Encala : Book 3 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  Chevalier picked up the ring and turned it around in his fingers. He whispered, “Two weeks.”

  Leonid nodded, “Two weeks to put it back on her before the bond is completely severed.”

  “Let the Valle have her. They have no idea how much trouble she causes,” Damon said, and cringed when all three Elders growled at him.

  “Try, Chevalier, don’t let this fight end it for you two,” Maleth said, softly.

  “I’m not sure I can fix it,” he said, looking at the ring.

  “Try,” Leonid said.

  “Maybe Exavior is right. Maybe she’s not safe here with me,” Chevalier whispered.

  “She loves you,” Maleth said, softly. “She just needs reminded.”

  Chapter 15 - Times Up

  Emily heard a knock on her door and she looked up from her book, “Who is it?”

  “It’s me,” she heard Chevalier say.

  Emily looked at Sam frantically, and he ran to the door and stepped out, “What do you want?”

  “I came to talk to Emily,” Chevalier said.

  “You’ll have to talk to her through me,” Sam said, crossing his arms.

  “It’s been four days. I need to see her,” he said.

  “Sorry, boss’s orders.”

  “She hasn’t even left her room since the council chambers, I just need to talk to her,” Chevalier said. He debated pushing the familiar out of the way and getting what he demanded, but knew that wasn’t the way to win back Emily’s affection.

  “I’ll give her your message,” Sam said, and went back into her room, squeezing through the door and locking it behind him.

  “What did he want?” Emily asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed with her book.

  “He just wants to see you,” Sam said. He sat back down with Allen and a puzzle.

  “How does this keep happening to me?” she sighed.

  “Well…” Sam said.

  “Oh, I know how it happens.” She glared.

  “Have you asked Exavior what to do?” Sam asked her.

  “No, I’m afraid to tell him,” Emily said, putting her book down, “But this room is driving me crazy. I need to get out of here.”

  “Not without them noticing,” Sam said, putting the last piece in the frame of the puzzle.

  “Freak,” she yelled, standing up to pace the floor.

  “You need to let me get some crackers and Sprite in here or Allen’s going to… t-e-l-l.” Sam said, not looking up.

  “Oh no, that wouldn’t clue them in,” she scowled.

  “Ask him when he calls,” Sam suggested again.

  Emily sighed, “What if they hear me? Bloody heku can hear anything.”

  Emily went over to the window and looked out, “There has to be a way to get out of here.”

  “We’re on the fifth floor. I don’t think you can use a sheet,” Sam said, walking up beside her and looking out the window.

  “So I can’t talk to Exavior without someone eavesdropping, and I can’t get out of this room without the heku knowing anyway,” she whispered, harshly.

  “I could get a rope,” Sam said, looking down.

  “Me? Climb down a rope?” She looked down onto the lawn.

  “True… loud music?”

  “That’s it! I can crank up the TV!” Emily said, and grabbed her phone when it rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Emily, how are you?” Exavior asked, politely.

  “Fine… one second, I need to prepare,” she said. She turned the TV volume up onto full. Allen covered his ears and frowned at her.

  She whispered into the phone, “Can you hear me?”

  “Barely,” he yelled to her. “Who are you hiding from?”

  “Everyone, I need an opinion,” she whispered.

  “Ok.” The tone in his voice changed, “Go ahead.”

  She sighed and looked around to make sure Allen couldn’t hear, “I think I’m pregnant… again.”

  “Oh is that all?” he asked relieved.

  “Is that all? You don’t get it… I get kidnapped, beaten, locked away, tortured, hung…” He cut her off.

  “I know, I’ve heard the stories,” he said, amused.

  “I can’t do this right now,” she said.

  “I know you are no longer bonded, but it doesn’t have to be horrible,” he said.

  “I can’t even leave the palace,” she explained.

  “Why? Are they stopping you?” His voice was stern.

  “No, but they’ll… you know… smell,” she whispered into the phone.

  “Oh, yes they will. Let me think.”

  “I’m debating getting a rope and climbing down,” Emily said, finally.

  “That can’t be a good idea. Mortal’s can’t fall like a heku,” he said, and she thought she heard a hint of a laugh.

  “Do you think this is funny?” she asked, angrily.

  “I wouldn’t say funny, but I don’t see why the panic.”

  “I miss him,” Emily said, softly.

  “I knew you would,” Exavior told her.

  “He really hurt me this time.”

