Ancients and Old Ones : Book 8 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  He smiled, “I’m not alone. You are here now.”

  “I am supposed to go back up to the surface.”

  “Yes, Equitis is calling for you.”

  “Who?”

  “Equitis, from the Council.”

  “Is he the Old One?”

  “Yes”

  She nodded and then remembered that most heku had had many names.

  “I told him no one can leave the vault,” the Ancient said.

  “You know Equitis well?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  She smiled, “Tell me about him.”

  “Oh, he was a prized possession when he turned. As a mortal, he was one of the strongest leaders and was sought by all three factions,” the Ancient said, and then sighed. “He didn’t want to turn though, so the Ancients gathered and came up with a plan to use Ephraim.”

  Emily leaned forward to listen.

  “As a mortal, he was sought out from great distances by every father with a daughter. Everyone wanted him as their son so he could produce noble children. He often said that no woman would be worthy to carry his children though, so he remained alone. Women were weak and feeble, and he was strong and powerful.”

  She frowned.

  “Once turned, he hated the mortals, despised them I should say. So now he hated Ephraim for turning him, yet Ephraim took him away from the species he loathed. I’ve never seen any… well except for the Ancients, who hated mortals as badly as Equitis did.”

  “Hated mortals?”

  “That may not even be a strong enough word. The Ancients were so proud to have turned him, and had him share their beliefs on the mortals. Do you know that Equitis got mad at a small clan of mortals so badly, that he wiped them out without a drop of blood hitting the ground,” the Ancient said, smiling.

  “Equitis did?”

  He nodded, “Yes. I’ve never seen such loathing for a species that was once his own. It just made the Ancients prouder, the more he hated them. That also earned him a spot on the Equites Council. He was the first non-Ancient on the Council and was made Chief Enforcer because of his hatred.”

  “But the Chief Enforcer protects mortals.”

  “Not back then. Back then they punished mortals for wrongdoing against the heku.”

  Emily just nodded, but her heart sank.

  “Just stay away from Equitis, Child. You will be safer.”

  “The baby is his though,” she whispered.

  The Ancient frowned, “Equitis is the father of your child?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s very peculiar. What special traits do you have that sets you apart from other mortals?”

  “I’m half heku.”

  “That makes you a mortal, Dear. Though I do detect some Ancient in you, very odd.”

  “My father was an Ancient.”

  The Ancient gasped, “That can’t be!”

  “Why not?”

  He stood up and disappeared back down a hallway, then returned with a file, “It’s in the heku laws. Ancients were very careful not to produce children with the lowly mortals… just in case one became lax, their children and the mothers were to be killed immediately.”

  “Why is that?” She was finding it hard to breathe.

  He smiled, “No mortal is worthy to carry the blood of an Ancient.”

  “I see.”

  “So Equitis knew you were half Ancient, and that deemed you worthy?”

  “He didn’t know.”

  “He didn’t? Are you certain?”

  “Actually, no, I’m not. How many mortal women did he turn down?”

  “Thousands, the great Equitis was very picky. He said no woman would ever be worthy of his children. I guess the one thing he despised worse than mortals, was their women.”

  Emily frowned, “Why is that?”

  The Ancient shrugged, “I don’t know. He used them, and then left, making sure never to leave tracks.”

  “Used them?”

  “That’s enough about him, Dear. He’s not going to like you, nor will he want you as a wife, so you best just leave him be.”

  Emily fought back tears, “Can… can you go get me something to drink?”

  “Oh, yes… guests must drink, it’s polite,” he said as he disappeared down a dark passage.

  Emily walked over and wrapped the rope around her forearm, and then tugged it a few times. The ride up the tiny tube was fast, and soon she was back in the dark cemetery.

  “Are you hurt?” Chevalier asked when he saw the tears.

  She shook her head and looked down the hole, “He’s all alone.”

  “He doesn’t know any different.”

