This wasn't good, especially with Mardi Gras right around the corner. When Bacchus came to town, even the most moderate of things went wild. To Talon it sounded like something or someone was counting on the excesses of the celebration to propel whatever plan it had.
Talon's thoughts were distracted as a car drove down the street in front of him. It was an old VW Beetle. Someone had painted the top of it dark blue with glow-in-the-dark stars and the lower half was bright sunshine yellow with red peace symbols.
He smiled at the sight. It had been parked outside the club earlier when he had left. Instinct told him it had to belong to Sunshine. No one else would be caught dead in such a monstrosity.
True to his suspicions, the car turned into the alley behind Runningwolf's.
With his honed Dark-Hunter sight, he watched her leave her car and pause to pull a sealed box out of the backseat. His body hardened instantly.
Tonight, she wore her black hair in two braids down the side of her face. She was dressed in a long fuchsia sweater coat that displayed her lush curves to perfection.
In his mind, he could imagine walking up to her, pulling her back against his front, and just inhaling her warm patchouli scent. Letting his hand trail down the front of her, to her tight black sweater held closed by small buttons. Of working those buttons through the cloth until she was exposed to him.
His body burned with aching want.
"Speirr?"
Ceara's voice jarred him from his reverie. "I'm sorry, I was distracted."
"I said I will go and investigate further. Or do you need me to stay here and keep you grounded?"
"No, thanks. I'm grounded."
"I'm sensing conflict inside you. Are you sure you want me to leave?"
About as sure that the world would end in fifteen minutes. No, he wasn't sure. Because every time he looked at Sunshine, he had a nasty tendency to forget everything else.
To want nothing more than to stare at her. To touch her.
"I'm sure."
"Very well, then. I shall listen out for you. If you need me, call."
"I will."
Ceara vanished and left him alone in the darkness.
Sunshine slammed her car door closed and entered the rear door of the club.
He took a step toward her before he even realized what he'd done.
Talon ran his hands over his face. He had to get her out of his thoughts. There was no point in this. Dark-Hunters didn't date and they damn sure didn't have girlfriends. Well, no one except Kell, but he was weird anyway and Kell's girlfriend was a constant source of irritation for Acheron.
Not that Talon minded being an irritation to Acheron. It was actually enjoyable to nettle the Atlantean, but he couldn't screw up Sunshine's life that way.
Dark-Hunters didn't date and most especially not this one. He'd already learned his lesson and he'd learned it hard.
Unlike the others, he was cursed by his own gods. It was why he refused to have a Squire. Why he refused to have anyone near him.
"For what you have taken from me, Speirr of the Morrigantes, you will never again know the peace or happiness of a loved one. I curse you to walk eternity alone. Curse you to lose everyone you care for.
"One by one, they will suffer and die, and you will be powerless to stop it. Your agony will be knowing they are doomed because of your actions and wondering when, where, and how I will strike them down. I will claim them all and live only to watch you suffer."
Even after all these centuries the angry god's words rang in his ears.
Talon groaned at the pain of the memory of his wife dying in his arms. "I'm afraid to die, Speirr..."
It had been all his fault.