Chapter 16 - Georgia

“Mom, someone’s at the door,” Allen told her. Emily put down her book and got out of the overstuffed chair. She opened the door to two gentlemen. One was an older man with short silver hair and thick rimmed glasses. The other was younger with a handsome face and messy brown hair.

“We’re sorry to interrupt. We heard someone was here,” the younger man said.

“No problem. What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I’m Aiden and this is Courtney,” he said, and motioned toward the older man.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Emily.”

The man tilted his cowboy hat and smiled.

“Well we just talked to your husband a bit,” the older man said. “He thought we’d need to run an invitation by you.”

Emily frowned, “You talked to my husband?”

“Yes, the man who answered the door.”

“That’s not my husband,” she said, irritated.

“Oh, I apologize. Anyway, we’re here on behalf of the town council. There’s a barn raising tonight, and we’d like to invite you.”

Emily smiled, “Really?”

“Yes, everyone in town’d like to meet you. We knew Four-Winds sold a few years ago, but haven’t seen anyone in it.”

“Sure, where is it?”

The older man handed her a paper with directions, “We look forward to ya’ll being there.”

Emily nodded, “Ok, we’ll see you there.”

She shut the door and put the paper on a table in the hallway.

“How are you going to explain me?” Allen asked. “I look older than you do.”

Emily frowned, “I hadn’t thought about that…”

“I mean… feel free to tell people I’m your son, but your driver’s license says you’re 19.”

“Damn”

“Brother then?”

She sighed, “That seems wrong.”

“You’re too young to even be Alexis’ mom.”

“Then you be her brother, and I’ll be her sister. She can still have Dain,” Alexis suggested. “It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, fun,” Emily said, and headed into the kitchen to make lunch.

“How long are we staying?” Allen asked, following her in.

“I don’t know. I kind of like it here.”

“It’s been a week. We still need to talk about Miri.”

Emily looked over at him, “Let’s go tonight and have fun at the party. You and I will talk tomorrow, I promise.”

Allen shrugged, “Sure.”

“Go get dressed, and tell Alex to get ready. We’ll leave in thirty minutes.”

Allen nodded and left to get dressed. Emily ate quickly and took Dain from Alexis. They all met out in the garage and Allen tore of the big ribbon before they crawled into the new Durango and set off.

 

***

 

“Mom, you promised,” Allen said as he walked into the kitchen.

Emily dried her hands off on a towel and sat down, “Fine, let’s talk about Miri.”

“I want Dad in on this too.”

Emily grabbed her cell phone and dialed Chevalier, then put it on speaker and set it in the middle of the table.

“Good morning,” Chevalier said.

“’Mornin Chev… Allen’s here and he wants to talk about his little girlfriend.”

“Mom…”

“Sorry, Miri.”

“Ok,” Chevalier sighed. “This’d be easier in person. Why don’t you let me come over?”

“I don’t want to wait that long. I want to go back to the island,” Allen told him.

“That far away is it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Enough… I don’t like it, he’s 15,” Emily started.

“Yes, I’ll admit he was born 15 years ago, but he’s not 15, not in body or mind,” Chevalier told her.

“I love her, Mom… We want to get bonded.”

“At 15? Over my dead body!”

“Em… you got married at 17…” Chevalier began, but Emily cut him off.

“Yeah and that worked out really well for me, too.”

“I’m not you, Mom. I’m not some hick marrying…”

“Hick?” she yelled.

“I just mean that you were in a different environment that I’m in.”

“15 is too young to get married, and having sex with Miri is statutory rape.”

“Emily!” Chevalier said, shocked.

“Well it is! She’s over 200 years older than he is.”

“Everyone I know is at least that old,” Allen reminded her.

“Exactly, which is why I suggest we stay here for a year and you attend high school. Get to know girls your own age.”

“I have issues with that,” Chevalier said.

“Then in the city. He can live in Council City and go to school in town.”

“I don’t want to go to high school,” Allen told her.

“What is the problem, then? Is it that he’s had sex, that he did it in your barn, that he has a girlfriend, or that that girlfriend is too old?” Chevalier asked, trying to clear things up.

“Yes,” Emily said, irritated.

Chevalier sighed, “Let’s deal with one thing at a time… starting with Miri’s age. 224 is not old, by any means, and Miri was turned at a very young age by the Encala.”

“Oh good, so she’s an enemy heku, too,” Emily added.

“No, she’s not. She immediately left for the Equites and has been with us for 221 years.”

“Ok then, 224 is too old for a 15-year-old.”

“How much older is Dad than you are?” Allen asked.

“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about you.”

“224 is not too old for him, Em,” Chevalier explained. “She’s still very young.”

“Even if 224 wasn’t too old for him… 15 is too young to be having sex,” Emily told them, and glared at Allen.

“I’m only 15 in your mind.”

“Funny… I gave birth to you 15 years ago. Am I wrong to assume that makes you 15?”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” Allen said. “In many ways I’m older than you are.”

“Allen… now’s not the time…” Chevalier started.

“Don’t make me ash you, Boy… I can and you know it, then we can revive you when you’re 25,” Emily yelled.

“25? Is that when I’m old enough to have a girlfriend?”

“Yes”

Allen sighed, “You try, Dad. I’m not getting through.”

“Don’t even gang up on me about this. The entire heku population can try to tell me he’s old enough to have sex, and I’m not going to budge.”

“How old were you the first time then?” Allen asked.

Emily frowned, “That’s none of your business.”

“She was 17,” Chevalier said.

“Hey!” Emily yelled. “I was married though.”

“How old were you, Dad?” Allen asked.

Chevalier chuckled and Emily cut him off, “That doesn’t matter… things were too different when he was a kid.”

“That’s true,” Chevalier said, “But you need to realize that in the world of the heku, things are different now, too.”

“No, damnit. He’s too young to have sex, and he’s too young to get bonded to her.”

“Why?” Chevalier asked bluntly. “Let’s name the 3 main reasons humans don’t… religion, pregnancy, and disease. Those 3 aren’t a factor here.”

“Age… emotional maturity… He can’t go off and marry the first girl he finds!”

“Why keep looking when I’ve found the one I love?” Allen asked.

“Oh and Chev, don’t think you’re off the hook for allowing the little tramp to live on the island.”

“Mom! Stop calling her names or I’ll make you,” Allen growled.

“You’ll make me?” Emily asked angrily.

“Stop it you two! You’re going to end up killing each other, and I can’t come stop it,” Chevalier yelled.

Emily stood up and faced Allen, “As long as I’m alive, you won’t bond to any girl who opens her legs for you.”

Allen stood, throwing his chair back into the wall, “I warned you…”

“Damnit, stop it!” Chevalier growled.

“It’s a stupid, immature decision that only proves to me that you’re 15!” Emily screamed.

“Stupid and immature? Like dragging your kids out to stay in a house an enemy Elder gave you?” Allen yelled.

“Wait… what?” Chevalier yelled.

“That’s it…” Emily yelled, and hung up the phone.

Chevalier slammed his fist down on the table and called for Zohn.

“Enter,” Chevalier yelled when he heard a knock. Zohn walked in, frowning at the rage on Chevalier’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to make some phone calls, and I want to know if they’re lying to me.”

Zohn nodded, “Ok.”

He sat down while Chevalier dialed.

“Encala Council,” a man’s voice said.

Zohn gasped.

“Which of you Elders bought Emily a house?” Chevalier growled.

There was silence for a few seconds before William spoke, “We’ve purchased her a few gifts, but none of them was a house.”

Chevalier looked at Zohn and he shook his head, indicating that William wasn’t lying.

“Aaron?”

“No houses,” Aaron responded.

“Reese?”

“Nope, no houses.”

“They aren’t lying,” Zohn whispered.

“Fine,” Chevalier said, and hung up the phone. He dialed again.

“Valle Council,” Exavior said.

“Who bought Emily a house and where is it?” Chevalier growled.

“Well hello, Chevalier, problems?” Exavior asked.

“Answer my question.”

Exavior sighed, “We’ve purchased several things, but not a house.”

“Ryan?”

“No, no houses.”

“Sotomar”

“Is there some kind of problem?” Sotomar asked.

“Yes and I need to get to that house as soon as possible,” Chevalier growled. “Where is it?”

“I swore I wouldn’t tell,” Sotomar said, sighing.

“You bought the Winchester a house?” Ryan asked, shocked.

“I did and it seems it’s serving its purpose.”

“Tell me, now,” Chevalier yelled.

“No, it’s her vacation home to get away from the heku,” Sotomar said calmly.

“So help me if I lose her because of your stupidity, I will kill you.”

“If there’s a problem then I will go.”

“Tell me.”

“No… I will go check on her,” Sotomar said, and the line disconnected.

Chevalier stood up and threw his chair against the wall, shattering it into small wooden splinters.

“What’s happening?” Zohn asked.

“Emily and Allen are about to kill each other, and I can’t get there to stop it.”

Zohn sighed, “You’ve tracked her phone?”

“Yes, but I doubt she’s in Siberia.”

“Allen’s?”

“It shows his last location was on the island.”

Sotomar took the Valle jet and arrived in Savannah within only a few hours. A rental car was already waiting for him, and he hopped in and sped toward the plantation. He gasped and pulled over when he saw Allen hitchhiking on the side of I-95.

Allen looked at the sleek red jaguar with the dark tinted windows, and bent down to look in when the window rolled down.

“Get in, Son,” Sotomar said.

“That’s ok. I’ll get another ride,” Allen said, and stood up.

“Just get in,” he growled.

Allen stood his ground, “I don’t fraternize with the enemy.”

