Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series (2 page)

“It is, but the palace is
safer,” Chevalier told her.

“Someone took Exavior’s ashes from the
palace, that doesn’t seem safe to me.”

“We had a small… security
issue when the alliance was broken. It had to have happened then,”
Quinn explained.

“We haven’t had a security
issue on the island,” Emily said, and tucked Dain into his car
seat.

Emily got back into the
Dodge Ram, and before she started it, Chevalier crawled into the
passenger seat while Silas and Kralen each took up a spot in the
backseat next to Dain. She shook her head and buckled
in.

Most of the drive was in
silence. It wasn’t until after their first stop that Chevalier
finally spoke, “Do the other factions call you often?”

“Yes,” Emily said, and
pulled her sunglasses out of her purse, slipping them
on.

“Doesn’t that seem odd?”

“Yes”

“What do they want?”

“Usually they call with offers.”

“What kind of offers?” Chevalier asked,
frowning.

Emily grinned, “Pretty good ones
actually.”

“Like what?” Silas asked when Chevalier
didn’t.

“The usual, my own coven, freedom, no
attacks, husbands…”

“Husbands?” Chevalier growled.

“Yes, my pick, and as many
as I want,” she said, amused.

“Why haven’t you told us that they are
calling?”

“Why tell? Not like I’m going to take them
up on their offer.”

“Because the Council needs
to know.”

Emily shrugged, “Well, now they do.”

The rest of the drive was
spent in silence or small talk. When it got late, Emily finally let
Chevalier drive, and she leaned the passenger seat back and slept.
She woke up as they were crossing into Jonesport.

“Oh, go to AQS hardware,
there on Main Street,” she said, and then yawned.

Chevalier glanced at her and then pulled
into the hardware store.

“Be right back,” Emily
said, and got out of the truck. She didn’t realize until she was
inside the store that Kralen was with her. They came out a short
time later with four bags and a tiller. Kralen checked around
carefully and then one-handed the tiller into the back of the
truck. When they were on the ferry, they started to talk
again.

“What exactly are you going to till?”
Chevalier asked, looking over at Emily.

“I’m planting a garden.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Chevalier shrugged, “Just
asking. I haven’t seen you do that is all.”

“I always had a garden at
the Montana ranch,” Emily said, and watched as the tugboats hooked
onto the ferry. She grinned when the pier guards caught sight of
the Elder and stood at attention.

When they arrived at the
castle, there was a line of guards waiting, and Storm was in the
front, watching as Chevalier pulled the truck and trailer up to the
front doors and the island returned to lockdown.

“Sir,” Storm said, smiling.

“Good morning,” Chevalier
said, and got sleeping Dain out of the truck. “I’ll be ready for an
update in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Sir… Lady Emily, a
moment please?” Storm asked, and she and Emily headed off
alone.

Chevalier watched them for
a moment before heading in to his office. Kralen and Silas began
unloading the horses as Ford ran frantically around the lawn,
trying to herd the guards.

Chevalier called in the
guard Generals and got an update on the happenings of the island.
After a few hours, he called Anna into his office.

“Yes, Sir?” Anna asked, sitting down in a
chair across from the Elder’s desk.

“Have you done as I asked?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And?”

“I would have to agree
with you, Sir. The baby does seem more inclined to rest against the
Lady’s neck. He often chews on her fingers, and rarely sleeps. He
lies awake while she sleeps and again, his nose must be against her
neck.”

Chevalier sighed, “This could be a
problem.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Chevalier glanced at the baby as he slept,
“So he mainly naps during the day. Does he sleep at night?”

“Not that I’ve seen. He
naps around 3 hours during the day, and that’s all.”

“Did you try to allow him
to chew on your fingers?”

“Yes, Sir, and he won’t do
it. The Lady says he’s teething and allows him to do it to her
often though. I do remember her allowing both Allen and Alexis to
do the same, but they weren’t as… shall we call it… persistent with
it,” Anna said.

“Suggestions?”

Anna shrugged, “None, Sir.”

“Where is Emily?”

“In her office.”

Chevalier raised an eyebrow, “She has on
office?”

“Yes, Sir, and heku are forbidden from
entering.”

“She said that?”

“Yes, Sir,” Anna told him,
and grinned.

“We’ll see about that,”
Chevalier said, and stood up, smiling. “I think I’ll go check out
this new office.”

“It’s Perk’s old office,”
Anna said, and followed him out after grabbing the baby.

Chevalier knocked lightly on the office
door. He could hear Emily inside as she came to the door. She
opened it enough to slip out and then shut the door behind her.

“Yes?” she asked, looking up at Chevalier,
her back to the door.

“Hiding something?”

“No”

“Then why is no one allowed in your office?”
he asked, amused.

“Because it’s mine.”

“Interesting”

“There’s no reason for
anyone to be in there,” Emily told him, and headed toward the back
exit.

Chevalier grinned and followed her out after
whispering for Silas to check out her office while they were
gone.

“Damnit, Kralen, what are
you doing?” Emily asked, crossing her arms. Kralen was just
finishing up tilling a fenced off section of land by the
barn.

“I was bored,” he said, turning off the
tiller.

Chevalier chuckled, “You were going to till
it?”

Emily glared at him, “Yes, I was.”

“Sir?” Storm said from behind them.

Chevalier turned toward her.

“There’s a Valle
delegation on the pier. They arrived by boat a few minutes
ago.”

He frowned, “What do they want?”

“They want a word with the
Lady. I don’t think they know you are here.”

“How many are there?”

“Four”

“Kralen, take Silas and a
handful of guards, escort them in to the main conference room…
don’t mention I’m here,” Chevalier ordered, and headed
inside.

Emily followed him, “Why don’t you let me
meet with them alone?”

“Why would I do that?”

