Cal marches me outside.

The sky is now light and the storm from earlier has desisted - leaving puddles of water on the ground. The army of Venus' agents have begun to march back up Juliet Hill and their boots squelch in the mud.

Cal and I follow – his hand tightly curled around my arm.

"How could you do this?" I hiss.

My stomach is turning and I feel cold all over.

They're taking me to Venus.

Cal ignores me – his silver eyes focussed straight ahead.

I have to get away.

I glare at him angrily, and then suddenly with all the force I can muster I pull my arm away. It slips out of his hand and I feel a moment of brief elation before he grabs me again and whirls me around to face him.

"Where are you going to go Lila?" he snaps "Look around you."

I stare at him and then do as he says – taking in the masses of armed agents surrounding us. My heart sinks.

"They'd catch you in an instant" he says irritably "Would you really rather someone else take you in?"

We glare at each other.

"Yes" I snarl "I'd rather be taken in by any one of them than by you. Traitor."

For a moment I think I detect a flash of hurt cross his face but then he looks at me stonily once more.

"Believe me Lila" he says "No you wouldn't."

He pushes me ahead of him and we continue walking up the hill. As we do one of the passing agents looks at me and smirks. He looks familiar.

One of the Arrows.

The one I'd shot when we'd rescued Crystal.

I stop still in my tracks and Cal is forced to halt alongside me.

"What's he doing here?" I say through gritted teeth "he tortured Crystal"

"The Arrows have always been an extension of the Matchmaking Service" he says "if a little extreme... We're all united under her now."

He pulls at my arm again and we start walking once more. When we reach the top of the hill I halt again.

Hundreds of expensive looking cars are lined up over the entirety of the summit.

Being a cupid has its perks Cal had said to me when he trained me for the first time.

I throw another angry look at him.

How could he do this? To me? To Cupid?

Then I have another thought which gives me a brief inkling of hope.

Maybe he hasn't betrayed us.

Maybe this is all an act.

Maybe he'll just take me in a car and drive me away from all this.

Maybe...

"You're travelling with us" says the cold faced Commander, marching up beside Cal "Need to keep an eye on you both."

He gives Cal a studious look then heads over to a red Ferrari parked at the very front of the lot. A stern looking blonde girl walks beside him. She points a key at the car and two side doors slide upwards. They climb inside.

Cal marches me towards it.

"Get in" he says.

His face is hard.

The hope is gone.

I look around frantically – trying to determine if there's any way to escape.

The cupids are still making their way up the hill; the ones who have reached the top climbing into the cars surrounding us.

There's too many of them.

I bring my gaze up to meet Cal's. We stare at each other a moment, the angles on his face tensed.

"Please Lila" he says "Just get in the car."

I stare at him for another moment then sigh.

I have no choice.

I turn around and climb into the back. Cal gets in beside me.

The doors close and the female agent starts the engine.

It's then that if finally hits me.

This is it.

They're taking me to Venus. They're really taking me.

My heartbeat races as I try to swallow my panic.

What will she do to me?

Then the car accelerates, spins around, and hurtles down the other side of the hill.

***

We must have been travelling for around forty minutes when we approach the road adjacent to the Matchmaking Service. My breathing quickens and I hold onto my hand to stop it from shaking.

We're almost there.

Oh God.

No-one has spoken during the journey, and Cal sits rigidly beside me. He hasn't looked at me once.

Twisting around in my seat I take a glance out of the rear window – wondering if there is any chance of running away when we get out.

The stream of expensive cars still follows us.

I take a deep breath and try to distract myself from my increasing panic.

Glancing at Cal I internally plead with him to look at me, to help me.

He stares straight ahead. His lips tightly pressed and his jaw clenched.

Moments later the female agent presses a button on the dashboard and the pavement just ahead slides open. She manoeuvres the car straight through the opening and we drive down a ramp into a large garage space. From our location I'm guessing we're just below Cupids Matchmaking Service.

The girl parks the Ferrari in a space marked Priority Parking by a small entrance in the wall. Then she opens the car doors.

"Thank you Claire" says the Commander.

He looks over his seat at Cal and I.

"Time to meet the boss" he says before climbing out.

