Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

“You just keep thinking that,” Damon growled. “Maybe I’m nervous because any time she leaves the palace, she somehow manages to find trouble.”

  “She’s with Mark, she’s ok,” Chevalier said, and looked down at Greg.

  “Please, no,” Greg whispered.

  “You’re an idiot,” Chevalier said. “What made you think you could kidnap my family, and feed off of my wife?”

  “I didn’t know, ok? I didn’t know they were yours.”

  “Sure you did,” Chevalier said, and turned the crank once, stretching Greg’s limbs painfully.

  Greg’s piercing screams rang through the prison.

  ***

  “Give me the map,” Mark said, amused.

  “No, I know where we’re going.” Emily looked both ways, trying to decide which to turn.

  “Sure you do, so do we go north or south?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Emily pulled out the map and turned it around several times before Mark took it from her.

  “Turn left,” Mark told her, and handed her the map.

  “I knew that,” she said, irritated, and turned left onto the county road.

  “What are we getting again?”

  “Three horses, a palomino and a paint stallion, and then an appaloosa mare.” She looked up at the clouds forming.

  “Are you going to breed Patra?”

  “Yes, this time not with Chevalier’s Arabian,” Emily said, pulling into a large horse ranch.

  “That Arabian has personality.”

  Emily stopped the Durango and slid out, “Stay here, let me go see if he’s here yet.”

  Mark watched Emily carefully as she went up to the house and knocked on the door. An older man answered and shook her hand, then invited her inside. Mark turned his head slightly so he could better hear what was going on inside the house.

  “I’m almost ready, you’re a little early,” the man said.

  “That’s fine, I’ll go wait by the trailer,” Emily told him.

  “No, no, it’s going to rain soon. Wait here and I’ll be right back. Help yourself to some coffee.”

  Mark settled back in his seat to wait. He could hear the man shuffling around the house while Emily sat inside and tapped her fingers impatiently against the table.

  A short time later, the man came out, followed by Emily. He looked at Mark sitting in the Durango, and tipped his cowboy hat toward him. Mark just nodded and watched them.

  “Here’s the appaloosa mare. She’s two years old, but broken, and a very gentle horse,” the man said.

  “Do you mind if I try her out?” Emily asked.

  “Not at all, let me get a saddle.”

  “It’s ok,” Emily said, and used a bale of hay to hoist herself onto the mare.

  The man sat back and watched Emily maneuver around the front of the ranch, “You’re right. She’s a beautiful creature.”

  “The other two are over here,” he said, taking her to another part of his large stable.

  Mark met them inside and took the mare out to the trailer. Emily didn’t ride the other two. They were a lot taller, and even though she wouldn’t admit it, Mark knew her back was still bothering her and it was hard for her to get onto the taller horses.

  Mark loaded the paint and palomino into the trailer and heard Emily gasp. He looked over quickly, and saw that her eyes were fixed on a black stallion out in the open corral, “He’s beautiful.”

  “He’s a handful,” the man said, coming to stand beside Emily. “Mustang… we caught him down in Colorado last month. We haven’t been able to break him.”

  Emily watched him rear back and buck when he saw the people watching him.

  “How much?” she asked, her eyes glued on the mustang.

  “Ma’am, I don’t know if I’d feel right selling that beast to you. He’s an ornery old fella, mean as they come,” he said, watching the stallion wearily.

  “I can handle him,” Emily said.

  Mark cringed. He could just hear the fight when Emily decided to try to break the mustang herself.

  “I’ll tell you what. You promise to not get yourself killed breaking him, and I’ll give him to you. He’s useless. I can’t train him, and all he does is fight me,” the man said, glancing back at Mark.

  Emily nodded, “I’ll take him.”

  “Ok, but let your husband put him in the trailer,” the man said, and Mark stepped forward.

  “No, I’ll get him,” Emily said. She crawled through the fence and into the corral.

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he said, watching her.

  Mark sighed from behind the man, “No use trying to stop her.”

