"Why?"
Acheron stepped away from him. "Your orders are simple. Take her back to the swamp. I don't know how much of the drug they gave her, but I'm sure she'll still be feeling it when she wakes up. Trust me, when she does, she's going to put a really big smile on your face."
"Trust you," Talon repeated. "Funny how you keep saying that when you never trust anyone with even the most basic facts about yourself. Why is that, Ash?"
As expected, Ash didn't answer. And in that instant, Talon realized how Sunshine must feel when dealing with him.
It was a wonder she tolerated him at all.
"Hey Ash," Vane called from downstairs. "There's something down here you need to see."
Talon picked Sunshine up and carried her downstairs. Ash followed behind them.
Vane and Fang were in a small room off the main one. On the far wall someone had painted an eerie Greek symbol of three women and a flock of doves. Three notes were taped to it-one above each woman's head.
Talon saw that one was for him, one for Sunshine, and one for Ash.
Crossing the room, Acheron pulled the letters down, opened the one addressed to Talon and read it out loud. " 'You didn't listen to me, Celt. I warned you to keep her in your swamp where she would be safe.
" 'I'll bet it's now tearing you up that you don't know when, where, and how I'm going to kill her. But rest assured, I am going to kill her.' "
He opened Sunshine's next and read it out loud as well. " 'Talon, are you reading Sunshine's letters? What? Don't you trust your girlfriend?
" 'Don't worry. She hasn't been unfaithful to you. At least not yet, though it was hard. We had to tie her down to keep her from screwing every one of us.' "
Talon bellowed with rage. "So help me, I'm going to find that son of a bitch and rip his heart out."
Furious, Ash opened the last one, but this time he didn't read it out loud.
The note was addressed to him. The handwriting was different.
I know you, little brother. I know all you've done. I know how you live.
Most of all, I know the lies you tell yourself so that you can sleep.
Tell me, what would your Dark-Hunters think of you if they ever learned the truth about you?
Keep them out of my way or I'll see them all dead.
And you I'll be seeing on Mardi Gras.
Ash balled the note up in his fist and disintegrated it with his thoughts. Impotent rage rushed through him, setting fire to his blood. If Styxx wanted a war, then he'd better gather a whole lot more Daimons.
Styxx had no idea what he was playing against.
"What did that one say?" Talon asked.
"Nothing. Take Sunshine to your place and keep her there until the drug wears off, then call me." Ash rubbed his eyes as the Katagaria led them from the building.
Once outside, Talon placed Sunshine in the car while the others stood nearby.
Vane had his arms folded over his chest as he looked at Ash. "So, Ash, where does all this leave you?"
"Basically screwed. In the next twenty-four hours I have to find a way to get Zarek out of here before the cops find him, and unless I miss my guess, the next act of my nemesis will be to tell Kyrian and Julian who their new neighbor is."
Talon caught Acheron's gaze. "He wants your attention scattered and unfocused."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, and he's doing a really good job at it."
An idea occurred to Talon. "You know, I think we've all been forgetting something."
"And that is?"
Talon indicated the Katagaria to remind Acheron that the wolf patria wasn't the only group of Were-Hunters in town. "That your pal doesn't know about Sanctuary. I think we need to go put the bear clan on standby. I'm sure Papa Peltier and the boys would be more than happy to lend us a hand on Mardi Gras. They owe me a few favors, and if the Daimons come out like they did tonight, we'll be needing all the help we can get."
"True."
"And if I were you," Talon continued, "I'd go ahead and break the news to Kyrian about Valerius just like you were planning on doing. And keep Zarek on standby here in the city."
"What about the police?"
"Trust me, T-Rex, I know my city. The police will be so distracted on Mardi Gras that Zarek could introduce himself to them and they wouldn't realize it's him. But if I were you, I'd pretend that I was getting Z out of here just in case your 'friend' is watching. Call Mike and have him fly in and ride Eric out under the cover of darkness so that they'll think it's Z. And keep Zarek in hiding and bury Valerius until that night."
Acheron set his jaw. "It's risky."
"So's living in a swamp."
Vane moved forward. "I can set up sentries around Talon's place. If they make a move on him again, Fang and I can be there in a heartbeat."
"Why are you willing to help us?" Talon asked. "I thought it was your policy to let Dark-Hunters rot."
"It is. But I still owe Acheron a debt." He turned to Acheron. "After this is over, consider it paid in full."
Acheron nodded. "Done."
Talon said his goodbyes to the group, then got in the car and headed home.
As he drove away from the district, he reached over and took Sunshine's hand into his and held on to it tight. Her bones felt so fragile in his palm and yet he knew the strength this lady possessed. The grace and determination.
He'd been so afraid when Camulus had taken her.
