"
He didn't answer.
Sunshine didn't bother him after that. There really was something spooky about Zarek. Something cold and unreachable. It was as if he took pleasure in the fact that he shoved everyone away from him.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) At least twenty minutes passed before Zarek shocked her by asking a question of his own. "You love the Celt, don't you?
"
"Yes.
"
"Why? What is it about him that makes you care for him?
"
She sensed Zarek was asking something much deeper than that. It was as if the concept of love were so alien to him that he was struggling to make sense of it.
"He's a good man who makes me laugh. He looks at me and I melt all over the floor. When I'm with him, I feel like I can fly.
"
Zarek turned his head away from her and watched the Mardi Gras crowd outside.
"Have you ever been in love?" she tried again.
Again, he didn't answer. Instead he directed her to a warehouse on St. Joseph Street.
The place was dark and forbidding. "Is this where we're supposed to be?" she asked.
He nodded.
She parked in an alley behind the building, and they left the car.
Zarek led her in through a back door and up a series of stairs. He opened a door at the end of the hallway and let her enter first.
Sunshine stepped inside. At first glance, she thought the tall blond man was Acheron with a new hair color. But when she saw Camulus standing by his side, she knew it wasn't.
It was Styxx who was standing between Camulus and a brunet man she didn't recognize.
Sunshine turned to run.
Zarek closed the door ominously and took up a blocking position before it. The look on his face told her that he had no intention of letting her pass through him.
"Come in, come in, said the spider to the fly," Camulus said.
Sunshine lifted her chin as she faced the men. Camulus was extremely handsome, but he had a smile that was pure evil.
Even more so than Zarek and that was hard to accomplish.
The man she didn't know was humongously tall with light brown hair and a goatee. He had an extremely
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) refined, well-bred look to him.
"I'm going to take a wild guess that you are Dionysus," Sunshine said, remembering what Selena had once told her about the patron god of Mardi Gras.
He smiled as if flattered she knew him. "Guilty.
"
Camulus let out a long breath. "She's so bright. It's almost a shame to kill her. But… oh well.
"
"You can't hurt her," Zarek said from the door. "You promised me she wouldn't be harmed if I brought her here.
"
"So I lied," Dionysus said. "Sue me.
"
Zarek started for the god, but Sunshine stopped him. She wasn't really sure why she did that, it just seemed as if he were the closest thing to an ally she had in that room.
She turned back to Camulus, knowing exactly how he planned to hurt Talon tonight. "I'm not going to let you kill me in front of Talon.
"
They all laughed. All except for Zarek.
"You can't stop us," Camulus said.
Zarek glanced down at her, then did a double take as his dark gaze fell to her necklace. "Uh, gods, I
think you've forgotten something.
"
Dionysus curled his lip. "We forget nothing.
"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)
"Oh, okay," Zarek said sarcastically, "then you must already know that she wears a Marking Medallion.
"
They sobered instantly.
"What?" Camulus snarled.
Sunshine pulled her grandmother's necklace out of her shirt and held it up to them. She couldn't really believe it might help her, but hey, anything at this point was worth a try. "My grandmother said that the Morrigán would always protect me."
Camulus cursed. "Oh, this ain't right." He cursed again.
"This thing really works?" she whispered to Zarek.
"More than you know," he whispered back. "He can't kill you without making the Morrigán angry."
"Well, who knew?" she said, amazed by the knowledge. "Cool."
"Yup," Zarek concurred. "Better than a cross with Dracula."
She beamed. "Does it work against Dionysus too?"
He nodded.
Oh, this was good. Very, very good. "Okay, then, let's talk."
"Talk about what?" Dionysus hissed.
"Not you. Him." She indicated Camulus with a nod. "I want to talk about Talon's curse."
Camulus's eyes blazed at her. "What about it?"
"I want you to lift it."
"Never."
She held her medallion out to him. "Do it or…" She gave Zarek a sideways glance. "Does this have any power to hurt him?"
"Only if he hurts you first."