“They aren’t going to tell
me whatever it is they want if you are sitting there,” she said,
and stepped into the conference room when he opened the
door.

“Damn, that’s true,”
Chevalier said, and sighed. “I’ll be next door listening,
though.”

Emily nodded and sat down
at the table. A few minutes later, Kralen and Silas entered the
conference room with Exavior, Alec, and two Valle guards who were
in dark gray robes with the hoods covering their faces, normal
travel attire for the Imperial Guards. Silas shut the door behind
the Valle and then took a spot by the door next to
Kralen.

Exavior and Alec sat down
across from Emily and she glanced at Silas nervously.

“Thank you for seeing us,” Exavior said,
smiling.

“You’re looking well,” Alec said, a little
stiffly.

“Why are you here?” Emily asked.

“I got the divorce
papers,” Exavior said. “I’ll admit I was shocked.”

“You came here to ask about the
divorce?”

“I’ve contested it.”

“Of course you have,”
Emily said. “Again… why did you come here?”

“I wanted to apologize,
and to ask what it would take to get you to join us, your family,
at the Valle.”

“My family? You tortured
me into marrying you, and Alec made it perfectly clear that you are
his family, not me,” Emily said angrily.

“You obviously are
uncomfortable with the Equites. Otherwise, you would still be at
the palace.”

“I’m not uncomfortable with the
Equites.”

“Then why are you here on the island?”

“I like it here.”

“Emi, please, give us a
month with the Valle,” Alec said, leaning forward. “See what it’s
like, and if you don’t like it, you can come back.”

“Yeah right, the Valle would just let me
walk out.”

“We would,” Exavior said.
“We want you to be where you’re happiest, but you haven’t given us
a chance.”

“Stop it!” Emily yelled,
and stood up. “Alec, you have no idea how fast I could turn on
you.”

Alec smiled slightly, “I had to try.”

“Try what?” Silas asked,
tensing.

“I’m not sick, I’m not
tired, and you most certainly aren’t an ‘old one,’ so don’t even
give it a try,” Emily said, sitting back down.

“You were trying to control her?” Kralen
asked, taking a step forward.

“For her own good,” Alec
said, and glanced at Exavior.

Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Wait… why would you
try to and not Exavior?”

“I don’t know what you
mean. I wasn’t aware he was trying,” Exavior said.

“You… there’s something missing…
something…”

“I just wanted to try it,
Emi. I heard it can’t be done,” Alec said.

“Why do I get the feeling
you came here thinking I was weak enough that’d work? Then you had
Alec try because you think I trust him.”

“That’s not true,” Alec said, glancing
nervously at Kralen.

“Did I dodge an attack?” Emily asked.

“No, there’ve been no
attacks on you, Elder’s orders,” Alec explained. The room fell
silent for a few minutes while Emily thought.

Suddenly, Emily frowned,
“What’s going on?”

“What?” Kralen asked, crouching.

“I feel weird,” she said,
frowning.

Chevalier appeared in the
doorway. Exavior and Alec both stood up to face him, and crouched
as their guards moved to the side of them. Suddenly, the castle was
full of Island Coven guards.

“Time for you to leave,” Chevalier
hissed.

“Call us if you change
your mind,” Alec said to Emily, and then followed Exavior
out.

“Wait…” The Valle turned
as Chevalier spoke to one of their guards, “Who are
you?”

The guard glanced at Exavior.

“He’s one of the Imperial
Guards,” Exavior said.

Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “Show me your
face.”

“Don’t take orders from
the Equites, come, let’s go,” Exavior said, and they all headed out
again.

Chevalier put a hand on the guard’s
shoulder, “Show me your face.”

“It’s ok, let them go,”
Emily said, and touched Chevalier’s arm.

He looked over at her and then back to
Exavior, “Just get off my island.”

“We need to do away with diplomatic
immunity,” Silas growled as the Valle left the castle.

Emily started for the door, “I’m going with
them.”

“You are?” Chevalier asked, turning to look
at her.

She opened the door and ran out into the
foyer.

“Em, wait,” he called
after her, and she stopped and turned to him. “Stay,
please.”

Emily nodded.

“Why would you go with them?” he asked,
irritated.

“I better go with them,”
she said, and started for the door.

“Stop!” he growled, and
she froze in place, watching the door. “Just wait here.”

Kralen and Silas moved to
her side while the other guards followed Chevalier out to make sure
the Valle left. It was two hours before he returned, and found
Emily in the exact same spot, still watching the door.

“What’s going on?” he asked, walking up to
them.

Kralen shrugged, “We’re just standing
here.”

“Em?”

“Yes?” she asked, and
turned to him.

“Why did you want to leave with them?”

“He told me to.”

“Who did?”

“The guard told me to come
with them.”

Chevalier frowned, “So you thought you’d do
as he asked?”

“Yes”

“That doesn’t make any
sense… Do you want to go to the Valle?”

She shrugged.

“Why would you do what he
said?” Chevalier asked, getting frustrated.

Emily didn’t answer. She
just stood perfectly still in the main-floor foyer.

Chevalier growled, “I don’t even know what
you’re thinking.”

She shrugged.

He threw his hands in the air and stormed
off to his office.

“Come on, let’s get you
some lunch,” Kralen said, and turned for the kitchen. Emily
followed him with Silas behind her. They walked into the kitchen
and Gordon smiled.

“Welcome, Child! What would you like for
lunch today?”

Emily looked over at Silas.

Silas glanced at Kralen and then back to
Emily, “What do you want?”

“Would you like to make
your own lunch?” Gordon asked when she didn’t answer.

Emily shrugged.

“Go ahead, it’s ok. Make
whatever you’d like,” he said, and exited the kitchen. Emily set
out making grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Make us some too while you’re at it,”
Kralen chuckled.