Legends of Astræa: Cupid's Arrow Book 1 (Legends of Astræa Series)

by Sophia Alessandrini

  He relaxed his hold on me. I pressed my hands against his chest to create a little distance, but all I did was feel the beat of his heart, which was even more intimate.

  “This is the house of the Lord. I shouldn’t be here anyway,” I reminded both of us.

  “And… I think he heard you,” he said, gesturing toward the large cross on the wall. “Your prayers.” He winked back at me. My confused blank gaze made him grin again. “I promise you, I will protect you if you let me.”

  Seriously?

  “You shouldn’t have kissed me, Mister…” I didn’t finish saying his name. I didn’t know it. All I cared was how close his lips were.

  “Demyan,” he said, his forehead touching mine, his lips very close to mine. He was careful not to kiss my lips, although I secretly wished he would. “Forgive me, Miss Pearson. I couldn’t resist kissing you… you are beautiful.” He kissed my forehead tenderly. He thought I was pretty. My cheeks were burning hot. Suddenly, I felt self-conscious of my undoubtedly dreadful appearance.

  From his suit jacket, he pulled a white linen card and offered it to me. My trembling hand took it, not knowing what this was about. I couldn’t force myself to read it. It was more than impossible to take my eyes from him. He was… well, incredibly handsome.

  “Memorize my name and phone number in case you lose it. If you ever need help, information, or money, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me, even if you are in China or around the corner. I will come, and I will help you.”

  My jaw dropped that instant. I was speechless. His hand caressed my cheek softly.

  Why was he helping me? Who was he? It didn’t really matter. He was helping me. That was all it mattered. France. I had to go to France.

  “Look, if you really want to help me, I need to go to France. There is someone who can tell me who I am and where I come from.” I crossed my fingers.

  He arched his eyebrow lazily then sighed, taking a brief moment before speaking. “And deliver you right into the mouth of the lion? No, Miss Pearson. I must advise you to never step in France if you ever want to reach seventeen,” he warned me. How could he possibly know I was sixteen? But if I was to accept that he had the capability to find me after a dream… Well, things like this were as impossible to conceive as they were happening, and I was so getting tired of these mysteries.

  “I need answers then,” I said.

  He smiled back. “Of course, you do. I can give you all the answers you need. It’ll be better from someone as gifted as you.” Demyan winked back at me. Was he implying that he was like me? A freak like me? How did he know I had gifts? I guess if he knew my age or where to find me without the need of a last name or an address, he was gifted in ways I could barely imagine.

  I couldn’t prevent my mouth from lifting into a small smile. I was not alone after all. However, I needed to trust him first. I barely knew anything about him.

  “First, I must know why I shouldn’t go to France.” I had to ask him.

  “Because they will kill you or marry you or both.” His voice had turned hoarse, and his face suddenly serious. Who were they? Something told me to take this seriously.

  My life was so screwed up.

  Chapter 14

  Suddenly, the midmorning light inundated the interior of the chapel. Someone had opened the door fully and closed it partially, allowing us to see who the new arrival was.

  “Ah, Master Demyan,” the familiar voice said from the large wooden doors. “I hope this is just a social visit.” Mr. Tarbelli. Crap. He found me. Mr. Tarbelli’s gaze darted between Demyan and me.

  Demyan and I departed our cozy embrace. He squinted so fast, it was gone in a blink of my eyes, but his jaw tightened. His face had transformed from that attentive tenderness to a chilling emotionless expression.

  “Master Francis, an unsuspected surprise to meet you here. Enit, you look wonderful,” Demyan said. His words were right but not his annoyed tone. They didn’t sound like friends. I paid immediate attention.

  And what was with this master speech thing? And who the hell was Enit? It was just Mr. Tarbelli, Demyan, and me inside the chapel. No. One. Else. I was really losing it.

  “If I may ask, what brings you here, Master Demyan?” Mr. Tarbelli fixed his hard stare on Demyan, his neck cords standing out and as stiff as the marble statue standing next to us. Crap. Either he was not exactly happy with Demyan’s presence, or he was upset to find me in his arms. He moved slowly toward our bench.

