Banishment : Book 9 of the Heku Series (40 page)

“He has brute force,” Megara said.

“I know, but he doesn’t know how to use
it.”

“Yeah he does… you just have to hit harder
than your opponent.”

“You make it sound like we don’t have a
chance.”

“You don’t.”

***

“What do you mean they left you with the baby
and disappeared?” Chevalier asked, looking at Miri.

She stood before the Council with Asher in
her arms, “They said they just needed to talk. The next thing I
know the island is on alert because ashes are found in the prison,
and a prisoner is missing.”

“Which prisoner?” Kyle asked.

“Niccolo”

“That’s odd.”

“Not really,” Miri said. “Allen and Niccolo
are friends. It was Allen that convinced Niccolo to try out for the
Cavalry.”

“Who broke him out of prison?” the Chief
Investigator asked her.

“Alexis and Megara did.”

Chevalier sighed and sat back, “I don’t
understand what’s going through their heads.”

“They are going after Dain. Plain and
simple,” Miri said. “I got into an argument with Allen over Dain
last night. Garrett said he and Alexis were fighting over the same
thing.”

“They wouldn’t take Megara though.”

“I suspect that she knows where Dain is.”

“We have no idea?” Zohn asked.

Miri shook her head, “No, none. So after the
alert I went looking for Allen and heard about what Alexis and
Megara did. I had a sneaking suspicion, so I went to find the
yacht, and it’s missing too.”

“Emily’s airplane isn’t in the hangar,” Kyle
told them. “Air Traffic Control said it headed south almost 24
hours ago.”

“What after that?”

“They went to radio silence. They were last
seen flying into Mexico, where the U.S. radio control lost their
signal.”

“They could be anywhere,” Chevalier said,
starting to get angry.

“Get with Garrett,” Zohn said to Mark, who
was standing behind Miri. “See if he’s heard from Alex.”

“He hasn’t,” Mark answered. “He hasn’t heard
from her in almost three days.”

“The information that the plane was heading
south doesn’t mean a lot,” Quinn said. “However, why take
Niccolo?”

“He’s a pilot,” Miri told him. “He’s also
Allen’s best friend.”

“Even after what he did?”

“Yes. Allen claims that Niccolo was trapped
between lying to the Council and protecting Lady Emily.”

“How so?”

“I don’t really know. That’s just what I’ve
heard.”

“Stay in Council City,” Chevalier told her.
She nodded and then disappeared with Asher, “Mark… get with Garrett
again. Go over every house he owns, anywhere Alexis might have
mentioned going, anything.

“Yes, Elder,” Mark said, and then blurred
away.

“Those four cannot take on Dain,” Kyle said,
looking over at Chevalier.

“I’m not sure there are four involved.”

“Niccolo though.”

“Alexis kept saying she wanted the family to
take care of Dain. If I had to guess… Niccolo was just the
pilot.”

“He wouldn’t allow them to go out alone
though would he?”

“If that’s what Allen wants, then yes.”

***

It was dark when Alexis and Megara left the
road and started across the dense Amazon. They’d been traveling for
over an hour to get near Dain, and now it was time to head out on
foot. Allen was a safe distance behind them and after hours in the
car, Megara and Alexis didn’t have to fake arguing.

“It’s a waste,” Megara said, pushing aside
some leaves.

“I’m not discussing this with you! Choosing
not to use my heku abilities isn’t something I’m putting up for a
vote.”

“I don’t see why you have some and don’t use
them.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Being a mortal would be boring.”

“No it wouldn’t. Aside from the blood, I live
as a mortal,” Alexis reminded her.

“Well I’d give anything to have heku
strength.”

“You may.”

“I doubt it.”

“You’re closest to Allen in abilities, and
he’s way stronger than any mortals.”

Megara rolled her eyes, “But way weaker than
heku.”

“He holds his own.”

“What are you going to do about Garrett?”

Alexis and Megara froze when they heard a
sound off to their left. They both watched the trees, but the noise
stopped.

“What was that?” Megara whispered.

“Could be anything.”

“Dain?” Megara whispered.

When no one answered, they started walking
again, this time more quiet. It wasn’t until a monk saki screamed
in the night that any noise was heard.

“What the hell?!” Megara screamed, and tried
to run.

