Chapter 11 - Growing Up

Emily sighed and pulled closer to Chevalier in her sleep. He tightened his arms around her and shut his eyes to continue with her dream. It was uncharacteristically calm and relaxing, with no horror or drama to fill it. He grinned when it started to turn risqué, with scenes of them out on a deserted beach together.

“Mama,” Dain called from the nursery.

Emily opened her eyes and sat up.

“Damn,” Chevalier mumbled.

“What?” she asked, and looked over at him.

He smiled, “Nothing… let me go get him. He’s not eaten.”

Emily nodded and watched Chevalier go into the nursery, “It’s not right that I can’t hold him until he’s fed.”

“It’s all we could come up with until he stops biting everything he comes in contact with… Damnit, Dain, no biting!” Chevalier growled.

“No biting,” Dain repeated, and Emily grinned. She knew Chevalier had just been bitten.

“I’m sure it’s just a phase,” she told him.

“It better be, this is getting old.”

“Good morning, Baby,” Emily said, and smiled at him when they walked out.

“Daddy bit me,” Dain said, and frowned.

“No… you bit me, Screech,” Chevalier said, and took the sippy cup from the table and handed it to him.

“Stop with the Screech already, it’s awful.”

“Sorry,” he said, and sat down with the baby on his lap.

“Tell me again why you have to go?”

“We’re turning four mortals this weekend. I need to be there.”

“Why though? I can hit 13 heku with one stone from here.”

“Two of them are important, and all three Elders need to be there,” he explained, and brushed the hair out of Dain’s eyes.

“So the other two get measly un-ranking heku?” she asked, somewhat irritated.

“Measly?”

“You know what I mean.”

“There’s no need for all 3 Elders to be at the other ones.”

Emily grinned, “How many Elders would need to be there if I turned?”

“Eight,” he said without thinking.

“What? Eight Elders?”

“Yes”

“You’d call in the Valle and Encala Elders if I turned?”

“Yes, to warn them of the impending end of the world.”

“Very funny, and why 8? Who’s missing?”

“I would be missing,” he said, and handed Dain another sippy cup.

“Why? Where would you be?” she asked, and headed into the bathroom.

“Hiding, I don’t like being turned to ash.”

“Let’s count them before we start feeling sorry for you… what’s more? You biting me or me ashing you?”

“Not fair,” Chevalier said, and put Dain down on the floor to play when he finished drinking. “Mine’s more fun.”

“For you,” she told him, and came out in a robe.

He watched her get ready to go swimming, “Do me one favor, wear the one-piece.”

She grinned and tossed her bikini at him, “Swear to never bite me again and I will.”

“No way, I like biting you.”

“Mmm, I’ve had better.”

Chevalier gasped and then grinned, “You have?”

“Sure… lots bite better than you. Don’t make me name them,” she told him, and started to tie her hair up.

Chevalier stood slowly, “Want me to remind you?”

She gasped and turned toward him, “Don’t make me ash you.”

“Maybe you’ve just forgotten how good it feels.”

“Yeah for like 3 seconds… hey… get back,” she said, and took a step away from him. She knew the predatory look in his eyes and realized it was almost too late, “You’ll regret it.”

“Yeah, for like 3 seconds.”

“It’s not funny, don’t bite me.”

“No biting,” Dain said, and grabbed a toy truck.

“Or what?” he asked, and pinned her to the wall, running his nose along her neck.

“Trust me, I’ll make you pay.”

She felt the familiar pressure from his teeth sinking into her neck and her legs grew weak as her body relaxed against his. He stopped after only a few seconds and kissed her softly, then caught her hand when she tried to slap him.

“You’ll pay for that!”

“I doubt it,” he said, and went over to pick up Dain.

Emily glared at him and disappeared into the bathroom.

Chevalier glanced around the room once and then looked at Dain, “Ready to eat?”

“No,” Dain said, and shook his head.

“You have to be thirsty, you haven’t had anything since yesterday,” Chevalier said, and sat at the table. He looked at the empty sippy cups, “Did Mommy feed you?”

“No biting,” Dain said, and pointed at the bathroom door.

He heard a weak call for Mark from the bathroom, and by the time he sat Dain down on the bed, Mark and Silas were already in the room. He walked in and growled when he saw her, sitting against the bathroom wall with a towel against her neck. He didn’t see blood, but there were two fresh puncture wounds on her neck.

“Who did it?” Mark growled, and looked around the bathroom.

Chevalier stormed into the bedroom and searched it quickly.

Emily fought to keep her face fearful and finally whispered, “Leave me alone.”

Silas checked to make sure the windows were locked, and stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door. When the door was shut, Emily dropped the towel and grinned. She got up and looked into the mirror, frowning. She knew he didn’t drink much, if anything at all, and was just proving a point, but the puncture wounds were still there and she hated the look of them.

“Em, are you ok?” Zohn asked from outside the bathroom door.

Emily grinned and whispered, “Just stay out.”

She grabbed a bottle of fingernail polish and sat down to paint her fingernails.

Mark, Chevalier, Quinn, and Kralen, began a systematic search of the entire palace, smelling each heku they came to, but catching no hint of the Winchester blood. No one saw anything. Her door guards saw no one enter or exit the room, and there was no sign of anyone having scaled the building.

