“What Tobe meant was that I sensed the sincerity of your situation and I sense you are indeed one of the Ankh,” Christopher explained. “I’ve confirmed this with Councilman McLeish. However, my abilities are not something we broadcast. The Councilman knows of it and so do Cyrus and Valeria and now you. But my abilities could make my family and I targets so I appreciate if you keep this to yourself.”
Eden knew all about being a target. “Of course. Your secret is safe with me.” Christopher nodded gratefully. “And as I say, I’ve advised Councilman McLeish. You should find your next meeting with him a bit pleasanter, I imagine.”
Eden wasn’t so sure about that. There was something about McLeish. He had that look in his eye the Neith that had attacked her in Salton and Detroit had. They were horrified by her existence.
McLeish was horrified by her existence. Pushing the unsettling thought to the back of her mind, Eden took a sip of coffee as she tried to project an aura of calm. “OK. So you’re psychic. So what else?
Are there Neith who can read minds and set fire to stuff?” She had been joking but when they all glanced at one another silently, her lips parted in surprise. “You’re kidding right?” Cyrus shrugged. “I told you there are Neith out there with particular abilities. However, they are extremely rare.”
Holy moly. She slumped back against her chair thinking about it. What if Neith with those kinds of abilities came after her? Would she be able to handle them? As she worried about it, her gaze got caught in Noah’s again and she glowered at him. “Did you know about this?” He covered his surprise at her attack by shrugging carelessly. It was as if he was deliberately trying to annoy her! “Chris? No. Neith. Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
He rolled his eyes. “When could I have told you? The day you weren’t speaking to me, or the day after when you still weren’t speaking to me?”
Ugh he was such a pain in the—
Just a complete and utter ass with—
Infuriating, irritating, treacherous-
“OK.” October watched her wide-eyed. “I was wrong. That eye colour is working for you… if you could drown and suffocate him with that look I think you would.”
“Eden.” Cyrus sighed. “This is not Noah’s fault. I told you we would discuss everything you needed to know after your transition.”
As always his voice relaxed her and she turned to look up at him. “Well, when can we start? I want to know everything. I want to train. I want to start being an Ankh.” He smiled at her enthusiasm but shook his head. “You’ve just come through a traumatic experience. We will take a few days. Relax and enjoy the city.” Her mouth twisted in a moue at the announcement that her training was postponed.
“I could take you to the castle, Eden,” October offered with feigned indifference. “It’s pretty cool.”
I do want to see the castle… “OK.” Eden nodded and she felt everyone at the table breathe a sigh of relief. Jeez, they acted like she was a monster tantrum child from hell. She rolled her eyes and October caught the look and smiled. Eden smiled back, wondering if she and this girl were going to become friends. She’d never had a female friend before. Well… there was Val but Val didn’t count because she acted more like a mother or a big sister than anything else. “Sorry I dissed Rob,” she apologised with a teasing smile.
October grunted. “Like you’re the first.”
“Don’t worry about it, Eden,” Alison interjected. “She keeps those posters up out of a perverse need to irritate her friends.”
Eden grinned. Yup. She was definitely going to like this girl. “Gotcha. I like your style, October.”
“Call me Tobe.”
“Tobe it is.”
“So since you’ve decided I’m not a complete idiot, will you trust me to take you shopping? You really do need some colour injection.”
Eden shrugged and looked at Cyrus. “We already bought clothes.” Valeria smiled. “You can buy more.”
Cyrus raised an eyebrow at that but seemed to decide not to argue.
“OK then,” Eden conceded. “But no pink.”
“Cool. No pink.” Tobe nodded. “Maybe we can go to the hairdressers when we’re out. When you’re training and fighting, long hair can be a pain in the arse. Plus you’d look good with it short.”
“No!” Noah bit out and everyone, including Eden, stared at Noah for the vehement outburst. He glared back at them all. “What? She’s not cutting her hair.” Eden scowled at his propriety tone. “I’ll cut my hair if I want.”
