*CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 2* FIRST DRAFT
Lila receives an ominous Valentine's Day card.
Cupid & Cal are keeping a dark secret.
Fate is being interfered with.
And a sadistic, and extremely powerful banished cupid is intent on stealing Lila's heart. Literal...
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The air is thick with silence. Fury radiates from Cupid's body as he stands, tense, in the now open doorway. A bow hangs from his hand.
His eyes move to me, a question blazing within them; are you OK?
I give a half nod to reassure him – but I'm not sure anything about this situation is OK. There's a serial killer stood a foot away from me, he can move faster than I've ever seen anyone move before, and I'm not sure if even Cupid's strength is a match for him.
"Ah, you made it!" Valentine's voice, laced with humor, comes from behind me, "I wasn't sure you would...though, from the state of you, it looks like you met some of my new friends."
Cupid puts his hand to his nose, pinching and rubbing away a dribble of blood that runs from it. His eyes don't move from Valentine.
"Get away from her."
He catches my eye and makes a subtle movement with his head. I know immediately what he is saying. With a sudden movement he raises his bow, flicks an arrow out of the quiver over his shoulder, and shoots.
I dive out of the way as the golden body of the Ardor whooshes past my ear. I hear Valentine grunt as I scramble to my feet and stumble toward Cupid and the exit. Cupid grabs my arm and thrusts me behind him.
My heart is beating wildly in my chest.
I spin back around to see Valentine pulling the torture arrow out of his shoulder and crumbling it to ash between his fingers. My breath catches in my throat. He should be screaming.
I remember when Cupid was hit by the Ardor, back at the Cupids Matchmaking Service. I remember the tortured cries that came from his lips, the way he fell to his knees, and Charlie and I had to pull him out of the path of attack.
As the devilish smile spreads across Valentine's face my blood turns cold; it looks like the arrow hasn't affected him at all. His shocking blue eyes meet Cupid's. They're still glinting with amusement.
"Is that any way to greet your brother after all this time?"
Cupid takes a step forward, slinging his bow back over his shoulder, and taking his re-assuring body heat further away from me.
"It's been about a century, hasn't it?" says Cupid– there's still danger in his tone, but it's less raw than moments earlier. I can feel his confidence grow now that I'm stood behind him, rather than Valentine. "How did you enjoy Dublin?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to see as much of it as I would have liked. I was trapped inside a crypt for the majority of the time," he replies with a grin.
"Pity," says Cupid, "The Irish stew is to die for."
Valentine's full lips curl upward. There a condescending look in his eyes – like he knows a secret that we don't. I don't like it. It puts me on edge. Cupid takes another step toward him. Valentine matches it.
