Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series (13 page)

Kyle stepped between Chevalier and Emily, “Chief Enforcer?”

Chevalier frowned confused.

“Emily?” he asked again.

She tried to step around Kyle, but he held his hand out and blocked her, “Stay back, Em.”

Chevalier glared up at Kyle, “Get your hands off of her.”

Kyle looked at Emily, then back at the angry heku, “Are you in control?”

The question sounded odd to Emily. Of course he was in control, he knew who she was and he was awake.

“No,” he whispered, shutting his eyes.

Emily frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Kyle didn’t turn away from Chevalier, “It’s your scent, he’s not used to it. Just give him a moment.”

She watched as Chevalier concentrated. She hated how he was bound to the chair and the fierce red welts stood out on his arms where the electricity burned him.

After a few minutes, Chevalier opened his eyes and looked calmly at Kyle, “Ok.”

Kyle walked forward and began to unchain Chevalier. Emily was unsure what to do. She was feeling dizzy and confused. Chevalier was acting strangely and watching her with thirst in his eyes. She didn’t like the way he was watching her neck, or the way his tongue ran across his sharp canines. She stepped back and protectively put her hands on her stomach.

Chevalier smiled warmly, and she saw a glimmer of his old self back. She felt an odd tingle on her lip and she reached up to touch it, and then looked, she had a bloody nose.

“Kyle?” Chevalier asked nervously.

Kyle looked at Emily and moved to her, “Em?”

“I’m ok,” she said. “Get him out.”

Kyle returned and had the chains off within a few minutes. Chevalier stood slowly and walked with sore muscles towards Emily. She watched him cautiously, then felt the world begin to spin and willed herself to stay standing. Chevalier growled and clenched his fists.

“Go, Chief, I’ll get Emily. The troops need help,” Kyle said hurriedly.

Chevalier didn’t hesitate as he disappeared in a blur out of the room.

“Do you need to sit down?” Kyle asked, taking her arm.

“It’s just a bloody nose, I’m fine,” she said. The world began to spin faster and soon she found herself in Kyle’s arms again.

Kyle started moving through the underground rooms to get back up to the top.

“Put me down,” Emily said as he stepped out into the warm night air.

“You sure?”

“Yes”

As he set her back onto her feet, she looked around and gasped at the destruction and carnage that surrounded them. The buildings were barely standing. Glass was scattered across the streets and mixed with the same dark blood that covered every surface. There were pieces of bodies strewn around, and injured heku as far as she could see. No one was fighting anymore, the city was hauntingly silent.

Emily went to a familiar looking heku and knelt down beside him. He was lying on the cement, fighting to breathe. She pulled his hands away from his chest and turned her head away from what she saw. Drawing a deep breath, she turned back to him.

Her eyes were caring as she pulled his tattered shirt aside and looked down on his lungs. His rib cage had been torn away and was hanging by skin at his side. Hoping his body could still heal, she grimaced and lifted the broken rib cage and gently put it back in place, then held it and smiled at the heku as she felt the rib cage repairing itself. He looked into her eyes as his breathing began to return to normal.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked, touching his forehead gently.

He shook his head, but couldn’t pull his gaze away from her warm, green eyes.

Kyle watched her, stunned, as she helped the strange heku. He would have been able to fix himself eventually, but the caring way she went about it made his heart ache.

“Let’s go,” Kyle said, helping her to her feet.

She saw another heku leaning against a wall, then moved to him and placed a warm hand against his shoulder, “Are you hurt?”

He smiled up at her and shook his head, “No, Lady Emily, thank you.”

Kyle followed as Emily walked through the streets, checking on anyone she came across. She didn’t care if they were Valle or Equites, she wanted to help. He winced as she helped a Valle warrior heal. He knew as soon as she left, one of the Equites would kill him, but was pleased to see that none did it in front of her. They waited until she’d left.

“Why are you still in the city?” Chevalier asked, walking up to Kyle.

Kyle motioned to Emily, and they both turned to her. She was kneeling by a heku that was already in the process of healing, but was in pain. She held his hand and touched his cheek lightly. He watched her face and she smiled down at him.

