Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  She smiled slightly, “I have another on my side, and one on my leg… I jumped off the stable roof into a pile of hay and jabbed myself.”

  Quinn grinned, “Explains that, no one would bite you on your shoulder.”

  “Did you kill them?”

  Zohn glanced at Chevalier, so Emily also looked at him.

  “Not yet, I want to talk to them first,” Chevalier explained.

  “So can I go back to the island now?”

  “They aren’t done yet, Storm will call when they are,” Kyle told her.

  “How can we get you to stay here?” Zohn asked.

  “You can’t,” she told them.

  “We would all feel better if you’d stay,” Quinn said.

  “No, not after this last thing… I’m going back to the island.”

  “Ma’am?” Jaron asked from the doorway. All of them in the game room looked over at him, “There’s been some… deliveries for you.”

  Emily frowned, “From whom?”

  “I didn’t look at the cards. Should we bring them in here?”

  She shrugged, “Ok.”

  Emily sat up quickly when one member of the Cavalry came in carrying a squirming puppy, followed by another member of the Cavalry with another. The Cavalry set them down on the game room floor, and the puppies immediately began to wrestle.

  She frowned, “Who would send me puppies?”

  Jaron walked over and handed her two cards before bowing and leaving. When the largest puppy started to chew on a pillow, Kyle picked him up and Chevalier grabbed the other.

  “Dearest Emily,” she read from the first card. “We heard that the Encala killed your precious dog, we do hope this will help. He’s a giant Malamute and should be a good companion. From the Valle.”

  Emily shook her head and opened the other card, “My Dear, We were sorry to hear that our gift of horses injured your dog. Please accept this puppy in hopes he will fill the shoes of your lost one. Love, the Encala.”

  “Ok, this is going too far,” Quinn said, watching the Malamute chew on Kyle’s cape.

  “What is this?” Chevalier asked, pulling his finger away from the puppy’s mouth.

  “I think it’s a lab,” Emily said, and smiled. “They are kind of cute.”

  “I’m not sure the palace is ready for two puppies,” Quinn said, frowning slightly.

  “Well… they won’t be here. I’ll have them on the island with me.”

  “At least stay for the promotion ceremony,” Kyle suggested. “Mark is making General, Silas and Kralen are being promoted to Captains, and Jaron and Horace will be made Commanders.”

  Emily frowned, “No, after yesterday, I won’t be seen in front of a crowd of heku.”

  “As part of the Council, we need you to be there,” Zohn told her.

  “I can’t do it,” she said, and picked Dain up when he started to crawl for the door. “Have Allen take my place.”

  “It’s not the same,” Chevalier said, handing the Labrador puppy to Emily. The dog immediately burrowed his nose into her hair and started to nibble on her ear. She pulled him away from her some, and headed up the stairs, with Dain in one arm and the lab in the other. Kyle glanced at the Council and then followed her, pulling his cape out of the Malamute’s mouth again.

  “You may not have a castle left when you go back,” Quinn chuckled.

  “What are we going to do about the gifts?” Chevalier asked, heading with the Elders back to their conference room.

  “It’s not really hurting anything,” Zohn said. “We can just watch and see if it starts to disturb Emily, then we’ll intervene.”

  “They are trying to bribe her though,” Quinn said.

  “She knows that,” Chevalier told him. “So it won’t work.”

  Once they sat down in the private Elder’s conference room, Zohn sighed, “Now that we’re alone… Emily wasn’t telling the truth about hay poking her when she fell.”

  “So she is getting fed from?” Chevalier growled.

  “I don’t know.”

  “If I had to guess, those two idiots did it when they attempted to have a threesome,” Quinn suggested.

  “Odd places though, who bites on the shoulder… or side?” Chevalier asked, confused.

  “Maybe it’s really nothing. We are all so paranoid that she’s being attacked in our care, that we may be seeing things that don’t exist,” Zohn said.

  ***

  “Jump… come on, jump,” Emily said, smiling. She had her hands out to Dain and was trying to coax him to jump into the water.

