The Cupid War (4 page)

5

F
allon ran, not bothering to look where he was going. It hardly mattered; it wasn't like he was going to run into anything. He went through cars, trees, houses, and people, farther and farther away from the grocery store, Caleb, and everything.

Eventually he stopped running, not because he was tired but because hiding seemed like a better idea. It occurred to him that a nice, big, solid object would make a good hiding place. He could walk into one of the houses, stand inside a wall, and wait for Caleb and Louis to stop looking for him.

Fallon turned in the direction of the nearest house, and realized he'd come back to his old neighborhood. His own house was just up ahead, and there was a police car idling in the driveway. Two police officers stood on the doorstep, their hats in their hands.

The middle-aged man they were talking to was his father.

Fallon knew what was going on. He was witnessing the report of his own death. His family was only now finding out about his fall from Pape Bridge.

As Fallon watched, his stepmother joined his dad on the doorstep. A moment later his big sister joined them, too.

Fallon collapsed onto the ground. This was too much for him. This was what he'd imagined would happen after his death, but having to see it being played out was simply not fair. He was dead now; he shouldn't be seeing this!

Out of the corner of his eye, Fallon thought he saw something dark …

Despair flooded through him, soaked him like a monsoon, stuck to him like tar. It was similar to the way he'd felt during the last year of his life, but that wasn't this bad. No, nothing was as sickening as this. Fallon wanted nothing more than to return to the bridge and throw himself off, on purpose this time, but he couldn't muster up the energy to move. And the feeling of hopeless despair kept getting worse, so much worse …

“You! Get off him!”

Pink light bathed him, and he heard something scream. A black form, part humanoid and part shadow, detached itself from him and raced away. The utter despair he felt began to fade, and Fallon was able to put two and two together.

“That thing,” he said. “It did that to me?”

“Yes,” said Caleb, standing behind him. “It's a lucky thing I found you or he would have taken you.”

“What … is it?” Fallon asked, watching as the dark form scampered away down the street.

“That,” Caleb replied, “is a Suicide. They are our enemies, Fallon, as I'm sure you've realized by now.”

“We have enemies?” Fallon turned around to look up at Caleb. He wanted to stand back up, but couldn't quite manage that yet. “Why … didn't you … tell me?”

“You ran away, remember?” Caleb replied. He reached down and took hold of Fallon's arms, easily hefting him back to his feet. “You would have been safe with me. From all of this.”

It was clear by his tone that he meant more than just the attack. Fallon looked back at his family on the doorstep and nodded silently.

“Come on, let's go,” Caleb said, leading Fallon away. “Best leave them be. Staying here will only bring you pain.”

Fallon wanted to stay, wanted to do something for his family. He had no energy to resist, however, so he allowed Caleb to direct him.

“How did you find me?” he asked after a while.

“
I have ways,” Caleb said. “Besides, where else would you have gone? You were alone, you were u
pset; it was only natural you would have gone home.” He held up his hand and a soft glow spread out from his fingertips. The glow grew into an oval doorway, and Caleb helped Fallon walk through it.

“Neat trick,” Fallon said as they emerged back in the heart-domed enclosure of the Cupid Center. “Will I be able to do that soon?”

“When you learn how,” Caleb replied. “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little, yeah,” Fallon said. “Not so … devastated.”

“Time you ate some more Love,” Caleb said. “Best cure there is for a psychic attack. It's not far to my Love block. You can eat all you want then.”

“Great,” Fallon said.

They set out through the maze of Love cubes. It was difficult going for Fallon; each step felt like a huge effort.

“Tell me about Suicides,” he said, hoping the conversation would distract him.

“Suicides are beings similar to us, only they feed on negative emotions,” Caleb said. “They take your despair and magnify it until even the smallest problem seems insurmountable, then they feed on the negativity that results. And because Cupids deal in positive emotions, our despair is that much more powerful. That is why we must always be on our guard, and always consume plenty of Love before returning to the field.”

Fallon thought about what Caleb had told him. “Do they attack living people?” he asked.

“Yes,” Caleb replied. “People with severe depressive disorders are the victims of Suicides. Strong people struggle to hang on, to fight back with drugs and therapy. Weak on
es, however … ”

“Jump?” Fallon said quietly.

“Yes,” Caleb replied.

Fallon stopped walking. “Is that what happened to me?” he asked. “Is that why I wanted to kill myself?”

“Yes,” Caleb said simply. “Try not to think about it.”

