Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series
Read Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series Online
Authors: T.M. Nielsen
Tags: #vampires, #vampire romance, #vampire series, #vampire fantasy, #heku, #chevalier, #equites, #valle, #encala, #emily, #vampire drama, #vampire action
Equites
Book 4 of the Heku Series
Published by T.M. Nielsen at
Smashwords
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©
2010 by T.M.
Nielsen
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Emily woke with a jump and heard an
alarm sound from the city. She looked around the room, but she was
alone. Sam came out of the nursery with Allen asleep in his
arms.
“
What’s going on?” she
asked him.
“
I don’t know,” Sam said,
laying Allen down beside her. She cradled him in her arms and tried
to clear the last of the sleep from her mind. Sam shut his eyes and
listened closely.
“
The Valle are attacking,”
Sam said.
Emily frowned, “The Valle? Here in the
city?”
Sam nodded, “Yes, the troops are at a
standoff outside of the city, and their Council is meeting with
ours right now.”
“
I should go,” Emily said.
She crawled out of bed and tried to find something to wear. It had
been a few weeks since she could fasten her jeans, and she hated
the clothes that made her look pregnant. Deciding she didn’t have a
choice, she threw on a pair of pants and a black babydoll
shirt.
Emily could hear the booming voices
from outside of the council chambers. She turned on the fans that
were installed to keep her scent from anyone down in the trial
area, and then took a deep breath and stepped inside. She used the
back door so her entrance was behind the Equites Council. As she
appeared at Chevalier’s side, the entire room grew quiet and she
put her hand on his shoulder.
“
Is this a threat?” Sotomar
asked.
Emily avoided looking at Exavior, but
watched the enemy Elders closely. She could still hear the alarms
in the distance.
“
She is not here to
threaten you. Though, I find it hard to believe that you are here
peacefully with an entire army,” Maleth said angrily.
“
What exactly are your
demands?” Quinn asked them.
“
We demand the return of
the last remaining Encala council member, and the return of his
mate,” Sotomar said, and glared at Emily.
Emily frowned.
“
What concern is it of
yours that we hold Vaughn?” Quinn questioned. Emily was surprised
at the severity of his voice and how badly his tone scared her.
Even the Valle Elder took a step back when Quinn spoke.
“
We have formed an alliance
with the Encala and are helping them rebuild, as such, we demand
the return of what was taken,” Sotomar said to Maleth, now avoiding
Quinn.
“
We can peacefully discuss
the return of Vaughn, but we don’t recognize the bonding enforced
by an ancient,” Maleth said calmly.
“
We don’t have to
peacefully discuss anything! With the Encala and Valle forces
joined, we outnumber you, and will get what we want one way or the
other,” another of the Valle Elders yelled.
“
Don’t talk about me like
I’m not standing right here,” Emily said finally, and all eyes
turned to her.
The Valle Elder took a step towards
her, “Are you with child?”
Emily wasn’t sure what to say. She
knew at this point she could pass as either pregnant, or having put
on some weight.
She watched him for a moment before
Chevalier finally answered, “She is.”
“
Does the child belong to
Vaughn?” the Elder asked her.
“
No,” she
snapped.
“
Then she should be
punished for infidelity, as Vaughn is her rightful mate,” he
said.
“
I dare you to try it,” she
said, taking a step forward, but Chevalier’s arm blocked her from
going further.
“
Again, we do not abide by
any ritual performed by an ancient,” Maleth said.
“
Does she bare the mark of
the Encala?” Sotomar asked, grinning.
“
For now,” Maleth told him,
avoiding looking at Exavior. It was obvious to the entire Council
that he had not shared his knowledge or his time with Emily, “As
soon as she has the baby, it will be removed.”
“
You have heard our
demands. If they are not met in full, then we attack at dawn,”
Sotomar said, and the Valle Council swept out of the council
chambers.
“
You always pick the worst
times to make an entrance,” Damon said to Emily.
“
Kiss my ass,” she
yelled.
“
Stop it!” Maleth said.
“This is not the time for you two to bicker.”
“
Yes, Sir,” Damon said, and
looked straight forward.
