Heku : Book 1 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  She nodded and shut her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.

  “Hey, I thought heku couldn’t be out in the sun,” she said finally, looking over at Kyle.

  “Not can’t… we just don’t prefer it… it’s obnoxiously bright.” He grinned, adjusting his sunglasses.

  “Garlic?” she asked.

  “We don’t eat.”

  “What if I threw it at you?”

  Kyle laughed, “Then I’d probably throw it back.”

  “Holy water?”

  He raised an eyebrow, clearly having fun, “Are you trying to kill me off?”

  Emily smiled despite herself and shrugged, “Doesn’t matter I guess, I’m not catholic.”

  The rest of the afternoon they spent riding the mesa, for a while running along the beach. When the sun started to set, and the weather cooled off, Kyle insisted they return to the barn.

  Emily slid off of Patra and unhooked the straps, then turned around to lay her gloves on a nearby stand and when she turned back around, the saddle and saddle blanket were already gone. She noticed Kyle’s horse was also bareback now.

  “I can do that,” she said, picking up the brush.

  “Do what?” Kyle was leaning against a stall watching her.

  “I can take off a saddle you know, I’m not a wimp.” She began to brush Patra down.

  “Never said you were… we have people for that though, and they are quite efficient.” Kyle mimicked her and grabbed a brush, “Course… I don’t see how you can lift a saddle when you can’t open a door.”

  Kyle laughed when the brush flew out of Emily’s hand and hit him softly in the back. Emily grabbed a bucket of water and started washing down Patra, who clearly enjoyed the attention. The barn was warm, and washing down the horse was making it warmer, so Emily slipped off her polo, leaving on only a light camisole. Kyle quickly glanced at her, but turned away when he again realized how beautiful she was.

  “So… now that it’s too late for you to leave tonight, what do you want to do?” he asked, still brushing the buckskin mare.

  “Hmmm... I don’t suppose there’s a TV in this place?” She led Patra into a nearby stall and went over to the large barrel of oats and struggled to lift the lid.

  “I’m sure I could find one, yes.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying not to be too obvious.

  She finally managed to get the lid off, and dumped a large bucket into Patra’s stall, “Any DVDs?”

  Kyle laughed, “Some.”

  Kissing Patra again, Emily left her in the stable and shut the door, “What’s so funny?”

  “You are, Dear… you know you can be quite amusing?” He turned to lead his horse into a stall.

  Kyle gasped when the cold water from the wash bucket was suddenly thrown at his back, drenching him. He shut the stall door and turned slowly, a grin on his face. Emily caught one look at his face and turned away, running toward the house. It wasn’t a fair chase, she hadn’t made it to the door of the barn before he was standing in her way, facing her and laughing.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, taking a step towards her.

  Emily planted her feet and set her jaw, “I’m not afraid of you.”

  Before she even realized what was happening, Kyle had her across his shoulder and was running in a blur across the yard toward a freshwater stream that led into the ocean.

  “You wouldn’t!” she yelled when she figured out his plan.

  “Oh?” he said, gently sitting her down in the deep cold water.

  Emily gasped and stood up, now entirely soaked. Kyle’s heart fluttered, the thin white camisole was now sheer and he could clearly see the shapely contours of her breasts as she climbed out of the water, unaware he was watching.

  “That is freezing!” she yelled, shivering. She slapped him on the arm as she walked past, headed for the house.

  Kyle appeared at her side with the shirt she’d left in the barn. She slipped it on, now cold, and he was able to breathe again. He chastised himself. It’s things like this that could get him in trouble with the Chief Enforcer.

  “She is mine.” Kyle could hear Chevalier’s voice in his head.

  “Come on, let’s see if we can find a TV,” he said, opening the door for her and checking quickly to see if anyone had seen them. His clothes were dry now, the cold wind coming off of the ocean dried them quickly.

