Emily blushed and grabbed a blanket, “Do you not have any friends you can stay with?”
“Nope, none at all.”
“Why did you stop bodyguarding and go into vampire hunting?”
“I lost a charge to a vampire. I never looked back,” he said, and watched out the window.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Bloody undead. They keep eluding me, and it’s pissing me off.”
“Maybe they aren’t worth pursuing.”
“Oh they are.”
Emily grinned and grabbed her glass. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and screamed when she saw a mouse, and then quickly scrambled to her feet on the couch. Kralen and Silas both burst in, crouched and ready to attack. Robert stood up to face them and his eyes narrowed.
“Mouse, Silas, get it!” Emily screamed, and pointed toward the wall.
Silas walked over to appear human, and once he bent out of sight of the mortal, he blurred and caught the mouse easily in his fingers. When he stood up and walked out of the room, Emily got down off the couch and smiled slightly at Robert.
“Sorry… um… this is Kralen. He’s a friend of my husband,” Emily said, and Kralen nodded at Robert.
“Friend or bodyguard?” Robert asked, and eyed Silas when he returned.
“What do you mean bodyguard?” Emily asked, and sat back down.
“I spent enough years as a bodyguard to spot one from a mile away. Both these guys are here to protect you, that’s obvious,” Robert said, and stayed standing, facing Silas and Kralen.
“They are just friends. I don’t need bodyguards… sit down, please.”
Robert sat down, but kept a close eye on the heku, “They are bodyguards, damned good ones I’d gather, and very protective of you.”
Kralen smiled slightly and then he and Silas left, shutting the door behind him.
“You sticking with the military story?” he asked her.
“It’s true.”
“Military wives don’t need bodyguards, and military paychecks don’t buy houses like this.”
“I said military, sort of,” she reminded him.
“Oh, that’s right. So what are they protecting you from?”
“I have no idea. They just hang around and do nothing all day.”
She heard Kralen chuckle from outside of the door.
Robert stood up and stretched, “Again, I appreciate all you’ve done, but I should be going now that I’ve healed.”
“The offer still stands for you to stay. It’s cold enough out there that I don’t really want you sleeping under a bridge.”
“I won’t stay and take advantage of your hospitality.”
“Fine then. I’ll hire you.”
“To do what?”
“Well… I need some work done on the house.”
“You want a live in handyman?” he asked, amused.
“Sure, why not?”
“For room and board?”
“Yes”
“Let me be one of your bodyguards, too.”
She laughed, “You don’t think those two can handle it?”
“Who watches you while they sleep… or take a day off?”
“I don’t even need them. Why would I hire another?”
“Fine then… Let me be your vampire bodyguard.”
Emily frowned, “So you do handy work in my home and protect me from vampires?”
“Yes”
“For room and board.”
“Right”
Emily thought for a moment. She knew Chevalier wouldn’t be happy that she’d hired a live in handyman, nor that that handy man thought himself a vampire hunter.
“If it’s a problem, I can go back to my bridge,” Robert told her.
“Fine, you can keep that room you’re in now, and start on Monday.”
He looked at her suspiciously, “This is the strangest deal I’ve ever made.”
“Get used to it, nothing normal happens around me,” she said, and stood up. “I have to head in to work though. Will you be ok here alone?”
“Sure, I need to go get my motorcycle and then I’ll be back.”
“I won’t be long. I’m not working a full shift,” she said, and started for the door. Kralen and Silas fell in behind her when she opened the door. Robert watched them, shook his head, and then shut the front door.
They all climbed into the Jeep and Emily took off for the palace.
Kralen started to laugh, “I cannot believe you just hired a bodyguard to protect you from vampires.”
Emily grinned, “I couldn’t let him go sleep under a bridge.”
“Still…”
“He’ll help out around the house, it’ll be nice.”
“We can do that faster.”
“Kralen…”
“And better.”
“I just don’t want to be there when you tell the Council,” Silas told her.
“I don’t see why I have to tell the Council, as long as Chev knows,” she said, and took the road off of the Interstate than led to Council City.
“Silas and I’ve been talking… about Frederick,” Kralen said, and looked over at her.
“Ok, what about him?”
“We’re going to give you an easy out.”
“Keep talking…”
“If you tell us where he is, we’ll tell the Council we accidentally found him. That returns Frederick without you having to admit you gave him over.”
She smiled, “I appreciate the thought, but he’s going to suffer first.”
“I figured,” Kralen said, and stepped out of the Jeep when she stopped in front of the palace.
“Shall we pull it into the garage?” one of the door guards asked.
“I got it,” Silas said, and climbed into the front seat.
Emily headed inside with Kralen as three more of the Cavalry fell in behind them.
“Mommy!” Dain yelled, and then blurred into her, almost knocking her down. Kralen caught her before she fell, and stood her up straight.
“Careful, Baby,” she said, and picked him up.