Alexis held her arm, “Stop… it’s just a
monkey.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes”

Megara stopped pulling against Alexis and
looked around the dark, “I don’t see one.”

“Look up,” Alexis said, and then started to
walk.

Megara looked high into the trees and saw the
form of a large, black monkey, who was looking down at her. The
young girl ran to catch up with her sister.

Alexis was laughing, “Pretty brave for a
heku.”

“I wasn’t scared.”

“Yes you were.”

“I was not! I’m not scared of a monkey.”

“Wimp”

“Stop it, Alex.”

“No! Not until you admit you’re more human
than heku.”

“Don’t insult me.”

“It’s not an insult. It’s the truth.”

“Who screamed?” Dain asked, appearing behind
them.

They both spun to see him crouched in the
trees.

“Dain!” Megara yelled, and ran into his
arms.

“The brave little heku was afraid of a
monkey,” Alexis said, watching him.

“Leave her alone, Alex,” Dain said,
irritated. He watched Alexis carefully but never met her eye.

“No! You have no idea what a pain in the ass
she is.”

“Stop”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “It’s not my fault
that she’s not a full heku, and I don’t want to hear her bitch
about it anymore.”

“Don’t turn on her. Us kids are all she has
for a family.”

“She has Mom and Dad.”

“Mom, sometimes. She’s never had Dad.”

“I don’t want to turn this into a Dain vs.
Dad argument,” Alexis said. “Why did you call me out here to this
God-forsaken jungle?”

“To knock some sense into you,” Dain said,
pushing Megara off to the side.

“Do what?” Alexis asked, stepping back.

“Not literally! Stop acting like I’m going to
attack you.”

“You already did.”

“That just got out of hand.”

“You killed Mom.”

“She came back.”

“Still…”

“Lay off of her, Alex.”

“She hates the heku,” Megara said, pointing
to Alex. “She hides her abilities and pretends to be human.”

“I know that. She’s too influenced by society
and neglects her instincts,” Dain said. “However, I’ve decided how
to alleviate this from happening to Megara.”

“How’s that?” Megara asked. Everyone knew how
badly she wanted to be a full heku.

“I’ll turn you.”

“You will?!”

“Dain, no,” Alexis said sternly. “There’s
just so many things wrong with that.”

“I did some research, and there’s never been
a child turned. I bet after turning she would still grow up.”

“No!”

Dain shrugged, “It’s not up to you,
Alex.”

Megara looked at him, “You think you can turn
me alone?”

“I bet I can. You’re tiny, and I’m stronger
than most heku.”

“You don’t even know how,” Alexis said.
“You’ll end up killing her.”

“Oh, I know how. It’s all hokey ancient crap
that they go through for the ceremony, but it’s not needed. It’s
just tradition. I’m banking I can bypass all of that and turn her
myself.”

“You’ll kill her.”

“I drain her to the brink of death, and then
she drinks from me,” Dain said. “How hard can that be?”

“That’s what they do on television!” Alexis
said, starting to panic. “Heku aren’t T.V. vampires.”

“The ceremony isn’t necessary.”

“You think!”

“I’m smarter than to fall for the traditions.
It’s unnecessary, and if Megara wants to be a full heku, I’m not
going to make her stay mortal any longer.”

“We don’t know if she’s even mortal.”

Dain turned to Megara, “Do you want to be a
heku?”

She looked nervously at Alexis, “I don’t
know.”

“Don’t pay attention to her. She’s not a true
heku at heart and doesn’t know the pain you’re going through being
forced to stay human,” Dain told her.

“What if I die?”

“You have to trust me.”

“I don’t know,” Megara said again.

Dain produced a long stick from behind a
tree, “I’ve been thinking this over, and I’m going to turn you into
a heku.”

Her eyes grew wide, “I said I’m not
sure!”

“You are though. How can you possibly want to
stay as mortal as you are?”

“Dain, no,” Alexis said again, placing
herself between him and Megara. “I’m not going to let you do
this.”

“You can’t stop me, unless I look in your
eye.”

“I’ll try.”

“I’m not dumb enough to do that,” Dain said,
and then held his hand out. “Come here, Megara. Trust me.”

“I don’t want to,” Megara told him, taking
Alexis’ hand.

“You trust her over me? How can you trust
her? She follows Dad.”

