Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series (14 page)

She glared at him, “Then go kill yourself.”

He winced, “I can’t do that, though. I am your familiar until the time of your death.”

“Kyle!” she yelled.

Kyle appeared in the door, and a growl echoed off of the walls in the room as he appeared between Emily and Sam. Sam didn’t flinch or wince away from the fierceness in Kyle’s eyes.

“Did he touch you?” Kyle asked and watched Sam.

“He said he’s my familiar now that Ulrich is dead,” she explained quickly.

Kyle glared at Sam and blurred behind him, grabbing him by the throat and around his shoulders, “We’ll see about that.”

Emily quickly slipped on some shorts and followed Kyle and Sam out into the hallway as they headed for the prison. Kyle was too mad to realize Emily was behind him as he stepped into the cell area and ordered the guard to open a cell. He threw Sam roughly inside and Sam’s body crashed into the wall of the cell. The guard slammed the cell door shut and locked it.

“Emily?” David called from the adjacent cell and Emily froze.

Kyle turned to David, “Do not speak to her,” he hissed.

David stood up and walked to the cell door, “Emily, please, talk to me.”

Emily moved back a step. Her eyes went from Sam, to David, and back again as she walked backwards stiffly.

“Leave her alone,” Sam hissed at David.

“Both of you shut up!” Kyle growled.

The familiar and the Valle both became silent.

“Emily, order Sam to stay in the cell… tell him not to turn into a cat,” Kyle told her softly.

She looked at him, “Do what?”

“Tell him… please.”

Emily turned to Sam and frowned, “Stay here. No turning into a cat.”

“As you wish,” Sam said, bowing.

Emily stiffened as Sam agreed to what she had said.

“Come on, Emily,” Kyle said, taking her arm gently.

“Emily, please… just a moment. Talk to me, I can’t live like this… I can’t live without you,” David begged.

“One more word and I’ll end this now,” Kyle hissed at the Valle.

Emily let Kyle lead her back up the stairs. She was confused. Her mind was sifting through what Sam said. Her eyes were far away and when Chevalier spoke, she didn’t hear him.

“Emily?” he said again.

She looked up at him, and the confusion was evident on her face, “What?”

“Kyle, what’s going on?” Chevalier demanded.

“Sam’s back,” he said, and hurried on when Chevalier’s eyes flared. “He’s Emily’s familiar now that Ulrich is dead. I… I should have seen this coming. I didn’t think that he wouldn’t have another heir.”

Chevalier met Emily’s eyes, “Emily, breathe.”

She inhaled and looked around the room. Somehow she’d gotten up to the main foyer.

Chevalier nodded, “We need to decide what to do with him. I don’t care whose familiar he is, he betrayed her.”

“I agree… they aren’t that easy to get rid of, though. He’s now bound to her by blood.”

“What? How?” Emily asked.

“You’re the only blood relative left of Ulrich, so when he died, the familiar passed to you,” Kyle explained.

“Let’s go talk to him,” Chevalier said, and started toward the prison.

“Wait, Sir,” Kyle said, and he left Emily’s side and whispered to Chevalier. The words were too soft and too fast for Emily to make out.

Chevalier looked at Emily, and she took a step back when she saw how angry he was.

“How dare he talk to her,” he hissed.

Emily suddenly understood and relaxed.

“Bring Sam up here, into the library,” Chevalier said, and he took Emily’s hand and led her to the library as Kyle went to get the familiar.

Emily sat down in a chair in the library, and looked high up among the rows and columns of books.

“We’ll figure this out, this isn’t bad… ok? This is not a bad thing,” Chevalier said.

She nodded.

“If he is yours… then he can’t hurt you. He can’t do anything but what you say,” he explained.

“I don’t want him,” she told him, and turned to look at the door when Kyle walked in alone.

He sighed at Chevalier, “He won’t leave the cell because Emily told him to stay. He put up a fight when we tried to force him, and I thought maybe it wasn’t worth it.”

“Fine… we’ll go down and maybe take care of David while we’re at it,” Chevalier said.

Chevalier slipped off his shirt and handed it to Emily. She was so shocked by what happened, she’d forgotten she only had on a pair of shorts and the bikini top. She slipped on the shirt and followed them down into the prison as she rolled up the sleeves to free her hands.

