The three other Neith crowded in around her like hyenas around a zebra.
“We got you now,” the one holding her whispered in her ear, his words laced with some kind of eastern European accent.
“Let’s not play with her,” the female Neith scowled. She was American. “Just do it. I’m-” she cut off with a yell of pain and the Neith all jumped, the one with the dagger nicking Eden’s neck. The woman turned towards the doorway and Eden saw, not only a dagger wedged deep into the Neith’s shoulder blade, but Cyrus, Noah and some woman she had never seen before stroll leisurely into the room. The air around them bristled with potent energy and danger. Eden watched the Neith stare at each other anxiously.
“You know who I am?” Cyrus asked, toying with the dagger in his hands.
The Neith holding her cried out, “It does not matter. She must die!” The blade bit into her neck and a hissing noise whipped by her ear. The weight of him was gone and she turned, astonished to find him sprawled out on the floor, the dagger Cyrus had held in his hand now embedded in the dead man’s forehead.
All hell broke loose.
The three Neith ran at the Ankh and Eden stumbled, watching, confused. Wary. Noah ducked a swing from the tallest of the Neith and came up with a close impact punch of his own. He then gripped tight to the man’s hair and smashed his knee up into his face. The warrior staggered back and reached for his weapon. As he did so, Eden watched in awe as Noah flicked back his coat and slid a sword out from a scabbard attached to his hip.
“Eden, look out!” Cyrus yelled, as he and the woman fought off the other male Neith. Eden shifted her gaze to see the female Neith run at her. She slid out of her beeline and watched the female with Cyrus launch another blade into the Neith’s back. The girl collapsed, panting in pain into the concrete floor. Eden could still hear the clang of the fight behind her, vaguely registering that these Neith were better trained than the others who had attacked. Well. Except this one. This one on the floor, with the blood trailing from her open lips.
Hypnotized by the flare of pain that lit up the Neith’s soul, Eden’s legs gave way and she collapsed beside her. Gripping hold of her, Eden turned her just as the girl’s eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. She was dying.
Her soul. Her soul. What a waste.
Eden’s grip tightened and she jerked the girl closer, the vortex opening up inside her. Nothing else existed. She couldn’t remember who she was, where she was, what was happening. Only that this soul was bright and she was needful and surely it was a waste to let this soul disappear into the otherworld where it would have no real use.
She smiled, feeling entranced. Relief lifted the massive weight from her shoulders and she leaned over, cradling the girl like a child. It was almost over.
A painful hold bruised her upper arms and dragged her back from the girl like a ragdoll. Eden wailed as if in pain and limply let the hands twist her around. Attached to the hands was a familiar man.
She blinked, trying to focus.
“Eden, no,” Cyrus was begging her.
I was so close. So close.
“Let me,” Eden began to cry, twisting around to try and reach for the girl. “Let me.”
“No!” he yelled, shaking her, drawing her eyes back to him. He looked so pained, so hurt and desperate. She didn’t know why.
“Please.”
“Never.” His grip lessened a little and a sort of sanity began to return with his touch. Like before, she felt a slow, warmth building inside of her, a measure of control gained by his nearness. They gazed at one another for a long time, Eden huddled in his arms on the floor. She wasn’t aware of anyone else. Her eyes closed as he brushed her hair from her face. An affectionate gesture. Not something someone who was trying to kill her would do. Unless they were sadistic like Teagan. God, Teagan. She hadn’t even thought about her cousin. She didn’t know if he was alive or dead or…
“Eden?” Cyrus spoke again.
Her eyes opened and the connection she felt to him slammed through her. Perhaps it was because of who he had been to her real mother, but all Eden wanted to do was let herself be enfolded in his arms, to let herself hide. But she could still feel the soul behind her, slowly disappearing as the girl lay dying. She still wanted that soul. She choked. “Just let me go.”
“No. I can help you, Eden.” He shook her, as if trying to shake the words inside so they would gain meaning for her.
The tears wouldn’t stop now. They brimmed over her lids and soaked her cheeks, salty tears falling into her lips and rolling off her chin. “No one can. I’m a monster, OK. I want her soul. I want to take her soul, Cyrus. If you don’t kill me, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna take it.”
“You just need to hold on, Eden,” he begged, pulling her closer, even as she tried to press away from him. She was too weak and he was too strong. He looked up behind her and Eden froze. She had forgotten they weren’t alone. Cyrus felt her tense and leaned forward. She was shocked and amazed by the kiss he pressed to her forehead, her eyes bewildered when he pulled back. “I can save you from this. You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.”
You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.
You don’t have to be a soul eater anymore.
The words seemed to echo around the old warehouse, ringing in her ears over and over. Eden’s heart began to pound as she questioned what he could possibly mean by that statement. Did he mean he was going to kill her? He didn’t look like someone contemplating killing her…
“What… what do you mean?” she whispered hoarsely, afraid to believe he actually meant there was a way out of this that didn’t involve someone dying.
“There is a cure.”
