2. Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh #2)

by The Elephant House

  As Eden took a seat, ignoring the heat of Noah’s body so close to hers as he sat in the chair beside her, she studied Darius. Like Cyrus he only appeared to be in his early thirties but Eden didn’t think he was as handsome as Cyrus. There was something too austere about his hawk-like features to label him handsome… but his dark skin and eyes were just as exotic. And Eden had to admit Darius’ was a face you felt compelled to stare at.

  “I hear you have had a difficult time, Eden,” he began.

  She shrugged but cleared her throat when Noah elbowed her, reminding her who she was speaking to. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

  “You lost your family. Your brother.”

  At the mere mention of Stellan Eden went cold inside. “Yes,” she managed through clenched teeth, narrowing her eyes. Suddenly she didn’t care who this guy was.

  Darius’ expression didn’t change. He shifted forward, leaning over the table towards her. Eden’s eyes flickered down at the movement and caught on the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. The design was a stylised eye that seemed familiar to her. She sifted through her memories trying to place the design. A recollection from when she was little, of Stellan sitting next to her on her bed flicking through pages of a book on Egyptian mythology, flashed across her mind. The eye throbbed black in the memory. That tattoo was definitely Egyptian.

  “Stellan.”

  Eden flinched at the name and looked back up into Darius’ face.

  “That was your brother’s name, was it not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you miss him?”

  Heart pounding like crazy now, Eden’s rage fought the effects of the drug Cyrus had given her, waking up her hunger. Noah’s soul, the one that had always tormented her most, reached out to her with warm fingers.

  Take it, Eden. Take it. Take it for Stellan.

  No, she shook her head, curling her toes inside her boots. She shoved back from the table, away from Noah and the others and glared at this man who seemed to be deliberately baiting her. “What kind of question is that?” she snapped.

  “Eden,” Cyrus warned.

  She glared at him, her eyes saying, ‘I knew it. I knew you weren’t to be trusted.’ “What is this?”

  She eyed them all suspiciously.

  “Eden.” Noah reached for her, as if to calm her, and she slapped his arm away, jerking to her feet.

  “Just answer the question,” Darius’ voice rumbled through her. Just as she imagined compulsion must work, Eden knew she’d answer.

  “Yes,” she hissed. “I miss him.”

  “How much?”

  “What-”

  “Answer.”

  Trembling now, feeling ambushed, Eden felt angry tears prick her eyes.

  Want their souls. The Hunger purred. Want. Take. It roared now in fury. TAKE!

  Shuddering at the need inside her, a need that hadn’t been so strong since she’d begun taking the drug, Eden dropped her eyes and bit her hands into the edge of the table. She could feel their gazes burning into her. She knew her eyes had bled white; they knew her hunger was trying to take control of her.

  “It’s like someone has cut off my arm,” she snarled in a voice that was barely recognisable. “I keep expecting him to bound through the door, or send me a funny text. I dream he’s still alive. And when I wake up, the agony is... The days when I feel numb are better. Hard. And numb. I can live with that.”

  They were all quiet. That hushed kind of quiet. It was the first time she’d ever vocalised the depth of her despair over losing Stellan. She knew they didn’t understand. How could she possibly love a soul eater? Was this Darius’ test? Had he decided her love for her brother made her unworthy?”

  “Do you want vengeance for his death?”

  “Yes!” she snapped, her eyes burning now. She glanced down at Noah who refused to look away.

  His girlfriend, a Warrior of Neith called Romany, had killed Stellan. She knew now that Romany and Noah had split up. Valeria had cracked a joke about it on the plane just before they landed. An awkward ten minutes had followed as she realised mentioning Romany in any capacity was a bad idea. “I want vengeance.”

  “Will you take that vengeance?”

  Somehow, she knew this ancient warrior would know if she lied. Holding his gaze determinedly, the hunger mistook her meaning, roaring in triumph as she replied, “If I ever see her again, I will kill her.”

