The Blood Bracelets #1: Blood Bound

Chapter Twenty

The scavenger's head rolled out of Ace's jacket and onto the stage. Meg made a sickened sound in the back of her throat and covered her mouth, suddenly looking very pale. Ace, on the other hand, looked rather impressed with himself.

Eden quirked her brow at him. 'That's disgusting. Why would you show me that?'

The expression was wiped off his face and he glanced to Kael, deflated. 'But Kael said—'

Kael cut him off. 'Ace has a twisted sense of humour. I apologise for him.' 

Ace, realisation dawning that Kael had set him up, swore under his breath and grabbed the head. He took it to the bin in the corner of the theater room and dumped it. 

Throwing a glare Kael's way, Ace sat in one of the audience seats. Eden had been practicing on stage when they returned, Meg going over Eden's schedule for the next week. The theatre was lit now by fluorescent lights on the ceiling, dispelling the atmosphere that had helped capture the audience during Eden's performance. 

'Your scavengers are dead,' said Kael, 'obviously. Now arrange the meeting.'

Eden stepped down off the stage, her tall, pointed heels clicking against the floor. 'I already have,' she said calmly. 'I consider myself a good judge of character, so when you accepted my request I knew you would follow through.'

'You couldn't have told us before we just took on a pack of scavengers?' Ace said. 

Eden smiled. 'Of course not. I still wanted them gone, after all.' 

Typical Alchemist, thought Kael. 

'The Queen is expecting you,' said Eden, 'follow me.'

Kael was surprised, but it was Ace who voiced it, 'She's here? Already?'

Eden led them back down the corridor behind the theatre. 'She was actually rather intrigued to meet you.' As Ace was about to grin at the ego boost, Eden quickly amended, 'Not you. The Animas.'

Ace glowered.

They were heading for Eden's room again, but Meg stopped half-way, allowing the others to pass. She didn't look as if she'd be joining them. 

Eden opened her door – and walked into a different room altogether. It was no longer her decorated, warmly lit quarters but instead a large boardroom, a heavy, polished rosewood table in the centre of the room with a chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling, lit by flames that had no candles. The carpet was a plush cream, the walls a deep red, and the Queen was sitting at the head of the table, her silver hair draping her shoulders. 

Kael could tell there was a Doorway in the doorway of Eden's room and instantly he was cautious. The thing about Doorways was that they could be closed and never opened again, and the Queen was likely to lock them in that room just to have some entertainment for the night. 

Ace, naturally, walked right on in. 

Kael sighed. 

He felt the Doorway slip over him like freezing fingers ghosting over his skin. It wasn't the same sensation as any other Doorway he had been through, like Julius', but it was still just as unpleasant. On the other side he gained his bearings and Eden closed the door behind him. 

The Queen didn't look as eager to see them as Eden had hinted to. 

She was a tall woman, Kael could tell even while she sat, and she wore a straight business suit, the black blazer over a crimson blouse. It wasn't what Kael had expected, since the title "queen" conjured up images of traditional royal clothing of sorts, like robes and heavy dresses, but he guessed she was a queen in an entirely different context.