She mused over this for a moment. That was tempting.

Real y tempting.

Stel an nudged her leg. "Wel ? Wil you let me try?"

As his warm grey eyes washed over her face, she thought about how cool and kind her brother was to her. He always had been. And he didn't kil people... he just did what his nature compel ed him to. He wasn't a bad guy right? And maybe if she did this, if she did the Awakening Ceremony, al her anxieties and worries and guilt would just... melt away.

"OK."

That night someone opened the iron door, leaving it open a moment too long. The scream that wrenched through the mansion made Eden stiffen in her bed. She heard the horrified plea just as the iron door slammed shut, a frightening hush descending over the house. Try as she might, Eden couldn't get the picture of the red-headed woman out of her head.

Worse. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She had the power to do something. To help whatever poor soul was trapped down there at the mercy of Ryan and Teagan's perversions.

But she was so scared.

Burrowing deeper into her duvet, Eden began to cry softly into her pil ow to m.u.f.fle the sound.

No matter what she promised Stel an, she didn't know if she could do it.

I can't do it.

Chapter Four.

BFF.

Eden shrugged off the p.r.i.c.kling sensation on the back of her neck that told her she was being fol owed by one of her dad's goons. She picked up her pace, letting her long hair fal in a dark curtain around her face. Not that that would do anything. Bozo behind her would just pick up his pace and... wel ... her hair was what pretty much gave her away since she was the only one in the family with hair as black as midnight.

"Hey, Winslow!"

Eden glanced up and smirked at Noah. He stood by one of the bench seats at the lake, ignoring the Saltonians who had decided to take a Sat.u.r.day morning strol too. A sense of peace flooded Eden's chest even as the hunger snapped from somewhere deep inside her. She reached him with a wry smile on her face. "S'up dude." She nudged him with her shoulder, and then gave a little jerk of her head. "Just a warning, we have a Code Goon a few yards behind us."

Noah frowned and checked out of the goon with barely a flicker of his eyes. She had no idea how he did that. He was so cool and surrept.i.tious. "Clocked him." He nodded grimly and started walking in the opposite direction. Eden dug her hands into her jacket pockets and fol owed. "I thought you were going to talk to your dad about that?" Eden sighed. "Ryan and I aren't exactly on speaking terms these days." They were silent a while as they walked the path along the lake. Subconsciously they moved closer together when they recognised a couple of seniors from school. The group just stared at them with disgust, their eyes washing over Eden and Noah dressed in black, while they popped in their yel ows and pinks and blues. There were no comments made, however. None ever were when Noah was actual y in the vicinity. While Eden found Noah's company soothing, others were a little wary of him. He had this dangerous teen vibe thing going. Eden had told him on more than one occasion that he should trade in his car for a motorcycle.

They pa.s.sed the group and Eden remained silent. She felt Noah glance sharply at her. "Are you OK? You've been quiet al week."

Eden sighed again. She and Noah didn't real y talk about their parents. Noah's mom and dad were academics and social y inept, so Noah had never invited her over to his house because his parents wouldn't like it. And Eden had never invited Noah over to her house because she didn't want him to die. But sometimes al she ever wanted to do was tel him the truth... maybe just to have someone to talk to. And maybe just to see how far she could push their friendship; to test him. In the end, Eden would never tel him because Noah knowing the truth was dangerous, and she would never do anything to put him in jeopardy.

Ryan would hurt him. She knew deep in her bones that if he got the chance, Ryan would do what he had to, to cut her off from al human emotion. He was aware of Noah. The fact that he al owed her to hang out with him told Eden he was hoping Noah was going to be the one to push Eden to her limits.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He was so twisted. No wonder she was messed up. "If I ask you a question, wil you promise not to judge?"

She saw the concern flicker in Noah's eyes but he nodded quietly.

"Do you think... do you think it's possible to hate your parents?" He smirked. "Of course."

