Page 11 of Incurably Cupid (Moonhaven Cove #5)

Chapter 11

Indie

“Love seeks to understand.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

I arrived at Glacier Falls near Interlaken, Switzerland, around three the next afternoon. Ether travel was instantaneous and, thankfully, could take me anywhere in the world.

This area was nestled in a narrow valley between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, surrounded by dense forests, Alpine meadows, and freezing glaciers.

In short, it was magical.

Glacier Falls was encircled by emerald forests and cascading waterfalls. Wildflower meadows stretched out beneath the towering silhouettes of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks. A network of crystal-clear mountain springs fed into hidden grottoes, while the Silberbach Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall, crashed dramatically into an underground river beneath the west end of the city.

It was a perfect blend of old and new.

The streets were paved, yet classic timber-framed houses with flower boxes lined the roads at every turn. Luxury Swiss chalets stood side by side with medieval stonework, and the gothic spires of beautiful churches pierced the sky.

At the center of town stood an enormous cathedral with soaring spires, stained glass, and a bell tower that tolled the hour.

The savory aromas wafting from the main street downtown drew me in, and I stopped at a cute café for fondue and crusty bread. As I ate, I kept an eye out for anyone who sparked my cupid senses for Mesmer. After my snack, I wandered through the shops and the entire downtown area, waiting for a soul to resonate with me... but no one did.

Dejected, I climbed a hill alongside the Glacier River and sat on a wooden bench. The falls roared behind me, distant enough that I could still hear myself think.

I had been searching for his mate for a year now. I’d never had an assignment last this long or be this difficult before—and I had faced some tough assignments in my past. Some tough, failed assignments. But it was because of those failed assignments that I refused to give up. Mesmer deserved someone special.

I was actually getting used to having Mesmer around. My little house wasn’t as starkly quiet anymore. It had the sounds of another soul puttering around—showering, eating, sleeping, joking with Leo about something. It was bizarre how comforting his presence had become in my life. I worried that I was growing attached to him. There was attraction there, more than I cared to admit. But I could never be what he needed.

He needed his mate.

I sat there for a while—much longer than I’d intended—watching the sun dip behind the Bernese Alps. I just couldn’t muster the willpower to move. The sunsets here were always breathtaking. I snapped a quick picture of the fading light, slid my phone back into my pocket, and, as my stomach grumbled, began considering dinner. This town had the best Rosti—a golden, crispy potato pancake topped with cheese, bacon, and a fried egg—and I wanted it in my empty belly yesterday. I was suddenly starving, no doubt thanks to all the fresh mountain air.

On the way out, I intended to grab some Swiss chocolate for my stash. Was there anyone in the world who made better chocolate than the Swiss? I seriously doubted it.

Unfortunately, I never got my Rosti or my Swiss chocolate because someone smashed the back of my head with what felt like a boulder, and in my last cognizant, hazy thoughts, I realized they’d slung me over their shoulder and were running off with me. I tried to yell for help, but I passed out instead.

I came to with a pounding headache, blurry vision, and roiling nausea.

Great.

I groaned as I opened my eyes a tiny slit and squinted down at my ankles. I was tied to a chair with what looked like a long silk handkerchief. I couldn’t see my wrists behind my back, but I could feel that they were also bound to the chair.

My head swam. I blinked as the room began to come into better focus. It was still really blurry, but I could at least make out shapes now. I squinted at the figures around me, managing to make out four. The light from a window to my far left was blinding, and I had to close my eyes and turn my head away for a moment as pain knifed through my skull.

I was missing some memories, and my head continued to spin as I tried to recall anything leading up to being tied to a chair. The occupants of the room were strangely silent—except for a sad, dog-like whine—and I was grateful. I didn’t need a villain’s monologue at that moment. I needed to figure out why I was tied to a chair. I kept my eyes closed as I tried to dredge up my memories from the last twenty-four hours.

Mesmer was staying with me. Dante had come... I’d taught my class... I straightened in the chair as I suddenly remembered. I was in Glacier Falls. I’d come to find a promising lead on a soulmate for Mesmer but hadn’t found anyone. I had been sitting on the bench, and then... I’d gotten smashed over the head and kidnapped.

I was ready to bust some heads! If only I had my candy bowl with me.

I groaned as pain spiked through my head. Anger, bad. Calm, good.

“I’m so sorry,” a masculine voice said near me. “I tripped and accidentally elbowed you. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just... needed your help. I panicked when I hit you, so I scooped you up and brought you here.”

First of all, how did you accidentally elbow someone? And second, where the heart and stars was here, and why had I been kidnapped?

He sighed. “I know it sounds unlikely, but it’s true. We just needed your help. I was going to ask politely, but I kind of freaked out when I hurt you.”

“Release me,” I demanded. We would start there. If they truly needed my help and the injury hadn’t been intentional, I would see what I could do. But I wasn’t going to do anything while tied to a chair.

