Emily shook her head. This news displeased him immensely. It was against the rules of the heku to take without permission and this woman was terrified by who knows how many attacks on her. He understood the attacks, her blood smelled sweeter than any other, but he still couldn’t imagine taking without her consent.
“You are interesting to me, Emily.” He watched as she tensed and before she could see him move, he had the gun out of her hand and placed it on the bedside table.
“Me?” She was surprised that anyone could find her interesting.
“Yes you, I’m intrigued by you.” He narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Again he was struck by the need to protect her. He wanted to reach out and take her into his arms and disappear with her, somewhere no one could find. The image flashed like a movie before his eyes, and when it cleared, she was watching him.
“I should go,” she said, standing up.
“Oh? Where will you go?” he whispered as his insides turned at how frail she was, how delicate her build. She couldn’t protect herself and he felt as if it were his job to do so.
Emily slipped her boots on and headed for the door.
“You’re going to leave, Child?” he asked, trying to distract her.
She turned and looked over at him, “I’m not a child.”
“I am sorry, no offense intended.”
Emily sighed, “Listen, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I’m leaving. I’ve dealt with enough of your kind to know I’d rather spend the night at a hotel than here with you.”
“Ouch.” His voice was joking, but her words caused his heart to ache, “When have you met more of my kind?”
“When haven’t I? I’ve been tormented by you my entire life.” She pulled on a leather jacket, and he watched as she pulled her long red hair out and buckled the front.
“I do wish you would stay. I promise to behave.” Though his voice didn’t show it, he was beginning to panic. He envisioned all of the things that could hurt her, and he fought to conceal a growl that erupted from deep within him.
“Sure, why don’t I wait around while you sweet talk me up and then attack me anyway?” She headed out the door after grabbing her gun
Chapter 2 - Keith
Chevalier appeared in the barn as the dodge pickup spun out and pulled away from the ranch quickly. He instantly picked up the smell of numerous heku and frowned. Jerry was right, the smell was disturbing and out of the ordinary. He soon found the mentioned coal shed and reached down to touch the ashes, then brought some to his nose and smelled it before dropping them back onto the floor.
He went back into the barn and looked up toward the loft. He climbed the ladder quickly and his eyes narrowed as he caught the fresh scent of a wild heku, one of his own kind that had turned themselves over completely to their instincts, leaving all signs of humanity behind them. He ran back to his car and called the Council to fill them in on what he’d seen so far. They instructed him to try to get more information, so he sat back to wait for morning. Emily’s husband return early in the morning, but he continued to wait for her.
Chevalier saw her truck return to the ranch shortly after dawn and he got out of his car, almost immediately appearing in the barn’s loft. He sat on a cot and watched out the small window that overlooked the house.
She pulled the truck up in front of the ranch house and jumped out, smiling widely as she ran to the front steps. Seated there was an elderly man with an archaic Stetson perched crookedly on his head. He was slumped over slightly in a wheelchair.
Emily bent down, “I’m back, Dad.”
His eyes stared far off, empty, and unfocused. He didn’t move as she pulled a blanket from beside him and wrapped it around his shoulders. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and then stood to greet another man who was walking toward her.
“Hiya, Sam.”
“Ms. Em, good to have ya back.” He stopped just short of the steps and smiled up at her. The man looked almost the same age as Emily’s Dad. He was short and stout with overalls and a dusty hat that made him blend into the scene. He took his hat off and fidgeted with it.
“Sam, what’s wrong?”
“Der’s a spook up on the lower 20. I tell Mr. Keith, but he say it jus a coyote but, Ma’am, I ain’t never seen a coyote that done hid like dis did. Almos cause a stampede.”
“I’ll go check it out, get Patra ready,” she told him, crouching back down by her dad.
“Duty calls,” she said, and kissed his cheek again lightly.
Sam almost ran toward the barn, seemingly afraid to turn around and face the house.
