The three of us stand frozen in Charlie's living room.

My best friend's brown eyes are wide as Crystal holds the black arrow to her neck. She doesn't drop her weapon.

"Don't do it," the blonde receptionist warns. "Don't shoot her."

My heart thumps in my chest.

I flick my gaze towards Crystal.

She is wearing the white suit I saw her in at the Cupids Matchmaking Service and there is a quiver full of arrows slung over her shoulder. Her eyes blaze fiercely and her expression is set.

I can see it in her face.

She'll really do it. She'll really kill Charlie if she has to.

I look at my friend pleadingly.

I don't want to get shot, but I don't want her to die either.

Crystal pushes the arrow closer against her skin.

"Drop it," she hisses.

With a sigh Charlie lowers the bow and lets it clatter to the ground.

I exhale in relief as Crystal grabs her by her hair and pushes her down onto the couch. She keeps her arrow pointed at Charlie's neck.

"You OK?" asks the receptionist - not moving her gaze away from Charlie.

I walk towards the two of them.

"Yes," I say - my voice shaking slightly.

I sigh.

"I never thought I'd be pleased to see you again," I add.

Out of the corner of my eye I notice a quick half smile flash across Crystal's face.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I mutter - looking at my friend whimpering on the sofa.

Crystal spares a quick glance in my direction - keeping the arrow close to Charlie's throat.

"Charlie was part of my assignment.." she says.

"To match with my boyfriend," I interject.

She sighs, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"Yes - that was the assignment," she says. "I've been monitoring the two of them - especially after the incident with the Capax."

I shake my head - my emotions of anger, shock and relief all jumbled together.

"The surveillance went momentarily down in the early hours of the morning," she continues. "That was suspicious so I came here to check it out."

I frown and cast my gaze back to Charlie. She is watching Crystal warily. A mixture of vulnerability and anger on her face. I lean over and attempt to touch her arm reassuringly. She flinches and looks at me.

"What happened Charlie?" I say pleadingly. "Are you OK? What did they do to you?!"

A defiant look appears on her usually soft face. She shakes her head.

"You're dangerous," she says. "You have to be stopped."

I feel a stab of hurt and look at the blonde agent.

"What's wrong with her?" I ask. "Have they brainwashed her? Is she really a cupid now?"

Crystal keeps her gaze on Charlie.

"Yeah she's a cupid.," she says. "I think they shot her in here."

She quickly looks over to the mantelpiece and the marks I noticed in the wall.

"And no she's not brainwashed - not as such. She's a new cupid so she's more susceptible to our laws right now. And she's not exactly wrong."

Crystal looks back towards me.

"You are dangerous."

I frown. Frustration building up inside of me.

"What do you mean?!" I ask. "No-one is telling me what is going on."

"I'll get to that," says Crystal. "But first - where is Cal?"

I furrow my eyebrows - wondering why she is asking.

"He and Cupid went to go fight the Arrows," I say. "At the square. Why?"

A dark look crosses her face at the mention of Cupid. Charlie struggles for a moment but Crystal pushes her down with ease.

"Why do they think the Arrows will be at the square?" she says quietly.

"Because the Arrows think I will be there with them," I reply.

The blonde agent looks at me and raises her eyebrows.

Suddenly I understand what she is getting at.

"But I'm not there," I say quietly. "I'm here. And if Charlie is one of them..."

Instantly Crystal swipes another arrow from her quiver and jams it into Charlie's throat.

Charlie and I cry out instantaneously.

"What are you doing?" I screech.

Crystal turns to me and raises an eyebrow as the arrow crumbles to ash between her fingers.

"Calm down," she says. "It's just the Capax. We need answers, and we need them fast."

I nod in relief - remembering what Cupid said in the Sim.

The Capax makes cupids more susceptible to telling the truth.

"What happened?" asks Crystal sternly.

Charlie purses her lips and looks like she is internally struggling for a moment.

"The Arrows came," she blurts out. "They shot me with a black arrow. They told me that Cupid had a match and they had turned me to help them find her. Then they left."

She looks between me and Crystal, tears in her eyes. Crystal raises an eyebrow.

"Then what?" she says.

"It started to come back to me - being hit by an arrow at the party," she says.

Crystal nods

"That's normal after being hit," she says quickly. "Then what?"

"And then I remembered the Love Shack and the Ardor. And Lila acting weird and going after Cal," says Charlie. "I didn't know for certain but I thought she might be involved. So I contacted her - and she told me everything"

She turns to look up at me and I feel a flare of anger.

She's supposed to be my friend. Why would she betray me like this?

Crystal leans menacingly close to her face.

"And did you tell the Arrows who she was?" she whispers.

Charlie pauses a moment, but then reluctantly nods.

"And, final question, where are the Arrows now?" says Crystal.

For a moment my friend says nothing. She looks like she is internally fighting with herself. A tear spills down her cheek.

Then she looks at me - her eyes watery but triumphant.

"They're on their way," she says. "They'll be here any minute."