“Oh for hell’s sake,” Sotomar said, and dialed the Equites Council.

“Zohn here.”

“This is Sotomar. I’ve driven to Emily’s location as promised, and found Allen hitchhiking at the side of the Interstate, but he won’t get in my car.”

There was soft talking and then Chevalier spoke, “Give Allen the phone.”

Sotomar handed it over, “Your Dad wants to speak to you.”

Allen grabbed the phone, “I didn’t kill her.”

“Where are you?”

Allen shut his eyes, “I can’t say.”

“Someone better tell me,” Chevalier yelled.

“There’s no reason to get mad. I’m hitchhiking back to the island, and then Miri and I are going to go live at Kail Coven,” Allen explained.

“Get in the car with Sotomar,” Quinn said when Chevalier didn’t answer. “Have him take you back to your mother and see if he can mediate this thing.”

“You want me to ride with a Valle, and let him interfere with my family?” Allen asked, shocked.

“As we have no other option… yes.”

Allen shut the phone and handed it back to Sotomar when he crawled into the car. Sotomar finished the drive in silence and pulled up in front of the plantation as the sun began to set.

“Get in there,” Sotomar said sternly. He and Allen walked up, and Sotomar knocked on the door.

Alexis answered and gasped, “Mom!”

“What, Alex?” Emily asked. She appeared in the doorway with Dain in her arms, then looked from Sotomar to Allen and stepped aside for them to come in.

“I came in lieu of telling Chevalier where your home is,” Sotomar explained. “Now that Allen is here, let’s go into the study and discuss things calmly.”

“You didn’t tell anyone?” Emily asked, and handed Dain over to Alexis.

“No, I did not… as promised.”

Alexis glanced nervously at Sotomar, and then took Dain up the stairs.

“Please…” Sotomar said, and opened the door to the study. Emily walked in after Allen and sat on the small couch while Allen and Sotomar sat in chairs. “What exactly caused this fight?”

“His little slut girlfriend,” Emily said, and glared at Allen.

“Take that back!” Allen yelled, and stood up.

“Sit!” Sotomar demanded, and Allen sat down with wide eyes. Sotomar’s voice calmed, “So the argument is about a girl?”

“Yes, a heku that’s too old for him and loose at that.”

Sotomar smiled slightly at Allen, “Do I understand correctly then, that you have a girlfriend and that you were engaged in sexual relations?”

Allen nodded, “Yeah, and we kinda got caught.”

“You are 15?”

“Yes… but…”

Sotomar held up his hand, “I understand that you are advanced beyond your age.”

“I don’t care if he has the mentality of an 80-year-old… he’s 15!” Emily yelled.

“Please, Dear, we’re speaking calmly here.”

Emily continued to glare at Allen.

“So this, heku, she is how old?”

“224,” Allen told him.

“Wow, a young heku.”

“224 is not young,” Emily said, irritated.

Sotomar smiled, “I see… so what is the problem then? The older girlfriend or the sexual relations?”

“She doesn’t like any of it,” Allen told him. “Nor the fact that we plan to be bonded.”

“Ok then… there must be a way to compromise.”

“Like what?” Allen asked.

“No compromises when it comes to my son,” Emily hissed.

“See! I can’t work with that.”

Sotomar put his hands up, “I am here to help as a neutral party. We have to find a solution or I will need to bring in Chevalier.”

“Fine by me, at least he’s an adult,” Allen said, and crossed his arms.

Emily stood up and got in his face, “Don’t you dare talk to me like that!”

Allen reached out and pushed against Emily’s shoulders, easily sending her backwards onto her butt on the carpet, “Try to stop me, Tiny.”

Emily scrambled to her feet and stared at Allen. He gasped, eyes wide, and groaned.

“Emily! Stop it this instant!” Sotomar yelled, and Emily looked over at him and sat down as she released Allen from the burning. “I have negotiated agreements with all three factions that had less hostility than you two… my word… Can you just calm down!?”

Allen nodded, “Sure, if she’ll keep a civil tongue in her head.”

“Let’s start with no more name calling. What is the young heku’s name?”

“Miri,” Allen told him.

Emily started to speak, but Sotomar hushed her and she glared at him.

“Very well… you two reside in Council City?”

“No, we live in Island Coven.”

“Emily… are you opposed to Allen having Miri as a girlfriend if there is no sexual conduct?” Sotomar asked.

Emily sighed, “No kissing?”

“That’s asking a bit much, Dear.”

“I guess not,” she grumbled.

Sotomar smiled, “You, Boy, are you ok to back off and go no further than kissing?”

Allen shrugged, “That’s how it starts…”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“I don’t know.”

“If it’s that or your mother keeping her a pile of ash…”

“Fine, then, for now we can do that,” Allen agreed.

Sotomar nodded, “Then no more bonding talk either until… what age?”

Emily thought, “20.”

“Twenty!? No way, I’m not waiting 5 more years to marry the woman I love,” Allen said.

“Can we say 19 then?” Sotomar asked.

“19 is too young,” Emily said.

“You were 17 though, were you not?”

Emily glared at him, “I was, and it was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

“19 sounds reasonable to me,” Sotomar told them.

“Fine,” she yelled.

“That means we can get engaged when?” Allen asked.

“17?” Sotomar turned to Emily.

“Whatever”

“That is acceptable to both of you then? Engagement at 17 and bonding at 19?”

“I guess,” Allen said.

“Yes,” Emily finally told them, after a few minutes of silence. “But you keep it in your pants until 19.”

Allen sighed, “Mom…”

“No exceptions.”

“What’s it hurting? You do realize you didn’t catch us the first time…”

Emily glared at him, “No.”

Sotomar smiled, “Maybe it would be best if he discussed this with his father.”

“No way, Chevalier’s fine if he wants to screw the entire faction.”

“I love her,” Allen growled.

“You’re too young to know what love is.”

“I am not! I’ve been with Miri for 8 months, and every moment I spend with her, I fall that much more in love with her.”

“So you think!”

“Calm…” Sotomar reminded them. “Just hold off on anything more than kissing until things calm down a bit, and then bring it up with your Mother and Father together.”

Allen sighed and nodded, “Yeah, ok.”

“You two have got to learn some control,” Sotomar told them. “You are both aware that at any moment you can kill the other… especially you, Allen.”

Allen nodded and looked down at his hands, “I know.”

“I need to get back to the Valle Palace. Shall I take Allen to Council City on my way?”

Emily looked up at Allen, “You want to go back?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Fine, then you can go… but don’t tell anyone where this place is.”

“I won’t. I know how important it is to you,” Allen promised her.

Allen walked up to get his things, and Emily turned to Sotomar, “Thank you.”

Sotomar smiled, “My pleasure, Child. I wish we could be friends again.”

She shrugged, “I do too, but after what you and William did, I just don’t know.”

“Maybe, someday.”

“Yes, maybe.”

“I’m ready,” Allen said.

 

***

 

“Elder,” Derrick said, walking into the council chambers. “Valle Elder Sotomar is at the front gates with Allen, but the guards won’t let him.”

Zohn gasped, “Sotomar has Allen?”

“Let Allen in and bring him here,” Chevalier said.

“Yes, Elder,” Derrick said, and disappeared. Only a few minutes later, Allen came in with a bag over his shoulder.

“I just need to get back to the island,” Allen explained.

“First off, where is your mother’s house?” Chevalier asked.

“I won’t tell you that. I promised her.”

“It’s not safe, and it’s negligent of you to keep that from us.”

“Nevertheless, I am.”

Chevalier growled, “You are looking for a lot of trouble.”

“I am either way I answer that. Right now, Mom and I are on shaky enough ground without adding this.”

“It’s not safe.”

“It is safe. I checked it out myself, and we even went to a community event and I saw no heku.”

“Still…”

“If there is an emergency, then I will reconsider, but for now, she’s safe.”

“What did Sotomar do?” Quinn asked.

“He negotiated something that both Mom and I can live with for now,” Allen explained.

“Very well, we’ll have you taken back to the island.”

Allen nodded and headed for the door.

“We can reconsider letting you stay in Council City,” Chevalier told him.

Allen turned at the door, “I prefer the island. Both Miri and I like it there.”

Chevalier nodded and Allen bowed slightly and left.

“Sotomar is slowly weaseling his way into Emily’s life,” Zohn said, irritated.

“Yes he is, and I wish I knew his intentions,” Chevalier told him.

“It may be a ploy to get us to side with the Valle in exterminating the Encala.”

“Maybe… let’s get on with this land dispute. I’m tired of being in here.”

Quinn grinned, “I second that.”

 

***

 

“There’s no use fighting. You can’t get away,” the heku in black said as he shut the door to the ceremonial room. This one was different. The runes on the ceiling were painted instead of etched.

“Don’t do this,” Emily warned.

“Why not? There are no guards. Not even your son is around,” he said, and grinned.

Emily looked around at the 12 heku in blue as they began to sway slightly.

“No!”

“It’s all too perfect. No one knows where you are… you’ll simply disappear, and you’ll be one of us,” another heku told her, a tall woman with fierce black eyes. “Yisolatara.”

Emily sat up suddenly in bed and flipped on the light.

The voice rang through her mind, clear as a bell, a harsh whisper, “Run.”

Emily scrambled out of bed. She could feel eyes on her. She was being watched from the shadows of the room and from the dark window. Everywhere she turned, there were eyes on her. She grabbed Dain out of bed and rushed to Alexis’ room.

“Shhh, Alexis, be very quiet,” Emily whispered as she picked the young girl up from her bed.

