She did, but instead of the vibrancy he was used to seeing, he saw pain and deep regret.
"You're free, Talon," she whispered. "I made him break the curse."
"What?"
"She traded her soul to Camulus so that he would set you free." Zarek curled his lip at him. "I told her not to do it, that it was a trick. She didn't listen and as soon as she agreed, the bastard blasted her."
Talon choked. "No!" he roared at both of them. "Sunshine, why?"
"He said he would kill you. I thought he would just take my soul, Talon. I didn't know he would do this. I didn't know he couldn't take possession of my soul without killing me first."
Talon tore the medallion from Sunshine's neck. "Damn you, Morrigan," he shouted, throwing it against the wall. "How could you forsake her too?"
She pressed her cold hand to his lips, "Shh, baby. Don't say that. It's my fault."
"I told her there's always a catch. But she didn't ask the right questions."
Tears flowed down Talon's cheeks as he watched her struggle to breathe. Over and over in his mind he remembered every moment of their time together, both in this life and her previous one.
He saw Sunshine's bright, tender face the first time they had made love. Saw her wrestling for her easel with Beth.
Heard her singing "Puff the Magic Dragon" as she doodled.
He took her hands into his and kissed them, with their smell of paint, turpentine, and patchouli. Hands that created breathtaking works of art.
Hands that could tear him apart with a simple touch...
"I'm not going to lose you again," he breathed. "Not like this."
Zarek came forward. "What are you doing, Celt?"
"Get away from me."
Talon placed his hands over her chest wound and closed his eyes. He forced himself to calm down, forced his emotions to leave him, and then he summoned his Dark-Hunter powers, and let them wash through him. His immortal strength flowed, surged. It swelled up and moved from his hands into her body.
His arms burned as he, in turn, absorbed her injury into his own chest.
Normally, it would hurt when he did this. Tonight, the pain was crippling because this wound wasn't a small injury.
It was mortal.
Gasping from the wrenching agony of his heart being pierced, Talon fell back, away from her.
Sunshine lay still, waiting for the pain to return.
It didn't.
Afraid she was already dead, she reached up to touch her chest where Camulus's blast had struck her. There was no longer a wound there.
"Talon?" She sat up to see Zarek staring at him.
"Oh God, no!" she shrieked as she saw Talon lying on the floor, bleeding. She scrambled to his side and pulled him into her arms. "What have you done?"
"He took your injuries into his own body," Zarek explained. "Now, instead of you dying, he will."
"No, Talon, no! Please don't die," she begged.
"Shh," Talon said quietly. "It's okay."