Proditor : Book 5 of the Heku Series (114 page)

“
Do tell,” Chevalier
hissed, leaning forward slightly.

The heku closest to Chevalier looked up at
him with wide eyes. He was breathing rapidly, starting to
panic.

“
I won’t ask again… why?”
he growled, slamming his fists down on the table.

“
E… Ex… Exavior said to,”
he stammered out.

Chevalier frowned, “Exavior told you to kill
her?”

The heku nodded.

“
How did Exavior give you
orders when he’s imprisoned?”

“
He… he spoke through the
walls. He told Samuel and she… I mean and he then told
us…”

Emily stretched slightly and opened her
eyes. Things were fuzzy, like waking up from a deep sleep. She sat
up and felt the pull on her arm. Her eyes focused slowly, and she
saw the I.V. and promptly pulled it out, wincing slightly at the
sting, then tore the oxygen from her face and frowned, looking
around the room.

Her muscles were sore and tight. She felt
like her joints were swollen and it was hard to move. She flexed
her hand, watching it move slowly, then got to her feet and
steadied herself on the bedpost. Emily noticed the runes on the
headboard and touched them lightly before turning to the bedroom.
There was a lot of equipment in the room. It looked like medical
equipment, and she couldn’t remember how it got there.

“
Chev?” she tried to say,
but couldn’t even muster a whisper. Her throat was dry and
scratchy, and she wanted to get a drink, but couldn’t call
out.

Testing her legs, she took a step away from
the bed and found that with considerable effort, she could move.
She struggled to get to the bathroom and leaned down, taking a long
drink from the tap. The water felt good against her dry mouth. When
she leaned up, she glanced in the mirror and her eyes grew wide.
She turned sideways, surprised at how big she’d gotten at only 4
months along.

Her nightgown was wet from sweat and she
peeled it off and went to the closet. None of her clothes fit her.
They were all too small, so she finally went to Chevalier’s closet
and pulled out a guard shirt, relieved that it fastened around her
and came down to her knees.

Emily stiffly walked to the door, holding
onto the wall to keep herself from falling over. Her muscles were
too stiff to move freely, and the weight of the baby was off. It
was more than she expected and she was curious to see why the
palace seemed so quiet.

She expected to see guards in the hallway,
but there were none, so she listened and could hear voices coming
from the floor below. She sat down in a chair in the hallway,
already out of breath and exhausted from getting dressed. Once she
caught her breath, she slowly went down the stairs, holding the
railing to keep from falling and to help her weak legs.

As expected, the screaming was coming from
inside the council chambers. She debated going around back, but the
stairs seemed daunting and her legs were already so sore they felt
wobbly and unsteady. She was surprised that Derrick wasn’t at the
door, but glancing around quickly, she saw that none of the guards
were in sight and could see the thick iron bars across the
windows.

Emily tried the door to the trial area, but
it was locked, so she frowned and knocked lightly. She took a step
back when Mark threw open the door, and then almost fell when her
legs got tangled.

“
Oh my God!” Mark yelled,
and caught her before she hit the floor. Instantly, they were
surrounded by members of the Cavalry as Mark picked her up in a
cradle.

“
Let the guards handle it,”
Quinn said, looking back down at the heku on the floor. “I guess
the only question is whether to kill you now… or torture you
first.”

“
Mark, put me down,” Emily
whispered hoarsely. Her quiet voice carried into the council
chambers, and they all looked up with wide eyes. Chevalier was in
the hallway before the Council even made it to their
feet.

“
Em?” he asked, watching
her in Mark’s arms.

“
Tell him I can walk,”
Emily whispered, trying to get down from Mark’s strong
grip.

Chevalier took her from Mark and held her
close to him, “My God, Em, you’re awake.”

Emily looked over at how the guards and
council members were looking at her, in shock, and she started to
blush, “Of course I’m awake.”

“
Put them in jail. We’ll
deal with them later,” Kyle said, and followed Chevalier up the
stairs along with all of the Council.

“
I’m hungry,” Emily said as
Chevalier laid her down in bed. She sat up and blushed deeper when
everyone came in and watched her, “Why are you looking at me like
that?”

“
Em… God, Emily, what’s the
last thing you remember?” Chevalier asked, turning when Mark came
in.

“
I was going to ash the
Valle. I was in front of their Council, and there was a guy there
who was going to cut my head off,” she whispered. “So I’ll take it
I ashed enough that I slept for a while?”

Chevalier nodded and smiled, “Yeah, a
while.”

“
What do you want to eat,
Dear?” Zohn asked softly.

Emily frowned slightly at him and then
shrugged, “I don’t care.”

“
There’re no servants,”
Mark said. “Pancakes and coffee! I can do that.”

Emily nodded, and he disappeared.

“
Are you mad, then? That I
went to the Valle?” Emily whispered, pulling a blanket up to cover
herself better.

Chevalier took her head in his hands, kissed
her softly, and then looked into her eyes, “No, I’m not mad.”

“
Why is everyone staring at
me then?” she whispered, her voice still hoarse.

“
You’ve been in a coma for
3 months,” Chevalier explained, and took her hand.

“
Three months?”

He nodded, “Yes, we were told you were
dying.”

“
Three months explains why
I look like a house,” she said, and smiled slightly.

“
We should take her to the
hospital, just to make sure she’s ok,” Quinn suggested.

Emily frowned, “No, no hospitals.”

“
He’s right. We need to
take you,” Chevalier said.

“
No”

“
Were you listening? You
were in a coma, low brain activity, low body functions… you were
dying.”

“
I don’t care. I’m not
going to a hospital.”

Chevalier chuckled, “I won’t force you.”

“
Did… did everyone get
out?”

“
Most, but no, not
all.”

“
How many died?”

