Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series (77 page)

“
I know... but we emptied
the guards out of Council City. It’s never been more dangerous for
you,” Chevalier explained.

“
So stop tricking me and
going behind my back. I thought I was a member of the
Council.”

“
You are…”

“
Then treat me like one.
Did you hide the attack from any of the others?”

“
No, but…”

“
Did you lock any others up
in the palace?”

Chevalier sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“
For now, but next time
you’ll do the same.”

“
It’s in my nature to
protect you.”

Emily sighed, “It’s in my nature to fight
back… so we’re at an impasse.”

“
No, damnit, I’m not ready
for you to leave,” Chevalier said angrily. “With a mortal, I only
have limited time with you, and I don’t want it cut short, not even
if only by 50 or 60 years.”

“
I don’t want to
turn.”

“
I haven’t asked you to. In
my opinion, you’re too young anyway.”

“
See, that’s your problem…
I’m an adult,” she said, irritated.

“
I know that.”

“
Do you? Or am I some
little doll that you have to protect from the neighborhood dog, one
to dress up and parade around?”

“
You can’t really believe
that,” Chevalier said, frowning. “You’re twisting my words. I
didn’t say you were a child. I said you were too young to turn. If
I had my way, no one under 70 would be turned.”

“
It doesn’t matter anyway.
That doesn’t change the fact that Kyle was tortured because of
me.”

“
No, he was tortured
because Exavior is power hungry. He’s been planning this for years,
even if you weren’t here he would have tried this eventually,”
Chevalier explained. “When the Valle replaced Elder Jeaniel,
Exavior thought he was a sure bet for her seat. This entire thing
started when he found out he wasn’t her replacement.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Are you putting me
on?”

Chevalier smiled slightly, “No, this isn’t
all your doing. I figure he’s planned this for a few years and has
only recently decided you need to be an Elder in his new
faction.”

“
So let me,” Emily
said.

“
What? Why?” Chevalier
asked, confused.

“
Nothing can bring a new
faction down faster than a troublesome Elder.”

“
Nothing can bring down a
mortal faster than being a troublesome Elder that Exavior wants to
re-train.”

“
True,” Emily said,
sighing.

“
Give me two
months?”

“
To do what?”

“
I don’t know, that just
seems to work,” Chevalier told her.

“
The ultimatum was just
smashed to pieces by all three factions… four if you want to go
there.”

“
We’ll make it up to you.
Meet with the Elders and we’ll come up with something,” Chevalier
suggested.

Emily glanced over at Allen. He was sitting
in the car, pretending not to listen, but she knew he heard it
all.

“
No more leaving for wars
behind my back?”

“
No”

“
No more minions guarding
me?”

“
No,” Chevalier
said.

“
Fine, but that includes
anyone attacking Allen because he helped me,” Emily
said.

“
I need to talk to him
about that, but I won’t hurt him.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed, “No.”

Chevalier sighed, “He overstepped…”

“
He did what I told him to
do… and I’m his mother.”

“
He needs rules… you may
not be a heku, but he sure as hell is and there are rules to
follow.”

“
He’s my 11-year-old son,”
Emily reminded him.

Chevalier glanced into the car, “This
once…”

Allen grinned and pulled a book out of his
bag.

Emily went back and sat down in the Aero,
but left the door open. Chevalier came over and handed her a
bag.

“
What’s this?” she asked,
looking inside.

“
Lunch, heard you aren’t
eating again. Do you know how frustrating that is?”

Emily glanced at Allen when she thought she
heard a whisper. She saw his lips moving, but didn’t hear
anything.

“
What are you whispering?”
Emily asked, irritated.

“
Let me see your ankle,”
Chevalier said, putting out his hand.

Emily frowned at Allen, “Tattle tale.”

Chevalier grinned, “Your back is next… come
on.”

Emily smiled, “I’m expressing my
independence… no.”

“
No?” Chevalier asked, wide
eyed. He briefly wondered if he would ever get used to being told
no, after thousands of years of his every word being followed
immediately and without question.

“
No…” Emily said again, and
grabbed her book from under her seat.

“
Interesting,” Chevalier
said, amused.

Emily didn’t look up until the ferry
signaled they were almost to land. The ferry driver hadn’t turned
around when Chevalier asked because there was a message that Quinn
was waiting for them at the docks.

Emily got out of the Aero and followed Allen
and Chevalier to the end of the ferry and watched for Quinn’s
silver Zonda.

“
Well, well, well,”
Chevalier said, crossing his arms.

“
What?” Emily
asked.

“
4 Veyrons,” Allen told
her.

Emily smiled, “I got this one…”

Chevalier glanced at her and she smiled,
“There… empty ugly sports cars.”

Chevalier chuckled, “You’re calling $1.7
million cars ugly?”

“
Yes, I am,” Emily said,
and stepped off the ferry, walking toward the cars. She opened the
first car and looked down at the pile of ash in each seat, “Do you
want these?”

“
Yes, I do,” Chevalier
said. He gathered up the ashes from the first car and moved to the
second.

“
No!” Allen yelled, and
Chevalier heard a loud splash.

He turned around just as the top of one of
the Bugatti Veyrons disappeared below the surface of the water.

“
You… did you just push
that over?” he asked, shocked.

“
Yes, I did,” Emily said,
and started to push the second one.

“
We could give those away,”
Chevalier said, too surprised to stop her as she pushed the second
one over the pier.

“
I want one,” Allen said,
staring at the top of the second car as it disappeared.

“
I’m proving a point,”
Emily said, and pushed the third one over the pier. The Captain of
the ferry watched with wide eyes.

Emily walked over to the fourth car and
tried to push it, but it wouldn’t move. She looked up and saw Allen
standing in front of it.

