“Oh, Mom,” was all Raine could say, sensing from her mom’s tone that things were really bad. “Shouldn’t we call off the party?”
“No. Your father and I have no desire to ruin it for everyone. We’ve agreed to wait until next week.” She looked down at the dishes in her hands. “Anyway, I’d better get started with dinner.”
She went into the dining room signaling that the conversation was over. Her mother wasn’t one to moan about her problems and it never worked to try and pry more out of her.
Raine remained in her chair, her tea and cookies unappetizing now, her own problems forgotten in the flood of concern for her parents.
Chapter Five
The sleek, white limo made its way through traffic to the Palazzo Hotel and its grand driveway. Glad to be back home, Alexander took his bow bag from the trunk and Donovan followed him up with the suitcase. Donovan had learned long ago that Alexander didn’t like to have the bow bag out of his control. The bag, specially created for him by Louis Vuitton, held his most valuable and sacred possession—the bow and arrows of love. To say that he liked to keep a close watch on it was an understatement. They were an intrinsic part of who he was and, besides, they had been a gift from his mother.
The gold elevator took him to the twenty-third floor and its discreet check-in desk. The floor was a part of the hotel’s Prestige program but it also masked his private chambers and residence.
In the past he’d found, when he’d allowed it to be known that he was the god of love, it generated a lot of excitement and unwanted attention. Who could concentrate with people worshipping at the door constantly? And the prayers! The nonstop prayers! He was glad that the people of today prayed to different gods. He treasured his privacy. Actually, it wasn’t hard to maintain his anonymity these days. Even if someone were to let slip who he was, the people in this age had zero belief in the gods that made up his family. All that remained, in memory of them, were marble statues and paintings.
The staff at the reception desk greeted him warmly as he walked by to the private entrance to his apartment behind their desk. Aside from acting as reception, the staff maintained guard over it in case any unwanted visitors showed up.
The chambers within were luxurious, to say the least. His style was one of comfort, elegance and, of course, romance. Marble, leather, and a color scheme of soothing beige and blue were the theme. There was an abundance of antiques and art alongside modern electronics. Every age was represented in some corner of the apartments.
“So what did you think of her, boss?” asked Donovan as he followed upstairs to the bedroom. He hefted Alexander’s suitcase onto the bed, which was large enough for five people.
The question surprised him. Donovan tended to mind his own business and not ask a lot of questions. “Think of who?”
“The girl in the car.”
He couldn’t stop thinking of her.
She had been so vulnerable and honest. He’d been there when she discovered the deception and witnessed her heart break. Each tear that had fallen from her moss-green eyes had personally pained him because they were his fault. It was he who had shot the arrow causing her boyfriend to fall in love with another woman. It’s why he’d made sure he was on the plane next to her. “Not a threat at all,” he replied.
“You sure about that?”
Alexander rolled his eyes and moved to begin unpacking his suitcase. Aside from being drivers, Donovan and Cole were part of his security team. His very bored security team, he liked to add. It was obviously time to find something more challenging for them to do.
At the time, when he had moved down to earth from Mount Olympus, there had been plenty of threats from gods and people. The gods in particular had been quite sneaky. So he had created a security system that monitored and notified him of any malice headed his way. As part of its monitoring, it picked up on every incident of his name being spoken and any variation of it.
But that was a long time ago. Currently, his men joked about their job and the system. “Easiest job they’d ever had,” they would say, “System must be broken, it never goes off.” It actually hadn’t gone off in a very long while. Certainly no one in this age or the few before even thought seriously of Cupid, unless they were in some boring art-history class. Thinking back, he realized that this was the first time in Donovan’s lifetime, and several men before him, that it had gone off. It made sense that they would overreact. The system had been triggered by Raine’s comments about him on the plane.
He pulled some books from the bottom of his suitcase and moved to put them on the nightstand. He thought back to what Raine had said. Although he knew she’d been joking, the comment had stung a little, hence the turbulence. Sometimes his emotions had an odd spillover effect on his control of the wind. He couldn’t help that he found some gratification in the way she’d gripped the chair. Oh well, mortals should show some respect for the gods. Nothing triggered thoughts of them better than a little turbulence.
“Sure I’m sure,” he said to Donovan. “What could she possibly do to me? I mean did you see her? She couldn’t hurt a fly. Even if she wanted to, she’s only about a hundred pounds max.” He moved back to the bed to pull dirty clothing out for the hamper.
“Well, yeah but did you notice her aura? You never know…some pretty strong actions can be generated from that.”
Donovan could read auras, just as Cupid could. Some people referred to them as halos or chakras but they were all one and the same. It was the reason he was the god of love. Reading them was essential in order to shoot arrows at people at exactly the right moment and cause love to bloom. As part of his security upgrades he’d also technologically enhanced each camera in the hotel. The feed was now sensitive enough to capture aura signatures during taping. It was convenient to see people through video as he saw them in real life with their ever-changing clouds of color.
He couldn’t help disagreeing with Donovan.
