Shades of Blood(Warriors of Ankh 3)

The thought of her mum and dad had Tobe jumping to her feet, her hands tugging Cameron up. He staggered, weak from the repossession of his soul, and Noah stepped forward to help him. “Go,” Cam whispered hoarsely. “Get Chris and Alison. I’m fine. I swear.”

She nodded and, with one last squeeze of his hand, hurried after Romany.

I could kill that bastard all over again, Tobe cursed inwardly as she ushered her mum and dad into the car. They moved weakly, their skin pale and drawn, huge dark circles under their eyes. Their reunion had been tear-filled and exhausting; the relief of having them there in front of her, where she could see, touch and smell them was overwhelming. She kept swatting at tears that adamantly rolled down her cheeks without her compliance.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” Tobe twisted around in the passenger seat, her blue eyes boring into her parents who were snuggled together in the back.

“We’re fine, Sweetheart,” Alison replied softly, her eyelids drooping.

Anxious to get them back to the estate, Tobe was about to tell Val to drive when a loud rap on the back window nearest her dad had them all flinching. Val must have pressed a button because the window rolled down to reveal Cyrus. “How are you holding up?”

Cyrus and the others had done a quick and violent job of eradicating every last one of the soul eaters who hadn’t run off. His clean-up crew was on their way to take care of the evidence. Tobe held back the suggestion that they burn the evil place down to the ground.

“We’ll be fine, Princeps,” Chris replied.

The Princeps’ expression changed. He looked apologetic and suddenly Tobe felt annoyance rush through her. No, no. They were supposed to let her parent’s rest up before dragging them into the rebel mess! “I am afraid I have a favor to ask of you both.”

She bit her tongue, not wanting to insult the Princeps but dying to all the same.

“Of course.” Her father… ever the devoted Neith.

And then Cyrus laid out his plan to her parents. That Adam Lincoln was the Neith responsible for the attempt at rebellion against the Ankh. That he’d just had word that they had confirmation of telephone calls made between him and Cosmina Arcos. Telephone calls made between him and other Councilmen and women. Data retrieved from coded emails. All evidence that Adam had been trying to build a rebel council to counter The Circle, the Ankh Council. If he were successful… it would mean a war. No way could the Ankh allow the Neith to control them, to control what happened with the rare immortal children born into their families. A war between Ankh and Neith would mean a lack of concentration on the soul eaters. It would be defeating the purpose of all of their existence. Cyrus explained that the only way to take Adam down was to set him up – to make the other Neith think he’d hurt his own to lure in Cyrus and Darius. That they planned, with Chris and Alison’s permission, to lock Tobe’s parents in a large shipping container in Houston owned by Adam Lincoln. From there they would be rescued by Sandy Meikles of the Chicago Council and Jake Lelander of the New York Council.

“We would need you to lie. To say he was your kidnapper. Councilman McLeish has been working with us and has given his assent. We just need yours.”

Her parents were quiet a moment and then her dad nodded wearily. “These are murky waters, Princeps, but for the good of the relationship between Ankh and Neith, I agree. Alison?”

Tobe’s mum looked sad but she nodded her agreement.

“Thank you.” Cyrus looked relieved. “We will return to the mansion, feed you, check you over, but it would be best if we didn’t let you rest too much. We need you to have an authentic appearance of having been held captive.”

“Let’s do it.” Chris nodded.

Tobe sighed and twisted back around in her seat, staring at the building where her parents had been held. It looked like she didn’t have them back just quite yet. As Val pulled away, Tobe took out her mobile phone. Eden would want to know they were safe.

“They’re OK,” Eden said to Jack.

He was sitting on her armchair, flipping through a copy of Shonen Jump she’d left lying out. He looked up and smiled. “That’s good news.”

“Yeah.” It was. But there had been something in Tobe’s voice as she told her about what Romany had did, how she’d been shot (boohoo), pulled out her own bullet (what the eff!), and pretty much kicked Darwin Rice’s ass and helped save the day. Tobe was impressed with her fellow Neith. She’d tried to hide it but… she was impressed. And grateful.