  Kyle led her up the long staircase and past a few hallways, stopping at a set of white double doors. He used his key to unlock the doors and open them for her. Emily stepped into the room and smiled. The room was all white and one end held a massive, flat-screen TV that was mounted to the wall. The floors were lined with giant beanbags, overstuffed pillows, rows of carefully folded blankets, and soft rugs. One entire wall was dedicated to shelves full of DVDs.

  “You’ve been holding out on me!” she said, and walked over to look at the movies.

  Kyle sat down on a beanbag and watched her. It was fairly safe here, he would hear if anyone approached. She started thumbing through the movies as he watched her. He marveled at the way her back moved, the curve of her waist, and how her hair hung down softly, barely brushing her outstretched arms. He blinked and turned to the TV.

  He glanced back at her when she began to laugh, “Find something?”

  Emily turned around and held out a movie, still laughing, “You have Interview with a Vampire!”

  Her laughing was exquisite and Kyle grinned, “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Let’s watch it,” she said, walking over to the DVD player.

  Kyle was startled when she joined him on the beanbag and pulled up a blanket, laying it across their legs. Emily leaned forward as the movie started.

  Part of the way through the first hour of the movie, Kyle began to get irritated. The heku were portrayed completely wrong and their vulnerabilities were insulting. He was sure that Emily would see the problem and choose another movie, but when he glanced at her, she was thoroughly engrossed.

  He watched her face, it was more entertaining than the movie. She was feeling the emotions of the characters and didn’t noticed him watching her. He was shocked when she even cried when one of the simulated vampires died. He was amazed at the intense emotion she could put out for a façade.

  Kyle grinned, at times he forgot how utterly human she was. She glanced at him and then back to the movie, blushing.

  ***

  The next three days were spent the same, Kyle trying to keep Emily entertained so she wouldn’t leave the island. They rode the horses in the morning, spent afternoons doing various things, and then each evening was spent in the white movie room, watching whatever it was that Emily picked.

  The fourth day was different, though. Emily wasn’t as playful or talkative as before. She opted to walk with Patra, as opposed to riding, and Kyle began to get worried. They hadn’t mentioned Chevalier, though Kyle knew exactly where he was. Emily assumed he’d left the castle and Kyle didn’t have the heart to tell her he was there, just in meditation in his office. He didn’t know the kind of fight they had but was sure that Chevalier wouldn’t want her to leave in his absence.

  The movie that night was a romance, but Emily was asleep before the relationship even began to evolve. Kyle carried her back to her room and put her to bed, taking his place at the foot of her bed as normal.

  ***

  The hard knocking on his door broke his concentration and irritated him, “Enter!” Chevalier bellowed at them.

  Anna came in quickly, her head low and bowed, “Sir?”

  “What, Anna?”

  “Sir, please, I am worried about Lady Emily,” Anna continued to stare at the floor, feeling awkward being in Chevalier’s study.

  He stood up and took a step toward her, “What’s wrong?”

  “A fever, Sir. Kyle summoned me a few hours ago.”

  Chevalier glared as he realized Kyle was spending time with Emily again, and then swept out of the room, followed quickly b
y Anna. The door shut and locked behind them on its own. It only took him a few seconds to appear in Emily’s ante-chamber, and he knocked lightly.

  “I said go away!” Emily called from the other side of the doors.

  Chevalier looked at Anna and smiled, “It’s ok, Anna. I’ll take a look.”

  Ignoring her call to go away, Chevalier stepped inside the room and shut the heavy door behind him. He looked around the room and saw Emily sitting in a chair by the fire. She didn’t look over at him. He walked over and sat down in the other chair.

  “Sooo.” He paused, hoping she would begin, but continued when she didn’t, “How are you feeling?”

  Emily’s insides reeled. She hadn’t expected Chevalier to come back and she figured he was just feeling guilty about abandoning her. It wouldn’t be long before he left again, returning only when she’d gone.

  “Fine,” she snapped at him.

  “Anna seems to think you are sick.”

  “Anna is delusional.”

  Chevalier grinned, “That she is, however, she is still worried.”

  Emily coughed into her arm and turned back to the fire.