I feel my breathing quicken.

Oh God. We're here.

I feel sick.

"Get out" says Cal – still not looking at me.

I ignore him – attempting to calm my nerves.

They're taking me to meet an Ancient Goddess who wants to kill me.

This can't be real. It can't be.

Cal grabs his bow and quiver and climbs out of the car. Purposefully he makes his way to my side. He stands there stiffly for a moment – waiting for me to move.

I don't.

He sighs and leans across me - so close that I can feel his warmth and smell his cologne. As he does so I catch a hint of gold among the arrows in his quiver – The Finis.

He unbuckles my seatbelt and then turns to look at me.

His face is inches from mine and his silvery eyes bear into me. I can feel his breath on my face. I stare at him. There's something in his expression that I can't read and, for a moment I think he's going to say something.

But he doesn't.

I look away from him as he grabs my arm and pulls me up out of the car.

Outside the other agents are parking. The air smells like petrol and exhaust fumes.

The Commander and Claire are both watching over us.

"Come on" says Cal.

I snatch my arm out of his grip.

"I'm coming" I snarl "You don't have to man-handle me."

Cal looks up at the Commander who nods.

"She can't get away now" he says.

He looks at me.

"Things will be much worse for her if she tries."

I glare at him.

"Yes" I say drily "I get it. I'm in trouble."

A thin smile crosses the Commanders face and he shrugs.

"Very well" he says "This way please."

He gestures towards a door in the garage wall and I walk past the three of them towards it. Cal strides up beside me.

"I can't believe you've done this" I whisper as he comes into ear shot "I thought you were my friend."

He shoots me a look.

"Well I thought you weren't stupid enough to fall for Cupid and bring back Venus" he snaps back quietly.

I reel around to face him just as we're about to walk through the doorway.

"Is this what this is all about?" I say "Is this why you're doing this? Because I kissed Cupid? You know most guys just move on –go out with their friends - date someone new. Not you though – oh no – you want to hand me in to an Ancient Goddess who wants to kill me. Way to over-react Cal."

An angry expression crosses his face and he looks like he's about to retort but I don't give him chance.

"Have you ever heard the phrase get over it?" I say before spinning on my heel and walking through the door.

I feel his eyes on me for a moment before he catches me up inside. His face is like thunder.

I ignore him and look around.

We've entered a stairway that looks like it could belong to any parking lot. A number of agents bustle past us – their footsteps echoing as they make their way up the stairwell. The Commander and Claire walk in behind us and Claire pushes the button in the wall by an elevator.

Almost immediately the doors slide open and Cal drags me towards them and pushes me inside.

The mirrored walls reflect my messy hair and clothes, still slightly damp from the rain. My face is paler than usual and I note the dark smudges underneath my eyes.

I'd never given much consideration as to how I'd like to look when I met an angry Goddess to face my impending doom – but it definitely wasn't like this...

"Which floor are we headed?" asks Claire – snapping me from my thoughts.

"Her floor" says the Commander "She'll want to see the match right away."

At his words I feel myself stumble slightly. My legs are shaking. I lean against the elevator wall for support as we begin to ascend. My three captors ignore me – all staring directly ahead at the sliding doors.

Moments later they open and I'm marched out into a clinical looking waiting room. A glass coffee table sits in the centre surrounded by the same neon armchairs that sit in the reception.

"Take a seat" says Cal.

I take a deep breath and do so as Claire and the Commander speak to a red haired, slight male sat behind a reception booth.

"Venus' PA" murmurs Cal after a couple of tense minutes.

I shoot him a withering look.

"Why are you talking to me?" I snarl.

He looks away – a slight flush in his pale cheeks.

After a few moments the Commander and Claire come back.

"Charles will let you know when the boss is ready" says the Commander.

He gives a gruff nod to Cal then they both head back into the elevator, leaving us alone.

Cal shifts himself rigidly into the luminous green armchair beside me. The air feels thick and tense.

My heart is racing.

We wait in silence for what seems like forever. Then there is a beep and Charles the PA stands up from behind his white booth.

His gaze brushes over Cal then focuses on me.

"She is ready" he says "Venus will see you now."