Shades of Blood (18 page)

The older of the men glowered, a growl burrowing up from his chest. “Ms. Arcos wants you dead, parasite.”

Eden made a face. “Well, I
’
m a little offended she didn
’
t see fit to send someone who could offer a decent insult let alone one that made sense.”

At the shifting of Cameron
’
s body, Eden knew he was going in for the kill. She felt her blood heat with the glorious rush of the fight, her pain and memories fading away as her mentors
’
instructions took over. She stepped towards the men, her eyes trained carefully on the older, stupid one. He was also the shortest, easier to engage in a sword fight. While they tried to inch closer to her - the tall one edging around to her left, thinking her focused on his partner - Eden surreptitiously slipped her empty hand under her coat, holding her katana like an amateur. She felt their anticipation rise, calculating by her unpracticed move that she had no idea how to use her sword. That was good. Their ignorance worked in her favor. Her fingertips brushed the leather holder strapped around her thigh, brushing lightly upwards until they found purchase on the wooden handle of the punyal she
’
d hidden there. The sounds of metal clanging against metal from behind her faded as she focused. Eyes still on the short, older, idiot guy, Eden made a move so fast the tall Neith was dying on the ground before his short partner could draw another breath. Eden and the remaining Neith stared at the guy for a second, the punyal launched so hard and so fast it jutted out the back of his throat. His wide eyes were full of pain, pain caused not by Eden but by Arcos
’
obsession
–
at least that
’
s how Eden dealt with the guilt of killing a Neith. The warrior
’
s eyes turned vacant just as his body collapsed to the ground with a thud. The shorter guy, for all his stupidity, was on her before she could take advantage of his horror. He lifted his weapon and Eden
’
s eyes widened, a flash of the emotional kind of hurt freezing her momentarily. The son-of-a-bitch was actually facing her with an executioner
’
s sword.

Cyrus had told her during her training that there were some warriors who liked the symbolism of the executioner
’
s sword. It had no pointed edge. Its entire purpose was for decapitation. And the only way to kill a soul eater was by decapitation.

The red rage gripped Eden, joyriding on her adrenaline. “I am not a soul eater,” she hissed.

He glared back at her. “You
’
re a monster… just like them... you are nothing.”

Holding in a cry of fury, Eden gripped her katana with both hands and rushed him. She was a blur of movement, a wave of color on the wind. She
’
d never moved that fast before. In one second she was behind the Neith, in the next half second her blade had sliced open his back, and in the next he knelt on the ground, crying out softly in agony, his executioner
’
s sword clattered beside him. Eden raised her katana and brought it down slowly, the tip grazing his neck. With a sickness in her gut, with Cameron, who had stabbed one of his two attackers and knocked the other unconscious, watching on blankly, Eden leaned down to whisper in the Neith
’
s ear, “Wrong. I am Ankh.”

A second later his head lay beside his body, her katana blooded by the consequences of his betrayal. Fool. It was all for nothing. He
’
d been killed in five seconds… and all because of his ignorance.

Trembling Eden pulled out the cloth she
’
d remembered to bring this time. Fingers shaking, she carefully wiped his blood from her blade and dropped the cloth on his wounded back.

“You OK?” Cameron asked. Eden knew he didn
’
t really care; he was acting on the memories of his old self. His old self would have cared.

“I
’
m fine.” She nodded numbly, pulling her smartphone out of her pocket, a quick glance around telling her they were still alone here. “Move the bodies into the cover of the trees.”

Cameron made a face at the decapitated head but began doing what she
’
d asked. She drew a breath, debating whether she should call Cyrus or Val. She should probably call Cyrus but she
’
d at least talked to Val since her outburst in the lounge. Plus… it was different with Cyrus. From the moment she
’
d met her mother
’
s husband she
’
d felt safe with him. Protected. She guessed it made sense that it would hurt more when he didn
’
t understand, when it appeared he
’
d put duty before protecting her. Chickening out, she pressed Val
’
s speed dial button.

“Eden, are you alright?” Val asked, the sound of traffic in the background muffling her voice.

“Cam and I were just jumped by Arcos
’
people. They
’
re dead all but one
–
she
’
s unconscious. We can question her later.”

“Alright. I
’
ll call the mansion for a clean-up crew and come pick you two up. Neither of you are hurt?”

“Nope. Oh and Val?”

“Yes?”

