“She's tried twelve times. She needs a break,” Chevalier growled.
“I'm ok, I can try again,” Emily said from the bed.
“He's right, you need to rest,” Maleth said, standing up from the chair by the fireplace.
“We all could use a night off,” Mark added, and looked around at the fifteen gathered heku.
“I'm not taking medicine to make me sleep,” she said, frowning.
“It's the only way to stop the attacks. You need a rest,” the doctor said, holding the shot in his hand.
“Touch me with that thing and I'll ash you again,” she glared.
The doctor took a step back. He remembered the pain of her fury.
“Emily, for me… please,” Chevalier asked softly.
“No”
Emily screamed as she felt the pinch in her arm and turned, shocked to see Kyle standing beside her with the needle. The doctor looked down at his empty hand, confused.
“You can ash me later,” Kyle said, grinning as she fell to the bed.
“You're either very brave or one stupid heku,” Chevalier said, shaking his head at Kyle, “But welcome back.”
Kyle grinned, “Mark filled me in out in the hallway.”
As soon as the room cleared out and Kyle was hidden in the corner, Chevalier turned off the lights and curled up next to Emily. He hated the way she smelled after medicine. To him it was almost like sleeping by a stranger. He knew she needed this though.
It was like looking down a dark hallway. As he emerged, he stepped out into the foyer of a grand palace. There were golden statues and white marble pillars with bouquets of red roses lining the red carpet runners.
Chevalier sat up suddenly and looked around.
“What's wrong?” Kyle whispered from the corner.
“I don't know… it was a palace, red carpets and flowers… I don't know where it came from. Just an image,” he said, confused.
“Is it Emily's dream?” Kyle suggested.
“I haven't been able to do that for two months, not since she left for Colorado.”
“Try again, see what you get.”
Chevalier touched her arm and suddenly grew still.
“Good evening,” the heku said, bowing deeply.
“Most honorable Ancient,” another heku said, bowing.
A large wooden door opened to a lavish court room. The Encala banner hung from behind the platform.
“Kyle… she's seeing the Encala's council room. I've been there before, and she's seeing it exactly. I don't think she's been there,” Chevalier said.
Kyle stepped out of the shadow, “Can she pull information from you?”
“Not that I've seen,” Chevalier thought. “When I'm there… I'm the Ancient, I see through his eyes.”
“Could the connection be permanent then? Something he uses at will, but is always there?”
Chevalier reached down and touched her arm again.
“They did not return, as expected,” one of the Encala Elders said.
“Did they see her?”another member of the Council asked the Ancient.
“Yes, I caught images of her from them.”
Chevalier felt the fury when the Ancient spoke again, “She is mine and I want her… now!”
“Patience, please, ancient one. We will get her,” the Elder said, smiling.
“She will soon do as I ask and kill the Equites Council. Once that is done, you will bring her to me. It’s time she takes her place at my side.”
“Yes, ancient one,” the Elder said, bowing.
“So like her mother. So strong,” the ancient one said, and Chevalier felt an immense sense of loss.
“My God, Kyle,” Chevalier said, looking at Emily.
“What did you see?”
“Her father is an Encala Elder… an ancient,” he said softly.
“The Encala have an ancient on their Council?” Kyle was shocked. One of the rules that all three factions held, was that the ancients were to remain buried for the safety of the mortals.
“And have for quite some time,” Chevalier hissed.
“An ancient and a mortal though? That's… well that's impossible, isn't it?” Kyle asked, watching him.
“Not impossible, just unheard of.”
“What are the implications?”
“I don't know. The one thing I'm sure of now… she's seeing inside of the Encala palace.” A dark grin crossed his face, “If she can see them… “
“She can ash them,” Kyle said in a harsh whisper.
“We need to figure out how to help her see this while she's awake. The blood bond has to be the answer. The strength of the Ancient in her veins.” Chevalier looked at her with a deeper respect.
“Did Ulrich know?”
“I don't think so… if he had, he wouldn't have let her live a mortal life, I'm sure of it. He would have had the greatest trophy,” Chevalier looked at Kyle.
“We need to keep this to ourselves as long as we can,” Kyle said.
Chevalier nodded, “Emily will know, we have to tell her.”
“Agreed”
“That's why she doesn't remember.”
Kyle frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”
“When the heku visited Emily's mother, he was able to erase her memory. She had no idea of the visits. So when this Ancient sends the ritual of pain and the commands to Emily, he then erases his tracks. That's why she doesn't know about them,” Chevalier said, seething.
Chevalier curled up next to her and shut his eyes. His mind filled with swirls of gray and the soft flow of emotions. She was no longer walking the hallways of the Encala palace. She was now dreaming.
***
“Just concentrate,” Chevalier said, watching Emily as she sat cross- legged on the bed.
Emily shut her eyes and breathed deeply. She let her shoulders relax, and then her arms. The room was entirely quiet, even though she was very much aware that fifteen heku were currently watching her.
Emily opened one eye.
“Em,” Chevalier sighed.
“I'm sorry, this is embarrassing… can't I just try this alone?” she asked.
“No, you can't, try again.”
“I'm not getting anything. When I shut my eyes, all I see is… well… the insides of my eyelids,” she said with a smirk.
“You aren't concentrating.” Damon said, frustrated.
“You aren't helping,” she snapped at Damon.
Damon growled, “She can't do it.”
Emily's eyes narrowed, “You are getting on my last nerve.”
“Heku blood or not, you're a mortal, and too weak to undertake this task,” he said to her coldly.
Emily launched off of the bed, catching Damon off guard. She slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He brought his hands up defensively as Emily crashed her fist into his nose, shattering it. Damon hissed just as Emily felt strong hands against her waist lift her off of him.
“Calm down,” Chevalier said, laughing. He held her as she fought to get free.
“Let me show him just how weak I am,” she roared.
“He's sorry he called you weak,” Maleth said, watching her, amused.
“No, I'm not,” Damon told them, and stood up to readjust his nose.
“Did you want to feel