It had been chaos.
Romany’s Councilman had flown in and then contacted Jake Lelander of the New York Council with what he had discovered along with McLeish. Romany wasn’t mentioned because of her connection to Cyrus through Noah. Hence why, as the shit really hit the fan, Romany had gotten the hell out of dodge, and now Noah and Eden were being escorted by Val on a commercial flight back home.
Lelander had flown into Texas along with three other influential Councilmen and women. Together they’d discovered and rescued Alison and Chris, had gone on to interview the four Neith who confessed to the crime, and had taken Adam into custody. Cyrus and the others had stayed behind for the investigation.
It was strange to be on a commercial flight, among other people. To be weaponless, and to know that when she got off the plane there weren’t any threats. As far as they were aware Cosmina’s people had disbanded at the news of her death, more specifically at the news she’d been killed by Darius of Mesopotamia himself. If they were still a threat, their presence was yet to be known. So yeah… as far as Eden was concern, there were no threats.
At least not any physical threats, she mused, thinking of Romany who had gotten an earlier flight back to Boston. Eden had overheard her telling her Councilman she had left some belongings at the Estate and would be heading to a hotel before catching the next flight to Chicago.
Romany had tried to stay out of Eden’s way as much as possible, but knowing she was there, helping out, doing her duty, being an exemplary warrior, drove Eden crazy. She hadn’t slept much. Romany consumed her thoughts, her voice, her plea for Eden to understand that she knew what it was like to want vengeance, mixing with memories of Stellan, and of Noah’s warm voice telling her he loved her. Asking her why she didn’t love him back enough to let her anger go.
Her anger had nothing to do with how much she loved Noah. It was separate from that. But it was eating her alive and if she let the anger take over she’d lose everything.
She knew that.
She needed closure.
“Well?” Noah asked, his violet eyes searching her face.
“I love you.” Eden took hold of his hand, letting the strength of it wipe everything else out. She eyed the glinting silver on each of their fingers, his a masculine square-edged silver ring with a black onyx ankh inset into the center, hers a smaller, more feminine version. To the outsider they might appear as promise rings. “I will always love you.”
Whatever Noah saw in her eyes it made him sag in relief. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I love you too. I’m sorry… about the things I said. I didn’t mean them. I know you care about us just as much as we care about you.”
Eden squeezed his hand. “I really do. And I’m sorry too. Noah… I should never have said you don’t get me. I think you know me better than anyone. Better than I even know myself.”
“Yeah?” he smiled shyly.
The vulnerability behind that smile made her stomach flip. They each meant so much to the other… no one in this world could hurt them like they could hurt each other. She had to remember that. Even when he was being the biggest douchebag and driving her up the wall, she had to remember to never say things she didn’t mean, things she couldn’t take back, things that would sit with him for the rest of his life, chipping unnecessarily away at his confidence in her love. “Definitely.” She brought their clasped hands up and pressed a reassuring kiss to his Ankh ring.
He let his head flop back against his head rest, still holding tight to her. “I can’t wait for all of this to be over.”
Eden visualized her plan and felt that dark ugly knot in her chest begin to move, almost as if it were finally breaking apart. “Me too.”
It had been easy to slip away in the crowds of the airport. So easy in fact. Like Fate had stepped in to lend a hand. As soon as they got off the plane Val and Noah had both complained that they needed to use the bathroom. Heart pounding in her chest, trying to conceal the rush of adrenaline that flooded her body, Eden had told them she’d wait outside for them.
As soon as they disappeared behind the door, she had disappeared into the crowds.
Throwing the woman who had screeched at her for jumping into her taxi a dark, dangerous look that silenced her, Eden had then turned to give the driver her destination.
Traffic was heavy. She spent the forty minute stop and start ride into central Boston trying to talk her heart down. It was pounding so hard in her chest it stole her breath.
This was it.
This was it.
You can do this. It’ll all be over. Over.
Stellan would want this. He’d want it this way. He would.
Finally, the cab pulled up outside the hotel and Eden paid, calmly handing over the money. With equal coolness, she stepped out of the cab, walked casually into the hotel and compelled the girl at the desk to give her the room number.
She rode in silence in an elevator with two strangers, wondering how they’d react if they knew they were standing in an elevator with a girl who had killed. And intended to kill again.
The hall stretched out before her. It wasn’t a fancy hotel. The carpets needed a thorough clean, the wallpaper was old-fashioned and faded, there was a light out on one of the wall sconces.
It was quiet though.
Resolution rode her veins.
This was it.
She knocked on the door.
Scuffling sounded from inside. Light steps growing closer. The lock turned. The door pulled away from the jamb.
Eden slammed her body into it, sending Romany sprawling. She barged inside, determination set in every muscle. Kicking the door shut, Eden launched herself at Romany before she could get up.
Her brown eyes widened with fear as Eden wrestled with her on the floor. “Eden,” she gasped, a pleading in her voice that shot a hole in Eden’s fury. She didn’t sound like a warrior. A killer.
