Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series (41 page)

Emily risked a glance at Chevalier
when Maleth looked at him. She was surprised when he nodded once,
his eyes fixed on hers.

“
Then it’s settled. I’ll
leave in the morning,” Emily said as she turned and walked out of
the council chambers. She stood outside of the door and leaned
against the wall, eyes shut. She couldn’t believe it went that
smoothly, now she just had to face Chevalier tonight,
alone.

“
Allen?” Emily called, and
he came down the stairs, still holding his book. She worried lately
about how much reading he was doing. He didn’t run, and play, and
climb trees like other boys his age. She knew his intellect was
advanced, but she still felt he needed air and exercise.

“
Yeah?” Allen asked as he
approached her.

“
Want to take the horses
out?”

“
Not really.”

“
Let me rephrase that… put
the book down, we’re going out,” Emily said, and watched as he
rolled his eyes and headed down the stairs.

“
It’s too bright out
there,” Allen complained.

“
That’s why God invented
sunglasses.”

Emily grinned as Allen resigned
himself to a day out, and reluctantly headed out to the stables.
She slipped on her riding gloves and grabbed a bridle, Alexis was
tucked safely away in a sling across her Mom’s chest. Allen went
over to Damnit’s stall and slipped a bridle on him.

“
You’re not taking Patra?”
Allen asked when Emily went up to the new painted
stallion.

“
Can’t, she’s
pregnant.”

“
You can’t ride her because
she’s pregnant?” Allen asked, leading Damnit out into the
stables.

Emily sighed, “You should know that
already. What are you studying all day anyway?”

“
Just stuff,” Allen said,
hoisting himself up onto Damnit. She was shocked by his
agility.

Emily jumped up on the peaceful paint
and kicked him out into the sun. She saw Allen put on some
sunglasses and follow her. She could tell by the look on his face
that he didn’t want to be out.

She grinned, “Race ya.”

Emily kicked the stallion and he
jumped into a fast gallop, and she could hear Allen behind her. As
they passed Cavalry guards on the streets of Council City, they
immediately joined in and soon, almost fifteen horses raced through
the city.

She stopped the stallion once she was
on top of the hills and turned around as the others arrived. Allen
was frustrated that he came in dead last, but again, Emily thought
it would be good for him.

“
So are we racing or are we
running?” Silas asked.

“
Racing of course! Why do
you always think I’m in trouble?” Emily asked, laughing. It was
hard to be mad at them on such a beautiful day.

“
Hold Alex for me,” she
said, and handed the baby over to Silas. Alexis immediately began
to pull at his nose and laugh.

Emily slipped off her over shirt. The
camisole was lighter and let the sun shine on her shoulders and
arms. She noticed the rest of the riders were wearing jackets and
sunglasses to keep them out of the sun. Once she’d tied her hair up
into a high pony, she took Alexis back.

Emily watched as the Cavalry and Allen
took turns racing to the tree line and back. As the afternoon drew
on, the races got faster and more daring. Emily wanted to join in,
but Alexis was already taking a nap in the sling and she didn’t
want to wake her.

As Silas and Allen headed back toward
them at a dead run, Damnit stumbled, throwing Allen over his head
as the horse fell to the ground. Emily raced toward them and jumped
off just as they reached him. Allen was lying unconscious on the
ground, and a slow stream of blood oozed out of the side of his
head where he hit a rock.

“
Allen?” she asked, bracing
his head between her hands.

Allen opened his eyes slowly, blinked
a few times, and then smiled, “I’m ok.”

“
You’re not ok,” Emily said
in a panic. She turned his head to look at the cut, but all she
found was dried blood. She pulled his hair back, searching his
scalp, but there wasn’t even a bruise where the cut had
been.

“
He’s heku alright,” Silas
said proudly.

Allen got to his feet and brushed off
his pants. There was still dried blood in his hair, but nothing
else was wrong with him.

“
Damnit!” he yelled, and
ran over to the horse.

Emily stood up and turned toward the
stallion. She handed Alexis off to Silas and knelt down at Damnit’s
side. With a sinking heart, she stared at the bone sticking out of
the horse’s leg.

“
Do you want me to call a
vet?” one of the Cavalry asked.

Emily shook her head, “Go get my
gun.”

“
Mom, no!” Allen yelled,
and ran to Damnit’s head.

“
Do it,” Emily said
sternly, and one of the members of the Cavalry blurred
away.

“
You aren’t going to shoot
him!” Allen yelled angrily.

“
I have to,” she whispered,
as a tear streamed down her cheek.

The heku returned with her gun and
handed it to her. She checked to make sure the gun was loaded, and
pointed it at the horse’s head, then shut her eyes as they filled
with tears.

“
Don’t shoot him!” Allen
screamed at her angrily.

She felt a hand on hers, “Let me do
it,” Silas said softly.

Emily shook her head, “Everyone,
leave.”

“
No! I won’t let you kill
him,” Allen yelled, and crouched low, his hands balling into fists.
Silas was on him instantly, restraining him as he tried to jump at
Emily.

Silas ordered the Cavalry to head back
to the stables with the extra horses, and he blurred back to the
palace, still restraining Allen with one hand and carrying Alexis
in the other. He was almost to the front steps when a gunshot
echoed through the small valley.

When Silas entered the palace, Damon
and Chevalier were talking about something on the stairs. They
turned and walked to Silas.

“
I hate her!” Allen
screamed to Chevalier. “I hope you drain her.”

“
Allen!” Chevalier shouted
angrily. “We don’t talk like that.”

“
I’ll kill her if you
don’t!” he yelled, fighting against Silas.

