I’m a monster.
But not a murderer.
“I can’t do it.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
“You have to, Paradise.”
Eden flinched, her head jerking up to find Stellan standing in the doorway to her bathroom, his eyes sympathetic but resolved. “How long have you been there?”
He sighed. “Long enough.”
The tears splashed down her cheeks. “I can’t, Stel. I can’t.”
He dropped to his knees before her, smoothing her hair back, his pale grey eyes fastened on hers. “You’ll die, Eden. If you don’t, you’ll die.” His eyes shone bright with unshed tears. “And I can’t live without you.”
Her whole body began to shake with broken sobs. “I don’t want to be like them.”
“I know,” Stellan whispered, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into his chest. He was comfort, he was safe and warm. “You won’t be. We’ll take care of each other. We’ll make sure we never become like them.”
“Promise?” She clenched her fingers into his shirt, the hunger already making itself known after only minutes cowed by her disgust at what she’d found in the basement. It was no use.
Stellan sighed and kissed her forehead softly. “I promise, Paradise.”
They held each other tighter. These two unusual Blessed. One another’s safest harbor.
Chapter Sixteen
A Winslow Massacre
The drug was taking its time to leave his system. Noah yanked at the chains cuffed around his wrists and clamped into the floor of the dining room. The marble flooring was destroyed. Guess they didn’t care anymore.
Noah growled and yanked again, frustrated by the weakness in his limbs. An Ankh, when injected with what would be a lethal poison to a human, was rendered weak and pretty much useless until the drug had left his system.
He felt his skin crawl at the feel of the soul eaters’ greedy eyes on him. There was about twenty of them, all huddled around the edges of the dining room, drinking champagne and grinning at the thought of his coming demise. He knew enough about these repulsive creatures’ habits to know that Ryan had decided on poetic justice this evening. Noah was to be Eden’s victim. His soul was to be the one that would awaken her fully and make her one of the ‘Blessed’. If that happened, there would be no going back.
Clearly for either of them, he sighed, slumping. At least his vision had cleared. Not that that would do him any use. Even his ankles had been bound, with a springy metal wire that cut into him whenever he moved. He’d be lucky if it didn’t slice his skin right through. It was painful, even if he did keep healing after every cut.
Ryan Winslow entered the room, followed by his wife Celine. Noah smirked, watching them, refusing to show fear. He could only hope the Ankh and Neith’s plans went off without a hitch and they rescued both himself and Eden… for he was no use at present.
The Winslow’s looked like a normal, attractive wealthy couple… if you didn’t look too closely at their blank eyes, or the cruel quirk of their upper lips. Noah couldn’t see anything of Eden in Ryan’s face. Except for those cool, pale eyes. And yet he never once remembered Eden’s being blank. Even when she’d obviously hungered for his soul there had been something in them that screamed she was still in there, still knew what she wanted was wrong and was fighting it.
Would she fight it tonight?
Does she know I’m here?
Part of Noah was unsure. Eden had always balanced upon the precipice and he was afraid his apparent betrayal may have thrown her clear over the edge.
Come on, Cyrus, Noah shuddered now. Cyrus had to make it in time in case she was gone, in case someone needed to drag her back from the soul eater half of her nature.
“Ladies and Gentleman, members of the Blessed,” Ryan suddenly called out into the room, his voice deep and clear and cold. “I want to thank you all for coming here tonight. For taking time out of your busy schedules to join me and my family in the celebration of our youngest child’s awakening. Eden is a special girl and tonight will be the beginning of all my hopes for her. I predict that after tonight my daughter will become extraordinary.”
Noah sneered at him as the gatherers raised their glasses to Ryan with murmurs of agreement and approval.
“Let us begin.” Ryan turned towards the door. “Eden?”
The door slowly opened and Noah saw Eden’s brother, Stellan, dressed dapper in a black tuxedo suit. He glanced behind him, his arm reaching back for someone. As Stellan drew inside, he shifted, and Eden came into view, her hand gripping her brother’s so hard her knuckles were white.
Noah felt sick.