CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
❝︎Cupid Problem❞︎

HARPER HAD SINGLE HANDEDLY TAKEN ALYSSA AND DRAGGED HER INTO THE CELLS. Hope had offered to help but when Harper's eyes glowed yellow, Hope decided it was best not to mess with Harper when she was angry. Hope wasn't scared of a lot of things, but Harper being angry was one of those things that she was definitely scared of. Harper was never angry, she was a very happy person for the most part, but this was a side of her Hope had only seen a few times and she would be happy to never see it again. Harper had roughly thrown the girl into the cell and Hope kept a hand on her shoulder to keep the girl from ripping Alyssa apart. The cell was locked and Alyssa was currently sitting on the floor with her back facing the two girls.

Harper had kept her distance, knowing that she needed to calm down if she wanted to get answers. She took deep breaths and when she was calm enough she joined Hope's side once more, her arms still angrily crossed over her chest. Hope was getting fed up with Alyssa's antics. She needed to get the Saltzman's back, if not for her sake then definitely for Harper's.

Hope had one hand on her hip and the other on the bar of the cell. "Enough with the illusion spells, Alyssa. Tell me where the ascendant is." Alyssa said nothing and Hope sighed. "Why isn't my truth spell working?"

"Hmm, I guess that anti-charm potion I took is working." Alyssa said and even though Harper couldn't see her face, she knew she was holding a smirk. She turned to look at the two girls.

"It is." Hope agreed. "Too bad―︎you could use a little charm." Alyssa did a back bend. "Enough with the games, Alyssa. Help me bring the Saltzman's back."

"Why, so you can be the hero and save the day?" Alyssa scoffed. She stood up from the backbend. "This isn't about you, Hope. Though, if I knew how annoying you'd be, I would have sent you away too. And I would have sent Harper away if I knew how much of a bitch she'd be."

Harper chuckled humorlessly, kissing her teeth. "How about this? You tell me where the real ascendant is, and I won't pluck your eyelash extensions out one by one."

"Sorry but, I don't negotiate with basic witches. So, I'm never going to tell you where the ascendant is. Namaste."

"Basic―︎" Harper let out a laugh, looking at Hope. "She's insane."

"Come on." Hope sighed. The two walked out from the cell and Harper was fuming. Hope looked at her. "Maybe we should go take a walk. So you can let off some of that steam that I can feel rolling off your body."

Harper nodded. "A walk sounds nice."

Hope smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder as they made it to the woods. As they got deeper into the woods, Hope stopped. She held up a hand and Harper looked at her. Hope put a finger to her ear, telling her to listen. Harper did so and sighed when she heard Landon and then a bow string being pulled. The two girls quickly ran and as the arrow flew, Hope caught it. She looked at the perpetrator with raised eyes. He had bow and arrows as his weapon and white wings on his back. Hope nodded towards the man. "Who the hell are you?"

He let out a laugh. "Really?"

"And why are you dressed like someone from ancient Greece?" Harper hummed, looking him up and down.

"I think I know how to release some of your anger." Hope said, turning to look at Harper.

They brought the man back to the school and Harper chopped off his wings. She wiped the blood from the scissors, glancing at the man unimpressed. Harper wasn't usually a violent person, but her anger was bubbling up inside of her and it was either cut off this guys wings or accidentally kill someone, and if you asked Harper, she'd rather not do that again.

"You monsters." The man groaned. "You have no idea how long it took me to grow those."

"Well, next time it'll be something that won't grow back, unless you tell us why you're here." Hope commented. They were standing in the gym, the man in the middle of the room with Harper, Hope, and Landon standing on the other side. "Do you serve Malivore? Or someone else?"

"I serve the highest power of all―︎love."

Harper scrunched her nose up and Hope just looked at him not phased. "Where were you trying to take my boyfriend?"

The man rose his eyebrows. "That guy's your boyfriend?" He stifled a laugh. "Uh, I wasn't trying to take him anywhere. He started it."

"Hey―︎no." Landon interrupted. "He. . . he was flying around, shooting people. . ."

Hope turned to him and nodded her head whilst the man scoffed. "Yeah, with love arrows―︎they're harmless. Check the quiver―︎every arrow in there only helps people express the love they already feel inside. Most people say thank you."

Hope held up a hand, stopping him, and turning to Landon. "Why didn't you come get me?"

"Oh, I-I-I knew you were busy with Alyssa. I was just trying to help."

The man laughed. "A hero the likes of which I haven't seen since Hercules."

"Would you just stay out of it, please?" Landon asked.

"Love to, thanks." He went to walk away and slammed into a barrier.

"You're not going anywhere." Hope told him. "That's a barrier spell. Think of it like a force field."

"Your girlfriend's kind of impressive." The man complimented.

Hope turned back to Landon. "You're lucky that I found you when I did. Wade said that you were outside, trying to fly."

"Yeah. It seemed more reasonable than it sounds coming out of your mouth."

"Look, I know that you wanted to help. But if you keep trying to be the hero, one day I'm gonna have to choose between saving you and stopping something terrible from happening. And I don't wanna think about what that day looks like." Hope sighed before pulling one of the quivers from Landon's hand. It had a yellow ending. "What does this say?"

"Uh, puppy love. Well, that's the modern translation. In Greek, it's more like―︎"

"Don't care." Hope cut him off. She pulled one with a red ending. "What about this one?"

"I call it the Narcissus."

Hope looked at Landon. "Still want to help?"

Landon nodded. "Absolutely."

"Okay, think you can handle the Cupid problem?"

"Hey, hey." Cupid spoke. "What Cupid problem?"

"Exactly." Hope said. "Just watch him till I get back, okay?" Landon nodded and Hope turned towards the man. "And if you want to prove that you mean us no harm―︎what's the strongest one of those you've got, to melt the coldest, bitchiest heart?" He answered her and Hope looked over at Harper who smirked before grabbing the arrow and making her way back down to Alyssa's cell with Hope following her.