  “No, no,” Dain said, and shook his head as he stood naked at the side of the pool.

  “Come on, Dain,” she said, and gently took his hands, pulling him into the water. “See, easy.”

  “No, no.”

  Emily leaned back to float on the surface of the water, and Dain leaned against her chest to float with her. She shut her eyes and only looked up when the one-year-old touched her stomach.

  “Ow”

  “Yeah, ouch,” she said, and glanced down at the tiny puncture wounds on the side of her stomach. “You better stop that before Daddy finds out.”

  “Bad”

  “Right, bad… we don’t bite do we?”

  Dain grinned, “No, no.”

  Emily kissed his soft cheek and put him back up on the cement. She pulled up against the side of the pool when Silas came in.

  “Gordon wants to know if you want dinner in here,” Silas asked, grinning.

  “I’m coming, take Dain will you? Have Anna dress him.”

  “Come on, Screech,” Silas said, and held his hand out.

  “Stop calling him that.”

  “Sorry, Em,” he said, and airplaned Dain out of the pool room.

  Emily got out of the pool and dried off with a towel. She glanced in the mirror, noticing how distinctive the six bites were on her body. One set on her upper arm, one on the back of her shoulder and the rest across her abdomen. It was getting harder to hide them from Chevalier, but so far she’d managed to. She dressed quickly in the dressing room and then headed out to have dinner.

  “Lady Emily?” Storm asked, catching up with her. “One of our guards was caught with a member of the Encala. Chevalier is on a mission, and the Council asked if you can just take care of it.”

  Emily frowned, “I don’t do that anymore.”

  Storm smiled slightly, “What should I tell them?”

  “What would you do to him?”

  “Demotion and probation.”

  “Sounds good. Tell the Council we’re demoting him and putting him on probation.”

  “What about a trial?” Storm asked.

  “Do we have to give him a trial?”

  “I suppose not. I’ll write it up and send it to the Elders.”

  Emily sat down at the table and looked up at the sound of a helicopter landing before picking up the cheeseburger and starting to eat. Several minutes later, Kyle and Zohn came in and sat down.

  “You’re too late, I punished him,” she said, and grabbed a French fry.

  “Who?”

  “The guard who was fraternizing with an Encala.”

  “You punished him?” Kyle asked, grinning.

  “I demoted him and put him on probation.”

  “Oh,” Kyle said, nodding. “Tell Storm thanks for taking care of that.”

  Emily flipped a fry at him, and hit Kyle on the shoulder.

  “We didn’t come for that,” Zohn said. “Seems the Encala thought you needed an airplane.”

  She almost choked on a fry, “What?”

  “The Encala sent you an airplane. It’s at the Equites hangar being checked over.”

  “Why would they send me an airplane?”

  “Because you don’t have one?” Kyle suggested, and took Dain from Anna. “Hi, Screech.”

  “Stop calling him Screech! You have the Cavalry calling him that,” Emily said, frowning.

  Kyle grinned, “It fits.”

&nbs
p; “We also came because we heard that the V.E.S. is going to raid the island again, and thought we’d come help.”

  Emily sighed, “You’re just afraid I’ll shoot another one.”

  “That too,” Zohn said. He picked up a fry and smelled it, then wrinkled his nose and put it back down.

  “Why don’t you two forget about the Council, and take a vacation… swim, ride horses, walk on the beach.”

  Zohn grinned, “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “Sure it is. I ignore the Council all the time.”

  Kyle sighed, “Would you stop doing that? It makes us nervous when we call and you don’t answer.”

  “Ow,” Dain said, and pointed at Emily.

  “Injured?” Kyle asked her.

  “No, believe it or not, I’m not always injured.”

  “I do smell a fresh wound,” he said, and smiled at Dain.

  “Cut myself shaving.”

  “No, bi,” Dain said, shaking his head.

  “Nope, not going anywhere for a while,” Kyle told him, misunderstanding the 1-year-old.

  Emily sighed, “What am I supposed to do with an airplane?”

  “Fly places, explore the world,” Zohn said, glancing around the dark dining room.

