Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “This won’t take long,” Emily told him, laughing as she led Patra into the corral.

  “Breeding horses isn’t my idea of a nice quiet day with you,” he chuckled.

  “Don’t push it. If this doesn’t work, we get to try to artificially inseminate her,” Emily said, and grinned at him.

  “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

  “You have a problem with breeding?”

  “Just the horses,” Chevalier chuckled.

  “Ok, let go on three and then clear the area,” Emily said. She counted slowly to three, and they both let go of the reins and ran to the fence, crawling through it quickly.

  “So much for romance,” Chevalier said, watching the stallion chase the mare around.

  “Maybe they don’t want to be watched… want to go riding?” Emily asked him.

  “It’s your day,” he said, and she ran into the stables as he chased her, growling.

  Chevalier cornered her and kissed her softly.

  “Get a room,” Kyle chuckled from behind them.

  Chevalier turned and glared at him, “Why are you here?”

  “Cavalry… remember? We’re taking the entire group out today, so there’s about to be more of us,” Kyle said as he slipped a bridle on his stallion.

  “That leaves us short a horse,” Emily said, frowning.

  “I’m sure there’s enough room on my Arabian,” Chevalier said, taking a bridle into his stall.

  “Yeah I guess, if we don’t use a saddle,” Emily sat down on a bale of hay and reached down to tuck her pant legs into her boots. She laid back on the hay and yelled, “Ugh!”

  “What’s wrong?” Chevalier asked as he led the stallion out into the stable.

  “I can’t reach my boots,” she said, frustrated.

  Chevalier knelt on the hay and kissed her, taking her face in his hands. Emily wrapped her hands around to the back of his neck.

  Mark cleared his throat from the door to the stables.

  Chevalier looked up at him, “You’re all fired, go away.”

  Mark grinned and went into the stall with his mare.

  Chevalier helped Emily sit up and she went over to the Arabian, “I can’t believe I’m going to ride this monster.”

  “He’s not a monster, he just has personality,” Chevalier said, and pulled the horse over to Emily.

  Emily put her hands up on the Arabian’s back and tried to hoist herself up, “My God, I’m too fat to get on a horse.”

  Kyle laughed from inside the stall.

  Chevalier chuckled and lifted her up onto the stallion’s back and then jumped up behind her.

  “Were you laughing at me?” Emily snapped, and started to dismount, but Chevalier held her on the horse.

  “You can attack him later, let’s go,” Chevalier said, and kicked the Arabian into a canter. Emily took the reins and headed the stallion up to the woods outside of town. She leaned back against Chevalier’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

  Once they made it outside of the city, Emily turned the stallion toward town. She loved to look over the beautiful city. Chevalier kissed her neck and moved slowly down her shoulder.

  “Chev?” Emily asked.

  “Mm?” He bit softly on the back of her neck.

  “Someone’s coming,” she told him.

  Chevalier looked up, and his keen eyes took in the visitors.

  “Encala,” he hissed.

  Emily kicked the stallion, but Chevalier pulled back on the reins, “They can outrun the horse, just wait here. Don’t ash them, no matter what.”

  Chevalier slid off of the Arabian’s back, and walked forward a few steps, “Care to explain why you’re here?”

  Emily counted twelve Encala. They stopped ahead of Chevalier and the one in the middle smiled.

  “No harm intended. We came to seek an audience with the Winchester,” he said, and glanced briefly at Emily.

  Emily watched them closely.

  “If you have something to say, you can say it from there. Get any closer and I’ll have to intervene,” Chevalier warned, his hands curled into claws.

  “We didn’t come to fight. We came as peaceful diplomats to check on her welfare,” the Encala said.

  “She’s fine,” Chevalier hissed.

  “Good, then she’ll be up for the trip,” he said, and the twelve Encala advanced on Chevalier.

  Emily gasped and scrambled off of the horse. She felt two arms wrap around her and hold her as she fought to get to Chevalier. She couldn’t see him, he was surrounded by Encala, but they were falling around him.

