Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Let me think, if Greg is a heku, that changes everything,” Chevalier said, frustrated.

  “Allen, are they asking Mommy questions?” Kyle asked him.

  Allen nodded.

  “What kind of questions?”

  “How to kill a heku,” he answered.

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes, the head man wants a map of the palace,” Allen said.

  Damon frowned, “What did Mommy say to that?”

  “She said we aren’t allowed out of our room,” Allen sighed. “Is she in trouble for lying?”

  Chevalier smiled, “No, she’s not.”

  “What else do they talk to Mommy about?” Damon asked him.

  “About me and the baby. They want to know who my Daddy is,” Allen told them.

  Chevalier frowned, “If he’s Valle or Encala, then he should already know that.”

  “Maybe he’s testing her, to see if she’s lying,” Kyle suggested.

  “He’d also know how to kill a heku without asking Emily,” Damon said.

  “Appearances… he’s keeping up his mortal appearances. If he knows too much about the ‘vampires,’ then others might become suspicious,” Chevalier said.

  “It’s no longer a mortal affair, let me go get her,” Damon said sternly.

  “How do we explain that then? How do we tell police she got away?” Chevalier asked. “We can’t make this any harder on her than it already is.”

  “I’ll go too,” Kyle said, thinking. “Damon and I won’t break her free, we’ll stay with her. We can get messages between her and the palace. We can make sure she has anything she needs.”

  Chevalier nodded, “That’s not a bad idea. Give it a few days, see what happens.”

  ***

  “Leave us,” Greg said to the others gathered around the V.E.S. table. Without question, the mortals all left the room, leaving Greg and Emily alone.

  Greg moved over beside Emily and grabbed her wrist, “You aren’t fooling anyone.”

  “I could say the same to you,” she said, glaring.

  “Tell me the layout of that palace,” he hissed, his eyes grew angry.

  “You know, as well as I do, that I’m not going to tell you that,” Emily snapped.

  Greg smiled, something he never did around the mortals, and he ran his tongue across his sharp canines. He pulled closer to her and inhaled deeply, then touched the tip of his nose to the vein in her neck, and Emily’s skin crawled.

  “Tell me,” he whispered, and pressed his lips against her neck.

  Emily felt a panic begin. She briefly thought about ashing him, but couldn’t figure out how to explain that to all of the men with guns.

  Emily whispered, “No.”

  Greg held tightly to her wrists and sunk his teeth into her neck. Emily gasped and fought to get away, but he was holding her too tightly. She felt the warmth and relaxation spread through her just before he pulled his head away from her.

  Greg smiled and pressed his lips to hers briefly, “I’m going to look forward to having you around, my dear. I bet you are dying to turn me to ash, aren’t you? Guess that’d make getting out of here kind of hard.”

  Emily slapped him as hard as she could.

  “You’re feisty, I like that,” Greg said.

  “The Equites won’t stand for this,” she told him, holding her neck with her hand.

  “They will live, I’m sure. You though… this hunger strike isn’t going to work. I don’t really care if you die, though it would spoil my new dessert. I’m not like the others. I see no value in the Winchester line except for the exceptional taste,” he said, grinning as he rocked back in his chair.

  “I can’t wait to see your head ripped off,” Emily said scathingly.

  Greg laughed, “I’m sure you would like that. Go get some rest. I’ll want to feed later, so you should keep your strength up.”

  Greg went to the door and opened it, “Take her back.”

  Emily was forcibly pushed out of the conference room and taken back to her house. She quickly locked the door and looked around. The small cabin was cold and empty. She sat down on the bed and pulled the covers up, and then she let her mind wander to the warmth of the palace and the feel of Chevalier’s arms around her.

  Greg visited Emily in the small house that night and once a night for the next three days. She felt herself becoming weaker, and she knew that soon she would either have to turn him to ash, or run the risk of dying. Rumors flooded the compound about the nightly visits, but none of them suspected the true reasons for their leader’s sudden infatuation with the rescued woman.

