Shades of Blood (Warriors of Ankh #3)

by Samantha Young

  Noah got that.

  His anger started to steadily build again towards his girlfriend. She was acting like the old Eden. Paranoid, insecure… her moods mercurial and dangerous. Before, that had intrigued Noah, how she could fight through all that and show him that sweet, loyal, passionate girl underneath all the darkness. The darkness was back again. And Noah wasn’t intrigued. He was terrified.

  Of losing her.

  “What now?” Alain asked softly, his concerned eyes on his Princeps.

  Cyrus’ features grew taut with determination. “I have a phone call to make to Landon Anderson.”

  Eden frowned. “Who’s that?”

  “The Head of The Tribunal.”

  “You have the phone number for the Head of The Tribunal?”

  “I have the phone number of a Neith with certain abilities. She will be able to give me the phone number.”

  “Another Neith with ‘abilities’?” Eden narrowed her eyes. “I thought they were rare?”

  “They are,” Val snapped. “Stop questioning your Princeps.”

  Ouch, Noah turned with a careful expression to read Val’s. She looked frustrated as all hell. What had happened between those two? Great, he glared up at Eden. She was isolating everybody. Even the only person in the world just like her.

  “Get some sleep,” Cyrus ordered the room. “I will let you know when I have some news.”

  Eden could feel Noah stalking her as she made her way up to her room. She didn’t know what he expected but he wasn’t getting into her bedroom. He had kept the fact that Romany would be coming to stay at the mansion from her. Not only had he kept that from her but he’d actually picked the treacherous python up from the airport!!! Seething, Eden hurried her footsteps, her heart faltering a little at the sound of Noah’s curse behind her as he quickened his pace. She knew it was childish but suddenly Eden found herself rushing for her door.

  “For the love of gods!” Noah snapped as she slid inside. She tried to slam the door shut but his arm shot through the gap before it closed and he shoved it back open with little effort. He glared at her, his eyes a dark amethyst. “What are you, five?!”

  “Get out.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes boring into his with flat disdain. Her hope that he would get the message deflated as he brushed past her, kicking the door shut with his heel.

  “No,” he growled back at her. She felt the hair rise on her nape and a shudder of warning ripple down her spine. Eden carefully turned to look up at him. Noah was mad.

  Noah never got mad.

  What the hell was he mad at?! She was the one he had wronged, not the other way around!

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doi-mmff…mmm.” Noah’s lips cut her off, a hard kiss that stunned her into silence as much as the iron grip that slammed her up against him. Indignation shot through her and Eden tried to block out the dark, citrusy scent of him that drove her crazy, that made her feel safe. Today she wasn’t safe with him. Pushing against him, trying to break what was a punishing kiss, Eden was so close to bringing up her knee between his legs to make him let go, when the kiss changed. Noah made a deep, soothing noise from the back his throat and his lips softened against hers. His tongue teased hers, his teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, one hand clasped tight around the nape of her neck and the other brushing the sensitive skin on her lower back. The kiss robbed her of her rationale. There was no anger, or Romany, or rebellion. Just Eden and Noah. She sighed into his mouth and leaned into him, her palms pressed against his broad chest, his thundering heart pounding against one hand. Feeling her acquiesce, Noah deepened the kiss and pulled her even closer. Strangely the possessive passion in his embrace only excited Eden and she found herself curling her fingers into his t-shirt in an effort to get closer.

  He left her mouth, trailing sweet kisses along her jaw. “I love you,” he whispered, his breath against her skin sending hot shivers down her spine. His breathing was uncontrolled, ragged, and it spurred her on. The fog truly took hold of Eden. With a desperation born from the darkness that adamantly tried to wade through the fog, Eden pulled her shirt up and off, enjoying the fever in Noah’s eyes. He discarded his own top and Eden melted against him, pressing kisses to his broad chest, sighing against him.

  “Oh gods,” Noah breathed and reached for her, pulling her up into his arms so she had to wrap her legs around his waist. His kisses were furious again, frantic, deep, erotic. Eden gave him it all back. The bed bounced beneath her as Noah backed them down onto it. His hot lips trailed kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, his deft fingers reaching for the clasp on her bra.

