Chapter 17 - Potential

“This attack was bad,” Chevalier said angrily. “The Council has to intervene and put a stop to it.”

“This Council is aware of its responsibilities, but doesn’t feel that it can take further action because of an attack on a mortal,” Selest said stiffly.

“Not just a mortal, my wife!” Kyle growled.

“Bond or no she is a lower life-form, a mortal. Starting a war with the Valle over an attack on her would be premature.”

“Mortal or no, she is in my coven and that makes her an Equites, which also makes her your responsibility,” Chevalier was glaring at the Elders.

“We take no serious stand on protecting the mortals that our covens decide to harbor.”

“A Winchester,” Kyle hissed.

“Yes a Winchester, but one with no significant powers. If it were up to us, we would send her to the Valle to live with her family. As it were, the affairs of this coven we leave up to the Chief Enforcer.”

Chevalier growled.

“She has shown potential for powers, though, given more time they may surface,” Kyle said, just as they had planned.

“What kind of potential?” one of the Elders asked.

“There are times when her scent is strong enough to bring down the most controlled of us. We suspect this is the start of her coming to her own, so to say. It’s long rumored that the Winchesters had blood strong enough to drive any heku insane.” Kyle’s lines were well rehearsed but sounded natural.

“At what times does this scent happen?”

“We haven’t narrowed it down yet, but we will. If we can find out the cause, we may be able to see if we can provoke powers from her during that time,” Chevalier said confidently.

“The scent is simply stronger?”

“Yes it is stronger, but it is also different,” Kyle added.

“If it is in any way tied to the destruction of the immortal, we will need to know immediately,” Selest said, watching them intently.

“Of course,” Chevalier told her strongly.

The Elders turned and talked among themselves while Kyle and Chevalier waited impatiently.

When they turned back around, Elder Leonid stood, “We deem this needs further attention and have agreed that we will inform the Valle that Emily Russo is now under the protection of the Council, but will remain housed in your coven for now.”

“For now?” Kyle asked, seething.

“For now, yes,” the Elder confirmed.

“She is my wife!” Kyle shouted.

“That is all,” Selest said, and the Council filed out of the room.

It wasn’t until they were back on the ferry that they spoke again.

“A week of questions and all they can tell us is that ‘for now’ we keep her?” Chevalier grumbled.

“I’d like to see them try to take her.” Kyle glared out the front window.

“I won’t let them, that’s true.”

“It’s been a long week, and I’ll feel better when we get back.”

Chevalier nodded. He was always nervous when he left Emily, but in this instance, he was afraid if they had taken her, and the Elders had smelled her new enticing scent, that she wouldn’t have been free to leave. He knew Kyle feared the same.

The Island came into view and the moonlight glittered off of the white sand. Once at the pier, Chevalier sped his Bugatti toward the castle. The guard opened the door for him and he stepped out.

“Any news?” Chevalier asked.

“Nothing from us, Sir,” he stated.

“What does that mean?” Kyle turned on the guard, irritated.

“There was one... incident, but it didn’t involve us.”

“What incident?” Chevalier asked, taking a step toward the guard.

“Lady Emily, she... we... she disappeared for two days.” The guard winced as Chevalier hissed.

“What do you mean disappeared?” Kyle growled.

“We couldn’t find her. She somehow slipped onto the ferry and visited the mainland for two days and then returned,” the guard said, fearing for his life.

Chevalier disappeared angrily and blurred up the stairs, stopping in her ante-chamber. He spun to the corner and took a chilling step toward the young guard.

“You lost her for 2 days?” he growled.

“Y… Yes, Sir.” The guard recoiled.

“How can you lose a mortal for 2 days?” He closed the gap quickly and pinned the guard to the wall, his hand around the guard’s neck.

The guard tried to speak, but no words came out.

“You had one task… one simple task, and you failed me,” Chevalier hissed irately.

“Sh… she climbed out the balcony.”

Chevalier threw the guard at the door and whispered, “Get out.”

The guard disappeared quickly, rubbing his neck.

Chevalier turned angrily to the bedroom and stepped inside. Suddenly his senses were assaulted and the predator surfaced quickly. He fell into a crouch, his mouth salivating at the incredible scent in the room. A hiss escaped his mouth as he stepped toward the bed, the smell coming at him faster. The sight of her wrenched Chevalier to his senses and he cringed at how close he came to attacking her.

The desire for her blood was staggering. The strong smell in the room was more intoxicating than ever before, and he felt the burn in the back of his throat grow stronger, the longer he was in her presence. Fighting against his natural instincts, he backed out of the room and shut the door, blocking most of the painful scent. Chevalier fell to his knees and panted, fighting every intrinsic need he had to feed. After a few minutes, he was able to stand again.

“It gets worse when she sleeps,” the soft voice said, and he spun around, crouched to attack. Anna held a hand up to him, “I’m not after her.”

Chevalier winced and stood up, “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, Sir. The… shall we say… aroma, grows stronger when she sleeps. I had to ban anyone from entering her room at night as soon as I noticed it was apparent to all of us.”

He was slowly regaining his control, “I take it that’s when she snuck out on the balcony?”

“That was my fault then, if a fault needs to be blamed. I couldn’t risk harm to the Child, but the pull of her blood is too strong…”

“It’s ok, Anna, I don’t blame you,” he said, sitting down in a chair by the fire.

Anna sat down beside him, “It’s not as bad during the day, but it is still strong and I’ve had to let two house servants go.”

“What happened?” He had a hard time getting angry, how could he when he had almost attacked her himself.

