Talon rolled out of bed when someone pounded on the door. It was a good thing he had familiarized himself with the layout of the room yesterday. "Who is it?" He asked.

"Room service, sir, with your breakfast. May I come in?"

"Yeah, come on in." He opened the door, uncaring that he was totally naked. "Blue, food's here. You better hurry that bath along before it gets cold." Talon signed the ticket and the man left.

"Blue? Did you fall asleep in the tub?" He grinned remembering how little sleep they got last night. He wouldn't mind spending the next several nights like that. Maybe even a lifetime? He didn't want to disturb her but the continued silence bothered him. "Come on, baby. Time to eat." He pushed open the door and it took several seconds before he realized the bathroom was empty. Where the h.e.l.l was she?

A second knock at the door got his attention. This time he slipped into his pants before opening the door.

"This was left at the desk for you, sir. I apologize for not leaving it when I brought your meal."

Talon was grateful he could see colors so clearly this morning. He saw the man's extended arm and a vague image of...something. It felt like paper when he took it from the man. "I don't know anyone here. Why would a stranger leave me a message? Do you know who left this?"

"I believe it was your companion, sir."

Talon closed the door in the man's face and stumbled to the bed. Why would Shadow leave him a note? Maybe she went shopping or sightseeing.

Did you see anything resembling a tourist attraction? Read the note.

Even that didn't make sense. Shadow knew he had trouble reading before the problems with his eyes developed. He found the flap of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He almost smiled at her solution. The note was written with a child's pencil. Heavy black lines made it possible for him to feel the words. It was short.

Talon, it's time to end this contract. I sent my final report to Dak back on Cyperia. You've got a good life ahead of you at the academy and they think you're special. I've contracted a new a.s.signment. Be safe, mister famous bounty hunter. Blue. P.S. I think you're pretty special, too.

Talon folded the note and slipped it back in the envelope. He couldn't believe she would just leave without saying good-bye. Dammit! He deserved more than a brief note delivered with breakfast. She didn't think of him as a contract, she couldn't, not when she made love with him.

You know nothing about her. Maybe she slept with all her clients?

"Dammit! She's not like that!" He roared his hurt and anger into the empty room. When he fell over the serving cart his anger melted into despair. He didn't know how long he lay amid the shattered dishes and ruined food. He needed a drink worse than he ever did in his life. Every time he thought about getting up and ordering room service to bring him a bottle, he heard her voice giving him h.e.l.l and he couldn't do it.

Why, Blue? I can't trust anyone else with what I need. Did I just imagine the connection between us? We were supposed to do this together.

He finally calmed down enough for his brain to start working again. He pushed himself off the floor and grimaced when his knee squished congealed eggs. "s.h.i.t, I'm back to paying for breakage."

After a quick shower, he called for housekeeping and another breakfast. He used the time to reevaluate his options. Any excursions outside the hotel were best forgotten. For all the elegance surrounding him, out there was still a raw, lawless mining town with no one to protect the unwary.

There was enough of the reward money to cover his expenses for a couple of weeks. Maybe longer if he quit destroying things. He could ask for a smaller room but this one was perfect-especially in light of his new limitations. The balcony wrapped around the corner with access through a door on each wall. He could watch the people on the street until he figured out which one was Draagon. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d owned this building so it made sense that he would check up on the management. h.e.l.l, he might even live here.

He had binoculars, a crossbow, and patience. The only thing missing from his world was Shadow. Wherever she went, he would find her. He wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him why she left. Draagon first.

Talon watched the street activity for over a week and wasn't any closer to finding Draagon. He'd seen plenty of criminal activity and as soon as he got back to civilization, he was going to push for a heavily manned bounty station up here.

The sun was already dropping below the mountain crest, leaving the town in shadows. d.a.m.n. There was that word again. He just couldn't get Shadow out of his mind. Earlier he actually thought he saw her distinctive blue silhouette but when he looked again, it was gone. He missed her quick wit and sa.s.sy mouth. Yeah, you really miss that mouth but not for the sa.s.s. The cold was good for keeping certain body parts under control.

He started making a game of the watching after dark. The frigid temperatures meant every part of their bodies was covered except a small portion of the face. Everyone was rushing to get someplace warm. To him they looked like multicolored b.a.l.l.s bouncing over the snow. He could recognize a few who pa.s.sed by around the same time every night.

