***
In celebration of Eden's progress, Cyrus announced he was taking them all out to dinner. He had invited Councilman McLeish and his family but they'd said they were otherwise engaged (yeah, like Eden believed that for a minute… douchebag), so when they finally crowded in together at an Italian restaurant on the corner of the Mile, Eden found herself in the company of Cyrus, Val, Noah, Tobe, her parents and Nana, Cameron and his mother, Mary. Conversation was easy between them all as they waited for their starters, and Eden had to fight to keep the giddy smile off her face. She'd never experienced anything like this before. Good people, family, coming together for a nice meal. It was so… real. A pang of hurt echoed in her chest as she thought about Stellan, as she always did when she thought of family. Shrugging off the grief before it could take hold, Eden laughed at October and Nana's bickering and continued to listen in on the warm conversations around her. Noah caught her looking around in wonder and smiled at her, sending another flurry of butterflies into riot in her belly.
She glanced down, still not sure how to cope with the fact that she'd well and truly forgiven him and was back to pining for him.
“Well, isn't this a surprise.”
At the somehow familiar voice, Eden looked up with the rest of their group to find Shona, Mark and the flirty Neith, Natalie, standing at the head of the table with Shona's parents. There was a marked resemblance between Shona and Natalie that Eden hadn't quite noticed before. They were sisters. Figured. Cyrus greeted their parents and insisted they join them. The wait staff amiably found more seats and Eden watched incredulously as Natalie practically flew into the one they'd squeezed in beside Noah. Trying to tamp down the spark of jealousy that flared at the sight, Eden turned to speak with Tobe about the Kaiser Chiefs' new album. It didn't take long for her attention to waver back to Noah and Natalie, especially when Natalie mentioned her with this sickly sweet, passive aggressive antagonism that made Eden wanted to stick a fork in her eye.
“So, I heard about those cutesy drawings you had to put on the dummies so Eden could take a swing at them, Noah. That was so nice of you,” Natalie sighed dreamily as though Noah had just rescued a bag of drowning kittens. She turned now to Eden, all wide-eyed and innocent. “Don't worry, Edie. Some people just take longer to get a handle on these things. It takes a very strong stomach to cut off a head.”
You slimy, slippery, sugary little… Eden growled inwardly, feeling her fingernails bite into her palms. “You know it might not be so hard if it happens to be the right head.” The table grew hushed at the clear underlying threat in Eden's words.
And then Mhairi threw her head back and laughed. Eden relaxed a little as if everyone else did, tittering now at what they assumed was a joke. She couldn't even look at Cyrus. What was the one thing he'd asked? Be polite and don't be aggressive.
Excusing herself from the table, Eden tried to still the trembling in her hands as she hurried off into the empty ladies' room. She was barely inside two seconds when the door banged open and October practically fell in, laughing hysterically. “OMG. That was genius!”
“No, it wasn't,” Eden snapped. “I'm supposed to be a responsible Ankh that people can trust. Not threatening goddamn Neith!”
“Oh come on, Eden, it was just your sense of humour. They all got that.” She shrugged, disappointed in herself. “I just thought I'd stop being such a mouthy bitch when I transitioned you know. Clearly not.”
Despite Eden's frosty warning looks, Tobe was chuckling again. “It's in your blood to be a mouthy bitch. It's got nothing to do with you once being one of ‘them'. Plus she totally deserved that.
She called you Edie.” Tobe shuddered. “And what was with the octopus hands all over Noah?!”
“Hmm, like I care.”
“Oh right,” October mocked. “I really believe that. Not. ” Bristling Eden spun on her. “Have you spoken with Cameron yet?”
“Eh talk about deflecting.”
“Well?”
She grimaced. “I tried OK. But he's been avoiding me lately.”
“You have to make him listen then.”
“OK. I will. If you tell Noah how you really feel,” she challenged with a smug grin.
It was Eden's turn to grimace.
Tobe snorted. “That's what I thought.”
The bathroom door opened, drawing their attention to Val's head as it peeked around the frame.
“Ladies, we have to leave. McLeish just called and they think they've found the den. Cyrus and I are heading out. Noah will escort you home.”
“Wait.” Eden's heart began racing. “Can't I come? I'm totally ready.”
“No.”
“Pl-”
“No.”
Sharing a disgruntled look with Tobe, she followed her friend out of the ladies' room, wondering if and when Cyrus and Val would ever be comfortable with her going on a hunt.
Chapter Eighteen
Waiting in the Shadows
Teagan had always had a sixth sense about him and had been surprised to feel others like him in Edinburgh. After a little snooping around he'd been even more surprised to discover a den of Blessed. He'd expected his arrival to be clean, no complications. It was Edinburgh for Christ sakes.
The Neith Capital of the country. But there were always idiots even cockier than Teagan who thought it was a game, a challenge, to mess around with the humans right under the noses of the Councilman and his warriors. Their presence, unfortunately, meant the Warriors were on high alert, and after a little investigating, he'd discovered that Cyrus and his two Ankh warriors were even doing patrols.
