Shades of Blood (29 page)

He let his head flop back against his head rest, still holding tight to her. “I can
’
t wait for all of this to be over.”

Eden visualized her plan and felt that dark ugly knot in her chest begin to move, almost as if it were finally breaking apart. “Me too.”

It had been
easy to slip away in the crowds of the airport. So easy in fact. Like Fate had stepped in to lend a hand. As soon as they got off the plane Val and Noah had both complained that they needed to use the bathroom. Heart pounding in her chest, trying to conceal the rush of adrenaline that flooded her body, Eden had told them she
’
d wait outside for them.

As soon as they disappeared behind the door, she had disappeared into the crowds.

Throwing the woman who had screeched at her for jumping into her taxi a dark, dangerous look that silenced her, Eden had then turned to give the driver her destination.

Traffic was heavy. She spent the forty minute stop and start ride into central Boston trying to talk her heart down. It was pounding so hard in her chest it stole her breath.

This was it.

This was it.

You can do this. It
’
ll all be over.
Over
.

Stellan would want this. He
’
d want it this way. He would.

Finally, the cab pulled up outside the hotel and Eden paid, calmly handing over the money. With equal coolness, she stepped out of the cab, walked casually into the hotel and compelled the girl at the desk to give her the room number.

She rode in silence in an elevator with two strangers, wondering how they
’
d react if they knew they were standing in an elevator with a girl who had killed. And intended to kill again.

The hall stretched out before her. It wasn
’
t a fancy hotel. The carpets needed a thorough clean, the wallpaper was old-fashioned and faded, there was a light out on one of the wall sconces.

It was quiet though.

Resolution rode her veins.

This was it.

She knocked on the door.

Scuffling sounded from inside. Light steps growing closer. The lock turned. The door pulled away from the jamb.

Eden slammed her body into it, sending Romany sprawling. She barged inside, determination set in every muscle. Kicking the door shut, Eden launched herself at Romany before she could get up.

Her brown eyes widened with fear as Eden wrestled with her on the floor. “Eden,” she gasped, a pleading in her voice that shot a hole in Eden
’
s fury. She didn
’
t sound like a warrior. A killer.

She sounded like a young woman. A human. Scared. Knowing.

Eden flipped her over onto her stomach, not caring if she was being rough with her. Grabbing her wrists, she restrained the Neith, pressing her knee into her spine. Her other hand grabbed a chunk of that blonde hair and tugged Romany
’
s head back forcefully. Leaning in, heart beginning to calm now as it all fell into place, she said softly, “Let
’
s end this.”

Faith?

How could one person be everything?

How had his life become that?

For now he knew it had.

Wondering if Eden had thrown away their relationship, her job, her family here with Cyrus, it suddenly occurred to Noah that if he lost her, it would mean losing everything.

He threw back another glass of Cyrus
’
Scotch, letting the whisky burn his throat and spread across his chest in a warm, comforting glow. The comforting part didn
’
t last long.

A hand patted his shoulder and he glanced up. Alain. His dad didn
’
t say anything. No
‘
I told you so
’
s
’
, no gloating. Just sympathy and concern. He poured himself a drink and then refilled Noah
’
s glass.

“Has Darius gone after her?” Noah croaked, clenching the glass so tight he heard a crack. Glowering at it for being so weak, Noah pushed it away from him.

Alain shook his head, taking a minute to swallow the Scotch. “He
’
s under the impression Eden will return here.”

Noah shook his head. “We don
’
t know that.”

How could she do this to him? How could she choose revenge over him? Had she chosen revenge?

If she had chosen revenge, Romany… she was going to die because he
’
d put too much faith in the wrong person. Noah winced in pain and shook his head. “No. She wouldn
’
t do this.”

“We don
’
t know that she has.”

But she
’
d left him at the airport and when he and Val had searched frantically, thinking someone must have tried to take her (but who?), he
’
d passed around a picture of her he had on his iPhone. A woman at the cabstand recognized her, said she
’
d stolen the first cab that had come along in ages.

“You
’
re sure that
’
s her?” he
’
d demanded.

“I
’
m sure, I
’
m sure. Rude young woman.”

“And she was alone?”

“Yes. She seemed in a hurry though.”

When Noah had turned to look at Val, he saw her thoughts were just as dark as his. Why would Eden run from them?

She wasn
’
t.

She was running towards something.

“Romany,” they
’
d said in unison.

But after checking the hotel Romany was registered at there was no sign of her. They
’
d headed back to the Estate. Eden and Romany weren
’
t there either. They
’
d scoured Boston looking for them, checking in with contacts. But nothing. Where would Eden take a girl to kill her?

Noah felt sick just thinking about it.

Eden hadn
’
t had death in her eyes when she told him she loved him. But now that he thought about it… it had been goodbye. Hadn
’
t it?

Thirty six hours had passed and nothing. Jack knew nothing. Noah knew nothing. No one knew anything. Cyrus and the others had returned home. They
’
d gone out searching too and returned empty handed. Cyrus had disappeared into his suite, unable to speak to anyone. Val had begged Darius to stay his hand until they knew more. That was sixteen hours ago. Noah was surprised the ancient Ankh was still holding back.

It was all Darius
’
fault.

This sick test.

But… if Eden was really the girl he thought she was… shouldn
’
t she have passed?

“It doesn
’
t make sense.” He turned to his father, tears of confusion shining in his eyes for the first time since he was a little boy. “The Eden I know… she wouldn
’
t do this. She was strong enough to fight her soul eater, Dad. She
’
s strong… she wouldn
’
t do this. I have to believe she wouldn
’
t do this.”

Alain nodded and put a hand around his son
’
s nape, pulling him towards him affectionately. “Then keep believing.”

Noah shook his head. “That
’
s not the worst part.” He pulled away from his father, tormented by the truth of his next words. “Right now I
’
m more worried about her than Romany. I
’
m more worried about what Darius is going to do to her. I
’
m more worried… about what I
’
ll try to do to Darius if he hurts her.”

At Alain
’
s indrawn breath, Noah tensed, waiting for his father
’
s disgust, his anger. Instead Alain took another swig of scotch. He sighed and leaned back, his eyes coming to rest on Noah
’
s face. “I cannot say I wouldn
’
t feel the same way if it was your mother in Eden
’
s position.”

Wide-eyed, Noah turned to his father. The reassurance in his gaze was a small comfort. “She called you an asshole you know.”

Alain grimaced. “I know, I was there. But you love her… so there has to be something special about her… other than a colorful vocabulary.”

“So… you think… you think this might be a mistake? That… she
’
s not going to hurt Romany?”

“What do you think?”

Noah
’
s face tightened, his eyes narrowing with concentration. “I think there
’
s something I
’
m missing. I think…”

“You
’
ll believe in her until you have proof of otherwise?”

Noah nodded. “Exactly.”

Closure

The blood on
her hands represented the end.

Eden hadn
’
t known if it would work. If a magical sense of peace would float down and around her, through her? As it turns out, it didn
’
t. But the knot was gone. A sense of satisfaction. A sense that Stellan would see symmetry in this and he
’
d have liked the path she
’
d taken to closure… for both of them.

Blooded blonde hair attached to a head lay at her feet, the body it had belonged to a few meters from it. The hotel room was a chaotic mess. Romany had put up quite a fight. So had Eden. Without her own personal clean-up crew she didn
’
t know how she was going to explain away the blood spatter on the walls, the darkening blood seeping into the carpet, the broken lamps, the part of a wooden bedstead that had been snapped in two to form a crude weapon. They must have made a helluva noise as well. Maybe someone had already called down to reception to complain.