After numerous meetings and sessions with the Elders, plans were being made to whisk Emily away to an undisclosed location. She was irritated with the entire process and spent most of her time in the barn. Things were tense around the castle because of her strong scent, which Chevalier finally explained to her. She felt better being outside, away from the heku.
Emily stepped into her room after being away in the barn all day and smiled when she saw the roses and a note on her bed. She smelled the flowers and read the note.
Em,
Let’s ignore the Elders and go away together on the boat. We’ll be safe there and we won’t have to put up with guards or worry about anything but us.
Meet me there as soon as you can pack and get away unnoticed,
Chev
Emily's insides jumped. She wasn't going to have to run away and be guarded 24/7 by the heku. She'd be where she preferred, out on the ocean with Chevalier. She hurried and packed a bag, then went to the wardrobe where she'd stuffed the sheets she used the last time she had to get away. It was easy enough to tie it off to the balcony, and then she nimbly swung over the side and worked her way to the ground.
She hid in shadows the entire way, moving quickly through the streets of the island. With dusk approaching, there were plenty of hiding spots and she was soon within sight of the pier. All seemed quiet there and she knew the guards on duty wouldn't question when she passed them and headed down the beach.
“Evenin', Travis,” Emily said as she rounded the corner of the tall cement fence and stepped out onto the pier.
She gasped, there was blood covering the pier. She saw pieces of heku piled into a macabre heap just as someone grabbed her from behind. She struggled to kick at the knee of her attacker, but he brought a rag to her face and she started drifting into unconsciousness. Just as blackness took over, she saw a head roll out from the pile, it was Travis.
***
“I think we're ready then,” Chevalier said to the group in the conference room. “We'll leave in the morning.
Kyle nodded and then excused the rest of the guards on duty that were assigned to escort them to the staging area.
“I'll just feel better when we're off the island,” Kyle said, walking with Chevalier up the stairs.
“I agree. It's taken too long to get this put together, thanks to the hesitancy by the Elders.” He was still frustrated with their slow reaction.
The two walked into Emily's room. Chevalier saw her shoes and headed to the bathroom, “Hey, Em?”
He glanced into the bathroom and frowned when he didn't see her.
“Chevalier!” Kyle yelled from behind him, frantic.
Chevalier turned as Kyle handed him the roses and the note from Emily's bed. He read the note and crumpled it in his hand, his eyes burned red with fury.
An alarm sounded in the town, the alarm of an attack. Chevalier growled and ran to the balcony, quickly jumping out and landing hard on the ground. Kyle was on his heels as they ran for the pier. They both stopped suddenly as they caught sight of the blood and bodies that were piled high on the wooden planks.
Kyle reached down and picked up a rag. Smelling it, he turned to Chevalier, “It's chloroform,” he said, and handed it to the Chief Enforcer.
Chevalier took the rag and smelled it, inhaling deeply, “Emily too… they got her, Kyle.”
Kyle's heart sank as he looked out across the ocean and saw nothing but waves as the sun set.
Others began to appear on the pier, and a small vigil had begun to bury the remains of the four pier guards and their dogs. Shutters were closed across the island, clocks were stopped, and lights were put out.
“Get me the location of the Valle Elders, now!” he yelled to Storm, who had just arrived on the scene.
Storm didn't respond, but quickly ran off to do as she was told. She'd never seen this amount of rage coming out of the Chief Enforcer, and it scared her.
***
Emily was finally able to pull herself out of the fog. She wasn't sure why she felt so dizzy and disoriented. As she repositioned in bed, she felt even more confused. The bed was hard and the covers were stiff and scratchy.
“Chev?” she whispered into the dark, her words were slurred.
He didn't answer, and the room seemed quieter than she remembered. Finally, she opened her eyes and then sat bolt upright, looking around the small room.
“Chev? Kyle?” she called out louder, starting to panic.
Emily jumped out of bed, but when her feet hit the floor, it moved out from under her and she fell to the floor, the world spinning. She finally managed to get to her knees and pulled herself to standing using the bed as support. A desk lamp was the only light in the room, but she was able to make out the dark blues and grays of the room's decoration. There weren't any windows, and she felt trapped.
Stumbling, Emily made it to the door and swung it open to another unfamiliar room. The room was dark and she felt along the wall until she found a light switch. She looked around, confused, as she tried to figure out where she was.
This room was larger than the other. There was