"No, I left him back on your ranch with the rest of the ashes. It'll be good for him." His tone was light and amused again.

Emily scooted away from him and propped herself up on one elbow. "Then who am I going to be practicing on?"

His face showed indecision as he considered exactly what to tell her. "There were some problems while I was away, and I need to deal with them. I thought you could practice while I did it."

Her breath caught. "You want me to ash them? Are you kidding me?"

He took her hand into his. "Emily, you have to practice. You can't do so on anyone but a heku. Why not on ones that are about to go into stasis anyway, for crimes against the coven?"

"No, I won't do it, Chev! I won't be a monster around here with people afraid to so much as look at me." She got out of bed and headed for the wardrobe. "Oh, there goes our punisher! Don't tick her off, or she'll turn you into ash."

Chevalier grimaced, and then instantly appeared in front of her. "No one will know. I wouldn't do that to you."

"No," she yelled, and stopped in front of him, meeting his gaze.

"You need to practice. You have to learn more control."

"Not like that."

"Then how?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't make me do this," she pleaded.

A low growl erupted from him. "I won't force you to do anything." He was able to calm himself some. "How do you propose to hone your skills?"

She shrugged and walked around him, opening up the wardrobe. It was full of pastel colors and flowing fabrics. She rifled through them and noticed they were all delicate, feminine dresses. "Great."

Chevalier watched with some amusement while she went through the other wardrobes and found only slight variations from the first. She stormed back to her suitcase and removed the jeans and t-shirt, then disappeared through the French doors into the bathroom.

Chevalier sat to wait for her on one of the velvet covered chairs. He sighed when his phone rang. "Yes?"

"There's a problem, sir. Ulrich is going to the Elders," Storm said, sounding concerned.

Chevalier frowned. "To do what? The Elders will..." He paused and lowered his voice, "The Elders will kill her if they find out how many of us she's turned to ash, so he can't tell them about her. What exactly is he going to complain to them about?"

"He's going for a type of custody battle, sir. He is claiming that you have taken his granddaughter from him. He's also planning on saying it was more of a kidnapping. I know what he wants to do. He wants the Elders to bring Emily in to them so they can ask her themselves."

Chevalier hissed.

"Sir," Storm continued. "I know you already know this, but if she leaves this island and comes anywhere near the Elders, it would give Ulrich the chance to take her back."

"I know, Storm," he growled at her. "Tell the Elders I'm contesting his claim, and I'll be there in the morning."

"Yes, sir, we'll have everything ready."

Chevalier shut his cell phone and slammed it down on the table, shattering it into several pieces. His eyes burned with rage.

After a few minutes, he was able to regain control. He had to tell Emily he was leaving again, this time for longer, and he could only imagine how she was going to take it. She emerged from the bathroom, still sulking, but she froze when she saw him.

"What's wrong?" She stayed back away from him.

"I have to go away for a few days." He stood up but noticed that she took a step back.

"I'll come with you."

"You can't. I need you to stay here."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is this about me?"

"No, Emily, it's just something I have to do. You'll be safe here, and I'll be back before you know it." He tried to reassure her with a smile.

"Is Storm going?"

"Yes"

"Well, of course she is. It won't matter. I'm leaving today anyway." She headed over and zipped her suitcase shut.

"Emily," he said, his shoulders slumped. "Please don't do this. Just stay until I get back."

"Why should I, Chevalier? This has all been a misunderstanding, and if I get back now, I can let Kyle go and get back to the ranch where I belong." She was watching the floor.

"It's already gone. The ranch has been sold."

"It hasn't been for sale long enough to be sold already."

"Nevertheless, it's been sold," Chevalier said. He didn't want to tell her that a large agricultural coven had purchased the livestock, and the city of Great Falls had jumped at the chance to buy the property.

She looked up at him suddenly, angry that the tears were coming so easily in front of him. She fought to keep the tears out of her eyes but wasn't having any luck. "It's gone?"

Chevalier nodded.

She turned away from him as the tears started flowing faster.

He silently moved up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Emily..."

She jerked out from his grasp, still not turning around.

"Emily, just stay here. I beg you. When I get back, we'll figure things out." He granted her wish not to be touched.

She mumbled something quietly under her breath, but he caught it, "If you come back."

"It'll only be a few days, and then I'll be back. I promise. Why don't you enjoy yourself? Go out and look around the city. It's safe for you now."

She shrugged and halfway nodded.

Chevalier took one step toward her and then reconsidered and left her alone in the large bedroom.

As soon as the doors shut, she grabbed a nearby vase and threw it against the doors, shattering it in a violent crash. The sound made her feel a little better, but she quickly realized that she was alone yet again.

Emily sat on the bed and looked around. She started to feel uneasy and bored in the room, so she sighed and headed out the doors, determined to look around on her own.

Anna met her gaze as she left the bedroom. "Yes, Lady Emily?"

She ignored the title. "You get a day off, Anna."

"Pardon me?" Anna asked politely.

"A day off. That means no following me around. Go home... visit family..."

Anna looked at Emily, confused.

"It's a hint, Anna. I'm exploring alone today." Emily cursed under her breath when she moved for the door, and it opened before she reached it. The heku outside of her door bowed to her again.

"And stop bowing!" she screamed at him.

She could feel Anna and the door heku watching her when she left the hallway. Emily looked both directions and decided that left looked interesting. The entire place seemed abandoned. She couldn't see a single living thing, but she knew they were there, hiding from her for some reason. Maybe it was Chevalier's idea of privacy, but for her, it was creepy.

