“Well…” Christopher shifted uncomfortably and looked at Cyrus. “I don't mind, Princeps.” Cyrus nodded. “Alright.” He turned to Eden now, twisting in his chair to face her. “There is a reason for the Douglas' attitude, Eden.”
Eden felt totally confused, wondering why October had suddenly grown quiet and was looking at her plate unsurely. Eden had only known the girl a couple of days but that didn't look like an expression that applied to her very much. “OK… you know if me knowing is making anyone uncomfortable you can just forget I mentioned anything.”
She caught Noah looking at her sharply from the corner of her eye. She shrugged inwardly. So her attitude was uncharacteristic… she was just feeling a little less selfish these days.
“Nah, it's cool.” October shook her head. “You can tell her, Princeps.” Eden raised an eyebrow at October's weary sigh and turned expectantly to her guardian. “Tell me what?”
“There are many things about the world you have been born to that you are unaware of, Eden.
Things that I will teach you over the coming months. One of them is that there are Neith born with extra abilities. It is rare but it does happen.”
“Abilities?”
“Abilities that vary. For instance, Christopher was born with a heightened sense of intuition.” Whoa, OK. That sounded a little X-Men… heightened sense of intuition… Her jaw dropped. “You mean he's psychic?”
Christopher cleared his throat. “Not exactly. Well… yes… but not in the way you imagine. I sense things about people.”
“Well that's nice and vague, now I really believe you're a psychic.” Mhairi choked on her tea and wiped at her chin with a napkin. “Oh I like this girl, can we keep her?”
Eden grinned at her and they shared a look that warmed Eden down to her very toes.
October wasn't laughing. She was glaring at Eden defiantly. “Hey, my dad's the real deal. OK. He sensed you weren't an evil soul-sucking fiend the minute he met you. I sensed you were a pain in the arse but you don't need to be a psychic to work that one out.” Eden laughed at that, cutting off Alison's reprimand. At the sound of Eden's laughter the tension seemed to melt from October and her shoulders relaxed. She eyed Eden with a wary half smile.
“What Tobe meant was that I sensed the sincerity of your situation and I sense you are indeed one of the Ankh,” Christopher explained. “I've confirmed this with Councilman McLeish. However, my abilities are not something we broadcast. The Councilman knows of it and so do Cyrus and Valeria and now you. But my abilities could make my family and I targets so I appreciate if you keep this to yourself.”
Eden knew all about being a target. “Of course. Your secret is safe with me.” Christopher nodded gratefully. “And as I say, I've advised Councilman McLeish. You should find your next meeting with him a bit pleasanter, I imagine.”
Eden wasn't so sure about that. There was something about McLeish. He had that look in his eye the Neith that had attacked her in Salton and Detroit had. They were horrified by her existence.
McLeish was horrified by her existence. Pushing the unsettling thought to the back of her mind, Eden took a sip of coffee as she tried to project an aura of calm. “OK. So you're psychic. So what else?
Are there Neith who can read minds and set fire to stuff?” She had been joking but when they all glanced at one another silently, her lips parted in surprise. “You're kidding right?” Cyrus shrugged. “I told you there are Neith out there with particular abilities. However, they are extremely rare.”
Holy moly. She slumped back against her chair thinking about it. What if Neith with those kinds of abilities came after her? Would she be able to handle them? As she worried about it, her gaze got caught in Noah's again and she glowered at him. “Did you know about this?” He covered his surprise at her attack by shrugging carelessly. It was as if he was deliberately trying to annoy her! “Chris? No. Neith. Yes.”
“And you didn't tell me?”
He rolled his eyes. “When could I have told you? The day you weren't speaking to me, or the day after when you still weren't speaking to me?”
Ugh he was such a pain in the-
Just a complete and utter ass with-
Infuriating, irritating, treacherous-
“OK.” October watched her wide-eyed. “I was wrong. That eye colour is working for you… if you could drown and suffocate him with that look I think you would.”
“Eden.” Cyrus sighed. “This is not Noah's fault. I told you we would discuss everything you needed to know after your transition.”
As always his voice relaxed her and she turned to look up at him. “Well, when can we start? I want to know everything. I want to train. I want to start being an Ankh.” He smiled at her enthusiasm but shook his head. “You've just come through a traumatic experience. We will take a few days. Relax and enjoy the city.” Her mouth twisted in a moue at the announcement that her training was postponed.
“I could take you to the castle, Eden,” October offered with feigned indifference. “It's pretty cool.”
I do want to see the castle… “OK.” Eden nodded and she felt everyone at the table breathe a sigh of relief. Jeez, they acted like she was a monster tantrum child from hell. She rolled her eyes and October caught the look and smiled. Eden smiled back, wondering if she and this girl were going to become friends. She'd never had a female friend before. Well… there was Val but Val didn't count because she acted more like a mother or a big sister than anything else. “Sorry I dissed Rob,” she apologised with a teasing smile.
October grunted. “Like you're the first.”
“Don't worry about it, Eden,” Alison interjected. “She keeps those posters up out of a perverse need to irritate her friends.”