After almost an hour, they all met back in the main floor foyer and looked around.

“I’m not catching anything,” Mark said, and shrugged. “How could someone get to her? You were in the bedroom.”

Suddenly, Chevalier sighed, “Damnit.”

“What?” Quinn asked.

“I did it,” he told them, and started up the stairs.

“You did what?”

“I bit her.”

“You did?” Kralen asked, shocked.

“It was a bit of a challenge,” he explained, and entered the room.

“She won’t allow us in,” Silas said, concerned.

“She’s faking,” Chevalier said, and opened the door. He looked down at Emily as she painted her toenails. “I didn’t even feed, I just bit.”

“Don’t mess with the master,” she said, and put the cap on the polish before looking up at him. “And don’t bite me again or I’ll ash you.”

“Threatening never works.”

She stood up on the sides of her feet and faced him, “It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”

Chevalier chuckled, “Waddle out here. It’s time to go.”

Emily glared at him as she walked on the outsides of her feet into the bedroom.

“What’s wrong with your feet?” Silas asked, still slightly confused.

“Wet nails.”

“No biting,” Dain said, and frowned at Chevalier.

“Oh good one, Chev. Bite me in front of an impressionable vampire,” she said.

“Sorry, I didn’t think about that.”

Silas shook his head and picked up Dain, and then quickly moved his arm, “Damnit.”

“Damnit,” Dain said, and smiled. “No biting.”

“Well then stop biting me!” Silas said, and held the baby at arm’s length as he walked up to the helicopter.

“Serves the heku right to be bitten once in a while,” Emily said, and started up after them. “I’m going to start taking a chomp out of random guards.”

“Nice,” Mark grumbled, and walked up with the Elders.

They all watched as Equites 1 took the Elders away for the weekend and Emily turned to Mark, “Where’s Allen posted today?”

He grinned, “Just because the Elders aren’t here, doesn’t nullify their orders.”

“Oh come on, you know I’ll find him. Save me an hour and just tell me.”

“Nope, leave him alone.”

“No, he’s not allowed into the palace… which, by the way, I have issues with. If he can’t visit me, then I’ll go to him.”

Mark shrugged, “Fine, but you won’t find him by asking.”

Emily glared at him and headed inside to her office. She knew it would be easier to find Allen’s post if she studied a spreadsheet she kept of his location. A pattern was emerging and she was very close to figuring out his exact schedule.

Silas and Mark stayed on the roof for a bit when she left.

“She always has to find trouble when the Elder is gone,” Silas said, and moved his hand seconds before Dain bit him.

“I know, and it worries me,” Mark told him. “Get rid of Dain. Let’s get the Cavalry on their horses and in those trees.”

“No problem, I’m not his guard today anyway. Time for someone else to get eaten.”

Emily looked over the spreadsheet and found where she thought Allen might be. She moved to the stairs, ignoring the four strange guards behind her, and once Mark and Silas were out of the building, she ran down the stairs and headed for the city.

“Ma’am,” one of the city guards said when she rounded the corner.

Emily sighed, “Where’s Allen today?”

“Elder’s orders…”

“I know, I know,” she said, and took off for the next location as four palace guards followed her.

When she checked a few more places guards were normally posted, she decided to head back to her office and check her references again. As she walked back toward the palace, something off in an alleyway caught her eye. There were heku kissing in the dark corner. The man had the woman pressed against the wall and her hands were laced around his neck.

Emily grinned and moved on, but then stopped suddenly and returned back to the alley, “Allen?”

Allen spun suddenly, his eyes wide. The heku he’d been kissing gasped and looked at her too.

Her guards chuckled a bit behind her back, but her anger grew and she took a step toward the woman, “How old are you?”

“Mom, calm down,” Allen said, and stepped between his girlfriend and Emily.

“Answer me!” she screamed.

“I’m… I’m… only 224,” she said. The heku was pretty, with long blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She stood only a few inches shorter than Allen and had broad, strong shoulders.

Emily grabbed Allen by the ear as the heku fell to ashes in the dark corner. She started to drag him back toward the palace. Fearful of what was coming, her guards called for Kyle to the alley, and for Cavalry backup. This was their first day watching Emily and they weren’t sure what was going to happen.

“No!” Allen growled, and pulled himself out of Emily’s grasp. “You have no right to do that.”

“You’re 14!” she screamed at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with her?”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Allen said, and stopped when Emily slapped him.

“No, she was your girlfriend… I’m not going to let this happen.”

“You don’t have a say in it,” Allen told her glaringly. He crouched instinctively and his hands balled into fists.

“I do too! I’m your mother and you’re a minor… you’re moving back into the palace and are no longer a guard.”

“You can’t do that. Elders orders are higher than what you say.”

“Em… calm down,” Mark said as he and Silas appeared with her guards.

“I don’t care what the Elders say. I’m your Mom, and you are no longer allowed out of the palace!”

Allen took a menacing step toward her, “Don’t talk about the Elders like that, and you no longer have a say in what I do or don’t do.”

“I don’t care how tall you are, or how intellectually advanced you think you might be, I’m not going to let your 14-year-old hormone driven body out of my sight!” Emily said, and stood her ground.