  “Yes he did, and you ashed him.”

  “You think I need to tell him don’t you?” she asked.

  “Does it matter what I think?”

  “Yes or I wouldn’t have told you,” she said.

  “Yes you do, then. He needs to know if for nothing else than to protect you.”

  “Ugh! That word,” she screamed, and then looked at Allen.

  “Seems you have no sense of self preservation, you shouldn’t have even told me,” he said to her, bluntly.

  “You’re my friend.”

  “I’m a Valle, an enemy,” he reminded her.

  “Not of mine.”

  “I know, but you really need to be careful who you tell.”

  “You too now, eh?” she asked, getting angry.

  “What?”

  “Telling me what to do… if I want to call the Encala and announce the impending birth then I can if I want to,” she snapped.

  Exavior laughed, “Yes you can, if you want to.”

  “I’m afraid to tell him,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.

  “I know, but the Equites need to know,” he said.

  “So you’re saying to tell for tactics and not for pure ‘father’ knowledge?” she asked, confused.

  He laughed again, “No, I do think the father should know, but they also need to be aware that there could be problems in the near future.”

  “They know that. I’m one huge problem,” she reminded him.

  “Oh I don’t doubt that,” he said.

  “Are you still coming to get the runes off of me?” She asked him every day toward the end of their conversation.

  “Not now, Em. I can come if you want, but the runes are going to have to wait,” he told her.

  “Why?”

  “It’d be a risk to the baby,” he said.

  “I’m tougher than you think,” she said, frustrated.

  “I have no doubt,” he said, and then paused. “Do you still want me to come?”

  “You come and tell him,” she suggested.

  “Oh no, not me,” he laughed. “You have 10 days,” he said, more serious.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “I will come as promised, and I’ll call it a welfare check,” he said.

  “Ok,” she said, and hung up. She reached over and turned the TV off.

  “So?” Sam asked.

  “He said to tell… but he was thinking strategy, and not personal reasons. Do they all think like that?” she asked, irritated.

  “Yes they do,” Sam said, fitting another piece into the puzzle.

  “I’m guessing you agree,” she asked.

  “Yes I do.” He grinned and took a piece from Allen, sliding it into place, “They are in the council chambers right now with no agenda.”

  “No one’s being questioned or anything?” she frowned.

  “No,
they are discussing an offer from the Encala,” Sam said.

  “How do you know?”

  Sam smiled, “I can hear, too.”

  “Great… here goes,” Emily said, storming out of the room. Her bare feet sounded loudly on the marble floors as she ran down toward the council chambers. She stepped in without knocking and shut the door behind her.

  “Well, hello, Emily,” Maleth said, smiling. The other council members looked over to the door.

  “Can we help you, Dear?” Leonid asked.

  Emily walked forward and stood, watching them, with her arms crossed.

  “Emily?” Damon asked.

  “Wait for it,” she said, and watched as they all looked at one another, confused. Emily avoided looking at Chevalier. She didn’t want to see his reaction.

  “Emily, is there some…” Damon started, and his voice stopped suddenly. He spun in his chair away from her, and fought the internal desire building within him.

  The rest of the Council gasped and turned at the same time, all of them fighting the urge to kill her. Chevalier didn’t turn his chair, he just watched her with wide eyes.

  “Don’t worry, it’s yours,” she growled at him, and then left the council chambers and went back up to her room, slamming the door and locking it.

  “Very smooth, Emily,” Sam said.

  “Go get me some crackers,” she snapped, and he bowed and left.

  “Did not see that coming,” Damon said, when the room cleared of the appetizing scent.

  Maleth looked at Chevalier, “Did you know?”

  He shook his head.

  “Well this complicates things,” Damon said, and hit the table, trying to clear the scent from his mind.

  “Talk to her,” Leonid suggested.

  “She won’t let me in,” Chevalier said.

  “She may now. I can see why she’s been avoiding any heku contact,” Maleth said, nodding.

  “I’ll get the masks,” Damon said, irritated.

  Chevalier turned to him, “Do you have a problem?”

  “Yes I do. In three days, when her Valle boyfriend gets here, I see big problems,” Damon snapped, and Chevalier flinched at the term.

  “Shut up, Damon, and get the masks to the guards,” Leonid said to him, sternly.

  Emily heard the knock on the door but couldn’t move. She was leaning against a cold wall in the bathroom. She cringed when she heard Allen walk toward the door.

