Cupid’s Match

Shadowy figures emerge from their small cells on both sides. In a few moments’ time the group of prisoners have surrounded us.

Charlie is near the front, and I catch her eye. She looks exhausted but grins when she sees me. I can’t help but wonder what she would have experienced in her version of the Sim.

Selena stands beside her, looking irritable, and I notice Medusa among the group as well. She is no longer blindfolded—she must be able to control her power outside of the Sim—and I see that her eyes are an unnatural glassy blue that stands out against her tanned complexion. A black snake curls around her right arm.

Others in the crowd greet each other like old friends. A blond guy is chatting animatedly with a group of disheveled gladiators, and Pandora talks warily to a pair of wolfish teenagers. Leaning against the wall by the back, the Minotaur watches Crystal, a half smile playing about his lips.

Cupid looks around. “I guess you are all now aware of our . . . little predicament.”

The Minotaur’s gaze slides to Cupid. “Your mother is back in town and you’re inviting us to the reunion,” he drawls. “How kind. Do you have any plan beyond that?”

Cupid shoots Cal a sideways look. “Er, Brother?”

“The trial is due to start any minute now,” Cal says. “We allow it to proceed as planned.”

“Are you kidding me?” Crystal exclaims. “I’m not—”

Cal fires her a cold look. “Do you think I want to put you all in danger? It’s the only way to get the Finis close enough to Venus. I need to get into the courtroom with it, and I can’t if we’ve already gone into battle.”

My stomach turns. Cupid frowns and I feel a shift in his mood. It seems he wasn’t expecting this.

“So where exactly do we fit in to all this, then?” asks the Minotaur. “You know, I was perfectly happy where I was before.” His dark eyes find Crystal in the odd group. “Well . . . almost.”

“You’re here to serve as a distraction,” Cal says. “When Venus officially starts the trial, you’ll break into the courtroom and the battle will start. When Venus’s attention is on you, I’ll fire the arrow.”

“What about our weapons?” asks Pandora. There’s a murmur of agreement among the others.

“I managed to recruit a couple of agents,” Cal says. “When the four of us are up in the trial room, they’ll bring down your weapons.” He turns to Crystal. “You said you wanted to tell me something?”

Before she can respond, the sound of marching footsteps vibrates through the dungeon ceiling and makes the artificial lights jitter.

“Everyone back in their cells!” Cal says. “The matchmaking agents are making their way to the courtroom. I need to get back upstairs to avoid suspicion.”

He looks at Cupid and Crystal, then his silver eyes settle on me. There’s a pained expression on his usually stern face. “Good luck,” he says. Then turning on his heel, he heads off through the group of Myths.

“Brother?” Cupid calls, making Cal glance back. “When you fire the arrow . . . don’t miss.”

The two brothers share a look and Cal nods.

When Cal is gone, everyone stands in silence for a moment, as though contemplating the enormity of the battle ahead. Cupid finally steps forward.

“Better get back to the cells,” he says. “Someone’ll be down for us any minute.”

A few groans resound before the beings skulk back to their tiny barred rooms. Charlie touches my arm as she passes by me.

“You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah. You? What happened in the Sim?”

“Oh, it was awful,” she says lightly. “I was trapped in an eternal history lesson, and there weren’t even any boys.”

Something in her eyes tells me she’s lying, but I humor her anyway.

“Sounds terrible.”

She grins then makes her way to her cell, turning around for a last look at me before entering. “Be careful, Lila,” she says, closing the door.

Minutes later the corridor is clear, leaving just Cupid and me. He moves in front of me, looking into my eyes with uncharacteristic seriousness.

“I’m sorry, Lila. I’ve put you in so much danger.”

“Yes, you have.”

“I should never have come here.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

His face is so crestfallen that I reach out to touch his arm.

“But I’m glad you did. You were right before,” I say. “I had given up on love. On everything, I think. But then you came here. You turned my life upside down. You’ve put me in danger, you’ve put my friends in danger, you’ve been selfish, and reckless, and insanely annoying—but whatever happens, I can’t regret that you came. Because I think you helped me find that spark inside of me again. And . . . well . . . I kinda like you.”

He reaches for my cheek and brushes it with his thumb. “I won’t let Venus hurt you. I’d sooner impale myself with the final arrow than have anything happen to you.”

I give him a half smile. “Well, let’s not do anything too drastic . . .”

He smiles back, resting his forehead on mine. I feel the comforting tickle of his eyelashes against my skin. I wish we could stay this way forever. I wish we didn’t have to risk our lives in a battle that he’d started.

“We’ll be okay,” he says. “My brother won’t miss.”

“I know.”

Suddenly a screech of stone fills the corridor.

Cupid pulls his head away from mine. “It’s time.”

We look at one another for what seems like an eternity. Then I turn and head back to my cell.

“Lila.”

Cupid grabs my arm just as I’m pushing the door open and spins me around. He loops his other arm around the back of my waist and pulls me into him.

“I could never regret coming here either. I know I should, but I don’t. No matter what happens to me in there, I could never regret meeting you. You’ve changed everything.”

“Cupid—”

Before I can finish he presses his lips to mine. I grab the back of his shirt, bunching the material in my fingers, and kiss him back until he pulls away. I look up at him, breathless, blood pounding in my ears. There are voices coming from down the corridor.

“Go back into the cell. Put the microchip back in your ear and act as though you’ve just come out of the Sim,” he says. “It’s what the agents will be expecting. They’re programmed to stop at the time of a prisoner’s trial.”

I nod and open the door. “See you on the other side.”

I throw myself back down on the seat and slip the chip back in my ear. Cupid looks at me one last time then closes the door and disappears out of view. My heart thumps hard against my rib cage as I hear the approaching sound of heavy boots.

A few moments later the sharp face of the Commander appears through the bars of my door. Six armed guards are at attention behind him. I feel a wave of nausea. I want to be brave but I can’t steady the slight tremble in my legs.

“Wakey, wakey, rise and shine,” says the Commander. “Venus and her army are waiting.”

He smiles coldly.

“It’s time for your trial.”