Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty One

Rebel with a Cause

Eden had been gone a few days now.

Noah stared blankly at the television, watching the images flicker and muted mouths talk to him and to each other.

“
Why is the sound off?”

He twisted his neck around at the sound of his mother’s voice, watching Emma wander into the sitting room. They were still in the rented house in Denton. It wasn’t nearly as nice as Cyrus’ home in Weston, Boston. But it was surely closer to wherever Eden was hiding. Hopefully. “I have a headache.”

His mother smirked and flopped down beside him. “We don’t get headaches.”

“
Well I’m discovering new things about the Ankh every day. Like, who knew compulsion worked on us?”

That was mean. He felt a pang of guilt as Emma’s features tightened at the reminder of what Eden had done to her.

“
Mom, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“
No, you shouldn’t. Ever again,” she warned him, her blue eyes flashing. “Cyrus and Valeria told you to shut up about that, OK. If the Neith find out there is a soul eater out there who can compel Ankh, then Eden’s even more of a target. Do you want that?”

He shook his head slowly, feeling contrite as any normal seventeen year old son might. “Sorry. Where are Cyrus and Val anyway?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Noah, I’ve told you not to call her that. The woman is a two thousand year old warrior, for goodness sake, not some waitress at
Denny’s
.”

Noah grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he snuggled deeper into the sofa. He thought of the tall, leggy brunette and that grin grew a little lascivious. “Hey, she just looks like a hot thirty year old to me.”

His mother snorted and shook her head. “She’d eat you alive, child.”

“
True. But I might enjoy it.”

“
Oh.” Emma grimaced and swatted at his head. “Don’t talk to your mother like that.”

Noah flashed her another wicked smile, glad she no longer had that guilty look on her face. She felt responsible for Eden escaping, shocked that the girl had managed to compel her. The compulsion itself had freaked her out because she said she’d known what was happening to her but couldn’t do anything about it. She had felt violated and yet at the same time she had felt some kind of connection with Eden. The depth of Eden’s despair had wrenched at Emma. His mother had never been able to turn away from the damaged and broken. She was a fixer. Despite Eden attacking her, Emma wanted the girl to get help even more now.

“
Noah’s right, Cyrus,” she had said, as she had relayed the details of Eden’s escape. “I felt the humanity in her. Fighting. She’s in so much pain.”

Noah had known that. And although he was nowhere near ready to give up on Eden, he wasn’t sure they would be in time when they finally tracked her down. There was something in her eyes when she’d stabbed him. They both couldn’t believe she had done it - he still couldn’t - but it was like that final act had toppled her over the edge.

“
I’m a monster, Noah.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, unconsciously rubbing the healed over spot on his stomach where Eden had plunged the dagger in. “Have they found out anything yet?”

“
No.” It wasn’t his mother who responded but Cyrus. Noah and Emma shifted around to watch Cyrus, Valeria and Alain saunter into the sitting room. Cyrus’ features were drawn with strain and worry and Valeria had a hand wrapped around his wrist as if offering strength and comfort. “I have spoken with Adam Lincoln. He has discovered the identity of the Neith Rebel leader.”

Adam Lincoln was the Neith Councilman of Texas. The Texas Council was the largest in America and Adam was one of the most powerful and authoritative figure among the Neith. “Who?” Noah asked, half dreading the answer.

“
Cosmina Arcos, the Councilwoman of the Bucharest Neith.”

OK. Noah had never heard of her. How on earth had a Romanian Neith, with little authority or standing, found out about Eden? The question must have been written all over his face because Valeria exhaled heavily and said, “Ridiculous, we know.” She strode away from Cyrus and flopped down into an armchair, smoothing her dark hair out of her exotic black eyes. “But apparently in her bid to hunt down Eden she contacted Adam asking him for help. He tells us she was very rational and calm as she discussed Eden. She discovered Eden’s existence because of a soul eater she hunted. The man was a Romanian, once hired by Ryan Winslow to guard over Eden. Out of boredom and curiosity the bodyguard eavesdropped on a private conversation between Ryan and his wife. He discovered the truth about Eden and decided to see for himself. He was fired when Eden was fourteen for lifting the hem of her shirt.” Valeria smiled coldly. “Looking for the Ankh birthmark. He discovered it and kept the information to himself until it proved useful. He returned to Romania and eight months ago he was hunted by Cosmina Arcos. Hoping to exchange freedom for information, he told Cosmina what he knew. Cosmina comes from a long line of Neith. A long line. Long enough to have heard of the legends of the Unforeseen.” Valeria grew stiff. “She had Eden investigated, and discovered Noah’s involvement. Apparently she contacted Jack Schumacher, the Neith working with Cyrus. Along with the broken nose Eden gave him, I added a broken arm and threw him in the basement. We’ll need to move him soon to Cyrus’ cells.”

