Shades of Blood (28 page)

“We would need you to lie. To say he was your kidnapper. Councilman McLeish has been working with us and has given his assent. We just need yours.”

Her parents were quiet a moment and then her dad nodded wearily. “These are murky waters, Princeps, but for the good of the relationship between Ankh and Neith, I agree. Alison?”

Tobe
’
s mum looked sad but she nodded her agreement.

“Thank you.” Cyrus looked relieved. “We will return to the mansion, feed you, check you over, but it would be best if we didn
’
t let you rest too much. We need you to have an authentic appearance of having been held captive.”

“Let
’
s do it.” Chris nodded.

Tobe sighed and twisted back around in her seat, staring at the building where her parents had been held. It looked like she didn
’
t have them back just quite yet. As Val pulled away, Tobe took out her mobile phone. Eden would want to know they were safe.

“They
’
re OK,” Eden
said to Jack.

He was sitting on her armchair, flipping through a copy of
Shonen Jump
she
’
d left lying out. He looked up and smiled. “That
’
s good news.”

“Yeah.” It was. But there had been something in Tobe
’
s voice as she told her about what Romany had did, how she
’
d been shot (boohoo), pulled out her own bullet (what the eff!), and pretty much kicked Darwin Rice
’
s ass and helped save the day. Tobe was impressed with her fellow Neith. She
’
d tried to hide it but… she was impressed. And grateful.

“So are you heading to Houston too?” Jack asked casually. He
’
d come to her room when the others had left. Cyrus had suspended him from his duties for letting Eden out of the estate without permission. Eden felt terrible but Jack would have none of her apologies.

“I
’
m a big boy, Eden. You didn
’
t make me do anything I didn
’
t want to do.”

“Um…” Eden shook her head, trying to clear it of the spiteful hate filling it as she replayed Tobe
’
s tale of Romany: Neith Extraordinaire.

“Houston?”

“Oh yeah.” She nodded. Indeed, she would be going to Houston to compel a few of Adam Lincoln
’
s Neith into admitting to kidnapping the Douglas
’
. Not the most moral thing she would ever do as an Ankh but as everyone kept reminding her it was for the greater good. “Cyrus wants me along so I can see how the operation works.” Lies, lies, lies. But Eden didn
’
t think even Jack would be too cool about discovering Eden still had powers of compulsion.

“You seem out of it.” Jack frowned, leaning over to pick up the remote that would turn down the volume on her iDock.
The Smiths
dimmed to a whisper. “What did Tobe say?”

Eden shrugged, suddenly feeling like a spoiled, petulant child with an ugly black mass of hate in her chest. “Something about Romany saving the day.”

He was quiet a moment and then he sighed. “You made up your mind yet?”

“About what?”

“Whether having vengeance, taking her out, is worth your life or not? You know that
’
s why Darius is sticking around, right?  It
’
s not just about this whole rebel business. He
’
s waiting for you to make your move. So what will it be?”

“I can
’
t just let it go, Jack.  I have Stellan in my head and all this anger inside… I need…” she shook her head, tired of trying to explain something no one seemed to understand. Not even Jack.

“You know what my mom used to say to me after the whole thing with my dad… when I couldn
’
t seem to move on from it?”

Eden arched an eyebrow, waiting for his inevitable words of wisdom.

“She said,
‘
anger hurts more than that which caused it
’
. Until you can let the anger go, you have no idea how true those words are.”

Considering the advice, Eden shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them up to her chest. “So how do I let go, Yoda?”

He smirked. “You make the right choice.”

“And here I was thinking you were going to be helpful.”

Grunting, Jack stood up, readying to leave. “Think about how much you love that jackass, Noah. If you two lovebirds have what I think you have… you
’
ll make the right choice.”

Just as he was about to step out the door, Eden called his name.

“Yeah?” he turned back.

“You know if Cyrus fires you, you have a great future as an inspirational speaker.” She threw him a quick, wicked smile.

He shook his head, pulling the door shut behind him. “Always yanking on someone
’
s chain. It
’
s going to get you punched, MacDouglas.”

She thought of Tobe. “Already has.”

The Battle Between Me and Me

“Are we going to talk or…?” Noah asked softly, his breath whispering across her neck.