  “V.E.S. sources are now saying that Emily and their leader, Greg, have become an item,” the anchorman said, amused. “These sources claim tension within the compound has lessened, while tensions with law enforcement have grown. Now that the young son is free, the ATF has another witness to the amount of fire arms located within the compound. Day nine of the standoff leaves us no closer to a rescue than we were when she was first taken. ATF Agents are claiming a glitch in policy has prevented them from contacting Emily directly, though sessions are being held to alleviate the problem.”

  Chevalier hissed, “Kyle, Damon, go.”

  Kyle and Damon both nodded and blurred from the room. They were on the compound within an hour, and watched from the southeast corner as mortals patrolled the streets and walls with guns. They waited silently until most of the compound had gone to sleep before approaching Emily’s house. Her scent was strong enough that it had been easy to locate her exact position.

  They waited outside of Emily’s house as they got used to her scent. It was imperative that they kept control when they entered. Damon frowned when a lone figure approached the house and knocked. When no one answered, he pulled out a key and unlocked the door and disappeared inside.

  Kyle looked at Damon, who gave him the command to wait.

  Half an hour later, when the man left Emily’s house, Kyle knocked softly on her door. When no one answered, the heku moved around back and found a loose window. They climbed in the tiny house quietly. Emily was lying in the bed, and the heku could smell fresh blood. Kyle hissed and went to her while Damon waited in the corner, still acclimating to her scent.

  “Emily?” he asked, touching her hair softly.

  Emily turned toward him. Her pale expression and dull eyes surprised him, “Kyle?”

  Kyle ran his eyes over her quickly, and hissed when he saw the fresh bite marks on her neck.

  “It’s ok, we’re here,” he said, and touched her cheek lightly, her skin was cold.

  “Is he… feeding?” Damon scowled.

  Kyle nodded, and pulled another blanket over her, “I’m going to talk to Chevalier, stay here.”

  “If he comes back, I’ll kill him,” Damon said, his hands curling into claws.

  Kyle nodded, “Ok.”

  Chevalier looked up from Allen’s book when Kyle entered, “What’s wrong?”

  Kyle’s features were dark and fierce. He was crouched slightly and his hands were balled into tight fists, “He’s feeding off of her.”

  “What?” Chevalier growled, standing up. Sam came and took Allen into his room.

  “She doesn’t look well. It’s been going on for a few days at least,” Kyle told him.

  “Get her out. I don’t care what law enforcement says,” Chevalier hissed.

  “When we get her out, I want to wait for him,” Kyle whispered, maliciously.

  Chevalier nodded, “Do it.”

  Kyle disappeared from the room.

  “Take her back to the palace, I’m waiting here for Greg,” Kyle said when he crawled in through the unlocked window.

  Damon nodded and picked Emily up easily, wrapping her in blankets. She cried out softly as the movement made her back spasm.

  “I’ve opened the gate out back. Once you’re gone, I’ll make it look secure again,” Kyle said, his posture and voice were menacing.

  “I have her, let’s go,”
Damon said. He felt Emily try to hold onto his neck, but her hands slipped off of him.

  Damon slipped through the open fence, and immediately disappeared into the nearby trees. Kyle bent the wires of the fence and made them look untouched. He then went back into the house to wait.

  Chevalier met Damon at the door and took Emily from him. He couldn’t see her because of the blankets, but could smell fresh blood. He blurred up to her room and laid her down, then ordered servants to stoke both of the fires.

  Damon reappeared in Emily’s house and stood next to Kyle. They waited silently as the dawn broke.

  Finally, there was a knock on the front door and a soft female voice spoke, “Here’s your breakfast, Dear. I’ll leave it out here for you.”

  When the woman walked off, Damon opened the door and slipped the tray inside. He looked down at the congealed mass of oatmeal and wrinkled his nose. He picked up a small pill and held it up for Kyle to see, “B12.”

  Kyle nodded.

  Damon returned the tray to the doorstep and then stepped back to wait for Greg. No one else knocked or brought food the rest of the day. As night fell, the heku became anxious, and the anticipation of revenge grew.