  “It came to my attention recently that Miss Pearson has been at the wrong place for a long time.” He winked at me.

  I blushed again at the memory of his kiss moments before.

  Demyan continued speaking. “If I had known of her existence before, I’d never let anyone as much as touch her, Master Francis. Therefore, my greatest and most heartfelt apologies to Miss Pearson.”

  “Master Demyan, you have an extremely powerful position in our world. Why your sudden interest in Miss Pearson?”

  Tell. Tell. Oh, how I wanted to know this. However, Mr. Tarbelli’s sarcasm made it clear he did not approve of Demyan’s job. I wondered what kind of job he had. He couldn’t be older than twenty-two, twenty-five. How long had these two known each other? My dream… Crap. Of course. Mr. Tarbelli knew my last name. Traitor. I held back my anger.

  “This isn’t about power, Master Francis.” He paused briefly. “This is about protecting her identity and protecting the kingdom from exposure.” So far, Demyan was the only one offering help. He wanted to protect my identity. Why? Was this the reason my file didn’t exist?

  “What kingdom?” I asked, tired of the trail of unexplained things left in my path.

  “Miss Pearson is still unfamiliar with our world, Master Demyan. I would advise allowing me to broaden her knowledge in time,” Mr. Tarbelli said.

  I sighed. This meant I had to wait until he was in the good mood to tell me who I was, perhaps make me wait another sixteen years. Well, I had news. I wasn’t going to wait that long again. I was leaving pronto—like right now, and I wasn’t interested in their world, especially if I had to hide my identity.

  “Miss Pearson is my business, especially when a lovely pureblood female is unprotected. The safety of the kingdom comes first. The prince and the royals would be particularly joyful knowing of her existence. Won’t they?” Demyan retorted.

  “Pureblood?” I asked them. They both looked at me without giving me an answer. Crap. Prince? Royals? Kingdom? Had everyone gone crazy? Had I any saneness left? I just didn’t have a head for all the crap anymore.

  “Leave them alone. She has been safe on this island.” Obviously, Mr. Tarbelli was not just oblivious but delusional.

  “Are you out of your mind? Mother Clarisse’s murderer is coming after me. I. Am. Not. Safe here.” I stared at him. Both of them looked at me with wide open eyes. Demyan had no idea of what I was talking about, but Mr. Tarbelli did—well, sort of. I didn’t think he had the same introduction I had with Ash. However, Mr. Tarbelli’s jaw tightened more, and he rolled his shoulders and loosened his stuffy silk tie as if his clothes were creating discomfort. I realized this was news to him.

  “Miss Pearson’s security is of grand importance. You let things go so dire so fast in this place, Master Francis.” His tone was cold.

  It was the very first time I had seen Mr. Tarbelli uncomfortable, but it lasted an instant before he held our gaze with confidence. “She is my charge. I will protect her,” Mr. Tarbelli answered unblinkingly. Uh, I don’t think so, buddy. No one could protect me from Ash, but they didn’t know that, even when he claimed to be my legal guardian.

  “Ought I to number the many situations she could have have exposed our existence?” Demyan shook his head in total disapproval. None of this was making any sense to me. Why? Were they hiding too?

  “You don’t get it. I didn’t even know my last name ten minutes ago. I was an orphan an hour ago for crying out loud.” I spluttered my anger but shook my head to clear it out. Evil
was not going to get me again—not today. I was very strong about this.

  “We must take this conversation outside,” Mr. Tarbelli suggested, ignoring my arguments.

  “I believe Miss Pearson deserves to know more.” Demyan looked at me with a mischievous grin. Hallelujah.

  I inhaled, encouraged to say what I needed to say. “I should have known that I had a mother at least. I had the right to know that.” Resentment was printed all over my face as I stared at Mr. Tarbelli accusingly.

  Demyan arched his eyebrow, surprised at these pieces of information; however, his attention was drawn from us.

  Unexpectedly, Demyan tapped something in his ear twice, and a blue light reflected in his hand. He wore an earpiece for communication, much smaller than the one Sister Joana wore that didn’t work. We had to yell at her all the time. His looked like something small, expensive, and very high tech like I had seen in spy movies.