The two guards bowed to the Chief Enforcer as he stepped into the cell room. The prison fell eerily quiet in his presence. He glared across the cells, making sure they all knew he was there. His threatening stare brought fear into them.

“Emily… Emily, please, I love you. Talk to me,” David said, coming to the bars of his cell.

“I’m warning you, Valle,” Kyle said, and kicked the bars roughly. “You hold your tongue around her. We have business that doesn’t include you.”

“Chevalier will kill you eventually, Emily!” David said.

Kyle grabbed his keys and started to open David’s cell while he continued, “You know he will. I love you Emily. I would never hurt you. You know that.”

Emily looked at him with wide eyes as Kyle stepped into the cell and shut the door behind him.

Chevalier spun her around and pressed her face into his chest as the screaming began. Her body tensed at the crunching and tearing sounds coming from behind her. She jumped as a loud crash echoed off the walls of the cell area, and turned slowly when the room fell silent.

Kyle was crouched in the corner of the cell, covered in blood. His fists were clenched tightly and his breathing was harsh and fast. He slowly stood up and adjusted his shirt and looked down, then quickly ripped off his shirt and threw it into the corner. Emily wondered briefly what he was trying to hide.

As he stepped, shirtless, out of the cell and locked the door, Emily gasped. David was still alive, but his feet and hands had been ripped from his body and were strewn around the cell. He was gasping for breath and groaning in pain.

“Kill him. Don’t leave him like that,” she whispered.

“We can’t kill him, not yet,” Chevalier said, and turned her away from David’s cell.

“Why not?” she asked, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to forget the image behind her.

“He’s a prisoner of war. He can’t be killed until the Valle have a chance to petition for his return,” he growled, obviously not pleased with that.

“I can kill him, Emily, just ask,” Sam told her.

Emily opened her eyes and looked at Sam, “I don’t want a familiar, Sam.”

“It’s not up to you. I’m bound to you by blood, and have been for hundreds of years,” he said softly.

“Bonds can be broken,” she whispered.

“Not this one,” he said, looking into her eyes.

Chevalier watched them carefully. He knew that Sam was right, but he also knew that Emily wasn’t going to understand. He knew she had to see it for herself and grasp the reality of it. Sam was hers in every way, shape, and form. Sam, who once betrayed the strong trust she had for him. Chevalier didn’t envy Sam for having to become the familiar of a woman he so strongly deceived.

“Then I can order you to go away… forever,” she said.

“Yes you can, but I’d be around… it is my job to watch over you for the rest of your life.” Sam’s eyes were intense.

“Then what? When I die what happens?” She already knew, but wanted to hear him say it.

“Then I will become the familiar to your eldest child.”

Emily turned to Chevalier, “The bond can’t be broken?”

He shook his head.

“Do you trust him?” she asked.

Chevalier nodded, “He can’t hurt you. It’s not a question now, he cannot do it.”

“He turned me over to the Valle,” she said, shocked.

“On Ulrich’s orders. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t like him, but as a familiar… he’s unable to betray you now.”

“Emily, I love you,” David said softly from behind her.

“Are you kidding me?” Kyle yelled, turning to him. David had healed and was standing at the door reaching for Emily.

Chevalier let Sam out of his cell, and Emily told him to follow them just as Kyle stepped into David’s cell again. Emily, Chevalier, and Sam headed up the stairs as the screaming began.

Emily kept a close eye on Sam. She didn’t care what Chevalier said, she didn’t trust him. His betrayal was still too fresh in her mind. The muscle spasms in restraints and the humiliating exams were still his doing, and she was very much aware of that right now.

Chevalier opened the bedroom door for Emily and let both her and Sam inside. She turned and glared at Sam.

“Did you kill my Dad?” she asked him angrily.

“No! I wouldn’t ever have hurt him,” Sam said quickly.

“Emily, bed,” Chevalier said, pointing.

She spun on him and glared, “No.”

“Doctor’s orders, your blood pressure was up again, remember?” He sat on the edge of the bed.

She scowled at him and sat on the bed cross-legged.

“Listen to the doctor, Emily. Do what’s best for your health and the baby,” Sam said, agreeing with Chevalier.

