Equites
Book 4 of the Heku Series
Published by T.M. Nielsen at Smashwords
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Copyright © 2010 by T.M. Nielsen
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Attack
Chapter 2 – Recovery
Chapter 3 - Rescued
Chapter 4 - Horses
Chapter 5 – The Challenge
Chapter 6 – Day Off
Chapter 7 - Child
Chapter 8 – Bar-S Ranch
Chapter 9 – Winchester Heir
Chapter 10 - Paris
Chapter 11 - Ghosts
Chapter 12 - Forgive
Chapter 13 - Ranch
Chapter 14 - Bar
Chapter 15 - Switched
Chapter 16 - Compliance
Chapter 17 - Kyle
Chapter 18 - Scents
Chapter 19 – Alert Take 2
Chapter 20 - Book
Chapter 21 - Thukil
Chapter 22 - Charges
Chapter 23 - Apart
Chapter 24 - Alaska
Chapter 25 – New Elder
Chapter 26 - Kidnapping
Chapter 27 - Trio
Chapter 28 - Balance
Chapter 29 - Welcomed
Chapter 1 - Attack
Emily woke with a jump and heard an alarm sound from the city. She looked around the room, but she was alone. Sam came out of the nursery with Allen asleep in his arms.
“What’s going on?” she asked him.
“I don’t know,” Sam said, laying Allen down beside her. She cradled him in her arms and tried to clear the last of the sleep from her mind. Sam shut his eyes and listened closely.
“The Valle are attacking,” Sam said.
Emily frowned, “The Valle? Here in the city?”
Sam nodded, “Yes, the troops are at a standoff outside of the city, and their Council is meeting with ours right now.”
“I should go,” Emily said. She crawled out of bed and tried to find something to wear. It had been a few weeks since she could fasten her jeans, and she hated the clothes that made her look pregnant. Deciding she didn’t have a choice, she threw on a pair of pants and a black babydoll shirt.
Emily could hear the booming voices from outside of the council chambers. She turned on the fans that were installed to keep her scent from anyone down in the trial area, and then took a deep breath and stepped inside. She used the back door so her entrance was behind the Equites Council. As she appeared at Chevalier’s side, the entire room grew quiet and she put her hand on his shoulder.
“Is this a threat?” Sotomar asked.
Emily avoided looking at Exavior, but watched the enemy Elders closely. She could still hear the alarms in the distance.
“She is not here to threaten you. Though, I find it hard to believe that you are here peacefully with an entire army,” Maleth said angrily.
“What exactly are your demands?” Quinn asked them.
“We demand the return of the last remaining Encala council member, and the return of his mate,” Sotomar said, and glared at Emily.
Emily frowned.
“What concern is it of yours that we hold Vaughn?” Quinn questioned. Emily was surprised at the severity of his voice and how badly his tone scared her. Even the Valle Elder took a step back when Quinn spoke.
“We have formed an alliance with the Encala and are helping them rebuild, as such, we demand the return of what was taken,” Sotomar said to Maleth, now avoiding Quinn.
“We can peacefully discuss the return of Vaughn, but we don’t recognize the bonding enforced by an ancient,” Maleth said calmly.
“We don’t have to peacefully discuss anything! With the Encala and Valle forces joined, we outnumber you, and will get what we want one way or the other,” another of the Valle Elders yelled.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not standing right here,” Emily said finally, and all eyes turned to her.
The Valle Elder took a step towards her, “Are you with child?”
Emily wasn’t sure what to say. She knew at this point she could pass as either pregnant, or having put on some weight.
She watched him for a moment before Chevalier finally answered, “She is.”
“Does the child belong to Vaughn?” the Elder asked her.
“No,” she snapped.
“Then she should be punished for infidelity, as Vaughn is her rightful mate,” he said.
“I dare you to try it,” she said, taking a step forward, but Chevalier’s arm blocked her from going further.
“Again, we do not abide by any ritual performed by an ancient,” Maleth said.
“Does she bare the mark of the Encala?” Sotomar asked, grinning.
“For now,” Maleth told him, avoiding looking at Exavior. It was obvious to the entire Council that he had not shared his knowledge or his time with Emily, “As soon as she has the baby, it will be removed.”
“You have heard our demands. If they are not met in full, then we attack at dawn,” Sotomar said, and the Valle Council swept out of the council chambers.
“You always pick the worst times to make an entrance,” Damon said to Emily.
“Kiss my ass,” she yelled.
“Stop it!” Maleth said. “This is not the time for you two to bicker.”
“Yes, Sir,” Damon said, and looked straight forward.
“We have three hours to make a plan,” Quinn said.
“I’ve summoned all covens within a three-hour travel time, but we will still be outnumbered,” Chevalier said.
“Not with me here. I can take out a few thousand,” Emily reminded them.
“We can’t risk it. The last time, we weren’t sure you would survive,” Maleth reminded her.
Emily frowned.