  “Hmm,” he said, watching her more intently now. He frowned at the flush in her face. It wasn’t like the blush that lingered on her cheeks when she was embarrassed.

  Chevalier stood up and put his hand on her forehead, which she promptly slapped away. He got enough of a chance though to ascertain that she was feverish.

  “Ok, Emily, no more playing,” he said, picking her up.

  “Put me down, Chev. I’m not in the mood.” She kicked, trying to get away, but was soon on the bed, “Gah, you’re as bad as Kyle.”

  Emily scrambled to get out of bed but Chevalier held her down, “I’m not kidding, Emily, you stay put.” His voice was stern.

  “You aren’t my father, Chev.” She glared at him, but he refused to release his hold.

  He reached out and felt her forehead again. She felt hot and sweaty and her color was off, “You are getting sick.”

  “Anna,” Chevalier called.

  “Yes, Sir?” Instantly she appeared at his side, her eyes on Emily.

  “Find a doctor. Talk to Storm, make sure it is a discreet one.”

  “Yes, Sir,” she said, running off.

  Emily looked up at Chevalier and her snide remark was forgotten when she saw the worry in his eyes.

  Chevalier sat at her side for the few hours it took to locate a doctor to come within the island walls. Chevalier watched as Emily fell asleep, her breathing labored and raspy. He started to become angry with Storm, it was taking too long to locate someone to come and help.

  Just as Chevalier was about to whisk Emily away to the mainland, the doctor arrived with apologies about the time, the ferry had some engine trouble. The doctor was about to introduce himself when his eyes fell on Emily and his brow furrowed.

  He dug around in his bag and pulled out a stethoscope and placed it against her chest, inhaling sharply.

  “It’s pneumonia,” he mumbled, pulling out a thermometer and scanning it across her forehead. “104.2, we should get her to a hospital, but as the ferry is no longer running, I’ll do what I can.”

  Chevalier didn’t like the sounds of that, “Do more than you can,” he demanded.

  The doctor rifled through his bag and pulled out a syringe, which he filled from a small vial. He pulled the blankets down and hiked her nightgown up, then turned as he heard Chevalier hiss.

  “This has to go into her thigh… that’s all,” he said, watching to make sure he wasn’t about to get attacked. He’d been oddly curious about this island since he was a child, and though he knew the risks of coming out here, he jumped at the chance to see inside the gray walls.

  “What is it?” Chevalier’s voice held authority and anger.

  “Antibiotics, she can’t take a pill, so it has to be an injection,” he explained, and then paused to wait for more questions. When none came, he gave her the shot and covered the small puncture wound with a bandage.

  The doctor stood back and watched Emily strain to breathe, the muscles in her throat standing out. Her chest heaved heavily as her body struggled to get oxygen. It hadn’t escaped Chevalier that Emily didn’t open her eyes when the doctor gave her the medicine.

  Chevalier didn’t move for hours. He sat, watching her, willing her to continue to breathe. Her fragile body stayed incredibly warm and she stopped responding at all to commands. Kyle joined them but kept a safe distance, choosing to watch from the corner of the room. Anna sat beside her also, holding her hand.

  The doctor came in every few hours to check on Emily. He wasn’t pleased with the outcome, the antibiotics hadn’t started to work yet, but he promised them that they would soon. He left the room when he wasn’t needed because Chevalier’s accusing stares made him uncomfortably aware of his volatile surroundings.

  Emily’s fever broke the following night but her body fought to continue to breathe. The strain now showing on the faces of all in the room. Anna changed the wet cloth on Emily’s forehead often, but there was nothing else to do but watch her. The doctor was concerned about the lack of fluids in her body, but the pneumonia had progressed and he was afraid to move her. Storm gathered a crew and they went back to the mainland, returning with I.V. supplies and oxygen. Emily seemed to breathe easier with the extra oxygen and the doctor felt better once the I.V. began to replenish the fluid in her body.