Some of the doors were locked, but most opened up into rooms that were breathtakingly beautiful, yet smaller than the one she was in currently. She found a library. It was as large as the city library in Great Falls, but the books were all older and didn't fall into any organization as far as she could tell. She accidentally ran into the kitchen again, and not feeling hungry, she just shut the door.

It had been hours she'd spent going through the castle, opening doors, and exploring old rooms full of antiques and art. As she rounded a dark corner, she screamed, and then laughed at herself when she recognized the suit of armor in the shadows. She studied the armor for a moment. When she reached out to touch it, a hiss sounded from the shadows nearby. She drew her hand back and turned toward the noise, but she couldn't see anyone there.

She screamed again as a voice sounded behind her. "Emily?"

Emily spun, ready to attack, but calmed instantly. "Kyle!"

He bowed slightly to her. "I have something for you. Please allow me to show you." He motioned down an adjacent hallway.

Emily followed him through the confusing hallways. "Kyle? Is it... well is it all gone?"

He nodded to her.

"How did you sell it so quickly?"

"The city bought it as soon as they heard it was for sale."

"Great, they'll turn my dad's ranch into a strip-mall."

Another large door opened with invisible hands, and they stepped out into the bright sunlight of day. Kyle immediately pulled on sun glasses and began to walk across a lush yard toward outbuildings. Emily had to almost run to keep pace with him. When they got closer to the building, she noticed it was a barn, and her hopes began to grow.

"Do you have animals here?" she asked, getting excited.

"Not many, but we are getting more soon." Kyle opened the large door and let Emily inside.

Emily froze, and her entire body suddenly erupted with emotion. "Patra!"

She ran to the mare and wrapped her arms around the horse's neck. Patra responded by picking at Emily's red hair with her mouth. Emily pressed her face into the horse's powerful neck and let the tears go. When she regained some composure, she turned to Kyle, who was standing silently by the door, trying not to watch them.

Kyle barely had time to react when she ran and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Kyle. Thank you." The tears were streaming again.

Kyle stood perfectly still as his eyes darted around to make sure no one was watching. He wasn't sure how Chevalier would take the situation. The entire coven had been issued strong orders not to touch Emily.

When his shirt became wet with tears, he gently pulled her off of him and moved a step back. "It is just a gift, Lady Emily. I thought you might enjoy a taste of home. I put some personal items in the barn's storage shed also."

Kyle's eyes were understanding and deep with wisdom. Emily could tell that he was exceedingly old. His eyes told a story of things known only to those with a long history.

"Let me get you a saddle," Kyle said, heading toward a side room in the barn.

"No thanks, Kyle. I have this." With one quick jump, she was on Patra, leaning over and hugging the horse again.

"Very well, is there anything else you require? Shall I ride with you?" He hesitated. His question seemed innocent enough, and he worried about sending her out alone, but it was well known that the girl belonged to the Chief Enforcer.

"Oh please, come with me!" She sounded truly excited.

Kyle nodded and proceeded to saddle a beautiful buckskin mare. Only a few minutes had passed before he was on the horse, looking graceful and comfortable. "Shall we go?" he asked, heading out the barn door.

The ride was just what she needed. The mesa was large enough to break into a full gallop, and she enjoyed the feel of the wind through her hair. The fresh air was exquisite, and she instantly felt better. Kyle kept up with her easily, never speaking, and letting her lead the way. Emily brought the horses to the tree line and then set out along the edge of a small forest.

Kyle saw him an instant before Patra reacted. He yelled at the strange heku, but it was too late. The horse was startled. Patra reared up to paw at the stranger, whinnying loudly. The sudden change sent Emily off the back of the mare, and she landed with a thud on the ground. In less than a second, Kyle was off his horse and had the intruding heku by the neck. A fierce growl erupting from deep within Kyle, and the young heku was terrified.

Emily sat up slowly. It had all happened so quickly, that she wasn't sure what was going on. Her head throbbed where she'd hit the ground, and when she touched it, her hand became wet with blood. She covered the gaping wound with her hand and stood up, steadying her feet underneath her.

"Kyle, don't do that. It's okay," she said, seeing the seething way that Kyle was watching the new heku.

Kyle stiffened and smelled the air, then spun toward Emily. His hand was still wrapped tightly around the other heku's neck.

Emily recoiled back a step. Kyle's eyes were fierce and angry. "Get back to the barn," he ordered.

"Let him go, please." She could tell by the look on the strange heku's face that he was on the brink of death.

Emily met the new heku's eyes and saw something that made her fear him. He was watching her, his breathing was fast, and his lips were drawn back into a snarl. Suddenly, he was fighting to get to her. Kyle's hands were the only thing restraining him.

"Now!" Kyle yelled at her.

She mounted Patra quickly and kicked her hard into a gallop, racing for the barn, too afraid to look back. Once in the safety of the barn, she dismounted and tied Patra to a post. She heard a sharp inhale from the shadows around her, and she ran, without thinking, trying to make it back to the house.

The house full of heku.

Emily stopped running halfway between the barn and the house, suddenly unsure of where to go. She could feel the blood running down her neck and back.

Emily spun. The house was closest, and the barn was across the lawn from it. To her left was an empty field, and to her right was a steep drop to the houses below. She couldn't see or hear anyone. Her senses were heightened with fear.

Someone touched the back of her head, and she turned on them. It was Anna.

"Come, child," Anna said as she pressed a towel hard against the flow of blood streaming from Emily's head.

Emily couldn't move. She watched the heku's face to see if she was going to attack.

Anna just smiled warmly, but her teeth stood out sharply. "Please, come inside where I can look closer."