Underneath the sad gray-and-sulfur colors in Raine’s aura, Alexander could see something more. There was a beautiful, underlying core of yellow and pink. The colors marked her as a soul with a particularly joyful, pure, loving, and giving character. Something he had not seen in a long time.
“It’ll be fine, stop worrying,” he said to Donovan.
“If you say so, boss.” He remained standing there though with his hands clasped behind his back and shifted his stance a little.
Auras were even more difficult to read in this day and age. Back in the time of Christ, an aura could be seen extending a good distance out from the head and often emanating from the full body. Jesus himself had had a particularly strong gold aura, the color of a highly developed spiritual person. It had been well depicted by many artists in paintings of him. These days though, auras extended maybe an inch at the most out from the head. Another reason the men in his line of work needed a keen eye.
Auras were tricky things. Always changing color with moods and thoughts and contact with other people. Very fine timing was involved in shooting an arrow at just the right moment.
“Something else on your mind?” Alexander stopped his movements about the room and gave Donovan his full attention. He could’ve used his power to unpack everything instantaneously but he’d found that he enjoyed living the way humans lived. There was a peace in the rhythm of everyday life.
“Well, it’s like I’ve been telling you. We feel there’s something going on with the equipment. Not working like it used to.”
Donovan was, in fact, a trained archer in addition to his other tasks. And equipped with a crossbow similar in power to Alexander’s. He’d come from one of the rough neighborhoods in Los Angeles and had natural instincts about people that he’d gained from his upbringing. It was why he was head of Alexander’s security now. Although Donovan was highly skilled and could be assigned anywhere in the world he wanted, he insisted on staying and working as Alexander’s right-hand man.
“What do you mean not working?”
“You
know the Sawyer case I mentioned earlier?”
He nodded.
“Well, like I said, the trainee did his job. He made the target, but it didn’t take.”
“It didn’t take?” He felt his eyebrows rise in disbelief.
“Yeah, so Cole and I went with him for the next shot. We both agreed on the timing, from what we saw in the auras, but that didn’t take either.”
Alexander frowned in thought as he placed the bow bag on the bed and unzipped it. His men sometimes teased him to get with the times. They all used crossbows now, but he continued to favor the recurved bow his mother had given him. He pulled the bow from it and looked it over to make sure nothing had happened to it on the flight.
It was magnificent. His mother had had it specifically crafted for him. It was made of wood harvested from the Tree of Dreams and the finest gold on Mount Olympus. He carefully pulled the quiver from the bag. After having been the victim of one of his own arrows he always treated them with care. A repeat of the experience was the last thing he cared for.
He turned back to Donovan. “And you still think your theory is the reason?”
“Some of the men are beginning to feel pretty strongly about it, too, boss.”
For a while now there had been some grumbling among his men. Some felt the magic in their equipment was fading. That the strength of their arrows wasn’t what it used to be. They seemed to be finding, increasingly, that the effects didn’t last long. This was the first report of an arrow not taking at all.
Alexander felt, as he had told Raine, that the people of this age didn’t want love anymore and that was the reason behind it. Aside from that, there were probably issues with the skill of the men themselves. Although training was rigorous, they were not gods. Demigod was the more appropriate term. There was no doubt in his mind that some of this was due to misread aura alignment and timing of arrow release.
He knew his men disagreed. They felt that it was all connected to Alexander and related somehow to his retirement from shooting arrows himself. It was time to dispel their suppositions. “All right, I’ll take care of it myself.”
Donovan’s expression lightened with satisfaction. “That’s great, boss. I’ll let the others know.” He strode briskly from the room.
Alexander really didn’t want to have to use his bow again so soon. But, if handling the Sawyer case himself would assuage the mens’ doubts, then that’s what he would do. After this, they would see there was nothing wrong with the power behind arrows. Maybe some of the archers just needed a little remedial training.
He moved to the corner of his bedroom with his equipment, where an alcove was hidden by a blue silk curtain. Pulling it back, he uncovered the nude marble statue of his likeness, complete with wings, which had been crafted by Michelangelo. He placed the bow and arrows back in the statue’s possession and slid a thick Plexiglas door from the wall to close over it. It locked with a click. He drew the curtain back across the alcove and concealed it once again.
He walked into the living room and sat on the couch with his iPad to check work e-mails but couldn’t concentrate. He had done his job faithfully for centuries but his dissatisfaction with it continued to grow. This last assignment reminded him of why. For some reason, it had been very important to Mount Olympus that Brad fall in love with that other woman. Alexander never bothered to question their edicts anymore. The answers always bored him. The gods were always playing some paltry political game. And they had little regard for the feelings and dreams of the people they subjected to their whims.
His talents were unique among the gods. While they could manipulate and plot and betray people into doing what they wanted, he alone was able to directly change human will. He alone could instill love or hate into people, two of the most powerful emotions. And he resented the fact that, although his family respected and called upon his skill, they sniggered behind his back about his wings.