Eden shifted, feeling the tingle of his nearness all the way through her body. She longed to lean into him, to pretend.

To let go.

Eden had been exhausted until her, Noah, and Val had gotten on the plane and she realized she
’
d be sitting next to Noah. His proximity was like a live wire on her skin.

For 48 hours they
’
d barely said a word to one another, sharing long looks, unspoken conversations passing between them. The last few days had been insane. She
’
d flown to Houston with Noah, Val, Cyrus, Darius, Alison, Chris, McLeish and Romany. Tobe and Cameron had stayed behind at the estate in Weston, recuperating. As soon as they
’
d landed in a private airfield in Texas, Alison and Chris were ushered to be locked up in Adam
’
s shipping container. The rest of them had executed their plan to kidnap four of Adam
’
s Neith. They
’
d taken them to one of Cyrus
’
safe houses where she and Cyrus had disappeared into a room with them. Eden had compelled them to believe that they had indeed helped Adam Lincoln kidnap Christopher and Alison Douglas, to use them to bait Cyrus and Darius, who Adam was planning on killing. If the others had questioned how easily persuaded the four Neith had been, or why they had a glazed, dopey look in their eyes, no one said a thing. They were all nervous. Antsy. Ready for this to be over. So was Eden.

It had been chaos.

Romany
’
s Councilman had flown in and then contacted Jake Lelander of the New York Council with what he had discovered along with McLeish.  Romany wasn
’
t mentioned because of her connection to Cyrus through Noah. Hence why, as the shit really hit the fan, Romany had gotten the hell out of dodge, and now Noah and Eden were being escorted by Val on a commercial flight back home.

Lelander had flown into Texas along with three other influential Councilmen and women. Together they
’
d discovered and rescued Alison and Chris, had gone on to interview the four Neith who confessed to the crime, and had taken Adam into custody. Cyrus and the others had stayed behind for the investigation.

It was strange to be on a commercial flight, among other people. To be weaponless, and to know that when she got off the plane there weren
’
t any threats. As far as they were aware Cosmina
’
s people had disbanded at the news of her death, more specifically at the news she
’
d been killed by Darius of Mesopotamia himself. If they were still a threat, their presence was yet to be known. So yeah… as far as Eden was concern, there were no threats.

At least not any physical threats, she mused, thinking of Romany who had gotten an earlier flight back to Boston. Eden had overheard her telling her Councilman she had left some belongings at the Estate and would be heading to a hotel before catching the next flight to Chicago.

Romany had tried to stay out of Eden
’
s way as much as possible, but knowing she was there, helping out, doing her duty, being an exemplary warrior, drove Eden crazy.  She hadn
’
t slept much. Romany consumed her thoughts, her voice, her plea for Eden to understand that she knew what it was like to want vengeance, mixing with memories of Stellan, and of Noah
’
s warm voice telling her he loved her. Asking her why she didn
’
t love him back enough to let her anger go.

Her anger had nothing to do with how much she loved Noah. It was separate from that. But it
was
eating her alive and if she let the anger take over she
’
d lose everything.

She knew that.

She needed closure.

“Well?” Noah asked, his violet eyes searching her face.

“I love you.” Eden took hold of his hand, letting the strength of it wipe everything else out.  She eyed the glinting silver on each of their fingers, his a masculine square-edged silver ring with a black onyx ankh inset into the center, hers a smaller, more feminine version. To the outsider they might appear as promise rings. “I will always love you.”

Whatever Noah saw in her eyes it made him sag in relief. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I love you too. I
’
m sorry… about the things I said. I didn
’
t mean them. I know you care about us just as much as we care about you.”

Eden squeezed his hand. “I really do. And I
’
m sorry too. Noah… I should never have said you don
’
t get me. I think you know me better than anyone. Better than I even know myself.”

“Yeah?” he smiled shyly.

The vulnerability behind that smile made her stomach flip. They each meant so much to the other… no one in this world could hurt them like they could hurt each other. She had to remember that. Even when he was being the biggest douchebag and driving her up the wall, she had to remember to never say things she didn
’
t mean, things she couldn
’
t take back, things that would sit with him for the rest of his life, chipping unnecessarily away at his confidence in her love. “Definitely.” She brought their clasped hands up and pressed a reassuring kiss to his Ankh ring.