Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  He opened her door before she even slipped her seat belt off and kissed her.

  “Welcome back,” he said, smiling.

  “Thanks,” she answered, and grabbed the paperwork for the ranch from the seat. She spent some of the night before marking out the address with a sharpie, in case he got nosey.

  Chevalier took her bag in one hand, and her hand in his other, and they headed inside. He was pleasantly unquestioning about the new ranch.

  Once back in the room, Emily laid down on the bed and grinned, “Always good to be home.”

  “Yes it is. You have no idea how insanely nervous it makes me when you leave,” Chevalier said, and laid back beside her.

  “How’d it go here?” she asked, looking over at him.

  “Fine, nothing happened. I’ve spent the entire time with Allen. He’s going to need some help with this,” Chevalier said, and took Emily’s hand.

  Emily nodded, “I figured.” She sat up when someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” she said, and then frowned when a strange heku entered.

  “Oh, Emily, this is Dr. Alona,” Chevalier said nervously.

  Emily looked at him, her eyes narrowing, “Nice to meet you.”

  Dr. Alona seemed friendly, but Emily hated how he kept looking at her like she might fall over at any moment.

  “Friend of yours?” Emily asked Chevalier, but kept her eyes on Dr. Alona.

  “Sort of a friend of the faction doctor,” Chevalier said, smiling.

  “Mhmm,” she mumbled, not believing him.

  “I told the faction doctor that I’d be happy to take a look at you while I’m visiting. I’m a certified obstetrician,” he said, smiling.

  “How convenient,” Emily said, irritated.

  “Why don’t you have a seat then,” Dr. Alona said, and pointed to the bed.

  “No,” Emily told him bluntly.

  “Hey, Breeder, are you being a pain in the ass again?” Damon asked from the door.

  “No, I’m letting you keep that job,” Emily scowled at him. She was partially glad though, it’d taken the doctor’s attention away from her.

  “Why don’t you sit down nicely, and let the doctor do his thing?” Damon asked with a smirk.

  “Why don’t you drown?”

  “I can swim,” he replied, grinning.

  “Great, next time you go, let me toss you a toaster.”

  “You couldn’t kill me if you tried.”

  “Is that a challenge?” Emily snapped.

  “Bring it, Child.”

  “Don’t even tempt me.”

  “Stop it!” Chevalier scowled. “Damn you two.”

  Emily froze when she felt the tightening in her stomach. She knew the pain was coming, and ran for the bathroom, locking the door.

  “Damnit,” Emily said as she bent over. The tightening continued until the pain started. She fought against making any noise, but a small groan escaped at the height of the pain.

  “Emily, what’s wrong?” Dr. Alona said, knocking on the door.

  “Stubbed my toe,” Emily said, panting.

  When the pain in her abdomen stopped, she sunk down to the floor of the bathroom and pressed her palms into her eyes. Her headache started when Damon first spoke, and was growing worse. She saw the little flashes of lights in her vision and tried to calm herself down.

  Emily felt her temper rising, despite her best efforts to calm down when she heard Dr. Alona talking to Chevalier about what she needed. She didn’t need anything, and was getting frustrated when no one believed her. She was fine as long as everyone just left her alone. Her headache worsened and she felt the familiar dizziness creeping up on her.

  Emily knew that if she passed out, it would be too late for her to defend herself against the new doctor. She pulled herself up to the sink, and tried to splash some cool water on her forehead to see if she could stop the world from spinning.

  “Don’t get that,” Emily called out into the room when she heard her phone ring.

  It rang three more times, and then Emily heard Damon answer it.

  “Damon here.” The flashes of light got brighter in her eyes.

  “Doctor who?” The world leapt violently to the side and she felt herself hit the tiles.

  “Oh really?” Darkness crept into her vision and soon took over.

  ***

  Emily could hear the voices around her before she could open her eyes. She felt a pressure across her chest and something on her face making it so she couldn’t breathe. She pulled it off and tried to speak, but no sound came out.

  “Leave that on,” she heard a strange voice say, and then she felt someone replace the mask.