  Darius nodded. His complete lack of expression was frustrating as all hell. Still trembling, Eden waited, aware of some kind of deliberation going on inside his head.

  “Noah.” Darius didn’t break eye contact with her. “Please take Eden out to the car. Cyrus and Valeria will join you soon.”

  “Of course. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Darius.”

  “And you as well.”

  Completely dazed by her abrupt dismissal, Eden numbly followed Noah out of the motel room and down the corridor. She was so out of it, the proprietary touch of his hand on her back, leading her into the elevator, barely made a blip on her radar.

  It wasn’t until they were outside at the cars, drawing in the cool fresh air, that Noah stopped them.

  He pressed her back against the car, holding her gaze, trying to nudge her out of her mind melt.

  “Eden.”

  She shook her head. “Go away.”

  “Look, I know you don’t want me to talk to you ever again, blah de blah blah blah,” he snapped,

  “but let me at least put you at ease.” She found it highly doubtful he could ever do that and she made sure her expression said so. “The questions about Stellan…” he trailed off as she stiffened. He exhaled and turned, leaning against the car, the side of his body pressed against hers. “It wasn’t about judging you. It was about determining the depth of your human emotions even with your soul eater half intact.”

  Noah’s words relaxed her a little. “You mean it was a good thing?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh.”

  He nudged her again and she felt him grin. “But you know what? It wouldn’t have mattered anyway what he thought. Cyrus is doing this with or without Darius’ approval.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Don’t.”

  “But I thought Darius was Cyrus’ superior?”

  “He’s older than him. And he’s stronger. A lot stronger. But they’re friends, not master and subordinate.”

  “Oh.”

  They were quiet a moment as a car pulled in next to them and a couple got out. Eden’s ears rang with their musical accents, some words she totally understood, others well… But it wasn’t the accent that got her. It was the strength of her need for their souls. The further they drew away from them, the hunger lessened. Eden swore under her breath.

  “What?” Noah frowned, worry creasing his brows.

  She scowled at his concern. “Darius woke up the beast. Do you think it’s safe to take another dose?”

  Noah shrugged. “I suppose not.”

  “What the hell is he anyway?” she griped. “I mean that energy… Jesus Christ, I’ve never felt anything like that in my life before.” When he smirked, she exhaled wearily. “OK, just tell me, ‘cause I’m sick of the whole cloak and dagger crap.”

  “Fine.” Noah grabbed her arm and opened the passenger side door of Cyrus’ car. “Get in.”

  “Why?”

  “Privacy.”

  Not really wanting anything that amounted to privacy with Noah but too damn curious for her own good, Eden did as she was told. She waited impatiently for Noah to get into the car and then turned to him in exasperation. “Well?”

  “Well,” he began, “Darius is kind of different from us.”

  “Like how?”

  He smirked again. That smirk was really starting to drive her crazy. “There are some people who believe what I’m about to tell you is a legend. Others even believe Darius is dead because he’s like a ghost among us...”

  “And the truth?”

&n
bsp; “What they believe is legend is actually true.”

  “And what is that exactly, Mr ‘Don’t I know how to drag out a conversation with an unwilling participant’?”

  Ignoring her, Noah looked out of the window and up at the travel inn as if searching out the window of the room Darius occupied. “No one knows just how old Darius is exactly. What we do know is that he was the first of us and because of it very, very favoured among the gods.” His words quite literally carried weight, crushing in on the car and eating up oxygen. That strange and abrupt change in atmosphere convinced Eden that what Noah was telling her was the truth. “Did you see the tattoo on Darius’ wrist?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s a wedjat. The Eye of Horus. Horus thinks of Darius as a brother in arms-”

  “Wait, who is Horus again?” She tried not blush at her total lack of Egyptian mythology (or not so mythological) knowledge.

  Noah frowned at her. “Horus is the god of the sky. He’s also the god of war and the son of Isis and Osiris.”

  “Oh, Osiris is the god of the dead right?”

