Psyche's Heart : CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 3

Chapter 5

Cupid releases the first arrow, and quicker than I can even process, he's plucking out the next and sending it slicing through the air. The Furies are too fast though. They dodge as they charge at us through the flashing strobe lights; a blur of black leather and silver blades.

"Lila, find my brother," yells Cupid – reaching for another arrow. He plunges it upwards with a strong arm as the first of the Furies – the blonde – reaches him. She catches it, snaps the tip, and it disintegrates – forcing him to jump back as she jabs her blade at him in retaliation.

And then the three Furies and Cupid become a haze of leather, arrows, and knives, as they fight in the center of everyone. Crystal watches from the stage, hands clenched by the sides of her blue dress, eyes fixed on Cupid. The surrounding crowd is silent. Why is no-one helping?

Cupid stumbles back then charges – throwing the three Furies across the room with a push of his bow. They skid across the mosaic tiles. One of them meets my gaze, and he pulls another arrow from his quiver. He throws a sideways glance at me, "Go!"

I turn and push through the crowd as he releases another arrow. There's a blood curdling screech. I look over my shoulder to see one of the Furies with an arrow stuck in her arm. When she pulls it out black smoke curls from the wound – but then the skin seems to stitch itself together as the arrow turns to ash in her hand.

The other two are now upon him, swishing their blades through the air.

And I realize – with their backs to me - I have a shot. I move back to the edge of the crowd. I raise my bow.

"Lila!" Cal appears beside me and I jump, jerking around to face him. His face is pale, his jaw clenched into a sharp line.

A grunt from Cupid causes me to turn back to the walkway – where he and the three women are fighting. He throws one back – shoving his bow in her face – and I hear a crack as her nose breaks. The girl with the braided hair swipes her knife at him – he only just dodges and it slices a tear through his white shirt.

I reach for an arrow.

Cal puts a hand on my bow and gently but firmly pushes it down.

"Lila, don't."

I turn to him. His silvery eyes bare into mine as I hear a hard thud, and Cupid cry out in pain.

"Why? Why is no-one helping?"

"They're goddesses of vengeance, Lila," he says slowly, as though talking to a small child who is having a tantrum.

"So?!"

"So, their threat to take one soul every day is not unreasonable. Not when they think we've stolen from them," he says. "But we provoke them further and they will have further reason to delve out vengeance. The Matchmaking Service could find themselves at War with the Underworld itself."