  “Kyle!” Emily screamed, but was cut off by a hand over her mouth.

  Thinking fast, Emily bit the hand of the heku holding her, and kicked hard at his knee. She heard the loud crunch of his kneecap just as he let go of her and fell to the ground. She turned around and kicked the side of his head with her cowboy boot. She spun and saw the small depression in the side of his skull.

  Emily jumped onto the back of one of the heku that was attacking Chevalier and wrenched his neck hard to the side. He fell under her, but another grabbed her and pulled her off of him. One had her upper body and one had her legs. She kicked and struggled, but couldn’t get to any of their weak points.

  She heard Chevalier roar and the head of an Encala fell beside her on the grass. She felt a handhold a rag over her mouth and nose and then darkness took over.

  Chevalier heard the sound of hoof beats as he ripped the arm off of an attacker and spun. He slammed the arm into the face of another that was behind him. The Cavalry arrived and they jumped from their horses and landed squarely on the back of the attacking Encala. Chevalier looked around quickly for Emily, but didn’t see her. Finally, he caught sight of two heku off in the distance and blurred toward them.

  One of the Encala broke off from the other and spun on Chevalier, he crouched low and hissed. Chevalier slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. They began to wrestle and claw at each other, both trying to get a grip on the other.

  As soon as Chevalier felt his hands fall onto the Encala’s solid head, he tore fiercely and ripped his head from his body. Covered in blood, Chevalier ran toward the other Encala, who disappeared into the trees with Emily cradled in his arms.

  He appeared where the Encala disappeared, and sniffed the air. His senses were honed in on Emily and the trail was easy to follow. He heard the footsteps of several of the Cavalry behind him as he ran deeper into the forest. Ahead, he could see the Encala leaning over Emily, who was lying flat on the forest floor.

  Chevalier and the three cavalry members lunged at him simultaneously, and they fell several feet away, tearing at the limbs of the Encala. He screamed in agony as every part of his body was torn away from his torso, followed lastly by his head.

  Chevalier stood up, out of breath, and looked at Emily. He walked forward slowly, followed by the Cavalry. He was confused and angry at what he saw. Emily had a needle in her arm, and her blood was draining into a bag. She was unconscious, but had blood running down the corners of her mouth.

  He knelt down beside her and pulled the needle from her arm. He handed the bag of blood to a member of the Cavalry, who dumped it out onto the forest floor. Chevalier picked her up gently in his arms and carried her limp body back toward the others.

  “Are any left alive?” Chevalier growled and darkness fell over his features.

  “Yes, three of them, they are restrained,” Mark said, catching up to the Elder.

  Kyle ran forward when they got close, “Is she ok?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Chevalier growled, his eyes fixed on the three Encala.

  Chevalier handed Emily off to Kyle and walked forward.

  Kyle looked down at her and frowned, “Did they force-feed her blood?”

  Mark walked up to her and touched the blood with the tip of his finger, he tasted it and grimaced, “It’s heku blood.”

  Chevalier stopped in front of the three restrained Encala, “Take them to the
prison. I’ll take care of them myself… no one touches them.”

  The Cavalry members nodded and began walking back towards the palace. Chevalier hopped up on his Arabian stallion and led him over to Kyle, then reached down and Kyle handed Emily up to him.

  “We’ll get the horses and be right in,” Kyle said angrily.

  Chevalier kicked the stallion into a gallop and headed back for the palace, with Emily cradled motionlessly in his arms. A guard came and took the Arabian as Chevalier slid off of him and carried Emily inside. Damon met them at the door.

  “What happened?” Damon asked, his eyes wide.

  “Encala attack,” Chevalier hissed. “Get the doctor.”

  The faction doctor arrived just as Chevalier was laying Emily down on the bed. Damon was standing by the door watching.

  “Chloroform,” he said. “I can smell it on her. That means she should be awake soon.”

