Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Tonight? He wasn’t supposed to be here until Sunday,” Emily told him.

  “He’s going to notice, if not the puncture wounds, then at least Kyle’s scent,” Mark whispered.

  “What do we do?” Emily asked him, starting to panic.

  “Tell him the truth.”

  Emily frowned, “You’re not a lot of help.”

  Mark followed her up to her room where he was joined by another of the Cavalry. They waited outside as she disappeared into the bedroom to think.

  Emily pulled off the scarf and looked into the mirror. The puncture wounds were deep and red, obviously new. She threw the scarf back on and sat on the edge of the bed. Before long, she laid back and shut her eyes. She always felt tired after being fed off of.

  Emily woke up suddenly when she felt the pressure on her chest. She opened her eyes as a strange heku was lowering his teeth to her neck.

  “Mark!” she screamed, and pushed against him. The room became a blur as Mark and the other guard came into the room and tackled the heku off of her. She ran into the bathroom and crouched in the shower as she heard the sounds of a heku being torn apart, and then the blood-curdling scream before his head was torn off.

  Emily tensed when she heard a knock on the door, and felt her heart skip a beat.

  “Em, it’s us,” Mark said, and he tapped the lock and came into the bathroom. He scanned the room quickly and saw her huddled in the shower.

  Mark opened the shower and pulled Emily into a protective hug, “He’s gone.”

  Emily nodded and buried her face into his chest. The other guard gasped and then growled when he saw the wounds on Emily’s neck. Marked looked down and saw what had upset the other guard. He fought a grin, and then made his face angry.

  Mark pulled Emily away from him and looked into her eyes, “Did he hurt you when he fed?”

  Emily started to tell him that the heku hadn’t, when she saw the look in his eyes, she shook her head.

  Mark walked Emily into the bedroom. The carnage had already been cleaned, “Get her something to eat. Tell Gordon what happened, he’ll know what to do.”

  The guard nodded and blurred from the room.

  Mark watched him leave and then turned to Emily, “This covers part of it.”

  Emily nodded, “We just have to get the scent off of Kyle.”

  Mark smiled when he saw Emily tremble, and he pulled her into another hug, “It’s ok. We’ve checked the room and no one else is here.”

  The other guard returned with a steak and potato dinner, and there were two B12 pills on the plate with a glass of orange juice.

  “Where’s Alex?” Emily asked, taking the B12.

  “Anna has her down in the TV room. They’re having a Wiggles marathon,” the guard said. “Silas is there, too. She’s safe.”

  “It’s humiliating to have a mother that can so easily be fed off of,” Allen said from the doorway.

  Mark crouched and growled at him, “You will not speak to your mother that way.”

  “Why not? She just lets any heku attack her. I can’t believe Dad married her,” Allen scowled at her.

  “Excuse me?” Emily stood up and put her hands on her hips.

  Allen sighed, his young body contrasted the tone of his voice, “It’s pathetic. I find it hard to believe that Dad couldn’t find a strong woman, a heku, who wouldn’t allow herself to be terrorized.”

  Emily moved to Allen and slapped him. It was hard to think of him as just a 6-year-old when he acted and spoke much older than that.

  Allen grabbed Emily and pushed her hard against the stone wall. His strength was incredible and she slumped to the ground as her legs gave away beneath her. She saw Mark throw Allen out of the room and disappear after him, while the other heku guard knelt down beside her.

  “Are you ok?” he asked her softly.

  Emily didn’t answer. She just watched out the door as she heard a loud crash. The Cavalry guard put his arm under hers and lifted her gently to her feet and then helped her over to the bed.

  “May I?” the guard asked, motioning to her back.

  Emily nodded. She felt numb. Allen had never attacked her before. She felt her shirt gently lifted up in back and a hiss from the guard. He dropped her shirt and blurred out of the room.

  She looked around the room and things seemed surreal. How had her precious son turned into a heku to be feared? A son that loathed her and her mortality?