“So you’re going to cut your hair?”
“If I want.”
“You’re going to cut your hair? Your hair? You threatened to castrate Justin Snider when he shut the homeroom door on it.”
“It’s my hair; you have no say in what I do with it.”
He sighed, throwing her a look that said ‘you’re such a child’. He got up from the table and slapped his napkin down on his plate. “Thanks for breakfast, Alison, appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Noah nodded and then pinned Eden down with one last look. “You’re not cutting your damn hair.” She glared at him as he strode out of the dining room. The front door banged shut behind him as Eden wondered where on earth he was going.
“So?” Tobe drew her attention back to her, her eyes glittering with excitement. “Are we cutting your hair?”
Eden fingered the ends of her long dark hair and sighed glumly. “No.” Cyrus made a choking sound beside her and she glanced up to see him covering a smile.
“Traitor,” she mumbled, which only made him laugh.
At the warm sound Eden found herself melting as the room suddenly grew extremely peaceful.
Cyrus’ laughter was rare and comforting. Val scrutinised him, her eyes slightly wide with what Eden could only assume was surprise and amazement. She turned those dark eyes of hers to Eden, a small smile drawing her lips apart.
Val looked grateful.
Eden flushed, observing Cyrus from the corner of her eye. So many unbelievable things had happened to her lately. But being the person that could bring a little laughter and happiness back into Cyrus’ life was definitely the most astonishing.
Right then and there Eden promised herself she would try to live up to his expectations.
Chapter Eight. Obsession… for Evil
The Eau de Toilette from Hell
Licking the girl’s blood from his fingers Teagan looked down at the stillness of her body with a sense of satisfaction, the copper bitterness of her life force just a cherry on top to the pure soul that settled through his body like heroin in the bloodstream. It was a surreal feeling, like good food and sex wrapped up in a neat package that tempered the beast within. His body hummed with the euphoria of it all, and he smiled as he reached out to place two fingers against her neck. No pulse. She was still warm though. He ran his hands down her body one last time, a ringmaster memorising the latest addition to his dead menagerie.
Done with the nameless girl, Teagan slid off the bed in the hotel room and wandered into the bathroom. He took a quick shower, washing her off of him, and dressed in his usual black slacks and white shirt. After rolling up the sleeves, he searched the bedside cabinet for his cigarettes and wandered out onto the balcony to light up. He inhaled the tobacco and blew out a stream of smoke, staring out over the city of Detroit. Just as quickly as the euphoria had come, it began to disappear as his thoughts inevitably drew back to Eden.
It was a damn shame what had happened to his Uncle Ryan. If there was one person in this world he actually liked and respected it had been Ryan. He had taken Teagan in when five Neith had hunted and killed his parents; he had taught Teagan the kill, gloried in the overwhelming power that came with stripping one of those weak humans down and taking everything from them. Ryan had taught Teagan to treat a human like a three course meal. For starters you enjoyed terrifying them, hurting them, cutting them, inflicting pain. The main course was humiliating them. Strippi
ng them bare, taking their innocence, making them vulnerable and causing them shame. Raping them was the most gratifying as it caused both physical and emotional hurt. And then there was dessert. The grand finale. Eating their souls. It was such a high. First the foreplay and then the sex. Beautiful. He might never have discovered the addiction of the ritual if hadn’t been for Ryan. Yeah, his uncle had been a genius. He’d also taught him how to cover his tracks, play it safe. Although personally, Teagan thought Ryan took it all a bit too far considering all they had to do was compel someone to believe anything they wanted. For instance, Teagan would compel the hotel security to give him the tapes of him staying at this hotel and then he’d compel management to delete him from their booking system and their own memory. When they found the girl murdered in the hotel room they’d blame Detroit’s new serial killer.
