Shades of Blood (15 page)

Eden smirked unhappily at her, thankful for at least one ally in the room. She didn
’
t even dare to look at Noah. She was frightened she
’
d retrieve the dagger from the scotch just to throw it at him.

“Romany, are you alright?” Neil McLeish asked the young Neith, concern marring his features.

Eden snorted. Of course that snarky bastard would like Romany. It figured.

“I
’
m fine,” Romany replied evenly, straightening up to return Eden
’
s stare. However, she didn
’
t look mad. She just looked resigned. “She missed deliberately.”

“Aye, maybe.” Neil flicked a wary look at Eden. “But that doesn
’
t do anything for my confidence. I won
’
t have a Neith in danger around your daughter, Cyrus. I told you that before.”

“Eden is pivotal to this operation. Now that she has
that
out of her system you will find her reliable. Will they not, Eden?” Cyrus looked at her sternly. Absolute and cruel disappointment gripped her, the feeling bleeding into her eyes. She saw her guardian flinch from the look, a fleeting concern taking over his eyes before he brought himself back under control. “Eden?”

“Eden?” Noah stepped forward now. His brows were drawn together in worry and anxiety, his eyes pleading with her.  “Romany and Councilman McLeish think they
’
ve tracked down the source of the rebel Neith. It could be Adam Lincoln, the Texas Councilman. That
’
s a big fish, Eden. We need you on this.”

Noah
’
s mom and dad stood behind him. Alain disapproving. Emma concerned. Near her by the door stood Tobe, her expression inscrutable. Cameron stood by his girlfriend
’
s side, his own face blank, unconcerned, bored. And then there was Val, sitting on the couch. Val, her friend, her mentor. The only one just like her. And even her dark eyes begged Eden to play nice.

Pain Eden hadn
’
t felt in a long time slithered into her, its laughing bitterness shaking its head at her as it stole inside. It laughed at her for believing she would never be alone again now that she was Ankh. It laughed at her because she had never felt this alone before. Not even when she was a soul eater. It was funny how having no one and being lonely was nowhere near as bad as having people who were supposed to care about her in her life but feeling isolated, adrift from them. She shook her head in horrified amazement as she glanced between Noah and Cyrus. “You really do expect me to work with her, don
’
t you?”

“Eden…” Noah warned softly and Cyrus
’
expression matched her boyfriend
’
s tone.

She scoffed, making a noise of disgust. “You know what… screw you. The both of you.”

Cyrus tensed with surprise and then anger. Eden shifted her eyes to Noah and his own features were slack, his eyes disbelieving. With one last glare she turned on her heel and pulled the door open to leave.

“Eden, wait!” Romany called and she heard her footsteps moving closer.

Another voice cut through the room and Eden chanced a glance behind her before she turned away, shutting the door closed behind her. Tobe had intercepted Romany.

Eden sucked in a shaky breath, furious tears pooling in her eyes as she tried to catch her breath in the silent and empty foyer. Behind the door she heard Tobe say, “Take another step towards her, cow, and the next dagger will be mine.”

With angry satisfaction, Eden pushed off the doors and headed up the staircase towards her room. As she followed the runners up and up again, and along the quiet hallway to her bedroom, the anger began to dissipate and in its place grew grief. She shut the door behind her, praying no one would follow her, that Noah wouldn
’
t follow. She needed to be alone where she could remember without feeling guilty…

18 months ago…

A shriek of terror muffled by the floors above it jerked Eden back from her computer screen. She glanced down at her carpet, gulping hard, shame and guilt eating at her.

With her fantastic hearing she heard her father yell, “Teagan, shut the door!”

The two of them were at it again. The plastic computer mouse cracked in her hand she squeezed it so hard.

She should go down there. Or tell someone. Surely… one of dad
’
s security goons heard that this time?! How much was her father paying his men off? There
’
s no way they didn
’
t know about the torture chamber in the basement.

It sounded like a girl this time. Last week it had been a guy. Teagan had left the door open again. He was getting good at that. Celine was furious. Stellan disgusted. Eden… well she
’
d lost weight she
’
d been so sickened by it.

A soft knock on her door.

“Come in.”

