Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series (31 page)

“What do you think?” Mark
asked. “Honestly, he’s one of the best guards, but he and that
horse…”

“Skye, come here,” Emily
said, and slid off of her horse. She handed the reins up to
Mark.

“Yes, Commander?” he
asked, looking down at her.

“Get off,” she told him,
and he slid off of the horse. Emily unbuckled the saddle and
slipped it off, dropping it to the ground. She hoisted herself onto
the horse bareback, and then turned to the heku, “Up you
go.”

“Umm… behind you?”

“Yes”

Skye glanced at Mark. He
wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. The rule to not touch the
Elder’s wife would most certainly pertain when she wore only a
bikini top and shorts.

“Don’t look at Mark… get
up here like I told you to,” she said sternly.

The heku nimbly mounted
the horse behind her, but was almost on the horse’s rump as he got
as far away from her as he could.

Emily sighed and looked up
at the sky, “Come on, Boy, up here…”

Skye nervously moved forward until he was
directly up against her back.

“Ok, lean forward a bit
against me… and wrap your arms around me and take the reins,” she
said, and guided his hands around her and handed him the
reins.

“Is… this…” Skye stammered, looking over her
head at the trees, nervously.

“Shut up and kick the damn
horse,” she said. She understood how hard it was for a Powan to
break orders, and knew the only way it would happen is from a
direct order.

The heku kicked his horse
and soon they were in a full gallop across the field. Emily felt
him steady himself against her and soon he was comfortably moving
with the natural flow of the horse. When they turned to come back,
he easily leaned with her and smoothly returned to the
others.

“So… if I fall off my
horse a bit…” one of the Cavalry said when the two headed back to
them.

“Laythan, do you want to
be put on probation?” Kralen hissed at him.

“No, Sir… sorry,” he said,
and quieted down.

When Skye and Emily
returned, she slid off the horse and turned to him, “Much better.
You need to hold on more with your thighs…” She touched his inner
thigh slightly, “Here, not with the back of your legs.”

Skye got down and re-saddled his horse as
Emily got back on her stallion and took the reins from Mark.

“Now that that’s over with, I want full
contact tackles from horseback, get into pairs,” Mark ordered.

Emily watched beside Mark,
Silas, and Kralen as the heku tackled each other off of horseback
over and over. She enjoyed being out in the sun and there were
enough funny moments to keep herself entertained.

“Gah, Emily,” Kralen growled.

She turned to look at him
and saw him taking off his shirt, “We’re stripping
because….”

“Because you’re burning,”
he said, and handed his shirt over.

Emily looked over at her shoulders, “Ew… ok,
thanks.”

She slipped on his shirt
and continued to watch them over the next few hours. She finally
grinned and looked over at Kralen.

“What?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“Chevalier’s gone all night,” she told
him.

“Ok… and…”

Emily turned to Mark, “I vote for
dancing.”

Silas chuckled, “Last time
I took you dancing, I got arrested.”

“True… just don’t drink this time.”

He stopped smiling and glanced nervously at
Mark.

Mark thought for a moment, “Why do I get the
feeling I’ll regret this?”

“We can go?” Kralen asked.

“I’m not sure…” Mark said, still deep in
thought.

Emily’s grin widened, “I
could always go alone.”

“Fine,” Mark said, and
turned to the others. “Head back!”

“Oooh yeah,” Kralen
yelled, and kicked his horse back toward the city.

Emily kicked her horse and
passed the others as they headed in through the city gates. She was
the first back to the stables, and quickly got her horse ready for
the night. When she was done, she ran inside and changed into jeans
and a western-cut shirt and black cowboy boots.

She started down the
stairs and saw the Council on the fourth-floor, and they turned and
looked at her.

“Going out?” Zohn asked.

“Yes, we’re going dancing.
Want to come?”

Zohn grinned, “No, you’ll have more fun if
no Elders are watching.”

“You did say, we, correct?” Dustin
asked.

