I jolt back down behind the upturned bench, pressing my back against the hard mahogany.

I feel faint. My heart is racing and my skin cold.

To save Cal, I have to kill Cupid.

I can hardly breathe.

"Come on little match" says Venus "We haven't got all day."

There's a silence. I don't move.

"Very well" she chimes "We'll start with the Ardor."

There is a pause and a whooshing sound before the air is filled with Cal's contorted screams. My heart tightens.

I can't let them torture Cal.

But I can't shoot Cupid either.

My mind feels dizzy, unfocused. Cal's shrieks cut through any train of thought and make my stomach turn.

I peer over the top of the bench again. Venus still stands there, her hands extended; offering the golden arrow to me.

I can shoot Venus though.

I'm the only person in the room that can.

I take a deep breath then resolutely I stand up.

"That's right little match" says Venus "Come to me."

I begin to walk towards the stage. Apart from Cal's grunts, the courtroom is silent. I can feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Lila" says Cupid as I pass. "Don't do anything stupid."

Our eyes lock onto each other. His expression is defeated. He gives me a half nod.

"Do what you have to do." He says.

I'm not going to kill him. I won't.

I'll kill her.

"That's close enough" barks Venus as I pass Cal.

I turn towards him. He is writhing in pain, his wrists bleeding where the cables have been tightly bound around them.

"Cal" I whisper.

He looks up at me, his silvery eyes weary and unfocused. A drop of blood congeals at the corner of his mouth.

I want to reach out and help him.

I've never felt so powerless.

"Lila" he whimpers back "I..."

Suddenly another red tipped arrow plunges into his stomach. He screams and I jolt my gaze forwards.

The Commander is stood beside Venus, a quiver full of red tipped arrows slung over his shoulder. Venus nods at him and he takes another and shoots it into Cal's thigh.

Cal cries out, his body convulsing.

"Stop it!" I shriek "Stop it! Leave him alone."

Venus' eyes snap onto me and she smiles.

"You can stop it" she says "Shoot Cupid."

She turns to a tall, female agent stood beside her. Her face is bloody from the battle, and she has a scowl on her face.

"Carla, Take the Finis to our naughty little match, and give her your bow" beams Venus. "Guards - bring Cupid onto the stage."

As Carla walks forward with the golden arrow I watch as five agents surround Cupid.

His eyes flash dangerously.

He throws one of them onto the floor, and punches another across the jaw; grabbing an arrow from her quiver and impaling the next agent with it.

The remaining two conscious agents take a tentative step backwards. Cupid raises his arms in surrender.

"Don't touch me" he snarls. "I'm coming on my own."

He walks past them and stands a few metres away from me.

I take the bow and arrow from the bloody faced girl, my hands shaking. The Finis is cool between my fingers.

"And before you get any ideas" says Venus "I am quicker and more powerful than you could ever imagine."

She looks at me coldly, her doll like eyes unblinking.

"If you shoot the Finis at me, I will catch it, and then I will kill you. But first I will kill your family, I will kill your friends," her voice is suddenly laced with venom "and as for your two lover boys, I will have them tortured until they forget who they are."

Her lips twist into a contorted smile and a mixture of rage and fear washes over me.

I think back to how fast she was when we were brought into her office.

She's right. I'll never manage it.

"Kill him little match" she says "And I'll let you, and Cal, and your family, go free."

I look at Cupid. He stands firmly just across the stage – his clothing ripped from where the agents grabbed at him in the dungeons.

He holds my gaze. His ocean eyes are calm.

Behind me I hear another whoosh of an arrow and Cal's elevated shrieks. I flinch.

Cupid nods.

"It's OK Lila" he says "Do what you have to do."

My eyes begin to water. I shake my head.

"I can't" I say, the bow and arrow trembling in my hands.

He takes a step closer.

"I've lived a long life." he says "You have to do it. You have to save my brother. You have to save yourself."

I feel a tear slip down my cheek and rub it away, not wanting to give Venus and all of the other spectating cupids the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I shake my head again.

Behind me Cal's screaming doesn't stop as more Ardors are plunged into his flesh.

"You can stop this" Cupid says, taking another step closer "Look at my brother. Look at him."

Hesitantly I turn to Cal. His face is red with screaming. Blood runs from his mouth.

My heart clenches.

I force myself to look away, back at Cupid.

"You can stop this" he says "She'll kill you if you don't."

He shakes his head, his eyes filled with urgency.

"And I can't live with that."

I stare at him.

"I don't want you to die." I say – my voice quivering.

"I'm so glad I met you" he says.

He smiles at me and takes another step forwards. We're about a metre apart.

"That's quite close enough" chimes Venus.

Cupid stops in his tracks and I find my eyes washing over him, drinking in every part of him. I want to reach out. I want him to hold me and tell me everything will be OK.

But it won't be OK.

I feel my throat tightening, my eyes watering.

He nods again.

