Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series (14 page)

Chevalier calmed and turned to see how mad
Emily was. He frowned slightly when he saw her backed up against
the stone walls, watching all of them, confused. Her eyes darted
between those in the room, and she was beginning to panic.

“Em?” he asked softly.

She looked over at him and took a side-step
toward the door.

“Emily, are you ok?” Mark asked, watching her
carefully.

Her fearful eyes turned furious, and she
faced Chevalier and smiled, “Funny, the Equites can’t even control
their own. No wonder the Valle are more powerful.”

Silas was on her in an instant. His teeth
pressed into her neck as he gently lowered her to the floor when
she relaxed.

“Damnit,” Chevalier sighed. “She hasn’t done
this in a while.”

Silas let go of her and quickly looked her
over, “I don’t think I hurt her.”

“Fast thinking, Captain,” Zohn said. “Good
work.”

Dr. Edwards appeared and winced when he saw
her, “Valle again?”

“Yes”

Emily sighed and began to stir, so Dr.
Edwards quickly sedated her and picked her up, “Do you want her in
the oubliette again?”

“Better make someone immune first,” Quinn
said. “We don’t need the city turned to ash.”

Once Chevalier was made immune to Emily, and
she was in the oubliette and well guarded, the Council returned to
the problem at hand.

“Dain is too big for a lot of our guards to
handle single-handedly,” Zohn said.

Chevalier nodded, “He is a strong heku but
extremely immature.”

“Intelligent though,” Quinn said. “I would
imagine Dain will grow up with time. His heku blood gave him
strength and intelligence but not a lot of maturity.”

“Maybe he’ll be like his mother,” the Chief
of Staff said.

Chevalier glared at him, “Meaning?”

“No offense, Elder. I just mean that
sometimes maturity eludes her also.”

“Not lately.”

“No, not lately.”

“Just leave him in prison then,” Chevalier
said. “It’d be good for him to go without for a while. Show him
that this Council is in charge.”

Zohn smiled, “Emily won’t like that.”

“Well at the moment, she doesn’t even
remember him.”

“True”

“Bring in Megara,” Quinn called toward the
door.

A few minutes later, Derrick opened the door
and escorted in the young girl. She wasn’t shy like Alexis was at
her age, and she walked up to the trial area and faced the
Council.

“Where is Dain?” she asked, looking along the
row of heku.

“He is in prison for now,” Chevalier
explained. “What happened in the city?”

“Let him out!”

“No, what happened?”

Megara’s jaw set and she glared at Chevalier,
“I’ll tell you if you let him out.”

He smiled, “I can find out from the City
Guards without your help.”

“Fine! I went to see Regan.”

“From Council City?”

“Yes”

“Why are you bothering Regan?”

Megara crossed her arms, “I wasn’t bothering
him. He invited me.”

Chevalier sighed, “For what?”

“He was going to show me techniques in
forging and stock removal.”

“Are you making a sword?” Zohn asked.

“Maybe”

“Ok, so you went to Regan’s house and then
what?” Chevalier asked. He planned on dealing with Regan’s
interaction with Megara later.

“Dain and I were just walking to his house
when I was attacked from an alley.”

“By who?”

“I don’t know who they are.”

“Two of them?”

“Yes”

“Did you get injured?”

Megara smiled, “No, Dain protects me.”

“So do your guards, dear,” the Chief
Interrogator reminded her.

“I don’t like my guards,” she told him.

“Why not?”

“They are stuffy.”

Quinn smiled, “I see.”

Megara looked at Chevalier, “I want Dain back
with me.”

“No, he’s learning a lesson.”

“Then I’ll sneak out.”

“To go where?”

“
What does it matter? Least
I’ll be out of here.” Megara turned on her heels and stormed out of
the council chambers.

Chevalier sighed, “She’s heading down Dain’s
path.”

“Maybe have Alexis talk to her,” Kyle
suggested.

“She and Alexis have problems getting along
for long periods of time.”

“Why’s that?”

“Alexis follows the rules, and Megara prefers
to break them. It irritates Alexis how Megara acts.”

“She’s quite young though. Even Alexis has to
admit that she had some growing pains,” Zohn said.

Chevalier nodded, “She does.”

“Will she talk to Emily?”