  Emily opened her eyes finally, and once they focused, she could tell she was in the back of an ambulance. She could feel the slight swaying, so she knew they were in motion. She saw the I.V. dripping from the ceiling into her arm, and the straps on the gurney that held her down.

  “It’s ok, we’re on the way to the hospital,” the female paramedic said. “You had a little seizure.”

  Emily groaned and reached toward her I.V. She felt firm fingers holding onto it tightly, so she pulled her mask off again instead. She couldn’t breathe with it.

  “Emily, leave that on,” she heard Chevalier say, sternly.

  She was extremely tired. She just needed everyone to leave her alone so she could sleep. The paramedic was putting something on her stomach, and she pulled one of them off before she felt someone grasp her wrist.

  Chevalier held both of her wrists, and felt her relax as she fell back to sleep.

  “You weren’t kidding about the medical phobia,” the female paramedic said to Chevalier, with a smile.

  “Nope, wish I was,” he said, watching Emily sleep. Even by just touching her wrists, he could see the swirls of her dream starting.

  “Baby’s looking good, good strong heartbeat,” the paramedic said, and Chevalier looked up at the sound of the rapid thumping.

  “When’s her due date?” the paramedic asked as she grabbed a clipboard.

  Chevalier sighed, “She won’t go to a doctor, and won’t tell anyone.”

  “Wow,” the paramedic said, and wrote something down. “Wait… says here you’re her brother?”

  Chevalier nodded.

  “So where’s the father of the baby?” the paramedic asked.

  “He’s coming. He wanted to bring a car along,” Chevalier explained.

  Chevalier felt the two bumps as the ambulance drove into the hospital’s emergency entrance. The back doors flew open, and the paramedic reached in and pulled the gurney out. They met several doctors and nurses directly inside the doors, and they whisked Emily away to a room, but kept Chevalier back for some questions.

  Kyle ran in a few minutes later and stood beside Chevalier.

  “Are you the husband then… let’s see… Keith?” the nurse asked.

  “Yes,” Kyle lied. He was surprised how handy it was to have Keith’s ID from his wallet, and how nice it was that they looked somewhat alike.

  “Just sign here, that’s a consent to treat and a consent to admit,” the nurse said, handing him a pen.

  “So they are admitting her?” Chevalier asked.

  The nurse nodded, “Yes, her blood pressure alone will keep her here until delivery.”

  “She’s afraid of hospitals, I.V.’s, oxygen masks, the works. She’ll tear them off if you let her,” Kyle said to the nurse, and she smiled sweetly and nodded.

  “He’s not exaggerating,” Chevalier said.

  “It’s ok, we have it under control,” the nurse said.

  A doctor came out to talk to them. He looked too young to be a doctor. Silver braces on his teeth made him seem even younger, and Chevalier took an instant dislike to him. The young doctor put his hand out for Kyle and they shook.

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Chen. I’m a perinatologist. I’ve just looked your wife over, and I have some concerns,” he said, checking the chart.

  “Conce
rns?” Kyle asked.

  “Yes, first, her blood pressure is way too high, that’s what caused the seizure. Then the size of the baby is of concern when the mother is small boned, like your wife is,” he explained.

  “Ok,” Kyle said, not sure what else he could say.

  “We’re going to have to induce labor immediately. If she has another seizure, it could harm both her and baby,” he said.

  Kyle nodded, “Do what you have to. Is that done with an I.V. by chance?”

  “Yes, a medicine will be added to her I.V.”

  “Yeah… she’s never, in her entire life, kept an I.V. in,” Kyle said bluntly.

  “We’ll secure it as best as we can. Once she understands the risks to the baby, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” the young doctor said, smiling. “I’m missing the name of the doctor who delivered her previous baby though.”

  “That was an emergency home birth, in the middle of a hurricane. We didn’t have a doctor,” Kyle explained.

  “Oh wow, let me note that here,” Dr. Chen wrote something down.

  “Can we see her?” Kyle asked.

  “Not yet, the nurse gave her some medicine for anxiety,” Dr. Chen said.

