Page 70 of Cupid's Last Arrow

“I tried every angle. With my last attempt, I found myself stuck in the underworld.”

My jaw drops open, and I cover my mouth with my hands. “Is that when I called for you? Why you didn’t answer?”

“Yes, and it’s hard to get out, even if you’re a god. Only the gods of death and their proxies can come and go as they please.”Eros runs his fingers through his disheveled hair in agitation, and he hangs his head. He looks worn to the bone and frazzled.

“But how did you end up downthere?” Seeing him in this state pulls on my heart and threatens to crack it. I kneel in front of him on the floor and touch his shoulder and knee to show him I care.

My nearness shakes him from his current state. He looks into my eyes, and I see the worry there. I’m not sure who it’s for—him, me, or both of us.

Without warning, he lifts me from the floor and pulls me to his chest, his muscular arms holding me close. The embrace is desperate, and I almost can’t take in any air. But I need this hug as much as he does.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispers against my neck.

“Eros, if you were trapped in the underworld, I would have lostyou,” I say.

“Yes, I suppose so. However, if I’m not here to protect you, and we haven’t sealed our contract, the other gods might come after you.” His voice sounds weary and tortured.

The only god I want near me is Eros.

“It feels like they are coming after me now.” I pull back so I can study his reaction. “We should figure out who could have sent you to the underworld.”

“I think I know.” He doesn’t name names.

“Will you tell me?” I ask.

“I’m afraid if you know, you’ll be in danger.” Eros brushes his hands up and down my arms, perhaps trying to comfort both of us.

“But aren’t I already in danger?” I argue. “If the other gods are coming for me, then shouldn’t I know which ones I can’t trust?”

“You can’t trust any of them,” he says firmly.

I wonder if I can trust Eros. He’s a god as well. Do they all see mortals as playthings? Even him? I don’t want to believe he would hurt me—not on purpose.

I pull away from his embrace and return to the edge of my bed.

Eros sees the look on my face and reads it correctly. With a pleading expression, he says, “Dee, I… I never intended to hurt you. Whatever happens, whatever any of them tell you, remember that. When I caught you at the cliff, I didn’t realize that I was putting you in such danger. I thought you’d accept me right away, and that this whole situation would be easy.”

“So it’s my stubbornness that’s causing our problems?”

Eros shakes his head. “No, your integrity. That isn’t a bad thing, just rare. I should have known better—that you were different.”

I decide to get back on the most important topic—his suspicions about Carl. I can’t do anything about the gods at the moment or ever, but I have some say in my relationship. “Do you believe Carl knows he’s working for a god?”

“Yes, or he’s a supernatural entity himself.” Eros rubs his mouth as if he wishes his words weren’t true. “With the power behind the ward on the building, thereisa god involved. I don’t think the spell is up just to mess with me. It’s old and well-enforced.”

“I think you might be right about the building. However, just because a god is protecting it, and they don’t want anyone inside, that doesn’t necessarily mean Carl knows about any gods, right?” Even as I say it, I know it sounds naïve. “But if heisinvolved with a god, it would explain why he said he was protecting me when he rejected a relationship with me five years ago.”

“He was probably trying to keep you away from that god’s attention.”

“A lot of good that did me in the end,” I mutter.

Eros is eerily quiet after my comment. He probably feels responsible for me being in the middle of a tug-of-war with gods.

“What happened when you tried to take Carl to lunch?” Eros asks.

I tell him that Carl didn’t even come down to see me and about his curt texts.

“You’re probably right about him,” I add.

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