  He didn’t look nearly as impressed with her knowledge as she felt. “Right. And Isis is the goddess of life, protector of the dead... She’s… like Mother Nature.”

  “OK.”

  “All three of them favour Darius.”

  Eden’s eyes widened. “All three of them?”

  “Yes.” Noah looked just as awed as she was feeling. “I don’t know exactly what that means but I’ve heard things.”

  “What kind of things?”

  He shrugged. “Words such as ‘god-like’ have been thrown about.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Darius is a god?!”

  “I said god-like. God-like. Not a god. But let’s just say I wouldn’t want to piss him off.”

  Shimmying in her seat, Eden followed Noah’s gaze out of the window and upwards. “Why, if he’s so totally powerful - and believe me, after what I experienced in there, I am not questioning that – is he not Princeps?”

  Noah grabbed the door handle, his eyes going to the entrance of the travel inn. “He’s kind of a recluse. Doesn’t like the politics. He just wants to kill soul eaters.”

  Eden turned around and saw Cyrus and Valeria walking towards them. Noah slid out of the driver’s seat but before he shut the door Eden called out to him.

  “What?” He ducked his head back in.

  Keeping her expression blank and her tone cold, she said, “This conversation doesn’t constitute friendship, Noah. I still hate you.”

  His own pale eyes flashed. “Yeah, like I ever believed otherwise.” He slammed the door hard and she heard Valeria admonishing him. Cyrus, as per usual, calmly told Valeria to back off.

  He was always taking Noah’s side!

  Cyrus got into the car just in time to hear her grumbling under her breath like a six year old. “Why are you sullen? That went well.”

  “It did? Gee, how did I ever interpret it differently?”

  Her guardian rolled his eyes and drew on his seatbelt. “Sarcasm is unattractive.”

  “So are ambush tactics on unsuspecting victims,” she argued.

  “You were not ambushed. You were assessed.”

  Eden snorted. “Well did I meet his highness’ exacting standards?”

  “Eden,” Cyrus warned, stretching his arm across the back of her seat as he twisted his neck around to see out the back window as he reversed out of the parking space. The move also served to make her feel crowded and intimidated. “I will only put up with so much. Darius is a friend and someone to be respected and yes… feared. Do not speak of him in such a disrespectful manner.”

  Feeling somewhat cowed by his rational and calm tone Eden glanced away from him. “Sorry.”

  “Apology accepted. And yes. You met Darius’ approval. Not that you needed it.”

  She looked back up at him, trying to keep the hopeful look out of her eyes and failing. He smiled softly at her and for the first time ever she felt the presence of a father figure who might actually really care.

  The hunger growled in her chest. You can’t trust him, Eden. He’s one of them.

  She winced and drew in a shuddering breath. “I think I need another dose of the drug.”

  Cyrus leaned over her and flipped open the compartment in the dashboard in front of her. Inside was the familiar syringe and vial. “I thought you might.”

  Somehow… that made her feel a little better.

  Chapter Two

  Cousin Fortieth Removed

  Edinburgh was a hustle and bustle city. But, Eden decided, it was definitely one of a kind. Beyond the constant flow of traffic and a road system she couldn’t get her head around, and beyond the colourful people and bohemian chic students, was a fairytale world from ancient times, smacked down in the centre of everything. It was kind of epic.

  Cyrus, who had been to Edinburgh more times than he could count, pointed everything out like a seasoned tour guide and Eden drank it all in, excited and amazed. They drove onto Princes Street, which Cyrus told her was really famous for its stores. The castle was at the other end on the west side. Eden was desperate to see it. But because of the road system, Cyrus turned left at the famous Balmoral hotel, an exquisite Victorian building with a gothic clock tower.

  “The Balmoral Hotel was once called The North British Hotel built for North British Railway.

  Traditionally, the clock is set two minutes fast, so that travellers make their train on time at the Waverley train station below us.”

  “Cool.” Eden smiled, as they drove over a long bridge. “Whoa.” Her eyes widened as she gazed to her left. “Do the Greeks know Scotland stole stuff?”