"No, Noah." Eden shook her head, swal owing back the bitter rage. "I mean...

really hate them."

She felt his eyes on her face, studying her intently and she flushed. Final y he sighed heavily. "I don't know what to tel you. I guess, I don't know."

"But what about you? How do you feel about your parents?"

"Eden, look-"

"I know we have this unwritten rule that our parents are off limits but I'm not asking for anything, Noah, I just want to know... do you love them?" This time she looked him straight in the eye. For a moment he didn't say anything and she got lost in the clearness of his gaze. The colour had always amazed her, not blue, or purple, but pale violet.

But it wasn't just the colour. There was so much going on behind them and yet there was no deceit there. No hate. No sociopathic blankness. And now, pushing out into the fore was a sadness. A sadness for her.

"I don't talk about my parents much because there isn't a lot to say. However, I also don't talk about them much because I know you don't have a great relationship with yours, and me and my mom and dad are real y good friends. I love them, Eden. I'd die for them." For some reason that made her want to cry. Her throat started closing and she began blinking rapidly to stop the tears.

"Hey dude," he teased, nudging her gently. "I don't judge you for hating your parents right now. I know they're p.i.s.sing you off."

Frustration gnawed at her and she wanted to scream at him that he didn't know anything. She wanted to tel him the truth about who they were, what they wanted of her, what her father intended for her. She laughed humourlessly, bitterness ringing in the sound.

Noah flinched a little, concern tightening his jaw. "You have no idea, Noah. No idea."

"Then tel me."

She shook her head. "It's too sick. And too tragic."

"Eden, you're real y starting to scare me." Noah stopped.

He towered over her, his eyes now narrowed with anger.

Her heart triple beat and a wave of nausea made her stumble back a little. Oh c.r.a.p.

She'd said too much. Her mind whirred as she tried to come up with something, even a little piece of the truth. "It's nothing, I'm probably overreacting. You know what a freak I am."

"If it's nothing just tel me."

She glanced around, catching sight of the goon from the corner of her eye off in the distance. Teagan had teased her about the bodyguards last night. She'd final y had to escape to her room, leaving in the middle of the Xbox game she'd been playing with Stel an.

She'd heard Stel an yel ing at Teagan in admonishment the entire way up to her room.

"M-my cousin," she final y breathed, turning to look back up at Noah, who seemed braced to take on the world for her. She felt warmed by his protectiveness even though she could beat his a.s.s from here until Timbuktu. "It's total y sick, but my mom and dad are pushing Teagan on me."

Noah grimaced, genuine disgust lighting his eyes. "Your cousin? Your first cousin?

That's not even legal."

Eden shrugged, ignoring the moths of revulsion that erupted in her bel y just at the thought of Teagan. She started walking again and Noah fol owed. "Yeah, wel my dad is real y, real y old-fashioned and he loves Teagan, and he has a lot of money to make certain legalities go away."

"Eden, this is twisted."

She ignored the spark of panic that flared in her chest as she said, "Have you final y reached your freak quota? Is this the friendship over?"

"Of course not," he growled, seeming insulted. "But you gotta admit this is weird beyond weird. d.a.m.n, I just wish I could do something..." Suddenly he paled and grasped a hold of Eden's shoulder, pul ing her to a stop with a surprising amount of strength. Eden frowned down at the hand that had halted her so effortlessly. "Teagan hasn't done anything, right? That's not why you've been so quiet al week, because I swear to G.o.d, Eden, I wil rip him apart if he so-"

Eden laughed, happily this time, and braced her hands against his chest to stop him.

He seemed surprised by the gesture and she felt his heart pick up speed under her palm.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and Noah's hand brushed her wrist, sending a flurry of gooseb.u.mps rising up al over her skin. Afraid the hunger would decide to make an appearance, Eden pul ed back and grinned at him, trying to ease the sudden tension.