  Emily looked up at him and glared, “And you… stay away from me.”

  “What?” he gasped as she limped off.

  “What did you do to her?” Kyle asked.

  “Em,” Chevalier called out, following her.

  “Stay away from me!” she screamed, and stormed into the palace.

  Kyle walked up by Chevalier and frowned, “What’d you do to her?”

  “I didn’t do anything!”

  He shrugged, “Sounds like you did.”

  Chevalier glared when Kyle walked into the palace.

  “I didn’t see you do anything,” Quinn said, and then followed Kyle. Chevalier finally calmed down and went into the palace, then took his seat at the council chambers.

  “What did you do to Em?” Zohn asked him.

  “I didn’t do anything!” he roared.

  Zohn’s eyes grew wide and he sat back.

  “Next,” he growled, and then turned to the trial area.

  ***

  Emily sat on the bay window and looked out over the lush green lawns of Council City. She started to wonder if the Ancient was too crazy and maybe even misunderstood who Equitis was. It finally dawned on her who she could find out from.

  She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Valle Council.

  “What?” Elder Randall yelled.

  “Stop yelling at me,” she hissed.

  “Emily?” Sotomar asked, shocked.

  “Who is older, you or Chevalier?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Age… who was turned first, you or Chevalier.”

  “That’s not proper to ask.”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass about proper,” she said, irritated. “It’s an easy question… who is older?”

  Emily could tell that Sotomar had picked up the phone, and taken her off of speaker phone, “Why do you ask?”

  “I want to know about him when he first turned.”

  Sotomar sighed, “That was a long time ago.”

  “So you do remember him?”

  “No, actually, I’m a couple hundred years younger than he is.”

  “Can you give me the phone number of a Valle Old One who is older than him?”

  “Not right off hand. You’re going to be hard pressed to find anyone older than Chevalier that’s not retired.”

  “Did you know him?”

  “I met him shortly after I turned, yes.”

  “Was he a mortal hater?”

  There was silence for a few minutes, and when Sotomar spoke, he sounded pleased, “Yes, he was.”

  “Was it the Chief Enforcer’s job to protect mortals?”

  “No, it was not.”

  “He hated mortals then… especially the women?”

  “Yes, why the questions? Did something happen?”

  Emily answered him by hanging up the phone. She thought for a moment and then picked up the St. Bernard puppy and headed down to the trial area.

  “Good evening, Lady Emily,” Derrick said, smiling.

  “I need to talk to the Records Keeper.”

  He opened the door, “Go on in.”

  Emily walked in and then turned when Kyle blurred to her and tried to take the heavy puppy, “Go away.”

  “You shouldn’t be carrying him,” he said, and finally took the puppy from her.

  She gl
ared as he moved off to the side a bit.

  “Can we help you, Em?” Chevalier asked, unsure if she was still mad.

  Emily walked up to Jerry, the Records Keeper, “I need the phone number of an Old One who is older than Chevalier.”

  “What? Why?” Chevalier asked, surprised.

  She ignored him and addressed Jerry, “Can you give me that?”

  “Might I ask why?”

  “No, you can either tell me or I’ll call William next.”

  “Next? You called the Valle?” Zohn asked.

  Emily glared at him and then crossed her arms and turned to Jerry, “So?”

  Jerry looked at Chevalier, who finally nodded, exasperated with the entire situation, “The only two I know of are both retired.”

  “Out in our cemetery?”

  “Yes”

  She turned to leave, but then sighed when Quinn called her. She turned slowly, “What?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “None of your business.”

  Quinn smiled slightly, “I’m not accustomed to being told no.”

  “Then get used to it,” she snapped, and stormed out of the room.

  Kyle looked at Chevalier, “She’s not calling you Chev.”

  “I noticed that.”

  “Do you think the Ancient said something to her?”

  “I’ll go find out,” Chevalier said. He disappeared from the trial area and returned twenty minutes later.