  Cyrus smiled. “Calton Hill. That is the National Monument, built as a memorial to those who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. It is modelled on the Parthenon but they ran out of money when they started building back in the late nineteenth century, and still it remains incomplete.”

  “Yeah, getting that. What about all the stuff in front of it?”

  Her guardian snorted, she was guessing at her use of the word ‘stuff’. “Other monuments. What is left of the old Calton Jail…” He drifted off as buildings obscured their view. The traffic lights turned to red giving Eden some time to look around. She wasn’t familiar with most of the store names. She gazed at people in line at a bank, others in an Italian restaurant on the corner, others coming out of a hotel, and some brave folks dashing across a cobbled street, trying to beat the bus coming straight for them.

  “It smells different here.”

  “What does it smell like?”

  “Warm?” She shrugged. “Exciting. It’s old… but new. There’s something kind of comforting in that. And I know those technically aren’t scents but… I don’t know…”

  “I think I understand.” Cyrus smiled again and moved the car forward as the lights changed. “That road is The Royal Mile. I will take you down here once we are settled.”

  Eden craned to have a look but the traffic was moving too fast. The buildings in Edinburgh were all old: Georgian, Victorian, pre-War. Some retailers she recognised, others not so much. Some were like market stalls made into stores, creating a kind of hodgepodge of classic elegance and quirky tourism. There seemed to be a ton of college types hanging around, and as Cyrus manoeuvred them through streets that seemed to blur together, he pointed out the University of Edinburgh.

  “Student central,” he explained.

  Eden barely got a chance to take in the courtyard that shared the same paradox as the rest of the city. With two beautiful old buildings overlooking it and then a kind of dingy late 20th century-looking building on the far left it was certainly different that was for sure. They swept around it, and as they followed the road she could see the back of the main campus. There was a huge building of modern architecture and further up buildings of mid-to-late twentieth century design, including a towering building that Eden, if she were human, would have hated to have classes in. She’d be
dead by the time she reached the top. She drank in as much of the city in as possible, listening to Cyrus’

  soothing voice. But the closer they drew to their destination - some place called Morningside - the more nervous Eden grew, and the more the city began to lose its lustre.

  “No need to be anxious, Eden.”

  “Yeah. I just… this is it… you know.”

  “I know.”

  They seemed to be driving out of the somewhat frantic buzz of the city centre and into a quieter area of Edinburgh. It looked mostly the same; there just weren’t as many pedestrians, although the traffic flow never stopped. Finally they turned down a side street off the main street, passed an old art deco theatre that caught Eden’s eye, and came to a stop in a marked parking space outside a row of houses. Beautiful houses. Not huge, but they definitely had a sense of grandeur about them. A large black door with a gothic brass knocker drew Eden’s attention to a house on their right. It swung open and a tall guy in jeans and a plain t-shirt stepped out, his shoulders straight, his eyes casting around the street before settling on Valeria’s Volvo as she pulled in, in front of Cyrus.

  “Who’s that?” Eden asked softly.

  “That is Neil McLeish. The Scottish Neith Councilman.”

  “I didn’t know we were meeting him.”

  “The family of Merrit’s bloodline live on the same street. It would have been unavoidable and not to mention rude of me not to make my presence known to Neil. This is his territory.” Cyrus unclipped his seat belt and Eden followed suit, trying to still the trembling in her fingers.

  “Technically, I thought this was your territory?”

  He threw her an arrogant smile. “Technically.”

  Laughing, she got out of the car only to come face to face with Noah. Her smile dropped abruptly, and in response he glowered. She found it hard to believe Noah was seventy years old. He was such a child sometimes. No wonder he was so good at his high school assignment. Manipulative creep.

  Noah strolled by her to fall into step with Cyrus. At the top of the stone steps they greeted McLeish. Valeria smiled reassuringly at her and nudged her forward. “This is just a formality,” she murmured.