“How can I not think about it?” Fallon snapped. “I'm dead because some evil spirit got me. That's not … ”

He stopped. He'd been going to say
that's not fair
. Fallon knew what his father would have said to that:
Who ever said life is fair?

“That is why Cupids exist, Fallon,” Caleb said. “We give people something pure and special, something worth living for. And we fight off those spirits who strive to make life miserable. We are here to make life better, Fallon. Not fair, just better.”

They walked in silence for a while. Fallon's mood did not get better, and he still felt weak. He hadn't felt at all tired when he'd walked all the way across the vast expanse of the Cupid Center before, but this time he found it exhausting. The dark feelings the Suicide had given him had faded a bit, but Fallon couldn't shake them off.

Not after what Caleb had told him.

“How are you doing?” Caleb asked.

“How do you think?” Fallon replied.

“Nearly there,” Caleb told him. “Hold on.”

“I can't make it.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can't.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can't,” Fallon said, and he fell forward and collapsed in a heap.

“Okay, you can't,” Caleb said, squatting down beside him. “Tell you what. I'll go ahead and bring some Love back to you. Just wait here, okay?”

Fallon managed a thumbs-up. Caleb hurried off, leaving him to rest.

6

F
allon lay on the white floor of the Cupid Center, waiting for Caleb to return. He didn't want to move; the Suicide attack had drained both his mood and his energy. He figured he'd be panting, but his new body didn't need to breathe.

He waited for a while, then grew impatient. What was taking Caleb so long? He dragged himself into a sitting position to look, but could not see Caleb anywhere among the aisles of Love cubes.

Speaking of which, there was a suitcase-sized cube of Love a meter or so to his right. Stuff Caleb, Fallon thought, and he crawled his way over. He sat himself up next to the cube, then scraped off a chunk no bigger than a Snickers bar.

“Hey! What d'you think you're doing?”

Fallon turned his head and saw a Cupid running toward him. The guy was big and brawny but not that old; Fallon guessed late teens, early twenties.

“Whoa, easy,” Fallon said. “This is your Love?”

“Yeah, it is,” the Cupid said, a look of indignation on his face. “You're not going to eat that, are ya?”

“I just need a bite,” Fallon said, and he stuffed the Love piece into his mouth.

“Hey!” the guy said. “I worked my butt off for that.”

“It's supposed to make me feel better.”

“What?” the guy said. “That's my Love! Cupids aren't allowed to eat from each other's Love. Where's yours?”

“I don't think I have one yet,” Fallon said.

“Well, you better get some fast,” the guy said. “You owe me.”

“Are you even interested in why I'm lying here?” Fallon asked. “How about some concern, some compassion? Do you even care why I wanted your Love?”

“No!” the Cupid said. “All I care about is … ”

“Owen! Not taking a break, are ya?”

The Cupid spun around at the voice. Fallon groaned; not him, not now.

“And what're
you
doing, Ricky?” Louis said, glaring down at him. “Takin' a little nap? This hard work concept something new to ya?”

“Go away,” Fallon groaned, fully expecting to be shocked. But the way he was feeling, he simply
didn't care. When the shock didn't come, he looked closer at his Cupid boss. Louis looked exhausted; all that shocking really did suck the life out of him.

“That attitude won't get you very far here, Ricky,” Louis told him. “Well? One of you going to tell me what's going on? Owen, how about you?”

“I was just coming in to eat,” Owen said, “when I saw this guy snacking on my Love.”

“Were you trying to steal from Owen's Love?” Louis asked Fallon. “That's the biggest offense we have, you know.”

“He was waiting for me,” Caleb said, arriving with two fistfuls of Love.

“What d'you think you're doin' with that?” Louis said, pointing at Caleb's haul. “He's gotta earn his own, and he ain't gonna do it lyin' around on … ”

“Oh, stop it!” Caleb said, and he tossed the Love down into Fallon's lap and stormed over to Louis. “He was attacked by a Suicide. We could have lost him. You, of all people, should respect that.”

Louis's eyes went wide. So did Owen's. Fallon looked from them to Caleb, wondering what would happen next.

“Okay, he can have some of your Love,” Louis said. “But only enough to get him back on his feet. Then it's back to work for both of you.” With that, Louis turned and walked off.

“Hey, sorry dude,” Owen said, kneeling beside Fallon. “I didn't know you'd been … I'm sorry. Take some more of mine. But just a little bit, okay?”

“He'll be fine with what I brought him,” Caleb said. “Eat up, Fallon.”

Fallon did. Voraciously. It was still cheesy and corny, but it was the best cheese and corn he'd ever tasted in his life. And death.

