Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series by T.M. Nielsen Page B

out.”
    “Because, I don’t want you to be… nervous…
around a room that’s this important to the heku.”
    “If it’s that important to
you,” Emily said after hesitating. She finally took Chevalier’s
hand, and they followed Silas inside and down the spiral staircase
into the round ceremonial room.
    Kralen and Silas walked
into the ceremonial room and turned to watch for Emily. She stepped
in but stayed close to the heavy rock door. She avoided looking at
the carved runes, but one caught her eye.
    “Come, sit on my lap,” Exavior said. He
smiled and put his hand out for her.
    She felt the panic start,
and it was becoming hard to breathe.
    “Stop fighting me,” a
strange heku growled, and then sunk his teeth into her
leg
    “Em?” Chevalier asked, watching her body
tense.
    Emily turned suddenly and
ran up the stairs, leaving the three heku in the room.
    “Damn,” Chevalier sighed,
and looked at the others.
    Silas shrugged and glanced at Kralen.
    “Well… I don’t know,”
Kralen said, and headed for the door.
    “You two guard her more
than anyone else, so I’m going to tell you something in
confidence,” Chevalier said, glancing at the door.
    Kralen and Silas moved
forward. It was obvious the Elder didn’t want others to
hear.
    “When Emily was
3-years-old, Exavior tried to turn her… 10 times in 4
days.”
    Kralen growled, “What!?”
    Silas gasped.
    “I don’t think she
remembers, but obviously it affected her. We need to try to get her
used to this room. It’s too important and used too often for her to
be afraid of it,” Chevalier explained.
    “No wonder…” Silas said.
He started to say more, but just shook his head.
    Kralen nodded, too angry
to speak, and headed up the stairs to get the helicopter ready for
take-off.
     
     
     

Chapter 6 - Too
Young

    “Seriously, Chev, 18?”
Emily groaned, and looked at her new driver’s license
again.
    “I’m sorry… but if we
start you off at 18, then you can keep the same I.D. for longer,”
he explained.
    “It’s just… a teenager?”
    Chevalier grinned, “Some
women would like being 18 again.”
    “Yeah, well in a society
where I’m considered an infant anyway, it’s not high on my list to
relive my teenage years.”
    “True… however… 18 is how you’ll have to
start each new I.D.”
    Emily sighed and nodded,
then slipped the offending license into her purse.
    Chevalier grinned as she pulled the sheet
around her and walked into the bathroom, grumbling about how Allen
was almost as old as she was.
    She came out a short time
later in jeans and a thin halter top. The weather in Council City
was warm, unlike the late-season freeze the island was in the
middle of.
    “Plans today?” he asked, still lying naked
in bed with a blanket up to his waist.
    “Yes, I want to get new
shoes on the horses before I go back to the island,” she explained,
and sat to brush her hair.
    “Why don’t you just stay here, with me?”
    “I don’t like it here.”
    Chevalier sighed, “Zohn
doesn’t hate you. You two just have a personality
clash.”
    “It’s not just Zohn.”
    “Then what else, tell
me.”
    “No”
    Chevalier grinned, “As an
Elder, I can order you.”
    Emily glanced at him, “Try it, I dare
you.”
    “Just consider staying longer than a
week.”
    “I’ll consider it,” she
said, and slid on her cowboy boots.
    “Are you coming next
week?”
    “For what?”
    “I thought I told you…
Mark, Silas, Kralen, Jaron, and Horace are getting
promoted.”
    Emily frowned and sat up, “To what?”
    “Just one rank level.”
    “They won’t be in my
Cavalry?”
    “Yes, they will… the
Cavalry’s getting big enough we need more ranking officers,”
Chevalier explained.
    “Oh… well… I guess I’ll
go. No heku Barbie though, ok?”
    “Promise… today though,
Quinn, Mark, and I are going to be gone.”
    Emily turned to face him, “All 3 of
you?”
    “And the
Cavalry.”
    “With their
horses?”
    “No, we’re taking