Silas handed Alexis over to Damon and
held the 5-year-old with two strong hands.

“
Who are you yelling
about?” Chevalier asked, surprised at the fierce anger in his
son.

“
Mom… I hate her,” Allen
said, glaring at his Dad.

Chevalier growled and violently pulled
Allen from Silas’ grip. He threw the boy against the wall and
pinned him by the shoulders, “If I ever hear you threaten your
Mother again, you’ll have to deal with me.”

Allen hissed and glared at his
Dad.

“
What happened?” Chevalier
asked, pulling Allen from the wall so they could face
Silas.

“
We were racing up on the
hills and Damnit fell and broke his leg,” Silas explained. He could
still see the pain in Emily’s eyes as she asked for her gun, tears
trailing down her face.

“
She killed him!” Allen
growled. “I hate her.”

Damon watched in shock and gently
bounced Alexis. He’d never known the boy to have so much intense
rage, let alone directed at Emily. Kyle walked up and watched with
wide eyes.

“
Stop it, Allen,” Chevalier
said, tightening his grip on the 5-year-old’s shoulder.

“
Let me go! I’ll take care
of her myself,” Allen said. Chevalier slung him by his arm over to
Kyle, who grabbed onto his shoulders. Before Allen could react,
Chevalier backhanded him to the floor. The 5-year-old stood up
slowly, already healed.

“
I warned you,” Chevalier
growled.

“
Upstairs,” Kyle said to
Allen, and took him roughly by the arm and headed up the long
staircase.

“
Where is she?” Chevalier
asked Silas.

“
Up on the west side by the
tree line,” Silas answered.

“
Can you keep Alexis?”
Chevalier asked Damon, and he nodded.

Chevalier blurred from the building
and stopped just as he hit the green hills to the west of the city.
It didn’t take him long to see the lifeless body of the painted
stallion lying on red stained grass. He walked up slowly, and as he
got closer, he could see Emily knelt beside the stallion. Her head
was hung low, and her hands rested on the grass, a gun at her
side.

Chevalier knelt down beside her and
touched her hand softly. She looked up at him with red
eyes.

“
I had to,” Emily said
softly, looking back at the horse.

“
I know,” Chevalier
whispered.

Chevalier stood up and held his hand
out to help Emily to her feet, “Come on, I’ll have him taken care
of.”

She nodded and stood up, grabbing her
rifle, “How is Allen?”

“
He’s pretty mad, but he’ll
be ok,” Chevalier said, and reached around to pick her
up.

“
Can we just walk?” Emily
asked, and he stood up and took her hand.

They started their slow journey back
into the city, hand in hand. Most of the way was in silence. Emily
was still deep in thought about the loss of the horse, and
Chevalier was considering how to reign in the temper of a
5-year-old. He hated to admit it, but the young boy could easily
kill his mother if no one stronger was around to defend
her.

“
I need you to promise me
something,” Chevalier said, breaking the silence.

“
What’s that?” Emily
asked.

“
If something happens at
Exavior’s coven, I want you to get away. If you have to ash them
all, then do it. If you have to leave the guards, do it. We can get
them back later.”

Emily nodded, “I’m not really worried
about that.”

“
I know you aren’t, and
that scares me.”

Damon met them at the doors to the
palace and handed off Alexis, who was reaching out for her Mom.
Emily took the baby, ignoring Damon, and went up the
stairs.

“
I’ll be right there,”
Chevalier called to her, and then turned to Damon.

“
Quite the terror you
produced there,” Damon said.

“
His temper is getting
worse.”

Damon nodded, “Yes, it is.”

“
If he doesn’t learn some
control, he’s going to end up killing Emily,” Chevalier admitted,
and sighed.

“
We’ll figure it out. It’s
just all new ground, so it will take longer.”

“
Why has Emily stopped
calling you names?” Chevalier asked, turning a questioning eye to
Damon.

“
You say that like it’s a
bad thing.”

“
It is… she called you
names, hateful names, but in the next breath, she would defend you.
You were the same way… a love and hate relationship.”

“
I’m not sure I’d go that
far.”

“
But now, back from Paris,
she won’t even look at you.”

Damon shrugged, “I have no idea what
her problem is with me.”

Chevalier watched him closely. He knew
Damon was lying, but it was against policy for a member of the
Council to be questioned, and none of the other heku in Paris saw
what went on with Damon and Emily.

***

Emily had the Durango packed and ready
to go by 6am. She buckled Alexis into the backseat and watched as
Kyle, Mark, and Silas climbed into the car. She turned to Chevalier
and smiled slightly.

Chevalier pulled her into a hug,
“Remember your promise.”

She nodded and buried her face in his
chest.

“
Don’t let it get too far.
Leave at any sign of danger.”

Again, she just nodded.

“
I love you,” he said, and
when Emily looked up at him, he kissed her softly.

“
I love you, too. We’ll be
back soon,” Emily said, and crawled into the Durango.

Chevalier watched as they drove away.
When Emily pulled out of the garage, she was on the
phone.

“
Exavior, we’re on the
way,” Emily said softly. She wasn’t sure why, but suddenly she felt
afraid.

“
Just three guards,” she
said, and Kyle frowned at the others. He didn’t like how Exavior
was questioning who was with her.

“
Wow, ok, we’ll be there by
tonight I think.”

Emily hung up the phone and turned
east on the Interstate.

“
Where are we going?” Silas
asked.

“
Rhode Island”

As they drove further east, the
silence grew into tension. Emily was feeling nervous and afraid of
what was going to happen, and the heku picked up on her emotions
and it was making them nervous. They stopped only when Alexis was
hungry, and passed into Rhode Island just as night fell.