  “Who is it?” he asked, just like she normally did.

  “It’s Daddy,” Chevalier said, and Emily heard Allen open the door.

  Emily was able to reach up and lock the bathroom door. She heard Ford run out of the nursery where his bed was, and jump on Chevalier.

  His voice came from beside the bathroom door, “Can we talk, please?”

  “Not right now,” she told him, and turned back to the toilet.

  “Let me help,” he said, tearing the door off of the hinge and stepping into the bathroom just as she laid down on the cold floor.

  “Think you’ve done enough,” she said, shutting her eyes.

  “My part ends at conception, is that our new rule?” He sat down by her on the floor after he propped the door back up.

  “Didn’t know we had a rule,” she whispered, not moving.

  “I bet you’re mad at the timing, so feel free blame me,” he said, watching her.

  “Go away.”

  “No”

  Chevalier handed her a cold washcloth, “I’m actually surprised you told me and didn’t just disappear.”

  “You can thank Exavior for that. I was trying to find a rope to climb out the window.” She put the cold rag against the back of her neck.

  “Oh? So you told Exavior?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

  “Don’t worry, he yelled at me already.”

  “For what?” Chevalier frowned.

  “For telling an enemy faction member,” she said, and leaned back over the toilet.

  “Smart guy.” He watched her.

  Emily halfway collapsed down onto the cold floor and pressed her cheek against the tiles.

  “It’ll be different this time, Em,” Chevalier said.

  “How’s that? Because I’m single this time?” she asked, irritated that he was still there watching her.

  Chevalier took the glass of Sprite and crackers from Sam when he came back into the room.

  “Here’s a cracker.”

  She shook her head, “No food.”

  “Single or no, I’m not going to let you go through this alone,” he said, swapping the cracker for the Sprite.

  She looked at it and leaned back over the toilet.

  “Is this worse than before?” Chevalier asked Sam, worried.

  “No, it’s just the first time you’ve been around at the beginning,” Sam told him, a little snappy.

  “True,” he sighed.

  Sam handed in a blanket and Chevalier took it, laying it on Emily when he noticed she was asleep.

  “Should I move her?” he asked Sam.

  “Nope,” Sam said, and went back to the puzzle with Allen.

  Chevalier stood up and walked out of the bathroom, “I’ll get the door fixed.”

  “Mhmm.”

  Chevalier went back to the council chambers and took his chair.

  “How did that go?” Leonid asked, concerned.

  “She can’t even talk, she’s too sick,” he said, picking up a list of upcoming trials and thumbing through them.

  “Get the doctor,” Maleth suggested.

  “Nothing he can do.”

  “Why not?” Maleth frowned.

  “Mortal women become sick when they are first pregnant,” their Chief Interrogator said, and Chevalier looked at him, curiously, “Or so I’ve heard… at least.”

  “There is still time,” Leonid said.

  “Are you sure about your decision, Leonid?” Maleth asked him.

  “Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for almost a hundred years,” he said, smiling.

  “Have you set a date?” Chevalier asked.

  “Yes, one week from today.”

  “So soon?” Damon asked, frowning.

  “No reason to prolong it,” Leonid said. “Shall we adjourn until the Valle visit in three days?”

  The Council all nodded and Leonid stepped out.

  Chevalier returned to Kyle’s room, where he had been staying since his banishment from his own room. Kyle looked up when he entered.

  “How’d it go?” Kyle asked.

  “Did you know about Em?” he asked, sitting down.

  “What about her?”

  Chevalier fell into a chair, “She’s pregnant.”

  “Oh wow… bet that pisses her off,” Kyle said.

  “Yeah, she’s thrilled,” Chevalier said. “At least I think so, I can’t seem to talk to her.”

  “Sick already?”

  “Yes. Now we have to deal with the Valle in three days.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Crackers and Sprite,” Kyle reminded him.

  “She won’t take them.”

  “Of course not,” Kyle laughed. “Anything to help.”

  Chevalier just nodded.

  “There she is now,” Kyle said, looking up at his door.

  “Sounds like she’s going to try to nap, though,” Chevalier said, his head cocked toward the door.

  Chevalier turned back to Kyle, “She told Exavior.”

  “Might as well get a head-start on the faction tension,” Kyle said, bluntly.

  “He yelled at her for telling him,” Chevalier smiled, slightly.

  Kyle raised his eyebrow, “What’s his angle?”