Emily flew out of the bed and landed hard against Sam, knocking him to the floor and pinning him to the ground with her body and hands. He didn’t resist, it wasn’t his place to stop her.

She looked down into his eyes enraged and screamed, “You have no right to tell me what to do for my health!”

“Em,” Chevalier said, amused, as he picked her up off of the familiar. “I don’t think tackling anyone was part of the doctor’s orders.”

He sat her down on the bed and her temper flared when she saw the humor in his eyes.

Sam got up and brushed himself off, “The Winchester women were historically temperamental when with child.”

Emily started off the bed again, but Chevalier held her back.

“Why don’t you shut up, Sam?” he asked, fighting another chuckle.

Through clenched teeth, Emily asked, “Why can’t I ash him?”

This time Chevalier did laugh, “He’s not a heku. He’s a familiar, they are their own animal.”

“Ok, then go jump off a cliff,” she growled at him.

“As you wish,” Sam said politely, and headed for the door.

“Emily!” Chevalier said, surprised.

“Fine… stay,” she said, glaring at Sam.

Sam stopped in place and turned back to her.

“Ok, let’s do this. Tell Sam to obey me. It might be easier if I have some control too,” Chevalier said, and smiled when Sam cringed.

“Sam, obey Chevalier,” she grumbled.

“Yes, Emily,” he replied calmly.

“Good, then get the door, Sam,” Chevalier said, moments before Emily heard a knock.

Sam went to the door and came back with a silver tray. He sat it down beside Emily as she glared at him suspiciously. He lifted the silver dome and stepped back.

Emily hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she smelled the fried chicken and Brussels sprouts on the plate. She stabbed a small green cabbage with a fork and started to eat.

Emily looked up and blushed when she realized both Sam and Chevalier were watching her eat.

“Go away,” she said to Sam, and he left the room quickly.

Chevalier laughed, “You should be nicer to him. He could actually come in handy.”

“Then you take him,” she said between bites of chicken.

“Oooh no, he’s yours.” He was grinning, and it was starting to irritate her.

She knew how to stop that, “I’d rather have David up here than Sam.”

Chevalier’s eye widened, then he realized her motive and turned his head so she didn’t see him smile.

“I’m glad you find me so funny,” she said, and hit him in the back of the head with the saucer from her plate.

“I can’t help it,” he told her when he grabbed the saucer and put it back on her tray.

“Well… try harder,” she said, grabbing another piece of chicken.

“You have no idea how absolutely adorable you are.” Part of his mind told him to shut up, but he ignored it, “You are just so tiny and the baby makes you look fragile and about to fall forward all the time. You have such a vicious attitude and it’s endearing when I realize that you actually think you are tough.”

Just as he’d finished with a warm smile on his face, he felt the heel of Emily’s left foot connect with his lower jaw, breaking it in two and displacing half of it.

“Damnit, Em,” he said as his jaw reattached. “Did you hurt yourself?”

She kicked at him again and her eyes flared as he dodged the kick.

He put his hands on her feet and held them to the bed, “Stop it.”

“I’m not tiny,” she said, glaring at him.

“Ok,” he told her, holding his face steady.

“I’m not fragile.”

“Ok”

“I’m not weak.”

“Dear, you are far from weak,” he agreed.

“Get out,” she said angrily.

Chevalier nodded and stood up. He felt a piece of chicken bone hit him in the back as he stepped out the door and shut it behind him. Both Kyle and Sam were out in the ante-chamber and looked up at him.

“Temperamental?” he asked Sam.

Sam nodded, “Every one of them.”

“That’s an understatement,” he said, leaving the ante-chamber and disappearing into the hallway.

***

Emily looked down the hallway curiously, and watched as a row of tall heku in dark blue robes visited with each other with the full hoods covering their faces. She inched closer to see if she could see who they were or what they were talking about, then became irritated when she got even closer and all she could hear was the tone of their voices.

Crouching low, Emily quickly maneuvered into the room and slipped under the table to hide under the table cloth. She crawled under the table toward them and stopped when she came face-to-face with Kyle. He was looking at her, frustrated.

“What are you doing?” he whispered angrily. He was also in a long blue robe, but his hood was pulled back.

Emily cringed and crawled back the way she came. She knew she was about to get chastised for this. Once she was safely in the hallway, away from the robed figures, Kyle grabbed her arm.