“What do we lose by giving them Vaughn?” Quinn asked.
“We lose the ability to shut him up when he calls Emily,” Chevalier said, irritated.
“Which causes pain, right?”
“Yes”
“Pain that I can handle, hand him over,” Emily said.
“Handing him over won’t work. They want you both,” Quinn said to her.
“Then hand us both over, I don’t care,” Emily said. “I can handle myself over there.”
“Stop,” Chevalier whispered to her.
“No, I’m not going to stand by while the Equites Army is obliterated all because of me,” she said, frustrated.
Quinn raised an eyebrow.
“We can’t risk losing you. As long as we have you here, we will always have the upper hand.” Maleth tried to make her understand.
“Not if you won’t let me do it,” she said, frowning.
“How many can you harm without injury to yourself?” Quinn asked.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Ship her out. We’ll have her taken to a remote coven, maybe in Europe, until this is settled,” Maleth suggested.
“No! I won’t go,” Emily told him.
“You wouldn’t have a choice, Em,” Chevalier told her, and touched her
hand.
“Let me stay and fight with you. Why have this ability if you won’t let me use it? At least let me take out their Council and a few hundred of their army,” she said desperately.
“It’s too risky,” Maleth said to her.
“Not if I’m careful. When I start to get dizzy, or a headache, I’ll stop, but by then we may have the advantage of numbers.”
“She has a point,” Damon said bluntly.
“Shut up, Damon,” Chevalier and Maleth said at once.
Emily crossed her arms, “I don’t need your permission.”
Quinn looked up at her, surprised, “You would attack without our consent?”
“Did I have permission to take out the Encala?” she asked.
“I see,” he said, and folded his hands on the desk in front of him.
“This is more serious than that. This is a full-scale war that’s been building for centuries,” Maleth told her. “Right now, we need to consider what happens if the city is wiped out, and if that happens, you can’t be here.”
“Why aren’t you listening to me? If you let me fight, the city won’t get wiped out.” She stomped her foot and they all looked at her, surprised.
“The faction army is trained for fighting. They are skilled and willing to die to defend the city. You are not a part of that,” Quinn told her.
“Are you saying I’m not a part of this faction?” Emily scowled at him.
“That’s not what I said, merely that you are not a part of this fight.”
“Name one other member of this faction that you would turn away if they wanted to fight.”
“Emily, no,” Chevalier said sternly.
Emily nodded, “Fine, but good luck shipping me out.”
“Em,” Chevalier said, and she stormed out of the council chambers.
“Let her fight. What the hell good is she if she can’t fight?” Damon asked angrily.
“Are you saying that we just keep her around to clean up our messes?” Chevalier hissed.
“No, I’m just saying… what good is having a weapon if we can’t use it?”
“What good is having a weapon if we destroy it?” Maleth interjected.
The sounds of helicopters above the palace sounded and shook the doors and windows.
“Samuel’s Coven has arrived,” Maleth said, sighing.
“Let’s take Vaughn to them and see if they will avoid a war with just him. If they insist on going to war over Emily, we won’t have a choice. A Winchester in the hands of the Valle or the Encala would be disastrous,” Maleth suggested.
“Kyle?” Chevalier whispered, and he blurred into the room.
“Yes?”
“Have one of your units escort Vaughn to the Valle Elders, then I want Mark and Frank to take Emily in the helicopter. We’ll send Allen with the Council,” Chevalier ordered.
“Separate Emily and Allen?” Kyle asked.
Chevalier shut his eyes and nodded, “Yes, we need to separate the Winchester bloodline. Allen may not have Emily’s powers, but he’s young. We won’t know for sure the affects the ancient blood has on him until he’s older.
“Yes, Sir. Where shall they take her?” Kyle asked.
Chevalier sighed, “This Council does not want to know.”
Kyle nodded, clearly upset, and blurred from the room.
“Now what?” Quinn asked.
“Now we wait,” Chevalier said, sitting back in his chair.
An hour passed with no word as the Council went over strategies and tactics for surviving this skirmish. Finally, Kyle came back into the room.
“They accepted Vaughn, but are still threatening to attack in two hours if we don’t hand Emily over to them,” Kyle reported.
“Tell them she is no longer here,” Quinn said.
“I would… but we can’t find her. I have three units searching for her. If I pull any more, it will leave our defenses short.”
“How can a mortal elude a natural predator?” Damon growled.
“You try to find her,” Kyle said. “We’ve had this problem before, and it’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“I will find her,” Damon said, and blurred from the room.
“We’ve had four more covens arrive, ready to fight. We’re still not even close to being even for protecting the city,” Kyle said angrily. “I suggest we evacuate the Council.”
Maleth nodded, “We will in two hours if there is no other solution.”
“And if we find Emily, otherwise I’m not leaving,” Chevalier said.
Quinn smiled, “Damon will find her.”