  The doctor got out a stethoscope and listened to Emily’s heart and lungs, then took her blood pressure. He moved it down to her belly and listened carefully to the baby and then pulled her shirt up a bit and pressed down around her entire abdomen.

  The doctor then pulled out a Doppler and held it against Emily’s tummy. He quickly picked up the rapid heartbeat of the baby. He got a measuring tape and measured from her breastbone to her pubic bone and put it back in his bag just as Emily started to stir.

  “Whose blood is this?” he asked, and wiped her mouth clean.

  “It’s heku blood,” Chevalier said chillingly.

  The doctor frowned, “Why would they force her to drink heku blood?”

  Chevalier growled, his hands balled into fists.

  “To strengthen the runes,” Damon said from the doorway.

  “Chev!” Emily screamed, and sat up suddenly.

  He sat down beside her and took her in his arms, “It’s ok, I’m here.”

  “The Encala…” she whispered, and grabbed his shirt in her fists.

  “They’re dead,” he said, and kissed her forehead.

  “I can taste… something,” she said softly.

  “Drink this,” he said, and handed her some chocolate milk that Damon had already requested for her.

  Emily drank all of it quickly, and then leaned back against Chevalier. He touched her hair softly.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said softly.

  Chevalier frowned, “Why are you apologizing?”

  “They were after me.”

  “That’s still not your fault,” Chevalier told her, and looked up at the doctor.

  “Everything with Emily and the baby looks good. I’m worried though, that’s a big baby,” the doctor said to both of them. “Your blood pressure’s high too. I’ll want to check that again tomorrow.”

  “Are you hurt anywhere?” Chevalier whispered to Emily, and she shook her head.

  Chevalier whispered under his breath, too low for Emily to hear, and watched as Damon nodded and blurred from the room. The doctor followed him and shut the door.

  Emily looked down at the small puncture wound on the crook of her arm, “What did they do?”

  “They were taking blood from you,” Chevalier told her.

  “Why?”

  “The runes, I suspect they were taking it back to Vaughn,” he said. “They gave you his blood, too.”

  Emily frowned, “I drank Vaughn’s blood?”

  “I think so. There’s really no way to be sure.”

  “That’s disgusting,” she said, and looked up at Chevalier. “Are you ok?”

  Chevalier smiled, “I’m fine.”

  “There were so many of them.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Why did you tell me not to ash them? There were only 12.”

  “You don’t need that strain on your body right now. I knew I could handle them, of course, you had to go and call the Cavalry to take my glory.” Chevalier smiled and ran his lips softly against hers.

  “This taste is awful,” Emily said, and wrinkled her nose.

  “Even heku don’t like heku blood. What would you like?”

  “Ice cream,” she said, and crawled onto his lap. “Does that mean my day is over?”

  “Why would you say that?” Chevalier asked, wrapping his arms around her.

  Emily shrugged and took the ice cream from the servant who brought it in. She took a bite and looked around the room.

  “What do you want to do for the rest of the day? Sam is taking Allen to a movie after school,” Chevalier said, and shook his head when Emily offered him a bite of ice cream.

  Emily put down the empty bowl and turned to Chevalier, “You’re covered in blood, go shower and I’ll think of something.”

  Chevalier nodded, kissed her softly, and got up, disappearing into the bathroom. Emily scrambled off the bed as soon as she heard the water running and ran down the stairs.

  When Chevalier came out she was sitting on the couch waiting for him.

  “Much better,” Emily said, and smiled.

  “Miss me?” he asked, and sat down beside her.

  “Always.” Emily turned away from him quickly when she felt the tickle of blood in her nose.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, touching her shoulder.

  “Nothing, runny nose,” she said, and grabbed a tissue before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. She sat down on the floor and shut her eyes against the new pounding in her head as she tried to stop the nosebleed.

  Chevalier went to the bedroom door when he heard someone approach. Damon was just about to knock.

  “What?” Chevalier asked.

  “Am I supposed to revive them?” Damon asked.

  “Revive who?”

  “Those three Encala.”

  “What happened to them?” Chevalier asked, confused.

