Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series (75 page)

“Let us talk,” Zohn told her.

“No, I won’t make you do
this and this way, you’ll never have to feel guilt or remorse for
doing it,” Emily said. “I’ll just leave. I’ll get my stuff, and if
you can just give me the Jeep and an hour…”

“Listen to us, Em,”
Chevalier said, and reached out and took her hand. She frowned
slightly and looked at their intertwined hands.

“You’re right. I deserve
this,” she whispered, and pulled her hand away from his.

“Alec couldn’t be more wrong,” Kyle told
her.

She frowned slightly, “You heard all of
that?”

“All of it,” Quinn said.
“Let’s just start off by saying you aren’t a burden, and we would
never ostracize you from the Equites.”

“That’s true,” she
whispered. “I would then become a danger.”

“That’s not why. You’re
important to us, and it has nothing to do with your abilities,”
Zohn told her. “We care about you and your welfare, and have never
considered you a burden.”

“I am though. What do I
give in return? He was right, I take and take, and all I do is
cause trouble.”

“You train our Cavalry,”
Zohn told her.

“You mediate hostile meetings,” Quinn
added.

“You’re my wife,”
Chevalier said, and took her hand again, squeezing it
slightly.

“You’re more devoted to the Equites than
most of the city,” Zohn said. “You don’t take and take and, Dear,
please… stop trying to protect us.”

“I can’t seem to behave.
It’s not in my nature to take orders and sit around doing nothing.
It will be easier on all of us if I just go now,” Emily said, and
pulled her hand away from Chevalier’s.

“That’s the problem here,”
Chevalier told her, and took her hand again. “We are a protective
species, and you’re a free spirit that doesn’t like to be
protected. However, can we all agree that you do need
it?”

Emily smiled slightly, “Kind of hard to deny
that.”

“So how do we make you see
that you aren’t a burden? If you could see the kings and queens of
long ago, you’d see that they were worshipped, protected, spoiled…
and they did nothing in return, but be there to give hope and
guidance to their subjects.”

“I don’t give hope or guidance to
anyone.”

Zohn smiled, “You do
though. The Equites revere you, and you give them another reason to
be proud to be in this faction.”

Emily sighed, “I don’t know what to do.”

Chevalier grinned slightly, “First thing’s
first, give me your ring.”

“I’d like to keep it, to remember you by
when I leave.”

“Give it to me.”

She nodded and reached
into her pocket, then looked at it briefly before handing it to
Chevalier with shaking hands. He took it and gently slipped it back
on her finger where it sealed itself.

Emily looked up at him, shocked, “You told
me…”

“Ignore me… I have news
for you. I have a bit of a temper,” Chevalier said, and took her
hand.

“We’re ok?” she asked, looking directly at
him.

He nodded, “Yes, we’ll work through
this.”

“And the Equites?” she
asked, and looked over at Quinn and Zohn.

“We’re good too,” Zohn
told her, and smiled.

“I will try to be better, I promise,” she
said.

“We know that… and we’ll
try to be more understanding but we beg you, protect yourself if
you are attacked, and leave the Ferus to us.”

Emily smiled slightly,
“Deal.”

Emily rolled over in bed
and curled up next to Chevalier. It was still dark outside, so she
planned on spending more time in bed. She felt his strong arms wrap
around her, and she smiled and pulled a little closer to
him.

He kissed the top of her
head, “If we’re going to sleep all day, we should call for
breakfast.”

Emily opened her eyes and looked toward the
window, “It’s still dark out.”

“It’s 9am, there’s a pretty nasty storm
though.”

“So you’re late?” she
asked, and kissed his shoulder lightly.

“Not really, we’re just hiring today, no
trials.”

“Hiring, for what?”

“Staff Supervisor for the
palace. Jack resigned and moved back to his coven.”

“Why?”

“Stress,” he said, and
grinned. “I guess it’s pretty hard keeping up with the entire
palace.”

“How do I get in on the interviews?” she
asked, propping herself up on one elbow.

“You want to come to the interviews?”

“No, I want the job.”

“You want to take care of the palace staff?”
he asked, amused.

Emily’s eyes narrowed, “Yes, I do.”

“You know, that may not be
a bad idea.”

“Of course it’s not. It’d
give me something to do.”

“I’ll ask, but they may find it unbefitting
of an Elder’s wife.”

Emily sighed and rolled her eyes, “That’s
stupid.”

Chevalier grinned, “Why don’t you wear a
long dress and tiara and make them happy?”

“Why don’t I run around naked and start a
new heku fashion?”

“Only you can get away with that,” he
chuckled.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning… this palace is
full of men. No one wants to see a naked man running around… you,
however…”

Emily blushed and sat up, “Will you ask for
me? I really would like that job.”

“I’ll ask,” he said, and
slid out of bed.

She frowned when she saw he already had
pants on, “Stop getting dressed while I’m sleeping, it’s not
fair.”

He knelt on the bed and
kissed her, “I can always take them off.”

“Go ask,” she said, grinning, and pushed
away from him.

“Fine,” he sighed, and
pulled a shirt on.

“When’s the last married Elder before
you?”

“Maleth was married for
almost a thousand years.”

“He was?”

“Yes, to
Pamela.”

“What happened?”

“Valle attack,” Chevalier
said, and pulled on his green cape.

“That’s awful.”

“There’s a reason we keep an eye on
you.”

“A reason?”

He grinned, “Ok, more than one.”

“How cold is it?”

“It’s ten below and it’s windy and
snowing.”

Emily sighed and got out of bed, “I better
go check on the horses.”

“In this? Send the
Cavalry, you should stay inside.”

“I’ll take the Cavalry,
but I’ve been in cold weather before.”

Chevalier grinned, “I forbid you to stay
inside then.”

