Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Ok, options,” Chevalier asked, looking at Emily’s legs to see what she could reach with them.

  “A head butt?” Mark asked, bending down.

  “His head is too high,” Emily said. Looking straight up, she came to face Damon’s neck.

  “Bite him,” Kyle said, narrowing his eyes.

  Emily looked at him strangely, “Do what?”

  “Yeah, can you bite his neck?”

  “I tried to bite Jeff, but he said he would bite me back,” Emily told them.

  “Not if you do it right,” Kyle chuckled.

  Emily looked up at Damon’s neck and saw the large vein pulsing, “I can’t.”

  “You can’t reach it?” Chevalier asked her.

  “No… no I... I can’t bite.”

  Mark reached under and pointed to Damon’s carotid artery, “You want to break through that… off to either side and it’s not going to work.”

  Damon frowned, “Can we not and say she did?”

  “Scared?” Emily asked, suddenly grinning.

  Damon looked down at her, “Of you? No.”

  Kyle started to say something, and when Damon looked up at him, Emily sunk her short mortal teeth deep into his neck and tore open the throbbing artery. Damon yelled and jumped off of her, grasping his neck as blood poured out of it.

  Emily rolled onto her hands and knees and was spitting blood onto the floor, gagging slightly.

  “Guess that answers that,” Chevalier chuckled, and called for some orange juice. It took a few extra minutes to get it out to the training room, but he bent down and handed it to Emily. She grasped it tightly and drank it all in one drink.

  “Damnit, that really hurt,” Damon growled.

  “But would it make you let her go if you really didn’t want to?” Kyle asked.

  “Hell yeah! I wouldn’t hold on after that.”

  “Then that one’s done,” Kyle chuckled as he watched Emily gag.

  “That was nasty,” Emily said, and stood up.

  “We didn’t get the shoulder hold done,” Kyle reminded Chevalier.

  “Oh, that’s right.” Chevalier watched Emily cringe.

  “Mark’s turn,” Damon said, and took a step back.

  “Up she goes, Damon.” Chevalier grinned.

  Emily groaned when Damon threw her easily over his shoulder. He kept a close eye on the Elder, avoiding looking at Emily even the least little bit.

  “What we tried earlier was to have Emily throw herself backwards, hooking her arm round his head on the way down. That fell flat when Travis lost his balance and fell onto her,” Kyle said, and winced when he saw Emily frown at Travis’ name.

  “Can you throw yourself off to the side?” Mark asked.

  Emily tried to roll to the side, but Damon’s hands held her tightly.

  “You’re a mortal, Damon, remember that,” Kyle said.

  Damon shrugged, “How in the hell am I supposed to know how to be as weak as a mortal?”

  “Does the Equites uniform include underwear?” Emily asked.

  “Um… what?” Mark asked, frowning.

  Emily tried to look up but the position prevented her from seeing anyone’s face, “You heard me. Do you wear underwear, or are you all commando?”

  Chevalier chuckled, “Why exactly do you want to know?”

  “Because I have the sudden urge to do this,” Emily said, and slipped her hands down past the waistband of Damon’s pants and grabbed a hold of his underwear, pulling as hard as she could.

  Damon dropped Emily to the mat and readjusted his underwear, “What the fuck was that?”

  “Damon!” Chevalier growled.

  “Well… hell,” he hissed.

  “That was a wedgie,” Emily said, and stood up, laughing.

  Damon moved to her and pointed a finger in her face, “Do not do that again.”

  “Or what?” Emily narrowed her eyes.

  “Or I’ll treat you like the child you are… and put you over my knee.”

  Emily put her hands on Damon’s shoulders and pushed him back as hard as she could, “You aren’t man enough.”

  Damon balled his hands into fists and crouched slightly, “Don’t even tempt me.”

  Kyle and Mark headed toward them, but Chevalier put his hands out to stop them. His plan was now fully in motion.

  Emily glared at him, “Don’t crouch at me! I’m not afraid of you.”

