Shades of Blood (17 page)

Noah sighed again, reaching out to clasp a comforting hand on her familiar shoulder. “I don
’
t blame you for what you did, Rom. None of us do except Eden. Thing is… I may not agree with her but I also understand why she feels the way she feels. I
’
m stuck in a shitty place right now.”

She smiled sympathetically at him. “I never thought I
’
d see the day when Noah Valois fell in love.”

He winced, a prickle of guilt flaring up the back of his neck in a white heat. He
’
d been so casual about his relationship with Romany. He didn
’
t want to flaunt how he felt about Eden around her.

She seemed to understand and she snorted. “Don
’
t look as if you just tortured my puppy. I cared about you and I like to think you cared about me a little. But we were never in love.”

He shrugged sheepishly. “I just… get her… you know.”

Another snort. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Noah
’
s expression changed instantly, hardened. “What
’
s that supposed to mean?”

“It means Eden MacDouglas is one of the most unique beings in our world. She
’
s been raised by monsters, witnessed things little kids should never have witnessed, fought with moral issues no child should ever have to battle, and now she
’
s this mega Ankh with a huge target painted on her back. I doubt even you can begin to understand the depths of her.”

“Is this all
you do?” Cameron asked blandly, keeping stride with Eden. They were walking down a quiet Berkley Street in the Back Bay area, Val a few blocks over on the other side of Statler Park. “You seem to patrol…a lot.”

Eden shrugged. “From what I
’
ve been told this is unusual. We
’
re getting a lot of tips about soul eaters in Central Boston. Problem is, with this rebel Neith possibly pulling the strings of the people we think we can trust we
’
re having a hard time figuring out if the tips are real or just an attempt to lure us out. According to
‘
he who will not be named
’
-”

She grimaced just at the thought of her boyfriend.

“-the mansion is just like the base of operations. Usually they spend half their time travelling around the states and sometimes the world, getting called in to deal with particularly nasty soul eaters. The Princeps has had a call or two these last few weeks but he
’
s had to ask other members of The Circle to deal with the requests for aid.”

“Because of what
’
s going on with you?”

“Not just me. This idiotic plan these rebel Neith have to bury the Ankh under their control. They seem to have forgotten we
’
re immortal… and they
’
re not. I detect a flaw in their plan.”

They were silent a moment, Eden glancing this way and that, pretending she wasn
’
t at all curious about Cameron
’
s motives for coming on patrol with her. When she
’
d asked warily what the story was on Adam Lincoln, the Texas Councilman, Cameron had filled her in with all the details and with no commentary on what had gone down with Romany. He even managed to explain Romany
’
s idea for bringing Adam down without flinching at her name. Eden begrudgingly thought it was a good plan. Sneaky, underhand, completely immoral and wrong and exactly what she
’
d expect from a grade-A bitch like Romany. However, it was a good plan if it meant keeping the peace between the Neith and the Ankh. Eden also guessed she should probably offer up her services for the part where they somehow convinced Adam
’
s own people to confess to the Douglas
’
kidnapping. That would be a pretty difficult task unless Eden compelled the Neith to do it. Cyrus probably had that in mind already. The decent thing to do would be to broach the subject first, tell him she
’
d do it. But still pissed as all hell, Eden would leave it until the last minute, let him anxiously wonder how on earth he could ask a favor of her when he was letting Darius ruin her life! She took a deep breath, reining in her temper.

“Eden?”

“Mmhmm?”

“I need to tell you something.”

Interesting.
“Why me?”

“Because you
’
re the only person I feel comfortable around at the moment.” He was watching her out of the corner of his eyes. A little unnerved Eden picked up her stride, taking a right down the tree-lined walkway on Commonwealth. Her eyes narrowed at Cameron and she pulled him aside as a young girl walked haltingly towards them, her eyes wide on them. The canopy of trees cast everything into shadow here, the quiet broken by the whisper of leaves on the wind. The girl looked about eighteen. She was dressed in jeans and heels, the jacket she held shut with trembling hands was so thin you could have spat peas through it.
Idiot
, Eden thought, angry at her. Here they were trying to protect humans from soul eaters and this pretty young thing was flapping around in the dark like a seal taunting a polar bear. Bearing her teeth at the girl in frustration, she watched in satisfaction as the girl whimpered and rushed by them out into the light of Berkeley Street, turning left instead of crossing the road into the next section of tree-lined, dark walkway.

