Page 6 of Incurably Cupid (Moonhaven Cove #5)

Chapter 6

Mesmer

“To love is to be vulnerable.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

I didn’t handle inactivity well. I tried to keep my mood in check, not taking it out on Indie—who I assumed had been coerced by the king and consort into taking care of me for two weeks—but it was tough.

My boss and friend thought I was such a workaholic that he had me sent to the ether, a different realm, to ensure I would rest. I knew they did it for my benefit because they cared, but resting was the furthest thing from my mind.

I kept replaying the night of the shooting. One moment, things had been peaceful at the villa. Draven and Mia were safe, and then... gunshots, shattered glass, a full-scale supernatural hunt, and me leaving the villa grounds in an ambulance.

I was worried about the king and consort. I knew they had brought capable men and women for security, and though I also knew that a cruise ship might be safer than the villa right now, nothing was impenetrable. A skilled assassin could easily board and target them. I feared that the security they had with them and the ship's crew wouldn't be enough.

I also worried about Consort Mia’s health. She’d been unwell before they’d left for the cruise, but Leo had hacked into Sebastian Solace’s medical database and assured me she really did only have the flu, that a physician was keeping an eye on her, and that she was on the mend. I was greatly relieved.

Despite every professional advising against becoming emotionally attached to security clients... I couldn’t help it. Draven had been my friend for years, and I truly loved Mia. She was perfect for him, and a genuinely kind person.

The problem with gargoyles is that people, even other supernaturals, assume that because we can turn to stone, we have stone hearts. That somehow, because I can transform into a stone monster, I must be uncaring and cruel. In reality, my emotions run deep. I love and care intensely for those I hold close. Attraction isn’t always obvious to me, especially when it comes to other women showing interest, but love... love is something I’m acutely aware of. Love is something I desire so fiercely it makes my bones ache.

Leo beeped and whirled as he worked on the tasks I had assigned him while I lay in bed, twitchy, restless, and grumpy. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Today had been a long day of doing nothing. Talking with Leo had been the only thing keeping me sane.

“Indie will be back any moment. Her class let out early today,” Leo said from his place on my bedside table.

“Any luck?”

“I found two hits posted on the dark web, both from the same username: Capistrano. But his IP address keeps bouncing around before ending up on a generic computer accessed at a public library.”

I nodded, my brow furrowing. That wasn’t ideal. I hated smart criminals; they always made my job harder. “I don’t suppose he used a library card? He can’t be that stupid, can he?”

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t.”

I sighed. “What country?”

“Italy.”

“Are you able to narrow it down to a city or region?”

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. “Not without help from the fae engineers. He's using tech that not only bounces his signal around but also erases it wherever it goes. I was only able to get the country and username because I’m a genius, but I need fae assistance to pinpoint it more precisely.”

“I see,” I said, disappointed. I’d rather not involve the fae engineers just yet, no matter how brilliant they were supposed to be at tech. Well, it was better than nothing. “Could you anonymously send Dante, my second, a message with this information?”

“Sure thing.”

“I see that you’re resting as your doctor prescribed and not working on tracking down the assassin as your king forbade you from doing,” Indie said, leaning against the doorway, looking rumpled and fed up with the world.

My heart lifted at the sound of her voice, but I managed to keep my expression neutral. “Bad day at work?”

She scowled and stalked off toward her bedroom, mumbling under her breath.

“She doesn’t like the class she’s subbing for,” Leo whispered.

“What class is it?”

“Love 101. She says it’s a (mimicking Indie’s voice) ‘miserable, insufferable, sickeningly-sweet rhetoric on every aspect of love except love.’”

“I’m not sure I know what that means,” I admitted, fluffing the pillow under my head and ignoring my bladder. Getting up to use the restroom just wasn’t worth it until it was screaming at me. Moving was excruciating.

“It means,” Indie said, stepping into my room, “that most people wouldn’t recognize love if it whomped them over the head with a two-by-four. What they know is like, lust, fondness, and familiarity.”

I scratched the itchy scruff on my face—I hadn’t been able to shave yet—and pondered her statement. “I’m not sure I agree with you. Some of it maybe, but I think many people understand what love means. They just don’t have the opportunity to express it. Most people are lonely.”

Indie glared at me from the sink in my bathroom, where she was washing her hands, probably so she could change my bandages. She hadn’t changed them yet today. “You’re an optimist? Really? In your line of work?”

I shrugged. “It’s hard to live guarding the king and his consort without being optimistic about love. Also, Mia kind of... rubs off on you. As an empath, she says most people are just lonely, scared, and scarred, not evil.”

Indie dried her hands and gathered the gauze, medical tape, and antibacterial ointment she’d picked up at the hospital pharmacy. Her eyes were smudged from tiredness, and her wings drooped to the floor. She looked like she needed about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.

“I need to change your bandages. I promise not to inappropriately fondle you,” she said with a weary laugh. I felt my face heat, but she kindly ignored my bashfulness and greeted Leo. “Hey, Leo. Good day?”

