Blood Will Tell - Samantha Young Page 0,1

before. Her big brother was always developing faster than everyone else; he was smarter, taller, quicker. And he’d awoken a couple of years before the average soul eater. Ryan was so proud. As for Stellan, Eden could hear the awe and wonder in his voice at this new cycle in his life.

“But what daddy does…?” The woman’s face flashed before her eyes, begging Eden to help her. She began to cry quietly.

She felt her brother tense beneath her. “Dad gives into his instincts when he shouldn’t. I think Teagan is going the same way.”

Teagan was their cousin. He had come to live with them after his father, Ryan’s brother, had been killed along with his wife. Eden still didn’t know how they had died – she hadn’t thought the Blessed were easily killed – and her father refused to tell her. Teagan was a year older than Stellan, and Ryan seemed to prefer him to his own children.

“Does mom do it, too?”

She felt Stellan shake his head. “Mom’s like me. Or I’m like her, I guess. She’s more cautious of us being found out.”

Eden had a horrible thought. “Would you want to? Do what daddy does, I mean?”

At his continued silence, Eden looked up into her brother’s face and saw the longing there. He clenched his fists and his jaw. “It’s there. The desire to do it… But I know it’s wrong, so I won’t,” he promised.

“Is it wrong because you’d be killing a human or wrong because you’d breaking the law?”

Sighing again, Stellan brushed her hair back off her face in easy affection. “You’ll understand, Paradise, when you’re older. We can’t help our nature. But we can try and control it.”

She was silent and pale.

Finally, Stellan grinned down at her. “This is no way to celebrate your birthday. Come on.” He settled her on her feet, grabbing her hand. Gently he began dragging her downstairs. Stellan took her through the back rooms and out onto the huge balcony that descended into twin stairs, leading out onto their land at the back of the house. By the time he had chased her through the gardens he had her laughing and giggling again. He swung her up into his arms as he caught her at the end, near their mother, Celine’s, prized fountain and turned her to where her gift awaited.

“Happy Birthday, Paradise.”

At the sight of the pony, she squealed in childish delight.

The nightmares that began that night lasted longer than the pony.

Chapter One

Not Your Average ‘Nobody’

Salton, Michigan

Her English teacher droned on in the background but Eden Winslow wasn’t really paying attention. She was gazing in frustration out of the classroom window, out through the school parking lot, past the front gates and at the library across the street. Two guys in sunglasses sat on the steps, one reading a newspaper, the other sipping coffee. Their faces were totally familiar.

Her dad really thought she was stupid. He was sooo paranoid.

She nearly snorted out loud as she watched the two men trying to look inconspicuous. It was a dull, cloudy day outside… maybe they should have reconsidered the sunglasses. Morons. Jeez, her dad actually thought she had no idea he had bodyguards tailing her back and forth from school and wherever else she went.

Noah thought she should talk to him about it. Get him to stop.

Noah didn’t know Ryan.

Mmm. Noah. She felt her chest constrict with the hunger.

“… career week in a few weeks and it has inspired me.” Miss Travis grinned excitedly at the class. Eden groaned, even though she was kind of glad Travis had distracted her. Still it never boded well when Miss Travis got inspired. And to be inspired by the upcoming, dismal career week? Joy. “I want all of you to write a short, autobiographical piece about your lives, as though you’re eighty years old and have already lived it. What will stand out about your life when you’re old and wrinkly and have time to contemplate it?”

The screams, Eden thought, a cold sweat breaking out across the top of her skin.

“Well, we all know how Andie’s going to end up.” Maria Roth smirked at the shy girl across the aisle from her. Andie immediately turned bright red, her eyes widening with panic as everyone turned to stare. “In some freakshow for mutes.”

The class tittered at the dig until Miss Travis hushed them. Eden barely registered her admonishing the girl. She was too busy shooting daggers at Maria. Everyone picked on Andie because she was painfully shy.