  “Did he help?” Kyle asked.

  Chevalier sighed, “He doesn’t recall a mortal being down with him.”

  Zohn smiled, “Nice.”

  “An Ancient with no heku memory?”

  Chevalier shrugged, “He’s been down there longer than I’ve been a heku.”

  Emily walked out to the cemetery and looked around at head stones. She finally realized she didn’t know the names of the Old Ones, so she decided to just yell the incantation and wake them all up.

  Pulling out her phone, she scrolled down to the incantations marked ‘Revive Retired’.

  Not knowing what she was actually saying, she called out the words on her phone in an unknown language, “Audite mihi.”

  She stumbled when the ground shook beneath her feet, then she looked around and frowned. Once she was sure the small earthquake was over, she turned back to the cemetery, “Ego dico vobis…”

  Emily grabbed the iron fence when the earth shook again.

  ***

  Mark blurred into the council chambers, “E… Emily… she’s trying to… revive the retired.”

  Chevalier sighed, “Only Elders and Ancients can do that.”

  “Well… she seems to know the words.”

  “How?” Kyle asked, frowning.

  When the ground shook again, Chevalier disappeared from the council chambers, followed shortly by the rest of the Council. By the time they arrived, Chevalier had Emily pinned to the ground as he straddled her thighs, and his hand was firmly around her mouth.

  Emily was pulling at his fingers and fought to get up.

  “Elder…” Kyle said softly. “Calm down.”

  “What were you thinking!?” Chevalier yelled at her.

  Quinn nodded at the Chief of Defense and the Records Keeper, and they fanned out to see if any of the heku had been revived.

  Zohn reached down and put a hand on Chevalier’s shoulder, “She didn’t know. Let her up.”

  He removed his hand from her mouth and then stood up and held a hand down to help her up. She batted it away and then stood up and turned to him, glaring.

  He took a deep breath, “I’m calm…”

  “I’m not!” she yelled. “Do not touch me!”

  “You can’t revive them all.”

  She crossed her arms, “I just want the Old Ones.”

  “Why?”

  All she did was glare at him.

  “None were successfully revived,” the Chief of Defense reported in.

  “How can you even know how to do that?” Zohn asked her.

  She smiled, “You’d be amazed at what I found in the vault.”

  The heku all gasped and looked at her with wide eyes.

  “Like what?” Quinn asked in a cracked voice.

  “I’m not going to tell you. I may need it someday.”

  “That ritual takes an Elder or an Ancient to perform,” Zohn explained.

  Emily shrugged, “It was worth a shot.”

  Kyle looked at them, “The ground shaking then?”

  Chevalier looked up at the sky, “That’s what happens when an Ancient revives a retired heku.”

  “The ground shakes?” the Chief of Staff asked.

  He looked at Emily, “Yes.”

  “Let’s all move back into the council chambers,” Quinn said calmly. “Apparently we need to discuss a few matters.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with him,” Emily said, looking at Chevalier.

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  Her eyes narrowed, “Don’t let this mere mortal woman keep the great Equitis from his trials.”

  “What?” he growled, and then followed her when she stormed off.

  Zohn and Quinn each took an arm to keep him from following her. Quinn finally spoke, “Let her go. We need to meet as a Council.”

  Chevalier nodded, “Ok.”

  Once the Council was seated in the Council’s conference room, Kyle stood, “It shouldn’t surprise us that she has some of the Ancient’s abilities.”

  “She’s never shown any of that before,” the Chief of Staff Said.

  Quinn shrugged, “We’ve never given her the opportunity.”

  “What else do you suppose she knows?”

  “There’s no telling,” Chevalier said.

  Kyle shrugged, “I can talk to her.”

  ***

  “Emily, it’s good to hear from you,” William said, sounding pleased that she called.

  “Thanks, I have a question though.”

  “What is it?”

  “Do the Encala have any Old Ones that are older than Chevalier?”

