Just wait.”

  “Won’t matter, you’ll run from him too. Why do you always have to run? Why not face me like an adult instead of taking off every time we fight?”

  “Because I’m tired of being hit by you!”

  “You deserve it though. It’s good for you.”

  “I hope he kills you slower this time,” Emily said to him.

  Keith grinned, “Want to know why I think you run?”

  “Oh, do enlighten me.”

  He suddenly punched her again, and instantly, her jaw began to bruise, “Watch how you talk to me! I deserve a little respect.”

  Emily looked up at him and glared.

  Keith leaned back against the cupboard, “I think it’s because of what your Dad used to tell you. He always said that your best bet was to run.”

  “From vampires.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re too small to defend yourself, and he knew that. So he always told you to run when faced with danger.”

  “I said that because it’s her best bet to get away,” Allen said from the doorway.

  Emily looked up at her Dad, “Let me go, Dad. Please.”

  He smiled and kissed her cheek, “Not right now, Emi. You don’t have to run when I’m here.”

  Keith shook his head, “You telling her to run is what got her killed in Denmark.”

  “She had to run,” Allen said. “She had to protect her children.”

  “They’re his kids, too.”

  Emily frowned, “How do you know about them?”

  Keith ignored her, “You telling her to run from danger has caused a lot of problems. She runs from me when I’m mad, which only makes me madder. She runs from that vampire she’s married to, which only makes him madder. You ingrained that in her, and it’s her first instinct when faced with a scary situation.”

  Allen smiled at Emily, “You keep running, Princess. Trust me, keep running.”

  “What do you mean running got me killed in Denmark?” Emily asked Keith.

  “Shut up, Emi, we’re talking,” Keith said to her, and then he turned back to Allen. “You did her a disservice by embedding that into her psyche.”

  “No I didn’t. If her Mom had ran, she wouldn’t have died.”

  “She couldn’t run from a vampire though. They’re too fast.”

  Allen nodded, “She needed to run from him. Running will keep Emily alive.”

  Chevalier let go of her arm and watched her sleep as what he’d heard ran through his mind. If her dreams were correct, then her dad was the reason behind her instinctual need to run from any conflict. He saw the reasoning behind what her dad told her, but also saw that the dream Keith was right.

  ***

  “You are not coming at me with that thing!” Emily said with wide eyes.

  Dr. Edwards looked down at the electric saw in his hand, “How else am I going to get that cast off?”

  “You’re heku, tear it off.”

  “Em, he’s not going to hurt you,” Chevalier said, slightly amused.

  She watched nervously as Dr. Edwards began removing the full body cast she’d been in for the last six weeks. Even though she’d dreamed about getting it off, it was nerve wracking to have him that near her with a power saw.

  “Breathe,” Chevalier reminded her.

  She nodded, though the halo wouldn’t allow movement.

  “How’s it going?” Alexis asked, coming in with Asher.

  “So far so good. I don’t think she’s lost any fingers,” Chevalier told her.

  “You’re spending a lot of time at the palace,” Emily said over the grinding of the saw.

  Alexis just smiled at her.

  “Still not talking to him?” Chevalier asked, too softly for Emily to hear.

  “I tried again, and he won’t answer the door.”

  “I can force him.”

  “I don’t want my dad bullying my husband into forgiving me.”

  “If you change your mind…”

  “I won’t.”

  “Feel better?” Chevalier asked Emily when Dr. Edwards removed the cast on her lower right leg.

  “Oh, the air feels so good.”

  “Next leg,” Dr. Edwards said, starting up the saw again.

  “When are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Emily asked them.

  Alexis smiled, “Nothing’s going on.”

  “Something is. No one’s told me yet why I’m in a body cast, why you’re always around, and where Dain is.”

  “Dain took off and we don’t know,” Chevalier said. “I already told you this.”

  “Did you and he get into another fight?”

  “You could say that.”

  “He’s not doing anything wrong, Chev. Just back off and let him be.”

  “For now… I’ll agree to that.”

  Megara came in and smiled at her mom, “Finally.”

  “How did the test go?”

  “Great! I aced it. Can I take Asher?” Megara asked, putting her hands up for the baby.

  Alexis nodded and handed Asher over. Megara hauled him out of the room. She loved playing with her nephew in the game room, and Alexis needed some time alone anyway.

  Alexis made sure that Emily didn’t need anything before walking quickly out of the room. Chevalier debated going with her but knew that she needed to face Garrett on her own.

  Allen had forgiven Miri after a long talk with Alexis. Alexis assured him that Miri was forced to go to Denmark and did so only after being threatened. Garrett, however, wasn’t forgiving Alexis, as she went of her own volition and had also gone behind his back to seek out Dain.

