only really made tense by Eden’s obvious uneasiness. She felt Cyrus squeeze her shoulder as they sidled out of the elevator. Calling herself all kinds of wuss, Eden threw her shoulders back and followed the Ankh determinedly down the hall. Feeling Noah’s knowing smile on her, she slowly turned to glare at him, which only made his grin grow wider. Huffing at him, Eden almost missed the charge of electricity that shot through her body. The further down the corridor they travelled, however, the hotter and deeper the vibration became, thrumming through her whole system. She knew it wasn’t normal.
“What’s going on?” She drew to an abrupt halt, staring at the three of them, trying to mask her sudden fear.
Cyrus nodded. “That would be Darius you are feeling.”
With no more explanation (not that that had really been one) Cyrus finally came to a stop outside one of the rooms. He knocked on the door, two slow raps and then three short raps. The latch on the door popped but the door itself didn’t swing open. It was kind of creepy. And Eden knew a lot about creepy. Bracing herself against the abnormal amount of energy radiating from the room, Eden followed her companions into it. Cyrus shut the door behind him and Eden watched as he then crossed the room to shake hands with its sole occupant. He wasn’t what Eden had been expecting. He wasn’t as tall as Cyrus, nor Noah. At about 5“10 he should have appeared short next to them. But he didn’t. He was a compact man, muscular and powerful looking. What was most striking was the way he moved; his gestures were animalistic and controlled. He was the epitome of strength and grace, and the sheer force of the energy that emanated from him was un-freaking-believable.
As the man shook hands with Noah and then hugged Valeria close, Eden’s pulse pounded harder and harder as the monster within whined in irritation. From Darius there was no sense of soul.
Well… not exactly. There was something. Something molten and formidable… not pure… but sparkling with such crystal clarity it was hypnotising. And yet… she did not hunger for whatever it was, which made her question its very property as a soul.
“This must be Eden.”
Eyes narrowed, Eden watched as the man approached slowly.
“Eden.” Cyrus strolled over to them as they eyed one another. “This is Darius.” Minding her manners, Eden stuck out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir.” Darius’ full mouth quirked up at the corner and his black eyes sought Cyrus. Those eyes gave nothing away, almost as blank as that of a soul eater. He took her hand and Eden was almost blown off her feet by his power.
“What the-”
“Eden,” Cyrus interjected before she could say anything that would be construed as rude. “Darius wanted to meet with you before the change.”
“I see.”
“Come,” Darius commanded in his deep voice, gesturing to the dining table at the window that overlooked the freeway — or motorway, as the Brits called it. “Let’s sit.” As Eden took a seat, ignoring the heat of Noah’s body so close to hers as he sat in the chair beside her, she studied Darius. Like Cyrus he only appeared to be in his early thirties but Eden didn’t think he was as handsome as Cyrus. There was something too austere about his hawk-like features to label him handsome… but his dark skin and eyes were just as exotic. And Eden had to admit Darius’ was a face you felt compelled to stare at.
“I hear you have had a difficult time, Eden,” he began.
She shrugged but cleared her throat when Noah elbowed her, reminding her who she was speaking to. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”
“You lost your family. Your brother.”
At the mere mention of Stellan Eden went cold inside. “Yes,” she managed through clenched teeth, narrowing her eyes. Suddenly she didn’t care who this guy was.
Darius’ expression didn’t change. He shifted forward, leaning over the table towards her. Eden’s eyes flickered down at the movement and caught on the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. The design was a stylised eye that seemed familiar to her. She sifted through her memories trying to place the design. A recollection from when she was little, of Stellan sitting next to her on her bed flicking through pages of a book on Egyptian mythology, flashed across her mind. The eye throbbed black in the memory. That tattoo was definitely Egyptian.
“Stellan.”
Eden flinched at the name and looked back up into Darius’ face.
“That was your brother’s name, was it not?”
“Yes.”
“Do you miss him?”
Heart pounding like crazy now, Eden’s rage fought the effects of the drug Cyrus had given her, waking up her hunger. Noah’s soul, the one that had always tormented her most, reached out to her with warm fingers.
“Eden,” Cyrus warned.
She glared at him, her eyes saying,
“Eden.” Noah reached for her, as if to calm her, and she slapped his arm away, jerking to her feet.
“Just answer the question,” Darius’ voice rumbled through her. Just as she imagined compulsion must work, Eden knew she’d answer.
“Yes,” she hissed. “I miss him.”
“How much?”
“What-”
“Answer.”
Trembling now, feeling ambushed, Eden felt angry tears prick her eyes.
Shuddering at the need inside her, a need that hadn’t been so strong since she’d begun taking the drug, Eden dropped her eyes and bit her hands into the edge of the table. She could feel their gazes burning into her. She knew her eyes had bled white; they knew her hunger was trying to take control of her.
“It’s like someone has cut off my arm,” she snarled in a voice that was barely recognisable. “I keep expecting him to bound through the door, or send me a funny text. I dream he’s still alive. And when I wake up, the agony is… The days when I feel numb are better. Hard. And numb. I can live with that.”
They were all quiet. That hushed kind of quiet. It was the first time she’d ever vocalised the depth of her despair over losing Stellan. She knew they didn’t understand. How could she possibly love a soul eater? Was this Darius’ test? Had he decided her love for her brother made her unworthy?”
“Do you want vengeance for his death?”
“Yes!” she snapped, her eyes burning now. She glanced down at Noah who refused to look away.
His girlfriend, a Warrior of Neith called Romany, had killed Stellan. She knew now that Romany and Noah had split up. Valeria had cracked a joke about it on the plane just before they landed. An awkward ten minutes had followed as she realised mentioning Romany in any capacity was a bad idea. “I want vengeance.”
“Will you take that vengeance?”
Somehow, she knew this ancient warrior would know if she lied. Holding his gaze determinedly, the hunger mistook her meaning, roaring in triumph as she replied, “If I ever see her again, I will kill her.”
Darius nodded. His complete lack of expression was frustrating as all hell. Still trembling, Eden waited, aware of some kind of deliberation going on inside his head.
“Noah.” Darius didn’t break eye contact with her. “Please take Eden out to the car. Cyrus and Valeria will join you soon.”
“Of course. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Darius.”