  Damon blurred behind her and wrapped his arms round her waist, lifting her off of the ground, “A spanking, that’s exactly what you need.”

  Kyle gasped just as Emily brought her head forward and then slammed it back into Damon’s nose, shattering it. He dropped her and growled as he re-set it.

  “Bitch!” Damon bellowed, and took a step towards her.

  “Leech,” she yelled, and lowered her shoulder, ramming Damon in the stomach as both of them fell back onto the mat, Emily on top of Damon.

  In one fast movement, Damon rolled, trapped Emily underneath him, and scowled down at her with her hands pinned above her head, “You are treading on thin ice, Baby.”

  “Kiss my what?” Emily glared up at him.

  “Erm, Sir?” Mark asked, fidgeting nervously.

  “Leave them,” Chevalier whispered.

  “Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you, Sweetheart?” Damon hissed, and then groaned when Emily’s knee connected with his groin and he rolled off of her.

  Emily got slowly to her feet, grasping her side, “Keep your foul hands off of me.”

  Kyle started toward her when she grimaced and leaned against the mirrored wall, but Chevalier held him back, “Not yet.”

  Damon stood up and turned to face her, “Now you’ve overstepped.”

  “You’re grouchy today. Been a while since you got laid, Damon? Maybe the hookers here won’t even touch you anymore,” Emily said, glaring at him.

  Chevalier, Kyle, and Mark all gasped at her.

  Damon’s hands slowly curled into claws, “Oh don’t worry your pretty little head about that. I may not have a sweet piece of ass in the palace, but I still get what I want.”

  This time it was Mark and Kyle who had to hold the Elder back. Mark whispered something quickly.

  “Your hand doesn’t count as getting what you want,” Emily glared.

  Damon blurred to Emily and slammed her against the mirrored wall. The spider web patterned crack spread out from behind her. She drew back and punched him in the neck, collapsing his windpipe. He gasped for breath and took a step away from her, and she flexed her hand, wincing.

  “Hurt your little hand?” Damon asked, mocking concern as soon as he could breathe again.

  Emily narrowed her eyes, “Better me than you. I’d hate for you to get lonely.”

  “At least it was your hand, that won’t mess up a good lay.”

  “What would you know about good sex?”

  “Now!” Kyle yelled, fighting to keep Chevalier out of the fight.

  Damon had Emily on the ground instantly, his hand around her neck and his body pressed against hers, holding her down.

  “You better watch what you say to me,” Damon growled, and closed his hand slowly around her neck.

  Emily grabbed his head quickly and turned it hard to the side. The sound of cracking bones filled the small training room, but his grip didn’t lessen and she could feel her airway slowly closing off.

  The door to the training room flew open as Quinn and Zohn blurred into the room. Quinn pulled Damon off of Emily, and wrapped a restraining arm around his shoulders, while Zohn pulled Emily to her feet and gently restrained her.

  With Zohn’s soft restraint, Emily was able to easily jerk away from him and slammed her fist into Damon’s nose before he could grab her again.

  “What is going on here?” Maleth asked from the doorway.

  “Self-defense gone bad,” Mark explained.

  “Everyone… just calm down, now!” Quinn hissed at them.

  The two heku slowly regained their compo
sure and stood up, now unrestrained. Zohn held tighter to Emily as she kept fighting to get away from him. He was able to dodge when she tried to smash his nose with the back of her head, and she was now trying to bite his restraining arm.

  “Never… refer to my wife as a piece of ass, or so help me, I’ll tear you apart,” Chevalier said, glaring at Damon.

  Maleth turned to Damon, “You didn’t!”

  Damon sighed, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  “Come on, Killer,” Chevalier said, and took Emily from Zohn.

  “I’m not done with you,” Emily yelled at Damon, as Chevalier pulled her out the door.

  “Oh don’t look at me like that. She had it coming,” Damon growled at the rest of the heku in the room, and then stormed out.

  Quinn turned to Kyle, “Care to explain?”

