Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series (53 page)

“
She’s not a spoiled
child,” Chevalier growled.

“
No, she’s a spoiled
weapon. How’s that?”

Chevalier just glared at
him.

Damon ignored Chevalier and continued,
“Never, in the history of our species, have we let a mortal run
around a palace freely, barking orders, throwing fits, and
basically getting anything they want.”

“
What exactly do you
suggest we do?” Quinn asked.

“
Tell her she can either be
a part of this faction, which includes following the rules, or she
can leave.”

Quinn gasped, “So basically give her
an ultimatum and have her join the Valle?”

“
I don’t like where this is
going,” Chevalier said angrily.

“
Don’t misunderstand me. I
see the value of having her around, and I fully admit that she’s
saved our asses a few times but damn, stop playing the pissed off
mortal game. It’s time she grows up,” Damon said.

“
So, what now?” Maleth
asked him. “We let the sugar pills slide? If she’s pregnant, then
we let her leave?”

“
No,” Damon corrected. “We
let the sugar pills slide, but we can’t let her leave. It’s pretty
much a given that we have to keep her here. For right now, we let
her drive around until she calms down, and when she comes back, we
tell her there won’t be an investigation and it’s her
responsibility to take care of her own damned pills.”

Quinn sighed, “We do coddle her, that
I admit, and I do see how that could be a problem.”

Chevalier growled.

“
All I’m suggesting is that
we hold her to the same rules as every heku in the Equites, and
that we stop giving in to her temper tantrums and unreasonable
demands,” Damon said.

“
She’s not a heku,” Zohn
reminded him.

“
I know, but she’s also not
in charge.”

Zohn nodded, “So who is going to
enforce these rules?”

“
I’m not going to be a part
of this,” Chevalier said, and walked out of the Council
room.

“
Good, he has a conflict of
interest. Now we can be more open and come up with a solution to
the problem,” Damon said.

“
I’m not sure I like this
either,” Maleth said, frustrated.

“
I, personally, do not want
to enforce these rules. She’s temperamental and moody, and doesn’t
seem to care about turning someone to ash,” Zohn said, nodding
toward their former prisoner.

Damon nodded, “I’ll do it. I’m not
afraid of her.”

“
If she turns you to ash,
who is going to revive you?” Quinn asked him.

“
She won’t. I’ll re-train
her guards and take her personally under my wing,” Damon
smiled.

“
I don’t like this,” Maleth
said again.

“
Just imagine a palace with
no one having to tiptoe around the mortal, no one being turned to
ash, no one taking off, and no fears that our weapon will turn over
to an opposing faction. Life will be peaceful again,” Damon
smiled.

“
Still, it’s Emily… she has
saved us and she’s shown more devotion to this faction than most of
our elite guards. She’s lightened the place up and given us all a
better outlook on mortals. I honestly wonder why she even stays
here, what she gets out of it as we all seem to take but never
give,” Maleth said. “I, for one, don’t want to even think about the
palace without her.”

“
She stays here,” Damon
said, “Because we cater to her, we offer her protection, but ask
nothing in return. We feed her, house her, watch her kids, and all
she has to do is sit around and make demands.”

“
I don’t know,” Maleth
said, watching his hands.

“
If we don’t get a handle
on her temper, there’s no reason why the covens won’t replace us.
The second one of us shows a weakness, we should be replaced, but
as far as that one little mortal is concerned, we all show a
weakness. If you don’t want in on this, then I suggest you step out
because when she gets back,” Damon said, smiling, “She’s
mine.”

Maleth nodded, stood up, and quietly
left the room.

“
Maybe it’s time to replace
the two Elders,” Zohn suggested.

“
No,” Quinn said. “We still
have to consider the ramifications of Emily going to another
faction, and after how she reacted to Leonid’s retirement, we can’t
replace them.”

“
Once I train her, it’ll
all be easier,” Damon said, and smiled reassuringly.

***

“
Are you kidding me?” Emily
asked, frustrated.

“
No, I’m not. Now turn your
little car around, and get off this island,” the pier guard said as
his dog growled angrily at Emily.

“
I’m not in the mood to
train a new guard, either let me by or call Storm to the
pier.”

“
No”

“
No? Didn’t you all learn
last year when I came here and was turned away? I’m the Elder’s
wife for hell’s sake,” Emily scowled.

“
Sure you are, now go
away,” the guard said smugly.

Emily grabbed her cell phone and
dialed, glaring at the guard.

“
Chev?” she asked, and the
guard stiffened some.

“
The pier guards won’t let
me onto the island,” Emily told him.

Almost immediately, the guard’s phone
rang and he answered it, nervously. Emily watched as he cringed and
nodded a few times. She glanced over and noticed a yacht sitting
along the pier. She knew Chevalier promised her a new boat, but she
didn’t know he’d gotten one already. After the guard hung up, he
moved aside and waved Emily through. She pulled the Durango off of
the pier and sped toward the castle.

Emily pulled up in front of the castle
and the guards nervously opened her door, glancing at each other.
She got Alexis out of the car seat and went into the castle, then
smiled and looked around the foyer.

“
Lady Emily?” Anna asked,
shocked.

Emily went up and hugged her, “It’s so
good to be back!”

Anna smiled, “Good to have you home,
Child. Did the Elder come with you?”

“
No, actually, he didn’t.
Is that yacht by the pier Chevalier’s?”

Anna nodded, “Yes it is. Come, let’s
get you settled.”

“
Actually,” Emily said.
“Can you take Alexis for lunch? I have something I want to
do.”

Anna smiled, “Sure, Child.”