"It's OK Lila" he says "I'm ready. After all these years of being alone, after all these years of thinking love was futile. I finally met you."

He smiles.

"I finally found my match."

His eyes shine, and I see the raw emotion in his face.

Behind me I hear Cal wheezing, coughing up blood.

"Don't...do...it..." he cries out through rasping breaths. "Don't...kill...my...brother..."

I look at Cupid, and raise the bow.

He nods reassuringly, his eyes unmoving from mine.

My arm shakes. Tears spill down my cheeks.

Cal is struck again, I hear his cries echo around the chambers.

"Do it" urges Cupid.

I take a deep breath.

I steady my grip on the bow.

I lock my gaze with Cupid's.

And his eyes widen with panic; he can see what I'm about to do. He shakes his head but it's too late.

With a sudden movement I turn my bow towards Venus.

I release the golden arrow.

"NO" shrieks Cupid.

I see it in slow motion.

Cupid hurls himself into the path of the Finis.

His eyes, still locked onto mine, widen with surprise. He opens his mouth as though he wants to say something.

And the final arrow sinks into his heart.

There's a deafening thumping sound as his body hits the ground.

I scream and the bow clatters out of my hands.

"He's dead!" booms Venus, clapping her hands together with glee "She did it! She really did it! She killed Cupid! CUPID IS DEAD!"

***

The courtroom is suddenly filled with noise but I can't hear any of it.

I fall forwards towards his body, crumpling down onto my knees beside him.

I throw my head onto his unmoving chest.

"Cupid?" I sob "Cupid? You can't be dead...You can't be...I didn't mean to...I..."

Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder. I hardly register it.

Crystal grabs me and pulls me around to look at her. I push her away and she slaps me across the face.

I look up startled.

Venus is laughing. Two agents are making their way towards us. Behind us the battle between the Myths and the army has restarted.

I turn away from Crystal and grab hold of Cupid's hand.

Whatever she wants it doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore.

Cupid is dead.

His skin is still warm.

"He's gone." I whimper "I killed him. I killed him. I..."

Crystal stares at me, her blue eyes shining brightly.

"He's not dead" she whispers.

"I killed him...I..."

I jolt my gaze to her face. Cal is still shrieking with gut wrenching grief behind me.

"What...?" I say.

She looks at me.

"He's alive. We haven't much time" she whispers urgently "I lied before. Back at Cupid's flat. I didn't bring the replica of the Finis to the Matchmaking Service – I brought the real thing. I knew Venus would find out – she's too smart."

So Cal had the replica.

Which means...

I look down at Cupid's body. His hand twitches in mine.

He's not dead.

"Stay dead Cupid" snarls Crystal through gritted teeth.

"Aye aye captain" he croaks – his eyes still closed.

He squeezes my hand, and for a brief moment I see a small half smile on his face before it is expressionless once more.

Relief floods me, and I feel tears of joy spilling down my cheeks.

"Cupid" I cry out.

I look at Crystal, then at the dead body of the executioner just metres away. I catch a glint of gold in his quiver.

"That means the real Finis is..."

She nods, holding my gaze steadily with hers.

"You're the only one who can do it" she says "You're the only one who can kill her."

Behind her the two agents approach. She looks at me once more, then jumps to her feet; spinning around and punching one of them in the jaw. I gasp as something from above plucks the other from the ground and drops him onto the battle scene behind us.

My eyes dart upwards. Icarus' black wings are extended as she hovers by the domed ceiling above. She meets my gaze, nods, then swoops back into battle.

I glance around.

Venus is no longer surrounded by agents; they are fighting. She catches my eye and grins.

With a slow movement, she gets down from the stand, and makes her way towards me.

My eyes dart towards the dead body of the executioner.

Can I make it in time?

I scramble towards it, my heart racing in my chest.

"You killed my son" says Venus – her voice quiet and childlike. "You thought it would save you...but it won't."

I reach the cold body as she looms closer.

I can see it.

I can see the Finis.

She advances towards me – larger than a human, her movements quick and disjointed.

I reach towards the quiver.

Her overwhelming sickly scent washes over me and makes me gag.

"You must be punished little match." She says.

She stands over me.

Then her hand bears down onto my throat. I grab the whole container full of arrows and feel my feet wrenched from the ground.

Behind me Cal cries out.

She holds me by my neck.

Dots begin to form in front of my eyes. I can't breathe.

I scramble with my free hand against her slippery skin.

"Let her go" screams Cal "You promised you'd let her go. Let her go."

Venus' lips convulse into a cruel smile. She laughs.

Darkness begins to creep over me.

This can't be it. This can't be the last thing I ever see.

I push my hand into the quiver I'm clutching onto. I pluck out an arrow, praying it's the right one.

I struggle to stay conscious as I feel my final breath escape from my lungs.

Then, with the last ounce of strength I have left, I plunge it into her heart.

Then darkness.