A scream made her jerk, and she looked up at the dark shadows and tall cement buildings. The scream continued as she looked around for the source. When it stopped, she grabbed the .357 from her glove box and stepped out of the car. From outside, she could hear a struggle off to her left.
Slowly moving forward, she crouched down and peered around the side of a warehouse and gasped. Four heku had a mortal man pinned to the ground. All four had their teeth sunk into him, and he screamed silently, fighting weakly to get away as the color drained from his face.
“Stop it!” she screamed, and stepped around the building.
All four heku jerked up from the mortal and stood to face her, crouching slightly.
“What faction are you?” she asked, and took a step closer. She looked down at the mortal man as he struggled to get to his hands and knees.
“No concern of yours, Gorgeous. Best get back in your car and get out of here before you’re next,” the tallest heku said. He was grinning at her as blood dripped from his lip into his black goatee.
She took another step towards them, “I may not be a Chief Enforcer, but I sure as hell know what you’re doing is against the heku laws.”
“Mmm, smell that,” he said, and inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes.
“Man, I think that’s the Elder’s wife,” the red headed one said, taking a step back.
“Those are just rumors, set to make us think our Council is stronger than it is,” he said, and ran his tongue along his teeth.
“So you are Equites,” Emily said, and slipped her gun into the back of her pants.
His eyes ran down her body, “Look boys, don’t kill this one. I have other plans for that body.”
The black haired heku grinned, “Leave some for us.”
Emily sighed and shook her head, “Such idiots.”
“How ‘bout a quickie before I feed, Darlin?” he asked, and inhaled again.
“Sure, how’s this for quick?” Emily asked, and turned the four instantly to ash. She ran up and knelt down beside the dazed man, “Hold still.”
He pushed weakly against her hands, and she saw that even his hands lacked any color, “Help me.”
“I’m trying. Stop fighting me,” she said, and stood up. She took his hand and pulled hard, finally getting him to his feet. He leaned against her, and she gasped and braced her legs to steady herself, “Let’s get into my car.”
“Vampires,” he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
“I know, they’re gone,” she groaned, and slowly made her way to the Aero. He leaned against the purple car when she opened the door, and then fell into the passenger seat. She shut the door and quickly got into the driver’s seat, then took one look at the alleyway full of ashes and gunned the car, heading for her home.
Heku posted throughout the city were able to give Kyle a general location of Emily’s purple sports car, one of the advantages of having such a unique color. He caught her scent in the dark recesses of the warehouse district, and easily found the alleyway. He smelled mortal blood, though not Emily’s, and then scooped the ashes into small leather bags, to be dealt with later. He searched the area for the injured mortal, but his scent stopped at the road.
Emily pulled up to the dark house and shut off the car. The man was groaning beside her and going in and out of consciousness. She ran over and unlocked the front door to the house and then opened the passenger side door to the Aero.
She leaned in and put his arm around her shoulder, “You need to get inside.”
He mumbled something incoherent, and she helped him stand up. As she supported him awkwardly, she moved him into the house and laid him down on one of the servant’s beds. The others were up the stairs and she knew she couldn’t get him up there.
Emily sat down beside him and took his hand, “You’re safe now.”
His eyes fluttered open and then shut suddenly.
“I hear ya,” she whispered, and looked toward the window.
Kyle stood outside of the wrought iron fence and looked at the purple car. He saw a shadow pass by a window and watched as Emily busied herself in one of the rooms on the main floor. He quickly dialed the Council.
“Zohn here.”
“It’s Kyle. She’s at her house.”
“Does she know you’re there?”
“No,” Kyle whispered.
“Just watch her while we decide what to do. We can’t risk her turning you to ash.”
“I found four sets of ashes she left already.”
Chevalier sighed, “Who are they?”
“I haven’t revived them yet. I smelled fresh mortal blood in the area though, not Emily’s, but pretty strong around the ashes.”
“I’ll be there in an hour,” Chevalier told him. “Just watch for now and let us know if she leaves.”
“Yes, Sir,” he said, and shut the phone. He quickly moved closer to the house and fell back into the shadows near her car.
Emily came back into the room with the injured man and set a tray down beside him, then sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand, “Are you awake?”
“Yes,” he whispered, though his eyes didn’t open.
“You need to take these pills, trust me, it will help,” she said, and grabbed a glass of juice and some B12.
“No”
“Yes, no arguing,” she told him, and slid her arm under his shoulders. She finally managed to help him sit up and he took the pills without a fight. Once she laid him down, she looked over the numerous bite marks on him.
“Vampires,” he whispered.
“There’re no vampires here, you’re safe.”
“Run, they’ll kill us.”
“I know. I’ll take care of it.”