“Just a hiss, Sir, but I couldn’t have that. Most of us are able to turn away from her and are able to control ourselves. You have very loyal followers, Sir,” Anna tried to reassure him.

“Does she know?”

“No, Sir, she spends enough time outdoors that we were able to handle things ourselves in here, and my orders to stay away from her room weren’t hard for anyone to obey. They would rather avoid her, than hurt her.”

“I need to find a way to be with her at night, or she’ll know something is wrong,” he spoke mostly to himself.

Anna watched him in the firelight.

“What did she do on the mainland? I’m surprised she wasn’t attacked.”

“No one dared ask her, it’s none of our business,” Anna explained, and he knew she was right. Chevalier could understand why her absence was never questioned.

He shut his eyes and reached out to her, he could feel she was having a restless night. She felt uncomfortable and alone.

He sighed, “I need to be in there.”

Anna nodded and stood up, “Follow me, Sir.”

Chevalier didn’t hesitate. He followed Anna from the ante-chamber and down the hallway, never once questioning where he was going. She led him to the servant quarter’s area and into a tiny room. The room was painted orange, and the small bed was pushed off to the side. There was still barely enough room for the little chairs that sat around a small round table.

A mortal sat on the bed as they stepped inside, “Feed first, Sir, which may help.”

She motioned to the young man on the bed and he held his wrist up to Chevalier.

In an instant, Chevalier had a vice grip on the donor’s hand and his teeth were sunk deeply into the flesh of his wrist. He hated the taste of mortal men’s blood, but the strong desire to feed was left over from his brief period in her room. He pulled away when his instincts told him he’d had enough and he gasped. His mind was honed in on the beast, and it was firmly locked away. Chevalier was ready to try again.

Anna waited in the ante-chamber, “I can’t come in there if you fail, Sir.”

Chevalier nodded. He knew what she meant by fail, and his insides twisted at the thought. He also knew no heku could help him if the predator won out over his control.

Bracing himself, he stepped into her bedroom and the door shut quickly behind him. The abrupt assault came again as soon as he was in the room, and he turned away from her, hoping to lessen the desires but her scent was coming from all around him. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he fought to gain control of the natural predator that threatened to strike. Chevalier exhaled and opened his eyes, then turned to look at her.

She was lying half in and half out of the covers. Her thin nightgown wasn’t enough to keep her warm in the chilly night air, yet she was covered in sweat. Her supple lips were moving slightly. She was whispering in her sleep, but her words made no sense to him. Chevalier took a chance and moved a step closer to her, the smell became stronger. He fought the need to inhale deeply and took short panting breaths through his mouth, but even the taste of the air was exquisite to him.

Chevalier forced himself to sit on the edge of her bed, keeping a close eye on the predator inside of him, he seemed to have regained control.

Emily stirred when he sat down, and her eyes slowly opened. She smiled and threw herself into his lap, her arms around his neck. His teeth began to ache for blood as her exposed neck came dangerously close to his mouth. He pulled from millennia of experience to control himself and when his mind overpowered his body, he held her tightly.

“I missed you,” he whispered into her ear.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” He felt his shoulder become wet with her tears.

“Emily what’s wrong?” He pulled her face back with his hands and looked as her green eyes swam.

She shook her head and laid her forehead on his chest, “I’m afraid.”

Chevalier wondered if Emily noticed more than Anna had been aware of, but he couldn’t be sure, “Of what?”

She pulled closer to him and cried softly, suddenly falling still as she fell asleep against his chest.

He found it easier to be near her, now that he’d become accustomed to the strong scent, and he held her. As she slept, he watched her face and again marveled at her intense beauty. Emily wasn’t restless in his arms.

She didn’t start to wake up until almost noon. She gripped him tighter as she became aware of how he still held her, “I thought I’d dreamed you came home.”

Chevalier smiled, “I’m here now.”

“It’s been a long week,” she whispered.

“Are you going to tell me what you were afraid of last night?”

“No,” she said, nestling her head in the crook of his neck.

He laughed, “Alright, then do you want to tell me what you were doing on the mainland for 2 days by yourself?”

“You know about that, huh?”

“Not a lot happens around here that I don’t know, and I can’t believe you climbed out of a second story balcony.” He kissed the top of her head.

“It wasn’t that hard, I knotted sheets. Besides, I get the impression that I’m being avoided around here for some reason. Gordon’s even started leaving my trays out in the ante-chamber,” she sighed.

“Yes, well, I’ll explain that once I know the reason. So what did you do on the mainland?” he asked again.

“I went to visit someone.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you knew anyone close enough to visit and get back in two days.” He felt she was leaving something out.

“I do,” she whispered.

Chevalier lifted her chin with his hand so she was looking into his yes. He hated how her eyes were fearful, “Tell me.”

She swallowed hard.

“Did someone do something to you that you aren’t telling me?”

Emily squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, “I’m pregnant.”

Chevalier’s mouth fell open, his eyes wide, “What?”

She didn’t answer him, but turned her eyes down toward the floor.

“Are you sure?” He was stunned.

She nodded.

“But... but the doctors…” He didn’t know what to say.

“Were wrong,” she said softly, still looking at the wood grain pattern in the floor.

Chevalier placed a hand on each side of her head and forced her to look at him, when their eyes met, he pressed his lips against hers and then hugged her tightly. She melted into his arms and kissed him deeply, tears still streaming down her face.

He pulled his face away from hers and looked into her eyes, “This is what you were afraid of telling me?”

She nodded.

He grinned, “I’m going to be a father.”

Emily nodded again and gasped as he kissed her fiercely and suddenly she felt things were right.