Eden raised her eyebrows. “What, your mother never teach you any manners? You’re in my way, Freshmeat. Move.”
The girl paled and stumbled out of the way, her mini carton of milk toppling off her tray along with a cookie. Without thinking, Eden snapped her hands out and caught them before they hit the ground. Grumbling under her breath, she slapped them back on the freshman’s tray.
“Wow,” the girl squeaked. “Fast reflexes.”
Eden shrugged and headed towards Noah. Stupid. She shook her head. Stupid, stupid. Sometimes it was hard not to act naturally. Naturally to her involved superfast reflexes, super strength, and the ability to compel humans. She had to keep those things under wrap and never let the humans see. Sometimes she forgot about the reflexes but she was careful with the compelling stuff.
OK. She wasn’t going to lie. She may have compelled Mr Durham last week to change her grade after she fluffed her French test.
“Terrifying toddlers still, I see.” Noah threw her a reproving look as she slid into the seat opposite him.
“What.” She shrugged, pulling out her sandwich. “I saved her milk and cookie. Jeez, what is she five?”
“You had to save them because you caused her to drop them.”
“Look, Mr S.A.I.N.T, she was rude. I called attention to the rudeness and moved on.”
He chuckled before chugging back some Coke, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. Eden’s chest grew tight watching him, her stomach clenching, her heart racing, her throat growing crisp and hot. She dropped her eyes, willing the hunger away.
Last year, at the beginning of her junior year, Noah arrived. Not only was South Salton High buzzing with the news of his arrival because he was a senior, and wasn’t that weird and cruel of his parents to move him here at the end of his high school career, but Noah was also kind of swoon worthy. Tall. Built. Dark blonde. Amazing violet eyes. And a face that would make angels weep. In fact, he kind of reminded Eden of an angel. A dark angel with a wicked smile and a twisted sense of humour. At first Eden had ignored Noah, like she did every other person. Plus, he was a senior. But a couple of weeks in and everyone was talking about how weird Noah was. He didn’t talk to anyone. He turned down a date with Lucy Stevens, the hottest senior at SSH and head cheerleader! Was he gay? Nah. The girls of SSH refused to believe someone that cute was gay. Instead they’d decided he was just a freak. But a straight freak. For starters, they didn’t know who half the bands were he wore on his t-shirts. Yes, Eden thought wryly, at SSH the level of freakishness is directly related to your sheep factor — super freak being someone who is a billy goat (has their own mind), and popular and normal being a sheep (just another one of the flock).
Today his t-shirt had Biffy Clyro scrawled across it. Eden smiled. Dude had good taste in music.
Still, Eden hadn’t cared. She hadn’t actually given much thought to the guy other than that he must be smart as hell to have turned down Lucy Stevens. And then one day near the end of October, she was sitting in her favourite hangout, The Coffee Shoppe (Saltonians weren’t big on originality), reading Shonen Jump for the latest on Naruto when a voice at her ear made her jump out of her skin.
“Are you reading a kid’s magazine?”
Not only could she not believe that Noah had managed to sneak up on her like that, she just couldn’t believe he was actually talking to her. She’d glared at him as he slid into the seat beside her. “It’s manga.”
“Ah.” He’d nodded. “Never really got into that crap.”
“It’s not crap,” she’d snapped.
Noah had chuckled. “Sorry. No need to be so defensive.”
Eden had harrumphed and returned to the magazine. She’d tried to ignore Noah as he leaned forward in his chair to yank a curled paperback out of the butt pocket of his jeans. He’d slumped back in the chair and began reading. Eden hadn’t been able to resist sneaking a peek.
In Cold Blood.
“Capote?” She hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking.
Noah had smirked at her, a wicked angel smile. “Yeah. You read it?”
Eden had held up the manga. “Do I look like I’ve read In Cold Blood?”
Laughing, Noah had leaned over, his startling violet eyes glittering. “Tell you what… we’ll swap.”
“You wanna swap me Capote for Shonen Jump?”
He’d shrugged. “You said it wasn’t crap. And In Cold Blood is definitely not crap.”