“Feeling better?” Caleb asked, watching him lick his fingers clean.

“Oh, yeah,” Fallon replied. “I haven't felt this good since … since … ”

“I understand,” Caleb said, reaching out a hand to help him up. “Don't think about past times, Fallon. That's where you will find you are weakest. Focus on the present.”

“That's what Louis told me when I started,” Owen said. “He was my mentor, you know. He says … ”

“Owen—that's your name, right?” Fallon asked.

“Yeah.”

“Get lost, Owen,” Fallon said.

“What?” Owen said, the indignant look returning. “You get lost! This is my spot.”

“Come on, Fallon.” Caleb put an arm around his shoulders and led him away. “Time we were getting back to work.”

They began the long trek back to the portals. Fallon found it much easier going this time around—he was no longer tired. Realizing he'd been completely healed from his attack, Fallon felt almost cheerful.

“I wouldn't get on Owen's bad side if I were you,” Caleb said as they walked.

“Why not?” Fallon asked. “The guy's a jerk. He wouldn't help me out when I w
as desperate.”

“True,” Caleb replied. “But he is one of Louis's favorites.”

“Oh,” Fallon said. “Oh crap.”

“Owen isn't that bad,” Caleb went on. “He projects a tough outer shell to hide his guilt.”

“Guilt?”

“You must have noticed he is your age, or close to it,” Caleb said. “He died when he was young. Crashed his car while drunk. Killed himself and his girlfriend Jada. It's been three years now, but he still blames himself for it.”

“Well, it was his fault,” Fallon said.

“What's done is done,” Caleb said. “Since that time, he's become a fine Cupid. So has Jada, incidentally. She's one of my favorite students. They both have their own designated neighborhoods to look after. Someday you will too.”

As they walked, Fallon remembered something Caleb had said earlier.

“What did you mean,” he asked, “when you told Louis that he of all people should respect a Suicide attack? Was he attacked once?”

“Not exactly,” Caleb said. “Most Cupids have been attacked by Suicides, actually. Some get over it, others can't. But Louis's story is more complicated than that. And personal.”

“Ooh, do tell!” Fallon said. If there was dirt to be dished on Louis, he wanted every bit of it.

Caleb was silent for a few moments.

“Another time,” he said at last. “I will tell you, Fallon. I believe every Cupid has a right to know some of the details. But not just yet. I'd … rather wait for another time.”

Fallon nodded as if he understood, which of course he did not. He could tell, however, that Caleb wished the matter dropped. That was fine by him. He could wait. After all, it didn't seem like he was going anywhere.

Five minutes later they arrived at the portals. They chose one, stepped through, and went back to work.

7

L
ove, as I was explaining to you before, is what keeps this world turning,” Caleb said.

Fallon listened as he and Caleb walked through the food court at the local mall. He'd come to this mall many times before his untimely death. It had been one of Susan's favorite things, coming here and getting a mint tea and blabbing about all of her problems.

Fallon shook his head to clear it. Bad memories would not help him.

“We don't trick people into falling in love, Fallon,” Caleb went on, leading him out of the rows of tables and into the mall proper. “T
hat is impossible. If two people aren't interested, or at least open to the possibility of being interested, there is nothing we can do.”

“But you make people fall in love,” Fallon said. “I saw you.”

“Because Mark was open to a love relationship with Emily in the first place,” Caleb said. “All he needed was a little boost. We provide that boost, Fallon. We help make love happen.”

“So if I were to pick just anyone,” Fallon said, gesturing around him at the shoppers, “and made them look at someone they didn't want to be with, it wouldn't work?”

“Not necessarily,” Caleb said. “The mind does not always know what the heart wants.”

“But then how do you know?”

“You will know,” Caleb told him, “when you touch their heart. That's where all the answers are. I know this is all very confusing,” he added, seeing the look on Fallon's face. “It will become clear to you after you've gained some experience. And that is what we are here to get.”

They arrived at a set of escalators. Fallon recognized where they were; the escalators led up to the mall's cinema.

“We're going to the movies?” he asked.

“Yes,” Caleb replied.

“Cool.” Fallon stepped onto the escalator.

A moment later he realized he wasn't moving. Looking down, Fallon saw the escalator steps rising up out of his feet like they weren't there.

“I think that now,” Caleb said without hiding his amusement, “would be an excellent time to tell you about stairs.”

“Yeah, why don't you?” Fallon said, walking through the escalator railing to stand beside him.

“We are out of sync with the energy vibrations of this world,” Caleb told him. “You see that when you walk through things, as you did just now.”

“Yeah, I know that already.”