  “Yeah well, she’s pregnant and that mustang is pure evil, not a good mix,” the man said nervously.

  “Emily, let me get him, please,” Mark said, stepping into the corral. He passed Emily quickly as the old rancher watched. He would tell his friends later that the man with Emily moved faster than any man he’d ever seen.

  Mark took the rope that was around the nervous horse’s neck and had to use a lot of strength to get him to move. The horse reared back, but Mark held him to the ground with the rope. He was only kicked a few times before he got the door on the trailer shut and locked.

  “You ok there?” the rancher asked, worried.

  “Yeah, glancing blows, he barely hit me,” Mark said, smiling as one of his ribs healed.

  Emily paid the man and headed back to her Durango as the rain started to pour.

  “Why don’t you come on in and eat first, it’s lunch time,” the man said. Emily glanced at Mark, and he nodded.

  “Sure, I’ll come eat, but Mark’s not feeling well,” Emily said, and followed the old rancher inside.

  Mark sat back and listened to their conversation. It was obvious that the elderly rancher was lonely, and currently running the ranch by himself. He also kept an eye on the rain. It was a torrential downpour by the time the mortals began to eat, and he was worried about the river a few miles back.

  After almost an hour, Emily poked her head out of the house and motioned for Mark to come inside. He sighed, already knowing they were staying for the night.

  “The bridge is impassable because of the rain,” Emily said when Mark came in. “Grant said we can stay here tonight, he has an extra room.”

  “An… extra room?” Mark asked nervously.

  “It’s ok, we’ll manage one night. The phones here are out though, and I’m not getting a cell signal, are you?” Emily asked.

  Mark checked his cell phone and shook his head, “Nope, no signal.”

  “I hope you don’t mind a full sized bed. It’s comfortable, but small,” he said, leading Mark and Emily into the back room.

  “No that’ll be fine. I hope we aren’t putting you out,” Emily said, smiling at him.

  “Not at all, it’ll be good to have company tonight,” Grant said. “I’ll let you kids get settled. Feel free to take a shower if you need it, and I’ll go start dinner.”

  “Oh please, Grant, let me,” Emily said, and made her way to the kitchen. Once again, the everyday busy work kept her mind occupied and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Mark was forced to watch two hours of M*A*S*H reruns with Grant, but he didn’t complain. He sat by and let the old man visit.

  Emily and Grant sat down to eat dinner while Mark thumbed through the three TV channels that were available, hoping for some news on the weather. After dinner, Grant broke out Monopoly, and Mark endured two games.

  Emily grinned at Mark. She could tell he wasn’t enjoying the night, but there wasn’t much else to do.

  ***

  “Since when?” Kyle asked Greg.

  Greg was panting and his face showed the pain he was feeling, “Please, it’s been a while.”

  “Hrm, interesting,” Chevalier said, raising his eyebrows.

  “I won’t do it again, I swear,” Greg said, screaming in pain as Damon touched the button to the electrical circuit.

  “That’s almost funny. Kidnap
ping Emily and Allen was an accident,” Kyle chuckled.

  “Almost funny,” Chevalier said, watching Greg scream. “Not funny enough, though.”

  “Speaking of Emily, isn’t she late?” Damon asked, and then took his finger off of the button.

  Chevalier frowned, “Yes she is. Let’s finish up here and I’ll go call her.”

  “Finish up? I was just getting started,” Kyle said, frowning at Greg.

  “Please, please let me go,” Greg cried.

  “She is with Mark,” Damon said, and watched Greg.

  “True,” Chevalier said, grinning.

  ***

  Emily rolled over and looked at Mark. He was standing by the window, looking out, “Are you going to stand there all night?”

  Mark nodded, “Yes… unless you would like me to go back to the Durango.”

  “No, but you’re making me nervous.”

  “Oh?” Mark turned to her.

  “Your nerves… Chevalier is not going to be mad about tonight. What were we supposed to do? Float the Durango and trailer across?” Emily asked him.