“See that
’
s exactly why you
’
re the only person I feel I can talk to without being stared at,” Cameron said softly, his voice still devoid of his…Cameron-ness.

Eden raised an eyebrow but didn
’
t say anything. Instead she nodded her head, indicating they keep walking under the dark of the trees. If there were any soul eaters lurking about surely it would be here. Finally she sighed. “And what do you mean by that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You were a soul eater once. You know what it
’
s like… to be missing a piece of your humanity. When you look at me, you
’
re not desperately searching my eyes for more or flinching every time I say something. Being around Tobe… even Noah… it
’
s exhausting.”

“OK.” Eden nodded. She understood. “So what can I do you for?”

He shrugged. “I don
’
t even know if you care… after… everything… you know, after the whole Romany situation…”

She stumbled against the reminder like a twisted god had dropped an iron cage out of the sky; an iron cage with spikes sticking inward around her and each one had pierced some part of her body. The pain knocked the breath right out of her. She shook off the horrifying feeling. “Just say what you need to say.”

“I think I have a psychic connection with the soul eater who took a piece of my soul.”

This time Eden did stop. Stunned. She turned and faced him, her lips parted in surprise.
Is that even possible?
“How… wha-”

Cam shrugged again. She was beginning to find the gesture annoying. “I
’
ve never heard of it… of someone having a psychic link to their attacker. Maybe it
’
s an anomaly or…”

Her brows creased. “Or… you… you
’
re a psychic. Like… Chris… just a different kind of psychic.”

“Tobe
’
s dad is more of an empath.”

“Yeah well, Cam, if what you
’
re saying is right you
’
re a frickin
’
psychic.” She grinned now, her eyes hard and filled with fire. “Where the hell is he? The soul eater?”

He shook his head, his dead eyes glued to her face. “I don
’
t know. But it
’
s not just any soul eater that attacked me. It was Darwin Rice. He
’
s one of The Tribunal.”

Well that made sense. Eden nodded. “We gathered they were the ones behind this.”

“Oh no that
’
s not the good part.
They
have no idea.”

What the…

“What are you talking about?”

“Rice has gone rogue. If The Tribunal finds out what he
’
s up to he
’
s dead meat.”

A slow, wicked and triumphant smile spread across Eden
’
s face. “Cam… you
’
re beautiful you know that.”

He frowned in confusion. “I am?”

She smacked him enthusiastically against the arm, excitement coursing through her as she thought about Tobe and how relieved she was going to be. “You are. All this time we thought The Tribunal was gunning for war and we didn
’
t know just how much arsenal these guys have. But they
’
re not gunning for war… in fact, now that we know they specifically don
’
t want these guys going after us, I
’
m guessing they
’
d be horrified at the thought of war. I
’
m also betting Cyrus knows how to contact The Tribunal. See, our concentration has been on eradicating individual soul eaters, not the soul eaters who actually try to lay out some ground rules for the dicks. But… if they refuse to hand over Darwin Rice
’
s location… we
’
ll do everything in our power to destroy The Tribunal. You see where I
’
m going?”

Nodding, Cameron eyed her in surprise. “Good plan.”

Feeling a little smug Eden shrugged. “Well I
am
awe-” she cut off, her ears pricking up at the slide of a foot along concrete.

Cameron tensed as well and they jerked their heads around in opposite directions, eyeing the darkness before them. A whisper of steel shot adrenaline through Eden
’
s body. Her eyes narrowed when two men stepped out onto the footpath a few meters in front of her.

“Two here as well, Eden,” Cameron told her softly and she slanted a gaze to check out the two woman that blocked them on the other side.

“You got them?” Eden asked under her breath.

“I could take the guys if you want,” he replied flatly.

She curled her lip at him, rolling her eyes. “I
’
m Ankh, douchebag. You take the girls. And anyway who
’
s to say the Neith girls don
’
t have more game than the guys? Sexist much?” A throat clearing drew her attention back to the guys. “Just take the girls. And try to keep one of yours alive.” They took a few measured steps, bringing themselves back to back, each unleashing their katanas from under their coats. Eden faced the tall warriors and smirked. “Let me guess… you
’
re two of Cosmina
’
s bitches?”