Noah frowned. “Wait, why? What did he do?”

Valeria scowled. “In exchange for fifty thousand dollars he told Cosmina what we were doing. Who Eden was and that we were trying to rescue her. It appears we cannot trust anyone at the moment,” she spat in disgust.

“
So, Cosmina knows everything and still wants Eden dead?” Emma murmured softly.

Cyrus nodded. “Yes. She’s adept at hiding. After Adam turned down her request to join him in obliterating Eden-”

“
Why would she chance letting Adam know who the hell she is?” Noah interrupted, confused.

“
Because one of her own was already on a plane to tell me. They hoped to get her at Logan International Airport but she slipped by them. The Neith was wily enough to get to my gates but my guards arrested her and were keeping her prisoner for when I came back. After I spoke with Adam I called the house and they confirmed they had a Neith in custody. I asked to speak with her. Adela, is her name. She confirmed Cosmina is the leader of the rebel faction. Adam has had contacts in Romania looking for her but she’s not at home or at any of her usual haunts which leads us both to conclude she is in the U.S. We already know she has recruited American Neith to her cause. I gave your description of the Neith you fought that night in Salton and Adam suspected he knew who they were. Seems he was right. They’re from Canada.”

“
Christ, how many people know about Eden now?” Noah snapped, fear and panic bubbling under his surface. They had to get to her. This was getting out of control.

“
A few.” Cyrus didn’t blink but Noah could see his hands curl into tight fists. “Adam has kindly sent in one of his own as a spy among the group. He’ll call when he hears word of her.”

Noah grimaced, his body screaming for action. “So we just have to wait?”

Valeria nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

*

They didn’t have to wait long. Five hours later, Cyrus burst into the kitchen where Noah was sitting eating takeaway with Alain and Emma. His eyes were bright with energy. “The Neith have spotted Eden.”

“
Where?” Noah shoved up from the table, already reaching for the long coat that would hide his sword.

“
They’ve spotted her in Detroit. They’ve lost her position but they know she’s still there somewhere.”

Relief flooded Noah as they gathered their gear.

I’m coming, Eden.

Chapter Twenty Two

Some Legends are True

She was running out of money. Eden huffed and squeezed the brown bag full of snacks closer to her chest. Having never had to worry about the green stuff before, Eden was discovering she was terrible at economy. Her second day in the warehouse she bought two throws and a pillow for sleeping on the sofa. The rest of her money she’d blown on junk food,
Shonen Jump
and a J.R. Ward paperback.

It was her fifth night in the warehouse. It wasn’t the greatest sleep but it wasn’t like she was frightened of a human breaking in and attacking her. In fact sometimes her
need
kind of made her wish one of them would be stupid enough to do that. There wasn’t much going on in her brain right now anyway. She was losing energy and focus, and was pretty much just trying to get by without killing anyone. In order to distance herself from temptation she had taken to venturing out at night to the late night market near the mall off Elmwood. She had bought the throws at the mall during daylight hours and had to high tail it out of the plaza before she killed someone. Heading into a mall had kind of defeated the purpose of hiding out in a warehouse to stay away from people, but she had to use the bathroom and tried to clean up a little in there. She was beginning to smell, though, and her hair was passed icky.

At the market she would put her money on the counter and refuse to touch the cashier. The guy behind the counter probably thought she had some weird mental/social disorder.

She kind of did.

I am going to have to mug someone.

It was true. She barely had any money so she was going to have to steal a wallet (again) and learn to pick crappy food that cost… like nothing. Eden tripped on a jutting sidewalk and frowned back at it, shaking her head. She was getting weak and uncoordinated. Not good.

Maybe you shouldn’t have left. Maybe Cyrus really was going to help you.

She grunted. It wasn’t the first time she wondered if she had made a mistake. But then again what could Cyrus possibly do? She was starving and dying for a soul. What other option did he have but to kill her? Eden knew she could try and do it herself. It would take some inventiveness but she was pretty sure she could pull it off. But… she was just too damn stubborn. There had to be a way out this. There had to be.

Holing up in a warehouse doesn’t really count as brainstorming.

Shut up.

Eden was perhaps two or three minutes from her warehouse when she sensed she was being followed. At first she thought she heard the pad of footsteps and had stopped in the middle of the street to turn around. She heard a skittering noise but there was no one there. However, her skin prickled and her heartbeat picked up speed. She was sure she felt the heat of someone’s gaze. Tensing for a fight, Eden turned and hurried towards her destination. If the Neith had come for her, at least she could fight them in the warehouse, in her own territory, where no one would get hurt.