It was rumored on Mount Olympus that his mother, Venus, had an affair with a peacock and he was the result. The rumors were said far behind their backs for no one wanted to tangle with his father, Mars, the god of war. The only reason he’d heard the rumor was because, when he was much younger, he used to use his power of the wind to eavesdrop on conversations. It was so easy to have the wind carry their words to his ears.
Thankfully, the gods’ condescension regarding human emotion caused them to call on Alexander rarely, making it easy for him to stop using his bow. After he’d left Mount Olympus, he instead used his skill to create a profitable business for himself. And now, there were enough trained that he didn’t have to use his equipment anymore as well. Raine had been correct in her offhand assessment of him, he thought wryly. In fact, he only ever bothered with it now if it was a direct order from Mount Olympus. Which in Brad’s case, Raine’s ex, it had been.
Why even shoot the damn arrows if it wasn’t going to last anyway? Why shoot the arrows when nice people like Raine would get so hurt?
He wondered how she was faring. At least he had been able to bring her some comfort. The sight of her face lighting up when he’d conjured her lost bag had ignited a warm glow in his soul. A happiness he couldn’t describe.
He would have to see what more could be done for her. He had a desire to see that smile again.
Chapter Six
The next morning was full of activity. Raine, her mom, her aunt, and cousin had all decided to go shopping together for decorations for the party. After raiding the local shops for supplies and looking for dresses, she was glad when they finally headed to a local café for refreshment.
“This has been so fun,” said her cousin, Jane. “I’m really glad you’re here, Raine.”
“Me, too. I’ve missed you guys so much!” And she was glad. She felt like herself again being around them. Even though the activity itself hadn’t made her particularly excited, knowing what she now knew about her parents.
“Why don’t you move home? What is it that’s keeping you out in Laguna Beach?” asked Aunt Nora.
This was not the first time she’d heard something like this. Every time she interacted with someone from her family, they eventually tried to encourage her to move back. It could have been tedious, but it always made her feel loved.
“Let’s see, the beach, the great weather, my job….” She ticked them off on her fingers as she had many times before.
“You won’t change her mind, Nora; believe me I’ve tried,” said her mother as she sipped at her iced tea.
“Well, I, for one, am jealous, Raine. I would love to live out there, for a while a least. It would be a nice change,” said her cousin, munching on some fries.
“Come out and visit me already,” she said. “Haven’t I invited you several times before?” she said, rolling her eyes. It would be great to have Jane visit. They had been raised together and were like sisters.
“I know. I will.”
“So, Jane, are you seeing anyone special these days?” asked Raine’s mom.
Jane blushed shyly. “Not really.”
“What does that mean?” asked Jane’s mother.
Aunt Nora looked the most surprised of them all. Raine guessed it was the first time Jane had spoken of it.
“There’s this customer who comes into the store all the time but…I guess we’re just friends.”
“Really? Who is it?” asked Raine.
Jane flushed some more. “It’s a customer. His name is Scott. He’s one of our regulars.”
“Oh, yes. Scott comes in a lot.” Aunt Nora nodded. “At least twice per week. He’s a good customer.”
“Has he asked you out on a date?” Raine asked, amused. Her fair cousin’s cheeks were flaming.
Jane twisted a strand of her brown hair. “No, he hasn’t. It’s just…he comes into the store often to buy cupcakes and he seems friendly. Nothing’s really happened yet.”
“And what do you think he needs so many cupcakes for?” Raine asked.
Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe
he takes them to his friends at work. We have some other customers that do that. People really like our cupcakes. We have a lot of regulars.”
Despite what her cousin said, Raine had a feeling it was something more. She hoped, for her cousin’s sake, that it was. She deserved to have something wonderful happen to her.
“How about you, Raine? Are you and Brad still dating?” Aunt Nora asked.
She grimaced. “Not anymore.”
“What? You and Brad broke up? Oh that’s so sad!” Jane said. “We wondered why he wasn’t here with you.”
“Yes, well, it just happened.”
“Oh. That’s too bad. You’d been together for a while. We thought you two might be making it permanent soon. What happened?” Aunt Nora said.
Raine received a sympathetic glance from her mother.
“I caught him cheating on me.” Raine said it quickly, like ripping off a bandage. Better to just tell them and get it over with.
Jane gasped and patted her arm. Aunt Nora went off for a few minutes on how boys today just were not raised to be men the way they were in the old days.
Raine couldn’t help but agree with her, just a little. But, rather than get sucked into the discussion, she decided to concentrate on eating her sandwich. She glanced at her cousin, who gave her a wink. No doubt she had heard the same tirade many times before.
Following lunch, they decided to drop by the hotel where Aunt Nora and Jane had reserved a room for the party. They wanted to get a peek at it and make sure they had enough supplies.
Raine’s mouth dropped open as they turned up the driveway. It was the Palazzo Hotel. Her heart started beating faster at the thought of possibly running into Alexander again.
The valet at the beautiful, curving driveway took their car and they walked inside to the lobby. It had marble floors and high, arched ceilings. It suggested the best of Italy in a very sublime way.
Stealing Cupid's Bow Page 4
