Worst Cupid Ever

Losing Daylight

Still glancing around, Luke frowned. "I am certain I heard a yelp." The Helmets stopped a few feet from where Ada and Teddy were crouched, hidden behind her wings. Heart pounding, Ada begged Teddy with her eyes to remain still. He answered with a jerky nod but his eyes remained wide with shock and amazement.

"I'll—" Luke paused, gaze still carefully sweeping over the garden "—I'll send the details of what Nathaniel told me to your box. For now, I must leave." Then he was gone.

There was a beat of heavy silence.

"This... this thing about Nathaniel can't be bad news, right?" Tasha faced Maya, brows scrunched and eyes dim with worry.

Go back inside, Ada silently begged the Helmet. She wasn't sure how much longer she could remain crouched in her current position. And Teddy was another problem; he looked ready to burst with a million questions.

"Oh, forget that guru wanna-be," Bo said with an airy laugh. "He retired too soon if you ask me. All that extra time in his hand must have made him go..." She made a cuckoo gesture and crossed her eyes all crazy-like.

Maya turned and began walking in the direction of the doors. "We'd be able to handle whatever the message contains. Everything will be fine."

Did Ada imagine the note of uncertainty in Maya's voice?

The three Helmets made it back to the building in silence. After three full minutes, Ada unfurled her wings, watching in solemn amazement as they turned corporeal and vanished.

"Did you see that?" Teddy sprung to his feet, eyes shining. "Your wings. You are so special it's insane!" He snatched Ada by the hand, laughing as he pulled her to her feet.

Crazy thoughts rollercoastered across Ada's mind as she struggled to understand what just happened. Like she wasn't weird enough, her wings had to stamp a seal on it.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Teddy asked. "You knew your wings could do that and you never told me. Think of all the insane pranks we could have pulled!" Teddy shoved his fingers through his frizzy curls, eyes wide with animated wonder. "What else can you do? Can you fight like angels? You're some... some sort of super cupid, right? Show me."

Ada laughed, her shocked confusion momentarily forgotten as she watched Teddy go crazy. "I didn't know my wings could do that."

Teddy paused and raised a brow. "No kidding?"

Ada huffed and rolled her eyes. "Why would I lie to you? All I know was when you touched me and I saw it was you, I wished with all my heart that we wouldn't be discovered."

"Woah." Teddy observed her with open fascination, jaw unhinged.

Ada chuckled and gave him a playful shove. "Shut your mouth and help plant my feet. I am suffering from hardcore confusion right now. I... what am I, Teddy? A cupid's wings shouldn't look like mine and they shouldn't make things invisible."

Teddy grew serious. Scratching a spot on his chin, he thought for a while. "What were you doing creeping, though? I came over to your spot like you asked only to see you eavesdropping on the Helmets."

"I heard voices and I was curious. Surprise-surprise, they were talking about me."

Teddy frowned. "I dislike coincidences."

"Me too." Ada marched over to where she dumped her bag only to notice it was already hanging over her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed when it returned to her. Teddy followed after and stared up at her graffiti.

"What did you hear?"

Ada repeated the conversation.

"Hmmm... strange. Let's clean this up first." He nodded at the graffiti as he took the cleaning spray can Ada offered. "When we are done, we'll head to Records and see what we can find out. What's the retired's name again?"