  If it hadn’t been for the sound of a security guard speaking to the operations room over his comms as he made his rounds Eden probably would have let the fog take her all the way home with Noah. But that voice cut through it and with it she remembered Romany. Her rage. Her hurt.

  “Stop,” she whispered hoarsely, pushing Noah away. She began to slide out from under him but he groaned and rested his forehead against her stomach, his weight pressing her down.

  “Eden, don’t,” he pleaded. “Why are you doing this?”

  “I’m mad at you,” she snapped, pushing his shoulders back. He took the hint and rolled off her. “I don’t want to have sex when I’m mad.”

  “I’m mad at you too,” Noah growled as she bent down to pick up her top.

  Eden’s jaw dropped as she pulled the shirt back over her head, flicking her long hair out from under the collar. “You’re mad?! What the hell have you got to be mad about?”

  His eyes flashed but he didn’t say anything as he got off the bed and strode over to pick up his own shirt. It was the angriest pulling on of a t-shirt Eden had ever witnessed. His cloudy face and taut features confused and irritated her. They also worried her. Had she missed something? Had she inadvertently done something she wasn’t aware of?

  “You promised me you wouldn’t forget how I feel about you and yet you’re blaming me for Romany being here.”

  “No,” Eden denied. “You didn’t tell me she was on her way here. And you picked her up from the airport like a goddamn traitor!”

  His mouth dropped open. “Traitor?! What the hell aren’t you getting here, Eden? Why do you insist on villainizing Cyrus and me? We’re trying to protect you! You!”

  “From Darius?” She huffed. “I don’t need you to protect me from him. I need you to understand why I hate her, why I want to…”

  “To what, Eden?” he quieted now, his trembling fingers combing through his hair in uncertainty. “This isn’t about protecting you from Darius. This is about protecting you from you.”

  “What?”

  Noah reached for her, his large hand cupping around her waist, drawing her closer. His eyes soft and scared. For her, she realized. Eden wanted to give in to him, to his affection. Noah did love her. She knew that. She had to keep reminding herself that. “Eden, you’ve only ever killed soul eaters and the occasional Neith in self-defense. You have no idea what killing a Neith, who’s only fault was making a mistake in battle, would do to you.”

  And just like that Eden forgot to remind herself that Noah loved her. It was as if he’d slapped her. She tugged back from his hand, putting space between them, watching his eyebrows draw together in concern. “What are you saying?” she asked hoarsely. “That her murder of Stellan was just… a mistake? You think she didn’t do anything wrong?” She felt tears of disbelief shine in her eyes and Noah’s concern changed to panic.

  “You have to understand,” he answered quickly, making a move towards her. But Eden backed up, not wanting him near her, “If the soul eater in question hadn’t been Stellan you would see this as clearly as we do, Eden. Romany is sorry for what she did. Her mistake was forgetting an order that I gave. She didn’t know your brother. All she saw was a soul eater and her duty to kill him. You don’t have to forgive her for that mistake but you can’t punish her for it.”

  “Don’t tell me to understand,” her voic
e was flat, hard and Noah flinched from it. “Don’t tell me to understand when you don’t understand me. It wasn’t a random soul eater, Noah. It was my brother. The only person in the entire world who loved me. Who took care of me. You have no idea what living in that house was like. No idea.” A brittle tear fell and she could barely see Noah through the blur. “He was the safest place I knew and if she hadn’t stolen him from me he would be here and he would be human. He would be free. And you have no idea how much he would have wanted that. He wasn’t like the others. He didn’t want to be one of them. But you don’t understand that.” She sniffed, swatting at her tears like they were an embarrassment. It took her a moment to realize where she was going with this. Perhaps it was just the hurt, the argument, exhaustion. Perhaps she didn’t even mean it. But in that moment she at least believed she did. “You don’t understand me, Noah. I don’t know if you ever did.”

