“Seems just a little mean,” Chevalier said, walking up to Emily.
“He loves to pull, this works better than tying him to a horse,” she explained, and held out a treat.
“What are you up to?”
Emily looked up at him, “I’m playing with the dogs.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, actually, I don’t… Pull harder, Kralen,” she said when the dog inched forward a step.
Emily looked at Chevalier and saw his lips move quickly and with a flash of blurring around her, they were alone on the grass.
“Hey, why’d you do that?” she asked, standing up.
“Come here,” he told her, and led her to the empty out-building. They stepped into the swimming pool room and he sat down and patted the chair beside him.
Emily ignored the chair and sat on his lap, straddling his legs so she could face him, “What?”
“Tell me what you’re up to.”
“I’m not up to anything,” she said, and started to unbutton his shirt.
He took her hands in his, “Stop distracting me… I want to know why you said we could handle Laythan.”
“I told you, I’m busy and you always want to handle things, so I’m letting you.”
“Then what?”
“Why do you assume that’s not the end of it?”
“Because I know you.”
“You can have him, no strings attached,” she told him, and then leaned forward to run her lips along his neck.
He let go of her hands and lifted her face to look at him, “Stop it… I don’t trust you and I want to know what you have planned.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Nothing.”
“Promise me.”
“I swear, Chev, I’m not going after him, ok? I like it here… I’m comfortable here and my friends are here. Yes I miss the island, but it’s nice to see you every day and I’m not going to risk getting hurt by running after someone with a crush.”
Chevalier sighed, “Thank you.”
Emily crawled out of his lap and stepped out into the hallway.
“Wait… I’m not done,” Chevalier said, and appeared at her side.
“I’m done.”
He grinned, “I’m not talking about the talking part.”
“Oh, I know,” she said, and stepped out of the out-building. “Moment’s passed, you lost your chance.”
“I did?”
“Yes, you did… once and for all you need to learn who’s in charge here,” she said, and took off running for the palace. She only made it a few steps before Chevalier grabbed her arm and spun her into an embrace. He lifted her up and kissed her passionately.
Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and laced her fingers through his hair.
All of a sudden, Chevalier gasped and let go of Emily. She fell to the ground, frowning, “What’s wrong?”
Chevalier slowly sunk to his knees, his eyes wide.
“Chev…” Emily said, and took a step toward him. He fell forward onto his hands and she saw an arrow sticking out of the center of his back.
She looked up and saw Laythan in the trees holding Keith’s compound bow. He grinned at her, and she took a step back and screamed, “Mark!”
Silas and Kralen blurred past her as Laythan disappeared into the woods. She knelt down beside Chevalier and watched Mark pull the arrow out of his back.
“Is he going to be ok?” she asked, and looked down at his blood soaked shirt.
“He’ll be fine,” Mark told her, and disappeared into the trees.
Zohn and Quinn appeared and helped Chevalier to his feet.
Emily screamed and took off for the stables.
“Where’s she going?” Zohn asked, and then slung one of Chevalier’s arms over his shoulder.
“Not sure,” Quinn told him, and helped support Chevalier as they took him into the palace.
“Damn… Jaron!” Zohn yelled when Emily flew past them on her horse, headed into the trees.
Within seconds, Jaron and two other members of the Cavalry rushed past them on their horses.
“Now I’m really pissed,” Chevalier growled, fully healed, and disappeared into the trees.
Zohn wiped the blood from his hands onto the grass and stood up, “So much for her letting us handle it.”
Emily finally stopped her horse and looked around. She didn’t see any sign of where the heku went. She turned when she heard footsteps behind her and saw Chevalier walk up with Jaron.
“Which way did they go?” she asked, and turned back to the trees.
“There are 5 heku out looking for him, let’s go back,” Chevalier told her.
“No, no one messes with my family.”
Jaron grinned slightly and looked away.
“Again… my job, come on,” Chevalier said, and slid onto the stallion behind her.
Emily crossed her arms angrily when Chevalier took the reins, and they followed Jaron out of the trees where the entire Council was waiting.
“Any sign of them?” Dustin asked, scanning the trees.
“I don’t know. We went after Em,” Chevalier said, and dismounted. “She went the opposite way the others did.”
“Nice,” Emily grumbled, and steadied the horse.
“I thought you were going to let us handle him,” Zohn said to her.
“That was before he shot my husband with my own bow.”
“Ahh, I see.”
“I think he may have been trying to shoot Em,” Chevalier told the Council. “One second sooner and he would have.”
“Elder?” a strange heku said from behind them.
Zohn turned around and the heku handed him a package, “This came to the farmhouse for Lady Emily.”
“Very well, go,” he said sternly, and the heku blurred away.
“Be nice,” Emily told him, frowning.
Zohn shrugged and handed the box to her. She opened it and took out the card, read it, and then looked down into the box with a smile.
“So?” Chevalier asked.
“Present from William,” she told him, and put the card back into the box.
“What is it?”
“An M26.”
“The Encala bought you a grenade?” Quinn asked, frowning.