  The knock came late at night, and they both moved into the shadows of the house. They had propped pillows up on the bed so it looked like Emily was still there. They stood perfectly still as the key rattled in the door and the door opened.

  “I’m back and very hungry tonight,” Greg said, laughing. He shut the door behind him and locked it, “You better start taking your B12, Child. I wouldn’t want to lose my favorite dessert.”

  “I think you already did,” Kyle said, stepping out of the shadows. Greg looked at him and crouched. He turned when he heard a noise behind him and saw Damon blocking the door.

  “You can’t kill me. It would raise suspicions,” Greg smiled.

  “Oh, I’m not going to kill you,” Damon said, taking a step forward.

  “I was thinking that we’d leave that up to her husband. He’s most anxious to meet you,” Kyle said with a chilling smile.

  ***

  “Federal ATF Agents have released a statement that the V.E.S. leadership has waved a white flag. The surrender of the cult comes after reports that their leader, Greg, abandoned them and left the compound unnoticed late last night. No word yet on the kidnapped woman, Emily,” the anchorwoman said. “Law Enforcement has arrested all adults in the compound, while twenty three children have been taken by Protective Services. ATF has spent the day cataloging and removing a variable arsenal of firearms.”

  Mark turned off the TV and turned to Quinn and Maleth, “Now what?”

  “We need to put out a statement of our own that Emily has been returned,” Maleth said.

  “Law Enforcement is going to want to talk to her though, she’s too weak for that,” Quinn said, frowning.

  “Get our attorneys on the phone. Find out what course of action we have to keep Emily out of the interrogation room,” Maleth said to Mark. Mark nodded and blurred from the room.

  “Shall we go see how she is today?” Quinn asked, standing up.

  Maleth nodded, and seconds later, both appeared at her door. He knocked softly.

  The doctor opened the door and motioned them both inside. The room was stiflingly hot and dark. Heavy curtains were pulled over the windows, and the lights were dimmed. Chevalier sat on the bed beside Emily and held her hand.

  “How is she?” Quinn asked, looking down at her. The dark circles under her eyes were in sharp contrast to the paleness of her skin.

  Chevalier shrugged and whispered, “Sleeping still.”

  Quinn whispered to Chevalier, “We’re contacting our attorneys to see how we can release that Emily is back, without the ATF questioning her.”

  Chevalier nodded.

  “Is there anything we can do?” Maleth asked.

  “Do you know yet if he is Valle or Encala?” Chevalier asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “Not yet, Zohn will be here within the hour to interrogate him,” Quinn said.

  “You trust him for that?” Chevalier questioned.

  “I will be there, as well.”

  Chevalier nodded and turned back to Emily.

  “It’s so cold,” she said, still mostly asleep.

  Chapter 4 - Horses

  “Tell me again why I can’t go?” Chevalier asked as he watched Emily hook up the trailer.

  “Because I want to do this alone,” Emily said, smiling at him. She was enjoying seeing Chevalier’s discomfort at watching her hook up the trailer. She knew he could do it twice as fast, but there were some things she enjoyed doing herself. She also knew that her limp caused by the cast was bothering him more than anything.

  Chevalier sighed and looked around the lawn, “Take Kyle then.”

  “No,” Emily said.

  “Mark?”

  Emily looked over at Chevalier, “Are we going to go through the entire guard list?”

  “Maybe”

  “Mark doesn’t want to drive for three hours each way, just to pick up some horses,” Emily said to him.

  “Mark does too, he’s taken your safety personally,” Chevalier said, grinning.

  “He’s done enough,” Emily told him, hooking up the wires for the turn signals and brake lights.

  “Mark,” Chevalier said under his breath.

  Mark appeared and leaned up against the horse trailer, “What’s up?

  Emily glared at Chevalier, “Don’t do that.”

  “What?” Chevalier asked innocently.

  “I’m going out to buy some horses, Mark… alone,” she added, and struggled to haul a bale of hay into the trailer. Mark tried to help her, but she glared at him and he backed off.