  “Why do I get the impression you two are babysitting?”

  “You do?”

  “Yes”

  “We aren’t,” Kyle said, and put Dain down on the floor to play.

  “I doubt you’ve missed me. I’ve only been gone for two months. It’s not the V.E.S. either. I can handle them… so spill it.”

  Zohn glanced at Kyle, and then back to Emily, “Fine… Jaron reported to the Council that you seem to have a suspicious amount of small injuries lately.”

  “Small suspicious injuries?” Emily asked, leaning back in her chair.

  “Yes, nothing big or life threatening, but just little stuff.”

  “I’m accident prone, always have been.”

  “Very well, may I see the cut you got shaving?” Zohn asked.

  “No”

  “Why not?”

  “Because maybe it’s not on my legs.”

  Zohn grinned, “You forgot your poker face, and I know you didn’t cut yourself shaving.”

  “Damn, that’s hard to do for long periods of time.”

  “So tell the truth and you won’t need your poker face,” Kyle told her.

  “I’m sure Jaron will tell the same thing to Chevalier, wouldn’t you rather we know, than him?” Zohn asked.

  “There’s nothing to tell. I’m accident prone and I get cut a lot… big deal.”

  “Ok, if that’s it, then we can go back.”

  “Stay a while. Take a load off… shut off the cell phones.”

  Kyle smiled, “We can’t do that.”

  “Where’s Chev, anyway?” Emily asked, picking Dain up off of the floor.

  “He and Quinn are visiting Thukil for a week.”

  “They taking a vacation?”

  “No, it’s business.”

  “Lady Emily… he’s out again,” a heku servant said from the back of the dining room.

  Emily sighed, “Is it a full moon?”

  “Yes, Ma’am, and your horse is ready.”

  Emily nodded and stood up, “Do me a favor, stay here.”

  “Where are you going?” Kyle asked.

  “Just stay here… I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure,” Zohn said, and they watched her go. After giving her a few minutes to get to the barn, Kyle and Zohn blurred out the front doors of the palace and watched her from the shadows.

  Emily hopped onto the saddled mare and kicked her into a gallop, heading out into the night. The full-moon helped show her the way, and she saw him, exactly where he was on every full moon.

  Zohn and Kyle watched them closely, confused as to what exactly was going on.

  Emily stopped at the naked heku that was kneeling down on the pasture’s grass. She got off her horse and touched him on the shoulder, “Nicholas, we talked about this.”

  “Oh, Lady Emily, you’re here… you shouldn’t be out here at night,” he said, looking up at her.

  “I have to come out, you know that. I told you already that when you come out here and howl at the moon, it scares the horses.”

  “I forgot about that. I’m sorry.”

  “Come on, I’ll walk you home,” she said, and the heku stood up. Kyle started to move toward them when they saw the large heku standing naked beside Emily, but Zohn held him back, watching curiously.

  Emily put her hand on his hairy back and guided him toward the city.

  “I can carry you faster,” Nicholas said to her.

  Emily grinned slightly, “That’s ok, let’s walk.”

  Emily took the reins to her mare and walked quickly to keep up with the heku.

  “Nicholas… now… I understand, I really do, why you want to join Powan, but you can’t keep coming out here every full moon,” she said, glancing behind her. She had the feeling she was being watched.

  “I almost had it this time though,” Nicholas told her.

  “I bet you did, Nick. The problem is… you scare the horses and then I have to come out here and get you. Why don’t you just stay here on the island and forget about joining Powan?”

  “I can’t stay here. I belong with the wolves.”

  Emily nodded, “Ok… well… can you not howl so close to the barn? Why not go out onto the beach, away from the houses and the castle?”

  “I have to go there. It’s the best view of the moon.”

  “Then why don’t you try wearing clothes next time?”

  “I can’t turn into a wolf if I have clothes on.”

  Emily smiled and nodded, “Ok, Nicholas.”

  “What the hell…” Kyle whispered as they followed Emily and Nicholas through the streets.

  Zohn shrugged, “I have no idea.”