Eden burst out into huge, wracking sobs and he hushed her, pulling her fully into his arms, so her tears soaked his chest. She couldn’t calm down. She felt like she was hyperventilating. There was a cure. He said there was a cure. God, she so needed to believe that. Trying to grasp onto some control, Eden forced her sobs to subside so she could hear what this strange but familiar man had to say.
“I knew of two cases such as yours, Eden,” he began quietly, still rocking her like a child. “One was centuries ago. A boy was born as one of the Unforeseen. Despite his guardian’s attempts, they couldn’t find a cure for the boy’s hunger and he took a soul and became a soul eater. A very powerful soul eater. It took many years but my brethren and I managed to hunt him down and kill him. It was the hardest kill I’d ever known for I knew his guardian well. His guardian’s name was Darius, the oldest of our kind. There was much discussion on what would have likely cured the young man. Darius refused to let go of the matter and whenever he could, he researched, spoke with people, and theorized with the brightest minds of our time. It was during an assignment in Egypt that he spoke with a voodoo priestess. She told him she believed that blood was the key. The blood of someone from the child’s human bloodline would have saved him had he taken it into his body. She theorized that he would have been reborn an Ankh.” He sighed and looked past her again and this time Eden followed his gaze. The woman who had fought with him kneeled beside them. “Another child was born many years later. The child of a female Ankh, raped by a soul eater. Unfortunately the child’s mother was killed in battle when the child was a year old. But Darius and I stepped in and reared the child. We spent years tracking down the Ankh’s human bloodline. The child was fifteen by the time we managed it. It was a miracle that we ever did. By then the child was craving souls, being driven mad by her need. But we acquired the blood from her bloodline and we forced it into her. It wasn’t pleasant, we had to make a crude syringe from reeds and beeswax to ensure the blood went into a vein.”
“What happened?” Eden whispered, a kernel of something unfolding in her chest, light and painfully warm.
Cyrus gazed back at the woman and Eden’s gaze followed him. She was beautiful with rich dark hair and almond-shaped eyes. “She took some kind of seizure and fell unconscious. We waited. She awoke some twenty four hours later.” He looked down at Eden and brushed a thumb across her cheekbone. “Her eyes were no longer pale grey, but dark brown. Almost black.”
She jerked and stared over at the woman with the dark eyes.
“Eden, this is Valeria,” Cyrus introduced them as if they were at a formal dinner party. “Valeria was the child I spoke of.”
“Oh my God,” the words tumbled out of her mouth as she stared at this stunning and strong and healthy Ankh who had once been a soul eater. Like her.
“No one else knows this except a few of The Circle, our trusted kinsmen. Neith and soul eaters aware of the legends believe the Unforeseen who became Ankh died in battle. It would be dangerous for them to know the truth of Valeria, as it is dangerous that they know of you. Ryan Winslow was one such Neith who knew of the legends. He wanted a child who would bear a race of extraordinary soul eaters.”
She felt sick at the mention of her father.
“I spent seventeen years looking for you. I am not giving up until you are saved.” He stood up now, tugging her weak body to her feet. She swayed and both Valeria and he reached for her. Her eyes locked with Valeria’s. They were kind and understanding. Kindred. “I found your bloodline, Eden. I found Merrit’s human bloodline and I’m going to take you to them. We’ll make this right.” His eyes shone now with tears as he cupped her face in his huge palms. “You look so much like your mother.”
She laughed, a hoarse strange sob/laugh and fell into his safe arms.
Epilogue
This Battle has
Just Begun
Eden stared wearily at the suitcase in front of her. Valeria was packing clothes Eden hadn’t worn yet into it. Clothes Valeria had chosen and Cyrus had bought. Clothes that probably cost a small fortune. Although Cyrus had administered a drug to her that helped abate the hunger and made her feel somewhat normal again (at least not crazy anyway), Eden still didn’t want to leave the house and none of the Ankh thought it was a good idea. Cyrus’ home was amazing anyway. It was huge. There was a swimming pool, a bowling alley, tennis courts, a games room. A lot of things to help keep her mind off Stellan. Of course the first day she had slept and then the second day she had taken the drug for the first time and had slept some more. The third day she felt good enough to go for a swim and this was the fourth. Valeria had returned three hours ago with all these clothes. And now they were packing.
Her real mom’s human bloodline was a family who belonged to a group of Neith in Scotland. They were flying to Edinburgh in one day.
“So, how does this work again?” Eden asked softly, folding a really cool t-shirt with The Clash on it into the suitcase. Valeria had great taste in clothes.
“How does what work?” the Ankh asked, ripping tags off a pair of black jeans. “You should wear these on the plane.” She held them out to her. Eden took them somewhat bemused. She was glad Val was around. After what Cyrus told her she felt a little clingy towards Val, needing to be close to someone who had gone through what she had. She was still cagey of them all, despite how connected she felt to Cyrus, and she wasn’t sure she trusted any of them completely. But Val told her that all the paranoia and anger would go away when she completed the transition to full-blooded Ankh.