“When Kyle brings her back, you owe her an apology.”

“I do not!”

“I love her, and you’ll treat her with respect.”

“Allen, back off,” Silas growled when he took another step toward his Mom. “That’s an order.”

Allen ignored Silas and blurred to Emily, pinning her to the stone wall with a hand around her neck, “Is that understood?”

Emily brought her knee up and caught him in the groin. He growled and tightened his grip on her.

Silas and Mark pulled Allen away from his Mom.

“You’re 14!” Emily yelled, and pointed at him. “I’m not going to allow you to hook up with every slut in the city.”

Allen growled and pulled against Mark and Silas, “Take that back!”

“I will not… you have a new education coming, Boy, and it’s going to be a hard one.”

“Just because you chose to marry the first loser who came along doesn’t mean that’s going to happen to me,” Allen yelled at her.

Jaron appeared behind Emily and caught her as she lunged at Allen.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about and you are not seeing her again. If I catch you with her, I’ll spread her ashes!”

“Stop it, Em,” Jaron said, and kept a restraining arm around her.

“Touch her, Bitch, and I’ll destroy you,” Allen yelled, and again tried to get away from Mark and Silas.

“Allen!” Mark yelled, and then called for Allen’s direct supervisor.

“You can’t talk to me like that!” Emily whispered, and narrowed her eyes. Allen began to scream and the heku let go of him as he fell to his knees, clutching at his chest.

“Emily, stop it!” Silas yelled. Allen’s Captain appeared, wide eyed when he saw the standoff between one of his guards and the Elder’s wife.

Emily released Allen after only a few seconds, “It’s final. You are moving back to the palace.”

Allen snarled and instantly appeared in front of her. He backhanded her against the wall and she slunk to the ground as Silas and the city Captain grabbed Allen and hauled him to the palace prison.

Kyle blurred onto the scene and gasped when he saw the blood trickling from the corner of Emily’s mouth, and the bruise forming on her cheek, “What the hell happened?”

“Get away from me!” Emily yelled at him when he tried to help her up. She got to her feet unsteadily and started back for the palace.

“Why did I just have to revive Miri?” he asked, following her.

Mark caught up to them and whispered too low for Kyle to hear, “Miri is Allen’s girlfriend.”

Kyle sighed, “Did Allen hit her?”

“Yes, in front of his Captain… He’s being taken to the prison,” Mark told him. “We’ll have to see what’s going on. If it weren’t Allen, and a city guard hit Emily, it would mean instant banishment.”

“Back off the Captain, let the Council handle this one,” Kyle said, and followed Emily into the palace.

Kralen rushed up to Emily when he saw her and put a hand on her arm, “Em, what happened?”

Emily turned and glared at him.

He took a step back, “Whoa… was just asking…”

She continued up the stairs and disappeared into her office, locking the door behind her. The Elders gave strict orders, under no circumstances was a heku to be in her office. Her guards took up their post outside of her office door immediately.

“Let’s go talk to Allen,” Kyle said, and he and Mark headed into the prison. They met up with the city Captain and Silas outside of his cell. Allen was sitting on the bed with his face in his hands.

“Allen?” Kyle asked, walking up to the bars.

“I hit my Mom,” he whispered, his voice full of anguish.

“Things got out of hand, I realize that,” Kyle said. “But you have to learn to control those instincts.”

“I hit her…” he whispered again.

Mark dismissed the Captain, and he headed up the prison stairs, livid that a member of his guard unit assaulted the Elder’s wife, even if he was the Elder’s son.

“I’m going to convene the Council to discuss this. We’ll call you when we’re ready,” Kyle said.

“And Miri?” Allen asked, finally looking up.

“I revived her. She’s gone home to rest.”

Allen nodded, leaned back on the hard cot, and then put his arm over his eyes.

“You two come with me,” Kyle said, and he was followed up the stairs by Silas and Mark.

The Council was in their seats by the time Kyle sat down. Mark and Silas stayed on the trial room floor. Richard, the Chief Interrogator, was acting superior while the Elders were away.

“What’s up?” Richard asked, eyeing the guards.

Kyle turned his seat toward him, “Not sure how to deal with this… what would you say if I told you that one of the city guards attempted to strangle, and then backhanded Lady Emily?”

Richard frowned, “I’d say 800 years for that, banish him.”

“Ok then, what if I told you that city guard is Allen?”

“Is this a hypothetical question?” Dustin asked.

Kyle shook his head, “No… and he’s in our prison.”

Richard sighed, “Ok, what happened?”

Kyle looked over at Mark, “I only caught the aftermath.”

“I didn’t see the original confrontation,” Mark explained. “But to make a long story short. Allen has been seeing Miri, from the city. Apparently Emily caught them kissing. She ashed Miri, and began to drag Allen back to the palace.”

Dustin chuckled, “Nice.”

Kyle glared at him and he shut up.

Mark waited for Dustin to be quiet and then continued, “Emily was determined that Allen is moving back into the palace and will no longer be a guard. They both started screaming, things got out of hand… he choked her… she burned him, so we let him go to suffer a bit… he blurred to her and backhanded her.”

“Derrick, bring Allen here,” the Chief Investigator said.