Emily reached into the box and pulled out a strange looking handgun. She triggered the laser sight and pointed it at Dustin’s chest, “Nope… not a grenade.”
Dustin shifted nervously, “You’re going to shoot me?”
“It’s not a gun,” she told him.
Mark walked up behind her, “Why do you have a Taser pointed at a member of the Council?”
Silas and Kralen were behind him.
“Or… why do you have a Taser, period?” Silas asked, and stepped in front of Dustin so the sight was on his chest instead.
Emily sighed and turned off the laser, “Apparently William thought I needed one.”
Chevalier thought for a moment, “Damn, that’s not a bad idea… Derrick, bring Wade to me.”
“Just, please, don’t use it on Dustin,” Zohn said, looking her in the eye.
“For now, I agree,” she said, and watched two guards blur out with Wade struggling in their grasp.
Everyone on the lawn turned to Wade as he was knelt on the grass. The guards let go and took a step behind him.
“Ok, let’s see it,” Chevalier said, and crossed his arms.
Emily shrugged, turned on the laser, and pointed it at the heku’s chest. Wade started to get up moments before she pulled the trigger and dropped him to the ground. He screamed in pain as electricity filled his body and incapacitated his senses. The initial shock was fast, but he remained in agony for several minutes before falling silent to the grass, panting.
“Hmm, interesting,” Quinn said, and walked up to Wade.
“What’s the range on that thing?” Zohn asked, and turned to Emily.
When she shrugged, Mark spoke up, “35 feet.”
“Handy… but too dangerous,�
�� Chevalier said, and put his hand out. “Let’s lock it in the weapons room.”
Emily frowned, “No.”
“No?”
“No… William gave it to me for protection and I like the idea.”
“Em…”
She sighed and handed it over, and then kicked her horse into a canter toward the stables.
“Wow, she gave it up,” Zohn said, impressed.
Jaron grinned and followed her, along with the other two members of the Cavalry.
“So?” Chevalier asked, turning to Mark.
“No sign. He ran off pretty fast when he saw us coming.”
Chevalier glanced over his shoulder to make sure Emily was in the stables before returning to Mark, “If she leaves the palace, make sure the woods are covered anywhere near her.”
“Yes, Elder,” Mark said, and took the Taser from the Elder when he offered it. “And this?”
“Lock it up, we’ll need it locked away to protect Dustin.”
“Oh, ha-ha,” Dustin said, and headed inside.
Mark chuckled and blurred to the weapons room as Silas and Kralen went to the stables.
Chapter 11 - Growing Up
Emily sighed and pulled closer to Chevalier in her sleep. He tightened his arms around her and shut his eyes to continue with her dream. It was uncharacteristically calm and relaxing, with no horror or drama to fill it. He grinned when it started to turn risqué, with scenes of them out on a deserted beach together.
“Mama,” Dain called from the nursery.
Emily opened her eyes and sat up.
“Damn,” Chevalier mumbled.
“What?” she asked, and looked over at him.
He smiled, “Nothing… let me go get him. He’s not eaten.”
Emily nodded and watched Chevalier go into the nursery, “It’s not right that I can’t hold him until he’s fed.”
“It’s all we could come up with until he stops biting everything he comes in contact with… Damnit, Dain, no biting!” Chevalier growled.
“No biting,” Dain repeated, and Emily grinned. She knew Chevalier had just been bitten.
“I’m sure it’s just a phase,” she told him.
“It better be, this is getting old.”
“Good morning, Baby,” Emily said, and smiled at him when they walked out.
“Daddy bit me,” Dain said, and frowned.
“No… you bit me, Screech,” Chevalier said, and took the sippy cup from the table and handed it to him.
“Stop with the Screech already, it’s awful.”
“Sorry,” he said, and sat down with the baby on his lap.
“Tell me again why you have to go?”
“We’re turning four mortals this weekend. I need to be there.”
“Why though? I can hit 13 heku with one stone from here.”
“Two of them are important, and all three Elders need to be there,” he explained, and brushed the hair out of Dain’s eyes.
“So the other two get measly un-ranking heku?” she asked, somewhat irritated.
“Measly?”
“You know what I mean.”
“There’s no need for all 3 Elders to be at the other ones.”
Emily grinned, “How many Elders would need to be there if I turned?”
“Eight,” he said without thinking.
“What? Eight Elders?”
“Yes”
“You’d call in the Valle and Encala Elders if I turned?”
“Yes, to warn them of the impending end of the world.”
“Very funny, and why 8? Who’s missing?”
“I would be missing,” he said, and handed Dain another sippy cup.
“Why? Where would you be?” she asked, and headed into the bathroom.
“Hiding, I don’t like being turned to ash.”
“Let’s count them before we start feeling sorry for you… what’s more? You biting me or me ashing you?”
“Not fair,” Chevalier said, and put Dain down on the floor to play when he finished drinking. “Mine’s more fun.”
“For you,” she told him, and came out in a robe.
He watched her get ready to go swimming, “Do me one favor, wear the one-piece.”
She grinned and tossed her bikini at him, “Swear to never bite me again and I will.”
“No way, I like biting you.”
