The Cupid War (9 page)

16

F
allon didn't sleep. His Cupid body didn't need it. Still, as he lay on the slab in the special room of the Cupid Center, he felt more relaxed than he'd ever felt in his life. Or his afterlife.

His mind drifted. Sometimes he closed his eyes, sometimes he kept them open. Other Cupids came to visit, but Fallon hardly noticed them. He felt good. There was warmth all around him. He thought he could lie there forever. For all he knew, he had.

Then, slowly but surely, his perceptions began to change. He started to take note of the people who visited him. Jada. Caleb. Even Louis, though he never looked happy about it. As time passed, Fallon began to pay attention to what they were saying to him.

Soon he felt restless. He still loved lying there, but he also felt an itch to move around. Still later that itch became an actual desire, and he twitched his arms and then his legs.

“Well, someone's coming around!”

The voice came from over Fallon's head. He tried to turn to get a look, but that kind of movement was currently beyond him.

“ … who … ?” he managed to say. His voice sounded very foreign to him, raspy and hoarse.

“Don't try to talk just yet,” the stranger said. “Just rest. You are on the road to recovery.”

Oh
, Fallon thought.
That's a relief.

He closed his eyes again, and his mind drifted some more.

Fallon paid attention again when he heard raised voices. Not surprisingly, Louis's voice was one of them.

“How I run this place is not open to debate, Caleb! I made a call, and it was the right one.”

“Your call nearly cost Fallon his soul.”

“Nearly,” Louis said. “He's gonna make it.”

“A few seconds more,” Caleb said, “and he would have been lost.”

“That's the risk that comes with the job.”

“Did he know that,” Caleb asked, “when you sent him to that school?”

“It was my call,” Louis said. “Everyone survived, and the Suicide was destroyed. End of story.”

“That's not what you said about Sandra,” Caleb said softly, and there was a pause.

“That was different,” Louis said.

“Was it?”

“You got no business bringing her up,” Louis said. “You close your mouth, Caleb. You close it now, or … ”

“Or what?”

There was another pause, and then Fallon heard footfalls walking away. He opened his eyes and saw Louis storming out of the room.

“I think you hurt his feelings,” Fallon said.

Caleb spun around sharply and looked down at him. “Fallon! You're back with us.”

“Yep,” Fallon said, enjoying the joy on Caleb's face. His teacher had obviously been very concerned for him. “So,” he asked, “what was that all about?”

“How much did you hear?” Caleb asked.

“Pretty much all of it,” Fallon said, attempting to sit up. To his surprise, he succeeded.

“Easy, son, easy!” said a voice behind him, and firm hands took hold of his shoulders. “You're not going anywhere until I say.”

Fallon looked behind him, and immediately recognized the old yet kind face he'd seen when he'd been brought in.

“I'm just sitting up,” he said. “Who are you, anyway?”

“This is Alexander,” Caleb said. “You might say he's our doctor.”

“I'm a healer,” Alexander said, easing his grip on Fallon's shoulders. “You're in my Healing Chamber. When one of you suffers a severe Suicide attack, I'm the one that brings you back.”

“Oh,” Fallon said. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” Alexander said. “You're not quite healed yet, so don't think of getting off this table.”

“I'm a lot better than I was,” Fallon said, and he stood up. The moment his bum left the slab, he nearly collapsed. Caleb caught him and eased him back down.

“I did warn you,” Alexander said.

“The table”—Caleb rapped his knuckles on its surface—“channels Love directly into your body. Alexander directs it through you, healing you.”

“But the process can't work if you aren't on the table,” Alexander said. “So don't move.”

“Gotcha,” Fallon said. “I thought I just needed to eat some Love. That's what I did last time.”

“Your last attack was considerably less severe,” Caleb reminded him.

“Oh, been attacked before, have we?” Alexander said. “You'll have to learn to defend yourself better. Next time I might not be able to save you.”

“I ran out of Love,” Fallon explained. “Besides, if I'd known there was a Suicide in that school … ”

“No excuse,” Alexander said. “You should always be prepared to deal with Suicides.”

“Even if I'm used as bait?” Fallon asked, turning to Caleb.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Caleb said. He looked away, as if he were ashamed. “Louis has some … unorthodox schemes for apprehending Suicides. That one at that school has eluded us for some time … I'm sorry, Fallon. It should not have gone badly for you. Jada and Owen were sent to watch your back and intervene the moment the Suicide appeared.”

“Well, they didn't do a very good job, did they?” Fallon said.

“They captured and destroyed the Suicide,” Caleb pointed out.

“Maybe they did,” Fallon conceded. “But they only caught one.”

“There was another Suicide?” Caleb said, meeting his eyes once more.

“Worse,” Fallon said. “The second one wasn't a dead person. It was my old friend, Susan Sides.”

“That's not possible,” Alexander said. “A person becomes a Suicide after death, never before.”

“Well, it's true,” Fallon told him. “She's the one that nearly finished me.”

“Fallon,” Caleb said, “what you are suggesting … ”

“Not suggesting,” Fallon said. “Telling.”

“ … is entirely without precedent,” Caleb finished.

“Then I've got a first for you guys.” Fallon said. “I was on the floor, and she stepped in me. Literally stepped in me! The second that happened, it was like she suddenly knew I was there. She could see me, too! And she knew she was destroying me.” His voice sounded more defensive than he wanted, but he couldn't help it. If these two wouldn't believe his story, what chance was there that anyone else would?

“I must report this to Louis,” Caleb said at last. “He'll want to hear what you have to say.”

“I doubt that,” Fallon said. “Say, Caleb? Who's Sandra?”

Caleb, who'd turned to walk out, stopped and hung his head.

“Sandra is Louis's daughter,” Caleb said. “Please don't mention her to him; it is a very painful subject.”

“How come?” Fallon asked, though he had a fairly good idea.

“She killed herself,” Caleb said, then he turned and left the room.

It didn't take Caleb long to find Louis. The Cupid boss stormed into the Healing Chamber ten minutes later, glaring with visible impatience.

What a shock, Fallon thought as he sat himself up again.

“Caleb tells me you're making up stories about live Suicides again,” Louis said. “Get it straight—there ain't no such thing, got it?”

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 ofte
n.

“Okay, kid,” he said at last. “Make it quick.”

17

F
allon 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 Sourc
e.”

“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. I
t 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.”