Fallon groaned and gave the Cupid boss the dirtiest look he could muster. Then he slapped Louis hard in the face.
Louis, astonished, took a step back, eyes bulging. Caleb, standing behind him, was similarly shocked.
“Stop being stupid,” Fallon said. “I’m not making up stories, I’m telling you what happened to me.”
Louis recovered his composure and raised his hand, fingers ready.
“Don’t you dare!” Alexander shouted. “This is my Healing Chamber, Louis, and he is my patient. You will not discipline one of my patients while they remain under my care. Are we clear?”
Louis looked at him for a long moment, then lowered his arm.
“Are you ready to listen now?” Fallon asked.
Louis shook with anger, ready to explode. He clenched and unclenched his fists and his eyes bored into Fallon like drills.
Fallon was sorely tempted to push his luck, take advantage of the situation, but he did not. This was serious business, with too much at stake. Besides, while Caleb had been looking for Louis, Fallon had thought about what he’d said about their Cupid boss. He understood Louis a little better now, saw where he was coming from and what was driving him.
But that didn’t mean he had to take his crap.
Caleb stepped forward and gently laid a hand on Louis’s shoulder. “Let him speak,” he said. “I do not believe he is lying.”
“You owe me that much,” Fallon said.
Louis took a number of deep breaths and visibly calmed himself down. Fallon guessed he didn’t do that very often.
“Okay, kid,” he said at last. “Make it quick.”
17
Fallon told Louis, Caleb, and Alexander his story in as much detail as he could. He did, however, leave out the part about his venture into the girls’ shower room. It didn’t really have any relevance to the proceedings. Plus, it was embarrassing.
Caleb and Alexander listened intently. Louis did his best, but still ended up interrupting several times. Each time he did, Caleb patted him on the shoulder and said, “Let him finish.”
Once Fallon finished, he looked from Louis to Caleb to Alexander, trying to gauge their reactions. Alexander was wide-eyed with astonishment. Caleb wore a visage of dread. Louis just shook his head.
“There’s got to be some other explanation,” he said.
“There isn’t,” Caleb told him. “You heard what Fallon said.”
“He hasn’t been around that long,” Louis said. “How’s he supposed to know what he saw?”
“She had her foot in me!” Fallon snapped. “When I moved, she stepped in me again, on purpose! What’s it gonna take to … ”
“Fallon, calm down,” Caleb said. “This is something none of us have ever experienced.”
“Well, I have,” Fallon said. “She’s the reason I’m here. I wouldn’t have been on that bridge, thinking of ending it, if she hadn’t worked her mojo on me.”
“You knew the girl?” Caleb said.
“Last year of my life, I couldn’t get rid of her,” Fallon said. “And right now she’s sunk her teeth into someone else. If we don’t move fast … ”
“I’ll get a team together, send them to the school,” Louis said. “We’ll check her out, see if your story’s true.”
“I’m on the team,” Fallon said.
“No, you’re not,” Louis told him. “You’re still in recovery. And you don’t have enough experience with Suicides.”
“I have experience with her,” Fallon argued, gritting his teeth and closing his hands into fists. Couldn’t Louis see this was personal? “Besides, my lack of experience wasn’t an issue when you sent me to that school as bait.”
“Hey! I don’t remember you being promoted,” Louis said. “What I say still goes. You’re reassigned to another area just as soon as you’re well.”
“But I have to go back!” Fallon said.
“No, you don’t,” Louis said. “That’s the last I wanna hear about it. You’re already on thin ice with me, mister. Don’t push it.”
Fallon sighed as Caleb and Louis turned and headed for the door. He wanted to say more, but what was the use? He’d been damned lucky to get Louis to listen to any of his story. And had he really slapped him in the face? He smiled at the memory. He would pay for it, for certain, but that didn’t stop it from being immensely satisfying.
“Please lie down,” Alexander said, taking Fallon’s shoulders and gently but firmly pushing him back onto the slab.
Fallon let him. There was no point in sitting up unless he planned to get up, and he wasn’t ready to leave the Healing Chamber yet. He felt ready, but knew it was an illusion. If he left the slab, he would collapse once more.
He lay still for a while. He twiddled his thumbs. He rolled onto his side. He rolled back.
“How much longer do I have to stay here?” he asked at last. He felt wide awake, and the boredom was killing him. And the slab wasn’t really all that comfy.
“At least a few more days,” Alexander replied.
“You’re kidding,” Fallon said. He didn’t think he could stand another hour, another minute, much less more than one day.
“I’m afraid not,” the healer replied. “Now that you’re past the worst of it, I’ve reduced the amount of Love flowing through you.”
“But won’t I heal faster if I get more Love?” Fallon asked.
“Yes, you would,” Alexander replied, “but there is a limit to how much Love I can withhold from the other Cupids.”
Fallon frowned at that. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alexander said. “How could you know? When a Cupid is brought in here to be healed, I must redirect Love away from the main flow. Sometimes, like in your case, I must redirect it all.”