  “Anxiety medicine?” Chevalier asked.

  “Yes, for Nosocomephobia… fear of hospitals. It’ll make things a lot easier if she’ll relax and stop fighting everything,” Dr. Chen explained.

  “And she took it?” Kyle asked skeptically.

  Dr. Chen nodded, “Sure, then she went into the bathroom. When she’s out, I’ll send a nurse to get you.”

  “She’s Alone?” Chevalier asked.

  “Yeah,” Dr. Chen said, frowning.

  “That means her I.V.’s out,” Kyle said, sighing.

  “Dr. Chen!” a young orderly said to him frantically. “I can’t find the patient in 3.”

  “She’s in the bathroom,” Dr. Chen said, smiling at Kyle.

  “That’s what we thought, but we can’t find her,” the orderly said again.

  Chevalier glanced at Kyle, “See if you can find her.”

  Kyle ran back to Chevalier a few minutes later, “She just left in a cab.”

  Chevalier growled and headed back for the car with Kyle.

  “Wait!” Dr. Chen called. “Are you going to bring her back?”

  Chevalier ignored the young doctor, and sped away from the hospital, “If I get her back here, I’m bringing the restraints.”

  Kyle thought for a moment and then spoke, “You know as well as I do that she’s not going to come back here willingly. You will do more harm than good if you start yelling.”

  “Oh, I’m going to yell,” Chevalier said angrily.

  “Why don’t you take the long way and calm down before you see her?” Kyle suggested.

  “No chance,” Chevalier growled, and stepped on the gas to prove his point.

  Chevalier left his car at the side doors of the palace and stormed inside. He grabbed the collar of the first guard he saw, “Where is she?”

  “I… I… haven’t seen her,” the guard said nervously.

  Chevalier threw him against the wall and blurred upstairs. When he saw her room was empty, he turned to the door, but was blocked by Kyle.

  “Seriously, you’re going to hurt her if you don’t calm down,” Kyle said.

  “Get out of my way,” Chevalier hissed.

  Damon appeared behind Kyle, “Let Kyle and I find her first, Elder. Just wait here.”

  “If you two don’t want to find your heads separated from your bodies, I suggest you let me by,” Chevalier growled.

  “If you hurt her, she’ll take off again and you know it. You know how badly she pushes buttons, and I can promise you, right now, she’s going to send you over the edge of reason,” Damon said respectfully.

  “I’m going to find her. You can come with if you want,” Chevalier said, and blurred out of the room. He stopped at the main foyer and shut his eyes, inhaling deeply.

  “You can’t find her that way. The entire palace smells like she does,” Damon said, watching him.

  “If the guards didn’t see her, maybe she went directly into the garage and took off?” Kyle asked.

  Kyle matched Chevalier’s speed and stopped just behind him in the garage. He looked around and saw the Durango and the Humvee parked in their normal spots. His Ferrari was there also. He wasn’t sure she’d take anyone else’s car, not after being arrested for car theft once in her life.

  “Stables?” Damon asked, and cursed when Chevalier disappeared. He was able to catch up with the Elder at the doorway.

  Chevalier looked around carefully. His furious eyes took a fast inventory of the horses. All were accounted for in their stalls.

  “Damn, where is she?” Chevalier growled.

  “Maybe she didn’t even come back here, maybe she went somewhere else,” Damon suggested.

  “Where though?” Kyle asked. “She doesn’t know anyone near enough to get to in a cab.”

  The smallest sound sent all three heku into a spin to look behind them. Chevalier moved forward slowly, his hands still balled into tight, angry fists. They all looked up when their keen hearing picked up the sound of slow, rhythmic breathing.

  Chevalier blurred up the ladder and froze, his eyes wide. Damon and Kyle stood beside him, ready to grab him if he sprung.

  Emily was lying on the straw, deep asleep with a horse blanket thrown over her. She looked peaceful and frail. Chevalier’s hands softened and as he watched her, the anger flooded out of him. Kyle and Damon both noticed the change as the anger in their Elder dissipated. They quietly jumped down into the stables and went back into the palace.