Emily turned to the house, squared her shoulders, and walked in, shutting the door behind her softly.
He hit with no warning. He grabbed her left wrist and twisted her arm behind her back, then shoved her hard against the door, sending the door handle painfully into her ribs, “I called you last night, you didn’t answer,” Keith hissed, his face just inches from her. “Who were you with?”
Through the pain, she managed to gasp, “Stop it.”
Keith twisted her wrist harder and slammed his body into hers again, smiling when she screamed out in pain, “Tell me.”
“I couldn’t sleep, I went to do some work at the office, I swear,” she said, unable to move. The pain made her breathing shallow and strained.
He thought about it for a moment and then released her, a grin spreading across his face, “Well why didn’t you say so? Good to see you!”
She took a step away from him as he reached out and pushed her hard to the floor. As she pulled herself back up, he sat at the table and began to eat.
Leaning against the door, she caught her breath and then turned and went into the bedroom. She threw on a warm flannel shirt, grabbed her leather gloves and cowboy hat, and tried to make a break for the front door, rubbing her wrist absentmindedly.
“Where you going?” he asked, pouring clear liquid from a flask into his Coke. Keith was older than Emily, and his face showed the hardened skin of someone who worked outdoors. He was of average height but was well built and sported a dark famer’s tan.
“I am taking Patra out,” she said, and reached for the door handle, hoping that was the last of it.
Keith laughed ostentatiously, “I’ve been alone for 4 days… mostly.” His grin got wider, “I don’t see you staying to take care of me.”
She didn’t reply as she left and made her way to the barn. Waiting for her was the beautiful painted mare, who shook her large head swiftly when she saw Emily approach. Emily grabbed Patra’s large head and pressed her forehead and nose into the soft velvet of the horse’s muzzle. After a few seconds, she jumped onto the mare’s back and headed her out of the barn.
Emily waved to Sam, who was taking her father back inside the house as a cold rain began to drizzle. She clicked her tongue twice, and Patra began to walk slowly south. She had a long Remington lying across her lap with the Blue Healer and a Border collie following behind her.
Emily was just enjoying her freedom. The dogs were loping along, exploring, as Patra broke into a gallop. The wind tugged at her long red ponytail and she shut her eyes to savor the feel of the wind and the smell of the hay. As she approached the south twenty, she slowed the horse to a walk and dismounted to open the gate.
Her body froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Someone was watching.
“Who’s there?” she asked in as calm a voice as she could muster.
The dogs were crouched on their bellies, and Patra was snorting and shying. She took the horse by her bridle and attempted to calm her. The feeling passed as suddenly as it had begun and she climbed back onto the mare.
She led Patra to the trees and scanned the forest for any movement, but didn’t see anything. She slowly made her way to a large clearing and lifted her rifle, using the scope to more closely look around. Things were quiet, only a gopher was visible, and there were no signs of a coyote.
Emily rode for the rest of th
e afternoon, not seeing nor feeling anything else out of the ordinary, just enjoying the feel of the powerful animal between her legs, moving her to command. The slightest pressure from a knee or heel was all she needed. The dogs bounced and played, chasing jackrabbits and flushing birds.
She neared the ranch house as the sun was about to set and she felt her heart rise in her throat. She knew what she had to do tonight, and felt the dread rising. She’d had four days of peace and quiet, and she realized that now was the time to pay for that solitude.
Emily took her time unhooking the saddle and putting it back on the stand. She brushed Patra carefully and enjoyed the quietness of the barn.
Just as she was locking the mare’s stall door, Keith’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist, “Welcome back, Emi.”
She pulled away from him and headed back to the ranch house.
“Your Dad’s asleep, we have the night to ourselves,” Keith said, placing his hand on the small of her back.
Emily nodded, “Let me get a hot shower and a bite to eat and I’ll be ready.”
Keith swept her off her feet and carried her quickly into the house, “You know I like the scent of a woman.”