“Why don’t we just wait for Elder Chevalier’s return?” the Court Reporter asked.

“I think it might be better if we handle this before he gets back,” Kyle explained. “Otherwise, we end up with a three-way fight instead of just the two of them.”

Allen was escorted in by two guards, though he wasn’t fighting and his hands were restrained behind his back. They could tell by the look on his face that was feeling bad about hitting his Mom. The guards pushed Allen to his knees before the Council and then left. Mark and Silas moved to stand behind him.

“Now bring in Emily,” Richard said, and looked down at Allen.

Allen looked up at Kyle, “I’m ready to be banished.”

“We aren’t even sure you can be banished… you’re only three quarters heku.”

“Shouldn’t matter… I was told I would be treated with no preferentiality because of my heritage, and I expect that to be followed through.”

Kyle smiled slightly, “That was easy to say… not as easy to carry out.”

Derrick entered the trial area and faced the Council, “She said no.”

“No?” Richard asked, frowning.

“That’s all she said… no,” Derrick explained.

“Mark…” Richard said, and the General nodded and disappeared. He blurred to Emily’s office door and knocked.

“Em?”

“No,” she called out.

“We need you to come talk to us.”

“No”

“Will you at least let me see how badly you’re injured?”

“No”

“Allen feels really bad and he’s worried about you.”

“No”

Mark sighed and glanced at her guards, they all just shrugged.

“We can just break the door,” one of her guards suggested.

“No,” Mark told him. “No heku is to enter her office, ever… besides, it’s reinforced against us.”

“Sorry, Sir.”

“Emily,” Mark tried again. “We really need you to come talk to the Council.”

“No,” she said, and there was a crash against the inside of the door.

Mark thought for a moment before returning to the council chambers. He stood beside Silas, “She still won’t come out.”

“If you won’t banish me, then I suggest you leave me for Dad,” Allen said.

“You really want to face your Dad over this?” the Chief Interrogator asked.

“He won’t have a problem punishing me like the Council is.”

“It’s not that we have a problem doing it… we just need to come up with what. This doesn’t warrant being killed, and we aren’t sure we can banish you,” Dustin explained.

“How badly is she injured?” Richard asked, looking at Mark.

“She won’t come out of her office, but from what I saw, she had bruises forming on her neck and cheek and a small amount of blood from the corner of her mouth.”

“Is he an official member of Island Coven?”

Kyle shrugged, “He’s not been made official, though the son of the Lord of the coven would probably warrant immediate membership.”

“Then I propose we strip him of guard rank and send him back to his coven,” Richard said.

Allen looked down at the ground.

“All in favor?” the Court Reporter asked, and glanced at the votes.

Richard stood up, “Allen, it is then decided by this Council that you are to be stripped of all guard rank associated with Council City and are to be returned to your coven.”

Mark reached over and removed Allen’s green cape and the rank insignia on his collar.

“I’ll take him,” Kyle said, and unbuckled Allen’s handcuffs. He helped Allen to his feet and both left for Island Coven on Equites 2.

“Notify his Commander,” Richard said to Mark. Mark and Silas both bowed slightly and blurred from the trial area.

“Sir,” Derrick said, stepping into the trial area. “We have a coven in revolt. I’ll put the line through.”

Richard sighed, “Perfect, we have no Cavalry… send it in.”

Derrick nodded, and a few seconds later, the Council’s phone rang.

“Council,” Richard said, and cringed slightly at the frantic sounds of fighting.

“We need help out here!” a furious voice said. “Tell Elder Zohn the coven is in revolt, they are rioting in the compound, 27 have been killed… and…”

The line was suddenly cut off.

“Derrick!” Richard called out.

“Yes, Chief Interrogator?”

“What coven was that?”

“Elder Zohn’s Coven, Sir.”

“Coven information?” Richard asked the Record Keeper.

The heku blurred away and returned with a file, “Coven of approximately 391 located in the Appalachian Mountains in Alabama.”

Richard turned to the others, “We don’t have a Cavalry, and our city guards aren’t trained for re-taking hostile covens.”

“Emily is,” Dustin said, and then the others looked at him he continued. “She’s done it before and she is a member of the Cavalry.”

“Elder Zohn tried to send her on a mission without Chevalier or Quinn’s approval once, it didn’t turn out well.”

“But to that mission, she said no… I suggest we ask her.”

“Mark, Silas…” Richard called out, and turned to them when they entered. “We have a coven revolting, just under 400 of them and some are dead already. Please ask Emily if she can help and then gather what’s left of the Cavalry.”

“Right away,” Mark said, and he went to talk to Emily while Silas went to get Jaron and Kralen, the only other members of the Cavalry left behind in Council City.

Mark knocked on Emily’s office.

“Go away,” she said to him.

“Em, there’s a problem... we need your help.”

There was a pause, “What kind of problem?”

“The Cavalry’s gone with the Elders… Silas, Jaron, Kralen and I are all that’s left. We have a coven revolting and they are killing members.”

Her door opened slightly, “They are killing members of their own coven?”

“Yes, it’s Zohn’s coven… we really need your help on this. The four of us are heading out, but it won’t turn out well, us against 400,” Mark told her.

“Are you lying to get me out of my office?”

“No, we really need your help.”