  The Cavalry stationed throughout the city smiled as she passed and gave her looks of encouragement. They knew what had happened, and they also knew how miserable Garrett was without Alexis around. Though he wouldn’t admit it, he missed having Asher around too.

  Alexis took a deep breath before walking up onto the porch of her house. She heard the T.V. inside blaring, so she waited for a lull in conversation before knocking on the door.

  When Garrett didn’t answer, she sighed and tried the door knob but found it locked. She’d decided the night before that it was her home too, and he had no right keeping her out of it. Doing something she rarely did, Alexis put full force onto the door and was finally able to break it free from the frame.

  Garrett stood up and looked at her, shocked, “Alex? Did you just break down the door?!”

  She nodded and then set the door in the frame, “We need to talk.”

  “I didn’t know you had the strength for that.”

  “I just don’t normally use it.” Alexis walked over and turned off the T.V. When she turned back to Garrett, he was sitting down in his recliner and watching her.

  She took a deep breath and sat across from him.

  “What then?” Garrett asked, obviously still upset.

  “What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?”

  He sat back in the chair, “Let’s see… you lied to me, ran off in search of a criminal, defied the Council, broke into the Equites Stronghold, and ended up being involved in killing a member of the Council.”

  She sighed, “She didn’t stay dead, and I wasn’t
in search of a criminal. I was in search of my brother.”

  “A known criminal. Do you know all three factions have teams out assigned to apprehend him?”

  “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “He’s that dangerous. Brother or not, you’re lucky you’re alive.”

  “No more secrets then.”

  “That’s a start.”

  “I’m not done with Dain,” Alexis told him.

  His eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

  “I feel like to keep my family from falling apart, it’s my job to take care of him.”

  “How is it your job?”

  “I’m the one most capable of finding him and banishing him.”

  “It’s not your job! The Council has specialized heku for that.”

  “You know as well as I do that if Dad banishes Dain, Mom will never forgive him.”

  “So you’re doing this to save your family?”

  “Yes”

  “Yet at the same time it is breaking up our family.”

  “It’s not though…”

  “You ran off to Europe without telling me!”

  “I’m sorry, ok?”

  “It’s not enough. I love you, Alex. I can’t watch you turn into someone who defies the Council and doesn’t follow the laws. I married a law-abiding woman. What happened?”

  “Dain happened.”

  “Let the Council handle this…”

  “I can’t, Garrett.”

  “I could go tell your Dad.”

  “Yes, you could.”

  “But damnit! I shouldn’t have to! You should listen to me, and we should respect each other enough that we don’t keep secrets and take each other’s thoughts and opinions into consideration,” Garrett explained.

  “I do! I care very much about what you think… but I also care about the safety of my Mom. This faction depends on her. How hard is it to see that banishing Dain will tear her apart?”

  “How is you banishing Dain going to be any different than if the Council does it?”

  “Mom will blame Dad.”

  “Then tell them that, and they can do it without him.”

  “Then she’ll blame Kyle.”

  “He’s not even in your family.”

  Alexis sighed, “He’s important to Mom.”

  Garrett stood up angrily, “When you decide to stop putting your parents before me… then I’ll consider taking you back.”

  “No!” Alexis said, standing up too. “This is my home too! I’m tired of living in the palace with Asher, and my Mom is starting to ask questions.”

  “Fine! I’ll move into the barracks.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Alexis yelled. “I’m going after Dain, and I need your support.”

  “I’m not going to support a suicide! Dain is huge! He’s a strong heku, and he’s dangerous and reckless. Going after your brother is going to get you killed.”

  “I have no choice.”

  “You do too. You’re just being stubborn… which apparently is a strong Winchester trait.”

  “What do you mean by that?!”

  “It just means that you and your Mom have the tendency to act before thinking, not taking into consideration anyone else.”

  When Garrett started for the door, Alexis grabbed his arm, “Do not walk away from me.”

  He jerked his arm away from her, “I’m done with you until you decide to come to your senses.”

  “Stop!” Alexis screamed. “I’m not fighting any more. If you don’t see my side, or even try to see my side, then we’re done.”

  Garrett looked over at the door when City Guards appeared. They were called in by neighbors when the shouting started.

  “What’s going on here, Lieutenant?” one of the City Guards asked.

  “Nothing, I was just leaving,” Garrett told him.

  “Don’t go,” Alexis said.

  He glanced at her and then followed the guards out the door. The last guard propped the door back up, and Alexis was left alone. She looked around the empty house and her heart sunk.

  When her phone rang, she picked it up and answered without looking at it, “Hello?”

  “It’s me,” Dain said.

  With the fight still too fresh in her mind, Alexis just started to cry.

  “Alex, what’s wrong?” Dain asked.

  She wasn’t able to talk but curled up on the couch and let the tears fall.

  He sighed, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “He…” she managed to sob.

  “What did Dad do now?”

