Page 15 of Incurably Cupid

My boss and friend thought I was such a workaholic that he had me sent to the ether, a different realm, to ensure I would rest. I knew they did it for my benefit because they cared, but resting was the furthest thing from my mind.

I kept replaying the night of the shooting. One moment, things had been peaceful at the villa. Draven and Mia were safe, and then... gunshots, shattered glass, a full-scale supernatural hunt, and me leaving the villa grounds in an ambulance.

I was worried about the king and consort. I knew they had brought capable men and women for security, and though I also knew that a cruise ship might be safer than the villa right now, nothing was impenetrable. A skilled assassin could easily boardand target them. I feared that the security they had with them and the ship's crew wouldn't be enough.

I also worried about Consort Mia’s health. She’d been unwell before they’d left for the cruise, but Leo had hacked into Sebastian Solace’s medical database and assured me she reallydidonly have the flu, that a physician was keeping an eye on her, and that she was on the mend. I was greatly relieved.

Despite every professional advising against becoming emotionally attached to security clients... I couldn’t help it. Draven had been my friend for years, and I truly loved Mia. She was perfect for him, and a genuinely kind person.

The problem with gargoyles is that people, even other supernaturals, assume that because we can turn to stone, we have stone hearts. That somehow, because I can transform into a stone monster, I must be uncaring and cruel. In reality, my emotions run deep. I love and care intensely for those I hold close. Attraction isn’t always obvious to me, especially when it comes to other women showing interest, but love... love is something I’m acutely aware of. Love is something I desire so fiercely it makes my bones ache.

Leo beeped and whirled as he worked on the tasks I had assigned him while I lay in bed, twitchy, restless, and grumpy. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Today had been a long day of doing nothing. Talking with Leo had been the only thing keeping me sane.

“Indie will be back any moment. Her class let out early today,” Leo said from his place on my bedside table.

“Any luck?”

“I found two hits posted on the dark web, both from the same username: Capistrano. But his IP address keeps bouncing around before ending up on a generic computer accessed at a public library.”

I nodded, my brow furrowing. That wasn’t ideal. I hated smart criminals; they always made my job harder. “I don’t suppose he used a library card? He can’t be that stupid, can he?”

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t.”

I sighed. “What country?”

“Italy.”

“Are you able to narrow it down to a city or region?”

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. “Not without help from the fae engineers. He's using tech that not only bounces his signal around but also erases it wherever it goes. I was only able to get the country and username because I’m a genius, but I need fae assistance to pinpoint it more precisely.”

“I see,” I said, disappointed. I’d rather not involve the fae engineers just yet, no matter how brilliant they were supposed to be at tech. Well, it was better than nothing. “Could you anonymously send Dante, my second, a message with this information?”

“Sure thing.”

“I see that you’re resting as your doctor prescribed and not working on tracking down the assassin as your king forbade you from doing,” Indie said, leaning against the doorway, looking rumpled and fed up with the world.

My heart lifted at the sound of her voice, but I managed to keep my expression neutral. “Bad day at work?”

She scowled and stalked off toward her bedroom, mumbling under her breath.

“She doesn’t like the class she’s subbing for,” Leo whispered.

“What class is it?”

“Love 101. She says it’s a (mimicking Indie’s voice) ‘miserable, insufferable, sickeningly-sweet rhetoric on every aspect of love except love.’”

“I’m not sure I know what that means,” I admitted, fluffing the pillow under my head and ignoring my bladder. Getting upto use the restroom just wasn’t worth it until it was screaming at me. Moving was excruciating.

“It means,” Indie said, stepping into my room, “that most people wouldn’t recognize love if it whomped them over the head with a two-by-four. What they know is like, lust, fondness, and familiarity.”

I scratched the itchy scruff on my face—I hadn’t been able to shave yet—and pondered her statement. “I’m not sure I agree with you. Some of it maybe, but I think many people understand what love means. They just don’t have the opportunity to express it. Most people are lonely.”

Indie glared at me from the sink in my bathroom, where she was washing her hands, probably so she could change my bandages. She hadn’t changed them yet today. “You’re an optimist? Really? In your line of work?”

I shrugged. “It’s hard to live guarding the king and his consort without being optimistic about love. Also, Mia kind of... rubs off on you. As an empath, she says most people are just lonely, scared, and scarred, not evil.”

Indie dried her hands and gathered the gauze, medical tape, and antibacterial ointment she’d picked up at the hospital pharmacy. Her eyes were smudged from tiredness, and her wings drooped to the floor. She looked like she needed about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.

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