  The time watching over Emily gave Chevalier the opportunity to think about what was happening with him, and as much as he hated to consider it, he conceded that he might actually love her. His heart ached watching her suffer and if there were someone to kill for it, he would. He realized that no one could know his true feelings for Emily. They could be construed as a weakness and then all he fought for would be lost. He had control on his side, control of himself and his coven.

  The next morning, the doctor came back into the room to check on Emily. He was always amazed at the three heku that sat vigil over her bed, and at how much they cared about this young woman. None of them moved as he placed the stethoscope on her chest and then grinned when she moved slightly with the cold. It was the first he had seen her respond in over two days.

  “She sounds better today,” he told them, and noticed the look of adoration on the heku’s faces. He scanned her forehead again and showed the results to Chevalier, 101.1. No one spoke, so he gave her another dose of antibiotics and left the room again.

  That evening, Chevalier called for the doctor. Emily’s body was no longer straining to breathe, her back was no longer arching, and the muscles in her neck had relaxed. She seemed peaceful and had it not been for the rasping, he wouldn’t have even believed she was still breathing.

  The doctor rushed in and immediately placed a stethoscope against her chest, but he smiled. “She’s ok, it’s ok, her body just isn’t having to fight quite so hard to breathe.”

  Chevalier smiled softly at Emily and again the doctor was taken aback by the care the immortals were given this one mortal. It was comforting knowing that the mythological evil beasts could care, “As soon as she wakes up, I’ll need to go back.”

  The doctor waited. He’d been slightly suspicious whether he would make it back or if he would become a permanent resident of this city of the immortal.

  Chevalier nodded, “That should be fine, just leave us what we need to care for her.”

  In her sleep, Emily reached up and tore off the oxygen cannula. Chevalier quickly replaced it just to have it torn off again.

  “Leave it alone,” he said softly.

  “No,” she answered, her voice was so quiet it was hard to hear.

  He couldn’t help but grin. The soft sound of her voice was encouraging. He’d spent the last few days thinking he may actually lose her and not sure if his heart could beat without her.

  He replaced the cannula, yet again, and this time she didn’t move. A few hours later, the harsh cough began and her labored breathing returned
, though not as fiercely as before. Again they called for the doctor.

  He couldn’t help but smile at the panicked look on their faces as he heard the rough cough, “It’s fine, that’s what we want… coughing is good. Coughing irritates the airway, though, so it’s going to make it hard to breathe.”

  “This is good?” Anna questioned, watching Emily cough violently.

  “Yes, it is,” the doctor tried to reassure them.

  Storm made the arrangements to send the doctor home the following day and to pay him immensely for his help. Chevalier was surprised to learn that the doctor offered to come back if the need arose. It was always good to have resources on the outside.

  Once Emily fell back to sleep and there was a break in the coughing, Chevalier appeared in the corner with Kyle.

  “You have some explaining to do, and it better be good.” Kyle could feel the intense rage emanating from Chevalier.

  “Sir?” he asked, not sure how much Chevalier knew.

  “It seems in my absence you spent a lot of time… too much time, with Emily, explain yourself,” Chevalier hissed and took a step closer to Kyle as his hands clenched into tight fists.

  Kyle’s mind pulled out the excuse he had formulated, “She was going to leave, Sir. I simply tried to keep her here.”

  It worked, Chevalier’s anger ebbed slightly, “This required you to spend the entire four days with her?”

  “I was afraid that the second she was alone, she would leave.” Kyle crouched defensively, “She was convinced you wanted her to.”

  Chevalier’s anger immediately left him as Kyle’s words sank in, “She though I wanted her to leave?”

  “Yes”

  Chevalier studied Kyle’s face and he hissed, “How close did you get to her?”

  Kyle didn’t ease up from his defensive posture, “Chevalier, I wouldn’t…”

  Chevalier stopped him with a growl, “Are you falling for her?”

  “No!” Self-preservation kept Kyle from confessing the truth.

  “She is mine,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I know, Sir.” Kyle tried to relax to show his respect for the Chief Enforcer. He had to hide his true feelings, feelings that would get him killed.