Stellan
’
s head popped around the doorframe, his face cast in the shadows of her darkened room. His eyes were worried as they wandered over her face. “You feel like getting out of here for a while? Going for a walk?”

God, what would she do without him? She hoped she
’
d never have to know.

“Sure.” She smiled gratefully. “Let me just switch this off.” She turned back to the computer and began shutting down her programs.

Stellan waited quietly, his anxiety for her filling the air. Eden glanced up at him wryly as she stuck her feet into her DC
’
s. “Stel, I
’
m OK.”

“I hate that you have to hear that stuff, Paradise.”

“I know.” She strode over to him and grabbed his arm, hurrying him out of the room, down the stairs and through the house. A goon stopped them at the French doors onto the stone balcony that led down into the gardens.

“Where are you heading, kids?”

“We
’
re going for a walk,” Stel told him authoritatively and tried to brush past him. He was after all bigger than the guy.

But the guy stopped him with a gentle push. “Stick to the gardens.”

“Sure thing,” Stellan almost kind of growled.

Eden smirked at the security guy as they were passing. “Nice sunglasses, Bono,” she quipped, tipping a finger at them. “What, the glaring light from the moon too much for your fragile retinas?” He curled a lip at her and she grinned, hoping he
’
d retaliate. When he didn
’
t she shook her head in disappointment, turning to follow Stellan out onto the balcony. “That boy is Ryan Winslow whipped. I miss Jeff. He used to snark back.”

Stellan frowned as they strolled down into the gardens. “Jeff?”

“You know, tall dude, black suit, sunglasses,” she replied wryly.

Stellan snorted at her joke
–
all the goons looked the same. He gripped her arm, pulling through the center of the gardens rather than taking a left to the outskirts. That would mean passing the hedge that hid the steps down to the basement where Ryan kept his victims. Just the thought of it made Eden
’
s stomach clench and Stellan must have felt her tense beneath his hand because he shot her a worried glance. Eden shrugged gently out of his hold and kept walking.

“I
’
m fine.”

He was quiet a moment as they wound their way through the carefully designed gardens her mother employed an overly expensive gardener to upkeep. Finally they made it out into the acres of green estate behind them that eventually seeped into woodland, some of which her father owned. Lights lit up the entire estate, making the place look more magical than terrifying. She guessed what people said was right - looks could be deceiving.

They walked towards it, moving further from the house, just two dots on the landscape. “You know maybe you and I could just leave?”

Eden
’
s heart stumbled at the thought and then increased in beat. God, all she wanted was to get out of there. “Yeah?” she asked hopefully.

“Yup. After what Dad said about Teagan, about… giving you to him… well… I started to think about it, you know.”

Eden frowned. “How could we? What would we do? Where would we go?”

“Well, I have access to my trust. Maybe I could start siphoning a little out each month into a bank account Dad can
’
t trace.”

“You could do that?”

“Maybe.”

She grinned, a contentment spreading through her at the thought. “So where would we go?”

Catching her mood, Stellan grinned down at her, a goofy, happy smile, his eyes brimming with affection. “Where would you want to go?”

“Bora Bora.”

He laughed. “Maybe somewhere a little less conspicuous.”

“OK smartass, where would you want to go?”

“Ireland.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Ireland could work. I do like the idea of being on a completely different continent from our twisted family.”

“Dublin. The pubs look good.”

Rolling her eyes, Eden sighed. “Beer, Stellan? Really, you
’
re basing your choice on beer?”

“It
’
s called Lager or ale over there.”

“One: I think they also call it beer, Mr. Know-it-all. Two: Despite the reason behind the choice, I like it. I think Ireland would like us.”

He snorted. “Sure.”

“So… what would we do there? No wait… I know what you
’
d do.” They grinned at each and then said in unison, “Bartender.”

They burst out laughing, the sound seeming alien to the Winslow estate. Finally Eden shook her head. “OK, OK, what would I do?”

“Insult the locals?”

“Oh har-de-har-har.”

“Introduce sarcasm?”

“Even funnier. Anyway, I think the Irish have that one down pat.”

He shrugged, still grinning. “Well, I don
’
t know then. You can do anything you want.”

“Maybe I could be like a tourist guide or something.” She shrugged.