“It was an easy day here. Mesmer is low maintenance.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, resting on the bedside table. “Are you saying I’m high maintenance?”

“If the shoe fits,” he teased.

She glared at him. “I’m positively delightful.”

Leo laughed and laughed and laughed.

“I’m going to throw you into the nearest body of water,” Indie threatened, her voice uncharacteristically wobbly.

I tried to sit up but groaned as I slumped back down. Leo must have noticed the wobble too. “Wait, you’re seriously upset?” he asked, sounding baffled.

I wasn’t an expert on females, but her being hurt made perfect sense to me. You don’t tell a woman she’s high maintenance and then laugh when she responds with a strange catch in her voice, insisting she’s delightful.

“What happened?” Leo asked in the gentlest tone I’d yet heard from him.

Indie paused for a moment, then gave a quiet sigh. “I’m just tired of not fitting in with the other professors. I think Mordecai only became friendly with me because he feels out of place too.”

Leo hummed in thought. “It’s been years since you became a professor at Cupid U. What changed? You’ve never cared what they thought before.”

“They’re having another movie night at one of the professors’ houses. You know, the ones with a big screen in the backyard, dozens of pillows and bean bags, great food...” She trailed off, then muttered, "I'm not invited."

“I thought you didn’t care about that,” Leo said, his voice nearly a whisper. “You’ve told me that often enough. I noticed no fluctuations in your heart rate or hormone levels when you said it, so I know you weren’t lying.”

“I don’t care."

“You do. Your heart rate changed, and your hormone levels fluctuated."

Indie sighed, clearly frustrated. “I know what I am, Leo. But it’s still painful, sometimes. It’s lonely when no one bothers to get to know me. I think I’m just too different. Or, at least, it feels that way.”

I nodded to signal that she could lift the sheet and pull up my shirt to access the bandages. She always asked for permission, and I found it incredibly respectful of her. The nurse at the hospital had seemed to bother her, and Indie was doing everything she could to show me that she would be different with me and respect my boundaries. It was difficult to express how much I appreciated that, but I hoped my actions spoke louder than words.

Leo remained quiet for a moment, then said, “I think you’re wonderful. You’re unique, like a fire lily in a sea of roses. Just because some people don’t appreciate fire lilies and prefer roses doesn’t make the fire lily any less beautiful. Your worth exists, whether people choose to see it or not. And if they never see it, they’re missing out on an amazing person... err, fire lily.”

I wanted to hug him for his encouraging words—which was difficult since he was a tablet—but I think he’d reached Indie because she blinked quickly for a moment and then smiled softly.

“Thank you, Leo, but just so you know, every part of the fire lily is poisonous.”

Leo made a frustrated noise, and I laughed just as Indie’s delicate, very cold fingers touched my chest. My muscles jumped, and I instinctively shied away from her hands.

She frowned at me.

“Sorry,” I muttered, shivering. “Your hands are like icicles.” I flinched as her freezing touch brushed against my chest. Even after she removed her hand, I still felt like burrowing under the comforter and turning on the fireplace. Why was I suddenly so cold?

Indie focused intently on my chest as she carefully removed my bandages, then made me sit up so she could check my back. When she saw something there, she hissed in dismay. “Leo, what’s his temp right now?”

“102.7.”

Indie closed her eyes, sighing. “Can you get the number for the physician who treated him at the hospital?”

“Sure thing,” Leo said.

Indie turned her gaze back to me, her expression softening in concern. “Your doctor warned this might happen. Looks like some of your wounds are infected. The ones on your back have dark red streaks, and...” She sighed again. “They smell. You’re not getting enough airflow back there.”

I shivered involuntarily, feeling miserable. It was hard to be so vulnerable, especially in front of someone I’d barely spoken to. I knew her personality from the countless times she'd spoken aloud in my presence over the past year, but until recently, we’d never really interacted. Being this helpless, this exposed, was... uncomfortable.

It didn’t help that Indie was gorgeous. Every time her fingers touched me, my skin hummed with a strange, electric pleasure. I didn’t understand it, but I chalked it up to her bonding magic. She probably had that effect on all non-cupids.

“Dr. Belloli here. What can I do for you?”

“Hello, this is Indie Valentine. I’m taking care of a gargoyle you treated a few days ago, Mesmer Damaris.”

“Yes, I remember him. I asked you to call if something went wrong. I’m assuming something’s gone wrong?”

“Yes, he’s running a fever.”

“How high is it?” the doctor asked.

“102.7.”

The doctor’s voice turned concerned. “He’s right at the cusp. I’m hesitant to have him moved, but I’ll need to see him to determine if he needs to be admitted. He may need to return to the hospital for constant care, maybe for a week.”

I frowned and weakly shook my head. My king would never allow me to return to work in two weeks if I had to go back to the hospital.

Indie paused, her brow furrowing in thought. “Doctor, I can bring you through the ether if you’re willing to make a house call?”

