"I don't know," she breathed, searching her heart and mind, trying to decide what she should do.
Acheron and Talon stood on the crowded street. There were people everywhere, most of them drunk as they celebrated Mardi Gras.
Talon did a double-take as a man danced by him wearing a large diaper and a fake pair of gold wings. His long blond hair was tied back in a gold cord and he held a crossbow in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniel's in the other. Drunk, the man was arbitrarily shooting his golden arrows at the people he passed by.
"Eros!" Talon snapped, grabbing the bow from him. "What are you doing?"
"I'm celebrating."
Acheron raked a less than amused stare over Eros's "costume."
"What's with the get-up?"
Eros shrugged. "If you can't beat them, join them. They expect Cupid in a diaper, so here I am. Cute Cupid in a diaper." He threw an arm over Talon's shoulders. The god was so drunk he could barely stand on his own. "Hey, I found out something interesting. Dion has teamed up with another god for tonight's festivities. And would you believe, it's the same guy you were asking me about? What's his face, Camululu?"
Talon went cold at the name. "Camulus?"
"Yeah, him. I heard Dion saying they were going to party with your woman and that the psycho Hunter from Alaska was going to hand her over to them."
His blood boiling, Talon pushed Eros away and started back toward his car.
Acheron grabbed him. By the look on Ash's face, he could tell this was nothing Ash didn't already know. "Talon..."
"You knew!" Talon snarled at the betrayal. "How could you?"
Ash gave him a hard stare. "It's all right, Talon."
"Like hell it is." Rage gripped him hard. How could Acheron have betrayed him like this? How could he have turned Sunshine over into the hands of a man he knew was going to give her to the one god who wanted him punished?
"Damn you, damn you straight to hell!"
He punched Acheron in the jaw.
Ash took the hit without flinching, but when Talon moved to strike him again, he caught his hand. "This isn't accomplishing anything."
"It's making me feel better."
Ash grabbed him by the shoulder of his leather jacket and held him immobile. "Listen to me, Talon. The only way to save the two of you is to maintain your grip. Trust me."
"I'm tired of trusting you, Ash. Especially when you won't return it. Tell me what's going on here and why you sent Zarek to her knowing he was going to turn on her."
"It's the way things are meant to be."
Rage rolled over him. He wasn't some child to be lectured to about fate.
"Who the hell are you to say that? You're not a god, even though you pretend to be one with your vague-ass comments and spooky powers. You don't know the future any more than I do." Talon snarled at him. "If she dies, so help me, I'll kill you."
"Listen to me, Celt," he said sharply. "If you want to break Camulus's curse, the two of you have to confront him together tonight. This is the only shot you'll ever get to break free of him."
Talon didn't like any of this. Damn Ash for his secrecy. "Where are they?"
"They're in a warehouse. If you'll calm down, I'll take you to it.
"The night is far from over, Talon. Look inside you and find the peace you used to have. If you don't find it, you've lost even before you start to fight."
Talon did it, but it was hard. Nearly impossible. But he had no choice. He had to rein himself in or he would be useless to Sunshine.
When his head was clear, Acheron let him go.