I lunge at Cupid.

He blocks my blow with his arm. The green flecks dance tauntingly in his ocean eyes as I stagger back. He doesn't move his gaze from my face; his bare feet criss-crossing one another as he circles me.

I follow his lead, moving slowly, not allowing him to slip out of sight. The strange Valentine's Day card I received earlier burns in my pocket, but I push it from my mind for now. I need to focus.

My breathing is fast, shallow. My eyes fall from his just for a moment – moving down to his white T-Shirt clinging to his torso with a light layer of perspiration. He watches me, the corner of his lip tugging upwards.

Then I curl my fingers into a fist and launch it at his face.

He grabs it in his hand at the last moment. His fingers tighten. He steps closer, yanking me into him, engulfing me in a wave of his body heat. He smells like soap mixed with a light cologne; I breathe in his scent as I try to pull my hand away. His grip is too tight; a warm vice around my fingers.

He stops, his face inches from mine, and I stare up at him, defiant.

He smiles wickedly.

"You'll have to do better than that, lovebug," he says.

"How do you know I don't have you exactly where I want you?"

He raises a fair eyebrow.

"If I was where you wanted me I don't think we'd be in the combat training room of the Cupids Matchmaking Service..."

"Oh yeah, where would we be then?"

He pauses then a grin cracks upon his face.

"Under the covers?"

I feel a tug at the corner of my lip, but I remain serious.

"Yeah...you wish..."

His eyes search mine, amusement glinting in them, as he tries to gage a reaction.

Suddenly I twist under his arm. I feel his hard chest against my back as I bend forwards. At the same time I pull, knocking him off balance, and toppling him over my shoulder. He lands hard on his back on the pink mat. The sound of the smack reverberates around the large room, bouncing off the pink and black archery targets and the high ceiling above.

I swipe a silver and pink arrow from the quiver slung over my shoulder, step over him, turn, and point it at his chest. I hold his gaze and raise an eyebrow.

"Exactly where I want you..." I say.

He laughs.

Then, suddenly, he grabs the arrow, and pulls down. The tip sinks into him and I topple down onto his body as it crumbles to ash between us. I put my hands out onto the mat, holding myself up just inches from his face.

"Now I have you exactly where I want," he says. He wiggles his eyebrows, "And you just hit me with the Capax, so you know I'm telling the truth."

He reaches for me, pushing his fingers through my dark hair, and tilts his head up. My heart begins to thud faster as I feel his warm breaths on my face. I can feel his hard stomach muscles through the cotton of his moist top. And then...

"Good to see you two are taking Lila's combat training seriously..."

I jerk my head to the side.

Cal is stood rigidly in the arched doorway of the combat training room, wearing his crisp white Matchmaking Agent suit. His silvery eyes watch us distastefully.

I push myself up onto my feet, brushing myself down and decidedly not look at Cal. Cupid – still on his back, props himself up on his elbows. A smile plays about his lips.

"You really do have the worst timing, brother."

Cal scowls. Then he moves his gaze onto me. His eyes soften slightly.

"Hello, Lila."

"Hi, Cal," I say as Cupid gets to his feet. I sense him close behind me. "And we were training. I'm getting good, right?"

"Pretty good..." says Cupid, a hint of approval in his tone, "for a human, anyway..."

I throw a look over my shoulder at him.

"For a human?! I just kicked your ass!"

He chuckles, amusement dancing around his blue green irises. Then he waves his hand in a mock dismissive fashion.

"I could have got out of it."

"How?!"

"Well, if you must know, I was planning to seduce you..."

Cal clears his throat.

I turn. He's looking at Cupid with disdain plain across his angular features.

"Sorry, brother, what is it you want?" says Cupid.

Cal flicks his gaze back to me a moment. As my eyes fix on his, I notice the light purple smudges underneath his eyes, and the paleness of his face. He's tired. I wonder if Crystal, the newly elected leader of the Matchmaking Service, is working him too hard – or if it's because of something else.

"You know you don't have to train?" he says. "The Arrows won't go after you again – and while the Matchmaking Service may not be pleased with...whatever this is..." he looks pointedly between Cupid and me – his eyes flashing silver. "No-one is going to hurt you..."

I feel a slight sting at his words. 

What is going on between Cupid and me? It's been months since the battle in the trial room, and though we've been acting almost like we're together  - there's something in both of us that seems to be holding back.

Instead of showing his words bothered me I fold my arms across my chest and give Cal a look.

"That's what I thought a few months ago, to be honest..." I say, "But being constantly hounded by cupids who wanted to kill me, watching a guy hurl himself off the roof of a building, fighting through a labyrinth, and accidentally resurrecting an ancient murderous goddess can really change your perspective on things..."

I sense Cupid's amusement behind me. Cal exhales heavily.

"Well, be that as it may...it's not really appropriate for a human to be training here. And you should get a proper teacher. Not..." He looks pointedly behind me. "him."

"Oh, lighten up, brother!" says Cupid, coming to stand beside me. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm looking for Crystal. There's been an...incident."

Cupid raises an eyebrow in question.

"Care to elaborate, brother?"

"I can't. It's Matchmaking Service business."

He takes a step backwards toward the door. Cupid rolls his eyes.

"Original Cupid," he says – pointing a thumb at his chest, he turns it to me, "Killed a goddess. What's the deal?"

Cal stops. His silvery eyes move from my face to Cupid's. Then he exhales heavily. He walks over the pink mats, the bright artificial lights creating shadows under his cheekbones, and hands Cupid a slip of paper.

Cupid skims over it – his face darkening. Something unreadable flickers across his eyes.

"What is it?" I say.

I peer over his shoulder at the paper, seeing a handwritten note to the Matchmaking Service signed from Mino. He folds it before I can catch any of the rest of it.

"A cupid has gone missing. There was a scene at his home indicating there was a struggle." 

He looks at Cal.

Something seems to pass between them the two of them. Cal gives a subtle nod.

"Third cupid missing this month," says Cal as he snatches back the slip of paper. He gives us a grim look, "Something is going on. I think someone is targeting cupids."