“Mmm, I’ve had better.”
Chevalier gasped and then grinned, “You have?”
“Sure… lots bite better than you. Don’t make me name them,” she told him, and started to tie her hair up.
Chevalier stood slowly, “Want me to remind you?”
She gasped and turned toward him, “Don’t make me ash you.”
“Maybe you’ve just forgotten how good it feels.”
“Yeah for like 3 seconds… hey… get back,” she said, and took a step away from him. She knew the predatory look in his eyes and realized it was almost too late, “You’ll regret it.”
“Yeah, for like 3 seconds.”
“It’s not funny, don’t bite me.”
“No biting,” Dain said, and grabbed a toy truck.
“Or what?” he asked, and pinned her to the wall, running his nose along her neck.
“Trust me, I’ll make you pay.”
She felt the familiar pressure from his teeth sinking into her neck and her legs grew weak as her body relaxed against his. He stopped after only a few seconds and kissed her softly, then caught her hand when she tried to slap him.
“You’ll pay for that!”
“I doubt it,” he said, and went over to pick up Dain.
Emily glared at him and disappeared into the bathroom.
Chevalier glanced around the room once and then looked at Dain, “Ready to eat?”
“No,” Dain said, and shook his head.
“You have to be thirsty, you haven’t had anything since yesterday,” Chevalier said, and sat at the table. He looked at the empty sippy cups, “Did Mommy feed you?”
“No biting,” Dain said, and pointed at the bathroom door.
He heard a weak call for Mark from the bathroom, and by the time he sat Dain down on the bed, Mark and Silas were already in the room. He walked in and growled when he saw her, sitting against the bathroom wall with a towel against her neck. He didn’t see blood, but there were two fresh puncture wounds on her neck.
“Who did it?” Mark growled, and looked around the bathroom.
Chevalier stormed into the bedroom and searched it quickly.
Emily fought to keep her face fearful and finally whispered, “Leave me alone.”
Silas checked to make sure the windows were locked, and stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door. When the door was shut, Emily dropped the towel and grinned. She got up and looked into the mirror, frowning. She knew he didn’t drink much, if anything at all, and was just proving a point, but the puncture wounds were still there and she hated the look of them.
“Em, are you ok?” Zohn asked from outside the bathroom door.
Emily grinned and whispered, “Just stay out.”
She grabbed a bottle of fingernail polish and sat down to paint her fingernails.
Mark, Chevalier, Quinn, and Kralen, began a systematic search of the entire palace, smelling each heku they came to, but catching no hint of the Winchester blood. No one saw anything. Her door guards saw no one enter or exit the room, and there was no sign of anyone having scaled the building.
After almost an hour, they all met back in the main floor foyer and looked around.
“I’m not catching anything,” Mark said, and shrugged. “How could someone get to her? You were in the bedroom.”
Suddenly, Chevalier sighed, “Damnit.”
“What?” Quinn asked.
“I did it,” he told them, and started up the stairs.
“You did what?”
“I bit her.”
“You did?” Kralen asked, shocked.
“It was a bit of a challenge,” he expl
ained, and entered the room.
“She won’t allow us in,” Silas said, concerned.
“She’s faking,” Chevalier said, and opened the door. He looked down at Emily as she painted her toenails. “I didn’t even feed, I just bit.”
“Don’t mess with the master,” she said, and put the cap on the polish before looking up at him. “And don’t bite me again or I’ll ash you.”
“Threatening never works.”
She stood up on the sides of her feet and faced him, “It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”
Chevalier chuckled, “Waddle out here. It’s time to go.”
Emily glared at him as she walked on the outsides of her feet into the bedroom.
“What’s wrong with your feet?” Silas asked, still slightly confused.
“Wet nails.”
“No biting,” Dain said, and frowned at Chevalier.
“Oh good one, Chev. Bite me in front of an impressionable vampire,” she said.
“Sorry, I didn’t think about that.”
Silas shook his head and picked up Dain, and then quickly moved his arm, “Damnit.”
“Damnit,” Dain said, and smiled. “No biting.”
“Well then stop biting me!” Silas said, and held the baby at arm’s length as he walked up to the helicopter.
“Serves the heku right to be bitten once in a while,” Emily said, and started up after them. “I’m going to start taking a chomp out of random guards.”
“Nice,” Mark grumbled, and walked up with the Elders.
They all watched as Equites 1 took the Elders away for the weekend and Emily turned to Mark, “Where’s Allen posted today?”
He grinned, “Just because the Elders aren’t here, doesn’t nullify their orders.”
“Oh come on, you know I’ll find him. Save me an hour and just tell me.”
“Nope, leave him alone.”
“No, he’s not allowed into the palace… which, by the way, I have issues with. If he can’t visit me, then I’ll go to him.”
Mark shrugged, “Fine, but you won’t find him by asking.”
Emily glared at him and headed inside to her office. She knew it would be easier to find Allen’s post if she studied a spreadsheet she kept of his location. A pattern was emerging and she was very close to figuring out his exact schedule.
Silas and Mark stayed on the roof for a bit when she left.
Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series Page 25