She sounded like a young woman. A human. Scared. Knowing.
Eden flipped her over onto her stomach, not caring if she was being rough with her. Grabbing her wrists, she restrained the Neith, pressing her knee into her spine. Her other hand grabbed a chunk of that blonde hair and tugged Romany’s head back forcefully. Leaning in, heart beginning to calm now as it all fell into place, she said softly, “Let’s end this.”
Chapter Twenty
Faith?
How could one person be everything?
How had his life become that?
For now he knew it had.
Wondering if Eden had thrown away their relationship, her job, her family here with Cyrus, it suddenly occurred to Noah that if he lost her, it would mean losing everything.
He threw back another glass of Cyrus’ Scotch, letting the whisky burn his throat and spread across his chest in a warm, comforting glow. The comforting part didn’t last long.
A hand patted his shoulder and he glanced up. Alain. His dad didn’t say anything. No ‘I told you so’s’, no gloating. Just sympathy and concern. He poured himself a drink and then refilled Noah’s glass.
“Has Darius gone after her?” Noah croaked, clenching the glass so tight he heard a crack. Glowering at it for being so weak, Noah pushed it away from him.
Alain shook his head, taking a minute to swallow the Scotch. “He’s under the impression Eden will return here.”
Noah shook his head. “We don’t know that.”
How could she do this to him? How could she choose revenge over him? Had she chosen revenge?
If she had chosen revenge, Romany… she was going to die because he’d put too much faith in the wrong person. Noah winced in pain and shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t do this.”
“We don’t know that she has.”
But she’d left him at the airport and when he and Val had searched frantically, thinking someone must have tried to take her (but who?), he’d passed around a picture of her he had on his iPhone. A woman at the cabstand recognized her, said she’d stolen the first cab that h
ad come along in ages.
“You’re sure that’s her?” he’d demanded.
“I’m sure, I’m sure. Rude young woman.”
“And she was alone?”
“Yes. She seemed in a hurry though.”
When Noah had turned to look at Val, he saw her thoughts were just as dark as his. Why would Eden run from them?
She wasn’t.
She was running towards something.
“Romany,” they’d said in unison.
But after checking the hotel Romany was registered at there was no sign of her. They’d headed back to the Estate. Eden and Romany weren’t there either. They’d scoured Boston looking for them, checking in with contacts. But nothing. Where would Eden take a girl to kill her?
Noah felt sick just thinking about it.
Eden hadn’t had death in her eyes when she told him she loved him. But now that he thought about it… it had been goodbye. Hadn’t it?
Thirty six hours had passed and nothing. Jack knew nothing. Noah knew nothing. No one knew anything. Cyrus and the others had returned home. They’d gone out searching too and returned empty handed. Cyrus had disappeared into his suite, unable to speak to anyone. Val had begged Darius to stay his hand until they knew more. That was sixteen hours ago. Noah was surprised the ancient Ankh was still holding back.
It was all Darius’ fault.
This sick test.
But… if Eden was really the girl he thought she was… shouldn’t she have passed?
“It doesn’t make sense.” He turned to his father, tears of confusion shining in his eyes for the first time since he was a little boy. “The Eden I know… she wouldn’t do this. She was strong enough to fight her soul eater, Dad. She’s strong… she wouldn’t do this. I have to believe she wouldn’t do this.”
Alain nodded and put a hand around his son’s nape, pulling him towards him affectionately. “Then keep believing.”
Noah shook his head. “That’s not the worst part.” He pulled away from his father, tormented by the truth of his next words. “Right now I’m more worried about her than Romany. I’m more worried about what Darius is going to do to her. I’m more worried… about what I’ll try to do to Darius if he hurts her.”
At Alain’s indrawn breath, Noah tensed, waiting for his father’s disgust, his anger. Instead Alain took another swig of scotch. He sighed and leaned back, his eyes coming to rest on Noah’s face. “I cannot say I wouldn’t feel the same way if it was your mother in Eden’s position.”
Wide-eyed, Noah turned to his father. The reassurance in his gaze was a small comfort. “She called you an asshole you know.”
Alain grimaced. “I know, I was there. But you love her… so there has to be something special about her… other than a colorful vocabulary.”
“So… you think… you think this might be a mistake? That… she’s not going to hurt Romany?”
“What do you think?”
Noah’s face tightened, his eyes narrowing with concentration. “I think there’s something I’m missing. I think…”
“You’ll believe in her until you have proof of otherwise?”
Noah nodded. “Exactly.”
Chapter Twenty One
Closure
The blood on her hands represented the end.
Eden hadn’t known if it would work. If a magical sense of peace would float down and around her, through her? As it turns out, it didn’t. But the knot was gone. A sense of satisfaction. A sense that Stellan would see symmetry in this and he’d have liked the path she’d taken to closure… for both of them.
