Blood Past

know Eden will come running to rescue you.” He winked at him and Noah suddenly felt sick as he understood what Teagan meant to do. “Cyrus won’t be able to stop her if you’re involved. So Eden comes running, I use you as leverage to get what I want, you go free, I get Eden as Eden once was and Cyrus gets what’s coming to him. We all win.”

Noah snorted and gripped his sword, ready to fight. “Go screw yourself, Winslow.”

“See, I thought you might say something incredibly rude like that,” Teagan tutted, shaking his head. “That’s why I brought incentives.”

To Noah’s horror the soul eaters didn’t rush to attack him, they both pulled out knives and turned on October and Cameron. Eyes scanning the two huge guys, Noah’s brain raced to calculate how he could take them out and then get to Teagan. As the one standing over Tobe began to swipe the knife towards her, Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out his pen knife. In a shimmer of movement he flicked it open and launched it at the soul eater’s hand. The lug cried out and dropped his weapon, turning on Noah just as Noah reached him. He sliced the Katsara in an upwards stroke across the soul eater’s torso, blood spreading rapidly across the monster’s shirt. Before the soul eater could even comprehend the wound, Noah brought the sword back down and across from its upward swing and took the piece of crap’s head clean off. Feeling the other soul eater launch towards him, Noah struck his sword out behind him, feeling the impact and vibration of it plunge into the guy’s stomach.

Triumphant, he was just about to pull it out and spin around to finish the job, when he felt a familiar prick in his upper arm. Horrified, he jerked around to catch Teagan pull out the needle and smile at him.

“Don’t worry. I’m a man of honour. These two go free. But you and I have a plane to catch.”

“You son-”

Noah forgot the rest of the words, any words, as Teagan’s face blurred before him. And just as he fell into the darkness only a lethal toxin could immerse him in, he heard Teagan say, “Now let’s get what we came for, let’s grab Grandma and go.”

Chapter Twenty Four. The Dark Side

It had been six hours and there was still no trace of Teagan, Noah and Mhairi. They were gone.

The note Teagan had left was crumpled in Eden’s hands, her knuckles white from clutching it so hard. They’d returned to the house as fast as they could once they realised Teagan had deceived them, but it was too late. Alison was already cleaning Tobe and Cameron’s wounds while Tobe cursed and raged at what had happened to them. When Eden had stepped into the room, her eyes wildly searching for Noah, she wasn’t surprised when Alison handed her a note when she asked for him.

Hey Paradise,

It’s been a while. I miss my fiance, even if she is cheating on me with scum. Speaking of said scum, I’ve got your boy Noah and the old gal. Want them back? Go home to the States, Beautiful.

I’ve left instructions at the gatehouse of Cyrus the Piss-ant’s establishment. Looking forward to seeing you, Babe. Missed you.

Teagan x

All it had taken was a phone call to confirm that a package had indeed been left for Eden at Cyrus’ gatehouse. The look in Cyrus’ eyes when he was given the confirmation was a like kick to the back of Eden’s knees. She almost went tumbling down.

As the family bustled about around her, she had to stop herself from screaming the windows out.

When Tobe and Cameron had been taken she’d been afraid and angry.

But Noah…

Eden was consumed with fury and terror. She couldn’t lose him. First Stellan, now Noah. No. That Teagan had taken Mhairi as well was a mystery to them. Well a mystery to Eden. She didn’t like the closed-off suspicious look in Cyrus’ eyes, but when she asked him about it he told her to stay calm, that Teagan had probably taken Mhairi as an extra precaution in case Noah got away from them.

“He knows you would never leave Mhairi in his hands, Eden. He is just covering all his bases.” Eden had wanted to believe him but she knew, just knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. Her fury over Noah’s kidnapping kept her from questioning him. It was exhausting and when Cyrus wanted to keep something to himself he was unmoving.

“Our things packed yet?” Eden asked in a raspy voice as Val entered the sitting room.

Her mentor nodded. “Tobe’s awake if you want to say goodbye.” After she’d come down from the swearing and the caterwauling, Tobe had collapsed in exhaustion. Cameron had hovered over her worriedly before his mother insisted he get home to get some sleep. Eden had shared a quick distracted embrace with him; glad he was OK, sad to be saying goodbye.

She didn’t even know how she was supposed to say goodbye to Tobe.

“Hey,” October said softly as Eden slid into her room. “You’re leaving.” Eden nodded, her jaw clenched tight. “He has Mhairi and Noah” Tobe’s eyes flashed before she blinked back tears. “I know. Mum and dad say Cyrus won’t let them go with you to get her back.” She choked on a sob. “Bring her back, Eden. Please.” Holding burning tears prisoner in her throat, Eden nodded. “I’m going to.” Tobe nodded, slumping back against her pillows, weary and scared. “Noah tried to fight, Eden,” she assured her. “He wasn’t going to let him do this to you but the bugger had help and he stuck Noah before he knew what was what. After that he just took Mhairi and there was nothing we could do. Mum tried to fight but they would have killed her.”

“Noah got one of them though,” Eden whispered, thinking about the body they’d recovered from the backyard. She wouldn’t be surprised if a neighbour had seen something. McLeish would have to scramble to cover it up if that were true. McLeish. She still hadn’t figured out what was going on with him.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered but getting Noah and Mhairi back. A red haze clouded over her vision.

Tobe frowned. “Eden, I’ve never seen you like this, it’s scary.”

“I feel scary.”

Her insides felt raw, her bones brittle, her blood was so enflamed with wrath it seemed to be rushing at super speed around her body as if trying to put itself out. There was an ugliness inside her again, an ugliness she’d thought had disappeared after her transition.

“You’ll get him back, Eden.”

She nodded tightly. “And then I’m going take Teagan’s head off with my bare hands.”

“I think you mean that.”

Eden suddenly strode towards her, her anger pushing her. “Did he touch you?” Tobe swallowed. “It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“Tobe?”

“He beat me up, but there was no funny stuff so you can rest easy.” She hadn’t realised how much the thought had been bothering her until the air escaped out of her lungs with relief. “I’m still going to kill him.”

“Get in a stab for me, will you?”

Eden smiled sadly and leaned down to hug her. “Of course.” Tobe held on fiercely. “Cam and I kept each other safe, Eden. We’re fine. You just concentrate on getting my Nana and Noah back.”

“I hate leaving you like this.”

Pushing her back Tobe responded with a no-nonsense look. “Go. If I could I would.”

***

The jet was too small for Eden’s emotions. She paced up and down, concentrating on the anger trying not to let the fear in. But that little voice kept creeping in, telling her Teagan would probably kill Noah just for being Ankh, so the fact that he meant something to Eden pretty much assured his demise. As for Mhairi… what did