Emily sighed, “Meet me at my helicopter in 20 minutes.”

Mark nodded and disappeared. He blurred into the council chambers, “She agreed, we’re heading out in Winchester 1 in 20.”

Dustin gasped, “She agreed to go?”

“Yes”

Richard smiled, “Good, then we won’t need to call in Powan for this.”

The four members of the Cavalry met up with Emily at the helicopter. She was in uniform with her .45 in its holster. They all crawled in, and Mark gave directions to the pilot and they were soon heading off.

“Zohn’s Coven is located on the shore of Lake Guntersville, outside of Scottsboro, Alabama. There are 391 registered members, and as far as we know, 27 of those are now dead. We don’t know what’s causing the problem, we just know they are out of control,” Mark said during the briefing.

“What am I allowed to do?” Emily asked.

“I hate that we don’t know what we’re getting in to… if it gets too bad, ash them all and we’ll sort it out later.”

Emily nodded.

“We’ll land outside of the cement walls and see what we find. Stay behind us, Em, and we’ll try to clear it out so you can take over. I hope it works like Michael’s coven and they freeze when they see you.”

“Not a clue what the fighting is over?” Silas asked.

“Nope, the phone call was cut short, we really have no idea.”

Emily curled up on the couch in the helicopter and watched out the window as the clouds turned gray. They heard the pilot call out the 5 minute warning just as lightning and thunder started.

“I’ll have to carry you. We’re still about 5 miles away,” Mark told her.

“I can run 5 miles.”

Mark grinned, “Not fast enough, sorry.”

Emily started to get sick to her stomach when they landed. The five of them running into an unknown environment made her nervous, and she dreaded the possibility of turning 400 heku to ash and then having to face Zohn afterwards. They stepped off the helicopter in a torrential rainstorm and were immediately completely soaked.

Mark picked Emily up in a cradle and began to blur toward the coven. His speed made the raindrops turn into hard pellets that stung when they landed against her. She buried her face in his shoulder to keep them off of her, and pulled the cape around her. Finally, he set her down and she saw Silas and Jaron knelt down, peering around a rock outcropping.

“There are two guards,” Silas said. “Still standing at the front gates. I would imagine Zohn would have more than 2 normally though.”

“I just wonder if they’re friendly,” Mark said. “From the sounds of it, that’s one nasty riot going on inside.”

“So how do we get past them? Want Silas and I to take them out?” Jaron asked.

“Oh for hell’s sake,” Emily said, and before they realized what she was doing, she stepped out of the cover and walked up toward the gate.

“That’s one way I guess,” Mark chuckled. “Let her approach them first.”

They watched as she walked up to the guards.

“Turn around, mortal… get your ass out of here,” one of the guards said.

“You will address me as Commander or I’ll have your head,” Emily growled at him.

“I’ll not address you as anything but Sweetheart, now get out of here before I make you.”

“Fine then,” Emily said, and the two guards turned to ash. She was soon joined by Mark, Silas, Kralen, and Jaron.

Silas frowned, “Did you notice their guard uniforms didn’t fit?”

Emily nodded, “Yeah, I saw that… one had high-waters.”

“Jaron, Silas, hold the entrance… don’t let anyone through,” Mark said.

“Yes, Sir,” they both told him, and fell into position.

“Let’s get in there. There’s a fountain in the middle of the coven… I’ll blur you there and we’ll see if they will stop when you talk,” Mark said to Emily. She felt her feet leave the ground and she was soon standing on the edge of the fountain, which put her almost on an even level with the heku.

“Hey!” Emily yelled, and some of the sounds of fighting slowed. “I had to bring my ass all the way here from Council City, so if you aren’t lined up in nice little rows by the fountain in 30 seconds… I’ll turn you all to ash and let Zohn sort through this!”

“They don’t listen to anyone but me, Gorgeous,” a heku said from behind her. She and Mark both turned and came face-to-face with a grinning heku in a torn guard uniform.

“And who might you be?” Emily asked.

“I’m the new leader of this coven, and I suggest you stop threatening us and get your asses out of here.”

“No,” Emily said, and he fell to ash. She turned, “There… now I’ve turned your new leader to ash and no one’s lined up… so let me introduce myself… my name is Emily Winchester… now you know… so turning you all to smoldering piles in 3…”

A few timid heku appeared and started to form rows.

“2!” she shouted.

More started to appear, unsure what to do, but when they saw Emily and the Council City heku standing beside her, word soon got out that she wasn’t kidding about turning them all to ash.

“1!” Emily yelled, and there was a mass of blurring as the others joined in.

“How many are there?” Emily asked Kralen.

“I see 333.”

“We’re missing quite a few then.”

“Hold them here. I’ll do a quick sweep of the compound,” Mark said.

Emily smiled at the ones gathered, “Hold tight, we’ll sort through things in a second.”

After almost 10 minutes, Mark returned, “I didn’t find anyone. They are all here.”

Emily frowned and pointed at a shy looking heku on the end of the first row, “You, come here.”

He walked forward and Emily noticed he was almost a foot shorter than Mark.

“There should be 391 of you, correct?”

“Well… 390 when the Elder’s gone.”

“Right, and 27 were killed? That means we’re missing 30.”