Eden had looked at the book doubtfully. She wasn’t really into American literature…
“It’s good. Tragic and twisted but good,” he’d tried to persuade her. When she didn’t say anything, Noah had reached across and pried the manga from her hands, her fingers brushing his. Immediately her stomach had clenched and this fierce ache rippled across her chest and up into her throat. It felt like a rush of lights exploding behind her eyes, and her nerves began jumping like crazy, her muscles twitching and twanging with the sensation. For a minute she thought she was going to pass out from the unbelievable rush. She hadn’t known what it was, but she knew she didn’t want Noah to move away from her. To stop talking to her. Instead, she’d agreed to the swap. They’d sat in silence for an hour reading, peeking out from the corner of their eyes at each other and then smirking when they were caught. Finally, Eden had had to leave for home.
“So… what do you think so far?” Noah had asked quietly as she stood up to leave.
Eden had shrugged. His eyebrow quirked up expectantly. She had smiled back despite herself. “It’s good.”
His own smile had widened into a huge grin. “Told you.”
“You?” She’d nodded at the copy of Shonen Jump in his hand.
“Yeah, actually.” He’d nodded, seeming surprised. “I like this Naruto kid. We have some things in common.”
For some reason she’d felt this warmth rush through her. She smiled wryly just as she’d turned to leave. “Me too.”
That night Eden had told Stellan about the feeling she’d got that day, without going into specifics or mentioning Noah. Her suspicions proved correct as Stellan told her excitedly that her hunger had finally awoken.
But, Eden thought, as Noah chattered to her about the latest Arcade Fire album, she would never hurt Noah. For the last six months, Noah had become this really important person to her. For once, someone other than a family member wanted to hang out with her. And with Noah it was easy. She didn’t have to pretend so much to be someone else. He seemed to like her sullen charm just fine. He was her best friend.
“So what do you think?”
OK, she had totally blanked him. “Huh?”
Noah snorted. “Earth to Eden. Come in Eden.”
“Yeah sorry, just kind of dazed.” Just kind of hungry more like it, she thought, her lip curling as she caught sight of Maria Roth across the cafeteria. Ever since her parents found out she had awoken, they had been on her case day and night to have the Ceremony. The Ceremony where she would take her first soul. And the first soul had to be a complete soul. It was the only time one of the Blessed was ‘allowed’ to kill someone. Eden didn’t think she’d be able to live with herself once it was over.
Maria slapped her supposed best friend, Cassie Williams, across the head. Even from here, Eden could see the girl’s eyes water with the impact. OK. Maybe South Salton would be a better place without Roth in it.
“So what’s up?” Noah asked. “You know, you being so dazed you completely blanked on my articulate and epic review of The Suburbs?”
Eden sighed. “I got detention from Travis.”
Noah frowned. “What for?”
She glared over at Maria. “Sticking up for Andie Lee.”
His eyebrow nearly hit his hairline.
“What?!” She kicked him under the table. “You don’t have to look so shocked. I hate Roth. She preys on the weak.” She growled and glared back over at Maria.
*
Noah knew that look. He hated that look. He dreaded that look. Eden’s eye
s were narrowed on Maria Roth, the junior with no conscience. Her jaw was clenched and her fingers were trembling as she self-consciously tried to find something to do with them. Finally, Eden just lifted her sandwich, her fingers crushing the bread beneath the strength of the hunger. It was getting worse, he thought anxiously. Sometimes Noah caught that look directed at him, but just as quickly as it appeared Eden would pull away and make an excuse to get away from him. It gave him hope. It gave Cyrus hope. Still, her eyes were glued to Maria. Eden didn’t like Maria the way she liked him. In fact, Noah was pretty sure Eden hated Maria. Would the need to eat Maria’s soul overpower whatever it was that made Eden different? That made her semi-human?
“Dude, you went all pensive.” Eden suddenly looked back at him, her brow creased with concern. “Everything OK?”
Noah grunted, deliberately relaxing his body. “Yeah, except that I keep telling you not to call me dude… and yet you keep calling me dude.”
