Encala (54 page)

“
She looks unharmed,”
Exavior said.

“
Of course, we don’t abuse
her,” Damon said, irritated.

“
That remains to be seen,
now doesn’t it?” Exavior said to him.

“
Are we to expect your
visits regularly?” Leonid asked.

“
You may go,” Exavior said,
looking at Leonid, who frowned. Two of the Valle ran quickly out of
the room and Exavior spoke again, “Yes you may. Though not weekly,
unless the need arises.”

“
Who exactly appointed you
her guardian?” the Equites Chief Interrogator asked,
angrily.

“
I do believe she did,” he
answered, casually.

Emily listened to them, the voices sounded
like they were coming from a tunnel. She could tell they were
talking about her, but their words were slurred and not making
sense. She could feel the ground begin to move as a voice called
for her.

Exavior caught her just before she hit the
ground and laid her down gently.

“
Emily?” he said, touching
her face.

Chevalier was at her side in a blur,
“Em?”

She opened her eyes, “I won’t go.”

“
Go where?” Chevalier asked
her, and glared at Exavior until he moved his hand away.

“
I won’t go to him, he
can’t make me,” she said, groaning in pain.

“
It’s the rune,” Exavior
said. “Is the owner here in the palace?”

“
Yes,” Chevalier replied,
angrily.

“
Well… shut him up,”
Exavior scowled.

Damon called for Kyle and blurred from the
room. A few minutes later, Emily opened her eyes, panting. She sat
up and Chevalier helped her to her feet. He kept her steady with a
hand on her back.

“
I’m ok,” she said, looking
around.

“
Go lay down,” Exavior
said, and she nodded and left the room. When she was gone, he
adjusted his cape and turned back to the Council as Chevalier took
his chair.

“
Was there anything else
you need? We have things under control,” Maleth asked.

“
You do?” Exavior asked,
irritated.

“
We look forward to your
next visit,” Leonid said.

Exavior nodded and smiled, then walked out
of the room with the other Valle.

Chevalier left the council chambers,
frustrated, and went up to Emily’s room. He walked in without
knocking and looked around the empty room. He could hear her in the
bathroom. He went over and tried the door, when he found it
unlocked, he went inside and sat down.

Emily was lying back on the floor with her
eyes closed.

“
Déjà vu,” Chevalier
said.

“
Just go away,” she said,
adjusting her face to a new, cool spot.

“
Put this ring on and I
will leave you alone,” he said, knowing it was a low
blow.

Emily put her hand out for the ring, and
Chevalier handed it to her. Without even opening her eyes, she
dropped it into the toilet. His hand shot out and caught it just
before it hit the water.

“
Funny,” he said, slipping
it back into his pocket.

“
Can I ask you a question?
Get my mind off things?” she asked, not moving.

“
Sure,” Chevalier said. He
was glad her eyes were shut. It gave him the ability to look her
over well. He didn’t like how pale she was, or the way her hands
shook when she moved.

“
Why can Exavior eat?” She
opened her eyes and looked at him.

“
He can?” Chevalier seemed
impressed.

“
Why?” Emily scooted until
she was sitting up against the wall.

“
It’s an acquired skill
that takes a lot of time and dedication. Some use it when they
interact with mortals a lot, it helps them fit in,” he
explained.

Emily nodded and shut her eyes.

“
How did he see it?” he
asked, after a few minutes of silence.

“
Is it really bugging you
that bad?” she asked.

He nodded, and then realized her eyes were
still shut, “Yes, it is.”

She sighed, “Jeff…”

“
What about
him?”

Emily opened her eyes and looked at him,
“He… got a little… pushy.”

“
Define pushy,” Chevalier
asked, gritting his teeth.

“
He’s just, stronger than I
am, I guess,” she said, watching him.

“
How far did he get?”
Chevalier asked, angrily.

“
Exavior stopped him,” she
said.

“
How far?” he asked again,
studying her face.

“
I don’t want to talk about
this.” Emily shut her eyes again.

“
Why do you always get
ashamed when someone does something stupid?” he asked,
irritated.

“
Maybe it’s just
embarrassing to admit that... yeah... once again, I was out
strengthened by a mortal man,” she snapped.

“
Of course you were. You
can only defend against heku. That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he
said softly, trying to diffuse the anger.

“
And maybe I’m not wanting
to admit that men think they can take advantage of me only to find
out they are right,” she sighed.

“
How far did he get?” he
asked again.

“
Drop it.”

“
No, how far?”

“
It didn’t happen, ok?” she
said, softer.

“
Did he get your clothes
off?”

Emily frowned at him, “Will you drop it if I
tell you?”

“
Yes”

“
Then yes. So drop it,
ok?”

“
I hope Exavior killed
him,” Chevalier growled.

“
He didn’t. He just
paralyzed him from the waist down,” she told him.

“
Nice,” Chevalier said,
then shut his mouth when Emily glared at him.

“
Go away,” she said
again.

“
When you are feeling
better, Kyle and I will work with you again. We had the one
training, but never really got into the mortal part,” he said,
remembering that day with Travis back on the island.

Chevalier’s heart thudded when he saw a tear
fall down her cheek.

“
What, Em?” he asked,
softly.

“
Why can’t you bring Travis
back?” She looked up at him.

“
We can only bring back
ashes.”

“
Why though?”

“
That’s just how it
works.”

“
If I burned in a fire,
could you bring me back?” she asked, honestly.

Chevalier frowned, “Why?”

“
Just curious.”

“
No, I don’t think we
could.”