Talon extinguished the lights and slipped out onto the balcony. He created a cozy, little, camouflage nest between the windows where he could stay warm and catch snippets of conversation from the street as well as the balconies below him. If his search for Draagon lasted longer than his funds, he had enough dirt on the hotel manager to get this room for free, indefinitely.

The room next to his was being used for a party from the sounds of the laughter and the loud music. He wished someone would give the woman singing a drink or pour the bottle down her throat. She was almost as off-key as Shadow.

Two men walked over to the railing and looked down at the street. If they looked in his direction, all they would see was a snowdrift some lazy housekeeper didn't shovel away.

"Look at him fawning over that b.i.t.c.h." Man One spit over the rail.

"She's a lot older than his usual piece o' tail but she ain't bad lookin'. Jud said she ain't put out yet an' the boss is losin' patience." Man Two was puffing on a cigarette that didn't smell like tobacco.

"I say we go find a couple of women willin' to put out." Man One grabbed his crotch.

"That singer has got a powerful set of lungs. Wonder how long she can hold her breath around my c.o.c.k?"

Both men left laughing and Talon was happy to know the entertainment was about to go voiceless. He focused the binoculars on the people below trying to determine who this boss was and why he was held in such low esteem by his employees. All he saw were the same bouncing b.a.l.l.s. He thought one of them flashed blue but they pa.s.sed out of sight.

He kept his vigil until the bars and taverns closed. No one lingered in the streets. Talon made his way out of his 'snow drift' and into the warm room. He never slept more than a few hours since Shadow left; but tonight he knew he wouldn't get that much. She was on his mind more than usual today. When that happened, sleep was impossible.

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

The sound of boots pounding down the hallway drew Talon away from the window. When he opened the door to see why the rush to leave he was almost trampled. "Hey, what's happening? Is the hotel on fire?" He even managed to sound like a frightened traveler while keeping a tight hold on the stranger's coat.

"If ya don' wanna lose that hand, mister, let go of me. Lord Draagon has summoned the guards and he don' like ta be kept waitin'."

Talon released the man with just enough of a push that he stumbled into two other guards and they all three went rolling around the floor. Was this the beginning of Draagon's fall? He took extra time to slide the security bolt into place on the door. According to the little slip of paper attached to the door, nothing could destroy the lock. He didn't expect anyone to rush in and arrest him but he wanted a little warning if things went wrong and Draagon sent the guards to kill him.

When he was an active a.s.sa.s.sin/bounty hunter he learned early in his career to block out all unnecessary influences and focus solely on the objective. Those lessons were just as important today. His breaths were slow and measured while he c.o.c.ked the crossbow. The modifications he made to the crossbow during his training period were minor but significant. As deadly as Shadow's weapon was initially, this one, with a longer set of arms, could send a bolt completely through a tree trunk at fifty yards. His accuracy at twice that distance would bring down an eldorak or a boar.

The key to the extra power was using ultra-light composition material for the shafts and attaching smaller, sharper arrowheads. The metallurgical equipment left by Draagon only needed a few minor repairs before being ready for him to begin experimenting with different alloys. His shop cla.s.ses were a long time ago, but he remembered enough to stumble his way through the creative process-once he found enough sc.r.a.p metal to work with.

With his weapon c.o.c.ked and waiting for a bolt, Talon grabbed his gear and moved to the balcony. He carefully laid the bow where he could get to it in a hurry and reached for the binoculars. The guards running from the building would lead him straight to Draagon. There was a growing crowd about two hundred yards up the mountain. The sounds of an angry mob filled the early morning air. With all the pushing and shoving, the knot of humanity was slowly moving in his direction.

A flash of bright blue caught his attention. This time it didn't disappear. It was Shadow! She was standing beside someone with the darkest shade of green he'd ever seen. Wherever that person went, Shadow's blue aura went with him. Understanding slammed into him! She didn't just walk out on him! She was showing him which man was Draagon!

"Bless you, Blue." He whispered, watching as the volume of the yelling continued to escalate as more and more people joined. An out-of-control mob was a dangerous beast with a life of its own and this one was rapidly approaching that state. The flashing colors from the heightened emotions blurred into an indistinguishable cloud. The only constant-the only one he could clearly see-was Shadow. In another few seconds, they would be in range.