“I think Cam and I have come up with a plan to get Chris and Alison back.”

Eden could practically hear Val smiling down the other end of the phone. “I don
’
t know whether to be proud or appalled that danger, blood and death inspire you so.”

Eden snorted. “Be proud, Mama Bear, be proud.”

Her mentor was silent a moment. “I
’
m forgiven then?”

“I was never that mad at
you
, Val.”

“Cyrus? Noah?”

She took a moment, collecting the pain and the energy fuelled by it. “I think I already made myself perfectly clear about those two scumballs.”

“Eden-”

“Val… just effing drop it and get your ass over here.”

The phone clicked off and Eden sighed, following Cam into the darker part of the trees to await her. When Val turned up ten minutes later her eyes flicked down at the bodies. She snarled in disgust. “The clean-up is on its way.”

Eden nodded and made to step forward but Val stilled her with a look so deadly she swore her heart stopped.

“You ever talk to me like that again, Eden MacDouglas, and I
’
ll gladly demonstrate just how pissed off I can be too. You understand?”

Realizing she
’
d overstepped the mark with her mentor, Eden nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” Val smiled now. “Now let
’
s hear the plan.”

I totally get you

“So… you
’
re not talking to me now either?” Noah slid Tobe a wary glance. She was sitting on the other end of the sofa in the lounge, her body bunched up against the arm of it as if she were trying to put as much distance between them as possible. It was dawn and they were all exhausted, having had little or no sleep. But Val had called ahead and told them Eden had something important to tell them. Noah was nervous. Anxious. Worried. All bad adjectives. They were gathered in the lounge. All except Romany who was still sleeping. They
’
d fill her in on what went down when she woke up. When Eden wasn
’
t around.

Tobe turned to look at him, her blue eyes boring into his. “Should I be? If you ask me you
’
re all being pretty crappy to Eden, and did I or did I not see you cozying up to your ex-girlfriend on the stairwell a few hours ago?”

Noah felt the blast of Cyrus
’
glare. The Princeps sat on a stool at the bar, McLeish beside him. Noah
’
s parents had each taken one of the armchairs. Noah whipped his head up at Cyrus. “I wasn
’
t, I swear.”

Cyrus
’
dark eyes were cold. “I would hope not.”

“We were just talking,” he explained, feeling panic building. If twisted rumors like that got back to Eden… Noah threw a venomous look at Tobe.
The interfering little shrew
. “We were just talking. She was apologizing.”

“She should be apologizing to Eden.”

“She wants to.” He narrowed his eyes on the Scot. “Since when are you and Eden all
‘
buddy buddy
’
again?”

“Since she let me punch her.”

He made a face. Those two had the weirdest friendship. He shrugged and decided to ignore her. October Douglas was one of the most unfathomable girls on the planet.

They all sat in tense silence for a while. Cyrus and Noah weren
’
t speaking to each other because Eden wasn
’
t speaking to either of them and they each blamed the other (how the hell was it Noah
’
s fault?!!). Tobe wasn
’
t speaking to him and she wasn
’
t talking to McLeish because of her loyalty to Cameron. And finally, Noah wasn
’
t talking to his dad who had only thirty minutes before told him that his and Eden
’
s break up was for the best considering how she
’
d been acting about the Romany situation. Alain was lucky Emma stepped between them because for the first time Noah had really felt like flooring his father. Instead he
’
d spat with uncertainty that they were NOT broken up and Alain didn
’
t know what the hell he was talking about. All and all the Ankh mansion was a fun place to be right then.

Anxiety was only increased by the knowledge that Darius was now in the picture. He was already on a plane heading for Texas where he
’
d break into Adam
’
s home and office and plant the bugs. He was also going to search the place for any physical evidence of Adam
’
s involvement as the leader of the rebel Neith.

The sound of Eden
’
s voice in the foyer jolted him out of his reverie. Noah
’
s heart began to pick up the pace at the thought of seeing her again. It felt like forever rather than a few strained hours. The door opened and Val entered all leggy beauty and dangerous confidence. At her back were Eden and Cameron. He
’
d been so busy staring at Eden with a burning longing in his eyes that he just couldn
’
t hide, that Noah missed the smear of blood on Cameron
’
s cheek, something Tobe noted immediately. Despite the weirdness between her and her boyfriend she shot off the couch towards him, touching his cheek. “What happened? Are you OK?”