  Emily and Nicholas got to a small house on the outskirts of the island city. The house was worn and unkempt. Kyle growled when Emily headed inside. Zohn appeared at a window and peered inside just in time to see Emily start going through a small dresser.

  “Ok, here,” she said, and handed over a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

  “Thanks, Ma’am,” Nicholas said, and got dressed.

  “I’ll tuck you in bed.”

  “I am tired.”

  Emily went to a large bed and pulled the covers down. Nicholas crawled into the bed and she pulled the covers over him.

  “Promise me you’ll stay in bed tonight,” Emily said as she sat on the bed beside him.

  “I will, I promise. I’m too tired to turn into a wolf tonight,” he told her.

  “Ok then,” she said, and headed for the door.

  “Lady Emily?”

  Emily turned toward him.

  “Did you talk to General Skinner?”

  She smiled, “Yes, and they are still full over at Powan. You’re on the list though.”

  Nicholas smiled, “Ok, good night.”

  Kyle and Zohn backed away from the windows when Emily opened the front door. She turned the lights off and the heku shut his eyes, burrowing deeper into the covers. Emily shut the door and took the reins on her horse. She started to mount up, but someone called her.

  “Lady Emily!” a woman said from a house a few down from Nicholas.

  “Evening, Pam,” Emily called out.

  “As promised,” the heku woman said, and walked up with a large tray.

  “No way, the ones your grandma made?”

  The heku smiled and nodded, “Hot from the oven. I figured you’d be out with Nicholas tonight.”

  “Great, thanks,” Emily said, and grabbed a cookie. She took a bite and shut her eyes, “Oh my God, these are good.”

  “Well… I’m sure they are,” Pam said, smiling.

  Emily reached over and snatched a few more, “Some for the road.”

  “Did you do what I suggested… talked to the Elder?”


  “Nope, I can handle it. Thanks for the cookies,” Emily said, and headed off toward the castle. She walked the horse as she ate more of the cookies.

  Kyle glanced at Zohn and they both followed her. As she neared the edge of the city, they watched a heku blur towards her.

  “Lady Emily!” he called out.

  Emily turned around, “Oh, hi, Blaine.”

  “First one of the season,” the heku said, and handed her a long red rose.

  Emily smiled and took it, “Thank you, it’s so pretty.”

  “Did Pam find you? She’s been carrying cookies all over the city looking for you… nasty smelling things.”

  Emily grinned, “She did and they were really good.”

  Blaine smiled, “Out with Nicholas again?”

  “Always”

  “Did you talk to the Elder?”

  “Nope, I have to head back though. Kyle and Zohn are up at the castle.”

  Blaine glanced nervously toward the heku in the shadows, and then back to Emily, “Ok, have a good night, Dear.”

  Emily watched him blur away and then continued up the hill toward the castle. She mounted her horse when the cookies were gone, and kicked her into a canter, then stopped when she heard someone else call for her.

  “Commander,” one of the island’s Lieutenants called.

  Emily turned around, “Good evening, Lieutenant.”

  “I have it ready, can you approve it?”

  “Sure,” she said, and took the clipboard from the heku guard. “Or not, it’s too dark to see it.”

  The Lieutenant pulled out a small penlight and held it up for her to see. Kyle frowned and wondered when the Island Guards started carrying flashlights.

  Emily studied the papers and flipped to the next page before speaking, “Oh, you can’t put Jamie and Dennis on the same shift, they argue.”

  “Sorry, Ma’am, I didn’t see that,” the Lieutenant said, and glanced at the papers.

  “Lewis can’t patrol outside of the cement fence. I told him one condition of his reinstatement, is that he can’t leave the walls, not even to the pier,” Emily said, and handed the clipboard back to the heku. “Other than that, it looks good.”

  The Lieutenant glanced back at Zohn and Kyle and then back to Emily, “Did Pam find you with the cookies?”

  Emily smiled, “Yes, thanks.”

  The Lieutenant bowed and blurred away. Emily finally made it back to the barn and put the mare away for the night. Before she got back into the dining room, Kyle and Zohn returned to their seats and watched her walk in.