Emily immediately headed down to the
prison. One guard started to yell, but the other hit him, “Good
afternoon, Lady Emily.”

“
Hello,” she said, and
headed down to the familiar cell.

“
David?” she asked. She
wasn’t sure it was still him. The heku was sitting, cross-legged
and faced away from her.

He turned suddenly, “My God,
Emily?”

She smiled, “Been a while.”

David moved to the cell, “I’ve been so
worried about you, you look great! Will you be staying
here?”

Emily shrugged, “I actually have a
question… do you know how to drive a yacht?”

David frowned, “Yes, why?”

“
I need lessons, can you
teach me?”

“
Yes I suppose I could,
but…”

“
Good,” Emily turned
around. “Sean?”

The guard came toward her, “Yes,
Ma’am?”

“
Let David out. I’m taking
him on an errand for a few hours.”

Sean frowned, “I’m not allowed,
Ma’am.”

Emily sighed, “You know you’re going
to do it, so save yourself the pain and just let him out now. If he
tries to take off or bite me, then I’ll return his
ashes.”

“
Damnit,” the guard
scowled, and opened David’s cell.

David followed Emily nervously as they
walked up into the foyer. He crawled into her Durango and they set
off for the pier.

“
I guess I don’t have to
tell you that you shouldn’t be doing this,” David said, breathing
the fresh air deeply.

“
No, you don’t.” Emily
stopped the Durango and they both got out. One of the pier guards
crouched when he saw the prisoner loose.

“
He’s with me,” Emily said,
and headed to the yacht. David helped her onto the boat and she
looked around at the new yacht. It was bigger than the last, but
the colors were all roughly the same. She immediately headed up to
the bridge and sat on the chair.

“
Ok, so… yachts,” David
started, and began teaching her how to navigate.

***

“
At least you know where
she is this time,” Maleth said as he watched Chevalier look out
over the ocean.

“
No I don’t. She left two
weeks ago on the yacht and I haven’t been able to get a hold of
her,” Chevalier said. He’d been watching the ocean for her return
for a few days.

“
I just meant that you know
she’s out on the yacht. We should have the GPS tracking from the
phone company back soon, and then we’ll know exactly where she is.
I’m surprised she could even sail one, to be honest.”

“
She didn’t know how. She
took a friend of hers from the prison and he taught
her.”

“
A prisoner?” Maleth
gasped.

Chevalier nodded.

“
Maybe they are right.
Maybe she’s become a liability. Everyone’s so afraid of her, they
don’t ever tell her no,” Maleth said softly.

Chevalier sighed, “I know.”

“
I’m afraid you and I may
be on the chopping block too. I’m sure you are aware of
that.”

“
Yes I am, very much aware
that Emily may cause us to appear weak.”

“
If we’re replaced…” Maleth
cringed.

“
We won’t be. I’ll let the
Council see what they can do.” Chevalier turned to Maleth, “If she
finds out that you and I could be replaced because of her, things
will change.”

“
I just wish it didn’t have
to change. She adds life to the palace.”

Chevalier just nodded and looked out
over the ocean again.

***

Damon deftly jumped onto the yacht
from the small boat and looked around. The yacht seemed quiet as he
headed down the stairs to the living area. He saw Alexis asleep in
a playpen, and he headed up the other stairs, surprised Emily
hadn’t come to track down the footsteps.

The bright sun blinded him at first
but when he slipped on his sunglasses, he saw Emily lying out on a
chaise, topless. Damon quickly looked away and then turned back to
her and grinned. He knew she was attractive, but hadn’t seen her
quite like that before. He suddenly realized why the Elder was so
jealous.

As Damon pulled her earphones out, she
jerked suddenly and fell off of the chaise. Emily scrambled to her
feet, covering herself with a towel.

“
Damnit, Damon, why are you
here?” she growled.

“
I came as a representative
of the Council,” Damon said, grinning as he moved back into the
living area and out of the sun.

Emily pulled on a robe and followed
him down, “I’m not coming back yet. I’m enjoying the peace and
quiet.”

“
Sit, please,” he said,
pointing to a chair.

Emily sighed and sat down, then looked
up at him, “I’m not really in the mood to get yelled
at.”

“
I’m not here to yell, but
I need you to pay attention and listen,” Damon said, leaning
against the counter.

“
Ok,” Emily said
skeptically.

“
The Council has decided to
replace Maleth and Chevalier.”

Emily gasped and sat up straighter,
“What? No! Please…”

Damon stopped her, “Calm down, we’ve
decided to hold off on the decision until we see if you are going
to comply.”

Emily felt her heart pounding in her
chest. She couldn’t imagine being alive and knowing that Chevalier
and Maleth were below the ground, suffering endlessly.

“
Breathe,” Damon said. He
was pleased at her reaction and knew this would be an easy
task.

Emily took a deep breath and looked up
at him with tear filled eyes, “Please, don’t.”

“
They are a liability
because of you.”

“
Me?” she
whispered.

“
Yes, you. Your temper and
disobedience shows a weakness in them. The Council can’t have weak
members, I’m sure you know that,” Damon hadn’t expected the tears,
and was ashamed at how they made his heart ache.

Emily nodded and looked at
Damon.

“
So I agreed to take
responsibility for you, and to see if we can find a solution. One
that gives the Council some control over you, and one that restores
the faith we have in the two Elders.”

Again she just nodded.

“
Any resistance will be
seen as proof that you can’t change, and that the only way to
restore the power of the Council is to remove the weak members.”
Damon didn’t like the horrified look in her eyes, he fully expected
to feel nothing when he told her, and hated himself for feeling
pity. He studied her for a moment while he regained his initial
control.