“What’s wrong?” Alexis whispered. Emily didn’t answer, but carried them quickly down the stairs. She ran across the yard, still in her nightgown, and sat Alexis down in the back of the truck, then put Dain into his car seat. Emily glanced back one more time and then spun out and left the plantation.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Emily whispered, and glanced nervously in her rear view mirror.

“Then why are we leaving in the middle of the night? You don’t even have shoes on.”

“We just are.”

Alexis looked back behind them, “No one’s back there… you’re afraid of something. What’s wrong?”

“Just go to sleep, Alex.”

Alexis crossed her arms and watched her Mom driving quickly, swerving in and out of any traffic they came to. Emily didn’t speak, and when she stopped for fuel, she paid at the pump and quickly left.

Two days later, they arrived at Council City and Emily sped through the front gates and pulled up into the garage. She leaned her head on the steering wheel and wrapped her arms around herself.

Alexis opened the door and ran into Chevalier’s arms, “I missed you!”

Chevalier kissed the top of her head, “I missed you too. What’s wrong with your Mom?”

Alexis shrugged, “She won’t say. We left in the middle of the night. She didn’t even let us get dressed, and she’s been driving fast and watching everyone around her like they were going to attack… it was creepy.”

“Get Dain inside,” he told her, and as she followed his request, he opened the driver’s door. Emily looked over at him and lunged into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He held her tightly until she calmed down, “What happened?”

She shook her head, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Come on inside,” he said, and pulled away from her. She wrapped her arms around his arm and let him lead her inside.

“Welcome back,” Quinn said when they entered the main foyer.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, and tightened her grip on Chevalier.

“We have something we need to do for about an hour,” Chevalier told her.

“Do you have to?”

Chevalier frowned, “No, I guess not… We can postpone it.”

“Yes, we can,” Quinn agreed. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Emily said softly.

Chevalier whispered too low for her to hear, “She won’t say.”

“Let’s meet in 2 hours?”

Chevalier looked at Emily, “Will that be ok?”

“Actually, go now.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“We won’t be long. May I bring your guards?” Quinn asked.

“Give me 30 minutes. I’ll head out to Cavalry training to see what’s happening.”

Quinn nodded and left with Chevalier. Emily waited until they were gone, and headed to the secret door leading to the ceremonial room. The only time she was in the secret room in the palace, was when she was under the influence of an ancient, and she didn’t remember it. The only others she’d seen were in the castle, in Exavior’s coven, and in a remote Encala coven.

Emily checked around to make sure no one was watching, and opened the door. As she walked, her heart began to pound in her chest and she couldn’t hear past the sound of it in her ears. Her breathing got faster and she felt a sweat forming. The heavy stone door came closer. She knew it was normally propped open, and was relieved to see it still was.

As she got closer to it, she got on her hands and knees and slowly inched toward the ominous room. She fought to breathe. She had to see into the room, but it held fear beyond her memory. When she was within arm’s reach of the room, she stretched forward, keeping her body as far away from it as she could, and craned her neck to see into it. She needed to see the ceiling, needed to see if the voices were warning her of something about to happen in Council City.

She had to wait for her eyes to adjust, and when they did, she saw the dark etchings of the runes on the ceiling.

“What are you doing in here?” a gruff voice said from behind her.

Emily screamed and turned the strange heku to ash, then hurried to her feet and ran for the hidden door in a panic. As she barreled through the hidden door into the palace, Silas and Kralen both froze and looked at her with wide eyes.

“Emily, did you scream?” Silas asked curiously.

She ran past them. Panic had taken over, and she rushed to get as far away from the ceremonial room as she could.

“Em?” Kralen called after her, but she disappeared around a corner.

“Why in the world would she be in there?” Silas asked, and walked through the secret door. Kralen followed him toward the ceremonial room until they came to the pile of ash on the floor.

Kralen growled and called for Kyle.

“What’s up?” Kyle asked as he approached them in the dark passageway.

Silas moved aside and Kyle caught sight of the ash.

His eyes narrowed, “He brought Emily down here?”

“I suspect so. She’d never come down here of her own volition,” Kralen said. “We were walking down the hallway when she came running out of here like a bat out of hell.”

“Time to talk then,” Kyle said, and pulled out the dagger. He let a single drop of blood fall onto the pile of ash, and screams filled the hallway as the heku reformed. As soon as he was whole, Kralen and Silas restrained him.

“That Bitch!” the heku servant screamed.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Kyle growled. “Why did you bring Lady Emily down here?”

The servant’s eyes grew wide, “I didn’t! I heard someone in the passage and came in here. She was here by herself.”

“I doubt that,” Kyle said, and headed into the palace while the Captains brought the servant with them.

“I swear, I didn’t take her down there,” he said pleadingly.

“I wouldn’t want to be you when you have to explain to Elder Chevalier why you took his wife into a restricted section of the palace,” Silas said, grinning.

“I didn’t!”

“Sure you did. She’d never go down there by herself,” Kralen yelled, and pushed the heku harder.

Derrick opened the door for them and they all stepped into the council chambers. Chevalier and Quinn were the only ones missing, and the guards brought the servant forward while Kyle took his seat.

“What’s the problem?” Zohn asked, eyeing the servant.

“Found this guy as a pile of ash in front of the ceremonial room,” Kyle explained.

“In front of the hidden door?”

“No, in front of the stone door.”

Zohn’s eyes narrowed, “I take it you didn’t turn him to ash?”

“No, Elder, I didn’t,” Kyle said, and looked down at the servant.

“You have to believe me! I didn’t take her in there,” the servant said, nervously glancing along the row of council members.

“Hmm, he’s not lying,” the Chief Interrogator said.

“If you didn’t take her, then who did?” Zohn asked.

“She was there alone… I heard a noise and went to see who was down there,” the servant said hastily. “She was on her hands and knees, and was stretching to see the ceiling… I asked what she was doing, and the next thing I knew I was being revived.”

Zohn frowned, “No one else was there?”

“No, Elder.”

Zohn glanced at the Chief Interrogator, and then to Kyle, “He’s not lying… why would Emily be down there?”

“I can’t imagine her going in there alone.”

“Neither can I.”

“I swear to you… I didn’t take her there.”

“Didn’t take who where?” Chevalier asked as he and Quinn entered the council chambers.

“Lady Emily, I would never take her into the ceremonial room!”

“I would hope not,” Chevalier said as he raised his eyebrows. “What exactly did we miss?”

“He was found as a pile of ash just before the stone door into the ceremonial room,” Kyle explained again. “Kralen and Silas found him after Emily ran from the hallway.”

“What were you hoping to accomplish?” Chevalier asked the servant angrily.

“I didn’t take her down there!”

“He’s not lying,” the Chief Interrogator told them.

“Derrick, bring in Lady Emily,” Quinn called out.

A few minutes later, Derrick came in, “She’s in her office but won’t talk… I can hear her breathing, but she won’t answer.”

Chevalier sighed and walked out to her office. He knocked, “Em, can you come to the door?”

Slowly, the door opened and she peeked out.

“Before we banish a servant… were you taken to the ceremonial room, or did you go there on your own?”

She looked at the ground, “I went there.”

“You’re not lying to me to protect him?”

She shook her head.

“Why would you go there?”

Emily shrugged.

“Come tell the Council, please.”

“No,” she whispered.

“You’re not in trouble for going there. We just want to make sure you weren’t taken.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Then why did you turn him to ash?”

“He scared me.”

Chevalier watched her, and then shook his head, “Ok… the Cavalry is waiting for you though.”

“Ok,” she said, and watched him.

He watched her for a second, and then returned to the council chambers and sat down, “She says she walked there by herself and he scared her… Let him go.”

Kralen and Silas nodded and let the servant go. He bowed slightly and made a hasty exit.

“She’s heading out to the Cavalry training. See if she’ll talk to you,” Chevalier said.

They both bowed slightly and disappeared.

“Why would she go in there? She’s terrified of that room,” Zohn said.

“I don’t know. I’m guessing she won’t tell anyone.”

Emily finally went out to the stables and threw a saddle and bridle on her stallion, then hoisted up onto him, and walked him out to where the Cavalry was going over how to tackle a heku from horseback. She rode up and stopped beside Kralen and Silas.

“Welcome back,” Silas said, and smiled.

“Thanks”

Emily turned and looked at the trees to their back when she felt eyes on her. She scanned the forest carefully and then turned back around, noticing both Silas and Kralen were also looking toward the trees, but turned around when she did.

“Got it,” Emily said as a horse took off running in a panic when the heku rider dove off. She kicked her stallion into a gallop and leaned forward with the lasso in her hand. She was out beyond the trees when she got control of the frantic mare, then spun suddenly in the saddle and looked around. She could no longer see the Cavalry and was completely surrounded by trees.

She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she heard the wind blowing through the tree leaves, sending a soft whisper down through the forest. Emily kicked her horse again into a gallop and tore through the trees, emerging onto the green lawn quickly. She took a deep breath and walked the mare back to its rider before returning to Kralen and Silas.

“You ok?” Silas asked, frowning. He could hear her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

She nodded, and then turned to look at the trees behind her again. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a shadow dart behind the corner of the palace. She gasped, and crawled down off her horse and put her back to the wall, inching along it toward the corner.

Emily wasn’t aware she was being watched by the entire Cavalry as she crouched low to the ground when she reached the corner, and carefully peeked around the brick building, keeping as low as she could.

“What’s wrong?” Silas asked from directly behind her.

Emily screamed briefly and stood up to face him. When she saw who it was, she calmed some, “Nothing.”

“Then why so jumpy?”

“I’m not.”

Silas stepped to the corner and looked across the lawn carefully, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. When he turned back, Emily was already mounting her stallion and Mark had called the Cavalry back to training.

