“Hold Alex for me,” she said, and handed the baby over to Silas. Alexis immediately began to pull at his nose and laugh.
Emily slipped off her over shirt. The camisole was lighter and let the sun shine on her shoulders and arms. She noticed the rest of the riders were wearing jackets and sunglasses to keep them out of the sun. Once she’d tied her hair up into a high pony, she took Alexis back.
Emily watched as the Cavalry and Allen took turns racing to the tree line and back. As the afternoon drew on, the races got faster and more daring. Emily wanted to join in, but Alexis was already taking a nap in the sling and she didn’t want to wake her.
As Silas and Allen headed back toward them at a dead run, Damnit stumbled, throwing Allen over his head as the horse fell to the ground. Emily raced toward them and jumped off just as they reached him. Allen was lying unconscious on the ground, and a slow stream of blood oozed out of the side of his head where he hit a rock.
“Allen?” she asked, bracing his head between her hands.
Allen opened his eyes slowly, blinked a few times, and then smiled, “I’m ok.”
“You’re not ok,” Emily said in a panic. She turned his head to look at the cut, but all she found was dried blood. She pulled his hair back, searching his scalp, but there wasn’t even a bruise where the cut had been.
“He’s heku alright,” Silas said proudly.
Allen got to his feet and brushed off his pants. There was still dried blood in his hair, but nothing else was wrong with him.
“Damnit!” he yelled, and ran over to the horse.
Emily stood up and turned toward the stallion. She handed Alexis off to Silas and knelt down at Damnit’s side. With a sinking heart, she stared at the bone sticking out of the horse’s leg.
“Do you want me to call a vet?” one of the Cavalry asked.
Emily shook her head, “Go get my gun.”
“Mom, no!” Allen yelled, and ran to Damnit’s head.
“Do it,” Emily said sternly, and one of the members of the Cavalry blurred away.
“You aren’t going to shoot him!” Allen yelled angrily.
“I have to,” she whispered, as a tear streamed down her cheek.
The heku returned with her gun and handed it to her. She checked to make sure the gun was loaded, and pointed it at the horse’s head, then shut her eyes as they filled with tears.
“Don’t shoot him!” Allen screamed at her angrily.
She felt a hand on hers, “Let me do it,” Silas said softly.
Emily shook her head, “Everyone, leave.”
“No! I won’t let you kill him,” Allen yelled, and crouched low, his hands balling into fists. Silas was on him instantly, restraining him as he tried to jump at Emily.
Silas ordered the Cavalry to head back to the stables with the extra horses, and he blurred back to the palace, still restraining Allen with one hand and carrying Alexis in the other. He was almost to the front steps when a gunshot echoed through the small valley.
When Silas entered the palace, Damon and Chevalier were talking about something on the stairs. They turned and walked to Silas.
“I hate her!” Allen screamed to Chevalier. “I hope you drain her.”
“Allen!” Chevalier shouted angrily. “We don’t talk like that.”
“I’ll kill her if you don’t!” he yelled, fighting against Silas.
Silas handed Alexis over to Damon and held the 5-year-old with two strong hands.
“Who are you yelling about?” Chevalier asked, surprised at the fierce anger in his son.
“Mom… I hate her,” Allen said, glaring at his Dad.
Chevalier growled and violently pulled Allen from Silas’ grip. He threw the boy against the wall and pinned him by the shoulders, “If I ever hear you threaten your Mother again, you’ll have to deal with me.”
Allen hissed and glared at his Dad.
“What happened?” Chevalier asked, pulling Allen from the wall so they could face Silas.
“We were racing up on the hills and Damnit fell and broke his leg,” Silas explained. He could still see the pain in Emily’s eyes as she asked for her gun, tears trailing down her face.
“She killed him!” Allen growled. “I hate her.”
Damon watched in shock and gently bounced Alexis. He’d never known the boy to have so much intense rage, let alone directed at Emily. Kyle walked up and watched with wide eyes.