  “I’m not nervous, just watching the rain,” Mark said, turning back to the window.

  “Ok,” Emily sighed, and curled up on her side.

  Mark listened to Emily’s breathing until it turned slow and rhythmic, and then he turned to watch her sleep. He thought watching her sleep was fascinating, something he hadn’t done for almost 1300 years. She was animated and full of emotion, when most were calm and still. It wasn’t long before Emily began moving in her sleep. It started with her hands clasping, and slowly moved up her body until she was frowning.

  Emily’s breathing changed, it became rapid and strained. She was clutching the covers in tightly fisted hands.

  “No, don’t go,” she whispered softly.

  Mark wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want Grant to hear Emily cry out in her sleep. He watched her closely and knelt down beside the bed when she became more restless and her cries got louder. He touched her shoulder softly and she settled down a little.

  Mark began to wonder what horrors Emily had been through since joining Chevalier in the world of the immortal. Her peaceful ranch life, upended, as she was thrown into an ancient war full of violence and deceit. It didn’t surprise him that she had nightmares often. Mark resigned himself, after watching Emily, that if he ever fell for a mortal, he wouldn’t involve her in his world. It wasn’t worth it.

  Mark’s eyes fell to the bulge on Emily’s stomach and he realized how rarely it happened, a mortal and a heku. It was almost too much to even think about, the improbable odds of it happening. He made the choice before he turned immortal to give up any of the mortal emotions having to do with love and family. Now though, he looked at this mortal, one who loved a heku, fought for a heku, and carried the child of a heku, and suddenly, everything seemed possible again.

  “Don’t… it hurts,” Emily said softly.

  Mark sat on the floor beside the bed and took her hand. She laced her fingers through his in her sleep, and settled back down for the night as she pulled his hand close to her.

  ***

  “She’s asleep,” Chevalier said, after taking a moment to see if he could figure out where Emily was. He’d called her cell phone, but there was no answer. One of the servants found a storm warning in the area Emily was visiting.

  “She’s with Mark. This just means we can keep going,” Kyle said, watching Greg cry tearlessly.

  “He’s kind of pathetic,” Damon said, hooking a clamp on Greg’s left foot. “I saw this once during the Crusades. We’d just run into a group of Cathars who had a hold of one of the Knights, and they were doing this to some of the Crusaders. I always wanted to try it.”

  Damon went over to a newly stoked fire, and pulled a hot poker out of it and looked at it as it glowed red, “They burned their feet… guess it’s pretty painful.”

  “No, please,” Greg said, his voice hoarse from screaming.

  Damon shrugged and touched the glowing poker to the bottom of Greg’s foot. Greg screamed an almost soundless scream, his voice had given out and his wails were nothing but whispers.

  “That smells awful,” Kyle said, watching Damon.

  “Yeah it does, maybe that wasn’t a good idea.” Damon returned the poker to the fire.

  “Let’s call it. It’s almost morning and I’m hoping Emily will be home soon,” Chevalier said.

  Damon nodded, “Ok, I’ll have a guard return him to his cell. I’m in the mood for some breakfast.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Kyle said, grinning. “I haven’t had a night like that in a while, deserves some feeding time. Come with, Chevalier.”

  Chevalier thought for a moment and then nodded, “Sure, let’s go.”

  ***

  “Those were some good pancakes. My Beth used to make pancakes every Sunday morning,” Grant said, taking a few more pancakes from the stack.

  “Thanks, they are always my favorite.” Emily smiled.

  “You still feeling too sick to eat?” Grant asked Mark.

  Mark nodded, “Yes, sick.”

  Emily finished up breakfast and drove out with Grant to check the bridge. It was cleared of debris. Emily and Mark were on the road headed back to Council City within the hour.

  “Can I ask you something, purely in confidence?” Mark asked.

  “Sure, ask away,” Emily said, slipping her sunglasses out of the visor.

  “Are you ok?” Mark asked, looking at her.

  “I’m fine, why?”

  “It’s just… you know. Nightmares, they seem pretty bad.”

