At school on Monday, Valentine's Day decorations have started to spring up in the halls and on people's lockers - courtesy of the social committee. There are flashes of pink hearts, balloons, and posters pasted onto the walls advertising a 'cupid' themed dance this Friday.

"The theme was my idea," says Charlie with a grin as we pass a cartoon picture of a bow and arrow wielding cherub.

I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Seriously?!"

She laughs.

"What?! I have a bow and quiver that I'm never able to wear out in public! Plus - it means there's no reason you can't come. If anything kicks off like at the last dance, we can be armed and no-one will even know."

I roll my eyes as we head down the corridor to class.

"Should there really be a dance? What with it being in honor of the guy that's trying to kill me and all... it could add to his power..."

Charlie looks at me more seriously.

"Yeah, I thought that - but the social committee are hardly going to stop one of their big annual dances. It's not like I can tell them there's a zombie raising evil maniac cupid strutting about town. I did manage to get it moved to the week before Valentine's Day though - so it's not like it's on the actual day itself."

I know her words should re-assure me somewhat - but they just highlight how close Valentine's Day is getting. Whatever Valentine is building up to - with his zombie cupids, Morta's sheers, threats to me, and Cal's life thread - it will happen one week from Saturday.

We have 11 days to find out exactly what is going on. And how to stop it.

Charlie and I move into the classroom - taking our usual seats at the back.

I take a breath.

We will stop this. Hopefully our trip to track down Charon tonight should give us some answers.

I glance at Charlie.

"I suppose the themed dance also has the added bonus that everyone will probably dress like giant babies, and that will definitely annoy Cupid and Cal..." I say - the corner of my lip tugging upward.

Charlie beams at me.

"See! There's the spirit!"

***

Charlie drives me to the Cupids Matchmaking Service after school. We pause outside the clear front of the place. Cupid and Crystal are talking animatedly inside - frowns on their faces.

Charlie and I share a look, then she opens the door a fraction - stopping it just before it rings the bell to signal our arrival.

"...I'm just saying it's a possibility we shouldn't rule out," says Crystal. "I mean - when was the last time you...?"

"Crystal, I'm not talking about this."

"We need to talk about this. If Valentine is using the obals to get cupids back from the other side - we need to accept that he could have got that idea from someone..."

Crystal stops speaking as the glass door from the open plan office space opens.

Cal, dressed unusually casually in sweatpants and a T-shirt, walks into the reception. The bright light reflects off a light layer of perspiration on his skin, and he's carrying a bottle of water. He's obviously just been working out.

He looks across the room, sees me and Charlie lingering just outside the entrance, and gives us a curious look. Cupid and Crystal jerk their heads into our direction, and we immediately burst through the door as though we haven't been stood there the entire time.

"Hi, guys!" says Charlie brightly.

Cal looks at us suspiciously but doesn't say anything.

Cupid's eyes immediately fix on mine.

He still looks a little rough after all the fighting, but he's healed a lot since I last saw him. The sleep has obviously done him good. The bruising around his eye has turned from the violent purple of yesterday to a flushed pink, and his bronzed hair looks softer, more ruffled.

He smiles at me, and it sends a flush of heat throughout my body.

I think about what Charlie said last night.

I need to speak to him.

I'll do it when we're alone, once we've visited Charon.

Cal's gaze slides onto me and I turn to look at him.

"Lila, we'll be setting off at sunset. After dark is our best shot at catching Charon. So we have time for a training session - like you asked. Come." He turns on his heel and powers back through the door. He looks over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as they fix on Cupid's bruise. "You could do with some training too."

He continues onward through the office.

I glance at Cupid who raises his eyebrows at me and the corner of my lip tugs upward. I turn to Charlie.

"You coming, too?"

"I actually have an assignment for you, Charlie," says Crystal.

Charlie shrugs, and giving her a sympathetic look, I cross the room. Cupid falls into step beside me.

"See you guys later," I say.

Me and Cupid make our way to the combat training room.

***

At nightfall, Cupid, Cal, and I stand outside the high gates of a house by Malibu beach. It's large - the bottom floor a rectangular box like shape with the two upper floors stacked in step like tiers atop it. The windows are dark, and the only light seems to be coming from the pool lamps. The sound of rolling waves comes from the other side of the building.

Cupid steps toward the gate and the intercom beside it. The label reads; Charon.

"This is where Cassie sent us?" I ask. "This is where we'll find the Ferryman of the dead? I was expecting something a bit more..."

"Gloomy? Creepy? Deathly?" says Cupid, turning to look at me.

I nod as Cupid turns back to the intercom - pushing the buzzer.

"This must be his home, not where he conducts his business," says Cal. "We just have to hope he's in."

Cupid looks over his shoulder.

"Or do we...?" he says with an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle.

Cal's face sours; a glint of alarm flickering within the silver of his irises.

"What?!?" he says in a low voice.

A grin spreads across Cupid's face.

"Look - I'm just thinking - if he is letting dead cupids come back on his ferry, there's a chance he's not going to be honest with us about it. If it so happens that he's not in, maybe we can snoop around a bit before we meet him, see what we can find."

Cal folds his arms across his chest.

"Is this the real reason you wanted to come after nightfall? So we could break into his house?"

"Yup."

"I don't like this."

"There's a surprise..."

Cupid buzzes the intercom again.

"Hello?" a female voice crackles through the speaker.

Cupid glances over his shoulder at us, a frown on his face. He leans forward.

"Hi. Is Charon in?"

"No. Who's asking?"

"A friend. Who am I speaking with?"

The speaker crackles again.

"I've been coming here to clean every week since...well, you know..."

Some of the tension in Cupid's shoulders seems to release. He'd obviously been somewhat alarmed by the voice of a stranger in Charon's house.

He turns to us and grins - obviously pleased that someone may be able to give us easy access to the house. Cal tenses beside me. Cupid reaches for the button by the intercom again

"Can we come inside and wait for him?" he says. "He'll be expecting us."

"Erm...You'll be waiting a while..." comes the reply.

"What do you mean?"

There's a pause.

"You don't know?"

Pause.

"He's been missing for months," she says.

I dart a look at Cupid and Cal - their faces darken in the moonlight. I feel my muscles tense - already aching from our combat training session earlier.

Missing?

There's another stretch of silence. Then the intercom crackles again.

"You're his friends, you say? I'm sorry to break the news this way. Do you want to come inside?"

There's a loud vibrating sound and the gates begin to open.

Author note: Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

If you're following me on Wattpad, you may already know this, but I'm excited and want to further spread the exciting news! Cupid's Match won a Fiction Award for best Paranormal over at the thefictionawards profile!!!

This means so much to me because it was calculated through people voting for it! And so I just want to say a huge thank you for everyone who nominated and voted! Me (and the cupids!) are very happy!!!

Also - apologies I didn't do the Friday feature last week - I was super busy and didn't have time. But it'll be coming this Friday :) ! And, as well as the usual features, I have some cool pictures that I'm going to share with you from the film production companies who are working on the Cupid's Match series! Eeeek. I've been sharing some links to some of the pics on my Wattpad profile this week - so if you're interested go visit my profile and check my status updates (clicking here should take you directly there > LEPalphreyman)!!!

As always, thanks so much for your support, votes, and comments! <3 <3 <3 I love my Wattpad cupid family!!!

Speak soon!

Lauren

xxx