  “I’m not even sure what happened. We were going over some self-defense with Emily, and all of a sudden they just… well…” Kyle glanced at Mark, “Attacked.”

  “Damon attacked Emily during a training session?” Maleth asked with wide eyes.

  Kyle grinned, “Actually, Emily started it.”

  Quinn shook his head and sighed.

  Maleth frowned, “Why did you let it get that far?”

  “Chevalier held us back. I think he was trying to let Em get out some… aggression,” Mark said, and had to hide a grin.

  “Clean this up,” Quinn growled, and the council members left the training room.

  As soon as the door closed, both Mark and Kyle started laughing.

  “That was awesome,” Mark said after he caught his breath.

  Kyle grinned, “Not often we get to see that.”

  Chapter 14 - Bar

  “Good morning,” Chevalier said, kissing Emily’s shoulder lightly.

  Emily just sighed and pulled closer to him.

  Chevalier chuckled, “Interesting dream, why are you always trying to save the heku?”

  “I’m not, otherwise I wouldn’t have tried to assault one yesterday,” Emily looked up into his eyes.

  Chevalier laughed, “True.”

  “How mad is Quinn?”

  “I’m not sure it was mad, as much as surprised. It’s sometimes shocking how well you hold up against someone three times your size, with twenty times your strength.”

  Emily propped herself up on her elbow, facing him, “Don’t get mad at what Damon said to me. I started it.”

  “That was uncalled for.” Chevalier was suddenly serious.

  “Nevertheless, I started it.”

  He sighed, “Ok, but if I hear it again…”

  “If he says it again. I’ll take care of it.”

  Chevalier chuckled and kissed her forehead.

  “What are your plans for the day?” Chevalier asked her.

  “I’m going to drag Allen out of the palace, kicking and screaming, and do something outside.”

  “It’s snowing.”

  Emily looked over at the curtained window, “How do you know?”

  “I can smell it. It’s snowing pretty hard.”

  “Then I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

  “I’ll be in meetings most of the morning.” He brushed his lips softly against hers, “Try to stay out of trouble.”

  Emily frowned, “Take the day off.”

  “I can’t, we have to try to figure out where Sam is.”

  She ran her nails lightly down his chest, “I can make you stay.”

  Chevalier grinned and took her hands in his and kissed them lightly, “Yes, you could.”

  He crawled out of bed and slipped on some clothes.

  “How about I just lie here naked all day and give you something to think about during the meeting?” Emily asked, rolling onto her back so she could watch him.

  Chevalier ran his eyes down the length of the bed, admiring the way the light sheet clung to the curves of her body, “That’s not fair.”

  “I never said I would play fair.”

  Chevalier growled, “Damn, I have to go.” He looked once more at her and blurred from the room.

  Emily sat up and looked around the bedroom. Both fires were roaring, and there was a tray of food for her on the table. She knew that Allen would already be in lessons, and Silas had come to take Alexis down for breakfast earlier.

  She sighed and slid out of bed, disappearing into the large closet. She came out and looked into the mirror and grinned. The dark blue, floor-length baby-doll dress had a long flowing hem and layers of soft material. She saw it in her closet a long time ago, but hadn’t really seen a need to wear it until today. She threw her hair into a loose French braid and grabbed a piece of bacon before leaving the room.

  “Mornin’, Em,” Mark said, looking at her, surprised. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her in a dress before except for formal occasions.

  “Ma’am,” an unfamiliar guard said to her.

  “Morning”

  She walked past them and lifted the hem on her dress slightly as she padded barefoot, down the stairs to the fourth floor. She could hear the heavy boots from the guards behind her as she opened the back door to the council chambers and stepped inside.

  The Council all turned to look at her when she walked in, and she felt a blush rising, wondering if her plan wasn’t the best idea. Damon was the first to turn away from her, but the shocked looks on the faces of the Council made her blush grow stronger.

  “Hello, Emily.” Maleth smiled, and couldn’t help noticing how the dress fit her and turned away suddenly.

