Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series (73 page)

On the fifth day, she
heard a knock and turned, expecting to see Dain. She was surprised
to see Chevalier come in and shut the door behind him. She could
feel the rage pouring off of him, and her eyes fell to the stark
white bedspread.

“What were you thinking?” he hissed.

“I wanted them gone,” she whispered, unable
to even look up at him.

“I can’t do this anymore.
I want nothing more than to give you everything you could ever
imagine, to protect you from harm, and to be with you for eternity…
All you do is undermine what I do.”

She nodded as her eyes filled with tears,
“I’m sorry.”

“I can’t trust you anymore.”

“I love you and I’m sorry,” she
whispered.

“I’m not sure you do. You
love yourself. You care only about yourself, and I’ve been
delusional to think that you cared even one ounce about me or this
faction.”

She finally looked up at him, “That’s not
true.”

“I was outvoted. The other
Elders have decided to keep you here in the palace, where they can
keep an eye on you,” Chevalier said, and opened the door. “As for
me… stay away from me.”

Emily jumped slightly when
the door slammed and then she sunk down against the wall, her head
buried in her hands. She stayed there, deep in thought until the
door opened again. She looked up and saw Kyle and Dr. Cook come
in.

“I was told you are
injured,” Dr. Cook said, and sat his bag down.

“Nothing bad,” she
whispered, and risked a glance at Kyle. He was still angry, but not
quite as bad as the day she got back.

“Nevertheless, I’d like to see your
side.”

Emily nodded and stood up.
She’d already decided to do whatever she was asked. She sat down
beside the doctor and lifted her shirt slightly, ignoring the low
hiss from Kyle. Dr. Cook poked her ribs painfully and then began to
tape up her side.

“Four broken ribs,” he
said, and then pulled out a syringe and needle. “Do you need pain
medications?”

“Whatever you advise,” she said, watching
her hands.

Kyle frowned slightly, but
fought the desire to forgive her.

“I advise this,” he said,
and she held out her arm. Dr. Cook glanced at Kyle before giving
her an injection. She lay back in bed when he was done, and they
left, locking the door behind them.

“That’s new,” Dr. Cook
said when they walked into the council chambers.

“I suspect she’s laying
low and will do whatever we ask,” Kyle told him, and glanced at
Chevalier before taking his seat.

“As Frederick stated, she has 4 broken
ribs.”

“And the bruise on her face?” Quinn
asked.

“Superficial, nothing broken.”

“Very well, thank you.”

Dr. Cook bowed slightly and then left.

“How is she?” Quinn asked, turning to
Kyle.

“Quiet, timid, and very
compliant,” Kyle reported.

“You have nine days,” Zohn said to
Chevalier.

“No, I don’t… I have no desire whatsoever to
forgive her.”

“For now, you’re even
calmer than you were a few days ago. You must surely see that what
she did wasn’t as bad as we originally thought,” Quinn told
him.

Chevalier glared at him, “No, I don’t see
that.”

“I agree, what she did
undermined everything this Council has done for her,” Zohn
said.

Quinn stood up, obviously
irritated, “We’re done for the night, and I’m going back to my
coven for a few days while the tempers die down.”

The rest of the Council
left until only Zohn, Kyle, and Chevalier remained.

“We can’t keep her locked up forever,” Zohn
said, turning to the other two.

“Pack her things and send her away,”
Chevalier suggested.

“I disagree,” Kyle said.
“With all due respect, Elder, you are mad now, but you still love
her and you’ll regret it if she leaves.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking
about.”

“I think I do. I’ve been
around you two longer than any other heku.”

“Still, things have
changed. I’m not going to spend any more energy trying to make her
happy, trying to keep her safe or worrying about her,” Chevalier
said, and blurred out of the room.

“If she leaves, he’ll regret it and we’ll
all pay,” Kyle said, turning to Zohn.

“I know.”