“Yes, when she doesn’t think she’s a
Valle.”

“Oh true.”

“Hey tic-tac!” Emily screamed from the
oubliette. “Come talk to me.”

“Tic-tac?” Chevalier asked, looking down the
row of Council members.

Kyle was laughing and trying to stop.

“Explain,” Chevalier said.

Kyle shook his head, “With all due respect,
Elder. I’d rather not.”

“Is she referring to Chevalier when she says
tic-tac?” Zohn asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” Kyle replied, still
fighting to not laugh.

“Yeah you, Todger,” Emily yelled. “Come face
me like a man!”

Chevalier smiled slightly, “Todger, I do
know. I’ll go see what she wants.”

Kyle was still grinning when Chevalier
blurred from the council chambers. The Elder appeared outside of
the small window into the oubliette and saw Kralen laughing.

“You know what a tic-tac is?” Chevalier asked
him.

Kralen chuckled, “Yes, Elder.”

“Care to explain?”

“Do I have to?”

Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped up
to the small window and looked in at Emily, “You’ll get a faster
response if you call for me by name.”

She glared at him, “What? Todger isn’t your
name?”

“No”

“Surprised you showed up,” she said, crossing
her arms.

“What is it you want?”

“I want to know when the Equites are going to
leave me the hell alone?!”

“Probably never.”

“Sotomar will get me back.”

“I’m sure he will. Is that all?”

She sat on the couch and flipped on the TV,
ignoring Chevalier. He stepped down and shook his head.

“Sorry, Elder,” Kralen said, still smiling.
“I’m sure she’ll come around soon.”

“She better. Someone needs to tell me why she
called me tic-tac,” Chevalier said, and headed up to the council
chambers.

***

“Elders?” Derrick said, stepping into the
council chambers. “Thukil is here to see the Lady.”

“Did they say why?” Zohn asked.

“Yes, Elder. They have a horse delivery.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Captain Darren.”

“Send him in,” Quinn said, setting down a
stack of papers he was going through.

Captain Darren came in a few minutes later
and bowed, “Sorry for the delay.”

“That’s fine. Emily isn’t quite herself right
now. Did she know the horses were coming?” Chevalier asked.

“Yes, Elder. Is… is she ok?”

Emily’s voice rang out through the palace,
“There was an old coot from Equites, who was so ugly that he had
teats… so one day his Council, dimwittedly dull, agreed they would
all go and eats!”

Chevalier smiled slightly, “Physically she’s
fine.”

Darren looked at the Elder, shocked.

Zohn fought back a grin, “The Valle re-worked
her memory a few years ago, and once in a while it comes back.”

“What did they put into her mind?” Darren
asked.

“They put themselves into our places and
replaced Exavior, Salazar, and the likes… with Chevalier.”

Darren grimaced, “She thinks she’s a
Valle?”

“Yes”

Kyle chuckled, “Which makes me wonder what
names she’s called the other Councils and what rhymes they’ve
heard.”

“There’s no telling,” Chevalier said,
amused.

“Is there anything I can do?” Darren
asked.

Chevalier thought for a moment, “Yes,
actually. Why don’t you go talk to her and see if you can spur her
memory back?”

“Yes, Elder…. What shall I say?”

“Anything”

Darren nodded and then hesitated and left the
council chambers. The Council all listened to the conversation.

When Darren arrived at the oubliette, Kralen
showed him to the window, and the Thukil Captain stepped up and
looked inside, “Emily?”

“Who the hell are you?” she snapped.

“Do you remember me?”

“Are you one of Chevalier’s goons?”

“In a way, I guess.”

“Then go tell him he’s an asshole.”

Darren smiled slightly, “Actually… I wanted
to apologize.”

Her eyes narrowed, “For what?”

“You once came to my coven, Thukil, and we
thought you were going to turn us all to ash. You are a friend to
Thukil, and I should have known better.”

She frowned slightly and studied his
face.

“I never apologized for that. We still hold
you in very high regards and consider you a great friend and a
Commander.”

“The Cavalry does?” she asked, sounding
unsure.

Kralen gasped and looked up at Darren.

“Yes, the Thukil Cavalry does,” Darren told
her.

