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 pa.s.s 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 a.s.signment. 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?"

Ca.s.sandra 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 obvious 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 circ.u.mstances had been different. He'd been around for seventy years; he'd already been there.

Done that.

Final y, 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 yel ing 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 b.u.t.t in her seat uncomfortably and blink real y 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 al 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 stil 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 actual y talking about was the Awakening Ceremony.

She was fighting her parents on it.

That was brave of her. And Cyrus was pleased.

Noah felt a 'but' float across his eyes as Eden once more growled low under her breath as she glared over at Maria Roth. Eden was on the fence. One wrong move and Noah was sure she'd give into her nature.

Eden curled her lip up and he watched her hands tighten into fists. A few seconds later they relaxed and she turned back to him, her pretty features smoothing.

"You know, I've never understood Twinkies," she said as she pul ed one out of her brown bag.

Noah shook his head.

And then she'd go and say something kooky and utterly human like that, and he was back at square one.

Chapter Three.

Family Values "What the hel are you doing in my room?" Eden snarled as she stormed into her bedroom. Despite the fact she'd managed to catch up on her history homework in detention, it had stil been mind-numbing. The sun was just starting to peek through the clouds when she'd been inside, and then as soon as detention was over the rain started lashing down. To make matters worse, the check engine light on her car had come on ten minutes from the house. She'd gotten home OK but if she told Ryan he'd want to put the car in the garage to be looked at. The Winslow mansion, a grand home built in the style of the southern antebel um plantation house, was outside of town, a good twenty minute drive into wilderness, which would mean Celine would have to give her a ride back and forth to school...

and that was just an uncomfortable addition to the day she'd like to avoid. So she hadn't said anything, but just thinking about the pros and cons had given her a headache.

And now this. Her cousin Teagan lounging on her bed like he belonged there. Creepy s...o...b..

Teagan grinned at her and sat up, tossing the only teddy bear she owned between his hands. It was a panda bear.

She'd had a little of obsession for them when she was eight and Stel an had surprised her one day with the bear. Her parents had not been amused, but Stel an hadn't cared.

She'd kept the bear in pristine condition ever since. Seeing it in Teagan's hands made her want to rip his throat out. But then... anything he did made her want to rip his throat out.

"Hel o to you too, babe." He winked at her.

"Ugh. Don't cal me babe. And get out." She crossed her arms over her chest and wil ed him to leave with the power of her glare.

Teagan stood up and instinctively Eden wanted to step back. He was about Noah's height, a little shorter than Stel an, but just as broad. His pale eyes ran the length of her body, slowly, measuring, trying to own her somehow just with that look. She shivered and he smirked. "Ryan sent me to talk to you about the Awakening Ceremony." Eden scoffed, "He actual y thought you'd be the one to convince me to do it?"

"Eden, babe, you gotta do it sometime." He bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes.

It was a practiced expression that Eden knew worked on al those girls he destroyed.

Teagan was good looking, but Eden reckoned you only needed a little bit of intuition to know there was something off about him. Seriously off. "I mean what's the hold up? Are you worrying about kil ing someone, because I can a.s.sure you that you'l feel better once it's over?"

"Oh yeah, like you ever felt bad about kil ing someone." This time when he stepped towards her, Eden did take a step back. She knew Teagan had been using the bas.e.m.e.nt for his own perversions for the last few years. He was as sick in the head as Ryan. Eden thanked G.o.d Stel an denied that repulsive side of his nature.

"No. I haven't." Teagan smiled. "But then that doesn't make me the freak here, Eden. No that would be you.

Look... your daddy is getting a little impatient." He stopped now, inches from her, her eyes level with his throat. "You know Ryan listens to me," he reminded her of her father's favouritism as he brushed a hand down her cheek. Eden flinched back and Teagan snarled, gripping tight to her chin and jerking her head back, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"You play nice and I might buy you a little time."

She felt the bile rise in the back of her throat. The disgust must have read on her face because his grip tightened.

"Play nice?"

His eyes flashed, the way they did during a feeding, and he slid the pad of his thumb down her cheek and to her mouth. It felt like little bugs crawling al over her flesh. "A little appetiser before the main course perhaps...?"

Teagan was referring to the insane fact that her father had promised Eden to Teagan when she turned eighteen.

Never mind the fact that they were first cousins or that it was you know... the twenty first frickin' century! She had no say in the matter apparently.

Wel , she had some say...

Eden bit down on his thumb, piercing through flesh. She tasted the coppery bitterness of his blood as he cried out and pul ed back. "Over my dead body," she hissed, wiping at her mouth.

There was no surprise when Teagan reached for her, viciously tearing the col ar of her shirt as he tried to haul her towards him. The surprise came when Eden exploded in impotent rage. She kicked up between his legs, inciting a loud bel ow of pain from him, and then she shoved him with al her might. Teagan shouldn't have budged, let alone careen across her huge bedroom and col ide with the wal with enough impact to crack the plasterwork.

