Chapter 14 - Bar

“Good morning,” Chevalier said, kissing Emily’s shoulder lightly.

Emily just sighed and pulled closer to him.

Chevalier chuckled, “Interesting dream, why are you always trying to save the heku?”

“I’m not, otherwise I wouldn’t have tried to assault one yesterday,” Emily looked up into his eyes.

Chevalier laughed, “True.”

“How mad is Quinn?”

“I’m not sure it was mad, as much as surprised. It’s sometimes shocking how well you hold up against someone three times your size, with twenty times your strength.”

Emily propped herself up on her elbow, facing him, “Don’t get mad at what Damon said to me. I started it.”

“That was uncalled for.” Chevalier was suddenly serious.

“Nevertheless, I started it.”

He sighed, “Ok, but if I hear it again…”

“If he says it again. I’ll take care of it.”

Chevalier chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“What are your plans for the day?” Chevalier asked her.

“I’m going to drag Allen out of the palace, kicking and screaming, and do something outside.”

“It’s snowing.”

Emily looked over at the curtained window, “How do you know?”

“I can smell it. It’s snowing pretty hard.”

“Then I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

“I’ll be in meetings most of the morning.” He brushed his lips softly against hers, “Try to stay out of trouble.”

Emily frowned, “Take the day off.”

“I can’t, we have to try to figure out where Sam is.”

She ran her nails lightly down his chest, “I can make you stay.”

Chevalier grinned and took her hands in his and kissed them lightly, “Yes, you could.”

He crawled out of bed and slipped on some clothes.

“How about I just lie here naked all day and give you something to think about during the meeting?” Emily asked, rolling onto her back so she could watch him.

Chevalier ran his eyes down the length of the bed, admiring the way the light sheet clung to the curves of her body, “That’s not fair.”

“I never said I would play fair.”

Chevalier growled, “Damn, I have to go.” He looked once more at her and blurred from the room.

Emily sat up and looked around the bedroom. Both fires were roaring, and there was a tray of food for her on the table. She knew that Allen would already be in lessons, and Silas had come to take Alexis down for breakfast earlier.

She sighed and slid out of bed, disappearing into the large closet. She came out and looked into the mirror and grinned. The dark blue, floor-length baby-doll dress had a long flowing hem and layers of soft material. She saw it in her closet a long time ago, but hadn’t really seen a need to wear it until today. She threw her hair into a loose French braid and grabbed a piece of bacon before leaving the room.

“Mornin’, Em,” Mark said, looking at her, surprised. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her in a dress before except for formal occasions.

“Ma’am,” an unfamiliar guard said to her.

“Morning”

She walked past them and lifted the hem on her dress slightly as she padded barefoot, down the stairs to the fourth floor. She could hear the heavy boots from the guards behind her as she opened the back door to the council chambers and stepped inside.

The Council all turned to look at her when she walked in, and she felt a blush rising, wondering if her plan wasn’t the best idea. Damon was the first to turn away from her, but the shocked looks on the faces of the Council made her blush grow stronger.

“Hello, Emily.” Maleth smiled, and couldn’t help noticing how the dress fit her and turned away suddenly.

Chevalier eyed her, “What are you up to?”

The rest of the council members turned around when Chevalier glared at them.

“I just have a message for you,” Emily said, and walked up the stairs to Chevalier’s chair. She hiked her dress up to her knees and straddled him, sitting on his lap to face him.

Chevalier’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Emily glanced once at the council members, who were again watching them, and then bent over to whisper in Chevalier’s ear, “I’m not wearing anything under this dress.”

Chevalier chuckled as Emily crawled off his lap and disappeared out the back door. He turned his chair toward the rest of the council members, and they turned away suddenly, pretending they hadn’t heard what she just whispered.

Emily met up with Silas as they were coming back up the stairs. Silas was assigned as Alexis’ personal bodyguard and loved the assignment.

Emily kissed Alexis and brushed her hair back away from her face, “Anyone up for some games?”

The guards nodded, and Alexis held her hands out for her Mother. Emily took her and called for Allen.

“Yes, Mother?” he asked, coming to her side. Allen couldn’t blur like the heku, but he was much faster than a mortal.

“I’m calling it a game day,” Emily told him, and then sighed when he grimaced.

“I was in the middle of World Studies,” Allen told her.

“You’d honestly rather study than spend a day with us?”