“So are you heading to Houston too?” Jack asked casually. He’d come to her room when the others had left. Cyrus had suspended him from his duties for letting Eden out of the estate without permission. Eden felt terrible but Jack would have none of her apologies.

“I’m a big boy, Eden. You didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do.”

“Um…” Eden shook her head, trying to clear it of the spiteful hate filling it as she replayed Tobe’s tale of Romany: Neith Extraordinaire.

“Houston?”

“Oh yeah.” She nodded. Indeed, she would be going to Houston to compel a few of Adam Lincoln’s Neith into admitting to kidnapping the Douglas’. Not the most moral thing she would ever do as an Ankh but as everyone kept reminding her it was for the greater good. “Cyrus wants me along so I can see how the operation works.” Lies, lies, lies. But Eden didn’t think even Jack would be too cool about discovering Eden still had powers of compulsion.

“You seem out of it.” Jack frowned, leaning over to pick up the remote that would turn down the volume on her iDock. The Smiths dimmed to a whisper. “What did Tobe say?”

Eden shrugged, suddenly feeling like a spoiled, petulant child with an ugly black mass of hate in her chest. “Something about Romany saving the day.”

He was quiet a moment and then he sighed. “You made up your mind yet?”

“About what?”

“Whether having vengeance, taking her out, is worth your life or not? You know that’s why Darius is sticking around, right? It’s not just about this whole rebel business. He’s waiting for you to make your move. So what will it be?”

“I can’t just let it go, Jack. I have Stellan in my head and all this anger inside… I need…” she shook her head, tired of trying to explain something no one seemed to understand. Not even Jack.

“You know what my mom used to say to me after the whole thing with my dad… when I couldn’t seem t

o move on from it?”

Eden arched an eyebrow, waiting for his inevitable words of wisdom.

“She said, ‘anger hurts more than that which caused it’. Until you can let the anger go, you have no idea how true those words are.”

Considering the advice, Eden shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them up to her chest. “So how do I let go, Yoda?”

He smirked. “You make the right choice.”

“And here I was thinking you were going to be helpful.”

Grunting, Jack stood up, readying to leave. “Think about how much you love that jackass, Noah. If you two lovebirds have what I think you have… you’ll make the right choice.”

Just as he was about to step out the door, Eden called his name.

“Yeah?” he turned back.

“You know if Cyrus fires you, you have a great future as an inspirational speaker.” She threw him a quick, wicked smile.

He shook his head, pulling the door shut behind him. “Always yanking on someone’s chain. It’s going to get you punched, MacDouglas.”

She thought of Tobe. “Already has.”

Chapter Nineteen

The Battle Between Me and Me

“Are we going to talk or…?” Noah asked softly, his breath whispering across her neck.

Eden shifted, feeling the tingle of his nearness all the way through her body. She longed to lean into him, to pretend.

To let go.

Eden had been exhausted until her, Noah, and Val had gotten on the plane and she realized she’d be sitting next to Noah. His proximity was like a live wire on her skin.

For 48 hours they’d barely said a word to one another, sharing long looks, unspoken conversations passing between them. The last few days had been insane. She’d flown to Houston with Noah, Val, Cyrus, Darius, Alison, Chris, McLeish and Romany. Tobe and Cameron had stayed behind at the estate in Weston, recuperating. As soon as they’d landed in a private airfield in Texas, Alison and Chris were ushered to be locked up in Adam’s shipping container. The rest of them had executed their plan to kidnap four of Adam’s Neith. They’d taken them to one of Cyrus’ safe houses where she and Cyrus had disappeared into a room with them. Eden had compelled them to believe that they had indeed helped Adam Lincoln kidnap Christopher and Alison Douglas, to use them to bait Cyrus and Darius, who Adam was planning on killing. If the others had questioned how easily persuaded the four Neith had been, or why they had a glazed, dopey look in their eyes, no one said a thing. They were all nervous. Antsy. Ready for this to be over. So was Eden.