Equites : Book 4 of the Heku Series (106 page)

“
Kyle…” Emily started, but
Kyle held up his hand.

“
Don’t say it, I already
know. Let’s get going,” he said, and grabbed her bag before holding
the door open for her.

Emily took the keys from the valet and
got into the driver’s seat. Kyle climbed into the passenger’s seat,
grinning.

“
What?” Emily asked him as
she started the Jeep.

“
Just wondering if you
planned on getting to the city before dusk,” he asked.

“
I don’t drive slow!” Emily
said, and pulled out into traffic. They were soon on the
Interstate.

“
What are your plans when
we get back? I mean, with the Elder,” Kyle asked her.

Emily shrugged, “I don’t
have a plan. Do you have a suggestion?”

“
Nope, was hoping you
did.”

“
I guess I just see how he
acts. If he’s still avoiding me, then I’ll re-think my
stay.”

“
After this short of
time?”

“
It’ll be obvious if it’s
over. I will be able to tell,” Emily said, and turned on the
heater.

“
You need to give him more
time.”

“
Why? I didn’t do anything
wrong.”

“
What would you do if he
left you for two months and didn’t even call you?” Kyle
asked.

“
He already did that,” she
reminded him.

“
You knew where he was
though. He didn’t disappear.”

“
Doesn’t matter, for 2
months I didn’t hear a thing from him,” Emily said. “Besides, if he
had poofed, I’d be mad but not for this long.”

“
Oh yes you
would!”

Emily frowned, “I would
not.”

Kyle just grinned and looked out the
window.

“
You’re confusing, do you
know that?” Emily asked him.

“
How’s that?”

“
If I told you right now
that I was ready to go into hiding, and you could go… would
you?”

“
Yes, of
course.”

“
Yet you still try to get
Chevalier and I back together.”

Kyle nodded, “You two are good
together.”

“
It’s just confusing… do
you know I almost cheated on Keith once?”

Kyle looked at her, shocked, “You
did?”

“
Yeah, with this guy from
work. He was so sweet and so nice to me, and then I would go home
and face Keith. Never happened though, but we had a date to meet at
a hotel one night.”

“
Why didn’t you
go?”

“
I backed out. Then Keith
found out and put me in the hospital,” Emily said, and glanced at
Kyle. “The guy from work told me the same thing when he came to see
me… he said he was backing off because Keith and I were good
together.”

“
You and Keith were never
good together,” Kyle told her.

“
That’s not the point, it’s
the words. He was afraid of Keith and backed off because of that…
he just used the other as an excuse.”

“
Probably,” Kyle said, and
turned the heater down.

Emily grinned and turned it back
up.

“
How many heku have you
kissed?” Kyle asked, and smiled when Emily’s eyes grew
wide.

“
What? Why?”

“
Just curious.”

“
That’s an odd
question.”

“
So?” Kyle
chuckled.

Emily thought,
“Seventy.”

Kyle’s eyes grew wide and then he
laughed, “Seriously, tell me.”

“
Does forced count?” she
asked.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed,
“Who?”

“
That wasn’t the
question.”

“
No,” Kyle said, no longer
laughing.

“
Three,” Emily said, and
smiled.

“
Now tell me
who.”

“
Nope… your turn. How many
mortals have you kissed since turning?”

Kyle grinned slightly, “Erm…
lots.”

“
Lots? How many are lots?”
Emily looked at him with wide eyes.

“
It’s kind of hard to
count.”

“
Hookers?”

“
Ok, game over,” Kyle said,
and grabbed for the Winchester book.

Emily grabbed the book from him,
“Hookers?”

“
Damnit, why ask me
that?”

“
You started with the
personal questions, so fess up.”

Kyle sighed, “Some, yes.”

Emily started to laugh.

“
What’s so
funny?”

“
Has Chevalier been with
hookers?”

“
I’m not going
there.”

“
So Damon was right about
one thing.”

“
Why were you talking to
Damon about hookers?”

Emily laughed, “I caught
him with one, remember?”

“
Oh, that’s right. The
infamous fight.”

Emily turned off of the
Interstate onto the private road that led to Council City. She
gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning
white.

“
Relax, ok?” Kyle said
softly, and touched her hand.

“
He’s going to leave
me.”

“
No, he’s not. He’s too in
love to leave you.”

“
Damon said he’s only in it
for the sex,” Emily said, and looked up at the palace before
pulling into the garage.

“
When did you start
listening to Damon?”

Emily turned the Jeep off
and leaned her head against the steering wheel, “I can’t
breathe.”

“
Calm down,” Kyle said, and
patted her back.

She looked up at the doors
and felt her heart ache when he wasn’t waiting for her. Kyle opened
her door and held his hand out to help her out.

Emily took his hand and slowly walked
toward the palace.

“
So… how many?” Kyle asked,
trying to get her mind off of Chevalier.

“
How many what?”

“
How many heku have forced
you to kiss them?”

“
Since what time period?”
She stopped and looked at him.

“
What do you
mean?”

“
Well, starting when I was
a teenager, a lot of the attackers kissed me before leaving,” Emily
said, and looked nervously at the door.

Kyle growled slightly, “Just since
you’ve known Chevalier.”

“
Nine, some more than
once,” she said, and took another step toward the door.

“
Who?” Kyle asked
angrily.

“
Does it really matter?”
Emily asked him, and her body froze when the door opened. It closed
again without anyone walking through.

“
I’m just curious, any
non-Equites?”

Emily nodded, and stepped
into the palace hallway. She looked to both ways, but didn’t see
anyone.

“
Exavior?”

“
Drop it, ok, Kyle?” Emily
said, and smiled at him. “You seriously don’t want to
know.”

“
I do though,” Kyle said as
they headed up the stairs.

“
I’m not going to tell
you.”

“
Just one…” Kyle stopped
when Chevalier appeared on the stairs ahead of them. “I’m… going…
to…”

Emily cringed when Kyle
disappeared from her side, and she looked up at
Chevalier.

“
I see you made it safely,”
he said, seemingly unconcerned.

Emily nodded, unsure where to go or
what to say.

Chevalier walked down and
picked up the bags Kyle left on the stairs. He started up to the
bedroom with them, and Emily followed him silently. Once inside,
she shut the door behind her and looked around the cold
room.

Chevalier put the bags down and
turned, frowning, “Wait…”

Emily sighed and looked down at the
wood pattern on the floor.

“
What happened?” His voice
changed, it was suddenly soft and concerned.

Emily turned away from him.
She hated the tears that were forming in her eyes, “I lost the
baby.”

“
When?” he whispered, and
she could tell he was right behind her.

“
Two days ago.”

She felt his hand on her shoulder and
found it hard to breathe, “Are you ok?”

Emily nodded, her breath
catching, “Just tired.”

“
Maybe…” he was afraid to
talk, afraid to scare her away, but he didn’t like her color or the
dark circles under her eyes. “Maybe you need to see a
doctor.”

“
I did,” Emily whispered.
“I was in the hospital but… I had to leave early for the
meeting.”

Chevalier sat down and
pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Emily
leaned her head against his neck and started to cry
softly.

“
It’s ok,” he whispered,
and kissed her forehead.

“
Chev, do you love me?”
Emily whispered.

Chevalier frowned, “Of course I do. I
will forever.”

Other books in The Heku
Series

Book 1 : Heku

Book 2 : Valle

Book 3 : Encala

Book 5 : Proditor

Book 6 : Ferus

Book 7 : Eternity of
Vengeance