Eden chuckled, a throaty sound that warmed him. She had the alien pale grey eyes of a soul eater, but when she laughed like that, the dimple in her right cheek flashing in and out, her eyes would warm just a little and he’d forget to be freaked out by the fact that he was pretending to be a soul eater’s friend. “Aw come on, you know you look like a ‘dude’.”
“I’ve been surfing once and I sucked. Big time. I am not a dude. Repeat, not a dude.”
She flashed him a wicked smile. “You have a choice here, Noah. I either call you dude, cos’ I like it, or I call you dick-”
“Why di-”
“Ah ah. It’s rude to interrupt. Your choices are simple. I can shout ‘hey, dude’ down the school halls or ‘hey, dick’.” She grinned unrepentantly. “What will it be?”
He snorted and shook his head. “You are the weirdest girl I’ve ever met.”
Eden rolled her eyes. “Established. So…?”
He heaved a sighed. “Dude it is then.”
“I knew you’d choose wisely.”
“You need to stop watching Bill & Ted.” He pointed his apple at her, knowing full well why she’d started calling him dude. Stellan had watched the ‘90’s comedy at college and had given her the DVD and now this had happened.
She frowned. “No way, dude.
Noah swallowed his laughter in his Coke, a strange gnawing sensation niggling his ribs, near his heart. Maybe his friendship with Eden wasn’t pretend. She had a way of climbing under your skin and making you forget all the serious stuff. He now knew it was her way of trying to forget her own problems. Noah felt his heart thump a little harder. He wanted to move things along. With her hunger growing more obvious, maybe it was time. But he had to be certain. His heart told him Eden was everything Cyrus hoped she would be. But then she’d pull stunts like she did with the freshman. Not letting the milk and cookie drop was her way of apologising for acting like a bitch in the first place. But that instinct was there. Noah sighed.
When he first got the assignment he’d been furious at the thought of cozying up to a soul eater. Now he just wanted it to be over. But not for him.
For Eden. For Cyrus.
Seven Months Ago…
…“A decision has been made about the child.” Cyrus gazed at him, his strong face expressionless. Noah blinked at the surprising news and glanced between the Ankh’s Princeps and his own father, Alain. All day he had wondered as to why The Circle demanded an audience with him. This had been the last thing from his mind.
The Circle, the ten eldest and strongest of the Warriors of Ankh, stared back at him stonily; each face and body no older in appearance than their late twenties, early thirties. This decision, whatever it was, had not been an easy one. According to his mother, his father and the rest of The Circle had been agonising over it for years. Technically, his mother shouldn’t have known anything about what was spoken of in The Circle. Alain may be one of them, although the youngest of the eldest (a mere thirteen hundred years or so old), but Emma was only hitting her three hundreds. As there were only fifty eight of the Warriors of Ankh left, The Circle was put in place to rule and organise, not only themselves, but their brethren — the vastly more populated mortal Warriors of Neith; without whom the Ankh would not exist. A Warrior of Ankh could only be borne by the Neith, identified by the Ankh-shaped birthmark all Ankh’s were born with on their body. The Ankh child was promptly handed over to The Circle and given to a member of the Ankh to be raised as their own. It was the way it had been for Alain and Emma, and for Noah. His Neith parents were both dead now as far as he was aware. But they had never really been his mom and dad.
There were thousands and thousands of Neith, run by their own councils, but The Circle was the highest authority.
Cyrus, their Princeps, was the highest authority. Their Princeps should have been Darius of Macedonia, he was the oldest of them all, but Darius just wanted to fight; he had no heart for politics and so he had walked away from The Circle handing his reign over to Cyrus. In accordance with old law, The Circle met and discussed situations, strategy, politics, law… and they voted.
But Cyrus’ word was final.
Looking around the familiar faces of The Circle, Noah knew in this case, Cyrus’ final word had not gone over well with some of them. The Circle consisted of six ancient warriors: Ulric, Alexander, Cassandra,Valeria, Leonidas and Cyrus. The other four were the eldest of the warriors of the dark ages; Hadrian, Bronwyn, Óengus and Alain. And standing in the middle before them as they sat preternaturally still in Cyrus’s dining room, Noah the baby. At seventy years old he was the youngest of the Ankh.
