Signs of Cupidity (Heart Hassle Book 1)

Of course, the window I launched myself out of just happened to be at the very edge of the floating island. It couldn’t have been one that conveniently opened up to a nice grassy garden, oh no.

       Nope, I watch helplessly as the castle and then the base of the island whizzes past. Wind whips around me, tangling my hair and pushing against my skin as if it wants to punish me.

          I look back and try to flex my wings, but I realize how much harder they are to control now that they’re corporeal. Of course I would realize this after I’ve already jumped through a window.

I grit my teeth and strain to stretch them out. My back muscles scream in protest, but I somehow manage to do it. The wind catches them instantly and I’m yanked sideways.

I try to straighten myself out, but I can’t get the hang of it, and I start to spin sickeningly fast. The kingdom’s floating island is already far above me. I can see other floating islands all around, too, but I have no hope for reaching any of them if I can’t learn how to fly in my new physical body.

I scream into the air in frustration as I continue to rotate, my stomach ready to heave. I flap my arms out to my sides and force my wings to spread further out, even as the muscles in my back burn with an agonizing tightness. I spread my legs out straight and clench my teeth in concentration.

I feel the air pushing at me relentlessly, wanting to control me, wanting to blow me wherever it wants, but I know that if I don’t stop falling, I will either fall forever or crash to my death. I don’t like either of those options.

With another ear-splitting scream that burns my throat, I lift my wings and flap against the punishing wind. Up, down. Up, down. Up, down. Finally, I manage to stop spinning and I straighten out. I’ve been falling for a long time now, and the kingdom island is no longer in view. At least there’s that.

I turn forward again and am relieved when I see an island far below. I know I can’t fly for much longer, because my muscles are screaming and my wings feel weak, so I flap toward it with all the strength that I have left.

All I can see are green trees. No cities, no houses. It’s a much smaller island, maybe only about a tenth of the size of the kingdom island, and with a lurch, I recognize it immediately. The island where I saw the three very kissable sexy tail-men.

I fly/fall toward the trees as I near the island. I know I need to slow down, but I don’t know how. I keep trying to flap, but my muscles are shaking so badly now that they don’t want to lift anymore. A cry wrenches from my throat as I try, but it’s no use.

My wings can’t hold me anymore or fight against the incessant gravity that is so new to them. I watch as the ground comes closer and closer. Just before I hit the line of trees, I see something whizz toward me.

I scream as an arrow pierces through my right wing.

I fall.

And fall.

And fall.

I’m really sick of falling.

I crash into the trees. Every branch that hits me on the way down is like a punishing whip. I try to tuck my wings in, but I scream again because the arrow is still stuck in it and every movement is agony.

I feel every scratch that cuts into me as the branches flay me from all directions. The trees rip me apart, and yet every resistance also helps to slow me down. Talk about a silver lining. It’s barely silver. More like really, really, really dark gray.

Just when I’m sure I can’t take any more of a beating, I crash to the ground. I land on my arms and knees, tucked into a ball, and my chin slams against the dirt, jarring my teeth together. Whoa. Being corporeal hurts.

I roll over onto my back and stay there breathing, feeling every ounce of pain as it ripples through me. I can’t move my wings and I can’t reach where the arrow pierced me, either. All I can see are black dots that swim in front of me, and my heart hammers against my chest so hard that I’m sure it’s about to explode.

My vision is just beginning to clear when hands pounce on me. In a split second, multiple sets are holding me down. As if I’m in any condition to move. But the moment their hands touch my skin, something happens.

The strange white lightning that has been stuck under my skin ever since the prince launched his magical attack on me suddenly transfers to the people pinning me down. There’s a painful jolt at their touch and then the hands snatch away from me.

“What did you do to us?” one of the voices above me yells.

I blink several times to rid the blurry tears from my eyes, trying to make sense of his words. When my vision clears, I see them.

The three men that I first saw when I came to this realm. It’s First, Second and Third. The sexy tail-guys in all their gorgeous, muscled glory. They’re staring down at me with fierce scowls.