Emily winced as he threw her down on the bed.
***
She crawled out of the bed when Keith began to snore. The hot water from the shower felt amazing, and she took longer than usual to finish up. Throwing on a robe, Emily went to the refrigerator and opened it. She scanned inside, but didn’t find anything interesting to eat. Grabbing a piece of cheese, she shut the door and turned around.
“Hello, again,” Chevalier said to her from the dark shadows of the kitchen.
Emily gasped and covered her mouth with her hand to stop from screaming.
“Surely, you can find something better to eat than that,” he said, stepping out of the shadow toward her.
“You can’t be here!” Emily whispered, and glanced toward the bedroom door.
“I can be anywhere I want,” he told her, raising his eyebrows and grinning.
Emily ran to him and put her hands against his chest, trying to push him out the door, “Please get out.”
The feel of her hands on his chest sent a shiver through his body and made his mind whirl. He steadied himself as she pushed against him as hard as she could. He didn’t budge.
“Get out,” she whispered again. Emily looked at the bedroom door in a panic as the snoring stopped.
She felt a rush of air and found herself in the barn, and she staggered from the change. Chevalier gently steadied her with his hand.
Emily looked around as Patra whinnied loudly at the sudden intrusion.
She peeked out the door of the barn toward the house. Chevalier stood, watching her.
“You can’t be here, please go,” she said, still watching the house with one hand perched on the barn door.
“Let me see, Child,” Chevalier said. He reached out and took her hand, examining her wrist.
She tried to pull her hand away from him, but he didn’t release it.
“Let go,” she demanded.
His eyes grew darker as he gently touched her swollen wrist and bruised hand, and she pulled harder against his hand.
“Interesting,” he said, letting go of her wrist.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m interested in how you know my kind. I’d like to talk,” he said, sitting down on a chair shaped stack of hay.
“I can’t, you’re just going to cause me trouble,” she said as she instinctively felt her sore ribs where the door handle hit her earlier.
“Yes I see that, I can take care of him easily enough,” he said, and grinned, hoping she would take him up on his offer.
“No!” she shouted, and her eyes were afraid. “Just leave, please.”
Chevalier held his hand up and inhaled, his eyes suddenly scanning the barn.
“What?” she looked around.
“Hush, Child,” he whispered. He stood and sniffed the air again, finding a trail up into the loft of the barn. He climbed the ladder as Emily watched him curiously.
She sighed as he disappeared into the loft, then looked around and wrapped her robe tighter around her. The barn was cold from the recent rain. Emily went and held Patra, the warmth from the horse helped keep away the chills.
Chevalier could smell the foul beast from below, the stench of one of his own kind that let themselves be overcome by their own desires, no control, no caring. He breathed in the disgusting odor and moved closer. He wasn’t far into the loft before he saw the hay quivering slightly.
“Get out, wild one,” he hissed, and the shivering bump in the hay became still.
He heard a low growl.
Chevalier crouched, his hands balling into fists, “Now, or I will kill you in there.”
The feral heku emerged. He was stooped low and covered only with a torn loincloth. He was dirty and had gashes across his skin, his hair was matted on top of his head and his teeth were chipped and black.
“This is my farm, leave!” he hissed at Chevalier.
“You have no rights to this place.” Chevalier stood tall and looked at the vile heku.
“Mine, mine, mine,” the heku chanted. “The man is mine.”
“How long have you fed on the man here?”
“Mine, mine for 50 years.” The chanting was getting on Chevalier’s nerves.
“With his permission?”
“Mine… mine… mine… always.”
“Tell me,” Chevalier growled, moving closer to the other.
“I don’t need his permission, he is mine!” the wild heku said, and took a step away as he noticed Chevalier’s intense eyes.
“That’s enough of a confession for me. As Chief Enforcer, I hereby banish you,” Chevalier growled.
“Nooooo! No banishment for me,” he begged.