She sat down and looked at the floor as
images replayed through her mind, “I was told to… to come and ash
you.”

“Yes”

“I didn’t want to.”

“I know. I also know you took quite a
punishment for that.”

“Oh my God!” Emily yelled, and stood up. She
looked around the oubliette’s room, “Damnit.”

Darren smiled, “Are you Valle?”

“I sure as hell am not,” she said, and then
hit her head lightly on the wall. “This has to stop.”

Chevalier appeared at her side, “It
will.”

Emily turned to him and winced, “I’m sorry
about the names.”

He smiled, “I know.”

“And the rhyme.”

“What’s a tic-tac?”

“I’m sorry about that too. It’s far from the
truth though, so don’t worry about it.”

“Tell me.”

Emily smiled up at the window, “It’s good to
see you, Darren.”

He nodded and disappeared from the
window.

“Let’s go,” Chevalier said, and picked her
up. He kissed her softly and blurred her into the council chambers,
where Captain Darren and Mark were waiting.

“Did you bring them?” she asked, smiling at
Darren.

He nodded, “Yes, Commander.”

“I want to see them,” she said, and started
for the door.

“Em?” Chevalier asked, taking his seat.

She cringed and turned toward him, “Yes?”

“What’s a tic-tac?”

“It’s a type of candy.”

“And why would you call me one?”

Darren and Mark both turned away to hide
laughter.

Emily sighed, “I don’t want to say.”

“In private maybe?”

“Maybe”

He smiled, “You may go see your new
horses.”

Emily quickly ran out of the council
chambers, hoping not to be called in again. She wasn’t looking
forward to explaining the nickname she used on Chevalier, so she
planned on avoiding him at all costs. One bad habit she learned
from fighting with Keith was that the best way to insult a man was
to lie about size.

Some of the Cavalry had already gathered
around the large horse trailer as Emily unlocked it and threw open
the doors. Darren and Mark walked up behind her and looked in.

“Wow, they are gorgeous,” Emily said, and
stepped inside among the four horses. “Are these ones ok with
mortals?”

“Yes, we checked twice. They are fast as they
come too,” Darren said. “Between your racing stallion and our
racing mares, we’re going to re-outfit both Cavalries with racing
horses by the end of next year.”

“I still get the fastest,” she said, and led
one of the horses out of the trailer.

“Of course,” Mark said smiling.

“Emi?” Alec said from off to the side.

The Cavalry turned quickly toward him. After
all this time, they still didn’t trust him and only kept from
killing him because he was Emily’s uncle.

“Hi, Alec,” Emily said, handing the horse off
to Silas. “What brings you into Council City?”

Alec scanned the heku around her and then
lowered his voice, “Nathaniel died.”

Emily suddenly froze and was finding it hard
to speak.

Alec nodded slightly, “I can’t go to the
funeral, but I thought you might want to know.”

She looked down at her hands, “How’d he
die?”

“He was old, Emi. His heart just gave
out.”

“You ok, Em?” Mark asked, touching her
shoulder lightly.

“I… just need a second,” she said, and then
walked into the palace.

Chevalier appeared when Mark called him, and
he eyed Alec suspiciously, “What did you do?”

Alec looked at him, “I just told her that her
uncle died.”

“Elizabeth had a brother?”

“No, he was my brother.”

Chevalier looked shocked, “I didn’t know you
and Allen had another brother.”

“We didn’t talk about him often.”

Chevalier glanced up toward the bedroom
window, “Was she close to him?”

“No, none of us were.”

“Where was he living?”

“Montana State Prison.”

“He was incarcerated?!”

“Yes, has been for most of Emi’s life,” Alec
explained.

“She knows this?”

“Yes, she’s well aware of that.”

Chevalier sighed, “Why do I get the feeling
that this is something I should have known about years ago?”

“Allen and I kept it pretty quiet, and our
families did too. It’s not something we are proud of.”

Chevalier looked at the gathered heku and
then turned toward the palace, “Come to my office.”

Alec nodded and followed Chevalier into the
palace. Once seated across from Chevalier’s mahogany desk, Alec sat
back to answer questions. It wasn’t until Kyle, Quinn, and Zohn
entered that anyone spoke.

“What’s up?” Zohn asked, looking at Alec.