He kissed her cheek as they went up the stairs to her office. She propped open the door and sat down with a pile of papers she needed to go through. Her time away from her job as Staff Supervisor left her badly behind and she dove into the numerous requests and complaints left on her desk.
“Busy?” Chevalier asked from her door.
She smiled, “Come on in.”
The Elder walked in and sat down, “Behind?”
“You have no idea,” she said, and signed off on something before starting a new pile.
“How’s the mortal?”
“Robert is fine.”
“Did he go home?”
She shrugged, “You could kind of say that.”
“Kind of?”
“Yes, kind of.”
“Define kind of.”
“I hired him, so he’s staying,” she said, and tossed a stack of papers into the trash.
Chevalier raised an eyebrow, “He’s living with you?”
“As an employee, yes.”
“I’m not sure I like that.”
“It’s just temporary,” she told him. “He’s going to fix up some things around the house.”
“I have heku that can do that faster.”
“I know, but he’s homeless, Chev,” she said, and looked up at him.
“Where does that put me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… does he know about me?”
“He knows I’m married, if that’s what you mean.”
“And the heku?”
“Obviously, he doesn’t know about that.”
“Your guards?”
She sighed, “He figured that one out after I saw a mouse.”
Chevalier grinned, “He knows you have guards?”
“Yes, he used to be a bodyguard and immediately spotted them as more than just my friends.”
“It’s still not safe,�
� Chevalier said. “It’s too risky to have a mortal living near you. One that doesn’t know about the heku.”
“Well…”
“What?”
“He’s kind of… well… a vampire hunter.”
“Em…”
“So if he sees a heku attack, he’ll just think they are vampires.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I can’t let him go live on the streets, Chev.”
He reached over and kissed her softly, “You have such a soft heart.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Not my intention.”
“The living arrangement isn’t permanent.”
“Ok, just be careful.”
Emily nodded and Chevalier left her office. He stopped a ways down the hallway and called Kralen to him.
“She tell you about her new bodyguard?” Kralen asked, smiling.
“No, she told me about her new live in handyman.”
“Oh… well… he’s also going to protect her from vampires.”
Chevalier sighed, “She failed to mention that.”
“We’ll watch her closely.”
“I know… see if you can find anything out about him. I don’t trust him and most certainly don’t want him living with her.”
“Agreed,” Kralen said, and bowed slightly when Kyle walked up.
“Is Em in her office?” he asked them.
“Yes… probably seeing what other problems she could possibly find,” Chevalier sighed.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning… she just hired a live in handyman and vampire bodyguard.”
Kyle frowned slightly, “Do what?”
“You heard me,” Chevalier said before heading down the stairs.
Kyle turned to Kralen, “Seriously?”
Kralen simply nodded and returned to his post.
Chapter 3 - Robert
“We have this,” Silas told Robert when he came to answer the door.
“Sure,” he said, but stayed on the stairs to see who it was.
Silas opened the door as several heku brought in supplies for Emily’s renovations. Silas signed off on a clipboard before shutting the door and turning to Robert.
“No vampire attacks,” he said, and walked into the house.
Robert glared at him and went down to grab a 2x4 before returning to the second floor. He pulled aside the blinds and watched the black Suburban pull away from the house.
“Who was that?” Emily asked when Silas walked in. She continued to paint the wall in the dining room as Kralen carefully painted the ceiling.
“More supplies… Robert’s a bit jumpy, ever noticed?”
“Yeah, kind of,” she said, and handed Silas a brush.
He sat down and started to paint the baseboards.
Kralen looked over at the window and frowned, “Why is he patrolling again?”
“He is?” Emily asked, and looked up.
“Yes, and it’s driving me nuts.”
“It’s not hurting anyone if he wants to look around.”
“Yes, but it makes the Cavalry move back into the shadows, and they can’t get a good enough view from there,” Silas explained. “If there was an attack, it’d take them an extra second to respond because of having to hide behind trees.”
“What do you want me to do?” Emily asked, and looked over at them.
“Boot him to the curb,” Kralen suggested.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not? What’s your angle in this?”
“No angle. I just don’t think he needs to be homeless.”
“He ran vampire tests on all of us. I still smell like garlic,” Kralen said, irritated.
“I’d like to shove that cross up his…” Silas started.
“Silas!” Emily whispered harshly.
“Well hell! I had to change my shirt this morning when he decided to shoot me with holy water.”
Emily grinned, “Sorry about that.”
“What are you going to do if he finds out?”
“Not sure. I’m hoping he doesn’t.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“That’s obvious.”
“Do you?” Silas asked.
“Sure, why not? He’s not done anything to cause me not to trust him, and he’s helping out a lot around here.”
“You’re too trusting.”
“Just paint.”
Chevalier opened the door and walked in, then wrinkled his nose at the smell of fresh paint and shut the door behind him. He hadn’t been to the house in the three weeks since they began painting for that exact reason.
