Page 10 of Incurably Cupid

I nodded gravely at my king. I’d known the instant it happened that I might not survive the experience. I think that was why I wanted my cupid with me. I knew my king and Consort Mia wouldn’t be able to leave the villa so soon after the assassination attempt. I suppose I wanted someone who knew me, however distantly, to be with me if I crossed the great barrier last night. It had comforted me.

Remembering my decision now made me wince. It had been incredibly selfish of me and probably made her wildlyuncomfortable. I stared at her, taking in everything about her. I absorbed information and assessments of people nearly without thought or intent; by now, it came naturally.

“What is your name?”

“Indie Valentine.” Her gaze was direct, and despite her obvious fatigue, she rose to her full diminutive height and managed—since I was laid flat on my back—to look down at me as though she were a disapproving friend who thought my intelligence was lacking.

Indie.

It was a beautiful name. And Valentine, well, that was adorable considering she was a cupid. But the look on her face assured me I would die painfully if I mentioned that.

“You disapprove of my actions last night?” I asked it as a question, but I knew full well she did. I remembered flashes of her scolding me as she tried to keep me from bleeding out by using her shirt to apply pressure to my wounds.

She sighed. “Less disapproval and more resignation. It’s natural for you big, strong hero types to jump into the fray when things go sideways.”

“Itishis job,” King Draven said, sounding amused.

“And hedidsave us,” Consort Mia said, her voice strained.

My cupid nodded. “Then I suppose he did well. But for a few moments, I was worried that my hinge would get himself killed.”

“Your what?” I frowned. Had she said hinge?

She waved my question away. “Never mind.”

When she failed to elaborate, I smiled gently at her. “Thank you for being here with me. Feel free to go home at any time. You must be exhausted and have a million other things you’d rather be doing than being in a hospital with a gargoyle you hardly know.”

Indie frowned and glanced at Consort Mia and King Draven. “As to that...”

I nearly groaned at the looks they exchanged. It didn’t bode well for me returning home and getting back to work.

“Tell me.”

Consort Mia snorted in laughter that sounded like a hiccuping crackle, likely from the emotional overload she was experiencing. Her husband looked at her with concern and insisted she lean back against him for support, then he squeezed her gently. She looked up at him, tender love and trust shimmering in her eyes. I swallowed the emotions welling within me, keeping my stoic expression in place. I wanted to insist that Consort Mia return to the villa, but I couldn’t, as the villa probably wasn’t safe yet, depending on how long I’d been in surgery. The hospital was likely safer for her.

“I love how he tries to order us around,” Consort Mia said with a small smile.

“It’s a complicated employee/employer relationship. I try to accommodate his little quirks. He tends to get grouchy if I don’t,” King Draven replied, a sardonic twist to his lips.

Consort Mia laughed, sounding a bit less unhinged. “He’s bossy, but we love him, in other words.”

I scowled at both of them. “You should go home when the villa is clear, Consort Mia. A hospital is a terrible place for an empath, and you weren’t feeling well before you came.”

Consort Mia winced and closed her eyes. “It’s not... pleasant.”

“Please go home.”

King Draven kissed the top of his wife’s head and then fixed his steely gaze on me. “We will in a moment, after Mia has been checked out by a medical professional.”

“What? Why?” Consort Mia said, sitting up in surprise.

“Umm, because you passed out, that’s why,” Indie said.

Consort Mia sighed and leaned back against her husband’s chest. “People pass out all the time. I’ve just had the flu and haven’t eaten much. It’ll pass in a few days.”

King Draven gave his wife a look. She stared back at him stubbornly, and I almost laughed. When you guarded a family, you got to know them fairly well. I could honestly say the couple in front of me was perfect for each other. They balanced each other in ways that other couples rarely did, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have disagreements. Those disagreements usually involved Consort Mia not taking proper care of herself.

Consort Mia sighed in defeat, turning away from her husband’s worried, pleading expression. “Fine, I give in. I’ll see someone.”

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