“Stop it, Allen,” Chevalier said, tightening his grip on the 5-year-old’s shoulder.
“Let me go! I’ll take care of her myself,” Allen said. Chevalier slung him by his arm over to Kyle, who grabbed onto his shoulders. Before Allen could react, Chevalier backhanded him to the floor. The 5-year-old stood up slowly, already healed.
“I warned you,” Chevalier growled.
“Upstairs,” Kyle said to Allen, and took him roughly by the arm and headed up the long staircase.
“Where is she?” Chevalier asked Silas.
“Up on the west side by the tree line,” Silas answered.
“Can you keep Alexis?” Chevalier asked Damon, and he nodded.
Chevalier blurred from the building and stopped just as he hit the green hills to the west of the city. It didn’t take him long to see the lifeless body of the painted stallion lying on red stained grass. He walked up slowly, and as he got closer, he could see Emily knelt beside the stallion. Her head was hung low, and her hands rested on the grass, a gun at her side.
Chevalier knelt down beside her and touched her hand softly. She looked up at him with red eyes.
“I had to,” Emily said softly, looking back at the horse.
“I know,” Chevalier whispered.
Chevalier stood up and held his hand out to help Emily to her feet, “Come on, I’ll have him taken care of.”
She nodded and stood up, grabbing her rifle, “How is Allen?”
“He’s pretty mad, but he’ll be ok,” Chevalier said, and reached around to pick her up.
“Can we just walk?” Emily asked, and he stood up and took her hand.
They started their slow journey back into the city, hand in hand. Most of the way was in silence. Emily was still deep in thought about the loss of the horse, and Chevalier was considering how to reign in the temper of a 5-year-old. He hated to admit it, but the young boy could easily kill his mother if no one stronger was around to defend her.
“I need you to promise me something,” Chevalier said, breaking the silence.
“What’s that?” Emily asked.
“If something happens at Exavior’s coven, I want you to get away. If you have to ash them all, then do it. If you have to leave the guards, do it. We can get them back later.”
Emily nodded, “I’m not really worried about that.”
“I know you aren’t, and that scares me.”
Damon met them at the doors to the palace and handed off Alexis, who was reaching out for her Mom. Emily took the baby, ignoring Damon, and went up the stairs.
“I’ll be right there,” Chevalier called to her, and then turned to Damon.
“Quite the terror you produced there,” Damon said.
“His temper is getting worse.”
Damon nodded, “Yes, it is.”
“If he doesn’t learn some control, he’s going to end up killing Emily,” Chevalier admitted, and sighed.
“We’ll figure it out. It’s just all new ground, so it will take longer.”
“Why has Emily stopped calling you names?” Chevalier asked, turning a questioning eye to Damon.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is… she called you names, hateful names, but in the next breath, she would defend you. You were the same way… a love and hate relationship.”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
“But now, back from Paris, she won’t even look at you.”
Damon shrugged, “I have no idea what her problem is with me.”
Chevalier watched him closely. He kn
ew Damon was lying, but it was against policy for a member of the Council to be questioned, and none of the other heku in Paris saw what went on with Damon and Emily.
***
Emily had the Durango packed and ready to go by 6am. She buckled Alexis into the backseat and watched as Kyle, Mark, and Silas climbed into the car. She turned to Chevalier and smiled slightly.
Chevalier pulled her into a hug, “Remember your promise.”
She nodded and buried her face in his chest.
“Don’t let it get too far. Leave at any sign of danger.”
Again, she just nodded.
“I love you,” he said, and when Emily looked up at him, he kissed her softly.
“I love you, too. We’ll be back soon,” Emily said, and crawled into the Durango.
Chevalier watched as they drove away. When Emily pulled out of the garage, she was on the phone.
“Exavior, we’re on the way,” Emily said softly. She wasn’t sure why, but suddenly she felt afraid.