Emily didn’t notice when Mark hit Allen in the back of the head quickly.

Allen shrugged, “Game day it is, let’s go.”

Emily smiled and they all headed to the game room.

“Don’t leave!” Emily said sternly when the three heku playing pool started to put their things away.

They glanced at Mark, and he nodded for them to stay, so they resumed their game.

Emily sat Alexis down and started going through the available games. The game room was now fitted with all of the major game consoles and almost any game available. She picked out a sports game and forced a remote into Allen’s hand.

Emily turned and looked around the room as the others played games. One thing that had always bothered her about this room, was the mirror on the wall behind the poker table. It was always hanging crooked and she decided it was about time to fix it. She heard the click the second she straightened the mirror, and felt a rush of wind as the wall spun quickly.

She lost her balance and fell onto a cold, dusty floor. She turned just in time to see the wall finish its rotation.

Getting to her feet, Emily brushed the dust from her dress and looked around the room. There were windows high up on the wall, and the small amount of light that shone through them was enough that she could see everything.

“It’s a bar…” Emily whispered, and turned to study the room. One wall had a bar, and stools lined the outside of it. The rest of the large room was full of octagon shaped tables with chairs around each of them. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

“Heku and their damned secret rooms,” Emily grumbled, and walked behind the bar. She coughed when her long dress stirred up dust from the floor.

Emily pulled a bottle off the shelf and blew the dust from the label. It was an ancient bottle of Canadian whiskey that was almost completely full. She set it down and ran her hands along the rows of shot glasses that hung from a rack above the bottles of alcohol.

“Hey Mark?” Emily called toward the spinning door.

When no one answered, she went over and felt along the crack, trying to figure out how to turn the wall again.

“Damnit, this one’s not my fault,” Emily growled, and knocked at the wall.

“Your turn, Em,” Mark said, and turned to hand her the remote. He looked around the room and frowned.

“When did Emily leave?” Mark asked one of the guards playing games by the door.

“Didn’t see her leave,” he said, and went back to the video poker game.

Silas checked behind the poker table and shrugged at Mark, “I have no idea.”

“She slipped us!” Mark growled angrily.

Silas disappeared out into the hallway and came back in, “Her scent is stronger in here.”

“Emily?” Mark called to the room.

“Yup, she slipped us,” Silas sighed.

“Damnit, I don’t want to go tell them,” Mark said nervously.

“Tell who, what?” Chevalier asked, stepping into the game room with Kyle.

Silas sighed and looked at Mark.

“She slipped us,” Mark said, cringing.

Kyle shook his head, “That doesn’t make sense.”

Chevalier agreed, “No it doesn’t. She only slips out when we’re tightening the hold.”

“Ma go?” Alexis asked, shrugging.

The heku all turned suddenly when a soft swishing noise sounded. They watched with wide eyes as the back wall spun quickly. Chevalier caught Emily just before she hit the floor, and by the time he looked up, the wall had returned to the clean mirror behind the poker table.

“Wow, come look,” Emily said, and took Chevalier’s hand. She pulled him over to the mirror and adjusted it. He grabbed her waist and stepped out as the revolving door passed the room behind the game room.

Emily walked over and picked up a dusty bottle of bourbon while Chevalier looked around.

“Hrm, interesting,” Chevalier said, raising his eyebrows. He heard Kyle and Mark come through the spinning wall and walked over to Emily as she read through the bottles.

“How do you find these places?” Kyle asked, looking around the room.

“Just lucky I guess. I thought you all weren’t supposed to drink,” Emily said, and turned around with a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels.

“Those are fairly new rules, only in the last hundred years or so.” Chevalier picked up a bottle and threw it to Kyle.

Kyle looked at the label and gasped, “1787 Chateau Lafitte… damn, it’s not even opened.”

Chevalier and Kyle turned around when they heard the sound of glasses. Emily was wiping out some shot glasses and setting them out on the bar.

“We can’t drink this,” Kyle reminded her.

“Why not?” She turned and started going through the bottles, wiping off the labels.

“Elder’s orders, remember?”

“There’s an Elder right here, and I’m sure he can make an exception.”

Chevalier chuckled, “No, he can’t.”

“There’s a reason these marks are on the walls,” Kyle said. Emily looked over as he pointed to holes and scratches on the wall.