“You’ll be ok. It’s almost done,” she whispered to him as his body healed itself.

Once he was healed, he sat up and thanked her, then frowned. Emily wiped a drop of blood from under her nose and the world began to spin again. She stumbled, trying to stand up, and the strange heku held her steady.

“That’s enough,” Chevalier said, and picked her up.

“No, please, I can help,” she told him, struggling in his arms.

“Enough,” he said, and headed out of the city, followed by Kyle.

Emily reached up and touched his face, “Are you ok?”

He smiled at her, “Perfect.”

She reached her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder, suddenly feeling extremely tired. Kyle climbed into the driver’s seat of the Suburban while Chevalier and Emily got into the back. They drove off silently, and Emily was soon fast asleep with her head in Chevalier’s lap. Their quiet voices turned into her dream, talking of strategy and tactics, and what they had seen and done over the last few weeks.

They were still driving when Emily woke up and sat up, stretching.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking at the unfamiliar landscape.

“Ohio,” Kyle said.

It was dark outside and the dashboard clock read 2am. Emily climbed onto Chevalier’s lap, facing him, with a knee on each side of his legs. She looked at his face and ran her fingers along his forehead and cheekbones.

“Are you hurt?” She wasn’t watching his eyes, but was studying every part of his face, scanning for any sign that something had changed.

“No,” he told her.

He reached out and kissed her, but she pulled away.

“Stop,” she said, and unbuttoned his torn shirt.

“Emily, what are you…”

She cut him off with a, “Shhh.”

She slipped his shirt off and took his right arm and laid it to rest on her stomach, then ran her fingers along the muscles and veins in his arm, gently touching every inch of his skin. He shivered and tried to kiss her again.

“Stop,” she said, touching his hand and exploring his palm and each finger.

When she was done, she took his left arm and also laid it against her stomach. Her fingers ran lightly along his shoulder and down onto the muscles in his arm, again tracing the veins and contours lightly.

“Em…”

“Shhh,” she said again, her eyes following her fingers as they lightly felt to their way to his forearms.

He brought his hands up and took her face in them and kissed her passionately. He growled when she pulled away.

“Stop,” she told him sternly.

She carefully ran her fingers along the back of his neck, feeling along his spine and the way his skin goose bumped at her touch.

Her fingers softly worked their way to the front of his neck and along his jaw line, then gently outlined his shoulders and traced their way back to his upper chest.

He shivered as her hands traced the chiseled contours of his chest and he grabbed her again to kiss her.

Emily pushed him away, “Stop.”

Her eyes were focused on his chest. Her fingers delicately brushed every part of it as she meticulously touched the skin, and outlined each muscle in his torso.

“What exa…” She shushed him again. He glanced at Kyle in the rear-view mirror, and saw Kyle shrugged slightly.

Chevalier let his eyes take in Emily to get his mind off of the way her touch felt. He noticed how much she had changed in the last few weeks. Her breasts were fuller, and her stomach had grown quite a bit, even her hair seemed longer. He reached out to brush it off of her shoulder, but his hand was pushed away.

“I said stop.” Her eyes never left his chest.

He shivered again as she ran her fingers ever so lightly down his sides to the edge of his pants, and then traced his belt line across his stomach to the center.

Chevalier reached out and took her hands in his, “Emily, if you don’t stop, I’m going to have to rip Kyle’s eyes out.”

She tried to pull her hands away from his, but couldn’t, “I’m not done, turn around.”

“What are you doing exactly?” he asked, meeting her eyes.

His insides cringed as her striking green eyes began to fill with tears, “You were burned, all over.”

He nodded, “I’ve healed.”

“I want to make sure,” she said, and started to slide off of his lap. She was determined to check out his back now.

He stopped her from leaving his lap, “Emily, look at me.”

Her eyes met his again, and he wondered if their intensity would ever stop piercing into his soul.

“I’m ok.” He wrapped his arms around her.

“I want to see your legs.” She undid his belt, deciding to see if his legs were burned.

