Crimes of Cupidity (Heart Hassle Book 3)

Lex gives me a thorough explanation on how to travel through the Veil, Cupidville, and the rest of the realms. It’s pretty easy, now that I’m the boss. So, with a clear visualization of the fae realm, I yank myself out of Cupidville. I know Sev and Lex will implement all of my changes in Cupidville while I’m gone. I’ve been gone for several hours by now, and I’m antsy to get back so I can look for Okot and the princess.

It’s a bit weird yanking myself through the Veil and back to the realm, but I manage not to vomit all over my feet, so that’s something at least.

I end up landing at the hunting shed on Ronak’s land where I left my genfins. It’s still dark, and I look around curiously. After a good thorough search, it’s obvious that they aren’t here. I stay invisible and make the flight back to our den to check there, just in case the guys doubled back.

Just a few hours ago, we were here, fighting for our lives because Princess Soora’s soldiers had ambushed us.

As I float through the living room, a frown forms on my face. Instead of the living room being completely destroyed, all signs of the battle have been wiped clean. The paintings are back on the walls, the bloodstains are gone, and there’s even a new rug.

I pop myself to visibility and walk around the space, feeling that something is very off. When I go into the kitchen and look through the cupboards, my frown deepens. There’s no food. Like, none.

Now, for a normal person, maybe this wouldn’t seem like such a red flag. But my guys had this place stocked full of food. Not just because they eat like horses, either, but because, well, I eat like a horse. Just several hours ago, the cupboards were jam-packed.

I stare at the empty cupboards, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. When I make another pass through the house, I finally figure out what else is bothering me. There are particles floating through the air. There’s a mustiness to the house that definitely wasn’t there before.

“Oh, shit.”

Dread falls into the pit of my stomach, and before I know it, I’m invisible and flying through the walls and out of the den. I race through the genfin village, only stopping when I find a lone genfin walking on the street. I pop visible and land in front of him. I nearly scare the poor male right out of his tail, and he takes a swipe at me with his claws, but luckily, I dodge them.

“Sorry!” I say quickly, holding my hands up. I really should’ve rethought that whole startling a predator thing, but that’s what panic does to me. “I just want to know what day it is.”

He gapes at me, his claws still raised defensively, until he finally drops them and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Emelle,” I say impatiently. “I—”

He takes in my appearance and his eyes widen. “You’re the cupid.”

I blink at him. I have no idea how he knows that. “Umm, yeah. Look, all I need to know is what day it is.”

It takes him several seconds, but he finally snaps out of his surprised staring enough to answer me. “It’s Summer Solstice.”

“What?” I feel the blood drain from my face as I start shaking my head automatically. I don’t even realize that I’ve grabbed his arms like a crazy person until he shrugs me off. “No. It can’t be Summer Solstice,” I argue. That was…like four weeks away!” I say shrilly.

“I suggest you get out of here,” he says, not bothering to address my issues with time. “It’s not safe for the cupid to be out in the open. Not even here. The prince has eyes everywhere, and I don’t want to be seen with you.”

I can’t even register his weirdly ominous words before he’s already walked away. I’m still shaking my head and arguing when I’m left behind on the cobbled street. I’m ranting like a crazy person, with only closed doors and empty shops to hear me.

I was only gone a few hours. How can weeks have passed?

“Okay, Emelle,” I tell myself as I spin around the empty street. “Think, think, think.”

Ronak’s words echo in my head. Three days. He gave me three days to go spy on the royals and figure out what the hell was happening. If I hadn’t come back by then, my genfins were going to go to the palace themselves and figure out what was going on. Which would be bad. Really, really bad. I still don’t even know if Princess Soora has betrayed us. And if the prince finds them…

Nope. No. Not going there.

When I hear the sound of a door opening and boisterous laughter, I go invisible again on instinct. A group of male genfins come staggering out of a pub and start swaying and stumbling home.

If I’ve been gone for weeks, then the guys are probably going out of their minds with worry. And they would definitely have gone to look for me by now. The question is, where should I look for them? Damn Cupidville and its stupid time warp.

Knowing Ronak, he would’ve gone balls to the wall and headed straight for the palace. But maybe Sylred, the more level-headed one would’ve thought of a different approach that wouldn’t get them killed?

I consider that for one-point-five seconds before I dismiss it. Genfins be crazy. And when it comes to me, even the calm one is crazy. I swear, if they got caught and kil— Nope. Not going there.

Knowing I need to go to the palace to search first, I launch into the sky and fly like hell in my invisible form. By the time I make it to the kingdom island, the sun has come closer, so I’m no longer bathed in darkness, but soaking in the purple hue of dawn.

One thing becomes very obvious as I get nearer—something has gone terribly wrong.