Chapter Twenty One.

Rebel with a Cause Eden had been gone a few days now.

Noah stared blankly at the television, watching the images flicker and muted mouths talk to him and to each other.

"Why is the sound off?"

He twisted his neck around at the sound of his mother's voice, watching Emma wander into the sitting room. They were stil in the rented house in Denton. It wasn't nearly as nice as Cyrus' home in Weston, Boston. But it was surely closer to wherever Eden was hiding. Hopeful y. "I have a headache."

His mother smirked and flopped down beside him. "We don't get headaches."

"Wel I'm discovering new things about the Ankh every day. Like, who knew compulsion worked on us?"

That was mean. He felt a pang of guilt as Emma's features tightened at the reminder of what Eden had done to her.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up."

"No, you shouldn't. Ever again," she warned him, her blue eyes flashing. "Cyrus and Valeria told you to shut up about that, OK. If the Neith find out there is a soul eater out there who can compel Ankh, then Eden's even more of a target.

Do you want that?"

He shook his head slowly, feeling contrite as any normal seventeen year old son might. "Sorry. Where are Cyrus and Val anyway?"

Emma rol ed her eyes. "Noah, I've told you not to cal her that. The woman is a two thousand year old warrior, for goodness sake, not some waitress at Denny's." Noah grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he snuggled deeper into the sofa.

He thought of the tal , leggy brunette and that grin grew a little lascivious. "Hey, she just looks like a hot thirty year old to me."

His mother snorted and shook her head. "She'd eat you alive, child."

"True. But I might enjoy it."

"Oh." Emma grimaced and swatted at his head. "Don't talk to your mother like that."

Noah flashed her another wicked smile, glad she no longer had that guilty look on her face. She felt responsible for Eden escaping, shocked that the girl had managed to compel her. The compulsion itself had freaked her out because she said she'd known what was happening to her but couldn't do anything about it. She had felt violated and yet at the same time she had felt some kind of connection with Eden. The depth of Eden's despair had wrenched at Emma. His mother had never been able to turn away from the damaged and broken. She was a fixer. Despite Eden attacking her, Emma wanted the girl to get help even more now.

"Noah's right, Cyrus," she had said, as she had relayed the details of Eden's escape. "I felt the humanity in her.

the details of Eden's escape. "I felt the humanity in her.

Fighting. She's in so much pain."

Noah had known that. And although he was nowhere near ready to give up on Eden, he wasn't sure they would be in time when they final y tracked her down. There was something in her eyes when she'd stabbed him. They both couldn't believe she had done it - he stil couldn't - but it was like that final act had toppled her over the edge.

"I'm a monster, Noah."

He squeezed his eyes shut, unconsciously rubbing the healed over spot on his stomach where Eden had plunged the dagger in. "Have they found out anything yet?"

"No." It wasn't his mother who responded but Cyrus.

Noah and Emma shifted around to watch Cyrus, Valeria and Alain saunter into the sitting room. Cyrus' features were drawn with strain and worry and Valeria had a hand wrapped around his wrist as if offering strength and comfort. "I have spoken with Adam Lincoln. He has discovered the ident.i.ty of the Neith Rebel leader." Adam Lincoln was the Neith Councilman of Texas. The Texas Council was the largest in America and Adam was one of the most powerful and authoritative figure among the Neith. "Who?" Noah asked, half dreading the answer.

"Cosmina Arcos, the Councilwoman of the Bucharest Neith." OK. Noah had never heard of her. How on earth had a Romanian Neith, with little authority or standing, found out about Eden? The question must have been written al over his face because Valeria exhaled heavily and said, "Ridiculous, we know." She strode away from Cyrus and flopped down into an armchair, smoothing her dark hair out of her exotic black eyes. "But apparently in her bid to hunt down Eden she contacted Adam asking him for help. He tel s us she was very rational and calm as she discussed Eden. She discovered Eden's existence because of a soul eater she hunted. The man was a Romanian, once hired by Ryan Winslow to guard over Eden. Out of boredom and curiosity the bodyguard eavesdropped on a private conversation between Ryan and his wife. He discovered the truth about Eden and decided to see for himself. He was fired when Eden was fourteen for lifting the hem of her shirt." Valeria smiled coldly. "Looking for the Ankh birthmark. He discovered it and kept the information to himself until it proved useful. He returned to Romania and eight months ago he was hunted by Cosmina Arcos.

Hoping to exchange freedom for information, he told Cosmina what he knew.