  And without waiting for a reply, Eden hurried from the room and from what had sounded an awful lot like a break up.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I So Don’t Get You

  Consciousness was beginning to settle in and Eden groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she pressed against a dark hollow in the couch. Since she’d left Noah in her room Eden had found a sitting room on the first floor that no one ever used. Curling up on the couch there, she’d tried to come to terms with what she’d said to Noah. Had she really meant that? She didn’t know. Sometimes – before Romany came back into the picture – Eden had thought Noah was the only person who really understood her. It was clear that right now the two of them were on completely different wavelengths. And over something so huge. Giving into her weariness, Eden had cried herself to sleep, missing him when he was only a few floors above her.

  As the light from the window pressed against her closed eyelids signaling late afternoon, Eden let her body awaken. And with it came the tingle of awareness.

  She wasn’t alone.

  In one fluid movement she spun up and onto her feet.

  Romany stood at the door, her back pressed against it. Her wide eyes were trained on Eden. “That was impressive.”

  Wildness spilled into Eden’s blood and she fought its instincts to hunt and kill the girl in front of her. They were alone in a room and Romany was just there. For the taking. Eden could end it now.

  But something stopped her.

  She found her hands curling into fists and she reined the wildness in. “What do you want?” her voice was unrecognizable. Like a tiger who was learning to talk.

  Romany shifted a little and Eden saw the wariness the Neith was trying very hard to hide from her. Bravely she pressed up from the door and took a few careful steps towards her. It suddenly occurred to Eden that when she looked at this young woman her features were blurred by the atrocity she’d committed. Now, there, with them so alone together, Eden’s focus sharpened. Romany was pretty. Pretty enough to have drawn Noah’s attention. Large chocolate eyes, long dark blonde hair, cute button nose and full lips. She looked like a pop princess rather than a warrior. She didn’t look like a killer at all.

  But she was.

  To give her, her due, Romany didn’t seem afraid of her. Just…cautious. “I wanted to apologize.”

  Eden flinched, stumbling back a little, not quite awake enough to be dealing with this. “You don’t get to apologize.”

  “Just hear me out.” Romany held up her hands in supplication. “I know you’ll never forgive me. I know that because in a twisted way I am you.”

  Eden curled her lip. “Oh really?”

  “Yeah. Really.” Her eyes hardened and she looked off over Eden’s shoulder as if she were somewhere else entirely. “Noah might have told you that he helped kill the soul eater who murdered my dad but… he probably didn’t tell you that I’ve been hunting the soul eater who killed my mom and little sister.”

  I don’t want to hear this! Eden screamed inside, feeling her body shrink in on itself in an attempt to run from Romany. She didn’t want to know this. But she couldn’t speak, the words choking her, grating against her vocal chords and turning her throat to sandpaper.

  “They were killed when I was five. My dad hunted the soul eater but she got away from him. I picked up the trail when my dad died, every turn leading me to a dead end. But I couldn’t stop, Eden. I can’t stop. The need to avenge my family is what gets me up in the morning.” She blinked now and focused on Eden’s frozen face. “I finally tracked her down a few weeks ago but Cyrus called me in to help with this and my duty to the Ankh comes first. I’m still keeping tabs on her and as soon as I’m done here, I’m going to get my vengeance.”

  Eden shuddered, her body warring with rage, resentment and fear. Fear of… understanding.

  “So I understand,” Romany finished on a whisper. “I just wanted you to know that. And I wanted you to know that… if I could take back what I did to you, to your brother, I would in a heartbeat. I never, ever wanted to cause someone else the kind of pain that I go through every day.”

  Silence nudged its way into the room. A brittle, slice of quiet that prodded Eden’s hurt.

  “Get out,” Eden choked out. “Get out now.”

  With a hesitant nod, Romany backed up and turned on her heel. At the sound of the door clicking shut the fury blasted from Eden and she kicked out at the glass coffee table in front of her, watching it spin through the air and shatter against the wall. She hissed as a tiny shard ricocheted back from the force of impact, slicing across her cheek. The cut healed instantly but Eden was still left trembling. A few seconds later the door burst open and a Neith security guard came in, his narrowed eyes searching the room for the cause of disturbance. He stared at the shattered furniture, the million shards of glass littering the carpet. With a frown of annoyance he glanced back up at Eden.