“Just three guards,” she said, and Kyle frowned at the others. He didn’t like how Exavior was questioning who was with her.
“Wow, ok, we’ll be there by tonight I think.”
Emily hung up the phone and turned east on the Interstate.
“Where are we going?” Silas asked.
“Rhode Island”
As they drove further east, the silence grew into tension. Emily was feeling nervous and afraid of what was going to happen, and the heku picked up on her emotions and it was making them nervous. They stopped only when Alexis was hungry, and passed into Rhode Island just as night fell.
Emily pulled in to the designated gas station and opened her phone.
“We’re here,” she told Exavior.
“It’s a dark blue Durango.”
“Sure, why not,” Emily said, and hung up the phone.
“He’s sending a van to take us the rest of the way. He doesn’t want us to know where his coven is,” Emily told them.
Kyle nodded, “Understandable.”
Within five minutes, a white van pulled up beside the Durango. Emily looked at the heku inside and opened the door. Suddenly, the Durango was surrounded by Valle and they flung open the doors. Emily heard a scuffle as a blindfold was placed over her eyes and her hands were secured behind her back.
“Hey!” she yelled, as she heard Alexis scream. It was the scream the baby reserved for when she was being held by a stranger.
“Let me go,” Kyle growled, and Emily cringed when she heard a large snapping sound.
Emily was lifted into the van and pushed to sit on the floor. An arm brush against hers, someone else was restrained by her. She felt the sway as the van began to move.
“This wasn’t part of the deal. Where’s Exavior?” Emily asked angrily.
“This is just a precaution,” a strange voice said.
“Let me have the baby. She’s afraid.”
“She’ll live,” a gruff voice said.
“Get Exavior on the phone, now,” Emily said angrily.
“Sir, she wants the baby,” he said into the phone.
“Yes, Sir, I do hear the baby crying.”
“Sorry, Sir… right away.” Emily heard the click of the phone and someone let her hands go.
“You can hold the baby, but you have to keep your blindfold on,” he said.
“Why does she have to be blindfolded when we don’t?” Silas asked, irritated.
“We aren’t stupid. She has to see someone to turn them to ash. We aren’t going to take that risk.”
The van silenced when they handed Alexis to Emily. Emily held her tightly and rocked her from the van floor.
No one spoke for several minutes. The Equites watched Emily rock the baby as her hands shook. They wanted her to be able to see, but it was advantageous for the Valle to think she couldn’t use her abilities while her eyes were covered.
Alexis started to act up again, and Emily couldn’t get her calmed down.
“I can’t see to feed her,” Emily said, frustrated.
“We aren’t uncovering your eyes, so figure it out,” the gruff heku said.
“Fine, then turn around.”
“Why should we?”
“Do you know how she feeds the baby, genius?” Mark asked him.
“No, how should I know?”
Emily heard whispers and a blush shot into her cheeks. She could only imagine what he was saying.
“Seriously?” said a strange voice.
“So turn around,” Kyle said sternly.
“Ok, Em, go ahead. We’re making sure they are turned around,” Silas told her.
Emily nodded and adjusted her shirt, with as little skin showing as possible, so the baby could eat. She sat in silence as the grunts and groans of the nursing baby filled the van. Emily hadn’t noticed before how nosily Alexis ate, and she wished the baby would finish quickly.
Just as Emily pulled down her shirt, the van came to a stop and the back doors opened. Emily held the baby tightly against her shoulder.
“York!” Exavior yelled. “How dare you cover her eyes. She wasn’t to be touched.”
“Sir, she could turn us to ash.”
“Right now I should let her,” Exavior said, and the blind was pulled off of her eyes.
“Let them go, too,” Emily said, pointing at her guards.
“Sorry, that is necessary,” Exavior told her, and he extended a hand to help Emily out of the van.
“Move your hand. I don’t need your help,” she snapped at him.
Emily stepped out of the van after Kyle and Silas, with Mark bringing up the rear.