“You’ve turned 3 to ash,” Mark reminded her.

“Oh, that’s right… so we’re missing another 27?”

“Dead,” another heku said.

“Get back in line,” Emily said to the one in front of her and he returned to the line. “I turned your leader to ash. Who’s next in line?”

A tall, muscular woman stepped forward, “That’d be me.”

“Come here,” Emily said to her. She stayed on the edge of the fountain where she was closer to their height. The woman stepped forward. She stood as tall as Mark and had a thick neck and broad shoulders. “Who are you?”

“Sheryl,” she said seethingly.

“Ok, Sheryl, what caused all of this?” Emily asked.

“I don’t think that’s any concern of yours.”

“Oh, I think it is… I was sent here to clean this mess up and I want to know what it is I’m doing it for.”

“This coven no longer belongs to Zohn, so I suggest you back away and let us be.”

Emily shrugged and turned the woman to ash, “She wasn’t very helpful.”

Mark put a hand against her back when she swayed slightly.

“This was quite the fight, which tells me that some of you don’t agree with the new leadership… if you are still loyal to Zohn, form a line behind me… the others can stay where they are.”

 

***

 

“Seems quiet around here,” Zohn said when they stepped into the palace. They knew there would be no guards to meet them, other assignments were given when the Cavalry left with them. The Cavalry followed the Elders down to the council chambers.

Derrick glanced at them nervously, “The Council is waiting for you.”

“Very well,” Quinn said, and the Elders headed around back. They heard Derrick tell the Cavalry to stay and glanced at each other before walking in and taking their seats.

“What’s going on that has everyone so tense?” Chevalier asked, turning to Richard.

Richard glanced at Kyle and then back to Chevalier, “There have been a few problems with… well… first off, your family.”

“Such as?”

Richard turned to Kyle again and he spoke, “Em caught Allen kissing his girlfriend, Miri… she turned Miri to ash and then began to drag Allen into the palace by his ear.”

“Oh God,” Chevalier sighed.

“Then they got into a bit of a fight… he strangled her, she burned him, he backhanded her…”

Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “Allen and Emily?”

“Yes, Elder,” Kyle said. “We’ve taken Allen’s rank away and returned him to his coven. He wanted banished but…”

Chevalier sighed, “I’ll go there and deal with him later then, now that he’s fully a member of my coven.”

Zohn grinned slightly, “We just can’t get away without your family causing problems… maybe you should be forced to stay here, never to leave.”

Chevalier glared at him, but turned to Richard when he started talking, “Actually, Sir, there’s more.”

“Hold on one,” Quinn said. “Is Emily injured?”

“Just a bruise on her neck and cheek. We don’t know if there’s anything else,” Richard explained.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Go ask her,” Chevalier told him.

“That’s what we are getting to… Mark, Silas, Kralen, Jaron, and Emily are out helping with a riotous coven.”

“We have a coven rioting?” Quinn asked, surprised.

“Yes, Sir, we do.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know. The caller was disconnected before giving any information.”

Chevalier growled, “You forced Emily to go?”

“No!” Richard said quickly. “When Mark told her we needed help, she agreed.”

“That’s odd. She swore she wouldn’t help anymore.”

“I think she was doing it out of… well… to help a friend.”

“Because Mark asked her…” Chevalier said, misunderstanding.

“No, Sir,” Richard said. “To help Elder Zohn.”

“How is that helping me?” Zohn asked, confused.

“It’s your coven, Sir,” Richard explained.

Zohn gasped, “My coven is in a riot?”

The Chief Interrogator nodded, “Yes, we’ve been trying to get in touch with them, or one of ours from Council City, but so far no one’s answering.”

“How long have they been there?” Chevalier asked.

“Three days,” Richard told them. “We had Derrick hold back the Cavalry, so we can send them in.”

“I’m going too,” Chevalier said, and quickly left for the helicopter.

“I damned well am too,” Zohn growled and followed him.

“Kyle, go… Emily may have turned a few to ash,” Quinn said.

“A few?” Kyle chuckled, and went after the Elders.

Equites 2 and a transport helicopter landed beside Winchester 1 outside of Scottsboro, Alabama, just after dawn. The heku quickly made their way the 5 miles to the location of Zohn’s coven. They stood behind the same rock as the first crew had and peeked around it.

“There are four guards,” Chevalier said, peeking around the rock.

Zohn looked around, “Those are my regular guards.”

The Cavalry followed Chevalier and Zohn to the entrance into the cement compound. The four guards stood at attention and saluted Zohn, but then stepped to block the door.

“Sorry, Elder, our orders are to let no one in,” the Lieutenant said nervously.

Zohn frowned, “I’m the Coven Lord.”

“Yes, Sir, but she threatened to turn us to ash if we let anyone in. She didn’t make an allowance for you.”

Chevalier grinned slightly, “Emily is running the show?”

“Yes, Elder,” he said, and again glanced nervously at Zohn.

“Let them in,” Silas said from behind the guards. They parted and let the others in.

“What’s going on here?” Zohn asked as they headed for the center.

“Right now things are calm. The non-guard staff are all in their houses, afraid to step foot out for fear of being turned to ash,” Silas explained. “The guard staff is patrolling the streets, and Emily has a handful that she’s… well… sort of torturing.”