“However, we need to interact with this world on some level or we couldn't do our jobs,” Caleb said. “Look down. Your feet are firmly planted on the floor when they should sink through. Do you know why that is?”

“No idea,” Fallon said.

“You don't sink through the floor,” Caleb said, “because you do not believe you will. That belief sends messages to your body that cause your feet to vibrate more harmoniously with the surface beneath you.”

“So if I stop believing,” Fallon said, “I'll fall into the Earth.”

“Yes,” Caleb said. “But I don't think you will. No one has, yet. Belief in the ground under one's feet is too strong. Stairs, however, are another matter. Escalators and elevators as well. Your mind perceives them differently. You know you use them to ascend or descend to another level.”

“So how do you go up when you need to?” Fallon asked.

“Like this,” Caleb said, and he walked behind a man who was stepping onto the escalator. Caleb inserted his hand into the man's back, and when the man rose with the rising steps Caleb was dragged along behind.

“It's easy!” Caleb said. “Just touch the heart.”

Fallon walked up behind a young woman and touched her heart as she stepped onto the escalator. He ascended with her; it wasn't jarring at all, just a smooth ride.

Caleb was waiting for him at the top.

“Don't let go straight away,” he cautioned as Fallon and his ride reached the upper level. “Your mind needs to readjust to the new ground beneath you. Take a few steps with this lovely young lady—that's it—and when you think you are ready … ”

“How will I know?” Fallon asked. The idea of falling through the floor did not appeal to him.

“Your mind works fast,” Caleb said. “Trust it. Let go.”

Fallon did so, and did not immediately fall through the floor. He took a couple of steps, watching his feet carefully, but the floor remained safely solid.

“It's like the glass floor,” he said.

“Pardon?”

“In the CN Tower,” Fallon said. “They have a glass floor on the observation deck. People are afraid to walk out onto it because they can see all the way down to the ground, but the glass is just as solid as the concrete around it.”

“In other words, it's all in your mind,” Caleb said. “Good analogy, though. I must remember that for my next trainee. Anyway, keep practicing. Who knows, you may become as good as me someday. Now come, let's go to the movies.”

They entered the cinema and walked right through the ticket collectors. Fallon headed for a theater showing an action movie he'd been dying to see, but Caleb held him back.

“For the purposes of training,” Caleb said, “we will get the best results from a romantic comedy. Follow me.”

They entered a theater showing a film that Fallon wouldn't have gone to even if he'd been paid.
The Truth About Poodles
—about a man who adopted a fluffy white dog in order to woo the woman of his dreams—was exactly the sort of tripe he avoided with a passion.

“We don't have to watch the whole thing, do we?” he asked as Caleb selected an aisle. He looked at some of the guys in the half-filled audience and chuckled; they looked bored out of their minds.

“No, but you do have to watch some of it,” Caleb replied, “so you'll be ready for the right moment. I'm sure you are familiar with celebrity love?”

“You mean those idiots who fall for famous people who they've only seen in movies or photos?”

“Precisely,” Caleb said. “When that happens, it is usually because a Cupid has been doing exactly what we are about to do now. Practicing.”

Fallon looked from the bored male faces to the screen, and put two and two together.

“We're gonna make those poor saps fall for Jenny Lane?” he asked, watching as the celebrity in question “acted.” “No way, Caleb. That's just wrong. That's … man
ipulating peo
ple.”

“It is practice,” Caleb pointed out, “and it is harmless. Remember, it will only work if one of these gentlemen is open to feelings for Miss Lane.”

“But they're never going to have her,” Fallon said.

“The feelings we give them today will fade,” Caleb said. “Unless we give them another boost later on. Which we will not do. Unrequited love always fades if it is not nurtured, Fallon. Sometimes it becomes obsession, but such instances are rare. And doing this”—he reached into one of the guys' hearts just as Jenny got a close-up—“is the only practical way to practice without causing undue hurt.”

The teen's chest glowed and suddenly he became interested in the movie. Very interested.

“Now you try,” Caleb said.

“Okay,” Fallon said, looking around. “Who should I start with?”

“Try anyone,” Caleb said, “and see what their heart tells you.”

Fallon shrugged and walked into the aisle, then picked a Japanese man sitting in mid-row. He walked around behind his seat and plunged his right hand into the guy's back. He half-expected him to scream, but the man didn't notice anything. Fallon didn't notice anything either; he waited for the heart to tell him something, but it seemed to be mute.

“Move your hand around a little,” Caleb said in answer to Fallon's questioning glance. “Very few Cupids get the heart on the first try. Up a little, now left … that should be it.”