“I don’t want turned right now.”

Alexis spun when Dain disappeared, and she
turned just as he appeared behind Megara and grabbed her. He lifted
her up so his teeth were at her neck, and she screamed.

Out of the trees, Allen blurred past Alexis
and slammed into Dain, knocking Megara free. She ran toward her
sister and watched as the fight started. Alexis didn’t wait to see
who would win. She ran forward and tried to grab onto Dain also.
She knew Allen couldn’t stop him for long, and now Megara’s life
was at stake.

With Alexis’ help, Allen was able to trap
Dain’s hands behind his back long enough for Alexis to try to force
him to look at her. As her hands took his head, he lashed out and
bit her on the neck, tearing off a chunk of her flesh.

Spinning on Allen, Dain wrenched his arm
behind his back, and he roared as the bones crushed beneath Dain’s
fingers.

Dain pushed Allen to the floor of the forest
and spun on Alexis, keeping his eyes away from hers, “That was
stupid, Alex! Why did you bring Allen? Are you seriously going to
try to take me down? I’m a full heku!”

“We have to, Dain. You have to be stopped.”
She was grasping her neck tightly to wait out the bleeding.

“Not by the likes of you two! You’re freaks…
not human, not heku, and I used to feel sorry for you, and now I
just might put you out of your misery.”

“Don’t touch them,” Megara said, stepping
toward him. “I won’t let you.”

“You’re too young to know what you’re ta…”
Dain’s words were cut off when Allen lunged at him from behind and
tried to twist his head to the side.

Alexis jumped at Dain when they tumbled to
the moss-covered ground. She landed on his chest and tried to help
Allen, but Dain threw her aside, and she slammed into a tall
tree.

Megara ran at her as she slumped to the
ground, and the small girl turned just as Dain and Allen blurred
into a fight that she couldn’t seem to see clearly. Blood saturated
the ground beneath them, and when Alexis was able to stand, she
stumbled back into the fight.

Using Dain’s own strength against him, Allen
nimbly dodged Dain’s next attack and swung him to the ground,
pinning him with his arm behind his back, his wrist wrenched
painfully to the side. Dain bellowed angrily and finally got the
leverage to throw Allen off of his back. He dove at his older
brother, and their fight blurred into fast movements.

Digging in her back pocket, Megara produced a
small vial that was corked shut and filled with scarlet liquid. She
looked up as Dain roared and Allen fell, unmoving. He was covered
in bites and blood, with long gashes along his entire body.

“Dain?” Megara said, pulling out the
stopper.

The second the scent hit the heku he froze
and turned to her with predatory eyes. The mere hint of Emily’s
pregnancy scent wiped all reason from his mind, and his instincts
took over instantly.

“No, Megara!” Alexis yelled, seeing what the
girl had.

Megara put the stopper back in the vial and
tossed it to Alexis when Dain lunged at her. He pinned her to the
ground and instantly plunged his teeth into her tiny neck as Alexis
pulled the stopper.

“Come get me, Dain,” she hissed as he let go
of the girl and turned toward his sister. It was apparent that he
was no longer thinking rationally, and it took only one small
glance at Alexis for her to get a lock on him and send him to ash
beside Megara.

Megara was crying as she grasped her bleeding
neck in her hand and crawled over to Allen, “Allen?”

He didn’t move when she took his hand and
looked back at Alexis. She was slowly sliding the ground, leaned up
against a tree. She was covered in blood, and her arm hung limply
at her side.

“Are you ok?” Megara asked her through
sobs.

Alexis shook her head, “You need… to get…
back to the plane.”

“I’m not leaving you here!”

“Listen to me… Niccolo is there…”

“No, Alex! I’m not leaving you.”

“Megara, I can’t heal fast enough, and I’m
losing too much blood,” Alexis whispered. “I don’t know if Allen’s
alive. You have to get back and take Dain’s ashes to Dad.”

“Allen, wake up,” Megara said, shaking him.
“Please, Allen. I need you.”

“Go, Megs. It’s ok,” Alexis said, forcing a
brave front.

“No, I’m going to get Niccolo,” Megara said,
standing up. “He can help.”

“Don’t get him involved in this. He’s in
enough trouble without being here when two of the Elder’s children
die.”