Zohn stopped and turned to Silas, “What caused it?”

“The guards punished someone from the town for saying something bad about you… apparently a large group from your city retaliated against the guard staff and overthrew them.”

Zohn growled and headed for the center.

“Sir,” Silas whispered, walking beside Chevalier. “She won’t sleep.”

“How long?”

“At all, as far as we know it’s been 3 days. She won’t eat or sleep. The only reason she showered and changed clothes was because she got covered in blood.”

“Ok,” Chevalier said, and they stepped out into the center of the compound beside the fountain. Emily was sitting on the edge of the fountain wearing only a long black dress shirt that came to her knees and had the sleeves rolled up. She was watching six heku that were stripped to their boxers and sitting on their knees in the sun, obviously uncomfortable and highly angry.

Mark glanced over at the new arrivals, “Em…”

Emily looked over and smiled, “Aha! You thought I was being mean.”

Zohn’s features were dark and malicious. He walked over and stood before the six kneeling heku, “You did this?”

They looked at Emily when he asked them a question.

“Don’t look at her! Answer me… she’s no longer in charge,” Zohn yelled.

Emily smiled, “Oh good. I’m off the clock.”

“Now will you sleep?” Mark asked, aggravated.

Emily moved quickly to Chevalier and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head and she saw Zohn look at him and nod. He pulled away from her and took her hand as they followed Mark into the main house.

When they got to the front door, Emily let go of Chevalier’s hand and started back to the others, “I forgot to tell Zohn…”

Chevalier put a hand around her waist and stopped her, “He’ll figure it out.”

“But…”

“Inside,” he said, and led her through the door that Mark was holding open.

“I don’t want to be in here. If I’m done, let’s go back,” she said, and looked around the spacious mansion.

“I’m not done here, and you’re not doing anything until you eat and sleep,” Chevalier told her.

“I already sent Jaron out for pizza to try to get her to eat. He shouldn’t be long,” Mark explained.

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” she said, and crossed her arms.

Chevalier smiled at her and then his face fell, and he lifted her chin so he could look at her. He studied the hand bruise on her neck and her swollen and bruised cheek.

“Stop inspecting me,” she said, and moved her head out of his grasp.

“You’re grouchy, get some sleep,” Mark said before grinning and walking out.

“I suppose you know about Allen,” Emily said when he took her hand and led her up the stairs.

“Yes, I do.”

“I’ve been thinking about that…”

“So have I.”

“Did you know he has a girlfriend?” she asked, and stopped walking.

“No, I didn’t.”

She started up the stairs again, “I’ll admit I shouldn’t have burned him, but he’s still too young for a girlfriend, especially one that’s over 200 years older than he is.”

Chevalier walked her over and sat her down on Zohn’s bed, “200? That’s young, Em… He doesn’t know anyone younger than that.”

“I don’t care, he’s 14.”

“14 isn’t too young to have a girlfriend,” Chevalier told her, and slipped off her shoes.

“Yes it is…”

“No, it’s not… are you more upset about the fact he has a girlfriend or that you didn’t know?” he asked, and pulled off her socks.

“That he has one and was mackin’ on her in the alley.”

“Macking?” Chevalier asked, and sat down beside her.

“Yes, macking with that little slut,” Emily spat.

“Miri is a very nice woman,” Chevalier said, and then smiled when Emily glared at him. “Let him grow up… If you think about it, how many boys his age have girlfriends?”

“No,” she said, and crossed her arms.

Chevalier looked up when there was a knock at the door. He saw Jaron standing in the doorway with a pizza and a 6-pack of Sprite.

Emily looked up, “I said Coke.”

“I know,” Jaron told her and sat it all down. “Then Mark said to add pizza and no caffeine.”

“Thanks, you may go,” Chevalier told him, and handed Emily a piece of pizza.

“What? I get a spanking if I don’t eat it?” she asked angrily.

Chevalier grinned, “No, but I might bite you.”

Emily frowned and took the pizza, “Not funny.”

He watched her as she ate, relieved when she grabbed another slice when she was done.

After her second piece, she looked over at him, “What are you going to do to Allen?”

“I just want to talk to him,” Chevalier said. “He’s already been punished by the Council, so I don’t have to do that.”

“I’ve eaten, now let’s go back,” she said, and stood up.

Chevalier caught her wrist and kept her from leaving and then looked over the black shirt she was wearing, “Where did you get that?”

“I stole it from Zohn’s closet… I didn’t exactly think to bring a change of clothes,” she told him.

Chevalier got up and went to Zohn’s closet and came back out with a t-shirt and tossed it to her.

“I don’t need to change. I can wear this on the helicopter,” she said, and tossed it back.

“Put it on, Em.”

“No”

Chevalier chuckled, “Just do it.”

Emily started to unbutton the black shirt as Chevalier rushed to the bedroom door and shut it.

“Why do I have to sleep in Zohn’s bed?”

“It’s the only bed in the house,” Chevalier explained, and helped her slip the t-shirt on.

“I hate this,” she said, crawling into the covers. “I don’t see you forcing Mark to sleep.”

Chevalier grinned and shut out the lights.

“I’m not even tired.”

