Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series (32 page)

“Yes, the specus,” she said into the
hole.

“They are in present-day Denmark.”

“Right, how long did the Equites live
there?”

“They always lived there.”

She couldn’t help but smile, picturing the
clean, servant driven heku living in damp and dirty caves, “Do you
need anything?”

There was a pause before he replied, “Such
as?”

“I don’t know. Books… music…”

“I do not understand,” he said. His voice was
soft and held an air of confusion.

“It’s just…”

“Em?” Chevalier said from behind her. She
jumped slightly at the sudden voice, and then looked up from the
ground.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing?” It was obvious that he
was about to grin.

“Talking”

“About?”

“Stuff,” she said before saying goodbye to
the Ancient and then standing up and brushing the dead grass from
her jeans.

“Having fun?”

“I guess.”

“Learn anything new?”

“Not really.”

He smiled and then moved to the side so she
could walk past him.

“Kill anyone while I was visiting?” she
asked, walking past him.

“No”

“You let them go?”

“No, but I didn’t kill them.”

“Yet…”

“Yet,” he said, still smiling.

***

Emily sat on the top step in the palace and
looked down the long flight of marble stairs. She was bored and was
finding it hard to keep entertained. The Council was in permanent
sessions and had been for the last three weeks. She had seen
Chevalier only briefly each evening, but other than that, he
remained in the council chambers. The Council made sure that Emily
stayed away from the council chambers while they were in
session.

After talking to Dain, Emily was pretty sure
that the Encala were about to attack and that the Council was
worried about their numbers. She’d even tried to contact Andrew or
William to verify, but no one answered at the IP address she used
to video-conference them in the past.

Today, the Cavalry was assigned to guard the
palace, which only meant that the Council felt threatened by
something or someone. Because of that, Emily was asked to stay in
the palace but wouldn’t have personal guards following her
around.

Emily looked around again, wishing she could
find something to pass the day. She was just having thoughts about
visiting the island when she heard whispers coming from down the
hall from her. She leaned closer to hear what they were saying.

“Are you sure she’s not close?” a heku
whispered.

“She’s down in the stables I bet.”

“Why can’t we drop our voices? This is
dangerous.”

“Because Shen, down on
4
^th
floor, is listening in also.”

“Fine… so what now?”

“Chase got the information. He was guarding
the council chamber door last night.”

“Ok”

“He confirmed that the Valle Council no
longer wants Emily under their control but instead wants her
dead.”

Emily frowned slightly and moved even closer
to listen.

“That’s no surprise. She keeps the other
factions at bay.”

“They think she’s given the Equites an unfair
advantage.”

“So that’s why all the meetings. The Valle
are after Emily?”

“It’s more than that. The Valle want to
attack with the Encala. The Valle will focus on killing Emily, and
the Encala will try to take our city.”

“The Encala have turned on her then?”

“No, the Encala think that the Valle are
after the Council. They have no idea the Valle’s true target, or
they would stop it.”

“That explains why we’re in here.”

“According to Chase, the Council is trying to
figure out how to stave off attacks from both factions.”

“Why don’t they ship Emily out? Wouldn’t that
stop the Valle from joining?”

“They are afraid that she’d be attacked while
away, out from the protection of the Cavalry.”

“I could use a good fight.”

There was a chuckle, “So could I. Emily may
have been able to keep the factions from attacking for a while, but
right now, she’s also the Valle’s prime target, and that may
backfire and cause them to attack.”

“Does the General know?”

“I’m guessing he does. The Council tells him
more than they do us.”

“If both Encala and Valle attack at once,
it’s going to be one hell of a bloody battle.”

Emily quietly ran down the stairs to her room
and then shut the door and looked around. Her protective instincts
were pulling forward, and she felt like she needed to get out of
Council City to prevent a combined Valle and Encala attack.

She began to pace, to think things through,
and happened to look out the window just as Allen, Miri, and
Garrett walked up to the palace. Wondering where Alexis was, Emily
quickly left her room and ran down the stairs to them. She stopped
on the fourth-floor when she heard that they were all in a rather
loud fight.