“Stop right there,” Robert said, and ran down the stairs.
Chevalier looked at him, “Excuse me?”
“Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here?” Robert asked, and stood between Chevalier and the hallway.
“I live here. Who the hell are you?”
Robert smiled, “Oh, you must be Emily’s husband.”
“Must be,” Chevalier said, and stepped around him. He walked into the dining room and sat down beside Emily, “Nothing like being accosted when I come in.”
Emily grinned, “He’s just… well…”
“Annoying?” Kralen asked.
“In the way?” Silas added.
“I was going to say ambitious,” Emily told them.
“A bit too ambitious for a little thing,” Chevalier said, obviously irritated.
“He’s not a little thing.”
“He is too.”
“Just because you’re all gargantuan in size, doesn’t mean he’s small.”
“Gargantuan?” Silas asked, grinning.
“I know you don’t like him, but he’s keeping busy and helping out a lot.”
“Yeah, with things we can do faster and better,” Kralen said, still painting.
“Be nice,” Emily told him. “He’s not hurting anyone, and I won’t send him out to live on the streets.”
“I think he should have gotten kicked out the moment he fell for you,” Silas told her, and set down the paintbrush.
“He has?” Chevalier asked.
“No, he has not,” Emily told him.
“Oh yeah he has, hard,” Kralen said.
Emily rolled her eyes, “Grow up, you two.”
Silas grinned, “You’re the blindest mortal I’ve ever met.”
“I am not!”
“Hey, Em, are you hot?” Kralen asked, and smiled.
“No, I’m kind of cold.”
“See,” Kralen chuckled.
“What does me being cold have to do with anything?”
“That’s enough,” Chevalier said, shaking his head. “If the mortal has fallen for you though, that changes everything.”
“He hasn’t,” Emily assured him, and stood up, stretching her legs. “Besides, he’s not ‘the mortal.’ His name is Robert and he’s doing nothing wrong.”
“Em?” Robert called from the foyer.
“Be good,” Emily whispered, before walking out to him. “What’s up?”
“I’ve finished with that shelving,” Robert told her, and the heku stopped working to listen.
“Oh nice! That’ll help a ton.”
“What do you want me to do now?”
“Why don’t you take the night off and tomorrow see what you can do with that bathroom.”
“Who buys a house with no toilets anyway?” he asked, amused.
“I figured I’d put them in later,” she told him.
“Come with,” Robert said.
“Where?” Chevalier whispered to Kralen.
Kralen replied, “He’s always trying to get her to go riding with him on his motorcycle.”
“No thanks. Chev’s here tonight and I think I’ll spend it in,” Emily told him.
“Do you know anyone under six and a half feet tall?” Robert asked, laughing.
“Yes, you,” Emily said, and walked into the kitchen. The heku heard Robert follow her in.<
br />
“It’s odd how they don’t eat… ever.”
“They do too. They just don’t like my cooking I think.”
“That can’t be it. You’re an amazing chef.”
Emily grinned, “You’re just hungry.”
“I haven’t seen them sleep, either.”
“Well it’s not like they camp out on my floor.”
“Why won’t you ever come out with me at night?”
“It’s too cold.”
The heku heard him take a few steps, “It’s not that cold.”
Chevalier quickly went to the door and opened it slowly. He saw that Robert was standing very close to Emily, but moved away when he entered.
“Smells good, Em,” Chevalier said, and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’ll start on that bathroom tomorrow then,” Robert said, and left quickly. A few minutes later, they heard his motorcycle moving off into the dark.
“Smells good?” Emily asked, dishing herself up some.
Chevalier grinned, “Well… not really.”
She sat down at the table and was joined by the heku, including Mark, who was waiting for Robert to leave before coming in.
“He does like you,” Chevalier told her.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. Watch it around him.”
“I suspect he won’t stay around much longer. We’re almost done with this house… except for… it,” Emily said, and started to eat.
“It?” Mark asked.
“The ceremonial room,” Kralen told him.
“We’re working on it. It won’t be long,” Chevalier told her. “When it’s gone, are you going to sell this place?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“We still haven’t cleaned out Exavior’s room yet,” Silas reminded her.
“I know… I’ll start on that later.”
“Why don’t you let us do it?” Kralen asked.
“I will, it’s ok. He can’t have much else in there more than I’ve already seen.”
Mark stood suddenly and looked toward the back door. Emily looked up just as Silas and Kralen stood slowly, also watching the back door.
“Go,” Chevalier whispered, and the three heku blurred away.
The two dogs came running from the front of the house and tore past Emily as they growled and headed out the back door.
“No!” Emily screamed, and stood up to follow the dogs.
Chevalier wrapped an arm around her, “No, stay in here.”
“What’s out there?” she whispered.
“Some heku.”
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 7