AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Three
I’m going to be a temp? At a news station? I don’t even know what that is.” Hannah sulked as she slouched on the couch in Oriana’s cottage. Most of the residents on the island chose to live in apartment-style dwellings close to town. A few, like Oriana and Hannah, enjoyed the solitude of being on the outskirts and closer to the woods, and their homes were only a five-minute ride apart.
“I consulted with a trusted friend who is well-versed in this culture, and she informed me that the fastest way to place you with your mark—and with the least number of questions—is to have you become a temporary employee. She has already called the television station and informed them that you will be assisting your mark in her business. You need to correct your mistake.” Oriana paced around the room, her irritability obvious. “You, of all my students. Your mark was easy, a clear shot in a parking lot. A parking lot!”
“I got…” Hannah hung her head in both shame and embarrassment as she mumbled. “Distracted.” How could she possibly tell Oriana the real reason? That a woman with eyes the color of Nikita’s ring pierced her heart with one glance?
“Distracted?” Oriana overemphasized the word. “The island’s best archer six years running doesn’t get distracted. Have you learned nothing from me?”
Hannah kept her head down as she searched for the right words to convey her sorrow. But no such words presented themselves, so she silently listened as Oriana ranted. She had never seen her in such an agitated state, and it bothered her to think she was the cause of so much disgruntlement. After a beat, Oriana stopped pacing and let out a long sigh as she stood in front of Hannah. “Since you successfully placed the first arrow in one mark, you must make sure that woman kisses her intended companion. The kiss will transfer enough of the binding spell to seal their destiny.”
“Get them to kiss?” Hannah jerked her head up. “But the attraction will only be one way. Can’t Piper recreate a matching arrow so I can go back and finish what I started?”
“The arrows must be crafted together because the magic that binds them only responds to the spell of its companion. Even if Piper fashioned another set, a double dose of magic delivered in the one mark would be too much for her to handle. No.” Oriana began pacing again. “For now, the only way around this is for them to kiss. You must make sure this happens.”
“Oriana, I can’t—”
“You must,” Oriana interrupted. “I have faith that you will bring them together. Call upon the guidance of the laws of attraction to help steer them toward each other. All they need to do is kiss, and the binding spell will take care of the rest.”
Hannah nodded. The laws of attraction she knew well. It was the lure that had led her down the road to many a lustful night. But to call upon that same magic to guide others down that path was beyond her abilities.
“Meanwhile,” Oriana said. “I have already arranged for Dafina to take your place while you’re gone. She will be discreet, and no one will be the wiser.”
“Dafina?” Hannah spit the name out as though it were laced with poison. “You can’t be serious? Dafina’s an understudy.”
Oriana gave her a knowing nod. “Well, for the next…” She waved her hand. “However long, she’ll be a cupid.” Oriana placed her hands on Hannah’s shoulders. “The sooner you fix this, the sooner you’ll be home. Worst-case, you fail to bring the two together, and the binding spell dissipates. If love is meant to be between them, their names will reemerge in the night sky, and another set of arrows will be crafted for them at a later date, when all traces of the original magic have worn off in the first mark.” Oriana gently patted Hannah’s shoulder, even though the twitch in her face gave away the anger still brewing within her. “I have faith in you because I have learned that when you put your mind to something, you are unstoppable.”
Hannah nodded. She was grateful that Oriana was keeping this a secret from her fellow archers and that she was being given the time to discreetly fix her mistake. But an understudy performing her duties? She swallowed the acidic burn of bile bubbling up her throat. She was Hannah, best archer the island has ever seen, and now someone who couldn’t even make the cupid cut was taking her place. “When, uh…” She trailed off as her mind raced with this new reality. She knew she’d be the laughingstock among her peers if ever this news made its way to the island’s grapevine of gossip. “When do I leave?” she said in a faraway voice as she grappled with disbelief.
“Immediately. I’ve entrusted Piper to pick out appropriate attire for you to wear while you’re amongst the mortals. She’s waiting for you at your house.”