He shrugged and remounted his horse and began watching the new recruits.

Emily turned suddenly and looked behind her toward the trees again. This time she was certain someone was watching her. She strained to see who it was, but saw nothing but the forest.

“Would you stop that? You’re making me feel like I need to go kill something,” Kralen said to her. When she didn’t turn around, Mark noticed.

“Em?”

Mark, Silas, and Kralen watched her scan the trees. She was breathing shallowly.

“Emily!” Mark said, louder.

She jumped and turned around to face him, “What?”

“What are you looking for?” Mark asked.

“Nothing”

He sighed, “If you were in trouble, you’d tell us, right?”

“Probably”

“Gah, I hate that word… yes or no?”

“Probably,” she said again.

“Are you?”

“No”

“Training’s almost over, let’s go get some pizza,” Silas suggested.

“Great idea,” Mark said, and called for the new recruits to get their horses put away.

Emily tried to calm her voice, “No thanks.”

“Steak?”

“No, really, I just want to stay in tonight.”

“Dancing?”

“Really…”

“Something’s wrong,” Mark said, and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like it.”

“I’m fine,” she said, and slid off of her horse and headed him into the stables.

When his horse was put away, Silas turned to talk to Emily, and saw her standing at the stable door with Mark and Kralen off in the shadows watching her. She leaned forward and looked around the area, and then took off running for the palace entrance.

Mark growled, “She’s not telling us something.”

“Agreed, maybe we should keep her guards at Commander and above for now,” Kralen suggested.

Mark nodded, “Good, you two get Jaron, and I’ll meet you up at her door.”

Silas and Kralen disappeared and came back with Jaron. They all headed inside and were quickly told she was in her office. They met Mark at her office door and they all turned to stand guard.

The Elders, on their way to their own offices, saw Emily’s guards and walked over to her door.

“Quite the high-ranks tonight. Is there a problem?” Chevalier asked.

Mark shrugged, “We don’t know. She won’t tell us.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“Something’s up though,” Silas explained. “She’s jumpy, she keeps checking around corners, and scanning areas around her.”

Chevalier frowned, “She won’t say why?”

“Nope”

Emily opened the door at that moment and screamed, then put her hand on her chest, “Don’t do that!”

“Do what? We’re just standing here,” Zohn told her.

“Jumpy tonight?” Quinn asked.

“No,” she replied, and went to shut her office door.

“Wait, Em… come to my office for a sec,” Chevalier told her, and put his hand out.

Emily nodded and took his hand. The others waited by her door as they walked to his office and went inside, shutting the door. Chevalier sat down in his large leather chair and motioned for her to sit in a chair beside him. She stepped past the chair and sat on his lap, facing him.

He took her face in his hands, “Tell me what’s going on.”

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his as her hands started to unbutton his shirt.

 

***

 

Chevalier chuckled, “That’s not why I asked you in here.”

Emily pulled his cape over her and leaned back against him, “I know.”

“You’re stalling… not that I really mind.”

“My house…”

“Yes?”

“It’s outside of Savannah, Georgia. A plantation called Four-Winds.”

He sighed, “Why are you telling me?”

“I thought you wanted to know.”

“I do… but didn’t think you’d tell me.”

“Just don’t fill it full of guards.”

He moved her hair off of her neck and ran his lips along it softly. She shivered and grinned.

“I won’t fill it full of guards… Did something happen there?” he asked her, and wrapped his arms around her.

“Not really.”

“Not really?”

“Have you ever been in a ceremonial room where the runes were painted on the ceiling instead of etched into the rock?” She turned to face him.

Chevalier frowned, “No… have you?”

“No,” she said, and leaned back against him again.

“Why do you ask then?”

She shrugged and ran her nails along the muscles in his forearms.

“Tell me,” he whispered into her ear.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“You’ll think I’m crazy,” she said, and got up to get dressed.

“I already do.”

Emily turned around and smiled, “More so.”

Chevalier got up and began to get dressed, “Until you calm down, you have the highest ranking in the Cavalry watching you.”

“I’m calm,” she said, and waited for him to get dressed before opening the door.

“No, you’re not,” he said, and followed her out.

“The Elders need you in the council chambers,” Mark told him.

Chevalier nodded and blurred away.

“What’s going on?” Emily asked. There was an air of tension in the palace.

“Not sure,” he lied.

Four strange guards came up to them, “We’re here, General.”

“Em we’re letting them take over for a bit… please don’t slip them,” Mark said as they headed off.

Emily glanced at the four city guards and shrugged before heading down to the council chambers.

“We can’t go in there, Ma’am,” the Lieutenant said.

“You don’t have to. I’ll be right out,” she said, and stepped into the ante-chamber. She started to open the door to the council chambers, but stopped when she heard Quinn.

“What the hell were they thinking?!”

“I don’t know, but the repercussions for wiping out that entire city are astronomical,” Chevalier said angrily.

“Did the Encala’s Council get away?” Zohn asked.

A strange voice answered, “I don’t know, Sir.”

“The entire city?”

“Mostly, they burned a lot of the houses and the heku that survived fled.”

Emily frowned and her heart sank.

“Get them on the phone. I want answers,” Quinn growled.

Emily glanced back at the door her guards were at, and used the other door out the side, then took the steps down two-at-a-time and crawled into her Aero. Before she floored it, a strange guard jumped into the passenger seat, and she took off as he buckled in awkwardly, unable to sit up straight in the short car.

“Who are you?” she asked, flying past the gate guards.

“Liam, Ma’am. I’m one of the palace guards.”

“And why the hell did you get into my car?”

“I’m not really sure… but you aren’t supposed to be out alone, and I was the closest.”

Emily sighed and slowly took the Aero up to 6^th gear once she hit the Interstate.

“Where are we going?” Liam asked.

“West”

At top speeds, she was at the Encala Palace turnoff in just under 8 hours. She ignored her cell phone, and when Liam tried to make a call, she took his and tossed it out the window. Since then, he’d sat quietly in his seat and watched.

As they passed into Encala City, Emily frowned when there were no gate guards.

Liam gasped, “We’re in Encala City?”

“Yes”

“I can’t be here!” he yelled.

“Then you shouldn’t have gotten into my car,” she told him. Emily gasped and watched sadly as they passed the burnt out ruins of houses, and the lifeless city passing them by as she headed for the palace.

She parked in front of the palace and got out. There were no guards at the front doors, and the double-doors stood slightly ajar.

“I can’t be here,” Liam said again.

“Shut up, Liam.”

Emily opened the doors and her heart sunk. There were dead heku all over the main foyer, torn to pieces as blood covered every surface. She took the stairs up quickly, ignoring Liam behind her, and opened the door to the council chambers.

“William?” she called out, but no one answered. She slowly took the stairs up to the Council’s chairs, afraid of what she might find, but the platform was empty.

“I can’t be in here,” Liam told her.

Emily ignored him and stepped out into the hallway, and yelled, “William?”

Seeing a gray cape, Emily knelt down by the dead heku and took the cape in her fingers, running her thumb along the intricately designed V.

“The Valle,” she whispered, and looked around at the pieces of heku strewn around the stairs.

“Seriously… I can’t be…”

“Shut up!” she screamed, and started up the stairs. “William!?”

The sound of raspy breathing came from up the stairs, and Emily ran up them. She knelt down beside one of the Encala Guards and looked him over. He was covered in vicious bites and his head was almost completely removed. He looked up at her with panicked eyes.

“Can he survive this?” Emily asked, turning to Liam.

Liam was looking around, “I can’t be in here…”

“Liam! Can he survive this?”

He looked down at the Encala, and nodded.

Emily took his hand, “I’ll wait while you heal…”

The Encala Guard stopped moving and his eyes fell motionless. Emily leaned down and listened to his chest, but heard nothing. She put her head against his chest and squeezed his hand as she cried.

“Emily?” William said from behind her, shocked. Before she looked up, she heard the angry hiss of the Equites Guard.

She looked up with red eyes at the entire Encala Council, “I don’t think he can heal.”

William knelt down beside her and looked at the guard, “No, he’s gone.”

“Get away from her!” Liam growled.

“He’s not hurting her,” Encala Elder Aaron said, still surprised to see Emily in their battered palace.

Suddenly, the palace filled with Encala guards as they began to arrive from nearby covens to reinforce the palace. Four of them surrounded the lone Equites Guard and crouched.

“Stand down,” the Chief Interrogator said to them. “I don’t think he’s here to hurt us.”

Emily kept the dead heku’s hand in hers and looked around at the carnage. Her heart ached at the deaths, “The Valle did this?”

William glanced at Aaron, and then back to Emily, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“We’re in a dispute with them over claims to land in Europe.”

Emily frowned, “This was over land?”

“Yes, important land.”

“Dear, do the Equites know you’re here?” Aaron asked her.

When she didn’t answer, Liam spoke, “I don’t think so.”

William stood up and pulled Emily up to standing, “You shouldn’t be here.”

He led her into the Elder’s conference room, where there was no sign of the bloodshed. The Council followed them in and she sat down with Liam standing behind her, then sunk her head into her hands.

“Emily, listen to me. You need to go back to Council City… This isn’t a game, and it’s too dangerous for you to be here,” William told her.

“Let’s go, Ma’am,” Liam said, and tried to help her up.

“The Valle?”

William nodded, “Yes.”

She reached over and hit the speakerphone on the conference table and dialed.

“Surprised you found a working phone,” Sotomar said, amused.

“How could you?” Emily whispered.

There was a long pause, “Who is this?”

“Hang up the phone,” Aaron said, and reached over to hang it up.