  “Nothing!” she yelled. “Stop blaming everything on Dad.”

  “Ok, so what did Garrett do?”

  “He left me,” she said through renewed sobs.

  “He did?! Why?”

  “Why do you think, Dain? I ran off with you without telling him! I was there when you killed Mom and when we broke into the Equites caves…”

  “He can’t blame you for that.”

  “Well he did! He’s moved into the barracks, and now I’m alone.”

  “Have Dad talk to him.”

  “I don’t want Dad to talk to him!”

  “Why not?” Dain asked. “He has to be good for something.”

  “He has enough to deal with right now trying to save Mom.”

  “I thought she was getting better.”

  Alexis frowned slightly, “How do you know?”

  “Do you want me to talk to Garrett?” Dain asked.

  “No! That’d be even worse. Everyone wants you dead.”

  “I would imagine so. I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

  “They don’t care. They see you as reckless and irresponsible… a danger.”

  “And you?”

  She fought to calm her voice, “I see you as lost, and in desperate need of someone to forgive you and get past what happened.”

  “You don’t blame me?”

  “No, I blame Dad,” she said, clearing her head enough to follow through with her plan.

  “How so?”

  “He won’t let you grow up. I don’t know what he has against you… maybe it’s because you’re full heku, but he never treated you like a son.”

  Dain sighed, “Tell that to the faction.”

  “It’s not just the faction, Dain. The entire species is out to find you, and I’m afraid for you.”

  “They won’t catch me. I’m more careful than that.”

  “So promise me you’re far away from Council City.”

  “I can’t promise you that.”

  She gasped, “Dain! Get away from here.”

  “Meet me.”

  “What?”

  “Meet me.”

  “No, what if I’m followed? I’m not going to be the one responsible for your banishment.”

  Dain seemed pleased, “Then I guess I can trust you.”

  “You have to. No one else is on your side.”

  “Things will calm down eventually.”

  “I don’t think so. Heku hold grudges against this kind of thing. You’re not doing it anymore, right?”

  “I’ve mostly quit.”

  “Mostly?!”

  “Well… it’s hard to stop.”

  “Damnit, Dain! You have to stop, or you’re going to kill someone eventually.”

  “I think it’s too late for that.”

  She was finding it hard to breathe, “Who did you kill?”

  “It was an accident, ok? I didn’t mean to kill her.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know who she was. Someone from the city outside of Council City.”

  “And you’re still here?”

  “No, I left. I was just testing you.”

  “Where is she?”

  “I buried her where no one will find her.”

  “Where, Dain?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “You have to stop,” Alexis told him.

  “I know. I'm trying. Now… I want to talk to Garrett.”


  “Why? You can’t fix this, and all he’ll do is yell and threaten you.”

  “I fully plan on it, but someone has to stick up for you.”

  “I can take care of this myself.”

  “I wish you would find a mortal, Alex.”

  “Why? I’m not fully mortal.”

  “Because the heku all have one goal in mind… protect the heku. You’ll always be standing behind the Council as long as you love a heku.”

  “You hate mortals though.”

  “I do, yes. However, I think one would be good for you.”

  “Well it’s out of the question. I want Garrett.”

  “He’s Cavalry, which makes his devotion to the faction even worse. One small conversation…”

  “It’ll make things worse! He knows I’m on your side. That's part of the problem. If you call him, he’ll just get madder.”

  “I have to do something, Alex,” Dain said, and then hung up.

  Alexis tried to call him back, but the payphone didn’t accept incoming phone calls. Knowing he was probably already on the phone with Garrett, she decided to go get Asher and wait for what was sure to be a call from the Council.

  Garrett was required to tell them immediately that Dain had contacted Alexis, and she needed some time to think about how to handle that. The walk to the palace seemed to take forever, and she felt like heku were watching from behind close curtains.

  It wasn’t uncommon for two heku to fight enough that the City Guards were called in to stop it, but being the Elder’s daughter would make it all the more interesting to spread in gossip circles.

  The Cavalry at the doors to the palace seemed to ignore her as she passed, and she knew that word of the fight had already hit them. Megara was still in the game room with Asher, and she looked up and smiled when Alexis came in.

  Megara saw Alexis’ red eyes and frowned, “What’s wrong?”

  Alexis picked Asher up, “Nothing… I just need to take Asher home to bed.”

  “Are you fighting with Garrett still?”

  Alexis just turned toward the door.

  “Don’t treat me like I’m a kid,” Megara said. “You know as well as I do that I’m not.”

  “It’s…”

  “Over Dain?”

  Alexis nodded.

  “Do you want to talk?”

  “No, I just need to get Dain to bed.”

  “Asher…”

  “Yes, get Asher to bed.”

  “You’re not Dain’s mom, Alex,” Megara said from behind her. “He’s the one that messed up, and it’s not your job to fix it.”