“
We have three hours to
make a plan,” Quinn said.
“
I’ve summoned all covens
within a three-hour travel time, but we will still be outnumbered,”
Chevalier said.
“
Not with me here. I can
take out a few thousand,” Emily reminded them.
“
We can’t risk it. The last
time, we weren’t sure you would survive,” Maleth reminded
her.
Emily frowned.
“
What do we lose by giving
them Vaughn?” Quinn asked.
“
We lose the ability to
shut him up when he calls Emily,” Chevalier said,
irritated.
“
Which causes pain,
right?”
“
Yes”
“
Pain that I can handle,
hand him over,” Emily said.
“
Handing him over won’t
work. They want you both,” Quinn said to her.
“
Then hand us both over, I
don’t care,” Emily said. “I can handle myself over
there.”
“
Stop,” Chevalier whispered
to her.
“
No, I’m not going to stand
by while the Equites Army is obliterated all because of me,” she
said, frustrated.
Quinn raised an eyebrow.
“
We can’t risk losing you.
As long as we have you here, we will always have the upper hand.”
Maleth tried to make her understand.
“
Not if you won’t let me do
it,” she said, frowning.
“
How many can you harm
without injury to yourself?” Quinn asked.
“
I don’t know,” she
admitted.
“
Ship her out. We’ll have
her taken to a remote coven, maybe in Europe, until this is
settled,” Maleth suggested.
“
No! I won’t go,” Emily
told him.
“
You wouldn’t have a
choice, Em,” Chevalier told her, and touched her hand.
“
Let me stay and fight with
you. Why have this ability if you won’t let me use it? At least let
me take out their Council and a few hundred of their army,” she
said desperately.
“
It’s too risky,” Maleth
said to her.
“
Not if I’m careful. When I
start to get dizzy, or a headache, I’ll stop, but by then we may
have the advantage of numbers.”
“
She has a point,” Damon
said bluntly.
“
Shut up, Damon,” Chevalier
and Maleth said at once.
Emily crossed her arms, “I don’t need
your permission.”
Quinn looked up at her, surprised,
“You would attack without our consent?”
“
Did I have permission to
take out the Encala?” she asked.
“
I see,” he said, and
folded his hands on the desk in front of him.
“
This is more serious than
that. This is a full-scale war that’s been building for centuries,”
Maleth told her. “Right now, we need to consider what happens if
the city is wiped out, and if that happens, you can’t be
here.”
“
Why aren’t you listening
to me? If you let me fight, the city won’t get wiped out.” She
stomped her foot and they all looked at her, surprised.
“
The faction army is
trained for fighting. They are skilled and willing to die to defend
the city. You are not a part of that,” Quinn told her.
“
Are you saying I’m not a
part of this faction?” Emily scowled at him.
“
That’s not what I said,
merely that you are not a part of this fight.”
“
Name one other member of
this faction that you would turn away if they wanted to
fight.”
“
Emily, no,” Chevalier said
sternly.
Emily nodded, “Fine, but good luck
shipping me out.”
“
Em,” Chevalier said, and
she stormed out of the council chambers.
“
Let her fight. What the
hell good is she if she can’t fight?” Damon asked
angrily.
“
Are you saying that we
just keep her around to clean up our messes?” Chevalier
hissed.
“
No, I’m just saying… what
good is having a weapon if we can’t use it?”
“
What good is having a
weapon if we destroy it?” Maleth interjected.
The sounds of helicopters above the
palace sounded and shook the doors and windows.
“
Samuel’s Coven has
arrived,” Maleth said, sighing.
“
Let’s take Vaughn to them
and see if they will avoid a war with just him. If they insist on
going to war over Emily, we won’t have a choice. A Winchester in
the hands of the Valle or the Encala would be disastrous,” Maleth
suggested.
“
Kyle?” Chevalier
whispered, and he blurred into the room.
“
Yes?”
“
Have one of your units
escort Vaughn to the Valle Elders, then I want Mark and Frank to
take Emily in the helicopter. We’ll send Allen with the Council,”
Chevalier ordered.