Well… not quite.
“The child is almost seventeen years old. We’ve waited too long. We need to know for sure if she really is one of them,” Cyrus’ voice faded quietly and Noah felt a pang of sorrow for their Princeps. Cyrus was a good man, and a great warrior. How had this happened to him?
Noah straightened to his full six feet, his own expression carefully grave. “What do you need me to do?”
“Investigate her,” Valeria commanded. Not only was she one of Cyrus’ oldest friends, she had a personal interest in the unfolding of this drama. “You’re the youngest of us but you have proven yourself as fierce a warrior as your parents. Most importantly you’re the youngest in appearance. We’re quite sure you can pass for a senior at least.”
It was true that when he hit around eighteen he’d stopped ageing. Another thirty years or so and he’d begin to age a couple of years. “Why do I need to look seventeen, eighteen?”
“You’re going to befriend her,” his father informed him in his lilting French accent. His words were laced with concern. Uh oh. His father was one of the warriors not too keen on this assignment. Great. “As far as we are aware she has not been told about our or the brethren’s existence for fear she may come to her own conclusions. Although she is not heavily guarded at all times, she is watched. It will be easier for you to get to know her within school grounds.”
Noah frowned. “You want me to find out… what kind of ‘person’ she is?”
Cyrus stood up quite abruptly, his eyes as old as the sands of Persia. “Yes. Also…I’m afraid, Noah, that you are going to be bait.”
Oh great. Bait. Again.
“Eden should be nearing the hunger and you know that soul eaters are always drawn to our souls. If she does not know who we are, we are hoping she will be drawn to you. Befriend her, see if she resists your soul… try to uncover whether Merrit’s daughter has her mother’s humanity.”
“And if she does?”
Cassandra and Leonidas, in particular, stiffened at his question. Cyrus looked at them, his lips tightened at their obvious contention. After a moment his eyes flickered up to Noah, blazing with determination.
“Then you bring her to me.”
… He’d worked undercover before. He’d been bait before. But he’d never had to develop a relationship with one of them before. Arriving at the school at the beginning of school year, Noah had known that he couldn’t be o
bvious about it. Cyrus had already told him Eden was a loner. So he’d spent the first couple of weeks developing his own reputation for lonerhood. He’d even turned down a pretty hot cheerleader or two. Not that he would have done anything if the circumstances had been different. He’d been around for seventy years; he’d already been there. Done that.
Finally, sure that his reputation was cultivated enough to have even reached Eden’s ears, he had approached her in her favourite coffee place. He had to admit he liked it there too. Having watched Eden for the past few weeks, he’d already begun to suspect Cyrus was right about her. Sometimes he’d see her yelling at someone for pasting a poster to her locker door and the next she was defending someone even lower down the school social hierarchy than her. Then there were the moments at the coffee place. He’d watch her reading those manga magazines, or sometimes a paranormal romance with some buff guy on the front, and he found himself transfixed. Eden’s face was an open book. She’d snort at something, her lips tilting up into this childish, mischievous smirk that made him smile. She’d frown when she was obviously annoyed at something she was reading. And if she found something sad, he knew, because she’d shimmy her butt in her seat uncomfortably and blink really fast, pretending she had something stuck in her eye. And those romances… he smiled thinking about it. Eden was a blusher, that was for sure.
That was all it took. A few weeks of watching Eden read, and he knew he had to give this a chance. He had to prove Eden for Cyrus.
In the beginning, Eden was on the defensive, but amazingly she seemed to like the fact that Noah was unruffled by her biting personality; the biting personality that disappeared surprisingly quickly once she grew to like you.
Noah’s reports back to Cyrus had been mostly positive so far… but still inconclusive. Eden had complained to him that her parents were pushing her into having this family party, like a debut, for her and she didn’t want to do it. With having so recently and effectively awoken Eden’s hunger, Noah knew what she was actually talking about was the Awakening Ceremony.
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