And it was. Fallon instantly knew, though he couldn't say how, exactly. It was like he was plugged in to the guy; he could feel what was in his heart, just like Caleb had said he would. It wasn't mind reading so much as emotion sensing, and it took Fallon a few moments to figure out which feelings were which.

“This is confusing,” Fallon said. “I'm getting that he's open and not open to Jenny Lane at the same time.”

“That's because the image on screen keeps changing,” Caleb said. “Wait until Miss Lane is back on screen for more than a few seconds, then tell me what you find.”

Fallon waited. The scene had switched to one with the male lead character, played by boy-band sensation Robbie Claine. Fallon groaned inwardly at having to wait for another Jenny scene, then chuckled at the thought of making the guy fall for Robbie. And that made him wonder something.

“Caleb?” he said. “If you're trying to get a guy and a girl together, and another guy gets in the way … can you make two guys fall for each other?”

“Only if they are open to it,” Caleb replied. “You're thinking of making this man fall for Mr. Claine?”

“Just wondering if it's possible,” Fallon said. “I mean, it just occurred to me, maybe when Cupids miss and make a guy fall for a guy … forget it.”

“No, go on,” Caleb said. “Ask your question.”

“Well … ” Fallon looked back to the screen to avoid Caleb's eyes. “I just wondered if that's where gay people come from.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between them, followed by another.

“Fallon,” Caleb said at last, “does that make any sense to you?”

“Not really,” Fallon replied.

“If a person isn't open to someone, they won't fall in love,” Caleb said. “And that includes gays. You would know that if you'd paid attention to a word I've said.”

“Sorry,” Fallon muttered.

“And speaking of paying attention,” he pointed at the screen, “Miss Lane is back.”

Fallon, who'd been looking down at the floor, turned his head up. Jenny Lane was indeed on-screen, and the Japanese man thought she was a hottie.

“He's into her,” Fallon said.

“Then give it to him,” Caleb said. “Think of shooting Love from your fingertips into his heart, and it will happen. And do it now, before the scene changes again.”

Fallon thought about firing Love into the man, and suddenly it happened. He felt the power flow from him into the guy, and it was quite a rush.

“Whoa,” he said. He pulled his hand out of the man,
who looked a lot more pleased to be there. “That was great.”

“The first time always is,” Caleb said with a smile. “Now you know how it is done. Choose someone else and try again.”

Fallon did, several more times. Three guys and four girls, one of whom did prefer Jenny Lane over Claine. Caleb explained that the amount of Love Fallon gave out was in direct proportion to what was needed. The people in the audience got just enough to be starstruck, and Fallon could do several more before his supply of Love ran out.

“Now that you've had some practice,” Caleb said, “let's go and try the real thing.”

“Just one more,” Fallon said, spying a middle-aged man sitting by himself in the front row.

“I'm not sure about that one,” Caleb said, seeing where Fallon was going.

Fallon walked through the rows to the second aisle, knelt behind the man's seat, and reached his hand in. Immediately, he felt a huge dose of loneliness. When Jenny Lane appeared on screen, the feeling got worse. The man longed for her but felt completely unworthy.

“Yikes,” Fallon said, pulling his hand out.

“I thought as much,” Caleb said, walking up behind him. “What was it? Loneliness? Despair? Longing?”

“Yep,” Fallon replied. “But I can make him happy if I find the right girl.”

“No, you can't,” Caleb replied. “He's been infected by a Suicide, Fallon. That is why he feels so wretched. Most likely he came here thinking a romantic movie would cheer him up. Instead, it has had the opposite effect. And making him fall for Miss Lane will only make it worse.”

“Why?”

“With a Suicide's taint on him,” Caleb explained, “he's no good to himself, let alone anyone else. Have you ever had a very miserable person attracted to you?”

Fallon thought of Susan Sides, and nodded.

“You felt uncomfortable around her, didn't you?”

“Yes,” Fallon said.

“That is how people feel when they are infected by Suicides,” Caleb told him. “And love for Miss Lane will only create a deeper longing that can never be satisfied.”

“Can't we do anything for him?” Fallon asked.

“No,” Caleb replied. “He must overcome the Suicide's taint by himself. He is strong—he hasn't killed himself. But he has a long and difficult road ahead of him. There is, however, one important thing we can do,” he added, rising to his feet.

“What's that?” Fallon asked.

“Suicides usually stay near their prey,” Caleb explained, “so they can feed off the negative feelings. If we can find it and stop it, we can put this man out of his misery.”