Emily batted his hand away, “How many did you kill?”

“Emily!?” Exavior gasped. “Why are you there?”

She nodded and her eyes filled up again, “You’ll pay for this.”

“What!?” Sotomar yelled.

“Damnit,” William growled, and hung up the phone. “We’re getting a helicopter to return you to Council City.”

“We drove,” Liam told him.

“We’ll return her car. She needs to get out now.”

The guard nodded, “Let’s go then. I’m not supposed to be here.”

William grinned, “Neither is she.”

“Where’s Reese?” Emily asked when they all stood up.

William glanced at Aaron, “He was in the initial attack.”

She frowned, “He’s dead?”

“Yes”

“How many are dead?”

“Emily, you really need to get out of here. The Valle can come back,” Aaron said, and put a hand out to her.

“Good, I’ll wait for them.”

“No,” William, Liam, and Aaron all said at once.

Emily crossed her arms and sat back in the chair, “Touch me and I’ll turn you to ash.”

“Lady Emily, we have to go. Council City has no idea where we are, they must be worried sick about you,” Liam told her. He was starting to shift nervously.

“How many, William?” she asked again.

He sighed, “Approximately 1800.”

“That’s all?” Liam asked, surprised.

“We were able to get a lot out of the city in time.”

“That’s all?” Emily yelled. “What the hell kind of statement is that! That’s all? Oooh, only 1800 dead… no biggie.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Liam told her.

“I apologize,” Frederick, the Chief Enforcer said to her.

“For what?” she asked.

Frederick blurred behind her and gave her an injection before she could protest.

“No!” she screamed. “Why did you… do… that…?”

Liam growled when William began to pick her up, and lifted her into a cradle instead.

“The helicopter is waiting to take you back… Her car is already on the way,” Aaron said to him.

Within a few minutes, Liam and Emily were flying out of Encala City toward Council City.

“Equites Base from Encala 2,” the pilot called.

“Go for base,” a man’s voice replied.

“Requesting permission to land.”

“Permission denied, Equites out.”

“Wait… we have Lady Emily,” the pilot said, and there was a long pause.

A few seconds later Kyle spoke, “Repeat last, Encala 2.”

“I’m just returning Lady Emily and her guard, and then I’ll be off.”

“Permission to land on the roof of the palace.”

“Roger that,” the pilot said, and glanced back at Liam, who was still holding Emily. When the enemy helicopter landed, the entire Cavalry filed out of the doors and surrounded it.

“Stay in there,” Mark yelled at the pilot, and he nodded.

Liam opened the door and jumped out, still holding onto Emily as she lay motionless in his arms. As soon as they were out, the Encala pilot took off back to his own city.

“You have a lot of explaining to do!” Chevalier yelled at Liam when he stepped out onto the roof.

“I know, Sir. I have a lot of answers,” Liam said.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Frederick drugged her, Sir. She wouldn’t leave.”

“Mark, take her to bed. I want to talk to Liam,” Chevalier said, and eyed the guard carefully. The frightened palace guard handed Emily over to the General and followed Chevalier down the stairs. He headed toward Derrick, while Chevalier went through the back and sat down in his seat.

“Bring him in,” Zohn called out.

Kralen and Silas entered with Liam, who was now restrained and was forced to kneel in front of the Council.

Chevalier growled and Liam looked at him nervously.

“There are just too many questions to even ask,” Quinn said angrily.

“I… I can explain it all… I broke no protocol,” Liam said fretfully.

“Start with how in the hell you left with Emily,” Kyle snapped.

Liam sighed, “I was on duty in the garage when she came running in without guards. I debated, and then jumped into her car at the last minute.”

“So you didn’t help her escape?” Kralen asked.

“No, Sir, I did not… I merely saw her leaving alone and decided she needed a guard.”

“Then you thought it safe to head to Encala City… a city that was just attacked?” Chevalier yelled, and pounded his fist on the table.

“No! I didn’t know where we were going, and she threw my phone out the window. It wasn’t until we pulled through the gates to Encala City that I knew where we were, and by then, I couldn’t get her to turn around.”

“So far he’s telling the truth,” the Chief Interrogator told them.

“Of course I am! I did nothing wrong.”

“Keep going…”

“She wouldn’t answer her phone, and when we got to the Encala Palace, she stopped the car and got out. Again she wouldn’t stop and I felt if I were to force her she would turn me to ash… so I followed her. She ran inside and looked at all of the dead heku.”

Chevalier calmed slightly, “Go on…”

Liam swallowed and then continued, “She ran into the council chambers, yelling for William, but no one answered. I again told her we needed to come back, but she wouldn’t listen. She then ran into the hallway to call for William and found an Encala Guard, badly injured. She knelt down by him, but he couldn’t talk… his head was only hanging on by a small piece of skin.”

Kyle shut his eyes. He already knew this was going to cause a lot of emotional problems for her.

“She asked if he could heal and I said yes… I honestly thought he could, but he ended up dying as she held his hand. That’s when the Encala Council arrived, except for Reese, who was already dead.”

“Elder Reese is dead from the Valle attack then?” Zohn asked.

“Yes, Elder. William finally got her into a conference room, and that’s when she called the Valle and threatened them…”

“Wait, she what?” Chevalier asked, shocked.

“She told them they’d pay for what they did to the Encala, Sir.”

Kyle sighed, “Of course she did, damnit.”

“Sotomar yelled, and William hung up the speakerphone and told Emily she had to get out of the city. That’s when Emily crossed her arms and said anyone that touched her would be turned to ash. She got the number of dead… 1800… and William told her she needed to leave, that the Valle could be back, but she said she was going to wait for them.”

Chevalier sunk his head into his hands.

“Frederick appeared with some type of shot, and before I could stop him, he’d given it to her. William offered us a ride back and her car is being returned by an Encala,” Liam finished, almost out of breath.

Quinn nodded, “Report to your General, you’re granted a week long furlough.”

Liam sighed, “Thank you, Sir.”

Derrick released Liam’s restraints, opened the door for him, and Liam blurred out.

“We’ll need damage control over this,” Dustin said. “The Valle may see us as a threat now that Emily has threatened them.”

“I don’t think they would dare touch us,” Zohn told him. “They know that Emily is upset about the Encala, but they would already be dead if they tried to attack any Equites.”

“I’m not as worried about the Valle attacking us as I am Emily attacking them,” Chevalier said, mostly to himself.

“She’ll take this as a personal attack, even though it had nothing to do with her,” Kyle explained to the others.

“How can she? It was a land dispute, and we all saw this coming,” the Chief Investigator asked.

Chevalier sighed, “She’s somehow appointed herself to protect the entire heku species… mostly the Equites, but in a smaller part all of the others. She was once friends with the enemy Elders, and although they betrayed her, she’s always felt a connection to them, Reese included.”

“You think she might honestly go after the Valle?” Zohn asked.

“I think she’ll be torn… She’s not going to want to hurt the Valle either… Kyle, come with me. She will wake up soon if it was just a sedative,” Chevalier said, and stood up.

“We’ll call Sotomar and smooth things over,” Quinn whispered, deep in thought.

Chevalier and Kyle left just as Zohn dialed the Valle Council.

“Valle here,” a strange voice said.

“This is Zohn. I need to talk to an Elder.”

“They… they aren’t here right now,” the man sounded nervous. “They are on the way to Council City.”

Kralen and Silas glanced at each other.

“Oh?” Zohn said. “Not enough to attack the Encala?”

“No! Not to attack… not to attack the Equites… to talk to the Lady, to see if they can make it up to her.”

Zohn raised an eyebrow, “All three Valle Elders are coming here to try to make nice with Emily?”

There was a brief pause, “Yes.”

“How long until they arrive?”

“Later this morning.”

Zohn smiled and hung up the phone, “This should be interesting.”

Emily felt herself rising out of the drug induced fog. She wasn’t sure where she was, and her eyes were too heavy to open.

“Em?” Chevalier asked softly, and touched her cheek.

She heard his voice and was finally able to open her eyes.

He smiled, “We got you some coffee to help you wake up.”

Emily sat up slowly, her head swimming, and took the coffee from Kyle.

“You scared us to death. Do you know that?” Kyle told her.

She nodded and sipped her coffee as the memories from the last 24 hours swept back to her, “Heku need to stop drugging me to get their way.”

Chevalier grinned, “Sometimes it’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“It’s not funny. It’s an assault,” she said, and finished her coffee.

“Understood, sometimes we forget,” Kyle told her, and then took the empty cup.

“Don’t be mad at Liam,” she said, and looked over at Chevalier.

“We aren’t. He told us everything and has been given a vacation.”

“Encala City is in ruins.”

“We know,” Kyle told her. “What concerns us is that you went there… there could still have been fighting.”

“I could have saved some of them.”

“You could have died in the process.”

Her eyes became pained, “They left some of them to suffer.”

Chevalier simply nodded.

“1800 dead… not turned to ash… dead.”

“Em, we know,” Kyle said softly.

Her eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around her knees and sunk her head between her arms, “How can the Valle do that?”

“The Encala and the Valle both want land in Europe. It’s critical land that could be used as a central staging point for attacks and defense in Europe,” Kyle told her.

“So they kill one another over it?”

“Yes, just like humans have done in the past. Land can be very important.”

“I threatened the Valle,” she said, and looked up at them.

Chevalier smiled slightly, “We heard.”

“While we’re talking, do you want to let us know who’s after you?” Kyle asked.

Emily shook her head.

“So someone is after you.”

“I don’t know.”

“What makes you think someone may be?”

She shrugged.

“Mark said they could use your help today,” Chevalier told her, and touched her arm.