  Anna came into the room with Alexis. She smiled caringly at Emily and handed the toddler to her Mom. Emily curled up with Alexis on the couch and watched TV while she struggled to forget the fear she felt of her own son.

  Emily heard the helicopter landing just as she put Alexis down for the night. The toddler was deep asleep and didn’t wake up to the noise.

  She sat down on the bed to wait for Chevalier, unsure if Mark would tell him what happened, or if they would leave that for Emily. She got her answer when she heard a knock on the door a few minutes later.

  “Come in,” Emily said softly.

  Chevalier ran in and pulled her into a hug. She gasped when his hands pressed against her back. His body tensed and he stepped back, running his eyes over her. She saw Mark and Silas behind him in the doorway. His eye grew furious when she saw her neck.

  “Who did it?” he growled.

  Emily shook her head, “I don’t know who it was.”

  Chevalier turned to Mark when he spoke, “It was a heku from town. He managed to crawl onto the balcony.”

  “Where is he?” the Elder hissed.

  “He’s dead,” Silas said.

  “There’s more,” Mark said, and sighed. “Allen attacked Emily this afternoon.”

  Emily looked at the floor when she heard the low growl from Chevalier, “Define… attack.”

  Emily sat on the chair and watched the fire as Mark recounted what happened, not leaving out a single minute detail. She cringed when she heard Chevalier storm out of the room.

  He appeared before the cell and glared in at Allen.

  “Dad?” he asked, standing up. “They locked me up.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Yes, and I’m leaving you in there.”

  “What? You can’t leave me here… or did she tell you to?” Allen glared.

  Chevalier swung open the door and slammed Allen against the wall, “You injured your mother.”

  “She deserved it. She needs to stop being the weak mortal,” Allen mumbled.

  Chevalier pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back again, “I don’t care how old you are. You won’t talk about your mother like that.”

  “How could you marry her? How does a member of the Council marry a weak woman like her?” he asked scathingly.

  Chevalier threw him against the bars, “You are 25% mortal, don’t forget that. I love your mother and I won’t stand for anyone hurting her, son or not. You better learn to respect her, or you’re going to have a long stay in prison.”

  Allen glared at his Dad as he walked out and slammed the cell door. He ordered the guards to keep him in the cell until further notice, and then disappeared up the stairs. Emily was still sitting in bed watching the floor when Chevalier came into the room.

  Chevalier sat down by her, “Are you ok?”

  Emily nodded.

  “He’ll learn.”

  Again, she just nodded.

  Chevalier lifted the shirt off of her back and sighed when he saw the dark bruises forming from the rocks on the wall. He dropped her shirt and kissed the back of her head lightly.

  “I’m afraid of my own son,” Emily whispered.

  “He has to be taught that he can’t mess with you, Em. You need to give him a taste of what you can do.” He took her hand and laced his fingers in hers.

  Emily shook her head, “I can’t cause my son pain.”

  “He’s a heku, one that doesn’t like mortals. If you’re going to protect yourself and Alexis, then you’re going to have to take a stand,” Chevalier said softly.

/>   “Where’s Kyle?” Emily asked. She thought he had a close relationship with Allen and she hoped he could talk to him.

  “We sent Kyle on a mission. He’ll be gone for about a week.”

  Emily stood up and slipped her jeans off and then crawled into bed. Chevalier joined her and wrapped his arm around her after turning out the light.

  It was hours before he saw the swirls of emotion starting and they were slower and softer than usual. They formed slowly into a dream.

  “Sir, there’s one more item on the agenda for the day,” Derrick said, stepping into the council chamber.

  Chevalier looked around. Quinn and Maleth were in the Elder spots, but the rest of the Council had changed. Strange heku sat in their seats.

  “Very well, bring them in,” Maleth said.

  Chevalier watched as two young men entered. One was tall and muscular, while the other was much shorter, more a boy than a man. Both had black hair and hauntingly familiar eyes.

  “Who are you?” Quinn asked them.