“I see,” Hannah choked out. Of course Oriana would need to tell Piper, who would now have to turn her arrows over to Dafina. A twinge of jealousy emerged as she thought about Piper sculpting arrows for anyone but her because they were not only best friends, they were an inseparable team.
“Now,” Oriana said. “You must be off. I expect you to be successful in your mission and be back shortly. And Hannah, be careful while you are there, for mortals can be very unpredictable. Sometimes, they’re not what they seem.”
A chill shivered up Hannah’s spine from the ominous warning, and Oriana’s impactful lessons from her childhood emerged from the back corners of her mind:
“Mortals,” Oriana said as she stood over Hannah and a seated group of a dozen youngarchers. “If your calling is that of a cupid, you will not only aid their love, you will be witness to many fascinating aspects of their cultures. You may even be tempted to befriend one. But be warned, there is a reason for our one law that strictly forbids them from ever setting foot on this island and why we encourage those islanders who encounter them to never linger in their company. Although we share many things with our fellow mortals, there are many more that separate us.”
Oriana locked eyes with each student. “There was once a time when mortals lived amongst us and shared in the celebration of love, laughter, and craftsmanship we enjoy on this island. It was a harmonious relationship, and one that seemed to be beneficial to all…until the uprising, when many lives were lost, and betrayal lurked in the shadows.”
Oriana’s movements turned more dramatic as she reenacted the story. And although Hannah had heard her tell the tale many times, she was still glued to every word. The details changed a bit, but the premise was the same. A handful of island mortals decided to steal as much as they could of the gold that was mined for cupid’s arrows. The nuggets netted them a sizable fortune. But instead of being content with what they stole, greedtook hold, and they returned with a group of armed mercenaries in the hope of taking control of the island—and its abundant goldmine—away from Nikita.
A battle ensued, and many more mortals joined the rebels as they stormed the palace. There were deaths on both sides, including Nikita’s childhood best friend, but in the end, the islanders managed to save their land. Nikita was so furious about the blood that had been shed and the life that was lost, she had all those who were not of island blood cast off the land, and the memories of this place wiped from their minds. She then instructed the spell makers to cover the island in a magical dome, making it invisible to the rest of the world.
“Mortals,” Oriana said as she ended her story. “Put their love for greed over their love for this land and its people. They destroyed the balance and harmony. The island’s land and all its inhabitants would have suffered in their hands if the uprising had been successful. Be careful around a mortal.” Oriana pointed a finger at each of them. “For some bow to the good of self over the good of others.”
“Then why do we give them the gift of love?” a fellow archer asked.
“Because it was the agreement Nikita made with the universe long before the uprising, and even though the mortals brought heartache and loss, the queen has never gone back on her word. And because of that, we will always honor our role and give the magic of love to anyone whose names light up the night sky.”
And it was because of that story that Hannah had first viewed mortals with biased judgment. But as she and Piper became teenagers, curiosity had gotten the better of them, and they’dboth wanted to experience what life was like outside the island. Piper had just begun learning her teleporting spell, so they’d thought, why not practice on themselves? And unbeknownst to their teachers, they had sneaked away to random places in the world, if only for a moment, to witness all the fascination and diversity life had to offer. And that meant mingling with the mortals.
And although they’d witnessed the results of devastating wars and horrible suffering, they’d also seen great acts of kindness and compassion. Not all mortals were as Oriana had portrayed them to be. Most seemed just as mesmerized by the wonders of life as she and Piper were, and it made them question if the law to forever ban them from the island was fair.
“I promise to be careful, and I will do as you wish,” she said as she rose, clasped bracers with Oriana, said her good-byes, and began to walk back to her cottage. She could have whistled for Bella or teleported; after all, the clock was ticking down on the binding spell, but she was in no hurry to begin her quest. What had started out as a triumphant day was ending in epic failure.
How could this have happened? She replayed the moment she released the arrow and came back to the same frozen frame. Those eyes. They were magical and must have cast a spell of their own on her. She’d seen green eyes before, so why were these eyes any different? There was something about those eyes that “saw” her, as though there was a connection. But how was that even possible?