Blooded blonde hair attached to a head lay at her feet, the body it had belonged to a few meters from it. The hotel room was a chaotic mess. Romany had put up quite a fight. So had Eden. Without her own personal clean-up crew she didn’t know how she was going to explain away the blood spatter on the walls, the darkening blood seeping into the carpet, the broken lamps, the part of a wooden bedstead that had been snapped in two to form a crude weapon. They must have made a helluva noise as well. Maybe someone had already called down to reception to complain.
She slid her un-blooded katana back into her scabbard, a little disappointed she hadn’t had a chance to use it. Still… her bare hands had done enough damage to help end this.
“Thank you.”
Eden glanced up, her expression severe. She gave the Neith a clipped nod.
Romany stepped forward, tears of relief shining in her eyes. “I mean it, Eden. You have no idea what kind of peace this has brought me.”
Looking down at the dead soul eater, the forty-something vicious nomad of a soul eater who had killed Romany’s mother and sister years before, Eden nodded. “I think I have some idea.”
In the end, the choice had been simple. Val’s words, Jack’s words, Noah’s… they all began to make sense, until Stellan’s memory whispered in her ear, the whisper a reiteration of what they had all been trying so hard to get through to her.
Destroying Romany for what she’d done in error would only destroy Eden.
Noah was right. If she killed a Neith, one who had proven herself over and over again since that awful night her brother was stolen from her, Eden would never have come back from that.
Murder.
It would have haunted a soul she had fought very hard to retrieve. But to walk away… it just wasn’t enough.
She needed vengeance.
She needed closure.
Even if it wasn’t her own.
She needed a sense of peace and helping Romany hunt and destroy the soul eater who had murdered her family might bring them that peace. For Romany it was justice. It would be an end to the hate and bitterness driving her, just as it drove Eden. After all, hadn’t Stellan died because of Romany’s hate? Would he have died by her hand if her parents and little sister had never been killed by a soul eater? Perhaps Romany would have been like any other warrior, carrying out her duty with calm and rationale, heeding orders when they were given.
No matter how much Eden would like to pretend otherwise, she and Romany had that hatred and bitterness in common.
Eden didn’t want to destroy someone the way Romany had.
And other than the destruction of her own soul… ultimately the person she worried she might destroy was the person she loved most.
Noah.
So this… this was a way for Eden to kill two birds with one stone. Indeed, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in watching Romany take her vengeance. And for Eden it would have to be enough. When she’d first grabbed Romany in the hotel room, she’d wavered a moment, that pure anger inside thirsty for her blood. But in a wave of utter relief, Eden realized her new life, her love and affection for the warriors in it, was stronger and deeper than that anger. Instead she’d pulled Romany to her feet and explained her intentions.
After outlaying the plan to Romany, together they’d filled a gym bag full of weapons, and having sent Romany on ahead so she wouldn’t witness it, Eden had covertly compelled security at South Station to ignore the bag in her hand after a random security check with metal detectors. From there she’d sat across from Romany on a train for over five hours. A cold, brittle silence had fallen between them, only broken when Romany remembered something important about where the soul eater she was hunting was. According to Romany the soul eater had been out of the US for years. She’d returned eighteen months ago and Romany had been chasing her across states ever since. But her duty to the Neith and Ankh had lost her important time, and sometimes lost her the damn soul eater. Romany’s contacts had told her four days ago that the soul eater was staying at a low-rent hotel, called Philly Heights, in downtown Philadelphia.
They’d gotten off at 30th Street Station and jumped in a cab. The soul eater hadn’t been at Philly Heights and it took them twenty four strained and tense hours to track her down to a slightly more expensive hotel in the east of the city center. After discovering Philly Heights was empty of their target, Romany had called the local Neith Coun
cil asking them if there had been any attacks or murders in the area by soul eaters. They told her they were hunting what they assumed was either a pretty strong soul eater or two soul eaters working together. Romany had hung up and she and Eden had threatened the name the soul eater had been registered with out of the hotel receptionist.
Brooke Waters.
Such a placid, ordinary name for a psycho killer.
From there it had been a case of calling around every hotel in Philadelphia hoping the soul eater had used the same name. She had. With great anticipation and sweat-inducing adrenaline gripping them, they’d tracked her down.
To this hotel.
“The mess?” Eden asked abruptly, looking up from the body.
They’d pretty much batted the soul eater between them in the fight, each getting in blows, as if they were playing an aggressive game of tennis or ping pong. But in the end, Eden had stepped back and let Romany make the final cut.
“I know the Councilman here.” Romany shrugged. “I’ll make a call.” She may have sounded cool and collected but Eden noted the way her hands shook as she pulled out her cell to do just that. She was crashing. It had been a long hunt for Romany… and now it was over.
It was over.
Eden squeezed her eyes shut drinking in the moment as Romany murmured on the phone to someone – presumably the Councilman. No, there was no peaceful, warm glow.
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