Fallon thought about that. “Are you telling me,” he asked, “that while I was being healed, none of the other Cupids were getting any Love?”
“For the first week, yes,” Alexander said. “Their Love cubes remained static, until … ”
“The first week?” Fallon nearly leapt off the slab. “How long have I been here?”
“You should concentrate on your recovery,” Alexander said, turning away. “I don’t think that now is the best time to … ”
“How long,” Fallon repeated, “have I been here?”
“Almost a month,” Alexander said.
“A month,” Fallon repeated, and he lay back down again.
“Twenty-six days, to be precise,” Alexander told him. “We’ve never had a Cupid in here that long. When I first looked at you, I feared you were too far gone. There have been others who were not as fortunate as yourself, Richard.”
“Call me Fallon,” he said, lying still and thinking about what he’d just been told. A month? That was a long time. Okay, not as bad as a year, but still …
He’d missed his talk with Trina! She was his best hope for helping her group of friends. And he kind of liked her. A sweet person with an unusual gift. Very cool. Not a popular girl, but to Fallon that just made her more interesting.
And he’d left her hanging. Not his fault, but she didn’t know that. Fallon decided he would go back to the school, no matter what Louis said. He needed to talk to Trina again, let her know he was okay, and find out what was going on there.
What had happened during the time he’d been away? Was Ryan okay? Fallon sat up, very worried, as he remembered Susan’s current “friend.” Last he’d seen, Ryan had not looked at all well. Was he holding out? Or was he thinking of …
Fallon thumped the slab in frustration. He had to know! But until he was well, he was going to remain in the dark.
“Troubling thoughts?” Alexander asked him. “Try meditating. You’ll feel better, and it will help to pass the time.”
“Meditating?” Fallon said.
“Sit up, place your hands on your legs, close your eyes,” Alexander said. “Clear your mind and concentrate on accepting the Love from its Source.”
“Okay,” Fallon said. “What is the Source?”
“God,” Alexander said simply. “If you do this right, perhaps you will meet him.”
“Really,” Fallon said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“It has been known,” Alexander replied.
Fallon didn’t know if he believed him, even though he was sure Alexander wouldn’t lie. He’d also never meditated before, or had any interest in spiritual things. However, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Fallon closed his eyes and gave it a go. It was more difficult than he thought to clear his mind; thoughts came at him from all over the place. He supposed they always did that, but he hadn’t noticed because he hadn’t tried to stop them before.
“This is really hard,” he said.
“The first time always is,” Alexander said. “Keep at it, and don’t let yourself get distracted by … ”
“Fallon, you’re up!”
Fallon opened his eyes and saw Jada standing in the doorway. She looked happy and relieved, and Fallon liked to think both of those emotions were directed at him.
“When did you, you know, wake up?” she asked as she walked toward him.
“Not so long ago,” he replied. “I’m not completely better yet, so feel free to shower me with sympathy.”
Jada laughed at that, a wonderful sight to see. It almost made him forget she’d been in on the plan to use him as bait.
Almost. But not quite.
“You can have all the sympathy you want,” she said. “I’m just glad that … you know.”
“You mean, when you, Owen, and Louis set me up as a patsy, you’re glad I wasn’t completely and utterly destroyed.”
“It wasn’t like that!” Jada said, her voice pleading. “We were watching you the whole time. I honestly thought we’d get the Suicide before he could hurt you.”
“Well, you didn’t,” Fallon said. Jada looked mortified, which was fine with Fallon. She ought to feel bad.
“Hey, at least I don’t peek in on girls taking a shower,” Jada said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him pointedly.
“You saw that?” It was Fallon’s turn to look mortified. “I didn’t know I was walking into the showers!”
“You didn’t exactly hurry away when you found out,” Jada replied.
Fallon opened his mouth to say something, but what could he say? Jada was right, after all.
“That’s enough,” Alexander said, stepping between them.
“Oh, sorry, is this bad for him?” Jada asked.
“No,” Alexander replied. “It’s just annoying.”
“Look,” said Fallon, “I’ve got to know what’s going on at the school. There’s this girl there named Susan Sides. Has Louis told you about her?”
“He did, yeah,” Jada said. “He sent Owen and me to check her out, and Owen touched her heart.”
“And?” Fallon pressed.
Jada paused before responding. Fallon took that as a bad sign.
“She’s not a Suicide,” Jada said. “I’m sorry, Fallon. You were wrong.”
18
Fallon had been told many times before that he’d been wrong. He doubted very strongly that this would be the last. However, as he sat on the medical slab staring at Jada, he knew this was one of the many times that he was definitely—without any possibility of doubt—right on the money.
“No I’m not wrong,” he said. “Your buddy Owen messed up. Susan’s a Suicide, Jada! C’mon, it’s right there in her name.”
“No, Fallon,” Jada said. “Owen’s dealt with more Suicides than most here. He would know … ”
“But none of those Suicides were inside a living girl,” Fallon pointed out.
“That’s because there are none!”
“Until now.”
