24. P O W E R : Broken Heart

CHAPTER IX

Camilla stared at Eros in shock for a moment before turning back to Whynnie. "You knew about this?" she hissed.

"Of course she knew," Eros said before Whynnie could respond, straightening up and smirking. "It's why she was sent with the detective in the first place. It was the whole point of her presence: to reawaken me within the man's broken heart." He frowned and added, "Oh, that reminds me: I owe you something for breaking my prized arrow."

The god walked toward Camilla and, without hesitation, slammed his fist into his half-sister's face, knocking her out with a single blow.

"NO!" Whynnie cried in dismay as Camilla slumped to the rooftop.

Eros's lip curled in a snarl as he rubbed his knuckles. "Sleep tight, Sister," he growled at Camilla's unmoving form. "I've got business to attend to." Then he turned to Whynnie and held out his hand.

Shivering nervously, Whynnie pulled an earpiece out of her pocket and placed it in Eros's palm.

Eros took it without so much as a "thank you" and placed it in his ear. "Hello, ladies!" he called with a grin. "How are we doing this evening?"

-

"Eros? That you?" Faith asked as she hurdled a pedestrian in her pursuit of the assassin. "When'd ya get back?"

"Just now, actually. I've finally completed my latest sabbatical. Now, how's the hunt coming along?"

"Not so well, honey," Hope admitted, running alongside Faith. "The bird-girl's outpacin' us. That primordial speed of hers is somethin' else!"

Eros sighed. "Well, that's understandable. Call it off for now."

"What? You serious?" Faith whined.

"Quite serious. I can track her easily, so we'll catch her later. For now, I'd like to pay my mother a visit."

"But we were just there!" Faith protested.

"I am not ASKING, Faith."

Faith's pale skin grew somewhat paler, and she stumbled to a halt as her heart twisted inside her chest. "Argh... fine, fine!" she shouted, falling to one knee. "We're comin'!"

Hope huffed, slowing to a stop next to Faith. "Smug sonuva gun," she grumbled, helping Faith to stand as the effects of Eros's heart-touching died away. "I liked 'im better when he was dead."

Faith coughed and winced. "You n' me both, pardner," she muttered.

-

Eros lowered his finger from his ear and turned to Whynnie. "I suppose you'll have to find some way to carry her down," he mused, rubbing his chin. "But, well, you're resourceful. You'll figure it out."

"You're right. I am resourceful," Whynnie snapped. "And I'm smarter than you think. I know that Delvis is going to fight your control and take his body back."

Eros laughed. "Is that really what you're banking on?" he asked, amused. "How naïve! You can't possibly believe he's strong enough to resist my control, can you?"

"I can and do believe it," Whynnie shot back. "In fact, he's probably doing it right now!"

"Really?" Eros paused, putting a hand to his ear in a mocking gesture. "I don't hear anything."

Whynnie scowled and stormed up to Eros. "Delvis? I know you're in there!" she shouted. "I know you can hear me! You have to fight this, okay? You have to fight him!"