Emily used the counter to stand up and
looked in the mirror. She walked over and turned on the water for
the jetted tub.

“
Go away,” she said again,
watching him.

“
Why? I’ve seen you
naked.”

She frowned, “Just go, please.”

“
No, I’ll join you,” he
said, standing up and starting to undress.

“
Chev, no,” she frowned.
“We’re not married anymore.”

“
Wimp,” he said, stepping
into the water. “Damn, this is hot.”

Emily glared at him and stripped quickly.
She felt his eyes on her as she stepped into the water and sunk
down, feeling the water burn her skin. She reached over and hit the
jets, keeping to her side.

“
Give in, Em,” Chevalier
said, pulling her feet toward him and slipping his legs under hers.
“There, better.”

Emily leaned her head back and shut her
eyes, letting the hot water and jets work at her muscles.

Chevalier pulled one of her feet up and
began to massage it. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “What
are you doing?”

“
Wooing you,” he said,
laughing.

“
Will you let me endure
morning sickness alone if I put on that damn ring?” she asked, her
vivid green eyes locked on his.

“
Probably not.”

“
You’re a pest,” she said,
and leaned her head back again.

“
I’m sorry, Em.”

“
No you aren’t, you were
mad.”

“
Yes I was. I wish you
could understand why.”

“
I wish you could trust
me.”

The frustration built within him. He
couldn’t understand how she could admit to being overpowered by a
man in one breath, and then tell him to trust her to protect
herself in the next.

“
You, I trust, it’s
everyone else I have trouble with,” he said.

“
Do you trust Exavior?” she
asked, as she ran her hands along the bubbles floating on the
water.

“
I owe him a great
debt.”

“
That’s not what I asked,”
she said, looking up at him.

“
No, I don’t trust
him.”

“
You thought I slept with
him,” she said with a small grin.

“
I did not,” Chevalier
frowned.

“
Yes you did. I saw you
checking out my ring. It’ll be good for you to not have that visual
representation of my loyalty.” She smiled fully and leaned her head
back, “Besides, I don’t see a ring on you.”

Emily felt the water shift, and then felt
his body press into hers and he kissed her.

She turned her head to the side, “No.”

“
Damn, an order I have to
obey,” he said, and brushed his lips against hers lightly, then
crawled out of the tub.

“
Is it sunny outside?” she
asked when he left the bathroom.

“
Yes, hotter than hell
too,” he said, and walked out of the bedroom.

Chevalier went to meet Damon and Kyle in
Damon’s office. He knocked and then entered as they were discussing
shift rotations.

“
Gah, you smell like her,”
Damon said, staring at Chevalier.

“
Sorry.” He
grinned.

“
Do you think Emily would
notice if we posted guards on the fifth floor?” Kyle asked the
Elder.

“
Yes, not much slips by
her, why?” he asked, and looked over the rotations.

“
She won’t take a personal
guard, so we’re trying to improvise.”

Chevalier picked up the list and studied it,
“Oh that reminds me, I promised Emily another self-defense
lesson.”

“
Good idea,” Kyle said,
nodding.

“
This one’s a mortal one,
though,” Chevalier said.

Kyle frowned, “Why? She’s not being attacked
by mortals.”

“
Remember Jeff?” he asked,
raising an eyebrow.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, “What did he do?”

“
Something Emily won’t
admit to. All I know is that Exavior stopped whatever it was and
paralyzed him from the waist down.”

“
Why didn’t he kill him?”
Kyle asked.

“
I’m guessing to make him
suffer.”

“
I knew I liked him some,”
Damon laughed. “I want in on this self-defense class.”

Kyle grinned at Chevalier, “We could use
another attacker.”

“
Oh let me,” Damon said,
enthusiastically.

“
Can you tone it down?
You’re supposed to be mortal,” Chevalier asked, shaking his
head.

“
Sure I can.” He
grinned.

Chevalier handed the rotation list, “Looks
good except for Sunday, you doubled up on the front doors for an
hour.”

“
Damn,” Kyle said, and
erased a few things.

A panicked call came down, “Get off the
roof, now, now.”

Kyle stood up and frowned, “What now?”

“
Now! I said get off the
roof,” a voice called from above.

Damon stood up and blurred to the roof,
followed by Kyle and Chevalier. On the way up, they passed the
guards, who didn’t even stop when their leaders passed.

“
What’s up with them?”
Damon asked, and opened the door to the roof. The three stepped out
and looked around, confused.

“
I don’t see anything,”
Kyle said, and they walked forward a bit.

“
Ahh” Damon said, pointing
off to the west side of the roof.

They all looked over and saw Emily, lying
out on a lawn chair in her bikini. She had her sunglasses on and
was leaned back, relaxing.

“
Erm…” Kyle said, turning
away, “I think I’ll go finish that roster.”

“
Hmm,” Damon sighed,
looking at her.

Chevalier cleared his throat.

“
Oh, sorry, yes… I’ll go
help,” Damon said, and followed Kyle.

Chevalier sat down on the side of the roof
by Emily, “You cleared out the roof.”

She jumped and sat up.

“
It’s just me,” he said,
chuckling.

Emily laid back down, “I didn’t tell them to
leave.”

“
Yes… well… between your
looks and your scent, I’m imagining they felt it better to leave,”
he said, smiling.

She looked down at herself. “What’s wrong
with how I look?”

“
Nothing, that’s the
problem.”

“
I just wanted some sun
while I’m not worshipping in the bathroom,” Emily said.

“
Worshipping?” Chevalier
started to laugh, “Feeling better then?”