  “Master Francis, my operatives tell me the nuns know she has two hearts among other very interesting things.” Demyan’s frosty glance was freezing the air between them. Interesting? God no. Has everyone gone crazy? No one had two hearts. It was impossible.

  “I agree, her existence has been terribly compromised. Miss Pearson must be secured to a different location,” Mr. Tarbelli said.

  “Why?” They both deliberately ignored my question again. I was really getting tired of that.

  “Miss Pearson has accepted my protection,” Demyan said, his gaze fixed on Mr. Tarbelli. He turned to me with the kind smile I liked—the one with the dimple.

  I smiled back, knowing my plea to go to France had been somewhat interpreted as that.

  “I promise no one will ever harm you.” Demyan’s eyes were sincere. I felt butterflies fluttering and ready to disengage, but Mr. Tarbelli interrupted my celebration.

  “Miss Pearson is still a minor, and I legally hold her guardianship.” He pulled a wad of papers from the inside of his tweed jacket and waved it at him. “She will not be going anywhere without my consent,” Mr. Tarbelli said, looking straight at me just in case I had other ideas, which I had. I still frowned. Crap.

  Going with Demyan was very appealing. Just thinking of his kiss made me feel a thousand butterflies in my tummy. But when I exchanged my gaze with his, he looked at me as I had toward Gavril when he told me he wouldn’t help me, and not because he couldn’t. Then he sighed heavily and made a bitter smile for Mr. Tarbelli.

  “Master Francis, you better take care of her, or I must.” Demyan’s tone left no place for commiserations. However, Mr. Tarbelli’s smugness had left no room for that.

  ”If you don’t mind me reminding you that if you hadn’t meddled with her father, this would have never happened,” Mr. Tarbelli accused. I gasped.

  What? My father? A father I had never heard of, less met, but they had. This was getting more complicated by the minute. I glared at both of them. Then I sought for Demyan’s clarification. His eyes connected with mine, displaying profound sadness. He turned his scowl to Mr. Tarbelli.

  “Master Francis, are you accusing me of being responsible for his disappearance?” he challenged.

  “What? No-oh.” My gaze searched for his. I needed the truth, but he avoided my gaze, and I felt my knees bending. The world was tilting again.

  “Your actions don’t measure up since the disappearance of Gregory,” Mr. Tarbelli said. My father’s name was Gregory. I covered my mouth to suppress a loud sob coming from my chest.

  Oh, God. I thought I was going to throw up.

  “There is nothing I could do to change that. Miss Pearson’s father is a brilliant… person. And I am truly sorry he is indisposed at the moment.”

  What did that mean? Indisposed? For the past sixteen years? That sounded like crafty dishonesty. I closed my eyes, feeling them drown in tears. I couldn’t look at him anymore. A large knot formed inside my chest. It was difficult to breathe. Then I felt the intensity of his gaze on me.

  “I must go now and fix this mess with those nuns,” I heard Demyan say. Like they would listen to reason. Not after I had given them all the evidence they needed. Out of the blurry corner of my eye, I watched him turn around and walk slowly with his hands inside his tailored pant pockets.

  “Mother Superior won’t take quite well your threats,” Mr. Tarbelli admonished, as Demyan’s expensive soles echoed inside the chapel. He stopped and turned.

  “Why threaten when I can persuade?” he said with a wide enigmatic smirk. Then he paused, as if trying to decide something, and continued. “Miss Pearson, don’t let the crown change you.”

  What crown? Persuade? He directed his forewarning toward Mr. Tarbelli, walking down the center corridor of the chapel. I gasped again, feeling confused by how I felt.

  “Miss Pearson, trust no one,” Demyan said.

  Mother Clarisse’s exact words. Crap. Mr. Tarbelli ground his teeth at the implication of Demyan’s words.

  “If you ever run into trouble, don’t hesitate to call me,” he repeated. More trouble than I was in already?

  Demyan raised his fist against his heart in some kind of symbolic salute to Mr. Tarbelli. Mr. Tarbelli responded the same way. Our gaze followed him as he disappeared in the midst of the light behind the large wooden door of the chapel. It broke my heart to see him going. Actually, I felt like he was abandoning me to my luck with Mr. Tarbelli.

