She smiled devilishly. "And you, mybest friend on earth, my soul sister who shares Chunky Monkey scoops and beefcake e-mails at the drop of a hat, the woman who made me wear a frothy, ruffled lime-colored bridesmaid dress that added fifteen pounds to my hips, are going to spill your guts to me, aren't you?"
Selena stiffened. "No fair and the dress wasn't lime, it was mint."
"It was lime-icky green and I looked like a sick pistachio. But that's beside the point. You're going to spill everything because all's fair in love."
Sunshine wasn't sure which of them was most startled by the last part of that statement.
Selena turned to face her. "What? You're telling me you love Talon?"
Sunshine sat back as she tried to sort through her feelings for Talon. There was so much about him that she adored, so much about him that she craved, and at the same time she knew nothing about who and what he wasnow .
All she knew was how he made her feel whenever she looked at him. The way she wanted to go home right now and be with him.
"Honestly, Selena, I don't know. Every time I'm around him I feel so alive. So warm and protected—like nothing in the world can touch me or blight my happiness. He just fits with me. I know this sounds crazy…"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) She paused as she glanced at Selena's psychic stand, which was filled with trinkets, rune stones, and tarot symbols. On second thought, crazy to Selena was par for the course.
Sunshine stared at her, trying to make her understand. "Talon and I were married in another life.
"
A dark light appeared in Selena's eyes. When she spoke, her voice was scarcely more than a whisper.
"Does Talon know this?
"
She nodded. "He even called me his wife last night when I made him sleep on the couch.
"
"Sleep on the couch?
"
"Long story.
"
Selena turned one of her cards over. She looked at the Death card, then looked at Sunshine. "Did he say it was inhis former life?"
"No. In fact, when I dream about him I look different, but he doesn't. He even has the same tattoos and that is weird beyond weird. I even recalled him getting those tattoos done. Now I'm not sure if I'm insane or what."
Selena covered Sunshine's hand with hers and gave a light, sympathetic squeeze. "No, hon. You're not a loon, at least not about this."
"Then what is going on?"
Selena looked around, then leaned closer and lowered her voice again as if fearful someone would overhear them. "Sunny, tell me truthfully, what are your intentions toward Talon?"
Sunshine was irritated by the question. "What are you? His mom? I promise I'll respect him in the morning."
Selena rolled her eyes. "This is really serious, Sunshine. Your current interest plays with some seriously bad things that wouldn't hesitate to kill either one of you if they thought you or he would betray them."
Sunshine winced at the deadly earnest tone of Selena's voice. This wasn't good. "He's a vampire, isn't he? I knew it!"
"Not exactly."
"That's what he said. So I'll ask you what I asked him— what is 'not exactly a vampire'?"
"A Dark-Hunter."
Sunshine was stunned that she finally had an answer. Of course, the answer made no sense whatsoever, but still it was a long-awaited start. "And that would be… ?"
"An immortal vampire slayer who sold his soul for an Act of Vengeance."
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) A chill went up her spine. "Sold his soul to who, the devil?"
"The goddess Artemis."
Sunshine scowled. Now that was the last thing she'd expected to hear. But then, given how weird this whole conversation was, she shouldn't be surprised by anything. "You're kidding, right?"
Slowly, Selena shook her head no.
"But that doesn't even make sense. I mean, there aren't that many vampires in the world, are there? Just how many Dark-Hunters could there be? Is he the only one?"
By Selena's expression she knew the answer wouldn't be pleasant. "There are thousands of Dark-Hunters and countless vampires. More correctly, they're called Daimons since they've been around a whole lot longer than the wordvampire ."
Sunshine sat there in a stupor as she tried to take it all in. "I don't get this. I mean, I always believed in vampires in theory, but not really in the flesh, and I'm having a hard time believing that there are so many out there that we have to have real slayers for them." She locked gazes with Selena. "No offense, but I always thought your sister Tabitha was a bit wacked."
Selena gave an odd half-laugh. "She is, but that's beside the point."
Sunshine tried to come to terms with what Selena was telling her. She still wasn't sure if she should believe it. Could Talon really be an immortal vampire slayer?
And yet, in a very odd sense, it explained a lot of things. Alot of things.