Emily ran up the stairs to the bathroom and brought back gauze and the yellow goo, kept for her injuries. She sat down, and over the next hour, meticulously treated each of the eighteen bite marks on him. She was shocked to see scars along his torso that looked like both knife and gunshot scars.
When she finished, she dimmed the lights in the room and placed a cold rag over his eyes before she sat down and took his hand. He had shaggy brown hair and a sharp jaw and nose, with a scar on his forehead that looked like a knife wound.
“Who is that?” Chevalier asked.
Emily jumped and then looked over at him, “Don’t sneak up on me,” she whispered.
“Sorry,” he said, and walked in. He looked down at the man, “Who is he?”
She looked over at Kyle, who walked in after the Elder, “I don’t know. I caught four Equites feeding off of him in an alley.”
“Equites did this?” Kyle asked, his eyes wide.
“Yes,” Emily said, and readjusted the rag over the man’s eyes.
“You have them?” Chevalier asked him.
“Yes, I do,” Kyle said angrily.
Emily looked back when the man whispered something.
“What was that?” she asked, and leaned forward.
“He said he needs to run,” Chevalier told her when the man didn’t answer.
“You’re safe here,” Emily told him, and laid his hand across his chest. She pulled a blanket over him and motioned for Chevalier and Kyle to follow her out of his room.
“We’ll take him to a hospital and drop him off,” Chevalier told her after shutting his door.
She frowned, “No, I’ll take care of him. If we take him to a hospital, they’ll want to know who bit him.”
“We have covers for that.”
“I don’t care. Now the real reason you’re here, let me have it.”
Chevalier sat down, “You aren’t in trouble for leaving… or for turning the General to ash.”
She frowned and sat down, “I’m not?”
“No, Dustin overstepped. He went over the Elder’s heads on this, and that’s not allowed.”
“So where is he?”
“In prison, until we decide what to do.”
“I’m not in any trouble?” she asked, unsure she
trusted them on this.
“None, but you have to stop running,” Kyle said, and also sat down. “If you had just told the Council what happened, we would have backed you.”
“I thought they would be mad.”
“So? What’s the worst that can happen? We yell a bit and…”
“Lock me in the dark prison where heku yell at me and it’s cold and damp,” she whispered.
“We didn’t do that though, the Council didn’t,” Kyle reminded her.
“Someone on the Council did.”
“Not with approval.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Chevalier asked, and motioned for the door.
“As soon as he’s well, I’ll take him home,” she told him.
“Be careful what you tell him.”
“I will be. I’m not stupid.”
“I know… just be careful. You’re very trusting.”
“What do you want done with Dustin?” Kyle asked, changing the subject.
“Does it matter what I want?” Emily answered.
“We will take it into consideration.”
“Nothing then… as long as he leaves me the hell alone.”
“Nothing? Keep him on the Council?”
Emily sighed, “Yes.”
“We’ll pass that on and use it in our decision.”
“He’s awake,” Chevalier said, and glanced at the door.
Emily stood up and quickly went into the room. The man looked at her with dazed and confused eyes. She sat down beside him on the bed and put the cool rag back on his forehead.
“Where am I?” he asked, and shut his eyes.
“You’re in my home, you’re safe here.”
“Vampires…”
“There are no vampires here, I promise.”
“For now, they’re everywhere.”
“Not here.”
He sighed and started to go back to sleep.
“What’s your name?” Emily asked, and touched his cheek lightly.
“Robert,” he whispered, just before falling asleep.
Emily covered him up with another blanket and then moved out into the hallway with the heku.
“He’s sleeping,” she said, and shut his door.
“Normally when this happens, we bring a doctor to look at them and then send them home to rest. We just tell them they have the flu and shingles,” Kyle said.
“That’s awful,” Emily said, frowning.
“It works, there’s actually no such thing as shingles. Keeps the heku from being implicated.”
“I’ll keep him here until he’s better.”
Chevalier nodded, “You can stay here tonight to watch over him. I’ll send Silas and Kralen over.”
“We need to go punish these heku,” Kyle said, and held up four little leather bags.
“Thanks,” she whispered, and looked back at the door.
“He’ll sleep for a while. Get some rest and have Silas tell you when he wakes up.”
“Have them bring Dain over, will you?” Emily asked, and stood up.
Chevalier kissed her softly and then left with Kyle. Emily made some quick dinner and then checked on Robert before coming out to talk to Kralen and Silas.
Dain was hissing slightly in Kralen’s arms when she came out.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, stepping back from him.
“He smells blood,” Kralen explained, and tightened his grip on Dain.
Emily took Dain from him and started for the stairs, “If he wakes up, come get me ok?”
Silas nodded and looked over at the door.
***
Emily knocked lightly on the door and entered when Robert called out. She smiled and came in, shutting the door behind her.
“I thought you might be hungry,” she told him, and set down a tray.
“Starving, thanks,” he said, and grabbed one of the grilled cheese sandwiches.
