Shades of Blood (30 page)

She slid her un-blooded katana back into her scabbard, a little disappointed she hadn
’
t had a chance to use it. Still… her bare hands had done enough damage to help end this.

“Thank you.”

Eden glanced up, her expression severe. She gave the Neith a clipped nod.

Romany stepped forward, tears of relief shining in her eyes. “I mean it, Eden. You have no idea what kind of peace this has brought me.”

Looking down at the dead soul eater, the forty-something vicious nomad of a soul eater who had killed Romany
’
s mother and sister years before, Eden nodded. “I think I have some idea.”

In the end, the choice had been simple. Val
’
s words, Jack
’
s words, Noah
’
s… they all began to make sense, until Stellan
’
s memory whispered in her ear, the whisper a reiteration of what they had all been trying so hard to get through to her.

Destroying Romany for what she
’
d done in error would only destroy Eden.

Noah was right. If she killed a Neith, one who had proven herself over and over again since that awful night her brother was stolen from her, Eden would never have come back from that.

Murder.

It would have haunted a soul she had fought very hard to retrieve. But to walk away… it just wasn
’
t enough.

She needed vengeance.

She needed closure.

Even if it wasn
’
t her own.

She needed a sense of peace and helping Romany hunt and destroy the soul eater who had murdered her family might bring them that peace. For Romany it was justice. It would be an end to the hate and bitterness driving her, just as it drove Eden. After all, hadn
’
t Stellan died because of Romany
’
s hate? Would he have died by her hand if her parents and little sister had never been killed by a soul eater? Perhaps Romany would have been like any other warrior, carrying out her duty with calm and rationale, heeding orders when they were given.

No matter how much Eden would like to pretend otherwise, she and Romany had that hatred and bitterness in common.

Eden didn
’
t want to destroy someone the way Romany had.

And other than the destruction of her own soul… ultimately the person she worried she might destroy was the person she loved most.

Noah.

So this… this was a way for Eden to kill two birds with one stone. Indeed, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in watching Romany take her vengeance. And for Eden it would have to be enough. When she
’
d first grabbed Romany in the hotel room, she
’
d wavered a moment, that pure anger inside thirsty for her blood. But in a wave of utter relief, Eden realized her new life, her love and affection for the warriors in it, was stronger and deeper than that anger. Instead she
’
d pulled Romany to her feet and explained her intentions.

After outlaying the plan to Romany, together they
’
d filled a gym bag full of weapons, and having sent Romany on ahead so she wouldn
’
t witness it, Eden had covertly compelled security at South Station to ignore the bag in her hand after a random security check with metal detectors. From there she
’
d sat across from Romany on a train for over five hours. A cold, brittle silence had fallen between them, only broken when Romany remembered something important about where the soul eater she was hunting was. According to Romany the soul eater had been out of the US for years. She
’
d returned eighteen months ago and Romany had been chasing her across states ever since. But her duty to the Neith and Ankh had lost her important time, and sometimes lost her the damn soul eater. Romany
’
s contacts had told her four days ago that the soul eater was staying at a low-rent hotel, called Philly Heights, in downtown Philadelphia.

They
’
d gotten off at 30
^th
Street Station and jumped in a cab. The soul eater hadn
’
t been at Philly Heights and it took them twenty four strained and tense hours to track her down to a slightly more expensive hotel in the east of the city center. After discovering Philly Heights was empty of their target, Romany had called the local Neith Council asking them if there had been any attacks or murders in the area by soul eaters. They told her they were hunting what they assumed was either a pretty strong soul eater or two soul eaters working together. Romany had hung up and she and Eden had threatened the name the soul eater had been registered with out of the hotel receptionist.

Brooke Waters
.

Such a placid, ordinary name for a psycho killer.

From there it had been a case of calling around every hotel in Philadelphia hoping the soul eater had used the same name. She had. With great anticipation and sweat-inducing adrenaline gripping them, they
’
d tracked her down.

To this hotel.

“The mess?” Eden asked abruptly, looking up from the body.

They
’
d pretty much batted the soul eater between them in the fight, each getting in blows, as if they were playing an aggressive game of tennis or ping pong. But in the end, Eden had stepped back and let Romany make the final cut.