  Chevalier sat down beside her on the straw, and watched her sleep. He wasn’t used to looking at her and seeing the delicately fragile mortal that she was. Her vicious temper and strong mind kept those thoughts far away from views of her, but seeing her now, they came back to him. He watched as she slept through the night, afraid his touch might wake her. He couldn’t tell what her dreams were, but she didn’t move all night.

  When Emily started to wake up, Chevalier reached over and brushed the hair back from her face. She opened her eyes and sat up suddenly, looking around. She remembered finally where she was, and then her eyes fell on Chevalier.

  Emily studied his face for a moment, and then spoke, “Are you mad?”

  “Not anymore,” he said truthfully.

  “I need everyone to leave me alone,” she said, curling up against his side.

  He wrapped an arm around her, “I know.”

  “I’m not going to let them take the baby early,” she whispered.

  Chevalier kissed her forehead, “The baby is developed enough that they aren’t worried about it. The doctors are more worried about you.”

  “I’m ok, if everyone will just back off,” she told him.

  “You had a seizure. They said it can kill you.”

  “I got stressed out. Keep Damon away from me and I’ll be fine,” she said, and stood up slowly.

  Chevalier stood up too, “Can’t we compromise somehow? I can’t lose you.”

  “No compromises on this. I have the baby my way,” Emily said, and started down the ladder.

  “What do you mean, your way?” Chevalier hopped down from the loft easily.

  “I mean… alone,” she said, turning to him.

  Chevalier frowned, “Alone? You almost died.”

  “Almost. I’m not going to put heku at risk because I’m in pain,” Emily told him, and crossed her arms.

  “That’s it? You’re worried about us?” Chevalier sounded amused.

  “You wouldn’t think it was that funny if I ashed the entire palace, would you?” she asked, frustrated.

  “Kyle and I were with you for Allen. You didn’t ash us,” he reminded her.

  “I can’t guarantee that again, and I won’t risk it,” Emily said, and started in for the palace. She needed a shower and new clothes.

  Chevalier appeared in front of her and
she almost ran into him. He put a hand under her chin and brought her face up towards him, “Please take it easy for now, until we decide what to do.”

  Emily hated when he looked down at her like that. When they were standing that close, it made her feel like a child that was about to get chastised by her dad.

  “Define… take it easy,” she said, and stepped back a bit so he wasn’t towering over her so badly.

  “Stay in bed,” Chevalier answered bluntly.

  “If I stay in bed, will you back off?” Emily asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

  Chevalier sighed, “If that’s what it takes, then yes.”

  “And Dr. Alona can go back to wherever it is he came from?”

  “How about he stays in the palace, but we keep him away from you? If we have a question, it can be relayed,” Chevalier suggested.

  Emily nodded, “Fine, I’ll give you that.”

  She crawled into bed after a hot shower and noticed the TV had been moved closer to her. She also saw a tray on her bedside table, but didn’t see anyone around. She lifted the dome and grabbed the plate, suddenly very hungry. She put the plate on top of her stomach and dug into the pancakes.

  Damon knocked and walked in just as Emily was finishing off the bacon.

  “What do you want?” Emily asked, and put the plate back on the tray.

  “Don’t get your panties in a wad, I offered to come,” Damon said, and sat down in the chair by the bed.

  “Why’s that?” Emily asked suspiciously.

  “The Valle and Encala have representatives in the palace, talking to the Council, and the Council thought it wasn’t a good idea that you were alone,” Damon said, and sniffed at the juice on her tray.

  Emily grabbed the juice and moved it to her bedside table.

  “Oh, and Chevalier thought it would be a good idea to send you?” she asked.

  “He was a little busy at the moment, so Maleth sent me,” Damon said, smirking.

  “I should go. They’ll be more civil if I’m in the room,” Emily said, and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  “No can do, Tiny. Orders were to keep you away from them. They’re pretty nasty today,” Damon told her.

  “Was it that or was it more like… ‘Keep the mortal from passing out in front of guests,’?” Emily asked, grinning.