They reached the hideout by midafternoon the next day. It was a normal, if not large, cabin home. Or at least it looked like it from the front, but in the back were all the tools one would need to practice killing vampires.
Where they were perched up on a hill, she could see through the windows to all the beefed up hunters inside. Most of them were tan and muscular, almost moving with a vampire's agility. Only a few were outside practicing but even those few were intimidating. Ruby hadn't know just how skilled the hunters were. Or dangerous.
"What is our plan?" Talon asked.
Ruby gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "We have to go talk to them."
He whirled, "We? As in you two included?" Halle was giving her nearly the same incredulous look.
"What choice do we have?"
"To let Talon be the messenger," Halle offered.
"No," Ruby said, shaking her head, "I know Orpheus's plan better than anyone. I need to be there."
Talon pressed his lips thin, "Ruby, they could kill you."
She lifted her chin, "They won't touch me."
The three of them went silent. Ruby knew the plan was risky, but what other choice was there? She refused to budge. She watched as they processed it. Eventually, Halle nodded, "Okay."
Talon's eyes flared, "There has to be a better way."
"Talon-"
"No, Ruby," he said, silencing her with a painfully desperate expression, "I just got you back. I can't lose you."
She bit her cheek and tried to hold back her tears. She hadn't thought of it that way. They watched each other, a hundred emotions passing between them. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Talon turned around and walked into the trees, "I'm going to set up our camp."
Halle touched her arm, "If he can't go with you, I will."
"It's okay," Ruby said as she deflated. "I need to talk to him."
Halle nodded, "Okay. I'll go find us some food."
Ruby found Talon near an outcropping of rocks setting up a small fire. He wore a haunted expression on his face, his brows drawn in thought. Her heart clenched painfully.
"Talon."
"We'll go," he said, not bothering to look up.
She grabbed his hands, forcing him to meet her gaze, "Talon. Talk to me."
He stood and gave her his full attention then, "I've thought you were either dead or in pain for months after the accident. So, the fact that you are so eager to put yourself in danger scares me. I don't want to feel that fear ever again."
"And you won't."
"How do you know?"
"I don't. Not for sure. But I promise you I will always make it back to you."
He watched her and she scoured his chocolate eyes for a reaction. Ever since she'd found him, she hadn't seen much emotion cross them. Talon used to be full of laughter, mischeif, and love. Now he was haunted. Or maybe he was the ghost haunting her. Either way, he wasn't whole anymore.
Ruby wasn't sure she was either.
"Besides," she added when she realized he wasn't going to speak, "I have to do this. I can't just allow for the Shadows and Orpheus to put hundreds and thousands of souls in peril for the sake of his greed."
Talon frowned, "So you'd put your own at risk for them?"
"Yes," she said softly.
He sighed. Pulling away he ran a rough hand through his hair. Ruby tried to ignore how familiar the gesture was to the one Orpheus would do all of the time. When Talon finally faced her again, he said, "Okay. Fine. I will help you with this. No matter what it takes. But I need you to promise me something."
"Anything."
"Don't chase a losing fight."
Her brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, do not fight a fight you know you are going to lose, Ruby. Because I can't lose you."
"I promise," she said. Her gut twisted and she wondered if it was a lie.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~
Thank you for reading! Don't forget to give this chapter a VOTE to help my story!