“Let me take a shower and I’ll go.”

Kyle and Chevalier left and went back to the council chambers. They were both shocked to hear that the Valle Elders would be arriving that morning to speak to Emily.

Emily quickly showered and braided her hair before pulling on a light sun dress. It was warm out and she didn’t feel like riding anyway. She’d rather stay on the ground in the shade. She smiled at the door guards, and then checked the lawn before heading out to the stables. Everyone knew by now that she’d made an impromptu trip to Encala City immediately following a Valle attack, and were furious.

She walked up to stand by Silas and Kralen, though they didn’t talk to her at all. She watched as Mark leveled a rifle at a nearby tree and shot. One of the horses reared angrily, sending its rider flying over his head and onto the ground. Emily quickly moved forward and took his reins, and was able to calm him down.

As the rider approached the horse, the stallion’s ears laid back against his head and he whinnied angrily and stomped at the heku.

“Hey!” Emily yelled, and pulled the horse to look at her. “Stop it.”

The stallion lowered his head to her, but kept a close eye on the heku. She rubbed his nose softly and leaned her head against his muzzle.

“Fascinating to watch her with animals,” Exavior said from behind them. Suddenly, the entire Cavalry was off their horses and surrounding the Valle Elders.

Sotomar smiled, “We’re not here to cause trouble.”

Emily looked over at them and decided to let Mark have at them. She wanted to calm the horse.

Mark crouched slightly, “If you have a meeting with the Council then get inside, if you don’t, then I suggest you leave Council City immediately.”

“It’s actually Emily we wish to talk to,” Exavior told him calmly.

Mark stood up and listened to something, “You’re to meet with the Council first. We’ll bring Emily in when they are ready.”

“Very well,” Sotomar said. The three Valle Elders followed four members of the Cavalry inside.

“Walk up here slowly,” Emily said as she rubbed the horse’s neck.

The heku inched forward with his hands out, but the stallion began to shift nervously. Emily held it still, and within a few minutes, the heku was able to touch the horse’s nose and rub it softly.

“Ok, hold his reins,” she told him, and hoisted herself into the saddle. “Hand me a gun.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Mark asked as he handed it to her.

“No, I’m not,” she told him. She leveled the rifle at a nearby tree and then felt the familiar sensation of being watched. She turned suddenly in the saddle, and carefully looked at the woods behind them.

Emily lifted the rifle, and used the scope to better see the distant trees, looking for any sign of someone in them.

“Go,” Mark whispered, and four of the full Cavalry members took off on foot toward the trees she was looking at.

She turned back to Mark, “They don’t need to go search the woods.”

“Then what were you looking for?”

Emily sighed, “Nothing.”

“Then they look,” he told her, irritated.

“Ok, hold on,” she said, and again leveled the rifle at the tree. She shot a single bullet and then held on while the horse began to step backwards away from the heku. She patted the stallion’s neck, “Shhhh.”

Once he calmed down, she again shot a single bullet and this time the horse’s ears laid back briefly, but he didn’t move. Another shot rang out and the horse stayed steady. Emily slipped off of him and motioned for the heku to take her place. He easily jumped onto the horse, and Emily shot off the final round.

“There,” she said, and handed the rifle back to Mark.

“The Elders would like you in the council chambers,” Derrick said from behind her.

“Tell them no,” she told him, and headed into the stable.

Derrick grinned and shook his head, while the new recruits gasped and looked at one another nervously.

Mark sighed, “Tell them we’ll work on it.”

“Will do,” Derrick said, and blurred away.

“Start shooting while on horseback. I’ll be out in a bit to check on you,” Mark told the recruits, and then headed into the stables with Silas and Kralen.

Derrick stepped into the council chambers and everyone turned toward him, “The Lady Emily said no… however, the General is going to see what he can do.”

Chevalier grinned, “I’ll never get used to that.”

“Yes, well it’s unacceptable behavior,” Dustin growled.

“It’s Emily,” Exavior told him.

“Kyle…” Chevalier said, and Kyle disappeared.

The Chief Enforcer walked into the stables and headed for where he heard Mark talking.

“Don’t you at least want to hear what they have to say?” Mark asked. He was looking down at her while Emily cleaned out the horse shoes on Chevalier’s Arabian.

“No,” she said, and glanced up when Kyle came in.

“They want to apologize,” Kyle told her.

“They need to apologize to the Encala, not to me.”

Kyle smiled, “You know that’s not going to happen. They don’t want to apologize for attacking the Encala.”

“Then what do they want to apologize for?”

“For upsetting you.”

“No,” she said again, and brushed the dirt off of her skirt. She stood up and grabbed the little foot stool, and carried it over to her horse.

“Em… just come with me, please,” Kyle said, following her.

“Why? Do I get to ash them?”

“We’d prefer if you didn’t.”

Emily looked down at the ground and softened her voice, “I don’t want to see them… what they did was… it was inexcusable.”

“It’s what heku do to solve disputes,” Silas said softly.

“That’s what humans do to solve disputes,” Mark added.

Kyle put his hand out, “Come on.”

Emily stood up and brushed the straw off of her dress and then slipped her shoes off, and carried them in one hand as she took Kyle’s in the other.

They stepped out of the stables and Emily stopped. She looked hard at the tree line.

“What did you see?” Kyle asked, carefully scanning the trees.

Emily didn’t answer, but once she was sure no one was watching, she took off running across the lawn. Kyle easily kept up and watched around in case she’d seen something dangerous. Once they got into the palace, she slowed to a walk.

“What was that?”

“What?” she asked.

“Are you being followed or threatened?” Kyle asked, frowning slightly.

“No”

Derrick smiled and opened the door for him. When Emily saw the Valle Elders, she gripped tightly to Kyle’s arm and stepped inside. She walked with him up to the council members and let go to sit down beside Chevalier, her eyes never leaving the enemy.

“Thank you for coming,” Sotomar said, and bowed slightly.

“Why are you here?” she asked, taking Chevalier’s hand under the desk.

“We want to apologize for upsetting you with the attack on the Encala,” Valle Elder Ryan told her.

“You need to apologize to them, not me.”

“We aren’t sorry for what we did, it was necessary… but we are sorry for causing you unnecessary stress and grief.”

Emily frowned, “You left some of them alive to suffer.”

Exavior nodded, “Yes, we did.”

“You don’t find that at all uncivilized?”

“No”

“So it’s ok if I just sit and torture you for fun?”

“No… what we did was necessary. You’re just being illogical and emotional,” Exavior told her.

Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Shut up, Exavior… nothing else from you.”

“But…”

Sotomar held his hand up, “She warned you.”

Exavior sighed and stepped back.

“We wish you wouldn’t have seen what you did. We didn’t expect you to rush into Encala City,” Sotomar explained.

“Neither did we,” Zohn explained.

“So that’s how it’s going to work? How long before you attack us?” Emily asked.

“We have no plans on attacking the Equites. They are too strong,” Ryan explained.

“For now… but in 100 years when you’re bigger, you’ll do the same to us… What stops me from taking pre-emptive measures and doing away with the Valle Elders right now?” she asked.

Sotomar smiled slightly, “We’ve done nothing to the Equites to warrant that.”

“Besides… if you did that, you’d feel guilty, and no one needs that kind of regret right now,” Exavior said haughtily.

Emily turned him to ash in an instant and sat back in her chair, “Nope… not feeling guilty or regretful.”

Quinn chuckled, “She did warn him.”

Sotomar nodded, “That she did.”

“What are you doing to help the Encala now? Their city is in ruins,” Emily said to the Valle.

Ryan frowned, “Nothing… we made our point, and we will allow them to rebuild.”

“Since when, in the history of your species, have you stayed around to help clean up after a mess?” Dustin asked, laughing slightly.

Emily glared at him, “One more word and I’ll mix you up with Exavior.”

Dustin stood up, “You cannot speak to me like that!”

Emily stood also, “Wanna watch me?”

“Sit down!” Quinn yelled, and both sat suddenly at the furiousness of his voice.

Emily sighed and turned to Sotomar, “Now tell me the real reason you came here.”

“We told you…”

“No you didn’t. You don’t need to apologize to me, and I suspect you are here because you’re afraid I’m going to seek revenge for the Encala deaths.”

“Well… that too…”

“You did say we would pay,” Ryan reminded her.

Emily smiled slightly, “You’re afraid of me?”

“Yes, of course we are,” Sotomar said.

“Yet you were brave enough to bring idiot back.”

“That wasn’t really bravery, that was strategic.”

“Emily, Yisolatara…” someone whispered softly from behind her. Emily turned suddenly in her chair, but no one was behind her. She ran and opened the ante-chamber door, but it was empty also.

“Em?” Chevalier asked, and when she turned, she saw the entire Council looking at her.

“Just… never mind.” She walked back over and sat down.

“So are we ok to return to our city and know you won’t personally be launching an attack on us?” Ryan asked.

“Is your ceremonial room ceiling painted or etched?” Emily asked Sotomar.

He was taken aback, but then answered, “It is etched.”

“Have you ever seen one that’s painted red?”

“No, I have not,” Sotomar answered, unsure of why he was being asked.

“And what’s Yisolatara?”

“What!?” Sotomar screamed, his eyes wide.

“Where did you hear that?” Chevalier yelled, and stood up.

Emily stood up and took a step away from him as the entire room erupted in angry shouts.

“Tell me!” Chevalier growled, and took her arm. “Where did you hear that?”

“Answer him,” Kyle yelled, and stepped toward her.

“Stop it!” Emily screamed, and Chevalier turned to ash as the rest of them looked at her with piercing and accusing eyes. She turned and took off running, not sure exactly where to go, but she knew she had to get away from the heku in the council chambers.