“I know the Councilman here.” Romany shrugged. “I
’
ll make a call.” She may have sounded cool and collected but Eden noted the way her hands shook as she pulled out her cell to do just that. She was crashing. It had been a long hunt for Romany… and now it was over.

It was over.

Eden squeezed her eyes shut drinking in the moment as Romany murmured on the phone to someone
–
presumably the Councilman. No, there was no peaceful, warm glow.

But there was no ugly knot in her chest anymore.

She had a home to return to, where people loved her. Where Noah loved her. They had a future together. She needed that more than she
’
d ever need revenge. She just hoped he knew that.

Romany clicked off the phone. “They
’
re on their way. We should get out of here.”

Eden nodded and made a move towards the door. Romany stopped her, holding out a hand.

She wanted to shake hands?

Eden contemplated it a moment. She
’
d let her anger go. For everyone
’
s sake not just her own. But she hadn
’
t forgotten. And she wouldn
’
t anytime soon.

Looking up slowly from the hand that hoped to shake hers, Eden
’
s expressionless gaze met Romany
’
s hopeful one. The hope dissipated at Eden
’
s stony look and she lowered her hand.

Smart girl.

Eden grunted and brushed past her. “Let
’
s go.”

Promise

“Noah!” Jack burst
into the training room where Noah was pummeling the shit out of a boxing bag, Tobe and Cameron watching worriedly from the sidelines. He stopped at Jack
’
s uncharacteristically dramatic entrance.

“What?”

Jack smiled. “Eden
’
s at the gate. And she
’
s not alone.”

Noah flew past him, boxing bag forgotten.

“They
’
ll be happy
to see you,” Romany assured her. Together they stood at the first gate at Cyrus
’
s estate, the cab having peeled away from the curb, the driver throwing the security point a dubious look. Probably thought they were mafia or something.

Little monsters were playing kickball in Eden
’
s stomach and laughing every time they made her feel sick. Cyrus was probably so pissed at her for just disappearing like that. They
’
d probably assumed the worst. Noah probably hated her.

She took a deep breath. “We
’
ll see.”

The gate swung open and Eden glanced up at the guard. He nodded them through and together they began striding forward, the gravel driveway kicking up under her combat boots. They had been walking for a few minutes when Romany said, “I really do appreciate what you did for me.”

“I didn
’
t do it for you.”

“I know. I get it.”

Eden grunted, her chaotic mind kind of preoccupied with other stuff. Like how her Ankh family were going to receive her.

“You don
’
t forgive me, do you?” Romany asked quietly, guilt threaded through the words.

Before Eden could reply the gates up ahead swung open and through them she saw Darius and Cyrus heading towards her, Val and Alain and Emma at their back. Noah too. His pace quickened as he caught sight of her.

Her heart thumped at the sight of them all. Darius there to make sure she
’
d passed his test. Cyrus to make sure she was still the adopted daughter he loved. Val to make sure Eden had acted with honor. Noah to make sure she was the girl he
’
d always known she was. And his parents to make sure he
’
d been right.

Head still forward facing, Eden slanted her gaze, staring at Romany from out the corner of her eyes. “I won
’
t ever have to see you again after this… right?”

Realizing that was as close to forgiveness she
’
d ever get, Romany nodded quickly. “Right. I promise.”

The sound of gravel kicking up under speed drew Eden
’
s gaze straight ahead and she saw Noah was actually jogging towards her. She took a step forward, relief flooding her at the love in his eyes. Two more steps and they were colliding, breath knocking breath out as they embraced. His familiar scent relaxed her as she pressed her face into his shoulder, relishing the feel of him wrapped around her. She felt his lips in her hair and the ragged rise and fall of his chest.

“I knew it,” he whispered, squeezing her tighter. “I knew it.”

Just as his head lowered, his lips reaching for hers, Darius
’
pulsing presence drew them apart. His dark eyes scrutinized Eden and then Romany. “What happened?”

Eden looked past him to Cyrus, her guardian
’
s face taut and expressionless. She felt her heart suspend in her chest, disconnected, waiting for a sign of affection from him to settle back in place and start beating again.