Emily frowned at him, “Yes, I’m heading out
with Frederick and Exavior.”

“Go… have fun,” Quinn
said, and ushered Dustin back into the council chambers.

“Last chance, Elder. Can
you dance?” she asked, and headed down the stairs.

“Yes, I can… and no thank
you,” Zohn told her, and went back into the council
chambers.

***

“Are you questioning me,
Laythan?” Mark asked angrily.

One of the members of the
Cavalry crossed his arms, “Yes, I am… seems like a lot of fun
tonight and not a lot of guarding… what happened to remembering
she’s a charge and not a friend?”

“So we should just let her go alone?” Kralen
asked, visibly irritated.

“Of course not… but out of
uniform and only 3 of you, when normally there are 4 guards with
her at all times.”

“I won’t be questioned by
you about this. Report to your quarters and be in my office at
8am,” Mark said to him.

“If you’re in by then,” he
said, and started to walk off, but fell to his knees and
screamed.

Mark turned suddenly and saw Emily behind
him, “That’s enough.”

The guard fell to the ground, panting, as
the burning pain ended.

Emily walked up to him and looked down, “Are
you having obedience issues?”

“No,” he hissed.

“Excuse me? No…”

“Commander,” he said,
through gritted teeth.

Emily felt a hand on her arm and turned
around to face Kralen, “Let’s go… we get to take the truck
again.”

She smiled, “Oh good, I hate being crammed
into a tin can.”

“Stop referring to my car
as a tin can,” Mark said.

The four walked out to Kralen’s waiting
truck and were soon on their way into the city.

“What’s up with
disobedient guard?” Emily asked, and turned around.

“Not sure, it’s just recently he’s started
being obstinate,” Mark explained.

“Is he a Powan?”

“No, we’ve had no problems with any of the
Powans.”

Emily turned away from Mark when Kralen
pulled into a parking lot, “I haven’t seen this place before.”

“I’ve been here a few
times,” Kralen said, and shut off the engine. They all piled out
and walked into the club. They found a seat, and Emily ordered a
rum and Coke while the heku checked the area.

“Any boogie men?” she asked, taking a
sip.

“There’s a heku here, just can’t find them,”
Mark told her.

“Relax, let’s dance,” she
said, and took Kralen’s hand. They moved out onto the dance floor
and began a fast two-step to the music. When a soft ballad came on,
they changed styles and danced through the song.

“May I cut in?” Emily
heard from behind her. Before she could turn around, she felt a low
growl come from Kralen. She turned and gasped.

“Exavior… what are you
doing here?” she asked, and moved closer to Kralen. Silas and Mark
appeared beside her.

“I just wanted a dance… wouldn’t be the
first one,” Exavior said, unphased by the guards.

“No,” she told him, and
headed back for their table. The three Equites placed themselves
between her and the enemy Elder.

They all sat down and Exavior pulled up a
chair.

“What?” she asked, frowning.

“No reason to sit apart,”
he said, and ordered a gin and tonic.

“Why are you even this close to Council
City?” Mark asked, irritated.

“That’d be none of your
business,” Exavior told him, and downed his drink.

“I don’t like you and don’t want to be
anywhere near you,” Emily whispered, harshly. “So I suggest you
walk your ass out and leave the way you came.”

“Or what?” he asked
haughtily.

“Don’t push it,” Mark
growled. “I’d like nothing more than to tear your limbs from your
body, and being in public may not stop me.”

“Calm down, Boy. I’m not
here to start trouble,” Exavior said, moving slightly away from
Mark.

***

Zohn sighed and studied
the member of the Cavalry standing in front of the Council, “We’re
just finding it hard to believe… the General and the two Captains
have been Emily’s guards since she came to the palace.”

“I know, but some of us
are worried that it’s moved beyond that and due to a conflict of
interest, could someday harm her,” he told them.

“So there are others who share your
concerns?” Quinn asked, shocked.

“Yes, there are.”