Emily smiled and slipped on her jeans,
“Won’t work, I’m going.”

“I figured, had to try,”
he told her, and then left. Emily watched him go and then slipped
on a warm turtle neck sweater and boots, followed by a heavy
parka.

She was surprised when she
stepped out of her room and saw no guards by her door. The Council
had become even stricter about guards since her time helping the
Encala three months before. She shrugged and headed down the
stairs.

“You’re going out there?” one of the door
guards asked her, frowning.

“Yes, why?”

“It’s pretty bad.”

“I have to check on the
horses,” she told him, and pulled up the parka’s hood.

“Where are your guards?”

“I have no idea,” she
said, and stepped out into the snow. The wind was blowing huge
snowflakes sideways and was strong enough she had to brace against
it. The strong wind immediately seeped through her coat, and she
began to shiver within a few seconds. Emily looked up, but couldn’t
see more than a couple of feet ahead of her, so she ducked her head
and started for the stables.

Two dark forms appeared
out of the snow, and she smiled when the large dogs came into view.
She reached down to pet the lab but quickly slipped her hands back
into her coat. The dogs seemed to be enjoying the snow, and ran
around trying to catch snowflakes.

She finally made it to the
stables and pulled the heavy door open. The wind caught it
immediately, and it slammed loudly into the side of the stables.
Once inside, she grabbed the door with both hands and tried to pull
it shut. After a few attempts with no luck, she decided to try to
shut it from the outside and use the smaller side-door. When she
stepped back out into the snow, strong arms pulled her back
inside.

“What are you doing?” Mark
asked as he easily shut the door.

Emily pulled down her
hood, “I came to check on the horses, but that door wouldn’t
shut.”

“Where are your guards?”

“I don’t know. They
weren’t at my door.”

“None of them?” Jaron asked from behind
her.

She shook her head, “No.”

“Go find them, I want them
in my office,” Mark said to Jaron, and the Commander
disappeared.

Emily went through and
checked on the horses. The heater was on and the stables were warm
and comfortable. The two dogs followed her through the stables as
she checked on each horse.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t leave the
palace if you didn’t have guards?” Mark said, following them.

“I figured the stables are an extension of
the palace.”

“It’s not,” he told her, sounding a little
irritated.

Emily turned to him and smiled slightly, “I
didn’t slip them.”

“I know. That’s why I want
them in my office.”

“Don’t be too hard on
them. They probably figured I wouldn’t leave in this
weather.”

“They are assigned as your
guards, no matter what, they are to follow orders,” he said,
leaning up against the side of the stables as she checked on the
horses.

“Well, everything looks
good here,” she told him, and wrinkled her nose. “Except that
smell.”

“What smell?” Mark asked,
and started towards her. When he got beside her, he covered his
nose with his hand.

Valle and Encala both crouched, growling,
and faced the far end of the stables. The currently unused portion
of the building was too dark for Emily to see.

“Stay here,” Mark growled,
and disappeared into the dark, followed by the two dogs.

Emily sighed when he
didn’t return after a few minutes, and she sat down on a bale of
hay to wait. She looked over when the door to the stables burst
open and twelve members of the Cavalry came in, ran past her, and
disappeared into the dark side of the stables.

A few minutes later,
Chevalier blurred into the stables and stopped at her, “Are you
hurt?”

She looked up at him, “No, why?”

“Where’s Mark?”

“Back by the trailer door.”

Chevalier nodded and also went to the dark
side and disappeared. Emily laughed slightly when Quinn and Dustin
came in quickly, as if there was an emergency.

“Are you injured?” Quinn asked.

“No,” she told him.

“Let’s go. We came to
escort you inside,” Dustin told her, and started for the
door.

Emily whistled and the two dogs came running
at her from the other side of the building.

“What’s going on then?”
she asked, and stood up.

“We’ll talk inside where
it’s warmer,” Quinn told her, and held out his hand.

“It’s 72 degrees in here, not exactly
freezing.”

“Stop being a problem and
come inside,” Dustin said, irritated.

Emily’s eyes narrowed and
she took Quinn’s hand. They started out into the frigid weather as
the dogs ran ahead of them. She grinned and let go of Quinn’s hand.
Bending slightly, she got a handful of snow and carefully formed it
into a tightly packed ball. Quinn shook his head and moved away
from her, as she took aim and threw. The snowball connected with
Dustin’s neck, sending snow down the back of his shirt.

He gasped and quickly
pulled his shirt from the back of his pants and shook out the snow
as Emily laughed. He turned toward her and it was obvious he didn’t
find that funny. Quinn quickly took her hand, and she saw him say
something to the Liaison Officer just before Dustin turned angrily
and walked inside.

“He’s not in a good mood,
let’s leave him alone,” Quinn yelled over the howling wind. Emily
nodded, and they walked inside. The door guards took her parka and
she looked around the empty foyer.

“Where’d the dogs go?”

One of the door guards smiled, “They were
immediately taken to get dried off.”

“Come, someone wants to
talk to you,” Quinn said, and headed up the stairs.

“Joy,” she grumbled, and
followed him up.

“Where are your guards?”

“Not a clue.”

Quinn frowned and then
walked around to the back of the council chambers, with Emily
lagging behind. She hated when the Council wanted to talk to her.
It usually meant she’d done something wrong. She walked in and sat
down in Chevalier’s chair, and her eyes grew wide when she saw
Camber standing in the trial area. The recently awaken former Elder
kept to his own coven since he’d messed with Emily’s mind and made
her think she was a heku.

Camber smiled, “Good to see you, Dear.”

Without blinking, the former Elder fell to
ashes.

“Emily!” Dustin growled.

Kyle chuckled, “He deserved it.”

Zohn smiled, “Revive him please.”