***
“I smell you, mortal. You can’t hide from and ‘old one’,” Damon said from inside the kitchen.
Emily stood up beside the oven she had been hiding behind, “You know I’m right.”
“It’s not my place to question what the Elders have ordered. Which means you’re to be put on a helicopter out,” he said, taking her arm.
“Let me fight, Damon.”
“I can’t, that would be against a direct order.”
“Listen to me. Everyone in this city is going to die unless you let me go. You know I can do it,” she said, pleading.
“I wish I could. I’d love to see you take on the Valle, but I have my orders,” Damon said.
“I won’t tell if you let me go. Just tell them you couldn’t find me.”
“Lie to the Council?”
“Yes”
“No,” Damon said, and began to drag her from the kitchen.
Emily reached out and grabbed something from the counter and touched it to Damon’s neck. He fell with a loud thud and she took off running. She ran out of the palace toward the stables. Damon caught up with her just outside the door, and took the cattle prod from her as he picked her up.
“Let me go, Damon,” she screamed, and kicked as he cradled her in his arms and held her tightly. He walked her into the council chambers and dropped her onto her butt on the floor.
“Damon!” Chevalier growled.
“She hit me with this!” he said, holding the cattle prod out to the Elders. Emily scrambled to her feet, grabbed it, and touched his arm just as he reached to grab it back from her. Damon again fell to the ground.
“Emily, stop,” Maleth said, frustrated.
Damon got to his feet, grabbed the cattle prod, and raised his hand to hit her.
“Damon!” Chevalier hissed. He lowered his hand slowly, but watched her angrily.
“Touch me with that again, and even an Elder won’t be able to stop me,” he told her, seething.
“You don’t scare me,” she growled at him.
“Want me to change that?” he glared.
“Stop it, now,” Quinn ordered, and both Emily and Damon looked up at him suddenly.
Damon took his seat back with the Council.
“I’m not going with Mark and Frank,” Emily said, crossing her arms.
“Yes, you are,” Chevalier told her.
Mark and Frank walked in behind her. She glanced at them and then back to the Council.
“Don’t make me ash them,” she glared. Emily turned and screamed when she felt a pinch in her arm. She barely had time to see Kyle standing behind her with a needle before the darkness overwhelmed her.
Kyle caught her as she fell, and then handed her to Mark. Mark nodded and left with Emily cradled gently in his arms, her body hanging limply. Frank blurred out with them, and the door shut behind them.
“One more hour to go. They still won’t agree to a cease-fire without Emily,” Kyle said, turning to them.
Damon was chuckling.
“Will that hurt the baby?” Maleth frowned.
Kyle shook his head, “No, I got it from the doctor.”
“Yeah but will that hurt you?” Chevalier sighed.
Kyle grinned slightly, “I’m thinking probably so.”
“That’s it then… a war in Council City,” Quinn said, his hands balling into fists.
“Over a mortal,�
� Damon scowled.
“You have to think of what would happen if they got their hands on Emily, Damon,” Maleth said. “It would put a deadly weapon in the hands of the enemy.”
Chevalier growled. He hated when they spoke about his wife like she was a pawn. He shut his eyes and sighed when the noise of the helicopter leaving sounded from overhead.
“We need to evacuate the Council,” Kyle said urgently.
“I don’t want to abandon the army when they need help,” Chevalier said.
Quinn nodded, “Neither do I. I say we stay.”
“Send Maleth away with the rest of the Council then. Quinn and I will stay and fight,” Chevalier told them.
“I don’t want to leave either,” Damon said, irritated.
“Fine then, you can stay. The rest of you need to go,” Chevalier told them.
Maleth stood, he had no choice but to leave. If the unspeakable happened, he would be all that was left of the Equites Elders, and the nine council members would serve to bring up the rest of the leadership. As the council members stood to leave, they looked at the council members that decided to stay, and bowed.
“Take care of Emily and Allen for me,” Chevalier said to Maleth, his eyes full of pain. “She won’t understand this.”
“I will,” Maleth said softly, and headed up to the last helicopter, followed by the nine council members and Sam, who was carrying Allen.
Damon turned to Quinn and Chevalier, “Let’s go kill us some Valle.”
Chevalier blurred out of the council chambers and felt the exhilaration of battle. He could feel the tension building as he neared the front lines. Now he was able to turn his emotions over to the primal instincts that were so carefully tucked away. He stopped, and then advanced slowly to the front line. A malicious shroud had fallen over his features, and his predatory eyes scanned the enemy faction.
Sotomar stepped forward, “Have you come to stop this?”
“We sent Emily away. She’s not here to give,” Quinn said with such command that some of the Valle stepped further back.
“Yes I know. Frank is one of ours,” Sotomar said, smiling.
Chevalier’s face fell. He sent Emily away with a Valle. Damon growled and blurred forward, knocking Sotomar flat onto his back. The Valle moved in and met the Equites forces, the battle had begun.
Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Page 1