  Emily shrugged, “I guess I’m getting used to them.”

  “Did you have them before you met Chevalier?” He knew this was crossing the line, and hoped Emily wouldn’t say anything to the Elder.

  “No”

  “I guess I just worry about how much you’ve been through lately. It seems you can’t spend a nice quiet day doing nothing.” Mark turned back to the fields by the Interstate.

  “Yesterday was a nice quiet day. I know you were bored, but I enjoyed it,” Emily said, smiling.

  “You’re probably the strongest mortal I’ve ever met,” Mark said, impressed.

  Emily laughed, “Too bad no one else thinks so.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ. Everyone knows it, and it scares them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s your strength that gets you into trouble. If you weren’t strong, you wouldn’t take on the Encala alone, or survive being captured and tortured by the Valle.”

  “I didn’t have a choice though.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Any mortal I’ve met would have curled up into a ball and withered away,” Mark said, smiling.

  “Not my style.”

  “My point exactly.”

  “While we’re talking in confidence…” Emily said, and glanced at Mark.

  “Yes?”

  “What’s so appealing about my blood?” Emily cringed. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to ask.

  Mark winced, “Well… it’s… at least it smells… really good.”

  “Yes, but how?”

  “Hrm… sweeter smelling, it makes us…” Mark thought for a moment. “It’s hard to talk about. When you think about a mortal as a friend, it’s hard to think of them as nourishment also.”

  “Try,” Emily asked.

  “Ok… so when you’re not pregnant, your scent is sweet and extremely enticing. When you simply walk by a heku, it makes our instincts to feed kick in. It burns our throats and makes our mouths water. The instincts of a heku are very strong. We’re made predators, and that’s always at the forefront of everything we do,” Mark explained.

  “And when I am pregnant?”

  “That intensifies by a hundred times,” Mark said, smiling slightly.

  “So how do you control it?”

  “It’s hard, but we have to try to remember who you are, that you aren’t an available option for feeding. Then on
ce in a while… you catch us off guard, and we may have to stay away from you for a few minutes while we re-acclimate.”

  “Hrm,” Emily said, thinking.

  “Did I offend you?”

  “No, not at all. I appreciate your honesty,” she said, and smiled at him.

  “While we’re being honest… are you going to try to break that mustang?” Mark asked her.

  “Of course, after the baby comes.”

  “Chevalier’s not going to like that. You can see the look in that horse’s eyes, he’s insane.”

  “He’s never been given a chance. He’ll be ok.”

  “I’m not worried about the horse. I’m worried about you.”

  Emily patted his leg, “I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. I know what I’m doing.”

  “But your back…”

  “It’s still touchy, but it’ll quit hurting.”

  “Hopefully. I just can’t imagine if he bucks you off,” Mark said, concerned.

  “Oh, he’ll buck me off.” Emily laughed, “Then I’ll crawl back on.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Mark said. He watched as Emily pulled up in front of the palace’s stable.

  It took Mark and Emily almost an hour to get the mustang into the open corral. By then, a lot of the Cavalry joined them to see what the fighting was about. While Mark and Emily worked to get a bridle on the wild stallion, the other members of the Cavalry took the three horses into stalls and made sure they were fed and watered, and then they came back out to watch.

  Emily tried to calm the mustang with treats as Mark attempted to slip the bridle on him. After the third time Mark was sent flying with a kick from the malicious stallion, both of them took a break. Emily stood outside of the corral with her arms on the railing and her chin resting on her hands. The mustang was bucking and slinging his head, obviously unhappy with his situation.

  “That’s the meanest horse I’ve ever seen,” Mark said, stretching as one of his ribs healed.

  “He’ll calm down,” Emily assured him, watching the horse.

  “You do realize he’s going to try to kill you.”

  “Yes I do.” Emily smiled. The other members of the Cavalry looked nervously at Mark.

  “Watch it, here comes the Elder,” one of the Cavalry said, and the rest of them turned and stood at attention.