“What’s going on?” Emily asked when they
walked up. It was obvious that Allen and Garrett were arguing with
Miri over something.

Miri pointed at them, “They are siding with
the Council on this, and it’s not right! He is her brother…”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

Garrett calmed his voice, “Ma’am, there have
been some attacks in Jersey, and the Council found out that Alexis
was harboring Dain in my house.”

“Where is she?” Emily asked, looking
around.

“He is her brother!” Miri yelled. “It’s her
right, and it’s in her blood to protect him.”

“No it’s not,” Allen told her. “She should
have told the Council immediately where he is and let them banish
him.”

“You…”

“Where is she?!” Emily screamed.

Garrett looked toward the council chamber
door, which was guarded by three members of the Cavalry, none of
which Emily knew well.

“She’s in there?” Emily asked, taking a step
toward the door. The Cavalry moved closer to the door to block
her.

“Yes, and she’s afraid,” Miri told Emily. “I
think Allen needs to go stand up for her. She's alone in there,
dragged out of her home…”

Emily turned on Garrett, “You didn’t help
her?”

“No, it was the Council’s decision.”

“That is your wife.”

“Who harbored her criminal brother in my own
home!”

Emily walked over to the council chamber’s
door, and Derrick stepped forward, “You can’t go in there.”

“Her daughter is in there,” Miri snapped at
him.

“Miri!” Allen yelled. “You can’t talk to him
like that.”

“Move, Derrick,” Emily said.

He shook his head, “The Council won’t hurt
her.”

“Mom!” Allen gasped when Derrick and the
guards turned to ash. He and Garrett followed Emily and Miri into
the council chambers, too shocked to say anything.

“Emily?” Chevalier asked, standing slowly.
Emily ran up to Alexis and quickly looked her over. She was pale
and shaking and had been crying enough her eyes were red.

“Mom, I’m ok,” Alexis whispered, though she
avoided looking at Garrett.

Emily spun and glared at the Council,
something she hadn’t done since her return from Ireland, “You have
no right to punish her over this.”

“Emily, calm down,” Kyle said. “We’re just
talking to her about keeping Dain from us. He’s attacked
again.”

She took a step toward the Council, “What was
her punishment for it?”

“Mom, it’s not worth it,” Alexis
whispered.

“Lady Emily, it’s their right,” Garrett said,
taking her arm.

Emily spun on him and slapped him, “You
better watch it.”

“Emily, it’s not his fault,” Chevalier
said.

“What was her punishment?” she asked him.

“The Council has decided that she needs to
spend two years in prison for insubordination,” the Chief
Investigator said to her.

“Over my dead body!”

“Em, let us handle this,” Chevalier said, his
body tensing. He saw their mutual agreement fading and knew she was
about to fight back.

“No! Time for that is over. I’ve held my side
of the bargain, listened to every hair-brained idea this Council
had in regard to my protection. I’ve stayed away when I should have
been included, but it’s over! Come on Alex,” she said, taking
Alexis' arm.

Garrett and Allen each took one of Emily’s
arms to keep her from leaving.

“Mom, listen to Dad,” Allen said. “Dain is
dangerous… she should have told the Council where he was.”

“Let her go!” Megara screamed from the
doorway. She ran at Allen and began to pull at his arm.

“Everyone calm down!” Quinn yelled, and the
entire room fell silent. “Emily, this is Council business, and I
ask you to step aside.”

“I’m not going to let you punish her,” Emily
told him. “I knew where he was. I kept it from you. If you punish
her, then I’m going to prison too.”

“We don’t imprison members of the
Council.”

“Member of the Council? Bullshit! You kept me
in the dark about the Valle’s wish to kill me, and the impending
attack by the Encala.”

“But…” That was all Quinn could say. He was
shocked that she knew what was supposed to be Council only.

“You gave me that title but only invoke it
when it fits your needs.”

“Don’t do this, Em,” Chevalier said, walking
down. “Please. Dain is out of hand. This time, one of the women is
dead. If Alex had told us where he was, this wouldn’t have
happened.”