Chevalier stood in the
dark corner in Emily’s room and watched her sleep. Aided by the
medication, she was quieter than usual and her scent was off. He
studied her closely, the bruise on her cheek was fading and even in
her sleep, an arm guarded her broken ribs. His heart ached. He
wanted nothing more than to forget her and to walk away, never
looking back.

***

Emily looked up from her breakfast when the
door opened.

Mark walked in, still mad at her, “The
Elders have granted you the ability to roam the grounds, with the
condition you don’t slip your guards.”

She nodded and sat her fork down.

“Here’s a change of
clothes,” he said, and tossed a pink summer dress onto the bed.
They brought her clothing each day, and let her shower, but other
than that she was forced to sit in the bedroom with nothing more
than a book. She refused to complain, but looked forward to getting
out into the sunshine.

Changing quickly, Emily sat back down in the
chair to wait for them. She heard a light knock on the bedroom
door.

“I’m ready,” she said softly.

Mark opened the door and
she saw four of the Cavalry waiting for her, “They will be your
guards.”

She nodded and followed
them out. The servants all looked at her briefly and then turned
back to their jobs. No one stopped to talk to her, or even
acknowledge she walked past them. She merely followed the four
members of the Cavalry outside and into the stables.

“We’re to wait at the
door,” the Commander told her.

Emily inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of
fresh hay. She immediately went to the stall with her stallion and
ran her hand along the lock.

“They don’t want to risk you taking off,”
Silas told her.

She didn’t turn toward
him, but nodded and reached down to pet the dogs at her
feet.

“How are you?” Kralen asked her.

She finally turned toward them, “I’m
fine.”

“The two of us,” Silas
said, “May be the only two heku in the city who aren’t still mad at
you.”

She nodded as tears filled her eyes, “Help
me then.”

“Do what?”

“Get forgiveness.”

Kralen leaned up against the wall, “You’re
doing the only thing I could suggest… keeping a low profile and
doing as you’re told.”

“Chev…”

Silas sighed, “He’s going
to take more time. You betrayed the Equites… but you lost the trust
of your husband.”

“I can’t live without
him,” she whispered, and turned back to pet her horse over the
door.

“The same goes for him, he’s just
forgotten,” Kralen told her.

Emily sunk down on the wall, “I don’t know
what to do… how to make this right.”

“Why did you do it? Why not tell the Equites
what you were doing?” Silas asked.

“They would have told me no.”

“Right, and then you would
have done it anyway… I think they’re madder that you didn’t tell
them, than they would have been if you’d have told them, and then
did it anyway.”

“You tell me this now?” she asked, looking
up at him.

“Let’s take the Cavalry
out for a ride,” Kralen said, and then called for them to mount
up.

Emily moved back, “I’ll go back to my
room.”

“You’re allowed to come…
you can tandem with me,” Silas told her, and slipped a bridle on
his horse. He mounted and then put a hand out for her.

“The Council’s ok with
it?”

“Yes, they are,” Mark said from behind
her.

She sighed and then let
Silas pull her up onto his horse. She sat against his back and held
onto his sides. Mark led the Cavalry slowly out the front gates and
toward the north hills. She watched as the Cavalry ran through a
few drills, just enjoying being out in the fresh air and the feel
of the hot sun against her face.

Something caught Emily’s
attention and she turned toward the road. Chevalier’s McLaren,
Kyle’s Ferrari, and Quinn’s Zonda were all headed for the
Interstate, followed by four black Suburbans. She wondered where
they were going, but knew she had no right to ask.

After a few hours of
drills, Mark finally called for them all to head back in. She
gripped Silas’ sides again as he took off at a gallop for the city.
She slid off just outside of the stables and patiently waited for
her guards. Kralen and Silas both blurred from the stables and
stopped when they saw her.

Emily glanced over at the out-building when
she heard a loud cheer erupt.

“Want to go see?” Kralen asked.

“What are they
doing?”