  The eldest stepped forward, “Allen and Dain Flynn”

  A murmur ran through the Council and Chevalier got to his feet. Even in the dream he could feel his heart pounding.

  “You’re Emily’s sons?” Maleth asked, surprised.

  Allen nodded, “Yes.”

  Both boys avoided looking at their father and he sat down, not sure what to say to them.

  “We’re… surprised to see you,” Quinn said, smiling.

  “We’re not here on a social visit,” Allen said. “We came to seek help.”

  “Is something wrong with your mother?” Maleth frowned.

  “Our mother has been dead for three years,” Allen said. “We… thought you knew.”

  Chevalier felt like a burning stake had been driven through his heart. He hadn’t heard from any of them in almost fifteen years, when they left the Equites for good.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Quinn said, his eye sad.

  One of the Council spoke, “What is the problem then?”

  Dain looked up at his brother nervously.

  “It’s our sister,” Allen said. “Mom was the only one that could control her and now… now she’s horribly out of control. She’s so bad that the Encala sent their Chief Enforcer to deal with her.”

  Chevalier frowned, “What has Alexis done?”

  “What hasn’t she done? She feeds without permission, something Mom always put a stop to. She thinks nothing about killing, human or heku, and follows no one’s rules anymore, not mortal or immortal,” Allen explained.

  “Are my brothers bitching about me again?” Alexis asked from the doorway.

  Alexis came in the door and the Council had to study her. She looked exactly like Emily, except for the black hair and dark eyes. She was also taller than her Mom and had short spiked hair. Her leather pants and black leather halter top were tight and fit the curves of her body, making the council members uncomfortable.

  “Were they telling the truth, Alexis?” Quinn asked.

  Faster than even the heku could see, she appeared behind the Council, “They like to exaggerate.”

  She ran her tongue up the face of the Chief Interrogator and suddenly appeared by her brothers again, grinning.

  “Do you feed without consent?” Maleth asked, startled by her behavior.

  “I do, and I like it,” Alexis said, smiling.

  “We’re afraid that the Encala’s Chief Enforcer won’t be the last the factions send to destroy her if she can’t be controlled,” Allen said, watching his sister with disgust.

  “Ha! That wimp, I took care of him.” Alexis laughed.

  “What did you do to him, Child?” the Equites Chief Enforcer asked.

  Alexis appeared at his side and whispered into his ear, “First I seduced him… and then I turned him to ash.”

  They heard Alexis laugh as she blurred around the room, making herself almost invisible even to the keen eyes of the Council. She stopped behind Allen and watched the looks on the faces of the Equites Council.

  “I see you have inherited both your mother’s abilities and those of your father,” Maleth said.

  “Oh yes, and those of my grandfather… I wish I could have met that Ancient. So much he could have taught me,” Alexis sighed. “Of course, I’m more powerful than Mom was… I can ash as much as I want, and I don’t get headaches or bloody noses. My ashing is also permanent, no reviving if I’ve turned you to ash.”

  The Council looked at one another nervously.

  “So you honor your mother by destroying everything she believed in?” Chevalier asked angrily.

  Alexis glared at him, “Don’t ever talk about my mother! She spent the last of her fragile life trying to forget you.”

  “We knew Emily well, Alexis. She was caring and compassionate. She used her abilities only when absolutely necessary, and believed in following the rules of our kind,” Quinn explained.

  “Which is why I had to kill her,” Alexis said, upset. “The attacks were wearing on her. She fought them off, even protecting my idiot brothers who could defend themselves but chose to try to fight with words first. It was my duty to bring her peace.”

  “You did what?” Chevalier growled. He yelled, and clutched his chest when the burn started.

  Chevalier jerked and stood up quickly. Emily gasped and stumbled out of bed, trying to clear her head.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking around the room.

  “It’s ok… I’m sorry, lay down,” he said, and sat down, patting the bed.

  Emily sat down and yawned, still looking around the bedroom.

  “That was an… interesting dream,” Chevalier whispered as he tucked her back into bed.