Well. Except for the Neith. Her leg dragged a little.

OK. Maybe her too.

Slipping into the warehouse, Eden hurried to her little den and dumped the food, swiping up the steel pipe she had placed by her ‘bed’ in case she was attacked. She shrugged out of her coat and headed back out into the centre of the warehouse, just as the four Neith exploded through the door. There was no time for conversation. They attacked as one.

Eden slid back onto the balls of her feet, her stomach concaving to avoid the slice of the first Neith’s blade. In the same motion, she cracked the pipe off the Neith’s nose, and kicked out at his colleague whose own blade cut through Eden’s sweater and scratched the surface of her arm. The kick forced him from his feet, his broad shoulders clipping the only female, who staggered, giving Eden the opportunity to knock her over with a round house kick as she swung the pipe at the fourth Neith, the blade of his sword slicing through the rusted instrument. She cursed and lost her footing with the impact and the kick, hitting the floor and rolling out of the way just as his blade zinged off the concrete ground where she’d fallen milliseconds before. As she drew to her feet, forcing as much energy into her body as possible, hard arms tightened around her from behind and a blade pressed into her throat. It was the first Neith with the now broken nose.

The three other Neith crowded in around her like hyenas around a zebra.

“
We got you now,” the one holding her whispered in her ear, his words laced with some kind of eastern European accent.

“
Let’s not play with her,” the female Neith scowled. She was American. “Just do it. I’m-” she cut off with a yell of pain and the Neith all jumped, the one with the dagger nicking Eden’s neck. The woman turned towards the doorway and Eden saw, not only a dagger wedged deep into the Neith’s shoulder blade, but Cyrus, Noah and some woman she had never seen before stroll leisurely into the room. The air around them bristled with potent energy and danger. Eden watched the Neith stare at each other anxiously.

“
You know who I am?” Cyrus asked, toying with the dagger in his hands.

The Neith holding her cried out, “It does not matter. She must die!” The blade bit into her neck and a hissing noise whipped by her ear. Then the weight of him was gone and she turned, astonished to find him sprawled out on the floor, the dagger Cyrus had held in his hand now embedded in the dead man’s forehead.

All hell broke loose.

The three Neith ran at the Ankh and Eden stumbled, watching, confused. Wary. Noah ducked a swing from the tallest of the Neith and came up with a close impact punch of his own. He then gripped tight to the man’s hair and smashed his knee up into his face. The warrior staggered back and reached for his weapon. As he did so, Eden watched in awe as Noah flicked back his coat and slid a sword out from a scabbard attached to his hip.

“
Eden, look out!” Cyrus yelled, as he and the woman fought off the other male Neith. Eden shifted her gaze to see the female Neith run at her. She slid out of her beeline and watched the female with Cyrus launch another blade into the Neith’s back. The girl collapsed, panting in pain into the concrete floor. Eden could still hear the clang of the fight behind her, vaguely registering that these Neith were better trained than the others who had attacked. Well. Except this one. This one on the floor, with the blood trailing from her open lips.

Hypnotised by the flare of pain that lit up the Neith’s soul, Eden’s legs gave way and she collapsed beside her. Gripping hold of her, Eden turned her just as the girl’s eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. She was dying.

Her soul. Her
soul
. What a waste.

Eden’s grip tightened and she jerked the girl closer, the vortex opening up inside her. Nothing else existed. She couldn’t remember who she was, where she was, what was happening. Only that this soul was bright and she was needful and surely it was a waste to let this soul go.

She smiled, feeling entranced. Relief lifted the massive weight from her shoulders and she leaned over, cradling the girl like a child. It was almost over.

A painful hold bruised her upper arms and dragged her back from the girl like a ragdoll. Eden wailed as if in pain and limply let the hands twist her around. Attached to the hands was a familiar man.

She blinked, trying to focus.

“
Eden, no,” Cyrus was begging her.

I was so close. So close.

“
Let me,” Eden began to cry, twisting around to try and reach for the girl. “Let me.”

“
No!” he yelled, shaking her, drawing her eyes back to him. He looked so pained, so hurt and desperate. She didn’t know why.

“
Please.”

“
Never.” His grip lessened a little and a sort of sanity began to return with his touch. Like before, she felt a slow, warmth building inside of her, a measure of control gained by his nearness. They gazed at one another for a long time, Eden huddled in his arms on the floor. She wasn’t aware of anyone else. Her eyes closed as he brushed her hair from her face. An affectionate gesture. Not something someone who was trying to kill her would do. Unless they were sadistic like Teagan. God, Teagan. She hadn’t even thought about her cousin. She didn’t know if he was alive or dead or…

“
Eden?” Cyrus spoke again.