Cosmina comes from a long line of Neith. A long line. Long enough to have heard of the legends of the Unforeseen." Valeria grew stiff. "She had Eden investigated, and discovered Noah's involvement.

Apparently she contacted Jack Schumacher, the Neith working with Cyrus. Along with the broken nose Eden gave him, I added a broken arm and threw him in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

We'l need to move him soon to Cyrus' cel s."

Noah frowned. "Wait, why? What did he do?"

Valeria scowled. "In exchange for fifty thousand dol ars he told Cosmina what we were doing. Who Eden was and that we were trying to rescue her. It appears we cannot trust anyone at the moment," she spat in disgust.

"So, Cosmina knows everything and stil wants Eden dead?" Emma murmured softly.

Cyrus nodded. "Yes. She's adept at hiding. After Adam turned down her request to join him in obliterating Eden-"

"Why would she chance letting Adam know who the hel she is?" Noah interrupted, confused.

"Because one of her own was already on a plane to tel me. They hoped to get her at Logan International Airport but she slipped by them. The Neith was wily enough to get to my gates but my guards arrested her and were keeping her prisoner for when I came back.

After I spoke with Adam I cal ed the house and they confirmed they had a Neith in custody.

I asked to speak with her. Adela, is her name. She confirmed Cosmina is the leader of the rebel faction. Adam has had contacts in Romania looking for her but she's not at home or at any of her usual haunts which leads us both to conclude she is in the U.S. We already know she has recruited American Neith to her cause. I gave your description of the Neith you fought that night in Salton and Adam suspected he knew who they were. Seems he was right. They're from Canada."

"Christ, how many people know about Eden now?" Noah snapped, fear and panic bubbling under his surface. They had to get to her. This was getting out of control.

"A few." Cyrus didn't blink but Noah could see his hands curl into tight fists.

"Adam has kindly sent in one of his own as a spy among the group. He'l cal when he hears word of her."

Noah grimaced, his body screaming for action. "So we just have to wait?" Valeria nodded. "I'm afraid so."

They didn't have to wait long. Five hours later, Cyrus burst into the kitchen where Noah was sitting eating takeaway with Alain and Emma. His eyes were bright with energy.

"The Neith have spotted Eden."

"Where?" Noah shoved up from the table, already reaching for the long coat that would hide his sword.

"They've spotted her in Detroit. They've lost her position but they know she's stil there somewhere."

Relief flooded Noah as they gathered their gear.

I'm coming, Eden.

Chapter Twenty Two.

Some Legends are True She was running out of money. Eden huffed and squeezed the brown bag ful of snacks closer to her chest. Having never had to worry about the green stuff before, Eden was discovering she was terrible at economy. Her second day in the warehouse she bought two throws and a pil ow for sleeping on the sofa. The rest of her money she'd blown on junk food, Shonen Jump and a J.R. Ward paperback.

It was her fifth night in the warehouse. It wasn't the greatest sleep but it wasn't like she was frightened of a human breaking in and attacking her. In fact sometimes her need kind of made her wish one of them would be stupid enough to do that. There wasn't much going on in her brain right now anyway. She was losing energy and focus, and was pretty much just trying to get by without kil ing anyone.

In order to distance herself from temptation she had taken to venturing out at night to the late night market near the mal off Elmwood. She had bought the throws at the mal during daylight hours and had to high tail it out of the plaza before she kil ed someone.

Heading into a mal had kind of defeated the purpose of hiding out in a warehouse to stay away from people, but she had to use the bathroom and tried to clean up a little in there. She was beginning to smel , though, and her hair was pa.s.sed icky.

At the market she would put her money on the counter and refuse to touch the cashier. The guy behind the counter probably thought she had some weird mental/social disorder.

She kind of did.

I am going to have to mug someone.

It was true. She barely had any money so she was going to have to steal a wal et (again) and learn to pick c.r.a.ppy food that cost... like nothing. Eden tripped on a jutting sidewalk and frowned back at it, shaking her head. She was getting weak and uncoordinated. Not good.

Maybe you shouldn't have left. Maybe Cyrus really was going to help you.

She grunted. It wasn't the first time she wondered if she had made a mistake. But then again what could Cyrus possibly do? She was starving and dying for a soul. What other option did he have but to kil her? Eden knew she could try and do it herself. It would take some inventiveness but she was pretty sure she could pul it off. But... she was just too d.a.m.n stubborn. There had to be a way out this.

There had to be.

Holing up in a warehouse doesn't really count as brainstorming.

Shut up.