"Nothing happened. I can take care of myself. I just... my parents are real y trying to drive me up the wal , what with this debut party and now Teagan..." Noah was stil looking at her like he'd never seen her before and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Dude, are you even listening?"

He let go of his breath and grinned. "I told you not to cal me dude."

"Hey, we've been over this. You were given options and you chose dude."

"My options were dude and d.i.c.k. That's not a choice.

That's sadism."

"What is so wrong with dude?"

"Wel every time you say it my IQ drops ten points."

"Wow, and you only started out with ten in the first place.

We must be way into the negatives."

"I'd be a vegetable if that were the case."

Eden made a face. "You said it, not me."

Noah raised his eyebrows. "Keep up the insults and you're going in the lake, Winslow."

She snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh you would, would you?" He reached for her, grabbing her around the waist.

Eden started shrieking.

"You wouldn't dare, Valois!" She yel ed, trying to pul out of his embrace as he dragged her down the gra.s.sy slope towards the lake. Jeez, he was strong for a human. She elbowed him in the gut but it didn't even slow him down.

"Either stop cal ing me dude or you and the lake are going to get pretty friendly."

"No way!" She half-laughed, half-yel ed, tucking her foot around his ankle. They both went down like a ton of bricks, the air whooshing out of Eden's lungs as Noah landed on her. "Get off!" She giggled, pushing at him.

She felt the vibration of his body as he laughed, struggling to untangle them. The weight of him abruptly disappeared and Eden turned to see him towering over her, stil choking on laughter. "You put up a good fight, Winslow." He held his hand out to her. "But we better stop.

The little old lady on that bench looks ready to cal the cops and your goon looks ready to kil me."

Ice immediately tightened around Eden at the thought and she gripped Noah's hand, letting him haul her up off the gra.s.s. She was so dazed, worrying about the goon tel ing her father she was messing around with a human in public, she lost her footing and had to grab on to Noah for balance.

His familiar citrusy scent dove inside her and her hunger latched onto it with a fierceness that debilitated her. Her chest squeezed tight with the need and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, as her eyes landed on his mouth.

Her fingernails curled into his forearms as she imagined Her fingernails curled into his forearms as she imagined tilting his head back and opening his mouth. Al she'd have to do was breathe him in, reach deep inside him and take a little bit of pure, beautiful soul.

Yes. Yes. She could do that.

Her hunger needed it. She needed it. Do it, Eden, do it.

"Eden."

She licked her lips, reaching her hands up to his face.

"Eden!" Noah shook her hard. Blinking fast, Eden looked up and saw his startled gaze.

Oh my G.o.d! Fear made her wrench back from him like he was poisonous. I almost... I almost...

"Eden?"

She felt sick. "I-I..."

"Eden, are you OK?" He asked quietly, his eyes serious.

Hard.

Eden narrowed her own eyes now as he kept his distance. Had he sensed something?

You were staring at his mouth, Eden.

Right. Relief washed over her. Maybe he just thought I was making a move on him.

Better that than the awful truth.

What... that you almost sucked his soul out in public?

"I gotta go, Noah." She stumbled back.

"I thought we were going to get some coffee?" He nodded his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of town.

"Yeah, I can't, I remembered something I have to do." That would be not killing you.

Thank the Lord, Noah sighed as he rounded the corner onto his street. It had taken him forever to get rid of the tail Ryan Winslow had put on him. Another one of the goons that fol owed Eden around. That was the sixth time one of them had fol owed Noah. Ryan was growing suspicious of his daughter's friend. That wasn't good. Neither was Eden's increasing hunger. Clearly, it was getting worse. He shuddered, thinking about the look in her eye at the lake. It wasn't the first time a soul eater had tried to take his soul. It was the first time one he liked and maybe even trusted had tried to. G.o.d, he never thought he'd hear himself say that sentence. He thought of the look of horror on Eden's face when she realised what she had almost done. Noah exhaled, brushing his hair back off his forehead.