“You can see me?” I ask shakily, because I need to know for sure. My mind realizes that they touched me, that they’re looking at me, but I need to hear them say it.

My heart is in my throat as I wait for an answer. Whatever the prince did to me, it’s surely about to end and I’ll go invisible and unfeeling again.

It would be my luck to be turned physical only to fall down stairs, trip over my feet, crash through a window, plummet through the sky, be hit by an arrow, and then crash through trees and fall to the ground before turning intangible again.

Seriously. I’m waiting for it.

“What did you do to us?” Third asks.

“What?” I croak.

Sexy strong First grabs my face so that his thumb and fingers are clamped down on my jaw. It’s not very polite. “What. Did. You. Do?”

I swallow because he looks crazy scary. “I-I didn’t do anything.”

   His grip digs into me painfully, but Second leans forward. The nice one. You can just tell he’s nice by the look in his brown eyes. Except he doesn’t look so nice right now. “Something happened when we touched you,” he explains. He lifts a hand and I see that the strange crackling light that had been under my skin is now beneath theirs. After a moment, I watch as it fizzles out. “What did you do?”

   “I don’t know,” I say, watching as his palm returns to normal. “I don’t know what that was.”

   It’s difficult to talk with my jaw being held, so I jerk my face out of First’s grip. “I say we tie her up,” First says to the others.

   “What?” I squeak. “Tie me up? For what?”

   He ignores me. Okay, so mister strong and sexy is a jerk. Surprise, surprise.

   I snap my fingers in front of his face to get his attention. Except I can’t really snap since I’ve never done it before, so my fingers make a weird, fumbling motion minus the sound. Still, it makes First look back down at me, so that’s a win.

   “Hey. I asked you a question. Tie me up for what? I don’t want to be tied up,” I tell him. Then I consider it. “Well, unless it’s for, like, some hot bondage-type stuff. I might be okay with that. Except you’ll have to go easy on me for the first time. I’m new at all this. Plus I’m injured. We’ll need a safe word. How about pineapple?” Because it’s always pineapple.

   I’m rambling, right? I think I’m rambling. Ouch, I hurt everywhere.

   He just stares at me. And stares. And stares. Someone whistles under his breath.

   “Bloody hells,” Third says with a salacious smirk. “Where you been all my life?”

   “Shut up,” First snaps at him. “She’s an enemy. We’re tying her up and then I’ll interrogate her. We’ll get answers by any means necessary.”

   Whoa. So definitely not the fun kind of tying up then. Well, in that case, he’s definitely not the first one I’d kiss anymore. He’s just dropped himself right into last place. Asshole.

When he turns to look at the others, I notice that he has a quiver and bow strapped to his back. I gasp in outrage. “You shot me with an arrow!”

   He turns and glares down at me. “You were infiltrating our island.”

   I narrow my eyes. “Infiltrating? What is this, a war zone? I was falling. I couldn’t help where I landed.”

   “Sure,” he says, as if he doesn’t believe me at all. Yep. He’s definitely in last place.

   I try to roll over, but even that is too much and I end up stuck on my side, breathing through the pain as my head spins. Damn.

   Third kneels in front of me. His eyes run up and down over me, assessing. “What are you?”

   I hear First scoff behind me. “Isn’t it obvious? She’s a demon.”

   I whip my head around to glare at him. “Excuse me? I am not a demon!”

  “You have red wings.”

   “They’re feathered,” I counter defensively. “Demons don’t have feathers, and their wings are black. Besides, I have pink hair. Have you ever seen a demon with pink hair?”

   First crosses his massive arms in front of him. “I’m seeing one now.”

   I open my mouth to tell him off when Third cuts across me. “What are you?” he asks again.

   “What does it matter?” I snap. “You’ve shot me with an arrow and now you’re going to tie me up. I haven’t done anything to any of you. You can all go to hell.”

   First snorts. “Spoken like a true demon.”