  Chevalier eyed her, “What are you up to?”

  The rest of the council members turned around when Chevalier glared at them.

  “I just have a message for you,” Emily said, and walked up the stairs to Chevalier’s chair. She hiked her dress up to her knees and straddled him, sitting on his lap to face him.

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  Emily glanced once at the council members, who were again watching them, and then bent over to whisper in Chevalier’s ear, “I’m not wearing anything under this dress.”

  Chevalier chuckled as Emily crawled off his lap and disappeared out the back door. He turned his chair toward the rest of the council members, and they turned away suddenly, pretending they hadn’t heard what she just whispered.

  Emily met up with Silas as they were coming back up the stairs. Silas was assigned as Alexis’ personal bodyguard and loved the assignment.

  Emily kissed Alexis and brushed her hair back away from her face, “Anyone up for some games?”

  The guards nodded, and Alexis held her hands out for her Mother. Emily took her and called for Allen.

  “Yes, Mother?” he asked, coming to her side. Allen couldn’t blur like the heku, but he was much faster than a mortal.

  “I’m calling it a game day,” Emily told him, and then sighed when he grimaced.

  “I was in the middle of World Studies,” Allen told her.

  “You’d honestly rather study than spend a day with us?”

  Emily didn’t notice when Mark hit Allen in the back of the head quickly.

  Allen shrugged, “Game day it is, let’s go.”

  Emily smiled and they all headed to the game room.

  “Don’t leave!” Emily said sternly when the three heku playing pool started to put their things away.

  They glanced at Mark, and he nodded for them to stay, so they resumed their game.

  Emily sat Alexis down and started going through the available games. The game room was now fitted with all of the major game consoles and almost any game available. She picked out a sports game and forced a remote into Allen’s hand.

  Emily turned and looked around the room as the others played games. One thing that had always bothered her about this room, was the mirror on the wall behind the poker table. It was always hanging crooked and she decided it was about time to fix it. She heard the click the second she straightened the mirror, and felt a rush of wind as the wall spun quickly.

>   She lost her balance and fell onto a cold, dusty floor. She turned just in time to see the wall finish its rotation.

  Getting to her feet, Emily brushed the dust from her dress and looked around the room. There were windows high up on the wall, and the small amount of light that shone through them was enough that she could see everything.

  “It’s a bar…” Emily whispered, and turned to study the room. One wall had a bar, and stools lined the outside of it. The rest of the large room was full of octagon shaped tables with chairs around each of them. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

  “Heku and their damned secret rooms,” Emily grumbled, and walked behind the bar. She coughed when her long dress stirred up dust from the floor.

  Emily pulled a bottle off the shelf and blew the dust from the label. It was an ancient bottle of Canadian whiskey that was almost completely full. She set it down and ran her hands along the rows of shot glasses that hung from a rack above the bottles of alcohol.

  “Hey Mark?” Emily called toward the spinning door.

  When no one answered, she went over and felt along the crack, trying to figure out how to turn the wall again.

  “Damnit, this one’s not my fault,” Emily growled, and knocked at the wall.

  “Your turn, Em,” Mark said, and turned to hand her the remote. He looked around the room and frowned.

  “When did Emily leave?” Mark asked one of the guards playing games by the door.

  “Didn’t see her leave,” he said, and went back to the video poker game.

  Silas checked behind the poker table and shrugged at Mark, “I have no idea.”

  “She slipped us!” Mark growled angrily.

  Silas disappeared out into the hallway and came back in, “Her scent is stronger in here.”

  “Emily?” Mark called to the room.

  “Yup, she slipped us,” Silas sighed.

  “Damnit, I don’t want to go tell them,” Mark said nervously.

  “Tell who, what?” Chevalier asked, stepping into the game room with Kyle.

  Silas sighed and looked at Mark.

  “She slipped us,” Mark said, cringing.

  Kyle shook his head, “That doesn’t make sense.”

  Chevalier agreed, “No it doesn’t. She only slips out when we’re tightening the hold.”