The Council turned when
Chevalier and Kyle came in the back door and took their seats.
Chevalier glanced over at the member of the Cavalry, and the heku
seemed nervous at Chevalier’s appearance.

“What’s going on?” Chevalier asked, eyeing
the anxious heku.

“Mark, Silas, and Kralen
accompanied Emily to go dancing tonight,” Zohn told him.

Chevalier shrugged, “Ok… so.”

“Laythan believes that by
going out of uniform, and with only 3 guards as opposed to the
normal 4, that the three heku might be too attached to Emily and
might put her at risk with feelings of their attachment,” Zohn
explained.

Chevalier looked over at
Laythan, “Interesting…”

“They are too attached to her… attracted you
might say,” Laythan said, watching Zohn, “It’s dangerous.”

“How so?”

“If she were to be attacked, I don’t believe
they would be able to act in full capacity because of their
overwhelming feelings for the girl.”

Chevalier frowned
slightly, “Are you saying that Mark, Silas, and Kralen are so in
love with Emily, that they wouldn’t be able to protect
her?”

The guard nodded, “Not in so many words, but
yes.”

“That’s stupid.”

Laythan frowned, “I’m not the only one
worried about her safety in their care.”

“There are others?”

“Yes, a lot of the Cavalry
feels the bond between them is too tight, and it would be a
conflict of interest to keep them with her.”

“I seriously doubt they
love her,” Quinn told him. “I won’t deny a strong attachment, but
they’ve guarded her for long enough it’s hard not to make strong
bonds.”

“It’s love, trust me,” Laythan told him.

Chevalier sighed, “I trust
those three with Emily more than anyone but myself… and it’s not
love. I’d say it’s more like she’s a sister.”

“Derrick, tell all four of them to wait
here,” Dustin said when they heard the four arrive from
dancing.

Laythan glanced nervously
behind him, “I stand by what I say. It’s dangerous to keep those
three around her.”

Dustin frowned and turned to the Elders,
“Derrick said we need to see them immediately.”

“Laythan, you may go,”
Quinn said, and the heku blurred from the room.

“Ok, let them in,” Dustin said.

Silas and Kralen came in
first, both looking angry. Emily was next. She had her arms wrapped
around herself, and a hand bruise was forming on each of her upper
arms. Mark was last, his shirt was torn and there was blood caked
on it. He was shaking and visibly furious.

Chevalier sighed, “Em, are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“Let’s start with the obvious bruises on her
arm,” Quinn said, irritated.

“We did that… Silas and I,” Kralen told
him.

“What!?” Chevalier growled.

“Wait… we were just trying
to keep her out of the fight,” Silas told the Council
quickly.

Emily nodded, “They wouldn’t let me go.”

“We held on as she fought
us,” Kralen said. “She just kept pulling and we couldn’t help but
leave marks.”

“He was going to get
killed,” Emily whispered. Her body posture showed the terror she
felt.

“I was not!” Mark yelled.
“Had you not stopped me, he would be dead.”

“Calm down… who were you fighting?” Dustin
asked.

Mark hissed and his body
shook with anger, “Exavior.”

Chevalier’s hands balled into tight fists,
“What happened?” he asked through gritted teeth.

When Mark didn’t answer,
Silas stepped forward, “We were dancing, and Exavior showed up at
the club. He wanted to dance, but Em said no and we all sat down,
and he came with us. She asked him to leave, but he refused and
then… well… he reminded Emily that as his wife, he has the right to
punish her if she denied him.”

Chevalier growled, “Go on.”

“That’s when we got kicked
out of the club and in the parking lot, Mark and Exavior started
fighting. Emily… she tried to get into the middle of it to stop
them, but Kralen and I held her back…”

“You should have helped him,” she
whispered.

Silas glanced at her and
then back to the Elders, “Mark didn’t need help. Keeping her out of
the fight is when we bruised her arm. We’ll take punishment for
that if there is any… we didn’t see as though we had a
choice.”