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Oriana’s brow arched as she stared her down. “Don’t I?” she said as she crossed her arms.
Hannah nervously exhaled as she gazed again at Oriana, waiting for the usual, don’t do that again, speech, followed by the tilt of her head that signaled Hannah should take her place in line next to her fellow students. But when none came and she realized that this time, her master teacher had meant every word, her knees began to buckle.
“I…” She trailed off as her mind went blank, and words jammed in her throat. “I…” she repeated as tears flowed down her cheeks. The academy was her home. Leaving it would be walking away from all she had ever known. And without Oriana’s teaching, how would she ever make cupid? “I’m…sorry.” She choked, and her throat constricted as she tried to say the words. “Please, Master Teacher…please. I won’t—”
“I said, go.” Oriana’s expression was unwavering.
Hannah took a moment to gather her thoughts and her bow and began to shuffle away from the arena, her fellow archers, and a skill that felt more natural to her than walking. But before she left, she wanted to have the last word. And because the lump was still stuck in her throat, she decided to speak in a language Oriana could understand.
Hannah spun and fired off three arrows before most people could blink. Each one struck the dead center of the target, the subsequent arrows splitting the one before it. She switched hands and fired off several more, then sprinted toward a pole, jumped off it, and catapulted into the air. Before her feet settled back on the ground, she had fired the remaining arrows in her quiver. She stood defiantly as she gave Oriana one last look. She didn’t bother to glance at the target like everyone else;she could tell by their expressions what she already knew. She tried hard to keep her head held high as she nodded a painful good-bye to Oriana.
As she turned and walked away, Oriana called, “And where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Hannah smiled as she stopped but refused to turn around. “Get back in line and give me twenty pushups, then a dozen quivers worth of shooting.” Oriana clapped her hands. “Everyone, you heard me, or do I need to repeat myself?”
Hannah scurried back to her designated spot, hit the ground, and began crunching out her pushups. Halfway through her set, Oriana approached, lowered herself to a knee, and bent over. “See, when you put your mind to it, you have exceptional focus. Better than my most advanced archers.But be careful, my child, for one of these days, your distractions really will get the better of you.”
Hannah sighed as Oriana’s words echoed in her head. She leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. She grunted in frustration as she scrubbed her fingers through her hair. “What happened to me?”
“Nothing happened to you. You were distracted. Something you have been your whole life. Only this time, it was a woman instead of nature that caught your attention.”
Hannah scoffed and again thought about the wind. Something was tickling the back of her mind. Again, she replayed the release of the arrow. Yes, she had been distracted and yes, she’d released it in haste, but again, her aim was there, she was sure of it. How could the arrow miss so completely? “The wind,” she whispered to herself. That odd gust that had blown through the moment her fingers had released the string. It was as though she were a child again, and the wind was tryingto get her attention. And like before, she had no clue what it was trying to tell her.
“Well, fear not, you will be back before you know it.” Piper scooped up both bracers and placed them on Hannah’s dresser. “They will be here waiting for you when you return.”
“Promise me, Piper. Promise me you’ll take care of Bella for me while I’m gone.” Hannah pleaded as she looked up.
Piper smiled as she approached. She stood over her and cupped a hand under her chin. “Bella will be fine, and so will you. You’re not going into battle. You are going to unite love. You’re a cupid, my friend, the island’s best, and for the next day or so, you’ll be doing what you were born to do. Just without your bow or arrows.”
“Then this is ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not. You will figure out a way to get them together, and you’ll return triumphant, and we’ll celebrate over at Brea’s. Now, come on, Oriana has instructed me to make sure I get you there on time. They’re expecting you.”
Hannah stood, scratched again at the bra, then held her arms out. “Well, do I look like a temp?”
“I’m not totally sure what all temps look like, but I can assure you that you look incredibly sexy,” Piper said as she took a step back. “Now.” She reached in the leather pouch slung on her shoulder. “This should be enough of their local money to get by while you’re there.” She handed a wad of American currency over to Hannah, who promptly shoved it in her front pocket. “Also, in case you have not succeeded by the end of tonight, you have reservations at a place called Gimbauld’s Hotel and Casino. Here’s their information. It’s walking distance to where you’ll be temping, so no need to worry about how to get there.” Piper handed her a piece of paper. “Okay, I think that covers it. Are you ready?”
Ready? No, she wasn’t even close to being ready. Ever since she was five and held that bow in her hands for the first time, her life had taken a predictable path. It had followed a series of well-laid-out steps that had led her to where she was today. But this—whatever this was—was never a part of that plan. How could she possibly be victorious if she was stripped of the tools and means that she had always relied on to succeed in her mission? No, this truly was an exercise in failure, and as she glanced at Piper, her confidence faltered. Shooting an arrow in someone from a distance was one thing, being up close, stripped of magic, and trying to manipulate love between two souls was something completely unnerving. “Piper…I…”
“You’ve got this, you’ll be fine. We’ve been around mortals enough to know that they’re nothing like Oriana portrays.”
“I know, it’s not that, it’s more that I feel unprepared. Like I absolutely have no clue what I’m doing.”
“Yeah, well, I feel that way with half the spells I create. Trust me, you’ll figure it out as it goes. Now come on, the sooner I get you there, the sooner you can come home.”
“Okay…” Hannah took a deep breath. “I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She extended her hand, knowing that in order for Piper to teleport them to the location, she had to have physical contact when the spell kicked in.
Piper shook her head. “I can’t escort you on this one. I need to send you there by yourself. I have a ton of stuff I still need to get done before tonight.” Piper untied the small leather pouch hanging from her waist and poured white, chalklike dust into her hand. “Remember, once the two women kiss and the binding spell is complete, I’ll come get you. But if by the end of the third day, they haven’t kissed, then the binding spell will dissipate, and I’ll pick you up at sunrise. But I have faith that I will see you soon.” She blew the powder on Hannah. “Oh, andlet me know how the teleport goes. This is actually a new spell I’m trying out.”
“Wait. What! Piper, reverse the—” Hannah stopped midsentence when she noticed her hands turning transparent. Her heartrate jumped, and fear gripped her for a moment as she sensed a slight tingle of discomfort.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” Piper’s hollow voice sounded like she was at the bottom of a well. “I’m pretty sure I mixed everything right.”
Hannah glanced down and focused on the few remaining visible particles of her body as the air was pushed out of her lungs. She tried to take a breath, but her chest constricted, and a suffocating feeling kicked in. A scream came from within but never made it to her lips as she glanced one last time at Piper before the darkness took hold.
