Psyche's Heart : CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 3

Chapter 25

It's dark when we arrive at the beach.

"Well, here we are," says Cupid, pulling the keys out of the ignition as he parks in the lot. He catches my gaze in the rear view mirror and raises a thick eyebrow. "Again..."

The three of us sit in thick silence for a moment. I'm guessing that Cupid and Cal are thinking the same as me; that the last time we were here we had to fight a battle with Valentine so he wouldn't destroy the world – and now we're heading to the Underworld to try and bring him back again...

I glance at the time. "Charon said the Furies would be here at ten, right?"

"Right," says Cal. "Meaning we have under half an hour to find and dispose of James."

"Dispose?!" I say as he opens the door and gets out of the car. "Wait! What?! We're not hurting him. We're just talking to him."

I climb out after him, finding myself inches from his face. The moon is out and gives his pale skin and hair an almost ethereal glow.

"Yes. Because I'm sure he'll be very reasonable," snaps Cal. "Exes usually are. Especially when they're newly turned cupids. Let's just ask him nicely not to board the Ferry of the Dead on behalf of Venus and the Arrows, shall we?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Cal!"

"You're very sassy tonight, brother." Cupid's lip twitches as he leans casually against the other side of the car. "Exes are unreasonable, huh? Been talking to Amena?"

"What?! Why would you...?" Cal's eyes flash silver as he sharply zips up the front of his khaki bomber jacket. He shakes his head. "Shut up."

He marches to the trunk of the car and opens it – momentarily blocking himself from view. I catch Cupid's eye and he gives me a half shrug – an amused smile playing about his lips.

"Don't worry," he says. "We won't hurt James. Not much, anyway..."

"Not at all." I fold my arms across my chest. "It isn't his fault that the Arrows turned him into a cupid."

He shrugs. "Crystal will hopefully be here soon with Mino. They're going to take him and his new cupid-y friends back to the Matchmaking Service. But until then – he is going to try and board that ferry in our place so he can get to Valentine. And we can't let that happen. Right?"

I exhale. "Yeah...I guess..."

Cupid holds my gaze a moment longer, then heads to the back of the car to get weapons. I turn and glance over the cliff edge - at the dark beach below, and the rolling waves lapping the shore. It's only been a couple of weeks since bodies littered the sand, and I plunged the Finis into Valentine's heart.

I hurriedly push the thought of him out of my mind, and pull my cell out of my jeans pocket. Cal comes to stand beside me, his bow and quiver of arrows over one shoulder, and a spare hanging from his hand.