Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Without another word, Alexis walked out of the game room and down the stairs. Even before she got to her house, she knew there would be someone waiting for her. She wasn’t sure how high up the ranks would be, but she knew at least she would be summoned back to the palace.

  Alexis wasn’t all that surprised to see Mark and Silas waiting for her. Silas was fixing the door as Mark watched her walk up.

  Not knowing what to say exactly, Alexis just walked inside and put Asher down in his crib. Once he was settled in, she went back out into the living room to meet with Mark and Silas, who were now sitting on the couch waiting for her.

  As soon as she sat down, Mark cleared his throat and then began, “You already know he called Garrett…”

  “Yes”

  “He mentioned to Garrett that he’d been talking to you earlier.”

  She nodded.

  “What about?”

  She looked down at her hands, “He caught me on the phone right after Garrett left me.”

  “So he just calls randomly?”

  “Yes”

  “Did he tell you where he is?”

  “No”

  Mark sighed, “We have to go to the Council with this.”

  “I figured.”

  “It would go smoother if you go with us,” Silas said to her. “We’ll have Garrett there too, in fact. He's already on the way.”

  “I…”

  “Alexis… take my advice,” Silas said softly. “Stay away from Dain. Sister or not, he’s dangerous.”

  She couldn’t tell him that her plans were far from what he was saying, so she just nodded.

  Mark stood up, “Fran is coming to watch Asher while you talk to the Council.”

  Alexis stood up and nodded.

  “It’ll be ok,” Silas said, smiling at her. “We’ll be there, and they just want to ask you some questions.”

  “I’m not afraid to talk to them,” Alexis said.

  Mark nodded, “You just don’t want to be around Garrett.”

  Not wanting to talk to them about her marriage, she started for the door. They walked in silence to the palace. Not even the guards they passed said anything, but they bowed slightly to their Officers and then turned away from them.

  Derrick was waiting for them at the front doors, “The Council’s waiting for you.”

  “Is Garrett in there?” Alexis asked, finally looking up from the ground.

  “Yes, but he’s not speaking yet. They wanted you in there first, as soon as they heard it involved you.”

  “Can’t he just go first?”

  Derrick shook his head and started up the stairs, “They want both of you. They also know about the fight.”

  “Perfect”

  When they arrived at the fourth floor, Alexis’ phone rang, and she quickly answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Did they drag you into the Council?” Dain asked.

  “Now’s not a good time,” she said, and hung up the phone.

  Mark was starting to get mad, “Get in there.”

  Derrick opened the door, and Silas walked in with Alexis as she tucked her phone into her pocket.

  She walked up to stand to the side of Garrett but made sure to keep her distance. She could tell that Chevalier was furious and saw that Kyle was missing.

  Silas walked up and whispered to the Elders before bowing and leaving the council chambers.

  The Chief Interrogator stood up, “We’ll just get it out in the open that we know guards were called to your home tonight because of a domestic disturbance. We don’t wish to get into that right now, as that’s something the Elder wants to address with Alexis later.”

  She just nodded.

  “What we want to hear about is your conversation tonight with Dain,” he said, and then sat down.

  “Who spoke to him first?” Zohn asked them. It was obvious that the Council was trying to minimize Chevalier’s involvement with this issue.

  “I did,” Alexis whispered.

  “Did you call him, or did he call you?”

  “He called me.”

  “Do you know where he is?”

  “No”

  When Quinn glanced at the Chief Interrogator, and he nodded, Alexis’s heart sunk. They were making sure that she wasn’t lying to them, and she wondered when the Council would start trusting her again.

  “Please, tell us what was said,” Zohn asked her.

  She sighed, “Most of it was about Garrett.”

  “Most?”

  “Yes”

  “Let’s leave that part out then. What else did he tell you?”

  She shook her head, “It was private.”

  “We need to know.”

  “I told you. It’s private,” she said, wringing her hands.

  “It’s an order, Alexis,” Quinn said to her. “Tell us what was said.”

  The Chief Interrogator looked down at her, “I see the lies forming. Do not lie to this Council.”

  “Just tell them,” Garrett snapped.

  Alexis fought back the tears, “No. I’m sorry, but no.”

  “Alex…,” Chevalier hissed. “Tell me. He’s hurting innocents and risks exposing the entire species.”

  When her phone rang, she just pressed her hand against her pocket to muffle the ring.

  “Maybe we need her phone,” the Chief of Staff suggested.

  Alexis finally looked up at them, and her resolve was evident, “You can’t have it. I realize I’m breaking Council order, so I’ll move out of Council City. I’m not telling you anything that will help you track Dain down.”

  “If you leave… we’re done,” Garrett said to her.

  Alexis turned and touched his arm, “Just trust me on this, please.”

  He looked at her and shook his head, “What happened to you?”

  “Everything will return to normal. Just hang in there and trust me.”

  “I can’t trust you anymore, Alex.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, “Then I beg you to wait for me. Let me figure this out, and I’ll make it up to you.”

