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Piper scoffed in her face. “Leave her be, Hannah. You’re back among your true family. What could you possibly gain by keeping that liaison alive?”
“She’s more than that.”
“Really?” Piper smirked. “How is this one any different from the rest?”
“It’s different becauseI’mdifferent. For the first time, I actually want to get to know someone. To create a life with them.”
“Are you listening to yourself? Really hearing what you’re saying? Hannah, the heavens presentedtheirnames, not yours.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
“So you keep saying. Look, what you’re alluding to is ludicrous and flies in the face of all that we are. You’re saying that the magic I spent my entire life mastering and the countless arrows I crafted on Danika’s orders were all flawed? Think about what that says.”
“I don’t think they were all flawed. It’s just that, in this particular case, I believe there was a misread.”
“Oh, so you’re saying the process, in all the other cases throughout history, has worked but now, because you became enamored with a mark, you’re questioning everything we stand for.”
“I am not questioning what we stand for. It’s just…” She trailed off as she turned to Piper. “If you could feel what I feel, you would know. When she touches me, I tingle in a way I’ve never felt. When we’re apart, I count the moments until I see her again, and when we’re together, I never want to let her go. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like a sudden addiction that I can’t satisfy.”
“I’m not denying your feelings. I saw enough to know your interaction would end in delight, but how many times have I heard you talk about other women giving you that same pleasure?”
“It’s not the same. With Payson, it’s different.”
“Different enough to jeopardize all that you have? Look around at your life and tell me if fighting for a mortal is really worth losing all this.” Piper extended her arm and gestured to the land. “She can’t live here, Hannah, and let’s be honest, do you really think you could live among the mortals? What would you do? And how soon would you start resenting everything you gave up for her?”
“Maybe, since she can’t come here, I can split my time and be with her every evening after I’ve finished my cupid duties.”
“And what kind of life would that be? You would not be around for Bella or for evening gatherings at Brea’s. And how about your archery skills? You’re constantly training with Oriana, and even though you complain about it, I know you love your time with her. How are you going to do that while living a mortal life?”
Hannah remained silent. She loved everything about her life. And never once had she considered questioning any part of it. Oriana was right, being a cupid was in her blood; it was a part of her. That she had no doubt about. But there was something else that was also a part of her: Payson. She had never known her heart was missing a piece of itself until last night. But could she really live the life Piper described? Her heart pounded a resounding yes, but her mind said no. She lowered her head and hunched her shoulders as she began questioning her decision. Tears fell like a light sprinkle of raindrops around her feet as Piper pulled her into a hug.
“Let her go. Her name will appear again in the sky, linked to another. She will find her true love.” Piper broke the hug. “And eventually, so will you.”
Hannah nodded as she wiped the wetness from her cheek. Why did this have to be so complicated? To have to make a decision between the love for another or the love for all she had ever known seemed cruel and unjust.
“Now, come on, let’s get you home.”
“I think for now,”—Hannah glanced at Piper—“if you don’t mind, I just want to be alone.”
“I understand. But please don’t wallow in this for too long. Put it out of your mind. You’re home where you belong. You’ll see. It won’t take long before you’re back into the swing of things.”
“Perhaps.”
“So I’ll see you tonight at Brea’s?”
She gave Piper a half-hearted smile as she again wiped her cheeks, and they parted company. Would she soon be back into the swing? No, not even close. Although it was true that she was glad to be home, without Payson by her side, she feared she would eventually feel unsettled here. She kicked the ground asshe walked. If she was surer of her and Payson’s fate, surer that the universe gave its blessing, she would fight for overturning the law instead of doubting what she’d done. If she really did choose Payson, they might make it for a little while, but without a star in the night sky that sealed their fate, they were—according to island belief—destined to fail.
An hour later, Hannah entered her house, quickly changed, and was grateful to finally be rid of the mortal clothing. “Stay here, sweetie, there’s somewhere I need to go.” She bent and kissed Tucker on the head. He jumped on her couch and curled into a ball. She stepped on the porch and blew three short whistles. A minute later, Bella trotted up, and Hannah buried her face in her neck. “I’ve missed you so.” Bella whinnied. “Whaddaya say we go for a little ride?” Bella bobbed her head as Hannah gracefully threw herself over her back. “To the lake, my friend.”
She entwined her fingers in the thick mane as Bella reared and took off in a full canter. Hannah arched her back, tightened her thighs, and tilted her face to the sun. Oriana was right about one thing. The island was the breath of her life, and she loved it with the very essence of her soul.
Ten minutes later, she dismounted, stripped her clothes off, and jumped into the lake. The water was warm and soothing as she backstroked away from the shore. She treaded water for a few minutes as she soaked in the beauty around her. No tall buildings, no neon signs, no police scanner squawking in the background. Just nature in all its splendor, surrounding and singing to her.Thiswas what life was about.
She turned on her back and floated, her face and breasts sticking out of the water. All sound was muffled, and the buoyancy of the water gave her the sensation that she was hovering on a cloud of air. And even though her body was in a complete state of stillness and calm, her mind was moving amile a minute. Were her feelings for Payson just lust, as Piper had suggested?
No, her heart whispered back. This was more than a simple hormonal reaction. She thought about the elderly couple at the casino restaurant. The expression in the man’s eyes as he caringly fed his wife and the way she looked at him in return.Thatwas the look of love, andthatwas what she held in her heart for Payson.
She wanted what that couple had. She wanted to grow old with the woman she loved and wake every morning to see her beautiful face and give her the softest of kisses. She let out a shaky breath as she thought about living her life with the mortals. She could sell her golden arrows in exchange for their currency and buy a place somewhere she and Payson both could live. A parcel of land that wasn’t walled-in with buildings and concrete. And if the currency ran out, she’d figure out a way to make more.
