body pressed against hers. “It wasn’t about judging you. It was about determining the depth of your human emotions even with your soul eater half intact.”
Noah’s words relaxed her a little. “You mean it was a good thing?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
He nudged her again and she felt him grin. “But you know what? It wouldn’t have mattered anyway what he thought. Cyrus is doing this with or without Darius’ approval.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Don’t.”
“But I thought Darius was Cyrus’ superior?”
“He’s older than him. And he’s stronger. A lot stronger. But they’re friends, not master and subordinate.”
“Oh.”
They were quiet a moment as a car pulled in next to them and a couple got out. Eden’s ears rang with their musical accents, some words she totally understood, others well… But it wasn’t the accent that got her. It was the strength of her need for their souls. The further they drew away from them, the hunger lessened. Eden swore under her breath.
“What?” Noah frowned, worry creasing his brows.
She scowled at his concern. “Darius woke up the beast. Do you think it’s safe to take another dose?”
Noah shrugged. “I suppose not.”
“What the hell is he anyway?” she griped. “I mean that energy… Jesus Christ, I’ve never felt anything like that in my life before.” When he smirked, she exhaled wearily. “OK, just tell me, ‘cause I’m sick of the whole cloak and dagger crap.”
“Fine.” Noah grabbed her arm and opened the passenger side door of Cyrus’ car. “Get in.”
“Why?”
“Privacy.”
Not really wanting anything that amounted to privacy with Noah but too damn curious for her own good, Eden did as she was told. She waited impatiently for Noah to get into the car and then turned to him in exasperation. “Well?”
“Well,” he began, “Darius is kind of different from us.”
“Like how?”
He smirked again. That smirk was really starting to drive her crazy. “There are some people who believe what I’m about to tell you is a legend. Others even believe Darius is dead because he’s like a ghost among us...”
“And the truth?”
“What they believe is legend is actually true.”
“And what is that exactly, Mr ‘Don’t I know how to drag out a conversation with an unwilling participant’?”
Ignoring her, Noah looked out of the window and up at the travel inn as if searching out the window of the room Darius occupied. “No one knows just how old Darius is exactly. What we do know is that he was the first of us and because of it very, very favoured among the gods.” His words quite literally carried weight, crushing in on the car and eating up oxygen. That strange and abrupt change in atmosphere convinced Eden that what Noah was telling her was the truth. “Did you see the tattoo on Darius’ wrist?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a wedjat. The Eye of Horus. Horus thinks of Darius as a brother in arms-”
“Wait, who is Horus again?” She tried not blush at her total lack of Egyptian mythology (or not so mythological) knowledge.
Noah frowned at her. “Horus is the god of the sky. He’s also the god of war and the son of Isis and Osiris.”
“Oh, Osiris is the god of the dead right?”
He didn’t look nearly as impressed with her knowledge as she felt. “Right. And Isis is the goddess of life, protector of the dead... She’s… like Mother Nature.”
“OK.”
“All three of them favour Darius.”
Eden’s eyes widened. “All three of them?”
“Yes.” Noah looked just as awed as she was feeling. “I don’t know exactly what that means but I’ve heard things.”
“What kind of things?”
He shrugged. “Words such as ‘god-like’ have been thrown about.” Her jaw dropped. “Darius is a god?!”
“I said god-like. God-like. Not a god. But let’s just say I wouldn’t want to piss him off.” Shimmying in her seat, Eden followed Noah’s gaze out of the window and upwards. “Why, if he’s so totally powerful - and believe me, after what I experienced in there, I am not questioning that – is he not Princeps?”
Noah grabbed the door handle, his eyes going to the entrance of the travel inn. “He’s kind of a recluse. Doesn’t like the politics. He just wants to kill soul eaters.” Eden turned around and saw Cyrus and Valeria walking towards them. Noah slid out of the driver’s seat but before he shut the door Eden called out to him.
“What?” He ducked his head back in.
Keeping her expression blank and her tone cold, she said, “This conversation doesn’t constitute friendship, Noah. I still hate you.”
His own pale eyes flashed. “Yeah, like I ever believed