   “Enough, Ronak,” Second says. I give First—Ronak, a triumphant look. “Yeah, enough,” I say, glad to finally get someone who’s talking some sense. “You’re not first anymore.”

   He scowls down at me. “What?”

   “You were first, but that was before I knew you were such a giant ass. You’re definitely not first anymore. I strip you of the honor. I’ll call you Not-First from now on.”

   Not First—Ronak—stares at me like I’m insane and then lets out a long-suffering sigh. “What’s she spewing about?”

   Third smirks. “I like her.”

   “Nobody asked you,” Not-First snaps.

  “Fuck off, Ronak.”

“Yeah, fuck off, Not-First,” I add. All three of them frown at me. Whoops. I guess I’m not allowed to say that.

   Second pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, like he’s really trying to keep the situation under control. “Could you two not start?” he says to them. He opens his eyes to look back at me. “What are you talking about with Ronak being first?”

   I begin to explain their ranking. “First, Second, Third,” I say, pointing to each one of them in correct order. “Except he’s not in first place anymore,” I say, pointing back at Ronak. “His attitude is deplorable.”

   “You put us in order?” Third asks, his lips twitching up to betray his amusement

   “Of course.” Seriously, who wouldn’t?

  “In order of what?”

   I open my mouth to tell them about my kissing order, but stop myself just in time. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I taunt.

   Second sighs. “Okay, okay. We aren’t getting anywhere and she’s bleeding all over our island. Evert, help me pick her up. We’ll take her to the cabin and see to her wounds.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Ronak snaps. “She’s an enemy.”

   “Oh, screw off,” Third says. “Do you ever pull the stick out of your ass?”

   Not-First glares back at him like he wants to melt his face off.

   Second gets between them before things can escalate. He’s obviously the peacekeeper of the group. “Look at her, Ronak,” he says quietly. “She’s weak and hurt. She’s not going anywhere. I don’t think she’s like the other ones.”

   That has me perking up, despite the pain I’m in. “What other ones?” I ask. I don’t get an answer. Does he mean other cupids? No, that doesn’t make sense. But then what does he mean?

“What’s your name?” Second asks.

Well if they won’t answer my questions, I won’t answer theirs. I raise my chin in a show of obstinacy. “I don’t have a name, but I wish I did just so that I could refuse to give it to you,” I snap.

   Third laughs. “Yep. I was right. I do like her.”

   “Shut the fuck up, Evert!” Ronak snarls. “Get her back and tie her up. Now.” He turns and stalks away, the bow and quiver slapping against his massive back as he stomps away from us.

   Third—Evert, rolls his eyes. “You really going along with this?”

   Second sighs. “You know how this looks, Evert. Maybe Ronak’s right—”

      “Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there, because right and Ronak don’t go together.”

   “You’re just arguing for the sake of arguing,” Second says quietly. “No matter what Ronak would have said, you would’ve taken the opposite side like you always do.”

   Third just shrugs at the accusation, like that’s exactly what he’d do and he doesn’t give a damn who knows it.

   “Don’t be like this. Ronak could be right about her. When has someone come to our island that didn’t mean us harm? Never,” he says, answering his own question. “In all the years we’ve been here, there’s never been one person or creature that was sent here unless it was to hurt us. Be smart about this.”

   “Smart? Is that what you are for kissing his ass?”

“I don’t kiss his ass. I just don’t hold a grudge like you.”

   This would all be terribly fascinating if, you know, I wasn’t bleeding out and curled up in agony. “Can you guys argue later? Whatever you’re going to do, just do it. Everything hurts,” I grit out between clenched teeth.

   That brings their attention back to me. “Help me bring her back to the cabin,” Second says, coming forward.

Third—Evert, sighs. “If it was up to me, I’d take you back to my bed and tie you up under very different circumstances, but it seems I’m overruled,” he says, making my heart do this weird flip-flop thing. “So just try and be a good little enemy bird, won’t you?”

   I have no idea what to say to that.