“Let me show you to your room. We’ll start in the morning,” Exavior said, smiling.
Emily glared at him and took Kyle’s arm. His hands were still restrained behind his back with a material that Emily hadn’t seen before. He smiled reassuringly at her, and they all walked into the large mansion.
“Wait! They come with me,” Emily said as six Valle guards took the Equites the other way.
“They’ll be fine, I promise,” Exavior said, and motioned for Emily to go up the stairs.
“Go, Em, it’s ok,” Kyle said, and turned to walk away with the Valle.
“I don’t like this,” she hissed at Exavior, and walked past him.
“It’s all necessary. They won’t be hurt,” Exavior promised.
Exavior stopped at the third floor and opened up a door, “You’ll be staying in here tonight. I took the liberty of having dinner brought up. You’re going to need your strength, so please eat and then try to get some sleep.”
“Yeah, right,” Emily said, rolling her eyes.
“I’ll need your cell phone, too,” he said, and held out his hand.
“Why?”
“Just a precaution. We’re taking a risk having you here,” Exavior explained.
Emily handed her phone over and walked into the room, holding Alexis tightly. She jumped slightly as the door shut and locked behind her.
She looked around the cold room. It wasn’t large, but had enough room for a bed and a table. The fireplace was empty and a draft came through it from the outside, sending shivers through her. She laid Alexis down on a soft rug and looked at the food on the table. She was hungry, but could imagine Chevalier yelling at her for eating it. It would be too easy to poison.
Emily opted not to eat and picked up the baby, then looked out the window. All she could see in the dark night were trees. She sighed and went back to the bed. She crawled in, fully dressed, and curled up next to Alexis for what she would imagine would be a long night.
Emily didn’t sleep at all, and when she heard a knock on the door slightly after dawn, she was still tired and irritated that her guards weren’t with her.
“Come,” she snapped
Exavior came in with a tray of pancakes and sausage, “I hope you’re hungry.”
He eyed the untouched dinner and then turned to Emily. She was huddled under the blankets, trying to keep
herself and the baby warm.
Exavior sighed, “Are you cold, Dear?”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
Exavior sat down on the bed, “I wanted to go over this with you, to explain why we have to do some of the things we do.”
Emily nodded and stayed deep under the covers.
“We have to keep your guards in the prison. We can’t risk them messing things up. If any part of this is interrupted, there’s a risk the runes will become permanent.”
“Why would they mess it up?”
“Because it’s painful. I can’t have them running in if you scream,” Exavior said. “The first part is breaking the bond with the maker, an Encala, if I remember correctly.”
Emily nodded, “Yes.”
“The second part is where the actual mark is removed. That’s the painful part.”
“Ok”
“The third is kind of a sealant, to make sure it all took.” Exavior smiled at her.
“Alexis is still nursing,” she said, touching the soft black hair of the sleeping baby.
“I understand that. You will have the ability to feed her between the different parts.”
Emily nodded, “So let’s do it.”
“As soon as you eat, we can’t have you weak from hunger,” he said, and held out a plate.
Emily sat the plate on the pillow and ate quickly, staying under the covers. When she was done, Exavior led her into a large round room with a dirt floor and runes on the walls and ceiling. Emily felt like she’d seen the room before in a far away dream, and started to panic. There was a bassinet against one of the walls.
“That’s for the baby to stay in,” Exavior explained, and Emily laid her down and covered her with the blankets.
“I’ll leave you for a moment, please put on the gray robe,” he said, and pointed to a set of robes hanging from the wall.
As soon as he was gone, Emily stripped off her t-shirt and jeans and pulled on the soft gray robe. She felt uncomfortable in them, the gray a symbol of the Valle. She turned and watched as thirteen heku in long blue robes came into the round room.
“No,” she said when she recognized the robes, and finally remembered the round, runed room.
“Emily, it’s not what you think,” Exavior said. “All ceremonies are done this way, not just the one you have seen.”
Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Page 28
