Love Guardians Part 5: Cold Love

Bloody Cupidity

(Reader's POV)

I woke up and saw Jack descending onto the golden sand, smiling at me. He was right. I didn't realize he was gone. I stood up, smiling back at him. When I stretched out my arms toward him, he glared. He quickly shifted his feet to move around me.

I turned around behind Jack, seeing exactly why he glared.

Pitch grinned at us, his hands behind his back. "You should have followed Bunnymund's advice, Jack. You've led me to the exact person I was looking for."

Jack pointed his staff Pitch. "Too bad you're leaving empty handed." Multiple mermaids surfaced and glared at Pitch.

Pitch smirked, letting out a small laughed. "Of course I am. I wouldn't want you two to be left in question about your biggest problem."

My eyes narrowed at Pitch. "What problem?"

"Aging." Pitch grinned. "Getting older and older."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean? How is that a problem?"

"Jack doesn't get any older. You do."

I paused and looked at Jack.

"Don't fret, my dear girl. I'd like to introduce a solution to your problem."

Jack glared at Pitch. "There's no problem, and we can ask the man in the moon for a better solution than anything you have."

Pitch let out a small laugh. "He can't exactly just stop her aging. There's another in charge of that," Pitch paused and smiled, "and no one wants to upset him. The man in the moon can only stop (_your name_)'s aging if she becomes a guardian."

Jack shot ice at Pitch and a nightmare threw himself in front of the shot. 

Pitch grinned. "You might not want to do that. I have what you need." He held out a goblet. 

A few mermaids screamed and swam away. 

Pitch's eyes went from the cup to me. "Drinking this, will stop you from ever getting older."

I paused, having the feeling that he was right. A mermaid hissed at Pitch and he smiled at her.

Jack stepped forward. "I suggest you leave. Even the mermaids are upset."

Pitch turned to Jack. "Of course, they have ever right to be. Seeing the blood of their sister being drained into a cup is a cruel fate. One they've endured twice now."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Pitch smiled at me. "That's the only catch. You can drink this and live forever with Jack, but cupidity will be written all over your name."

The mermaid looked at me with eyes of plea. I stared at her for a long moment, feeling a heavy pain in my chest. She shook her head silently, slowly, desperately. My eyes slowly moved back to Pitch as Jack took a step back to me. "She... doesn't need it... We'll find a way."

Pitch stared at me. "You can't take too long to decide on this offer. It'll spoil." He appeared behind me, placing the cup in my hands.Jack whirled around and pointed his staff at Pitch. Pitch softly made me look at Jack. "And you wouldn't want to ruin a love like this, especially at the sorrowful price of another."

I stared at Jack's widened eyes. He was lowering his staff as if he was defeated. His eyes kept shifting from the cup, me, and Pitch.

"What will it be, Jack? Should you let her go, or will you let her drink the blood?" He appeared at the top of the sand dune. "Remember, there isn't much time to think about it." He let out a small laugh. "Of course, there never is with bloody cupidity."