“Emily!” Kyle yelled after her.

Emily didn’t stop. She started toward the garage, but Jaron stepped out, “Why are you running?”

She stopped and took a few steps backwards.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking a step towards her.

She spun and ran for the stables, relieved when Jaron didn’t follow her.

“Emily, what’s wrong?” Mark asked when she flew past him and dug around in the storage shed. She came out with a cell phone and her Taser, and pointed it at where Mark, Silas, and Kralen were talking.

“Whoa… what’s up?” Kralen asked, taking a step back.

Emily grabbed a bridle and slid it onto her racing stallion, keeping a close eye on the heku.

Silas suddenly moved toward her, “You can’t leave. The Council wants to talk to you.”

“Get back, Silas,” Emily said, and inched her horse forward.

“No,” Kralen said, and stood beside him. “The Council wants you to stay here.”

Emily took aim and shot Mark in the chest with the Taser. The sound of electricity filled the stables and he writhed in agony on the floor. Silas started toward her, but he and Kralen both turned into ash. She kicked her horse and jumped Mark as she headed toward the trees. The Council stepped out of the palace as she disappeared into the city.

“Mark!” Kyle yelled, and ran up to him. He removed the Taser electrodes when Mark stood up, shaky and still in pain.

When Emily was deep into the trees, she opened the cell and quickly dialed William.

“Good afternoon, Emily,” William said, sounding pleased to hear from her.

“Help me,” she whispered, and kept the horse steadily running toward the west.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m in trouble. I don’t know what to do… I ashed Exavior and Chevalier, and a few guards, I Tasered the General…”

William spoke quickly to someone else and then came back to the phone, “Calm down and tell me what happened.”

“I need one thing… tell me what Yisolatara is.”

William growled, “Where did you hear that?!”

“Just tell me damnit! What is it?”

“Did the Valle say that to you?”

“Tell me!” she screamed.

“No… can you get to Encala City?” William asked hurriedly. She began to weave a pattern through the trees, crisscrossing and doubling back to confuse anyone tracking her.

“I doubt it,” she told him, and stopped when she got to the old log she found a few years ago. She slid off the horse and hit him on the rump, sending him flying back toward the palace.

Emily slid easily into the hollowed out log, making sure her feet were hidden deep inside.

“Please,” William asked calmly. “Tell me where you heard that word.”

“I can’t… why can’t you just tell me what it means and why when I asked the Council, they turned on me.”

“It’s unspeakable. No one’s spoken that word in thousands of years.”

“Why?”

“Even the reason isn’t spoken, Child. It’s too… well it just isn’t.”

Emily whispered, “They’re coming to get me.”

“Go to them, they won’t hurt you. I would imagine you just surprised them,” William told her.

Emily hurried and turned off the phone, and then shut her eyes to control her breathing. She was ready to turn as many of them to ash as she had to, to get away.

“Emily?” Chevalier called out. “We know you’re around here… I’m sorry I yelled, and I’m not mad.”

She could hear her own heart pounding and prayed the heku didn’t.

“You know we won’t hurt you,” Zohn said.

Emily almost cried out when someone jumped up to stand on the log above her.

“Damnit, her scent is all over here,” Mark said. “I can’t narrow down a specific location.”

“The rain’s coming, so we’re about to lose it all,” Kralen told him.

“Yes, but we have a cold front coming and it’s going to dip below freezing, so we have to find her.”

Emily shut her eyes tightly when pieces of rotted log began to fall in on her when another heku stood on the log.

“Did they tell you what happened?” Kralen asked.

“No, all they said is they aren’t mad, but they really need to talk to her,” Mark explained.

“Quinn here,” she heard from somewhere near the log.

Quinn sighed, “Yes we are looking for her.”

There was a long pause.

“We did not use that word near her!” Quinn growled.

Emily jumped slightly when thunder crashed and the sky grew dark. She heard the first taps of raindrops hitting the forest floor as Quinn slammed his phone shut.

She listened as footsteps came closer.

“She called William and asked about it,” Quinn said.

“I figured she would,” Chevalier sighed. “Head back in. She’ll just turn us all to ash if she sees us anyway.”

“But it’s going to be freezing tonight,” Silas told him.

“I know… and maybe she’ll come in, but it won’t do us any good to stand out here looking.”

“Yes, Elder,” Mark said, and Emily heard him step off the log and then the woods grew perfectly silent.

Chevalier and Sotomar stood at each side of the log and waited for her to come out. They would have very limited time to do what they needed to to calm her down, and as it took an ‘old one,’ they had only one try before they risked being turned to ash.

Emily strained to hear anything. All she could hear was the crash of thunder and the raindrops falling against the trees. She was trapped, didn’t know where to go. She couldn’t get away without a car, and she was too afraid to hitchhike as she’d done in the past. All three factions now seemed mad that she knew the odd word, and she wondered how one word could cause that kind of a reaction.

Emily’s mind ran through what happened when she said the word, and the fierceness it brought out in the heku. The feel of Chevalier’s hand grabbing her arm roughly while his eyes blazed kept coming back to her. It wasn’t often that she feared the heku, but in that moment, their anger sent a panic through her.

As the rain picked up and the night started, she began to get cold and to shiver. The log was no longer protecting her from the elements, and she was soaking wet inside of it. Late into the night she stayed in the log, unsure where to go or what to do. She was shivering uncontrollably and her teeth were chattering. Her wet hair was now frozen to hear head, and she could see her breath.

Unable to take it any longer, Emily slid backwards out of the log. Before she could even see, she was shoved against the ground and felt teeth against her neck.

Sotomar waited the few seconds it took her to relax against Chevalier, and took her face in his hands, “Look at me.”

Emily looked at him for a split second, but it was long enough for the ‘old one’ to gain control. Chevalier released her and knelt on the frozen grass while Sotomar held her eyes.

Sotomar’s voice became like a song, soft and flowing, “Calm down, Child. We won’t hurt you.”

She took a deep breath, and her body began to relax more, the shivering stopped and her teeth no longer chattered.

“Do you know what Yisolatara is?”

Chevalier stiffened at the word and watched Sotomar carefully.

“No,” she whispered.

“Did you read it?”

“No”

“Have you heard it?”

“Yes”

“Who said it to you?” Sotomar asked, controlling his voice to stay calm.

“I don’t know.”

“Where were you when you heard it?”

“In my dreams and in the palace,” she said. Her voice was far away and soft.

“Where in the palace?”

“In the council chambers.”

“A member of the Council said it to you?”

Chevalier growled slightly.

“No”

“Who then?”

“I don’t know.”

Sotomar paused while he regained control, “When did you hear it in the palace?”

“Tonight”

He frowned slightly, “While you were talking to the Valle?”

“Yes”

“Was it when you ran from your chair to the ante-chamber?”

“Yes”

Chevalier frowned.

“Then in your dreams you hear it?”

“Yes”

“Who says it to you?”

“The heku in black,” she whispered.

“In a ceremonial room?”

“Yes”

“With runes painted on the ceiling?”

“Yes”

“When have you been in that room before?”

“My dreams”

“When outside of your dreams?”

“Before”

“Think back, Emily, when was the first time you heard the word, Yisolatara?”

“Three”

“Three what?”

Emily gasped and pushed Sotomar’s hands away. He growled and stood up. Emily scrambled to her feet, her dress soaking and frozen, and she began to shiver again.

“Don’t ash us,” Chevalier said quickly. “We’re not here to hurt you, and we aren’t mad.”

Her hand moved up to her neck, “You bit me?”

He sighed, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because we needed to calm you down and the only way to do that is if you’re weakened, and there’s an ‘old one’,” he explained.

Emily wrapped her arms around herself and looked around the dark forest, “I don’t know where to go.”

Sotomar slipped off his gray cape and wrapped it around her shoulders. Chevalier began to argue, but realized it would be warmer than his shirt.

“Come back to the palace. No one’s mad… you just surprised us,” Chevalier told her.

“They seemed mad.”

“I know, I’m sorry… but no one’s mad.”

“I promise you, no one’s mad at you, other than maybe Exavior, but he had it coming,” Sotomar said, and smiled.

Emily laughed slightly, “He won’t shut up.”

“Yes, we have that problem often.”

“What does Yisolatara mean?” she asked, and looked from one to the other.

“It’s…” Sotomar started, and then paused to think.

“It’s a ritual, an old one, and one that’s now not only restricted to perform, but even to speak of,” Chevalier told her.

“What did the ritual do?”

He smiled slightly, “Not even I am authorized to say that.”

“Then who is?”

“No one.”

She shivered harder and looked around when it began to snow slightly.

“Come on back where it’s warm,” Chevalier said, and put a hand out for her.

“Sotomar, tell me, please.”

He smiled, “I am unable to, Child.”

“Will Exavior tell me?”

“No,” Chevalier said, and picked her up into a cradle. She wrapped the gray cape tighter around her as they blurred back to the palace. The speed caused the wind to lash at her skin and the sleet bit at her painfully.

Emily looked up when she felt warmth against her arm and Chevalier put her down in their bathroom and began running a hot tub. She shivered and pulled the gray cape around her. The tub filled the bathroom with steam and Chevalier left and slammed the door behind him.

Emily’s eyes narrowed and she stormed out of the bathroom, also slamming the door behind her. She went over and grabbed a nightgown out of the dresser and started for the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked angrily.

“Away from you,” she said, and left the room. She turned to the guards at her door, “Follow me and pay.”

They backed away when Chevalier ordered them to, and Emily headed down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Kyle asked, shocked to see her in the cape of a Valle.