His hands were quickly on hers again, “Seriously, Emily… I only have so much control.”

“How can you be sure that you aren’t injured anywhere?” She didn’t pull her hands away this time.

“I just know. I’m fine.” He reached up and wiped the blood away from under her nose, “When did this start?”

She shrugged, not taking her eyes away from him.

“Just after she destroyed about 13 heku at once,” Kyle said from the front seat.

Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “How many did you kill total?”

She shrugged again.

“Eighty three,” Kyle replied.

Chevalier sighed, “Do you have a headache?”

“Let me see your back,” she said again, and tried to slide off of him.

He stopped her, “Headaches?”

She nodded, “Sort of.”

He thought for a moment, “Maybe you did too many, Emily. I hadn’t thought about what it could do your body.”

Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled close against him, “Promise me you’re ok,” she whispered.

“I promise,” he said, and kissed her softly.

Her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed her lips against his. Her body pressed closer to him as he gasped and broke the kiss.

“What?” she asked, looking at up at him.

“What was that?” he asked, looking down.

She grinned, “You got kicked.”

“Hmm,” he said, and kissed her again.

Emily floated on the top of the warm water, her arms were extended and relaxed, and her eyes were closed. The water sloshed softly against the side of the pool and she could feel the baby moving inside of her. She was able to let her mind wander. Things had returned to normal with the exception that David was now back in prison. He asked to see her daily, but she hadn’t yet been down to see him. Chevalier stopped working such long days, and Kyle was back as her personal guard.

The pool was one place she was allowed to be alone. She grinned because she knew why she was allowed to swim by herself. She had outgrown the one piece swim suit and the bikini left nothing to the imagination. Chevalier had become more jealous as her body changed with the pregnancy. He watched the shadows closely when she walked, making sure no servant looked at her for too long.

Emily was sure the only reason Kyle was allowed near her, was because it almost caused an argument between she and Chevalier. He had been extra careful to watch his temper around her.

The Equites offered the Valle a peace treaty, for now, and they accepted. They had already taken out not only Ulrich’s coven but also a large coven that housed a lot of the Valle guards. The Valle had limited troops and limited funds and could not afford another skirmish. For now, they were leaving Emily alone and she was finally feeling safe again.

Emily slowly began to work her way to the edge of the pool. Once her fingers began to prune she knew it was time to get out. She’d spent time every day in the pool. It lessened some of the normal aches and pains of pregnancy.

She stepped out of the pool a little awkwardly. Her petite form had some problems keeping balanced the heavier the baby became. She grabbed a towel from the warmer, and buried her face into the soft fibers. As she dried her legs, she felt an arm around her waist and a hand over her mouth before she could scream.

“Calm, Emily, I won’t hurt you,” Sam said, holding her tight enough she couldn’t get loose.

Emily tried to scream, but couldn’t get a sound out through his hand.

“I’ll let you go if you promise not to scream,” he whispered.

She clawed at his hand on her mouth, drawing blood with her fingernails.

“Stop, I’m not here to hurt you… please trust me,” he said as she struggled to get loose. Emily tried to concentrate, to turn him to ash, but it didn’t work and she again tried to scream.

“Emily, stop! I belong to you now… don’t you understand? Lord Ulrich is dead. I’m now your familiar.” His words came out quickly and Emily stopped struggling.

He slipped his hand off of her mouth so she could speak, “Your what?”

“Your familiar,” he said, finally letting her go.

She turned on him and took a step backwards, “No, no you turned me into the Valle and I was tortured, Sam. You were like a father to me.”

The pain in her eyes made him recoil, “I didn’t know they would do that, I swear. In the past when Lord Ulrich has taken a Winchester into protection, he kept them safe in the castle.”

“That is nice for them, but I was tortured in a prison,” she scowled at him.

His eyes fell, “I know.”

“You did that. Sam, my father was your friend and you… you let them hurt me. You always promised me, from the time I was a toddler, that you wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.”

“I know,” was all he could think of to say. “Still, I am yours to command.”