Teagan grunted. After those bastards killed Ryan and his family, and taken Eden, Teagan had taken off for Detroit to regroup. He’d stuck to the shadows, kept his ear to the ground. Word had reached him that The Tribunal were after him and Eden. They needed someone to punish for the mess that had been left at the Winslow mansion, including the evidence of what he and Ryan had been getting up to in the basement. He shook his head in disgust, taking another draw. Idiots. Didn’t they realise how powerful they’d all be if they started taking entire souls. The power inside him was unbelievable. Nah, he wasn’t afraid of them coming for him. He was too busy with his own plans. By the time he’d discovered Eden was in Detroit it was too late. He’d gotten there just as the Neith and Ankh had. All this time Ryan hadn’t been shitting him. He’d believed Ryan when he had said Eden was half-Ankh. He’d seen the birthmark to prove it and had been on the end of a couple of beatdowns she shouldn’t have been able to give someone as powerful as him. But he’d been sceptical about the amount of security around Eden and the mansion. Ryan said Eden’s mother had been the wife of the Ankh Princeps, the famous Cyrus of Persepolis. Teagan thought Ryan was just yacking it up, trying to convince Teagan to take Eden for wife. Not that he needed much convincing. But goddamn it, it had been true after all. Cyrus had swept in on his white horse and absconded with his betrothed.
“Tool,” he grumbled into the night.
However, Teagan wasn’t ready to give up. One of the Neith Cyrus and that little jerk, Noah, had left alive in the warehouse was more than willing to give up information in return for his life. He’d told Teagan Cyrus planned to take Eden to her mother’s human family to cure her of being Blessed.
It was the one thing he and Ryan had feared the most and it was about to happen.
If it hadn’t happened already.
Not that that would stop Teagan.
He’d gotten a name from the Neith, the name of someone with insider information. But this person was working for some bitch called Cosmina Arcos, who was planning on having Eden killed. Very unhappy at that news Teagan had killed the Neith and set off to find the one with the inside info. It hadn’t taken much to convince the little deviant to turn his back on Arcos and work for Teagan. Only one million dollars of Teagan’s inheritance from Ryan.
So now he was waiting for his informant to get back to him on Eden’s whereabouts. And once he knew, he was going after her. And then he was taking her somewhere Cyrus would never find her.
Even if she was one of the Ankh now.
Cursing under his breath, Teagan crushed his cigarette against the balcony, fighting the rage that threatened to overcome him any time he thought of her. He had been so close. It was always something with her. First Stellan (good riddance to that uptight asshat) who was always in his way, protecting her. Then Eden herself, who wouldn’t know a good thing if it smacked her in the face, and then that little piece of crap, Noah, who had turned her head. And now Cyrus!
Ryan had promised him Eden when he’d come across Teagan watching her. She was fifteen when he first began to want her. He knew she was special, Ryan had told him all about it. But it wasn’t until that day, as he watched her laugh with Stellan outside in the gardens, that he felt desire for her.
There was power about her yes, but more than that there was a humanity about her he had ached to possess, to possess and destroy, to mould her into what he wanted and control her. He wanted to own her in every way possible and he knew deep in his gut that she belonged to him. Ryan had been delighted. His uncle had wanted Eden to bear a new breed of Blessed. With her heritage they would be phenomenal. But to breed with Teagan, an extremely powerful member of the Blessed, could only work in Ryan’s favour. Teagan had wanted what Ryan wanted too. But more than anything he just wanted Eden. And he wouldn’t stop until he had her.
So… if she was Ankh now… it didn’t matter. He thought of Ryan’s research he had tucked away in his holdall. Research that Ryan had stolen. Research that turned out to be true. Teagan could only surmise that if one part of the faded words on the yellowing papers had proven correct, then the rest was undeniable. If Eden was Ankh, it would mean more work, but he was willing to cut down anyone in his path to get her back… in every sense of the word.
Teagan stiffened at the soft scuffling sound from inside the room. God dammit, he could have sworn the bitch was dead. Huffing at the inconvenience of having to touch her after having just showered, Teagan strode back into the dimly lit room and stopped in the centre of it. The hair on the back of his neck rose. Something wasn’t right.