  Nothing would be the same after this. I had to stop being so naïve. I had to stop seeing the good in everyone, particularly if it came from someone who showed up in my dreams. Everyone was subject to harsh examination from now on. I would find a way to never be in that same position. Trust no one.

  Never ever, ever again. My life depended it on it.

  The dirty knave probably killed my father and then stole a kiss from me. Why did he even bother offering me help? Guilt, the little voice in my head said. Did he kiss me because he felt guilty? God, how I wanted to hate him.

  The nerve he had. Go. Move. Alone again. I felt numb. I didn’t feel enough like myself to trust that I wouldn’t start weeping for the rest of my life right then.

  “Miss Pearson, you will be safe for now. Get some rest. We’ll talk about all this later.”

  I scampered out, not paying attention to Mr. Tarbelli’s words. I realized then that Demyan had held me back from running away from St. Mary’s unknowingly. I should have been gone by now. I mentally kicked myself. But who was I kidding? I could hardly walk after my encounter with Ash.

  I left Mr. Tarbelli behind those doors. I couldn’t stand this place anymore. The little hope I had from Demyan was gone. Now, for the first time, I understood truly what it meant to be helpless and terrified, knowing beyond certainty that no one would help me and that I couldn’t trust anyone. My life sucked—badly.

  There were no words.

  I had lost my father again that morning, just as I lost my mother’s love before and lost Mother Clarisse. Barring Gavril would come to his senses and help me. Then there was my first kiss. I reached for my lips. They simply felt thick and wanting. I turned the card and read his name.

  Demyan Greco.

  Chapter 15

  I flitted the chapel still feeling unhinged, but my will to leave this place was greater. Demyan, the… the… I just couldn’t find a strong enough word for him, either bad or good. I couldn’t even think past the fact he had kissed me. My mind was stuck on that sole mantra.

  Everyone who crossed my path beheld the direction of my steps, slack-jawed as they opened a path for me out of fear or disgust. I guess the news of being really possessed had already run around the academy.

  As I moved along the halls, I found the presence of a few men geared in black commando’s outfits along with large guns they held as they moved toward the helicopter parked outside St. Mary’s to be somewhat peculiar. The sound of beating blades vibrated in the air. Demyan Greco’s transportation?

  Again… What kind of job gave him military commandos and a large helicopter? A very powerful one, my min
d reminded me of the conversation.

  God, I didn’t want to think of him or his kiss. Some girls came out of the halls to see the military helicopter leaving St. Mary’s.

  I raised my chin with dignity when I walked into Sister Magdalene. She crossed her heart and prayed for my lost soul. I would need her prayers, even when they were somewhat insulting. I had fought a battle and had come out of the darkness, that much I knew. But would they ever believe me? I sighed.

  No, they wouldn’t. They would always judge me as evil. Exorcisms and bullying were the contrariwise things left for me here. Also, my life would be in danger if I stayed. I was leaving and never coming back. The realization struck me deep. I would never see St. Mary’s again. Holding back tears, I wasn’t going to give the academy girls or the Sisters the chance of seeing me cry. I had to keep moving, but I needed this last moment to hold myself together.

  I knew what I had to do for the first time in my life.

  In all reality, it was quite simple.

  I wished I had realized this before and could skip all the pain. It didn’t matter that I was alone in the world and that I had no good plan. I had to just walk away. I would figure out the rest later. Anything was better than being exorcised or kept prisoner inside the academy or lied to cruelly. At least I knew my last name.

  I was Miss Pearson.

  By the time I reached outside the dorm building, the commandos and the helicopter had gone, and with them, Demyan Greco. However, he had taken something with him. My mind, because I just couldn’t stop thinking of him or his kiss. Who was he? Did he kill my father? What does indispose really mean? I hoped Father Dominique could tell me who I was at this point, because I couldn’t wait for my legal guardian to wait another sixteen years to say anything. I still had to go to France and discover who I was and find a way to vanquish the evil that murdered Mother Clarisse—Ash.

  My stomach ached and growled. I was hungry and exhausted, but there was not enough time for that. It was a matter of time before Mr. Tarbelli—or worse, the Sisters—would come looking for me.