“Fallon, let it go,” Jada said. “What is this to you? What are you trying to prove? That you’re better than the rest of us because you’ve discovered the first living Suicide?”
Fallon stared at her for a moment. “Is that what you really think of me?”
“No,” she admitted, looking away. “That’s what Owen thinks.”
Fallon heaved himself off the slab. Instantly he felt groggy and weak, but he forced himself to stay upright.
“You tell that idiot,” he said, stumbling toward her, “that I’m concerned for the kids in that school. If I’m right, they’re in danger. The same way I was in danger when I was her friend.”
“You … ”
“Yes,” Fallon said, standing right in front of her. “I knew her. And during that time I became very depressed. Suicidal, even. You remember when I told you I fell off a bridge? She’s the reason I was there.”
“Oh,” Jada said. “But … ”
“I wanted to die that night,” Fallon said. “And right now Susan’s after someone else, a boy named Ryan. I don’t want fame and glory, Jada. I want Ryan to live.”
“Okay,” she said. “Okay, maybe you’re right. But there’s no way to prove it.”
“Yes there is,” Fallon said. “Check Ryan. Feel his heart, see what she did to him. And watch her. Watch how she acts. You’ll see.”
“Okay,” Jada said. “I’ll have to run it by Louis … ”
“No,” Fallon said. “He’ll be no help here. Just go check it out. You’ll see I’m right.”
“If Louis finds out, he’ll kill me,” Jada said at last. “You owe me one, Fallon.”
“Just go,” he said, and Jada turned and left.
The second she was gone, Fallon collapsed to the floor.
“I didn’t think you’d last that long,” Alexander said, helping him back to the slab.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to stop me,” Fallon replied.
“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Alexander said. “You have a very strong soul, Fallon. For what it’s worth, I believe your story.”
“Thanks,” Fallon said, sitting on the slab. “Look, do you think you could try and heal me faster? I’ve got to get back to that school myself.”
“Patience,” Alexander said. “There is nothing you can do right now that isn’t already being done by others. Try to meditate again, and I will up your Love dose a tiny bit.”
“You’re the best,” Fallon said, and he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind once more.
He focused on receiving Love from the Source. He pictured the Love like a red laser beam, firing down from the sky straight into him. All other thoughts he brushed aside, keeping his mind on that laser.
Warmth and peace surrounded him. It felt good … so good that he lost focus and thought about how awesome it was. It vanished in an instant, so Fallon concentrated and tried to bring it back. Then he realized he was concentrating on getting the feeling back, not on receiving Love.
He tried again. He felt frustrated, but he let that go. He was starting to understand how it worked now. He needed a clear channel open between himself and the Source. Thoughts garbled the signal. Fallon kept his mind clear and focused, focused …
The peace and warmth enveloped him again. This time he stayed with it, finding the calm center of himself. Fallon became aware of a presence, something alive in the energy around him. He was a part of it, a drop in its ocean. The entirety of the universe was open to him …
“Whoa,” Fallon said, breaking the trance and freaking out. “That’s intense.”
“How far did you go?” Alexander asked, then he saw the look on Fallon’s face. “Oh, I see. Well done.”
“What?” Fallon asked.
“Well, you look very moved,�
�� Alexander said. “I have little doubt you’d be crying if our bodies had tear ducts.”
“Probably,” Fallon admitted.
“I doubt you’d be in such a state,” Alexander went on, “unless you’ve had an encounter with the Source.”
“I guess I did,” Fallon said. “It was … well … ”
“You don’t have to explain,” Alexander said. “I’ve been there, Fallon. All the old Cupids have.”
“But not the young Cupids?” Fallon asked.
“The practice of connecting to the Source,” Alexander explained, “is not taught to the new Cupids. It is not encouraged, either.”
“Let me guess,” Fallon said. “Louis thought it distracted people from their work.”
“Got it in one,” Alexander said. “There was a problem for a while with some Cupids neglecting their work in order to meditate. Every organization has its bad apples. Louis decided the best way to handle the situation was to punish all Cupids by forbidding meditation. I disagreed, told him there are plenty of times when a Cupid has nothing to do. At night, for example, when everyone in a zone is asleep. Or early in the morning. But Louis would have none of it.”
“He really likes being a jerk, doesn’t he?” Fallon said.
“He’s … driven,” Alexander replied. “He has his good qualities.”
“Does he ever show them?”
Alexander laughed at that, but it was a sad laugh.
“I hope you’ll get to see that side of him someday,” he said. “I assure you it’s there, but after what happened to Sandra … well, I’m sure you can understand.”
Fallon nodded. He supposed he could.
Fallon went back to meditating, and hoped Louis would see him doing it. That would really make him mad! The thought made him smile. Yes, the guy had lost his daughter to the Suicides, but that didn’t give him the right to ruin anyone else’s life.
Fallon realized he was thinking, and brushed his thoughts aside. He concentrated on receiving Love from the Source …
The scream cut through his awareness like a freight train through a cat. The scream was his name, and Fallon immediately knew the voice.
The Cupid War Page 9