From his peripheral he caught the blur of movement and turned in time to catch the fist that flew at his face. Twisting the arm behind his attackers back, Teagan took satisfaction in the sound of it breaking, the Blessed falling to his knees before him with a muffled cry. Pain shot up Teagan’s back as another opponent kicked him from behind. He pushed the one in front of him away and whirled around to crack the woman across the face with his backhanded slap. She soared off her feet and collapsed against the bedside cabinet.
“Stop,” a deep voice rumbled, and like demons from hell, ten members of the Blessed slithered out from the shadows of the room. Teagan schooled his features, refusing to show his surprise. How the hell did they get in? “Teagan Winslow, stand down.” The voice was so full of authority, so sure that Teagan would acquiesce that he knew right away who they were.
“Effing Tribunal,” he cursed, standing up straight.
They’d found him.
In a way he shouldn’t be surprised. Aunt Celine had been right. Maybe he was too bloody careless. He’d been killing guys and girls all over the city, leaving them in hotel rooms. The police had no clue what to do about a serial killer who killed indiscriminately and somehow managed to delete the hotel tapes and booking systems and get by all members of staff without being seen. The Phantom of Detroit they were calling him. He should have known he was bound to draw the Tribunal’s attention with that one. He’d just been hoping he’d hear word back from his informant on Eden’s whereabouts before The Tribunal found him.
“Language,” the voice stepped forward to reveal a tall, distinguished looking man with blank pale grey eyes just like Teagan’s. “Show some respect for your betters.” Betters my sweet white ass.
“You know why we’re here, Teagan Winslow.”
He nodded.
“Well, rumours were wrong. I heard you were a smart mouthed little prick who didn’t know when to stop talking.”
Teagan flinched at the insults. If anyone else had said that he would have ripped them apart. He eyed the group that had him surrounded and wondered if he could be fast enough to do so.
“Don’t even think about it,” the man warned. “I am Darwin Rice and I am here to judge you for your crimes.”
“I’m guessing the judging part is already over and you’re more of the executor of the punishment.”
Darwin smirked. “You’d guess right.”
Teagan cursed inwardly and straightened his shoulders. He hadn’t wanted to do this. He didn’t know if he could trust them. But he had no other choice. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“We do not d
o deals.”
“Even if I could promise you Cyrus of Persepolis on a platter?” The room grew hushed with the arrogant promise until Darwin narrowed his eyes. “And I am to believe a jumped up little turd like you can deliver such a promise?” Cracking his neck at the jibe, Teagan eyed Darwin dangerously and grew smug at the wary look that passed across the older man’s eyes. Surely they could all feel the kind of power Teagan was emitting. “Eden Winslow is with him. He’s her guardian. I’ve got an informant who’s going to tell me where they are. If I find them, I bring you Cyrus and you let me and Eden go.”
“Miss Winslow has crimes to pay for.”
Teagan snorted. “Eden didn’t do any of that stuff you found in the house. She’s as pure as the driven snow.”
“Does not matter. She is responsible for allowing it to occur without reporting the crimes to The Tribunal.”
He snarled at the thought of these guys getting their hands on what was his. “Look, I bring you Cyrus, you let me have Eden. Take it or leave it.”
“Then we’ll leave it.”
Fuck.
“OK, OK. What if I were to tell you I could get Cyrus and Valeria of Corsica. I hear she’s pretty friendly with Darius of Mesopotamia. She might draw him out.” Darwin grimaced. “I’m not impressed.”
“It’s the truth. Cyrus and Valeria were last seen with Eden.” The older Blessed was silent for a moment and then he turned to gaze at one of his companions, who nodded. With a reluctant sigh, Darwin looked back at him. “Fine. We’ll give you six weeks to fulfil this promise. Cyrus and Valeria for your and Eden’s freedom.” Teagan grinned. “No problem.”
“We’ll be putting a tracking device inside you to make sure you don’t just run, boy.”
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