Chevalier pulled a small dagger from his pocket, poked his finger, and let a drop of blood fall. The growls and begging from the wild heku turned to screams that pierced the night. He could hear the horses kicking in their stalls and the cows running away from the sound. The wild one turned to ash before him, and Chevalier fell to his knees. Such magic took a lot from the Enforcer, and he steadied himself against the hay.
He listened intently and barely picked up the sound of Emily disappearing into the house. He sighed and sat down on the hay, out of breath. As Chief Enforcer of his heku faction, he was able to perform magic that others couldn’t, but at considerable risk to himself. He shut his eyes and meditated, listening to the sound of the wind through the barn roof. When he felt strong enough, he stood up and scraped the ashes from the loft floor into a small leather bag and cinched it tightly.
***
Chevalier sat in his place on the Council, the 13 highest-ranking heku of his faction. He watched over the proceedings knowing his turn was coming. As much as he wanted to concentrate on the trial at hand, he found it hard with Emily alone on the ranch. Part of why the Council was addressing him, he figured. Storm, one of the high ranking heku in Chevalier’s coven, sat in the audience and watched him eagerly.
“Chief Enforcer, it is your turn to take the stand,” the only female on the Council said. She was Selest, one of the 3 Elders of the Equites.
Chevalier stood and took his place, facing the Council.
“Chief Enforcer, we were told you encountered a situation that you found may need our further attention.” Selest said to him, and then sat down.
“Yes, Elder, I have. I followed up on the report from Jerry and found a young mortal woman who seems to have been plagued by our kind for most of her life. I even found a wild one hiding in her barn that has been feeding off of her father,” he explained.
“Is the father a willing donor?”
“No, the father is in no shape to make any decisions. From what I have seen, he’s no longer able to speak and seems to be unaware of his surroundings.” There was a hiss through the Council.
“This wild one was fe
eding on a mortal invalid?” the tallest Elder asked.
“Yes, for 50 years he’s been on the ranch and has been feeding on the father for quite some time, Elder Leonid.” Chevalier’s voice was disappointed.
“And did you banish this wild one?”
He nodded, “I did.”
“Then your job there is finished?” the third Elder, Maleth, asked.
“I want to continue to study the woman. There’s something strange about her. Her blood doesn’t smell like others… it’s sweeter and with all of the attacks in her past I am afraid her exquisite scent may cause further attacks.” He kept his immense desire to protect her to himself.
“It’s abhorrent what has happened to this mortal child. We envision a life where mortals no longer fear us and attacks such as these undermine our progress,” Leonid said.
Chevalier nodded.
“We give you full powers for this matter, Chief Enforcer, and we trust you will use them wisely… we give you carte blanche.” A gasp was heard around the entire room and Chevalier nodded. He knew that the Elders were keeping something from him, he’d never heard of anyone being granted such powers.
He held out the bag of ash, “What is to be done with the wild one?”
Selest stood and motioned for the large heku in the corner to come forward, “Derrick will take him and bury his ashes. We’ll see how a thousand years of banishment will cure his appetite.”
Chevalier handed the bag over to Derrick and then left. Storm followed him out of the room.
As Chevalier walked down the hallway, deep in thought, Storm touched his arm softly.
“Please… don’t be mad, but when you left suddenly for Montana, I did some research.”
He stopped and looked at her, “Of what type?”
She sighed and handed him a large folder before speaking, “I know you’ve heard the story of the Winchesters, we all have. I wanted to go over the file though, just as a precaution. Back in the early 16th century, there were mass heku hunts and slayings, I’m sure you remember them. The commoners actually thought they were hunting the infamous vampire. In Europe, they were being led by the Winchester family. That one family is credited for killing over 100,000 heku. The head of the Winchester family, Miles Winchester, had 4 daughters, the youngest of which was named Elizabeth.”
Heku : Book 1 of the Heku Series Page 2