“So what if things get a little violent, maybe that’s why it’s hidden. Heku can come here and get a drink, if they decide to fight… then it’s contained,” Emily suggested. “I could clean this place up…”

Chevalier cut her off, “We aren’t going to have an open bar in the palace.”

“Come on, it would be fun,” Emily told him, and hopped up onto the bar to watch the others.

“You are looking for trouble,” Chevalier said, and pulled her off of the bar. “Everyone out.”

They all stepped into the game room and then watched the wall finish its rotation.

Emily turned to Chevalier, “Just bring it up to the Council. Maybe we can sponsor a party or two and then…”

Emily’s words were cut off by Chevalier’s lips as he wrapped his arms around her and blurred up to the bedroom.

***

“That wasn’t nice,” Chevalier chuckled. He pulled the hair off of her neck and ran his lips along the warm artery.

Emily shivered, “What wasn’t nice?”

“I couldn’t even concentrate during the meeting.”

Emily laughed, “Oh yeah, that. That was payback.”

“For what?”

“For setting Damon and I up for a fight.”

Chevalier grinned, “Fine, then we’re even.”

Emily nodded, “Even… Hey!”

Emily grabbed onto Chevalier’s arm when he started out of bed. He turned around and kissed her again and then stood up.

“Get up and get dressed,” Chevalier said, and started getting dressed.

“Why? It’s late already.”

“We are going out to dinner.”

Emily’s eyes grew wide, “Seriously?”

“If you get dressed, otherwise they may not let us in.” Chevalier chuckled and tossed the blue slip dress to her.

Emily looked at it, “Fancy, eh?”

Chevalier leaned against the wall and nodded, “Of course, we can’t go on a date to the local Barn ‘n Burger.”

Emily climbed out of bed and pulled on the slip dress and then went to run a brush through her hair.

“Missing something?” Chevalier laughed and ran his hands from her thighs to her waist.

“Complaining?”

He kissed her neck softly, “Nope.”

“Saves on unwanted lines,” Emily said, and smiled.

Chevalier pulled a necklace from his pants pocket and slipped it around Emily’s neck. He fastened it for her while she ran her fingers long the inlaid diamonds and sapphires.

“That’s beautiful,” she said, turning toward him.

Chevalier pulled her close to him and kissed her as he wrapped his arms round her. He finally pulled away and looked into her eyes, “Maybe we should stay in.”

“Oh no, we’re going out,” Emily said, and slipped on the dark blue stilettos.

“Ok, if you say so.” He handed her a fur stole.

“What is this?” she asked, running her fingers through the soft fur.

“It’s fake is what it is, ready to go?”

Emily nodded and headed for the door as Chevalier put on a dinner jacket. Mark and Kyle met them outside of her door, also dressed for dinner.

Emily turned to Chevalier, “Seriously?”

“Don’t worry, they have their own reservations.” Chevalier put his hand on the small of her back and led her down the stairs.

“How’d you get her to wear mink?” Kyle whispered.

Chevalier silenced him with a glare.

Chevalier opened the door to the McLaren and helped her inside and then turned to talk to Mark and Kyle for a few seconds before crawling into the driver’s seat. He pulled the car out into traffic and was followed closely by Kyle’s red Ferrari Enzo.

“Do they realize how very much like a gay couple they look?” Emily asked with a smirk.

“What do you mean?” Chevalier asked.

“Two guys, nice clothes, nice car, dinner reservations.”

Chevalier started to laugh, “Please, don’t tell them that.”

“I won’t, but if they get hit on, I’m not joining into the fight.” Emily grinned and checked behind her for the Enzo.

“No fights tonight, we all swore on it. Besides, I don’t think anyone will be getting hit on by dim-witted cowboys at this restaurant.”

Emily watched as they pulled up to a restaurant that looked like a quaint French chateau. A valet opened her door and helped her out of the car. Chevalier met her with his arm out, and she smiled and took it as Kyle and Mark stepped out of the Ferrari.

She watched as Chevalier conversed with the maître d’ in French, and sat them at a quiet table by the fire. She couldn’t help but notice that Mark and Kyle sat near them.

Emily leaned toward Chevalier, “How exactly are they going to pull off the no-eating thing?”

Chevalier grinned, “Trust us. What would you like?”

Emily glanced at the menu, “You pick something. I can’t read this.”