That meant being cautious, staying in, going stir-effing-crazy!
Teagan checked his cell again and growled. He'd hired a human private investigator to follow Eden, and he'd kept out of sight of the other Blessed so that when they were caught (and the stupid sons-of-bitches would be caught) they couldn't go blabbing about Teagan's presence in the city.
Being cooped up wasn't good for the hunger though. Swigging back a glass of twenty five year old malt, his eyes narrowed on the photographs laid out before him. The dodgy P.I. had come and gone in the last hour. Teagan had thought about eating his soul momentarily but then he remembered he still needed the guy, so he'd ordered two hookers instead. In a city this small he'd have to be careful. A missing person would be noticed and could lead back to his appointment with them. So he'd ordered two ‘ladies' and each would act as a starter that would combine as a main. If people noticed them acting weird and it got back to the Councilman, they'd just assume it was the Blessed they were already after. He clenched his fists, his eyes roaming over the pictures of Eden with that Ankh tool, Noah Valois. He hated that kid. Teagan felt himself trembling with a building impatience and rage.
He wanted Eden now. He wanted her away from that little jerk and that self-righteous Princeps.
Slumping down over the photos, his fingers brushed over her face. This one was a close up and Teagan could make out the blue-green colour of her eyes.
He missed the grey.
At the knocking on the apartment door, Teagan shook himself. He better get himself under control if these women were to leave his apartment alive. So OK, he thought, striding towards the door, Eden is hanging around the Ankh and smiling at him like the sun rose and fell on his ass, but this is how I get her; this is how I get her back. His P.I. told him Eden was constantly surrounded by three people in particular. Noah Valois, Cameron Wright and October Douglas. Now, Teagan couldn't just barge in on her life and expect to take her alive. No. He needed Eden to want to come to him. He needed leverage.
The only way to get Eden was to use the people closest to her. And to get her back as she once was meant one of her people was going to have to die. It would be up to Eden if they were the only one.
“Ladies,” Teagan drawled, stepping back aside to let the prostitutes into the apartment. He'd have preferred to call an escort service but that would only make it easier to track back to him. No, he'd found Sasha's number (he didn't know if that was the brunette or the blonde) in the men's toilets at a nightclub and asked her to bring a friend.
“So, how dae ye want tae dae this?” the blonde asked, her eyes hard and her skin somewhat rough.
She looked older than she was, the lines of her face etched with the grim realities of her career. She had a nice rack though.
Teagan grinned and watched their body language change as they realised how attractive he was.
“How about some wine, some music?” He liked to lull them into a false sense of security before he struck.
The small brunette was a little on the heavier side than her friend but she had a prettier face. She smiled warmly at him. “Have you got any Ray Charles?”
“Ah love ‘A Fool for You',” the blonde added, nodding.
Teagan's smile grew even wider in feigned pleasure. “Ladies, you have soul. I like that.” They both beamed with pleasure at the compliment, completely clueless that he was about to take as much of that soul from them as he could get away with.
Chapter Nineteen
The Kiss of Death
Ricki was a thirty-something Neith with incredible power. He attacked Eden and she caught his wrist with both hands and twisted it like Noah had taught her. She forced the Neith to the ground and snapped his arm back to the point of breaking. Ricki slapped the mat and she let him up. He grinned and they stood to face each other again for another round.
Over the last few days Cyrus and the others had found the den of soul eaters and managed to kill a few of them. Two, however, had gotten away. McLeish had assumed they'd flee the city so he had alerted the rest of the Neith in the United Kingdom to the two soul eaters presence. But they weren't so lucky. These soul eaters were cocky and apparently had decided to stick around. An armed robbery down in Leith had caught McLeish's attention when he'd heard the family members of the accused discussing how changed he was, that their friend and family member had seemed to snap overnight. A little more investigation and McLeish was certain the soul eaters had stuck around.
Patrols had begun again and Cyrus had decided to stay until the problem was dealt with.
That meant Eden got to do more training and she was loving every minute of it. Noah no longer needed to shout encouragements from the sidelines and was matching her up with stronger and stronger opponents. Ricki was the strongest Neith so far. All it needed was her focus to slip and-
“Sss,” Eden hissed, whipping her head back, but it was too late. Pain had exploded up her left cheek as Ricki's fist connected with her cheekbone.
“You OK?” he asked, stepping back.
She blinked, wiping a tear out of her eye. “I'm fine.”
“Eden.” Noah moved to step onto the mat but she waved him away. The pain was already dissipating and since she healed even faster as Ankh than she had as a soul eater, it wasn't anything to get worked up about.
“I'm fine,” she reassured him. “My fault, I wasn't paying attention.” He looked unconvinced so Eden adamantly turned and nodded at Ricki. “Let's go again.” The Neith nodded. “Focus,” he ordered briskly.
She felt better ten minutes later with him sprawled on his back, his neck caught in her strong hands in a neck crank. In real life, one twist in the right direction and Ricki would be a goner.