“Come see, it’ll be
entertaining,” he said, and started for the building. Emily
followed as Silas and Jaron fell in behind her. The cheering got
louder as they approached, and once inside, she could tell it was
coming from one of the sparring rooms. When Kralen opened the door,
she stepped in and her eyes grew wide.

There were heku guards
lining the walls while two stood in the middle. Their hands were
clasped behind their backs and their heads were low. Emily gasped
when the two heku rammed their heads into each other and stumbled
backwards, and then fell forward to do it again. They continued to
pummel each other with their heads as blood coated the mat and the
cheering grew even louder.

Emily watched, somewhat
fascinated, and somewhat terrified of what she was seeing. The
stupidity and sheer brutality of it was amazing, yet they didn’t
seem to mind the pain or the blood. From what she could gather, the
first heku to fall, lost, and was soon replaced with
another.

“Why?” Emily asked, not taking her eyes away
from the challenge.

“Why not? It’s just for
fun,” Silas told her, and leaned back against the wall.

She stood, speechless,
while the guards slammed their heads into each other until one of
them stumbled to their knees and lost the fight. Few of them even
acknowledged she was in the room, but they often came to talk to
the Cavalry.

When it was over, Emily
followed her guards out and couldn’t help but smile. The simple
absurdity of the challenge was fascinating to her, and she found it
humorous how rowdy the guards were, and how brutal the
challenge.

“Good to see you smile
again,” Silas said, and grinned.

She shrugged and fell serious again, “I’m
ready for bed.”

“Let’s grab dinner first,”
Mark told her, and headed inside.

Though not hungry, she nodded and followed
him in. There was a large pizza sitting on the table for her and
sippy cups for Dain, who was waiting for her.

“Mommy!” he yelled, and
smiled when she walked in.

Emily kissed the top of
his head and sat down to eat. She only managed a piece, but it
satisfied the guards and she picked Dain up before heading up
toward their room.

“Commander?” one of the
Cavalry said, running up to them.

Emily turned toward him.

“My mare, I think she’s having the
colt.”

Emily smiled slightly. She
was extremely tired, but knew she would have a long night ahead,
“Ok, let’s go see.”

Silas took Dain as she
followed the others out into the stalls. The panting mare was
leaning up against the stall wall and had over thirty heku watching
her.

Emily slipped off her long
sleeved shirt, leaving only a t-shirt, and stepped in, then ran her
hand along the mare and smiled at the nervous guard, “It’s ok.
She’s doing well.”

The guard was wringing his hands nervously,
“She looks bad.”

“She’s ok, trust me,”
Emily said, and moved out of the way just as the mare laid down.
She whinnied loudly and nipped at one of the heku, “There may be
too many in here though.”

“Clear out,” Mark ordered,
and all of the heku left, including the guard that owned the
mare.

Emily sat down beside the mare and rubbed
her large belly.

“Em, we’re getting called
in by the Council,” Mark told her. “There are four city guards
posted outside of the stables.”

She nodded, “I’m fine here.”

Emily was somewhat
relieved when the stables cleared out. She was able to concentrate
on the mare without worrying about keeping up the perfect
pretenses.

“Pretty horse,” a strange
heku said as he leaned up against the stall door.

Emily glanced up at him, “Yes, she is.”

“Pretty girl, too,” he
said, and grinned.

“Are you my guard?”

“Nope”

“Then you aren’t to be in here,” she
reminded him, still rubbing the mare’s belly.

“From what I heard, they wouldn’t care if
you donated a little nourishment… plus, I don’t see no ring on your
finger.”

Emily sighed, “Thousands of years old and
you have the grammar of a turnip.”

He frowned, “Pretty sassy for a useless,
helpless, human.”

“Whatever you say.”

Emily gasped when she was
suddenly pushed down against the hay in the stall. The heku pinned
her body with his, “I like the sound of that… whatever I
say.”