  “Em,” Chevalier sighed. “Your back.”

  “It hurts, big deal,” she said, going into the stable.

  “Mark,” Chevalier whispered again. Mark grinned and stepped into the horse trailer, ducking behind the pile of hay.

  Emily came out of the stables carrying three bridles. She let Ford into the back of the trailer and went around to the Durango, “I think that’s it.”

  “Last chance to take a handsomely dashing heku with you,” Chevalier said, smiling.

  “I apparently am, and he should at least come ride up front. It’ll get cold back in the trailer,” Emily said, hoisting herself into the Durango.

  Mark chuckled and blurred to the side of the Durango and stepped inside. As soon as the Durango was out of sight, Chevalier went back inside and met up with Kyle, and then they both headed down into the prison.

  “Let me talk to her!” Exavior yelled at them.

  “You know, we could start an Emily wing of the prison. Lock all of her suitors in there,” Kyle said jokingly.

  “That’d save her from having to search for them when she visits,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “Hello, Greg,” Kyle said, turning to the shackled heku in the cell.

  Greg looked up at them wearily.

  “We are here for some more fun. With Emily out of the building for seven hours or so, we have plenty of time,” Chevalier said, unlocking the door. Kyle turned the electrical current off to the shackles and unlocked them. He and Chevalier each took an arm and roughly dragged Greg to the interrogation chamber.

  “We don’t spend nearly enough time in here anymore,” Kyle said, shutting the door behind them. He looked around the room, smiling.

  The perfectly square room had dark rock walls and a plain dirt floor. Several tables stood toward the center, each with varying amounts of wires hooked up to it. One of the tables had ropes along the top and bottom, and could double as a rack torture if the need arose. An iron maiden stood up against one of the rock walls, and a guillotine sat across from it.

  “I’m actually afraid if I come here too often, Emily will find it,” Chevalier said, forcing Greg onto the rack torture table.

  “No!” Greg screamed.

  “Maybe we need to reinforce the door somehow.
Just in case she stumbles into it,” Kyle said, fixing Greg’s arms to the ropes as Chevalier tied his feet.

  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, I swear,” Greg pleaded.

  “Good idea. I’m so afraid she’s going to stumble in here someday. I know for a fact she wouldn’t understand,” Chevalier said, leaning back against the wall.

  “Please… don’t do this! I’ll cooperate,” Greg begged.

  “We don’t need information from you. Zohn got us what we needed to know,” Kyle told him, and sat down comfortably on a chair.

  “Then why are you doing this? Please stop,” he screamed.

  “The problem is, Emily’s stubborn. If she sees the door, she’ll wonder what’s inside and then she’ll find a way in,” Chevalier tried to explain over the sounds of Greg’s screaming.

  “If she finds it, just tell her it’s Damon’s playground.” Kyle grinned.

  “What is my playground?” Damon asked, stepping into the room.

  “This place. If Emily ever finds it, we’re going to say it’s yours,” Kyle told him.

  Damon nodded, “Fine by me.”

  “What’s up with you two anyway? Damn, it gets annoying,” Kyle asked Damon.

  “Ask the spoiled mortal. She starts it.”

  “Damon,” Chevalier growled.

  “Sorry, I mean… ask Emily. She starts it,” Damon said, grinning. “What are you two up to? I thought we got the information we needed out of this brave heku… who, I might add, spilled it before any torture actually happened.”

  “We’re here for fun.” Kyle smiled chillingly at Greg.

  “He fed off of my wife, that’s reason enough,” Chevalier said, watching the panicked look on Greg’s face.

  “The beauty is, we don’t have to worry about faction issues… he was an Equites before being banished a few hundred years ago. He’s free game,” Kyle told Damon.

  “So what’s on the agenda? I’m assuming Emily is preoccupied,” Damon said.

  “Gone for about seven hours. She and Mark went to get some horses up north,” Chevalier said.

  “Why does that make me cringe?”

  “Because you care as much about her as we do, you just won’t admit it,” Kyle said.