  He just shrugged and she felt the coldness coming from him.

  When Alexis started for the door, Derrick stepped in to block her way, “They aren’t done with you.”

  She turned red eyes toward the Council, “If you take my phone, it will be by force. Right now, I just want to get out of here.”

  “We need you here if Dain’s going to be contacting you,” Zohn said to her. He seemed concerned and was the only one that didn’t look like they were about to tear her apart.

  Alexis glanced at Garrett and then swallowed hard, “You’ll get no information out of me.”

  “Then stay for Emily. She’s still injured, and she doesn’t remember anything we tell her. If you disappear, she’ll be very upset and won’t understand,” Zohn told her.

  “Everything will return to normal if you will just let me go,” Alexis told them.

  “She said it’s her responsibility to stop him,” Garrett said to the Council.

  “How is it your responsibility?” Chevalier asked.

  Without a word, Alexis stepped around Derrick and headed up the stairs to her Mom. She knew that the Council had to have backed off the Door Guard, or she wouldn’t have made it even a step past him.

  “Alex,” Emily said when she walked in.

  Alexis looked at her and immediately began to tear up.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sat down beside her Mom and couldn’t help but adjust the blankets slightly. It gave her something to do and kept her hands from shaking.

  “Alex?” Emily asked. She wanted to reach out and touch her daughter, but only her legs were out of the body cast, severely limiting how much she could move.

  “Garrett left me,” Alexis managed to say.

  “What happened?”

  “It’s just really bad right now.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I can’t right now. Can I stay in your house in the city
for a while?”

  “Of course you can. I wish you’d tell me what happened though. Garrett loves you too much to just leave.”

  “He left because I did something bad.”

  Emily sighed, “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “No, right now I just need some time alone. If Asher and I stay in your house, then the Council will back off.”

  “You upset them too?”

  She nodded, “It’s been a long day. Can I borrow your Jeep?”

  “Is something wrong with your car?”

  “No but… well… it belongs to both Garrett and I.”

  Emily reached over and Alexis took her hand, “Things will work out.”

  “I know. It’s just going to take time. It’ll help when I move out and have some time alone.”

  “At least take Dain with you.”

  “I will, Mom,” Alexis whispered. She wondered when Emily’s short-term memory would return. Anything they told her only stayed in her memory for a few hours.

  “Then tell Dain to come and see me. I haven’t seen him today.”

  Alexis nodded and then quickly left her room. She half expected Derrick to call her back into the council chambers, but he just watched her silently as she ran down the stairs. No one tried to stop her when she drove off in Emily’s Jeep either, which let her know that her conversation with Emily had been overheard by the Council.

  Alexis was shocked to see Megara in the house with Asher. Once the heku tending Asher left, Megara turned to Alexis, “I want to go with you.”

  “No, you need to stay out of it.”

  “Why? I’m on Dain’s side too.”

  “You don’t need to get into as much trouble as I’m about to.”

  “You and Allen…”

  “He’s older too,” Alexis told her.

  “I’m your link to Dain,” Megara said, and then smiled and nodded when Alexis looked at her. “I know where he is… I know how to contact him…”

  “You do?!”

  “Yes”

  “Then you are his contact in the palace.”

  Megara nodded.

  “Great… then you have to come with me. If Dad finds out, you’d be controlled long enough to get that information.”

  “I know, which is why Dain suggested that I go to Mom’s house with you.”

  “Were you listening in on my conversation with Mom?”

  “Yes, and your time in the council chambers.”

  “Does Dain know all of it?”

  “Of course,” Megara said proudly.

  Alexis was relieved. She didn’t know who Dain’s contact in the palace was, but she’d hoped that whoever it was had listened to her conversation with the Council, and that Dain knew she’d stuck up for him and hadn’t told them any information. Now her plan was firmly set in motion to gain Dain’s trust.

  “Get Asher then,” Alexis said, starting to pack. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Megara nodded and then went to get her nephew. He was asleep in her arms by the time they cleared the city gates in the Jeep.

  Chapter 12

  “I can protect us,” Alexis said to Dain over the phone. “If you come here, they will find you.”

  “I don’t like that you and Megara are holed up in that house alone!”

  “We’re fine!”

  “Does Dad have protection there?”

  “No… I think I’m out of the Council’s protective circle right now.”

  “Then have the Encala come in.”

  She laughed, “The Encala aren’t going to come protect me! I’m not Mom.”

  “Someone has to.”

  “We’re fine. I haven’t seen anything more than salesman since we got here, and it’s been two weeks.”

  “Maybe it’s time you come stay with me.”

  “Stay with you? Did you buy a house?”

  “Yes, where did you think I’ve been staying?”

  “Where did you get the money to buy a house?” Alexis asked.

  “Stole it from Dad.”

  “Dain!”

  “Well he’ll never know! He has too much money to keep track of.”

  “It’s just wrong.”

  “Yeah because stealing is so much more serious than killing a couple of mortals.”