“Now, wait a minute,” a female voice said. “How do we know she’ll help us if we let her go?”

I smiled, though it wasn't a pleasant one. “If you don’t release me, your chances of getting my help drop to zero. It’s up to you.”

The woman scoffed but didn’t complain further as the man next to me, who smelled like a shifter, untied my ankles and wrists. I rubbed the circulation back into my wrists and hoped my eyesight would clear up in the next few minutes because I was flying blind and very uncomfortable at the vulnerable position that put me in.

“Here, Miss, let me help you to the couch. It'll be more comfortable than this wooden chair.” The shifter helped me up, and we shuffled slowly across the room. The shadowy outlines of the other occupants moved aside as we passed.

My head was spinning, and my vision still wasn't right. At this point, I was concerned that I might have some kind of permanent damage, but it was likely just a bad concussion. I knew one thing—I needed a doctor.

“We’ve called a healer for you,” another voice said, as though reading my thoughts. I couldn’t see where the voice came from, but I thought it might be, from its blurry outline, a loveseat in a more shadowed part of the room.

“Thank you. Why did you bring me here?”

“Here, Miss,” the shifter placed an ice pack wrapped in a cloth in my hand, and I nodded at him as I gently applied it to the back of my head.

I could sense only high ceilings and streaks of shadows and sunlight filling the room, as well as the outlines of its occupants. My new position on the couch faced away from the windows behind me, a fact for which I was grateful.

The shifter sat next to me on the couch, giving me space so he didn’t crowd me.

A world-weary voice from the far corner of the room said, “There are four of us here with you. I’m sorry you were injured. We never intended to hurt you. This is my tavern, The Fiery Phoenix. We’ve been... unlucky in love over the years. Dieter, the lone wolf beside you, is clumsy to the extreme. This has made finding his mate impossible, as no other female shifters will go near him. Astrid is an oracle whom everyone is afraid to approach, lest she have an episode at dinner. Yvette is a mute siren, and I’m Felix, a vampire who can't seem to adapt to this modern age.”

I pulled the ice pack off for a moment, trying to process all of that, but the pounding in my skull made it nearly impossible to think.

I rubbed my forehead. “Okay, let me see if I’ve got this straight: you four think that because I’m a cupid, I’ll be able to help with all of this?” I mean, I probably could, but...

“Yes,” the same voice replied. Felix, I assumed. “Cupids undergo extensive training—more than most other supernaturals could ever hope for.” He sighed. “Look, we’re not asking for a miracle, just a little help.”

I pursed my lips. “Your complaint was that you’re having a hard time fitting in with the modern era. What do you mean by that?”

“He tried to set up a dating profile a few months back and had half the town convinced he was starting a cult,” Astrid, or who I assumed was Astrid, said.

I had to fight the urge to laugh.

Because this wasn’t funny. Not even a little. I was in so much pain I was considering crying, and I never cried. But I couldn’t cry. It would only make the pain worse. I still couldn’t see anything but blurs and shades of light, and the stupid doctor still hadn’t shown up!

“Look, I’d love to help you. I really would. But I can’t help anyone until I can see straight and my skull stops pounding like a mariachi band is playing inside it."

“Of course. We’ll just settle quietly while we wait for the healer,” Felix said.

I sighed and leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes. They hadn't intended to harm me, and other than tying me to a chair, they had been calm and rational. I didn’t feel threatened by any of them, and my cupid lie detector had only detected the truth when they explained why they needed my help.

Was I in pain and three seconds from losing the bread and fondue I’d had hours ago? Yes. But I wasn’t being threatened, I couldn’t see to leave, a doctor was on their way, and my head was splitting so much that I couldn’t seem to focus my magic enough to slip into the ether. To a human, this would be reason to run or pull a Jackie Chan on them, but to a paranormal? Eh. It was a typical Tuesday. Well, maybe not all that typical. But not all that unusual either.

Leo was not going to be happy with me.

For that matter, I didn’t think Mesmer would be pleased about this either.

I just hoped they both stayed home and didn’t mount a rescue, especially Mesmer. He was just barely starting to heal. I didn’t want to be the cause of his wounds reopening when they were just beginning to close.

After a few minutes, someone politely knocked, then let themselves in.

“Did someone call for a doctor?” The voice of the person was deep and gravelly. My head turned toward the sound. I could barely make out a large male standing there in haloed sunlight with what looked like a bag in his hand.

“Yes, me, please. I have a head injury.”

Everyone else in the room remained silent as the male knelt in front of me. I squinted, trying to see his features, but that only made my head pound so intensely that I nearly threw up. So, I gave up and let him tend to me. He asked me questions, examined my skull, took readings with various human and magical instruments, then shined what felt like a blinding spotlight into my eyes that immediately broke my brain.

I don’t remember much after that because I threw up on him and then passed out.

Unfortunate. He had sounded attractive.