Eden was perhaps two or three minutes from her warehouse when she sensed she was being fol owed. At first she thought she heard the pad of footsteps and had stopped in the middle of the street to turn around. She heard a skittering noise but there was no one there.

However, her skin p.r.i.c.kled and her heartbeat picked up speed. She was sure she felt the heat of someone's gaze.

Tensing for a fight, Eden turned and hurried towards her destination. If the Neith had come for her, at least she could fight them in the warehouse, in her own territory, where no one would get hurt.

Wel . Except for the Neith. Her leg dragged a little.

OK. Maybe her too.

Slipping into the warehouse, Eden hurried to her little den and dumped the food, swiping up the steel pipe she had placed by her 'bed' in case she was attacked. She shrugged out of her coat and headed back out into the centre of the warehouse, just as the four Neith exploded through the door. There was no time for conversation. They attacked as one.

Eden slid back onto the bal s of her feet, her stomach concaving to avoid the slice of the first Neith's blade. In the same motion, she cracked the pipe off the Neith's nose, and kicked out at his col eague whose own blade cut through Eden's sweater and scratched the surface of her arm. The kick forced him from his feet, his broad shoulders clipping the only female, who staggered, giving Eden the opportunity to knock her over with a round house kick as she swung the pipe at the fourth Neith, the blade of his sword slicing through the rusted instrument. She cursed and lost her footing with the impact and the kick, hitting the floor and rol ing out of the way just as his blade zinged off the concrete ground where she'd fal en mil iseconds before.

As she drew to her feet, forcing as much energy into her body as possible, hard arms tightened around her from behind and a blade pressed into her throat. It was the first Neith with the now broken nose.

The three other Neith crowded in around her like hyenas around a zebra.

"We got you now," the one holding her whispered in her ear, his words laced with some kind of eastern European accent.

"Let's not play with her," the female Neith scowled. She was American. "Just do it.

I'm-" she cut off with a yel of pain and the Neith al jumped, the one with the dagger nicking Eden's neck. The woman turned towards the doorway and Eden saw, not only a dagger wedged deep into the Neith's shoulder blade, but Cyrus, Noah and some woman she had never seen before strol leisurely into the room. The air around them bristled with potent energy and danger. Eden watched the Neith stare at each other anxiously.

"You know who I am?" Cyrus asked, toying with the dagger in his hands.

The Neith holding her cried out, "It does not matter. She must die!" The blade bit into her neck and a hissing noise whipped by her ear. Then the weight of him was gone and she turned, astonished to find him sprawled out on the floor, the dagger Cyrus had held in his hand now embedded in the dead man's forehead.

Al hel broke loose.

The three Neith ran at the Ankh and Eden stumbled, watching, confused. Wary.

Noah ducked a swing from the tal est of the Neith and came up with a close impact punch of his own. He then gripped tight to the man's hair and smashed his knee up into his face.

The warrior staggered back and reached for his weapon. As he did so, Eden watched in awe as Noah flicked back his coat and slid a sword out from a scabbard attached to his hip.

"Eden, look out!" Cyrus yel ed, as he and the woman fought off the other male Neith. Eden shifted her gaze to see the female Neith run at her. She slid out of her beeline and watched the female with Cyrus launch another blade into the Neith's back. The girl col apsed, panting in pain into the concrete floor. Eden could stil hear the clang of the fight behind her, vaguely registering that these Neith were better trained than the others who had attacked. Wel . Except this one. This one on the floor, with the blood trailing from her open lips.

Hypnotised by the flare of pain that lit up the Neith's soul, Eden's legs gave way and she col apsed beside her.

Gripping hold of her, Eden turned her just as the girl's eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. She was dying.

Her soul. Her soul. What a waste.

Eden's grip tightened and she jerked the girl closer, the vortex opening up inside her. Nothing else existed. She couldn't remember who she was, where she was, what was happening. Only that this soul was bright and she was needful and surely it was a waste to let this soul go.

She smiled, feeling entranced. Relief lifted the ma.s.sive weight from her shoulders and she leaned over, cradling the girl like a child. It was almost over.

A painful hold bruised her upper arms and dragged her back from the girl like a ragdol . Eden wailed as if in pain and limply let the hands twist her around. Attached to the hands was a familiar man.

She blinked, trying to focus.

"Eden, no," Cyrus was begging her.

I was so close. So close.

"Let me," Eden began to cry, twisting around to try and reach for the girl. "Let me."

"No!" he yel ed, shaking her, drawing her eyes back to him. He looked so pained, so hurt and desperate. She didn't know why.