  Damon frowned, “Emily.”

  Chevalier sighed, “Revive them. I’m not done with them.”

  “Will do… I’ve never seen her do that before though,” Damon said, turning toward the stairs.

  “Do what?”

  “Hold them without killing them. I have to say it’s kind of impressive. I could smell their burning flesh for a few minutes before they actually turned to ash.”

  “Just revive them,” Chevalier told him.

  Damon nodded and headed down the stairs.

  Chevalier stepped back inside and knocked on the bathroom door, “Em? Can I come in?”

  When Emily didn’t respond, he stepped into the bathroom and saw her sitting on the floor with her hands pressed against her eyes. There were bloody tissues beside her on the floor.

  Chevalier sat down beside her, “How bad is it?”

  “Shhhh,” she whispered.

  “Damon’s going to revive them. I haven’t had a chance to hear what they have to say,” Chevalier said softly. He reached up and turned the light off in the bathroom.

  Emily looked up now that the light wasn’t hurting her eyes, “Can I watch?”

  “Watch what?”

  “You and them… in the interrogation room?”

  “No, that’s… that’s out of the question,” he said, frowning.

  “Why?”

  “It’s hard to explain. The smell of blood and fear, the sounds of them screaming in pain… it triggers almost a primal urge to cause pain. You can’t be near when that’s happening, it’s too dangerous,” he said, and helped her up. “Let’s stay in this afternoon, put in a movie, ok?”

  Emily nodded and let him lead her into the bedroom. He blurred to the windows and pulled the heavy drapes, drowning the room in darkness.

  ***

  Emily rolled over in bed and realized she was alone. She sat up and looked around the dark room. She could hear voices outside in the hallway, so she stepped out to see who it was.

  “Good morning,” Chevalier said, smiling when she came into the hallway.

  Emily nodded and leaned back against him. Chevalier wrapped his arms around her.

  “I think we’re all ready, u
nless Emily wants to use the room first,” Damon said with a mischievous grin.

  Emily didn’t need to be told what he was talking about, “You offering to let me practice on you?”

  “Like you could hurt me,” Damon laughed.

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “Hey,” Chevalier warned them both.

  “What would you do? Sit on me?” Damon asked, smirking.

  “Are you calling me fat?”

  “If the tent fits…”

  “Damon…” Chevalier growled.

  Damon looked at Chevalier just as Emily drew back and punched him in the nose.

  “Blood-sucking parasite!” Emily screamed at Damon, and stepped toward him.

  Chevalier wrapped an arm under her arms and lifted her off the ground, “Both of you calm down. You two are worse than kids.”

  “She… but she…” Damon hissed, but stopped when Chevalier glared at him. He turned on his heels and blurred down the stairs.

  “Wimp!” Emily yelled after him.

  “You better watch it. One of these days he’s going to lose his temper with you,” Chevalier said, carrying her into the room. He set her down inside and shut the door.

  “Why is no one ever afraid I’ll lose my temper with him?” Emily asked, crossing her arms.

  “Because you aren’t a naturally violent person, and he is,” Chevalier said, and took the dome off of a tray.

  Emily put her hand on her stomach, “No food… ugh.”

  “Are you feeling ok?” Chevalier asked as she laid down on the bed.

  “No, my stomach has been upset since last night,” Emily said, and pulled the covers up. “Go to work, I’m just going to nap.”

  Chevalier nodded and left for the council chambers, and she was able to quickly fall asleep.

  ***

  Emily looked up at the ceiling and frowned. She sat up suddenly and started to panic. Nothing looked familiar, her clothes were different, and her hair was longer. She scrambled out of bed and backed up against the wall.

  “Keith?” she yelled, hoping he would come explain what was happening. Emily caught sight of herself in the mirror and gasped when she saw her pregnant belly.

  “Keith?” she screamed louder.

  Mark opened Emily’s door to see if she needed something, and saw the look of horror on her face.

  “What’s wrong?” Mark asked, stepping into the room.