Talon stretched out on his stomach on the floor of the balcony and positioned the crossbow between the rails. He could see Shadow without using the binoculars. "That's right, you son of a b.i.t.c.h. Just one more yard and your a.s.s is mine." He loaded the bolt.

His finger hovered near the trigger ready to take the shot. Shadow suddenly moved behind Draagon. "No, no, no, Blue. Come on, baby. I've got him now. Move, Shadow."

His pleading didn't work. She was plastered to Draagon's back. He tried again and again to take the shot that would put an end to his nightmare, but he couldn't. He wouldn't risk Shadow's life or any innocents caught in his sights. The changes he made to the crossbow would send the bolt through Draagon and anyone behind him for an easy twenty yards. In that crowd, he was looking at forty or fifty collateral damage deaths. Talon wouldn't lose a single minute of sleep at taking out that many Phantom Riders; but he couldn't tell them from those caught up in the mob mentality and just along for the excitement.

What the h.e.l.l was I thinking? All along, I pictured me and Draagon, face-to-face. Alone. Never with anyone else around.

"I'm a d.a.m.n fool." He muttered to himself. Shadow tried to tell him this wasn't the way to do things. He just blew her off-accused her of not having faith in him. Today set a new record for stupid. Not only did he run her off, he sent her right into the clutches of that walking, breathing embodiment of evil.

Talon slipped the bolt from the crossbow and released the cable. He would find another way. One that didn't put innocent bystanders in harm's way. Maybe the newly graduated bounty hunters would have some ideas. With the loss of his enhanced vision, his options were limited. It was a harsh reality to accept but he was becoming an expert at the task. He couldn't stay here where there was no one he could trust with his limitations. It would take time, but he would continue his campaign to rid the world of Draagon. First things first, he had to find someone to guide him back down the mountain or he'd be stuck in this room until they threw him out. Although, he did have that blackmail option.

It didn't take long to dismantle his snowdrift observation station and repack everything. A week of little to no sleep was catching up with him. All he wanted to do was crawl beneath the blankets and sleep the clock around. He would deal with the end of a twenty-year vendetta tomorrow.

Talon woke up with a killer headache and needing to pee in the worst possible way. Bathroom first. When he stumbled back and sat on the edge of the bed, he wished he could see the numbers on the clock. Was it dark because it was night or was it dark because the sun hadn't risen? There was no way to tell. His growling stomach demanded immediate attention. While he waited for his meal he headed to the shower. Thanks to the voice taking his order he knew he had only slept about twelve hours.

The shower washed the cobwebs from his brain. He could think clearly about the events of this morning. He expected to feel disappointed, frustrated, or even angry because Draagon slipped through his fingers again. Instead he felt...lighter...like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. A knock at the door started his mouth watering. He was starving!

"Good evening, sir. I hope this meets with your approval."

"It smells fantastic. Do you mind moving the chair closer to the table? I have significant vision loss and without my companion...."

"Say no more, sir. I'm at your disposal."

"What's your name?" Talon asked. He hated to keep referring to him as man.

"It's Alfie, sir. I've been here two years-since the doors first opened-and you're the first guest to ask my name. Will you be needing anything else, sir?"

"It's Talon, Alfie. I'll need to hire a guide in a few days to get me safely down the mountain. Do you know anyone reliable?"

"There's going to be a regular caravan of folks leaving after what happened to Lord Draagon this morning. He owned this place but with him dead, we may all lose our jobs."

Talon had trouble getting enough oxygen into his lungs. Draagon was dead? "What happened? I couldn't see what was happening but I heard the yelling."

"A woman cut his...uh...man parts off and he bled out right there in the middle of the street. Every man who witnessed the act covered their own...uh...parts and found a reason to be somewhere else."

"Do you know if it was my companion?" He had no trouble at all envisioning Shadow doing that. She threatened to slice off his man parts more than once.

"Absolutely not, sir...I mean Talon. It was Big Bess. She runs the wh.o.r.ehouse and Lord Draagon got too rough with one of her girls. Left that girl for dead, he did. She won't ever be able to turn a trick 'cause he cut up her...woman part. Big Bess got right up close to him with that hook-bill knife and sliced them clean off."

"I imagine it will be a long time before that lesson fades from the memories of any man who witnessed it."