  The Encala’s Records Keeper spoke, “That’s hard to say. I’m not sure how old he is.”

  “Is your oldest Old One retired?”

  “No”

  “Can I call him?”

  William sounded amused, “Might we ask why?”

  “Sure, I want to know about Chevalier when he was turned.”

  “We’ll send him over with Lt. Andrew.”

  “That’s not necessary. A phone call will do.”

  “We insist. Expect them tomorrow,” Iuna said.

  “Ok, thanks,” she said, and then hung up. After a few minutes, she heard a knock, “Who is it?”

  “Alex”

  “Come in,” Emily said, and turned toward her daughter.

  Alexis sat down and looked out the window, “Need to talk?”

  “You heard, huh?”

  “No, I just know the Council is meeting in private about something you did.”

  “Just do me a favor, Alex,” Emily said, taking her hand. “Stay away from your Dad until I figure something out.”

  Alexis frowned, “Like, avoid him?”

  “Yes”

  “Why?”

  “Just for me, please.”

  Alexis sighed, “Ok, though I wish you’d tell me why.”

  “I need to do some research.”

  “Oh, the Council is calling for me.”

  Emily nodded, “Just tell them no.”

  “I can’t tell them no.”

  “Yes you can.”

  Alexis stood slowly and then smiled, “Just this once, for you.”

  Emily watched her leave and then turned back to the window. Alexis walked down and smiled at Derrick.

  “They’re waiting for you,” he said, reaching for the door.

  “Actually, Derrick,” she said, and stopped his hand. “I’m not going to answer the summons.”

  He frowned, “You’re not?”

  “N
o, please tell them that as a favor to Mom, I’m not to speak to Dad,” Alexis said, and then smiled at him. He nodded and watched her walk down the stairs.

  Clearing his throat, he stepped in.

  “Is she almost here?” Zohn asked.

  He sighed, “Miss Alexis said that as a favor to Emily, she’s not coming in.”

  “A favor to Em?” Chevalier asked.

  “Yes, Elder. She said she can’t speak to you.”

  “Why?”

  “She didn’t say, Sir.”

  Chevalier sighed and looked at Kyle, “Your turn.”

  Kyle smiled slightly and then blurred from the room. He lightly knocked on Chevalier’s bedroom door and then opened it when he didn’t hear a response. Emily was curled up on the bay window, asleep.

  He hurried back down to the council chambers, “She’s asleep. Go see if her dreams tell you.”

  Chevalier disappeared before any could see the Old One move.

  Quinn turned to the others, “Now that he’s gone, we need to discuss what happens if Emily has the abilities of an Old One or even of an Ancient.”

  “I find it hard to believe that she could have any of the abilities of an Ancient and none of us have noticed in the last 30 years,” said the Chief of Defense.

  Kyle shrugged, “We’ve never really tested it. It’s not like she knows a bunch of incantations.”

  Quinn turned to him, “How can we test it?”

  “I thought we just did,” Kyle said. “She almost woke up the entire cemetery and she heard what only Old Ones and Ancients can hear.”

  Chevalier watched Emily sleep in the bay window. It was obvious that she was dreaming, even though she didn’t move or jerk like she used to. Her hands were tightly gripping the blanket and her breathing was fast.

  Careful not to wake her, he reached out and touched her shoulder, and was immediately thrown into her dream. Suddenly, blackness invaded his vision and he couldn’t breathe or move. He began to thrash, trying to free himself until he moved back and let go, breaking contact.

  He panted as he caught his breath, and then watched as her knuckles turned white from gripping the blanket.

  Not quite sure what he’d seen, he touched her again and found himself completely restrained and unable to move in the dark. The tight binds kept him from taking a deep breath and he was instantly panicked.

  Again his thrashing broke contact from his hand and he looked down at her. Deciding he was ending it, Chevalier sat down beside her in the bay window and whispered to her, “Em… wake up.”