  Her heart raced, “A couple?”

  “Oh… yeah…”

  “Dain… how many have you killed?”

  “You don’t understand, Alex,” Dain said. “My thirst… it’s so strong, and I can’t stop. It’s getting worse.”

  “Heku have control though.”

  “I think it’s worse than the heku. I can’t even be around mortals without losing control. I’ve had to be very careful of where I go and what I do.”

  “If it’s worse than a heku, then something has to be wrong.”

  “With me? Nothing’s wrong with me. I’m the only heku ever born into it! For all we know, this is normal.”

  “Try to stop, please. Let me think about this.”

  “Well don’t tell Dad.”

  “I don’t talk to Dad anymore.”

  “How’s Mom? Have you heard?”

  “No, I haven’t. I can’t go back to Council City, and I haven’t been able to reach her on her phone.”

  “Send Megara then.”

  “I can’t risk the Council controlling her. She knows where you are, remember?”

  “Oh, right.”

  “You shouldn’t have told her. It’s put her in a great deal of danger.”

  “The Council won’t kill her though. If they do find out, then I’ll just have to leave.”

  “I have an idea,” Alexis told him. “You’ll call tomorrow night, right?”

  “What’s the idea?” Dain asked.

  “Just call tomorrow.”

  “Sure, talk to you then.”

  Alexis turned to look at Asher as he slept. When she made sure her conversations weren’t keeping him awake, she took a deep breath and then began to thumb through the address book that Emily kept on her counter. Seeing that she only had an IP address, Alexis opened up the laptop and tried to connect.

  When the image appeared, Andrew frowned slightly, “Alexis? Where’s Emily?”

  “She’s still laid up in bed.”

  “What happened?”

  “It’s too long of a story,” Alexis said. “I need your help, and I need you to swear this won’t get to the Equites Council.”

  He nodded, “I can promise you that. What’s up?”

  She shifted nervously because of how many rules of the Equites she was currently breaking, “I… well I have a question about full heku thirst.”

  “Ok,” he said, sounding unsure.

  “Have you ever heard of a heku having a thirst so strong that it can’t be controlled?”

  “I’ve heard that used as an excuse in trials, but I don’t believe it.”

  “What if it were true?”

  “You’re only part heku though…”

  “I’m not talking about me.”

  “Dain then?” Andrew asked.

  She hated how the Interrogator could get information without even trying, “Please just answer me. Is it possible that his thirst is stronger than a heku and renders him unable to stop?”

  “No, I don’t think so. If Dain’s saying that, then he’s using that as an excuse for lack of judgment and no self-control.”

  “I have to consider that he’s telling the truth,” she told him.

  Andrew studied her, “You’re keeping something from me. What’s your ulterior motive for this conversation?”

  “I want to help him.”

  Andrew sat back in his chair, “It’s a little late for that. We even have a team out looking for him.”

  “I know, but as my brother. I want to help him.”

  “Help him or catch him?” Andrew asked, studying her.

  Alexis quickly shut the laptop when she realized that Andrew was getting too much information from her. The click of the laptop wo
ke Asher up, and he started to fuss.

  She picked him up and cradled him as she changed rooms to call Allen.

  “Hello, Alexis,” Miri said, answering the phone.

  “Is Allen around?”

  Miri’s voice lowered, “Are you ok?”

  “I’m fine, Miri.”

  “I heard about Garrett.”

  “Did Allen forgive you?”

  “Mostly… I still think he watches me closely though.”

  “Well, Garrett didn’t forgive me for that.”

  “Plus your phone calls to Dain.”

  “That too,” Alexis said, sighing. She wondered if the Council had contacted Allen and Miri about her conversations with her brother.

  “Hold on. I’ll go get Allen.”

  A few seconds later, Allen came to the phone, “A bit late isn’t it, Alex?”

  “You know I don’t sleep either.”

  “Right,” he said, sounding short and irritated.

  “It’s not over,” Alexis whispered.

  “It is as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Megara knows where he is.”

  “She does?!” Allen yelled.

  “Allen…”

  “No! You and I tried to meet with Dain already, and it didn’t work. Now that he’s tried to kill both my wife and my Mom, I’m done with him. I hope they catch him soon.”

  “You can’t think that, Allen! You’re ready to split up Mom and Dad?”

  “How is it you’re more worried about their relationship than your own?”

  “Their relationship is for the good of the Equites, and don’t tell me you don’t put the Equites before your relationship!”

  “You aren’t doing this for the Equites. I honestly wish I did know why you were doing this.”

  “Because I understand him,” Alexis said. “No one else knows what us kids have gone through, or what it’s like to be part heku and raised in the palace with guards and the Council watching our every move. Dain was forced into this, and I suspect something’s wrong with him physically.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Everything about him is exacerbated… his thirst, his anger…”

  “He’s no more angry than Dad is, and he’s not thirsty either. He’s just impulsive.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “Yes we do. He’s a full heku and there are thousands of full heku around that aren’t attacking innocents.”