“Yes you are.”

“Seriously, I’m not tired.”

“Fine then,” he said, and sat down. “Sit on my lap for a bit.”

Emily smiled and crawled into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her as she leaned her head against his shoulder. The feel of protection from his strong arms and the sleepless three days put her almost immediately to sleep. He held her until he was sure she was deep asleep and then kissed the top of her head before laying her in bed and covering her with the blankets.

Chevalier sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep, again amazed at how incredibly frail she could sometimes seem, yet able to drop a thousand-year-old creature to his knees. He often wondered if he was doing the right thing, keeping her in the palace, close to beings that could kill her, but the thought of being away from her was too much to even think about.

He quietly snuck out and shut the door softly behind him.

“Is she asleep?” Jaron whispered. He’d taken up the post outside of the bedroom door.

Chevalier grinned, “Of course not. She’s not tired.”

Jaron chuckled as the Elder walked down the stairs to join the others in the main square. Zohn had his guard staff lined up as they explained how the coven mutinied and imprisoned the guards in makeshift cells.

Zohn turned when Chevalier walked up and then looked at Mark, “Now that the other Elder is here… I want to hear what happened when you arrived.”

Mark nodded, “We first ascertained that the two guards at the entrance weren’t supposed to be guards because their uniforms didn’t fit properly. Emily walked up to them and they made a few snide remarks to her, so she turned them to ash.”

Zohn turned to the coven’s Captain, “Who was it?”

“Garth and LJ, Sir,” he told the Elder.

“Go on,” Zohn told Mark.

“I posted Silas and Jaron at the gate, and Kralen and I brought Emily here. She yelled a warning that she was going to ash anyone who wasn’t lined up in 30 seconds, but the only one that appeared was the one that considered himself the new leader of the coven,” Mark explained. “He told us to leave immediately, and without a second thought, he fell to ash also. Emily then yelled out an introduction and again threatened to turn the entire coven to ash so you could sort it out later.”

Zohn nodded, “That brave leader would be Abe.”

“After that threat, and after calling herself Emily Winchester, the coven finally lined up for us. She did a head count and found out that 27 more died, 31 if you count the 4 she’d turned to ash by that point. She was mad and asked that all 54 bodies be brought to the fountain…”

“So where is Abe then?” Kyle asked. “I’d like to revive him.”

“Well…” Silas said, and glanced at the fountain.

Chevalier gasped, “She didn’t!”

He nodded, “In front of all of them… just picked up a handful and tossed it into the fountain.”

“Does she know what that does to a heku?” Mark asked the Elder.

“No, she doesn’t. I don’t want to tell her, or she’ll feel bad for doing it to so many. If she knew it caused them an eternity of pain and hunger, I’m sure she’d hate herself for it.”

“Go on,” Zohn said to Mark.

“Oh, sorry, Elder. Once she ascertained that it was the coven, not the guards that caused the problem, she reinstated the entrance guards and told the towns people that she was going to treat them like little children and they were to go to bed without supper. She warned that if she saw one door crack, she would ash anyone inside. Not a soul stepped out after that.”

Silas grinned, “She had them scared to death.”

Mark cleared his throat and then continued, “Kralen and I interviewed a few trusted townsfolk and found the six leaders… there were eight, but obviously we couldn’t talk to the main leader. Emily brought them out here, stripped them for some reason, and then made them kneel out in the sun. While they were out here, for two entire days… they knelt in the blazing sun and recited Zohn Coven’s policy manual verbatim, over and over.”

“And at night?” Zohn asked.

“Same thing… they knelt and recited. It just wasn’t as bad as doing it during the day in the sun.”

Zohn nodded and turned to the guards, “Interview everyone, if they are suspected of being part of that mutiny, I want to talk to them.”

“Yes, Sir,” they said in unison, and broke into groups.

Zohn turned to Chevalier, “I owe her… 54 deaths was nothing compared to what 3 more days would have brought.”

Chevalier nodded.

“You also,” Zohn said to the members of Cavalry. “I owe you more than you could imagine.”

“It’s our duty, Sir,” Mark said, and bowed slightly.

“Did she fall asleep then?” Zohn turned to Chevalier.

“Yes, after eating… I borrowed a t-shirt for her to sleep in.”

“Why was she in my black shirt?”

Mark chuckled, “She got covered in blood when one of the townsfolk tried to grab her… the black shirt was what one of your guards brought her to wear.”

“I’m ok here, why don’t you go back,” Zohn suggested.

“Mark, take the Cavalry back… I’ll take Winchester 1 with Em when she wakes up,” Chevalier said to him.

Mark nodded and the Cavalry all headed to the helicopters.

Chevalier returned to Zohn’s room and watched Emily sleep for over 12 hours before she started to stir. She finally rolled over and looked at him and then sat up and looked around.

“Forgot where I was for a second,” she said, and crawled out of bed.

“There’s no food anywhere on the compound, but I have the pilot grabbing something for the trip back,” he said, and pulled her into an embrace.

“So we can go back now?”

“Sure, I just wanted you to get some sleep.”

Within the hour, they were flying over Alabama and headed north toward Council City. Emily fell asleep again after eating breakfast and didn’t wake up until the pilot announced their arrival.