“
You can’t have a car,
you’re 11.”

“
Please…” Allen said, his
eyes pleading.

“
Give him the car, Em,”
Chevalier chuckled.

“
He’s not old enough to
drive.”

“
Mom… come on…”

Emily sighed, “Fine.”

Allen grinned and got inside. He pulled it
onto the ferry as Chevalier and Emily followed. Chevalier waved to
the Captain, and he slowly pulled away from the docks. Emily
checked the water and saw no signs of the million dollar sports
cars.

The ride back was uneventful, and Sotomar
and William were waiting on the pier, excited to see the purple car
come into view on the ferry. Emily pulled off the ferry and turned
around when she saw the Veyron following her, and Chevalier stepped
out onto the pier.

“
No,” Emily said sternly.
“Chev… take that car.”

“
It’s only a mile,” he
said, glancing at the car.

“
He’s 11,” Emily said,
crossing her arms.

“
Were you attacked?”
Sotomar asked, surprised at the Veyron.

“
We were going to be, but
Em saw them first,” Chevalier chuckled.

“
Drive that back,” Emily
said, and sped off toward the castle.

“
Sorry, Allen, I don’t need
a fight,” Chevalier said, opening the driver’s door. Allen moved to
the passenger seat, and Chevalier drove back to the palace. Sotomar
and William met them there and Mark was just coming out of the
front doors.

“
Glad you decided to stay,”
Mark said, smiling.

“
I didn’t agree to stay.
I’ve agreed to negotiations,” Emily told him, still not happy with
his recent behavior. She headed inside, limping slightly on her
left ankle.

Mark fell back after her glare and stood at
his post silently.

“
Come, Child, let’s talk in
here,” Sotomar said, opening the door to the conference
room.

“
Call me Child again and
I’ll ash you,” Emily snapped, and then headed inside as Sotomar
looked at William with wide eyes.

Chevalier came in and grinned, “She won’t
turn you to ash, come on.”

Emily sat at the end of the table, arms
crossed, and obviously ready for a fight. The three Elders were
joined by Zohn before sitting down at the table. A servant came in
with a pot of hot coffee and a mug, and sat them down in front of
Emily. She poured herself a cup and then glared when Chevalier took
it away.

“
You need food, not
caffeine,” he said.

Emily stood up and started for the door.

Sotomar pushed the coffee back towards her,
“Sit, please.”

She picked up the coffee, “Stop treating me
like your disobedient daughter.”

“
If you bothered to take
care of the human needs to keep yourself alive, I wouldn’t need
to,” he said, and then grew quiet when he realized how that
sounded.

“
Would you two stop it?”
Sotomar asked, frustrated. “It’s hard to negotiate when you’re
having a domestic spat.”

Emily leaned back in her chair and brought
her knees up to her chest, then sipped her coffee slowly, waiting
for them to talk.

“
What was decided on the
ferry?” William asked.

“
She agreed to come talk to
us, that’s it,” Chevalier explained.

“
So you are still planning
on fulfilling the punishment in the ultimatum?” Sotomar
asked.

“
Yes, I am,” Emily said
angrily.

Sotomar sighed, “What exactly happened to
break the ultimatum?”

“
I was blocked from leaving
Council City by an army from all three factions.”

“
The Valle wouldn’t do
that,” Sotomar said.

“
Actually, they did. Ryan
approved it,” Chevalier told him.

“
It was merely to keep you
safe. We knew you would try to join us in the war against Exavior’s
army,” William explained.

“
I don’t believe cause was
part of the ultimatum,” Emily said.

“
Still, we cannot let you
go into a war that we are unsure of the outcome.”

“
I was blocked from
leaving, chased, slammed off my horse, confined to a bedroom, and
then babysat for the last few days… all clearly breaking the
ultimatum.”

“
So what now?” Sotomar
asked. “Why did you return instead of disappearing?”

“
I say we let her go,” Zohn
said calmly.

“
Fine,” Emily said, and
stood up.

“
Zohn…” Chevalier
growled.

“
She’s nothing but trouble
and I, personally, am ready to be done with her,” Zohn
said.

“
He’s just feeling bold
because Damon’s back. He doesn’t have the balls to act alone,”
Emily said, and opened the conference room door, stepping
out.

“
Stop,” William shouted,
following her out.

“
Let her go. Our lives will
be much easier without the brat hanging around,” Zohn said,
amused.

Emily spun, “Brat?”

“
Yes, brat” he said, and
everyone in the castle’s foyer turned to look at them
curiously.

“
Suck it, Zohn,” Emily
said, still walking for the front doors.

“
Shut up, Zohn,” Chevalier
growled.

“
Emily, wait,” William
called out, and left the castle after her.

Zohn ran out after them, “You’d love that…
then big mean husband could come save you.”

Emily turned on him and walked toward him,
“I don’t need Chev to save me, you sack of shit.”

William turned quickly and wrapped his arms
around Emily’s waist, “Just a second.”

Sotomar grabbed Zohn by the arm as he
advanced on Emily, “Stop.”

Emily glared at Zohn, and he screamed as a
burning smell filled the area. Sotomar let him go and he fell to
the grass, writhing in pain.

“
Emily!” William yelled,
surprised, and let her go.

Emily released Zohn from the pain, and he
got to his hands and knees while the pain subsided. She ran to him
and kicked, her foot catching his jaw and breaking it in half.
Sotomar lunged for Zohn when Chevalier moved to grab Emily, just as
Zohn took her foot and pulled her feet out from under her, dropping
her to the ground.

Sotomar pulled Zohn to his feet quickly and
took one arm while William took the other. He pulled against them,
“Bitch, if it’s a fight you want, bring it on.”