  “I don’t remember it,” Emily said, and curled up next to him.

  He kissed her forehead, “Good.”

  “What?” she asked, looking up at him with tired eyes.

  “Good night.” He grinned and laid back on the bed.

  Chevalier kept his eyes open and watched her sleep. He didn’t want to see into her dreams any more that night. He’d had enough of her vision of the future. He spent the time trying to decide what to do with Allen. He understood why Emily hesitated to use her abilities on him, but as a child predator, he had to be taught who was in charge. For the safety of Emily and Alexis, Allen had to be taught his place.

  Chevalier was brought out of his trance when Emily started to wake, he ordered breakfast silently and got up to get Alexis when he heard her talking. He brought Alexis in and laid her in bed between them. Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around the toddler.

  “Good morning.” Chevalier smiled and kissed Emily softly.

  Emily pulled Alexis under the covers, “We decided to stay in bed all day.”

  “Yeah” Alexis said, grinning.

  “Lazy kids,” Chevalier chuckled.

  Emily hit him upside the head with a pillow.

  “Call me a kid again and I’ll start calling you Grandpa,” Emily said, and kissed Alexis on the top of the head.

  “Yeah,” Alexis said again.

  “Do you always agree with Mommy?” Chevalier asked the toddler.

  “Yeah.” Alexis giggled.

  “Do you want to go back to the palace today?”

  Alexis shook her head ‘no’ and then said “Yeah.”

  Emily propped up on her elbow, “You’re going back today?”

  “I was hoping to. Did you want to stay here longer?” Chevalier asked.

  “Is that ok?”

  Chevalier nodded, “You can stay here as long as you like.”

  “Are you taking Allen with you?”

  “I really think I should.”

  Emily nodded and let Alexis go when she saw her breakfast arrive.

  “Take Mark and Silas too, they should be with the Cavalry. I’m ok here,” Emily said, and sat up, stretching her sore back.

  “I can’t leave you here without guards, and the Cavalry are the only ones I trust,” he to
ld her.

  “You trust your guards here. They are just afraid of me,” Emily said, and looked back at him.

  Chevalier chuckled, “That too. You’re right though, Mark should get back. I’ll send a replacement.”

  Emily shrugged and crawled out of bed, then grabbed a glass of orange juice and sat by Alexis.

  Chevalier kissed the top of Emily’s head, “I’ll send Kyle back here too, ok?”

  Emily nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

  Chapter 19 - Alert Take 2

  Emily sat up in bed and looked toward the window when she heard the alarm sound. Soon, her room was full of both Cavalry guards and guards from the castle.

  “Come on, down to the cave room,” Kyle said, pulling the covers off of Emily and Alexis.

  Emily handed Alexis up to Silas, “Keep her safe.”

  Silas nodded and ran the toddler down to the cave room.

  Emily grabbed some clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

  “Come on! We have to get you down there,” Kyle said frantically.

  Emily came out and was tying up her hair, “Nope, not hiding.”

  The guards from the castle looked at her, surprised, and the Cavalry guards all looked to Kyle.

  “Oh no, you’re not going to fight,” Kyle said, taking her arm.

  “Yes I am. $10 says they are here after me.” Emily put on her shoes and headed for the door.

  Kyle grabbed her wrist, “I’ll have you restrained.”

  “I’ll ash you first, I’m fighting… period,” Emily said, glaring at him.

  Kyle grinned, “You can’t ash me.”

  They all turned when they heard the front doors to the castle crash in, and the sounds of fighting from down below them. Emily ran to the secret doors, so the heku all headed down toward the sounds of battle. She shut the secret door and ran for the stairs.

  Emily took the stairs down two at a time, looking for some of the attackers. She saw three Valle on the second floor and walked up to them, “Good day for an attack, eh?”

  They turned quickly and their eyes grew wide when they saw her. One of them grabbed her while another tied something around her eyes.

  “Damn, we could get promoted for getting her,” one of them said.

  “Not what we came for, but pretty damn valuable,” another said, excited.