He didn't like living with this fear. He didn't like feeling anything. He'd been without emotions for so long that having them now hurt even more.
How he missed his calm serenity. He was used to having complete control and yet every time he looked at her he felt his emotions spin out of control.
Sunshine touched him so deep in his heart that he knew he'd never be the same again. And it wasn't just because she was Nynia. It was because she was her.
Sunshine held strength, courage, and fire. She was her own person and he loved the challenge of her.
She was precious to him.
Talon loved her more now than he ever had as a man. And the pain of that thought was enough to cripple him.
Talon got her back to his place and laid her carefully on his futon. He wasn't sure what Acheron had done to her, but she slept peacefully.
His phone rang.
He answered it to find Ash on the other end.
"Did you make it back with her?"
"Yeah, she's still asleep."
"Good. I was worried about you two."
He frowned. It was Acheron's voice but that wasn't something Acheron would normally admit to.
All his instincts went on full alert. This was definitely not Acheron. The voice and tone were the same, but now that he knew there were two of them, he could hear the difference in their personalities.
This was the imposter.
"So how long do you think it'll be before the drug leaves her system?" Talon asked.
"I don't know. One dose can keep you pumped anywhere from one to three days."
"Really? You seem to know a lot about it."
"Yeah, well, when I was mortal I was so addicted to it that I was willing to sell my soul for it."
"And who might you be?" Talon asked.
"Excuse me?"
"I know you're not Acheron."
A dark laugh sounded in his ear. "Very good, Dark-Hunter. Very good. For that, I shall let you and Sunshine live another day."
Talon snorted. "Boy, you've got a lot to learn about me if you think you could ever be a threat to me or mine. You come near her again and I'll make boots out of your hide."
"Oh, I don't think so. But I am impressed that this time you figured me out. I had begun to wonder if you would ever be able to tell us apart."
Talon tightened his grip on the phone. "Yeah well, if you're going to impersonate Acheron, you might try learning a little more about him."
"Trust me, Dark-Hunter," he said, his voice confident and evil. "I know Acheron a lot better than you do. I know things about him that would stun you into silence and make you hate him forever. He's not what you and the others think."
"I've known him for fifteen centuries. I think by now I know a thing or two about his character."
"Do you?" he asked sarcastically. "Did you know that he had a sister he let die? That she was only a few feet down the hall, screaming for his help. And while he lay in a drugged and drunken stupor, she was torn to pieces?"
Talon was horrified by what the man described. But he knew Acheron better than that. Acheron would never, drugged or not, be so far gone that he wouldn't render aid to a stranger. When it came to those who fell under his protection, Acheron would move heaven itself to keep them safe.
"I don't believe you."
"You will. Before I am through here, all of you will learn the truth of him." The imposter hung up the phone.
Talon tossed his phone to the nightstand and ran his hands over his face. This was a nightmare.
He was torn between his need to protect a friend he had known a thousand lifetimes and a woman whose soul meant more to him than his own life.
And he'd never felt more helpless. Not even when he had watched his uncle slain. At least then he'd held a weapon in his hand and had seen his attackers.
This time, there was nothing solid to grasp onto. There were two enemies out there. One pretending to be Acheron and the other a cowardly god with a vicious vendetta.
What was he going to do?
He turned around and looked at Sunshine.
Her black hair was a dark cloud on his pillow. Her face was relaxed and peaceful, her tanned skin a soothing sight against his sheets. Even now he could feel her in his arms, feel the heat of her body under his, the warmth of her touch on his skin.
How could he protect her?
"Trust in the Morrigan, Speirr. Never doubt her loyalty to you. Never question her actions. Just know that when she can, she will always help you." Those were the last words his father had ever spoken to him.
Closing his eyes, Talon could still see his father's face in the firelight that night. See the older man's pride and love shining at him as his father embraced him and sent him to bed.
He had held tight to those words, and no one had ever defeated him in battle. Not by ambush or by trickery.
In the end, it had been the enemy at home who had destroyed him. The last person he had suspected.
His cousin had wanted to be king so badly that he had known the only way to power would be to kill off both Talon and Ceara.
Talon had never suspected his cousin of setting up the death of his aunt and uncle.
Talon had learned of the man's treachery only after the Druids had slain him and Ceara.
The night Talon had shown up to take vengeance on his clan, his cousin had confessed everything, trying to get Talon to spare him.
It hadn't mattered. Young, angry, and hurt, Talon had taken his revenge against all of them, and then cast off his emotions and hardened his heart.
Hardened it until a fey beauty had looked up at him on a quiet street with large brown eyes that seared him.
He loved her. Her laughter, her wit.
She had made him feel again. Made him complete.
Without her, he didn't want to live at all.
But he refused to see her killed because of him.
"I have to let her go."
He had no choice.