Her mouth fel open in astonishment as Teagan's wide eyes met hers from his spot, slumped on the floor. Teagan was al the way one of the Blessed. He fed on souls a lot...

he kil ed and took entire souls into him. Like Ryan, his strength was unparal eled among their kind. So how could Eden, who had never tasted a soul in her life, propel him across the room like that?

"What the..."

"Eden!"

She whirled around as Stel an came rushing into the room, Ryan and Celine at his back. Her brother took one look at her torn col ar and flew at Teagan. He got in a few brutal punches before Ryan hauled him off. Stel an staggered back, his knuckles slick with Teagan's blood.

Her cousin got to his feet unsteadily, his broken nose already snapping back into place. He wiped at the blood on his face and glared at Stel an.

"What the hel happened?" Stel an strode over to her, taking a hold of her chin gently and tilting her face up to examine it. His concern washed over her in comforting waves, and she fought the urge to hug him right there and then. At six-four, with the build of a linebacker, Stel an was intimidating. But then he'd smile that goofy smile of his and al your fears just melted away. He was able to feed no al your fears just melted away. He was able to feed no problem. People instinctively trusted him. And if you were anyone but a human, you could trust him.

"Teagan just doesn't understand the word no, that's al ." Eden shrugged, trying to not make it into a big deal when it was.

"Son of-"

"You," Ryan interrupted Stel an, his eyes boring into his nephew. "I told you to keep your distance until her eighteenth birthday."

"I was just-"

"Shut up," Ryan snapped, his handsome face contorting into the face of a monster as he gripped his nephew's shirt to pul him towards him menacingly. "You touch her again before it's time, and I'l castrate you myself."

Teagan gulped and nodded, his olive skin paling. They al knew Ryan wasn't kidding.

"Wel ," Celine's clear-gla.s.s voice cut through the room.

Eden glared subconsciously at her mother as she narrowed her eyes on Ryan and Teagan. "I told you this is what comes with spoiling the little s.h.i.t." Celine wasn't exactly a fan of Teagan either.

Eden barely listened as Celine and Ryan argued back and forth for a moment. She leaned against Stel an, feeling absolutely drained. To the outside, they probably looked like a handsome, wealthy family just having a regular old dispute. But no. Her parents weren't arguing over Teagan's wilfulness. They were arguing over the fact that Teagan wasn't as careful as Ryan when he kidnapped, tortured, raped and kil ed young men and women.

Ryan was a wealthy businessman, with a lot of contacts, and a powerful ability to compel people to believe anything. The disappearances never trailed back to him. But Teagan was getting lazy.

"I've told you to do something about it! He never listens to anybody!" Celine screamed, her face growing red with her anger, her pale blonde hair shining like a halo around her face. Eden felt Stel an squeeze her arm and she looked up at him grateful y. She seriously didn't think she could make it without him. Or Noah, now, for that matter. Her brother grinned at her and she noticed his own pale blonde hair was brushed for once. He was wearing a nice shirt and pants too.

"Got a date?" She whispered.

He nodded. "But I can cancel."

"What are you two whispering about?" Ryan snapped, shoving Teagan towards to the exit as he glared at his son and daughter, brushing his burnished gold hair back off his forehead. "Teagan not listening?" He guffawed at his wife.

"What about her?!" He pointed at Eden now, his face a cruel mask. "It's time for her G.o.dd.a.m.n Awakening Ceremony! It's happening with or without your approval, Eden." Now Ryan was walking towards her, aggression bristling in every movement.

Stel an shoved Eden behind him and faced his father.

"Look, I'l help Eden. Just give me a little time and I'l have her ready for the Ceremony."

Ryan stopped, his face stil twisted with disapproval.

"And how are you going to accomplish that?"

"I have an idea. I'l let you know if it works."

Seeming to relax at his son's gal , Ryan nodded, threw one last glare at Eden and then shoved his wife and nephew out of the door.

Eden felt her whole body deflate with the tension.

"Thanks Stel," she whispered, dropping onto her bed.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner," his voice sounded tight with anger. "He didn't...

do anything?"

"Nah." She shook her head rea.s.suringly. Then she looked up at him, remembering; confusion drawing her brows together. "Something weird did happen though."

"What?" Stel an frowned.

"I total y threw Teagan across the room. Effortless. You see the wal ." She gestured to the cracks and peeling paint.

Stel an laughed and sat down beside her, picking up the discarded panda bear with no name. "Maybe it just means you'l be kick-a.s.s after you've fed and are one of us." Eden wasn't so convinced. In al the stories, in al the times she'd met other people like them, some already ful blown creatures of the Blessed and others stil awaiting the awakening, she'd never heard of someone who hadn't even fed on their first soul yet taking down one of the Blessed.

Eden groaned and flopped back on her mattress. "I'm not ready, Stel an. I don't care what you promised Ryan and Ceecee."

Stel an snorted. "I told you not to let her hear you cal her that."

"Whatever."

"Come on, Paradise." He nudged her, his dopey smile making her grin back up at him. "Do this for me. Just let me try to change your mind, OK? Who knows... if you become one of the Blessed you'l probably be strong enough to kick Teagan's a.s.s and change Ryan's mind about the betrothal."

Eden froze. "You think?"

Stel an's grin widened. "Total y."