Valentine's Day : CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 2

Chapter 6

I look up from over his screen. Cal's silvery eyes blaze as they meet mine.

A dead cupid and a threatening Valentine's Day card.

I feel cold all over. Adrenaline courses through my veins.

Someone is coming after me. Again.

I'm not sure how to process this information. Cupid's assertion that the card sent earlier today was some kind of prank has definitely just blown out of the window. I knew he thought it was something more than that.

My heart thuds against my chest.

"The dead cupid...Who was he?" I ask.

Around me time seems to slow down as Crystal and Charlie both look on – confusion on their faces.

"He was a former member of the Arrows," says Cal.

"What's going on?" says Crystal.

Cal stiffly extends his arm, passing her the phone without moving his eyes from mine. Her eyes flicker across the screen.

"Those combat training lessons don't seem like so much of a waste of time now, do they?" I mumble.

Cal narrows his eyes.

"You know, this is no laughing matter. It's serious," he snaps. "It looks like whoever killed that cupid is after you too, Lila."

His words sting and I flinch.

Charlie offers me a sympathetic shrug over his shoulder – her dark eyes burning worriedly. Crystal swipes her purse off the table.

"I'm going to head over to the police department, I have someone working on the inside," she says. Cal exhales sharply, and Crystal raises an eyebrow at him. "I know you two don't get on – but right now, he's our best chance at getting to the bottom of this. He can be very persuasive."

She looks at me – her eyes blazing blue.

"Don't worry, Lila. We'll get whoever's doing this."

I give her a half smile – though my fingers curl into a fist under the table. I cast my mind back to the quiver full of arrows I've kept under my bed since the battle in the trial room.

"To be honest, I'm getting pretty used to cupids chasing after me..." I say.

Cal gives me a disapproving glance as Crystal addresses the table. "Someone should keep a lookout tonight – until we know what's going on," she says. "There's a killer on the loose, and it seems that Lila is on the hitlist."

"I'll do it," says Cal rigidly.

Cupid puts a protective hand on my shoulder.

"No...I'll do it..." he says, "Obviously..."

Crystal looks between the two then rolls her eyes.

"Well, just someone do it..." she heads toward the door then looks at me. "Be safe, Lila."

I nod.

Once she's out of sight, Cal drags his gaze away from mine, bringing it to meet Cupid's. Something seems to pass between them.

I turn and look up at him too. He looks uncharacteristically worried – hovering behind his stool, his hands clenching in fists by his sides. He catches my eye, seems to contemplate something, then sighs.

"I know what you're thinking, brother," he says.

Slowly he pulls out the card I received this morning and hands it over to Cal.

"I didn't want to say in front of Crystal – not yet," he says. "Lila was sent another one,"

Thunder passes across Cal's face when he reads it. His eyes flash as he looks upwards.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me about this?!"

Cupid raises his arms.

"I only just found out about it, brother."

I frown. That may be true, but didn't Cupid specifically say in the car just now that we shouldn't tell Cal about this? And why is he hiding it from Crystal?

Cal doesn't look appeased. He runs a hand through his neat blonde hair.

"One card could be a coincidence. But two..."

"It can't be him..."

"Damn right it can't be," snaps Cal, "because you said you'd dealt with that particular problem centuries ago...I would never have had him wiped of the Undesirable list if..." he takes a step toward Cupid – a furious look in his eyes. "You did deal with it? Didn't you?"

Cupid doesn't move back. He looks into his brother's face, the sugar scented air between them feeling heavy.

"Yes, brother," says Cupid. There's an almost undetectable pause before he says it.

Cal says nothing, only continues to stare at him. Then Cupid exhales.

"Look," says Cupid. "OK...I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking. But I did put him in a place where he couldn't harm anyone..."

"Well do you think you'd better check that he's still there?" hisses Cal.