“
One order of pancakes and
some hot coffee as ordered,” Mark said, bringing in a
tray.

“
How many?” Emily asked
Chevalier again.

“
Twelve guards… Elder Vizia
and the Valle’s Chief Interrogator, Buach were killed in the
initial takeover.”

Emily leaned back against the headboard,
“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“
Oh no… you’re eating or we
take you to the hospital,” Chevalier said, and took the tray from
Mark.

“
It does smell good,” she
said, taking the tray from him.

“
Clear out,” Chevalier
said, still watching Emily. He heard the heku leave her room and
shut the door behind them, “You have no idea how worried I was,
being told that you were going to die.”

Emily started to eat, suddenly starving. The
pancakes were perfect, and she finished up with the coffee, hoping
some caffeine would knock out the headache.

“
How are you
feeling?”

She leaned back against the headboard with
her coffee, “Let’s see, headache, my entire body is sore and stiff,
and I’m bigger than my car.”

Chevalier smiled, “Not quite that big.”

“
Was it really 3
months?”

“
Yes, 3 long
months.”

“
Mommy!” Alexis yelled, and
ran into the room and in to Emily’s arms. “You’re
awake.”

Emily kissed her head softly, “Yeah I
am.”

Allen smiled, “I knew you’d make it, you’re
too stubborn to die.”

Emily hugged Allen and then sat back, again
out of breath and exhausted, “Wow, tired already.”

“
Take a nap, we’ll leave,”
Allen said, and took Alexis from the room.

Emily crawled under the covers and laid
down, “Someone wrote on the bed.”

“
I know,” Chevalier said,
and laid down beside her.

“
Just a little
nap.”

“
Just not another 3
months.”

Emily nodded and quickly drifted off to
sleep.

She stood in a vast field. The grass was up
to her knees and she faced an army of heku in purple and red capes.
She had the baby in her arms, and it was squirming and crying.

“
The deal stands,” Keith
said, his purple cape blowing behind him. “Give us the baby and you
get the Elders back.”

“
No,” Emily told him. She
glanced back at the thousands of heku behind her and then back to
the enemy, “Come get her. I dare you.”

“
You can’t handle her…
she’ll kill you,” Keith said, grinning.

Emily looked down at the baby and she was
fighting to get to Emily’s arm. Her teeth were exposed as she tried
to feed. Emily dropped the baby just when she sunk her teeth into
Emily’s arm.

“
See, hand her over,”
Keith said, and suddenly he was standing right in front of her. She
ducked as he tried to punch her.

“
Em,” Chevalier whispered,
and touched her arm softly.

She jerked awake and cried out slightly at
the pain in her body.

“
Just a dream.”

Emily looked over at him, trying to catch
her breath.

“
It’s not funny anymore,
stop trying to save us.”

“
I can’t control my
dreams,” she whispered, flexing her hands.

“
If you weren’t always
trying to save the species when you are awake, it might leave your
dreams,” he said, and took her hands, massaging them.

“
I hurt everywhere,” she
sighed.

“
I bet… you didn’t move in
3 months… maybe we should call Sotomar over, see if he can
help.”

“
Unless he’s mad at
me.”

“
Why would he
be?”

“
I ashed his entire
city.”

Chevalier chuckled, “I think he’s ok with
it.”

“
None of my clothes
fit.”

“
I wondered why you have my
shirt on. We’ll have some made.”

“
Are the Valle stable now?”
she asked, sitting up slowly with some help.

“
Yes, you pretty much took
care of the problem covens.”

“
And the Ferus?”

“
Still being a pain,”
Chevalier explained. “In fact, Exavior ordered you killed. That’s
why the palace is in lockdown.”

Emily frowned, “How can he order me killed
when he’s in prison?”

“
He got word
out.”

Emily sighed, “Fine… I’ll take care of him
then.”

“
Damnit, Em,
no.”

“
What?”

“
I don’t want you ashing…
ever… even one heku.”

“
One or two never hurt
anything.”

“
None, period,” he said
sternly.

“
Fine, for now. We’ll
discuss it when my headache is gone, then I can fight back,” she
said, and tried to grab the covers, but her hands were too
stiff.

“
We really should take you
in to the doctor.”

“
No… when do I get my voice
back all the way?”

“
I don’t know. You won’t
let us take you to the doctor… Enter,” Chevalier said, and turned
to the door. Four servants came in carrying large trays.

“
What is that?” Emily
asked, her eyes wide.

Chevalier chuckled, “I think Quinn and Zohn
ordered your breakfast.”

“
Enough for an army?” Emily
asked, watching as the servants picked up the domes and left with a
bow. She winced as she swung her legs over the side of the bed,
“Damn, nothing works.”

Chevalier appeared beside her and picked her
up, “It’ll take time to get your body to cooperate.”

“
It’ll be faster if you let
me walk,” she said as he sat her down at the table.

He sat down beside her and grinned, “Sit
back, enjoy it.”

Emily reached over, and after some
concentration, was able to pick up a piece of bacon with both
hands.

“
Hmm, I’ll call Sotomar,”
Chevalier said, and grabbed his phone.

“
No,” she said, setting
down the bacon. “Let me talk to him first.”

He dialed the Valle Council and put them on
speakerphone and then held the phone out towards her.

“
Yes, Chevalier?” Sotomar
asked.

“
How mad are you?” Emily
whispered quietly.

“
Who is this?” he asked,
confused.

Emily looked at the phone oddly, then
answered, “It’s Emily.”

“
Oh my God, you’re awake!”
Sotomar said, shocked.

“
So how mad are
you?”

“
Mad? At what?” His voice
was still surprised.

“
I ashed your
city.”

Sotomar chuckled, “You restored the true
Council. I am not one to judge the way in which you did it.”