“You swore you wouldn’t keep things from
me.”

“What purpose would it have served to tell
you that the Valle want you dead?”

“It would have proven that you trusted me as
much as I trusted you. It would have proven that our agreement
benefited us both and not just your bloody Council.”

“You have to trust me.”

“I did.”

“Did?”

“Yes, did.” Emily shrugged off Allen and
Garrett’s hands and then looked up at Chevalier, “So this should
help…”

“What?” he asked, watching her carefully.

“I know how the Valle and the Encala are
staging a joint attack, and that the Valle only want me dead. I
know how the Equites can’t handle a combined attack right now, and
that if I’m not here, the Valle will back off.”

“Emily, no! I know you’re about to protect
the Equites again. If you take off, the Valle will find you.”

“Yes, I am protecting the Equites… I’m
protecting my family and the Equites,” Emily said, and turned every
heku in the room to ash except for Kyle and Miri.

“Em, no,” Kyle gasped, looking around.

“Come on, let’s go,” Emily said, heading for
the door.

“Where are you going?” Kyle asked her.

She didn’t turn, “Away, while I decide what
to do.”

Emily waited at the door for Alexis, Megara,
and Miri to follow her. Once they were all out of the palace, the
entire building went into lock down and Emily ran to the stable and
came back out with a cattle prod and a Taser.

“Miri, can you fly a plane?” Emily asked
her.

“No, I can’t.”

Emily nodded and then walked up to Kralen and
Gifford as they guarded the front door. They both stepped in front
of the door.

“Em, you have to stop this,” Kralen said.
“The Council was just mad. They wouldn’t have kept her in prison,
and you know it.”

“Can you fly an airplane too?” Emily asked
him.

Kralen frowned, “Yes, but I’m not taking you
out of here.”

“I tried, Kralen. I really tried.”

“There were still kinks in the agreement.
Instead of defying the Council, you should have talked to
them.”

“The agreement helped only them, no one else.
I did all of the changing.”

“That’s not true. They let up their hold on
you a lot.”

Emily’s eyes began to fill with tears, “I
tried to follow them, but I can’t do it anymore. This time they
messed with my family, and I won’t have it.”

“Mom, I’m scared,” Megara said, wrapping her
arms around her Mom’s waist.

“It’s ok, baby. We’re getting out of here,”
Emily said, and pointed the Taser at Kralen. “Start walking.”

He shook his head, “You aren’t going to
kidnap me and make me fly you somewhere.”

Both Gifford and Kralen fell to their knees
in pain, and the agony was apparent as the women watched them. Just
before falling unconscious, Emily held out the cattle prod and let
them out of pain, “I said start walking, both of you.”

“We’re kidnapping members of the Cavalry?”
Miri asked. It didn’t sound like she was prying but was more
curious as to what Emily had in mind.

“Yes, we’re going away until I can figure out
how to fix this.”

“Mom, we can’t do this,” Alexis said. “I knew
better than to keep this from the Council.”

“He’s your brother,” Miri said, and smiled at
her.

“Miri, go get Asher,” Emily said, still
watching the guards. Miri quickly blurred away.

“Please, Mom. I don’t want to run. I want to
finish this,” Alexis told her.

Emily sighed, “You and I hid Dain. Miri
pretty much stood up to the Council, and I’m not leaving Megara
here alone. We have to get away from the heku and figure this
out.”

“I’m not sure running is the best thing to do
here,” Miri said, appearing with Asher cradled in her arms. “If we
let the Council punish us, things will blow over. They won’t banish
us for this, and a prison sentence isn’t very long.”

The heku could hear Emily’s heart race, “No,
I have to protect my family.”

“Dad is your family too,” Alexis said. “I
don’t think running is an option right now.”

Emily began to back away, “I have to run. I
have to get out of here.”

“Mom, calm down.”

She shook her head and pointed the Taser at
Gifford, “You two have a choice. Either come with us and take us
where we want to go… or turn to ash.”