  The way he looked at her… it reminded her of the way the kids at Salton High used to stare at her.

  Fine, she thought bitterly, you want old school? I’ll give you old school.

  With a look of disdain Eden walked past him with all the arrogance and bitchiness of pre-Ankh Eden. “Clean it up,” she ordered and strode determinedly from the room.

  For the next ten minutes she hunted for her outlet, finally finding him in the CCTV room.

  “Eden.” Jack frowned up at her. He was sitting with his feet up, drinking a mug of coffee and looking totally relaxed. Unfortunately Eden had every intention of ruining that for him. “One of my guys says you wrecked a glass table on the first floor.”

  “Your guy is right,” she answered in a monotone.

  Jack sat up straight, putting the mug down. “What’s going on?”

  “I need a training partner. Now.”

  “Eden. Tell me what happened.”

  “What happened is I need a training partner.” She sighed, feeling her fragile control slipping. “Now, Jack.”

  His dark blue eyes studied her face for a moment and then seeming to come to some sort of conclusion he nodded and picked up a headset, speaking sharply into it. “Mullins, take over for me in the CCTV room.”

  Eden didn’t hear what Mullins reply was. Instead she waited impatiently until the door opened two minutes later and a tall, older Neith strode into the room. He flicked her a wary look as he passed her.

  “I’ll be back in an hour to take over.” Jack nodded at him militantly and then gestured for Eden to lead the way. Silently he followed her out and along the corridors, down into the basement level to the training rooms. Thankfully it was empty. Eden really didn’t want to face anyone right then. Especially not Noah.

  “Sparring?” Jack asked, shrugging out of his jacket, kicking off his boots.

  Eden nodded, kicking her Converse off. “Sparring.”

  She knew Jack really wanted to know what was going on, that he was biting back the question, and Eden appreciated that. All she wanted right now was… this. She nodded at him and they began to circle one another. She faked a punch and as he pulled his right shoulder back to dodge
it, Eden followed it up with a roundhouse quick he would never have been quick enough to execute. It caught his left shoulder and he stumbled, wincing at the brutal force of it.

  Eden bounced back on the balls of her feet, adrenaline shooting through her.

  Come on. Come on, Jack. Hit me.

  When his physical retort came it was in a side sweep that knocked her on her ass. The shock of the oxygen rushing out of her lungs as her back slammed against the floor was satisfying. She took a minute and then pulled up her knees before using the momentum of strength of her lower body to flip her back onto her feet. They circled a while, each dodging one another’s blows. Eden got in a punch here and there and waited for more satisfaction.

  The first punch that connected stunned her and for those delicious few seconds there was nothing in her life but this.

  The second punch caught her in the same place, her lower jaw on the right side of her face throbbing.

  The kick that landed on her solar plexus and slammed her back on the mat roused Jack’s suspicions.

  The second kick infuriated him.

  “OK, I’m out of here,” Jack cursed in disgust and Eden scrambled up, ignoring the bruised hurt radiating heat from her stomach.

  “Wait, why?!” she called, watching in despair as he stuffed his feet angrily back into his boots.

  “Why?” he threw over his shoulder. “Because I’m not going to stand here while you let me pummel you into the ground.”

  “I wasn’t,” she scoffed, although that wasn’t completely true.

  Rolling his eyes, Jack turned back to her. “Right. I really believe you’re that slow. I’m not stupid, Eden. What the hell is going on?”

  Without any warning, no frustrating build up, no tingling in the eyes, Eden burst into loud, heartbreaking sobs. She fell to her knees, curling in on herself. She didn’t even know what Jack’s response was and she didn’t care. She was too busy trying to control the shudders wracking her body. They were uncontrollable. Feeling a tentative touch on her shoulder, Eden glanced up through her blur of tears and saw Jack’s smeary face. He was kneeling in front of her, his eyes wide and unsure.