The doctor’s tone brightened. “I’d be delighted. Never had the chance before. I’m at the end of my shift, so I’ll wait for you at the hospital’s entrance with my bag of party tricks.” He chuckled at his own joke, and Indie gave a polite, pained laugh.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Indie replied before they disconnected. She gave me a fierce look. “Stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I assured her. I didn’t think I could lift my hand even if someone came at me with a knife.

In the blink of an eye, Indie was gone.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling ill?” Leo grumbled.

I chuckled weakly, wincing at the pain. “It came on really suddenly. Sorry. I wasn't trying to keep it from anyone.”

Leo sighed. “I suppose you get a pass,” he said.

“Thank you.”

Indie returned with a man who looked like he could be in his eighties, but I suspected he was more than just an elderly human—he had the look of a wizard. He scrutinized me closely before pulling a few items from his leather satchel. “Trying to die on me again, young man?”

I managed a painful laugh. “Not at all. I’d prefer to live, if you can manage it.”

The doctor nodded, his hands working with expert precision as he listened to my chest, peeled back the bandages Indie had just applied, and examined my wounds. He frowned at a few of them, particularly the ones on my chest.

“Hmm, your body’s not fighting this as well as I’d like,” he murmured. He pulled out a tablet and started tapping on it. “I’m going to prescribe something to boost your immune system. It’s dangerous if taken for more than a week, but I’m hoping it helps you fight this off more effectively in that time. I’ll also prescribe an infection-fighting medication and a stronger antibacterial wash.” He glanced up over the top of his horn-rimmed glasses. “The wash stings when applied. It feels like someone’s pouring battery acid over your open wounds—lemon juice times ten,” he warned.

I winced. I wasn’t a stranger to pain; with my background, no one could be, but that didn’t sound pleasant at all.

He nodded at my expression. “Yes, not pleasant. Because of that, I’m giving you a topical cream to apply that dulls pain, to be used with the oral pain reliever I prescribed for you at the hospital.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you coming down to take a look at me.”

“It’s actually up,” the doctor chuckled, putting his diagnostic tools back into his bag, then shook his head. “Semantics.”

Leo beeped as though he’d received a message. “I've got your prescriptions, Mesmer. Sending them to the pharmacy here in Devotion. They deliver.”

“Thanks, Leo,” I murmured, feeling my eyelids grow heavy. I was exhausted, and there were too many people in my bedroom. I just wanted to sleep for a decade... or two.

“I’ll be right back,” Indie said, then disappeared with the doctor, only to return moments later without him. She must have dropped him off at home.

“Go ahead and sleep for a bit," she said softly. The pharmacy will take about an hour to deliver your meds,” she assured me, pulling my blanket up so it rested just below my chin.

I nodded, already half-drifting into sleep.

What felt like only moments later, the light above me flicked on. Indie was sitting on my bed, placing a bag on the nightstand.

“They just delivered everything. The doctor made me promise to use the new supplies tonight to change your bandages again.”

I blinked groggily, then nodded. I adjusted the head of the bed, making it easier for her to reach my wounds.

She was in pajamas now; a plain silky black tank top and matching pajama shorts. She looked... beautiful in a way I’d never truly noticed before. I had objectively recognized her beauty, but this felt different—more like... attraction. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt attracted to someone. Embarrassed by my thoughts, I avoided her gaze as she peeled away the old bandages.

“Brace for pain,” she said, preparing the new antibacterial wash. Then she used a damp warm rag and poured some of the wash onto it, rubbing my chest down with it.

I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath. It felt as if a dragon had set fire to my chest.

Leo warbled in sympathy. He projected a large gargoyle standing next to me with its arms folded over its chest. Its eyes were compassionate.

“Leo,” I gritted, “why are you a gargoyle right now?”

“Solidarity,” Leo replied, and I almost laughed—until Indie poured more of the wash onto my chest. I clenched my jaw and tried to think of something, anything, pleasant... but it wasn’t working. Maybe I didn’t have enough pleasant things in my life.

Indie finished the wash quickly, then applied the pain-numbing cream. I sighed in relief as my muscles relaxed, drawing in a shaky breath. My hands trembled. Indie taped the gauze down and then had me lean forward so she could reach the wounds on my back.

“Almost done,” she promised. “Brace yourself.”

I braced myself, but it wasn’t enough to prepare for the firestorm of pain that followed. It felt like my back was being flayed, then flambéed. Sweat beaded on my brow, and I clenched my jaw so tightlythat my skull began to throb with a headache.

Indie moved quickly, washing my back with the solution, then rubbing in the pain-relieving cream. I went boneless in relief. It already felt much better than it had.

Indie washed her hands and put away the medical supplies, then insisted I eat something so I could take my meds. She was a fantastic nurse to a stubborn, rock-headed gargoyle, and I appreciated her help, even though it embarrassed me that I needed it. I would try to find the words to thank her tomorrow.

After the meal and my meds, I lowered the top portion of my bed back to its neutral position. Either Indie or Leo turned off the light, but I didn’t notice because I was out until morning.