He closed his eyes, rolled over and returned to sleep.
Oh, this was just too friggin' weird.
Why did she know that name and why did he respond to it?
Had it been part of her dream?
She tried to recall it, and for her life she couldn't.
As he lay there with his back to her, she saw something in her mind's eye. It was like a vague childhood memory.
She saw Talon as an adolescent youth, stretched out over a large stone table. There were other monolithic stones around them, forming something that vaguely reminded her of Stonehenge.
Talon was lying on his stomach, his arms under his head, as a tall, dark-haired man leaned over him. The man's black robes billowed as he beat Talon with a frayed whip.
Talon was looking straight at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears while he kept his jaw firmly locked.
Meet me later. He mouthed the words to her and she nodded.
Sunshine pulled back, alarmed.
Her dream rushing back to her, she scrambled from the bed and grabbed Talon's cell phone, then called her mother. She stepped outside the cabin's door so that Talon couldn't overhear her conversation.
"Sunshine?" her mother asked as soon as she recognized Sunshine's voice. "Where are you? Storm said you blew him off last night without calling."
"I'm sorry, Mom. You know me. I got distracted and forgot to call. Listen, I need to know something. Do you remember years ago when you and Grandma did that whole past-life regression thing on me?"
"Yes?"
"I remember you and Grandma telling me that I was an ancient Celt, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember anything more specific than that?"
"No, not really. I'd have to call Mom and see if she remembers. Knowing her, she might. Why? You sound panicked."
"I am panicked. I'm having some bizarre flashback kind of thing. I don't know what else to call it. It's just very, very weird."
"Are you with Steve?"
"Talon, Mom, his name is Talon. And yes, I am."
"You think you knew him in a previous life?"
Sunshine looked back at the door and swallowed. "Honestly, Mom, I'm thinking I was married to him."
It was shortly after sunset when Acheron knocked on Zarek's door. He'd spent most of the day with Artemis, discussing what needed to be done since the human authorities were now looking for Zarek.
He could still see Artemis lying nonchalantly on her white-cushioned throne, her beautiful face completely disinterested. "I already told you, Acheron, kill him. Only you are blind to the man's character. It's why I wanted him in New Orleans in the first place. I wanted you to see firsthand just how far gone he is."
Ash refused to believe it. He, better than anyone, understood Zarek's nastiness. The need to strike the first blow before it struck you.
So he'd bargained with Artemis for more time for Zarek to prove to the goddess that he wasn't some rabid animal in need of a mercy killing.
But how Ash hated bargaining with her for anything. Still, he wasn't going to sign the order for Zarek's execution. Not yet. Not while there was still hope.
He knocked again. Harder. If Zarek was sleeping upstairs, he might not hear him.