Emily yelled, “I’m headed out to get Yisolatara tattooed across my ass!”

Kyle gasped and took a step back. She spun and left the palace.

“Elder…” Kyle said when Chevalier flew down the stairs in a rage. Kyle stepped in front of him.

“Move,” the Elder growled.

“Calm down,” Kyle said, and soon, Zohn and Quinn were at their sides.

“We heard, but she didn’t mean it,” Zohn told him. “She doesn’t even know what it means.”

Chevalier started around them, but Quinn blocked his way, “Leave her alone until you both calm down.”

“If she’s so hell bent on acting like a child, then I’ll treat her like one,” he growled. “It’s high time someone threw her across their knee.”

Kyle gasped, “Elder!”

Zohn grinned slightly, “While I tend to agree… now is not the time.”

Chevalier turned angrily and blurred to his office.

“Kyle, go make sure she’s not… I don’t know… just go,” Quinn said.

Kyle shrugged, and followed Emily’s scent out to the overseer’s room in the stables. He knocked lightly and entered when no one answered. Emily was curled up under numerous blankets, shivering.

He sat down on the side of the bed, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do you want to tell me what Yisolatara is?”

“Not really, no… I’m not in the habit of doing things that will get me banished.”

Emily peeked over the blankets, “Telling me what it is will get you banished?”

“Saying the word will get me banished.”

“It’s a word.”

“It’s… dangerous.”

“Chevalier bit me,” she told him accusingly.

“I know. He did that so Sotomar could get a lock on you.”

She shivered under the covers, “Everyone was yelling and screaming, and all I did was ask a question.”

“It was shocking, to say the least, to hear that word come out of your mouth,” Kyle told her, and added another blanket onto the pile.

“Then Chev drew me a bath like you would a toddler and slammed the bathroom door.”

“He’s most upset by how stubborn you are… you would freeze to death out there before coming in here to face us.”

“Everyone was yelling!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You all keep telling me how violent and hostile the heku are. Yet when you all blow up at me and scream, you think I should stand there and take it.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I’m out in the woods, no car, no coat, nothing… I don’t even have shoes on, and the closest place to go is filled with these volatile beings that I’m supposed to be afraid of… and to be honest, I am.”

Kyle nodded, “We just didn’t think of it like that. All we saw was you freezing to death in a dead log.”

“I’m not going back in there, just to be treated like some child… Next thing you know, I’ll be getting a spanking.”

Kyle stifled a chuckle, “He wouldn’t do that. Now come inside and get warm. No one’s going to yell at you, I swear.”

“Can I use your shower?”

Kyle stood up and put his hand out, “Yes.”

Emily crawled out of the blankets and pulled the Valle’s cape close around her as they walked back to the palace. She bypassed the front doors and went around to the side.

“I can get you a green cape,” he said, frowning at her in the enemy colors.

“As soon as I get warm I’ll take it off,” she said. “Plus, I don’t want to run around in my nightgown.”

As soon as they went up the back stairs to Kyle’s room, he sat down in a chair by the fire and she disappeared into his bathroom.

“Come in,” Kyle said when he heard a knock.

Quinn and Zohn came in, “She came in here?”

“Yes, she wants to take a shower, and if I know Em, she’ll sleep in here tonight,” Kyle explained.

Zohn nodded and sat down, “Did she say anything?”

“No, other than making sense of hiding in a log. I think we forget how terrifying we can be at times, and she had the entire Council screaming at her.”

“That is true,” Zohn said, and looked at Quinn.

Kyle glanced at the door and then whispered, “Did Chevalier find out where she learned the word?”

“He said she hears it in dreams, and then tonight someone said it in the council chambers.”

“Tonight?” he asked, shocked.

“No one else heard it, but she said it under control, so she honestly believes that.”

“If it’s in her dreams, then she must have heard it at some point in her life.”

“She started to tell Sotomar something about three… but she broke the gaze, so we don’t know if it was 3 days ago, 3 weeks ago, or what.”

Kyle nodded, “And the ceremonial room with the painted ceiling?”

“She’s seen it both in dreams and maybe for real,” Quinn told him. They all turned when Emily came out of the bathroom.

Zohn smiled, “Feel better?”

“Warmer,” she said, and walked over to crawl into Kyle’s bed, still freezing.

“In the morning, can we talk?” Zohn asked, moving to stand by the bed.

“Depends, are you going to yell?”

“No,” he said, and grinned slightly.

“Accuse?”

“No”

“Raise your voice even a little?”

Zohn chuckled, “No, just talk… Quinn and I.”

“Ok”

“Are you going to stay here tonight then?”

“I don’t know.”

He nodded, “Ok, well, get warm…we’ll have some dinner brought up.”

Quinn and Zohn quietly left and shut the door behind them.

Kyle grinned, “It makes them nervous that you might stay in here.”

“Why?” she asked, pulling up another blanket.

“They are afraid of what Chevalier will think.”

“He knows us better than that.”

“I know,” Kyle said, and stoked the fire.

“If I were heku, would they have killed me tonight?” She looked over at him.

“Yes”

“What if I didn’t know what it means?”

“They still would have.”

“Is it in a book?”

“Not that I know of.”

“How do you know about the word then, if no one’s allowed to talk about it?”

Kyle grinned, “I’m not telling you that.”

He got up and answered the door, then took the tray from the servant and put it in bed next to Emily. She sat up and pulled the dome off and grabbed the plate of spaghetti.

“Looks disgusting,” Kyle said, remembering the taste.

She took a bite and then thought, “How long have you known what Yisolatara means?”

“Damnit, stop saying it,” Kyle said, frowning.

“Sorry, how long?” she asked, and took another bite.

“A long time.”

“Is it a bad ritual?”

“Em…”

“Fine,” she sighed, and finished eating in silence. She put the tray on the bedside table and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

“Do you think you’ll ever stop running at confrontation?” Kyle asked after a few minutes of silence.

Emily shrugged, “I don’t know. When I’m cornered, I just feel like I need to leave.”

“Do you know how much easier life would be if you wouldn’t?”

“No, I don’t actually.”

He grinned, “It would, trust me.”

“Where’s the irate Elder?”

“In his office.”

She yawned into her hand and watched the fire.

“Get some sleep,” Kyle said, and started for the door.

“Where are you going though?”

“To my office, I have paperwork to do.”

“Kyle?”

“Yeah?” he turned to face her.

“Thank you.”

He smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Emily nestled down in the warm blankets and soon fell asleep. She woke up late in the morning and looked around the room. She was alone, and the fire was still going, so she slipped out of bed and looked out the window at the thin blanket of snow. She hated this weather, just the day before she’d been in a summer dress because of the heat, and one cold front later, it was snowing.

Emily had a plan on finding out what the word meant. She needed to start in her office, one of the only places in the entire palace with an Internet connection. Still in her nightgown, she quickly ran to her office and shut the door.

She turned and looked at her office, with its soft beige walls, and maroon trim. There were books lining one wall and three computers sitting under the desk with six monitors attached to them. She had a phone, fax, and copier, anything she needed to do whatever she might find useful.

She turned when there was a knock on her door.

“Who is it?” she called out.

“Breakfast, Ma’am,” a timid voice replied.

Emily opened her door just enough for the servant to hand her a tray, and then shut it quickly, latching all of the locks.

She flipped on her computers and grabbed an English muffin while she waited. Soon, she had all 6 screens up with different search engines on each of them. She typed in the word ‘Yisolatara’ and let them go to work.

She frowned when they all came back with no search records, not even a close hit. She narrowed it down to Yiso and found that to be a popular search engine in China. Expanding to Yisol only came back with a lot more names.

Emily grabbed a cup of coffee and thought before typing ‘aratalosiy’ into a search engine. She growled slightly when it came back with no hits either. Aside from more Japanese names and a sushi restaurant, there was nothing helpful.

Deciding to try a Latin to English site, she entered the entire word, the word backwards, and parts of the word, with no luck. After a few hours of trying everything she could think of, she decided to get dressed and head out to the stables. Four members of the Cavalry were now at her door, but looked away from her when she stepped out, and she thought they looked nervous and on edge.

Shrugging it off, she headed up to her room and quickly got dressed. Before heading out, she wanted to ask one last heku what the word meant and she thought of one that might actually tell her.

When she opened the door to the prison, she turned to her guards, “You might want to stay here.”

“No, Ma’am,” the highest ranking said.

“Is there another way out of the prison?”

“No”

“Then wait here. I’ll be back.”

He frowned slightly and then shrugged, “Fine.”

Emily ran down into the prison. She hadn’t been down there in a long time, but knew exactly where she was headed. She rounded the corner and walked to the end of the row of cells.

“Greg?” she asked softly.

The insane heku turned to her and grinned, “She came to me… she came by herself.”

“Greg, come here,” Emily whispered, and moved closer to the cell.

“Greg wants to feed,” he said, and moved closer.

“I’ll let you feed if you’ll tell me one little thing.”

“Anything for my daughter.”

Emily glanced around and then whispered, “What is Yisolatara?”

“Bad, very, very bad,” Greg whispered, and watched the vein in her neck. “Bad ceremony it is, no longer done…”

“Hey!” Emily screamed when someone grabbed her arm.

“Up you go,” one of the prison door guards said, and roughly pulled her up the stairs. “Elder’s orders, stay out.”

“Let her go!” Jaron growled at the guard. He let go of Emily quickly, bowed, and headed back down the stairs.

Emily rubbed her arm and walked toward the doors.

“Did he hurt you?” Jaron asked angrily.

“No,” she told him, and the guards followed her out to the stables.