“Sorry it’s nothing more elaborate. I have steak out for tonight though.”
“No, this is fine.”
Emily sat down on a chair beside him, “You’re about ready to go home I think.”
“How long have I been here?” he asked, and looked around the small room.
“Two weeks.”
“Wow, that long?”
“Yes”
“I appreciate you letting me stay here while I got over that vampire attack.”
Emily smiled, “There’s no such thing as vampires.”
He looked over at her, “You saw the bites.”
“I saw something… not sure they were bites though.”
“Of course they are.”
“Vampires are a myth. They don’t exist.”
“That’s a dangerous way to think, living in this city.”
“It’s true.”
“Then what happened to me?”
“I’m not sure exactly.”
Robert nodded slightly and finished his sandwich.
“Well, anyway, I can take you home this afternoon.”
Robert took the other sandwich and started to eat, “Nowhere to go. I’ll just walk.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have a home. I live on the streets.”
She sighed, “What do you do for a living?”
“I used to be a bodyguard.”
“Anyone I know?”
“No, just politicians mainly.”
“Is that why you’ve been shot?” she asked, trying not to pry too much.
“Yes”
“You used to bodyguard, what now?”
“Now, I’m a vampire hunter,” he told her, and set down the empty glass.
“Do you need more?”
“No, I’m fine,” he said, and slowly turned to sit up at the side of the bed.
“Oh, let me get you something to wear,” Emily said, and ran up the stairs to Exavior’s room. She pulled out a set of clothes from the closet and took them down to Robert.
He held up the clothes and grinned, “How big is your husband? Damn.”
“Kinda big,” she said. “Come out when you’re dressed, so we can talk more.”
He nodded and she shut the door behind her.
“Is he coming out then?” Kralen asked from the hallway.
“Yes, just keep out of sight, ok?”
“Will do… vampire hunter though?”
“Yeah… well…” she said, and sat down on a couch in the main foyer.
Kralen disappeared just as Robert opened the door and looked around, “Wow, nice house.”
“Thank you.”
“What does your husband do again?”
“He’s… military, kind of,” she said, and grinned slightly when she saw him holding his pants up. “Do you need a belt?”
“Yes please… He knows I’m here, right?”
“Of course he does,” Emily said, and ran up the stairs. She came back down and handed him a belt.
Robert slipped it on and kept looking around, “I just don’t want to tangle with him if he’s this big.”
“Don’t worry about Chev. He’s all bark and no bite,” Emily said, stifling a laugh.
“Good to know.”
“Would you like something to drink? We can talk in the library where it’s more comfortable.”
“Sure, more Coke please.”
Emily went into the kitchen and came back out a few minutes later. She handed him a glass and they went into the library and sat down.
“Military, you say?” he asked, looking over at the towering shelves full of books.
“Sort of.”
“I’ve never seen military with a house this big is all.”
“More about you, my life is boring. You said you’re a vampire hunter?”
He sat back on the chair and looked over at her, “Yes, I’ve made it my life’s work.”
“Why?”
“Private reasons.”
She frowned slightly, “So you hunt down the undead even though they attacked you and left yo
u in an alley.”
“They wouldn’t have left me,” he said, and took a drink.
“You were alone in that alley when I found you.”
“I’ve been thinking about that and I wonder what scared them off.”
“No one was around you.”
“Which reminds me, what were you doing in an alley in the middle of the night by yourself?”
“I like to drive around at night when I need to think.”
“It’s not safe. You shouldn’t be out by yourself.”
She smiled, “I can take care of myself.”
“This town is riddled with vampires. You can’t possibly defend yourself against them though.”
“I told you, there’s no such thing as vampires.”
“Live here long enough and you’ll see.”
“So you have nowhere to go?” she asked, setting down her drink.
“No, vampire hunting doesn’t pay well… I do ok though. I pick up handyman jobs once in a while to buy food, and I stay under the Clock Street Bridge to stay dry.”
“Don’t you have family?”
“Nope”
“I don’t like that you’re staying under a bridge.”
He smiled, “It’s just my way of life right now.”
She sighed, “Well, stay here then.”
“I can’t move in with you.”
“Why not? Chev’s gone for a while, and I work a lot. You’d be here alone most of the time.”
He looked over at her and sighed, “You have no sense of danger do you?”
“Why do you say that? You sound like my husband.”
“You pick up a beaten and bloodied stranger, bring him to your home, nurse him back to health, and then offer to let him stay. Does that not seem dangerous at all to you?”
“I told you… I can take care of myself.”
“I’m half tempted to stay here just to watch over you,” he chuckled.
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Not right now. You got lucky, and I don’t plan on hurting you… but you have to admit, you’re a pretty girl, and small. I’m sure you could land yourself into trouble without even trying.”
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 6