The waiter came up to Chevalier and they spoke for a while. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle of red wine. Emily watched carefully as he poured a small amount into Chevalier’s glass. He smelled and then tasted the wine and nodded at the waiter who then poured both Chevalier and Emily glass.

Emily took a sip and then watched, surprised, as Chevalier did the same, “You aren’t breaking the rules are you?”

“Not at all, I’m an Elder. I can do what I want.”

“So… what is it you are up to?” Emily asked suspiciously.

Chevalier took a sip of wine, “What do you mean?”

“We’ve known each other for almost 9 years, and we’ve never been on a date.”

“I apologize for that.”

“So spill it.”

“I don’t have to have an ulterior motive to take my wife out to dinner.”

“Mhmmm.” Emily took a sip of wine and slipped off one shoe, then ran her foot along Chevalier’s inner thigh.

Chevalier coughed some and sat his wine down onto the table, “You, my Dear, have the entire palace fooled.”

“How so?” Emily asked, raising her eyebrows.

“They once accused me of seducing a child.”

“Oh, but you did.” Emily laughed and watched as the waiter brought them out their food. It looked to her more like a work of art than something to eat, and the proportion sizes were at odd contrast to the overly large plates.

Emily took a bite of the meat and watched as Chevalier expertly pushed his food round on his plate while he watched her.

“No, I didn’t seduce you,” Chevalier whispered.

“Yes you did. I had no plans on ever sleeping with you. I was going to go back to the ranch after Colorado, remember?” Emily reminded him.

“I’ll deny it if anyone asks… but I admit, I did, and I planned on it from almost the first time I saw you.”

Emily gasped, “You came into my bathroom on a booty call?”

“No, I came into your room because of your scent… it wasn’t until I saw you in the bathtub that I decided on a… what was it? Booty call,” he told her.

“I was going to shoot you.” Emily grinned and took another sip of wine. She watched the waiter come and refill her glass.

“I’m well aware of that,” Chevalier chuckled.

As Emily finished her dinner, she felt the wine kicking in and excused herself to the ladies room, grinning at Mark and Kyle as she walked by them. They had to look at Chevalier to see if they should follow her, but he obviously told them not to because she was alone when she arrived at the bathroom.

When Emily came back out, she sat down as the waiter brought out a crème Brule and a blowtorch. She heard Chevalier growl slightly and looked up as the waiter glanced away from her nervously, and then walked away quickly.

As the waiter left, Chevalier grinned, “You are no longer allowed out of the palace.”

Emily laughed, “Why’s that?”

“I can’t keep men from looking at you.”

Emily blushed and took a bite of the dessert, “All I can say is, good luck keeping me in.”

“Is that a challenge?” Chevalier chuckled.

“I’m not dumb enough to challenge an Elder.”

Chevalier stood up and helped Emily to her feet. Once he wrapped the stole round her, they headed out the door. Emily looked back, but didn’t see Mark and Kyle.

“We lost our guards,” she whispered.

Chevalier glanced back, “They’ll catch up.”

Emily watched a valet pull up in the McLaren and another brought the Ferrari. She turned just as Kyle disappeared into the car as he tried to hide the crimson red stain on his shirt. Mark had his coat pulled tightly around him and smiled reassuringly to Emily before getting into the car.

Chevalier opened the car door for Emily, but she went over to the Ferrari and leaned through the window.

“Human or heku?” she asked them, smiling.

“Heku,” Kyle sighed.

Emily nodded and whispered, “Take the long way home, and I promise not to slip my guards for a week.”

“Why would we… erm… ok,” Kyle said, and winked at her.

Emily slid into the McLaren and buckled herself in as Chevalier shut her door and got into the driver’s side. He pulled into traffic and headed back to the palace.

“Where the hell is he going?” Chevalier growled when the Ferrari sped around them and took off on a side road.

“They’re doing me a favor,” Emily said.

“What might that be?” Chevalier was starting to sound irritated.

Emily shrugged, “You wrecked the Bugatti because it was never properly christened. Before anything happens to this car, we better christen it.”

Chevalier frowned, “Christen it?”

Emily reached over and ran her nails lightly up his inner thigh. He swerved slightly and then grinned, “Oh, christen it.”

Chevalier pulled over into an abandoned lot and turned off the headlights. Emily hiked up her skirt and swung around to straddle Chevalier, facing him. He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.