Her eyes opened and the connection she felt to him slammed through her. Perhaps it was because of who he had been to her real mother, but all Eden wanted to do was let herself be enfolded in his arms, to let herself hide. But she could still feel the soul behind her, slowly disappearing as the girl lay dying. She still wanted that soul. She choked. “Just let me go.”

“
No. I can help you, Eden.” He shook her, as if trying to shake the words inside so they would gain meaning for her.

The tears wouldn’t stop now. They brimmed over her lids and soaked her cheeks, salty tears falling into her lips and rolling off her chin. “No one can. I’m a monster, OK. I want her soul. I want to take her soul, Cyrus. If you don’t kill me, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna take it.”

“
You just need to hold on, Eden,” he begged, pulling her closer, even as she tried to press away from him. She was too weak and he was too strong. He looked up behind her and Eden froze. She had forgotten they weren’t alone. Cyrus felt her tense and leaned forward. She was shocked and amazed by the kiss he pressed to her forehead, her eyes bewildered when he pulled back. “I can save you from this. You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.”

You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.

You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.

The words seemed to echo around the old warehouse, ringing in her ears over and over. Eden’s heart began to pound as she questioned what he could possibly mean by that statement. Did he mean he was going to kill her? He didn’t look like someone contemplating killing her…

“
What… what do you mean?” She whispered hoarsely, afraid to believe he actually meant there was a way out of this that didn’t involve someone dying.

“
There is a cure.”

Eden burst out into huge, wracking sobs and he hushed her, pulling her fully into his arms, so her tears soaked his chest. She couldn’t calm down. She felt like she was hyperventilating. There was a cure. He said there was a cure. God, she so needed to believe that. Trying to grasp onto some control, Eden forced her sobs to subside so she could hear what this strange but familiar man had to say.

“
I knew of two cases such as yours, Eden,” he began quietly, still rocking her like a child. “One was centuries ago. A boy was born as one of the Unforeseen. Despite his guardian’s attempts, they couldn’t find a cure for the boy’s hunger and he took a soul and became a soul eater. A very powerful soul eater. It took many years but my brethren and I managed to hunt him down and kill him. It was the hardest kill I’d ever known for I knew his guardian well. His guardian’s name was Darius, the oldest of our kind. There was much discussion on what would have likely cured the young man. Darius refused to let go of the matter and whenever he could, he researched, spoke with people, theorised with the brightest minds of our time. It was during an assignment in Egypt that he spoke with a voodoo priestess. She told him she believed that blood was the key. The blood of someone from the child’s human bloodline would have saved him had he took it into his body. She theorised that he would have been reborn an Ankh.” He sighed and looked past her again and this time Eden followed his gaze. The woman who had fought with him kneeled beside them. “Another child was born many years later. The child of a female Ankh, raped by a soul eater. Unfortunately the child’s mother was killed in battle when the child was a year old. But Darius and I stepped in and reared the child. We spent years tracking down the Ankh’s human bloodline. The child was fifteen by the time we managed it. It was a miracle that we ever did. By then the child was craving souls, being driven mad by her need. But we got the blood from her bloodline and we forced her it into her. It wasn’t pleasant; we had to make a crude syringe from reeds and beeswax to ensure the blood went into a vein.”

“
What happened?” Eden whispered, a kernel of something unfolding in her chest, light and painfully warm.

Cyrus gazed back at the woman and Eden’s gaze followed him. She was beautiful with rich dark hair and almond shaped eyes. “She took some kind of seizure and fell unconscious. We waited. She awoke some twenty four hours later.” He looked down at Eden and brushed a thumb across her cheekbone. “Her eyes were no longer pale grey, but dark brown. Almost black.”

She jerked and stared over at the woman with the dark eyes.

“
Eden, this is Valeria,” Cyrus introduced them as if they were at a formal dinner party. “Valeria was the child I spoke of.”

“
Oh my God,” the words tumbled out of her mouth as she stared at this stunning and strong and healthy Ankh who had once been a soul eater. Like her.

“
No one else knows this except a few of The Circle, our trusted kinsmen. Neith and soul eaters aware of the legends believe the Unforeseen who became Ankh died in battle. It would be dangerous for them to know the truth of Valeria; as it is dangerous that they know of you. Ryan Winslow was one such Neith who knew of the legends. He wanted a child who would bear a race of extraordinary soul eaters.”