"You want to know something funny? The whole time he was bleeding to death he kept blubbering and carrying on about he couldn't die like this. Some kind of prophesy said he was supposed to die through a window. He didn't make a whole lot of sense. But I guess seeing someone wave your d.i.c.k around in the air would make you a little crazy."

"Indeed." Talon couldn't come up with a single reason to feel sorry for the way Draagon died. "If you can locate a reliable guide, I need to return to Cypriana."

"A trip that far has gotta take a month or more by horse. There's a supply transport that's due here in a few days and you could be home in a few hours."

"I'd rather take the slow route this time. My new job will limit my free time for the foreseeable future." And I've got to find a way to contact Shadow.

"What kind of job keeps a man that busy?" Alfie asked, while loading the empty dishes back on the cart.

"I'll be an instructor at the bounty hunter academy."

Alfie pushed the cart through the door with a guarantee that he would find him a guide. He needed that time to come up with a plan to get Shadow back in his life on a permanent basis. It hit him when he realized he would kill her when he killed Draagon. Somewhere between the binge drinking and reconnecting with the bounty hunters, the sa.s.sy, potty-mouthed woman had wormed her way deep into his heart. He never allowed himself to think about a life past Draagon. Now he wanted that life with Shadow. Two hours later, he was no closer to that illusive plan than he was to Cypriana.

"Talon!" Alfie yelled, while pounding on the door. "Open up! It's important!"

He yanked the door open expecting an emergency. What he found was Alfie and someone or something that gave off body heat but no aura at all. "What's this about, Alfie?"

"This is Dr. Vu and I asked him to look at your eyes. Maybe he can help."

"That's a nice thought, but my eyes were burned by a laser blast. There's nothing that will fix that."

"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Talon. May I have just fifteen minutes of your time?"

"Why not?" Talon ushered them in and closed the door struggling to keep that tiny spark of hope burning in his chest from exploding into a raging inferno.

Epilogue.

Shadow docked her hover-boat at one of the newly rebuilt slips. The marina looked so different from the first time she made this trip. She used the final payment from Dak to buy a smaller hover-boat than the one she and Talon used when they left the island. She would make it available for anyone to use because she didn't plan on ever leaving.

Sam and Emmie knew she was coming and she couldn't wait to see the children. Fresh air, plenty of food and a secure place to live worked miracles for all of the refugees who now called this island their home.

They grew from thirty-one to one hundred and one families in just over a year. Emmie's baby girl wasn't dead like she thought, and was the first true citizen born on the island in a very long time.

Her favorite moment-the one she looked forward to every time-was walking over that rise and seeing the thriving, bustling community where nothing but ruins stood before. She paused at the top, like she always did, and thought about Talon. He would be so proud of what these people accomplished is such a short period of time. She missed him desperately, but hoped he was enjoying his tenure at the academy.

Bud's forge was going strong but he stopped pounding on a horseshoe when he spotted her. "Welcome home, Shadow. I'd hug ya but I'm all grimy. Ya got supplies ta unload?"

"Always, Bud. Tell the boys I'll bake up a big batch of cookies for their help."

"You've got my young'uns spoilt rotten and that's a fact." Bud shook his head, laughing.

"Any problems I need to know about?" The newly formed city council had appointed her as the voice of reason in any dispute. So far the incidents were minor and easily solved with both parties happy. She knew that would change one day but until then, she'd take her blessings anywhere she found them.

"Nope. Everybody's too busy getting' ready fer spring plantin' to get up in each other's bidness."

"I'm turning the entire yard between my house and the mausoleum into a garden this year. I brought seeds for herbs that I want to put in pots in the windows."

"A garden that big is a lot of work fer one person. Are ya sure ya can handle all that? Maybe we need to find some nice young man to help with that garden of yurs?"

"I've got no use for a man-old or young. Besides, just think how much enjoyment you'll get from telling me 'I told you so'. I'm going home. Give my love to your wife."

Bud would talk as long as someone stood there and listened. She had too much to do today. She was practically running by the time she spotted her bright yellow house. Talon instructed Sam to make sure no one bothered her house and the one with the funeral urns. Everything else on the island was available for claiming.

When she came here after Draagon's death, she didn't plan on staying. She just wanted to check on Emmie and the children. Someone had cleaned her house and stocked it with dried meat and garden produce. A week turned into a month before she admitted she wasn't going anywhere. Now she rarely left the island. A supply run was about the only thing that could drag her away.