She had died at age four.
She'd gone out at sunrise, wanting to see the fey folk Talon had teased her with. He'd told her how he often saw them out the window at daybreak while she slept.
Only five years old himself, he had heard someone leave their hut. At first he had thought it was his
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) father. But as he snuggled back down to sleep, he'd realized Dere wasn't in their bed.
He'd gotten up immediately and rushed out to find her.
She had slipped on the rocks along the edge of the cliff that looked out onto the sea where he'd told her the fey frolicked in the early dawn's light.
He heard her scream and had run as fast as he could.
By the time he reached her, it was too late. Her young arms had been unable to hold on until he got there.
She lay below on the rocks with the waves rushing over her.
Even now, he could see her lying there. Could see the looks on his parents' faces when he had awakened them with the news.
Worst of all, he could see the accusation in his father's eyes.
Neither of his parents had ever uttered the words aloud, but in his heart he knew they had blamed him for it.
Not that it mattered. He blamed himself. He always had.
It was why he had been so protective of Ceara and Tress. Why he had been so determined that nothing bad would ever happen to his youngest sister.
Tonight, he saw a hesitancy in Ceara's steps.
"So, what's the news from the Daimon world?" he asked her.
Ceara paused. "How did you know?"
"You've been strangely quiet tonight. It's not like you to stay hidden while I hunt unless you're conferring with the others."
Her eyes glowed warmly. "I never could hide from you." She wrapped her arms around herself. "There was talk. There is a force here. One not Daimon born."
"Goblin, ghoul, demonic? What?"
"No one seems to be sure. There are Daimons surrounding the source of it, but it is not one of them. It's something else."
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"A god?"
She looked up, exasperated. "I'm trying to find someone who knows, but as yet…" She paused and wrung her hands. "I want you to be careful, Speirr. Whatever this thing is, it holds a great deal of malice.
Hatred."
"Can you locate it?"
"I have tried, but it moves whenever I draw near. It is as if the source knows to avoid me."
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?"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) 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.