Hope unlocked the cell and Alyssa came down from her handstand that she was doing. She looked at them. "Don't tell me you've had a change of heart."

Harper shook her head and smiled. "No, but you're about to." With that, Harper roughly stabbed the arrow into Alyssa's leg. She pulled the arrow out and looked at Alyssa expectantly but Alyssa started laughing.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Alyssa asked. The two girls nodded. "I have a crush."

Hope raised an eyebrow. "On who?"

Harper exchanged a look with Hope and with the new information the two girls left, locking the cell and going in search for Kaleb's sister, Kym. When they found her standing with MG, Hope quickly grabbed her attention. "Kym, hi. Just the girl I was looking for. I need your help with some research on our new monster―︎Cupid?"

"Oh, my god. Cupid?" Kym said excitedly. "Also known as Eros, depending on if you prefer the Roman or Greek Mythology. You know what? I'll compile both. Uh, rain check, MG?"

"Um. . ." MG stuttered. "Okay." Kym ran off and MG turned to look at Hope. "What the hell was that, Hope? I had a whole date set up."

"Date? That's-that's perfect. Okay, I need your help."

MG frowned. "With Cupid?"

Harper sighed. "Worse."

Harper felt bad for setting MG up with Alyssa, but this was possibly the only way that they could figure out where she was hiding the ascendant. Harper glanced towards Hope when she suddenly pressed a hand to her ear. "Stop messing with your ear, I'm getting feedback." Hope could hear everything that was happening. She filled in Harper, but so far it was nothing Harper cared to hear about.

"I can't help it, this enchantment itches like crazy."

"The faster that you can seduce Alyssa into telling you where the ascendant is, the faster you can get out of there. That's why I'm here to help." They were currently in Alyssa's room, going through all of her things. Hope placed her hands on her hips, looking at bulletin board filled with photos of French bulldogs. "Looks like she's really into French Bulldogs―︎now talk about that."

"How am I supposed to just bring that up, Hope?"

MG made a comment and Hope hissed. "Not like that!"

"Okay, you know what, maybe I'm good without the backup. You're messing up my game."

"No, as long as you don't mess up the game of saving the Saltzman's lives. Hello? MG?" Hope sighed and looked at Harper. "Damnit."

"Maybe we should go check on Landon and Cupid. MG has this." Harper said optimistically. Hope looked at her before sighing and nodding her head. The two made their way towards the gym and came to a stop when they found a hole in the ceiling with no Landon or Cupid in sight. "Maybe. . . maybe they just went to take a walk." Hope looked at her and Harper sighed. "Let's go save Landon's ass, once again."

It wasn't hard to find them, and when they did they came in contact with a terrifying Cupid. Blood was dripping down his chin from the heart he just ate. His teeth were razor sharp and his eyes glowed lavender. He looked evil and Harper was simply not having. Not only did they find Landon, they found Kaleb, Pedro, and a stumbling Wade as well.

"Uh-oh. Fun's over."

"Uh, we were, I was just―︎"

"Trying to help?" Hope asked, cutting Landon off.

Kaleb stepped forwards. "look, Cupid's arrows are his weakness, so we were trying to. . ."

Harper didn't let him finish as she held out her hand. "Exsurgo." She made all of the arrows fly at once. The group all looked at her, surprised.

"Not fair." Cupid grumbled.

"I have too much shit to deal with, and I need to let my anger out." Harper growled. She sent him a smile and sent all of the arrows flying towards him. They all embedded into his skin and he fell to the ground.

"Okay." Kaleb nodded. He swallowed, looking at Harper with wide eyes. "Anyone ever tell you you're scary when you're angry?"

"Only a few times." Harper answered, looking away from the fallen man to look at Kaleb. She sent him a small smile.

Hope looked at Landon and started to walk out. "Hope." Landon called for her. "Hope, wait."

"We will talk about this later." Hope snapped. "Harper." Harper gave the group a small salute before following after Hope.

They made it back to the school, finding MG in Hope and Alyssa's room where MG was kneeling on the ground, picking up the pieces of the now broken ascendant. Harper ran forwards. "What happened?"

"Hope, Harper, I-I-I tried to stick to the plan, but once you were gone. . ."

Harper picked up the pieces, Hope kneeling down beside her. "This is why I do everything myself." Hope sighed.

"Except it wasn't you making out with her." MG said, kneeling down in front of them. "And it wasn't you manipulating her. But it doesn't matter. Alyssa, she―︎she went insane. She's not just in love with me, it's like she was obsessed."

"That's the arrow that Cupid gave me to give to her. Obsession."

"Like boiling-bunnies, burn-your-house-down obsession?" MG asked. "That's not romance, Hope. That's a whole different movie genre."

"I just―︎I grabbed the strongest one I could find."

"Then I guess we both messed up."

"Well, I was the one that stabbed her with it." Harper whispered. "So, essentially, it's my fault."

"Harp, no." Hope shook her head.

"I told Alyssa I was into Kym." MG breathed out.

Harper looked at him. "What?" Harper shook her head. "MG, go. Hope and I will take care of this." Without hesitation MG left. Harper sighed. "I just wanted to get Josie back."

Hope looked at her and shook her head. "We'll get her back, Harper. Even if it's the last thing we do." Harper nodded. Suddenly, Hope looked up. She stood up and Harper looked at her before slowly following her lead. Suddenly, and arrow went flying into both Harper and Hope. Outside the open window Cupid was flying, staring at them with a wicked smile on his face.

"I thought I killed you." Harper muttered, grunting in pain with the arrow piercing her skin.

He looked at her. "No, you thought you killed Cupid. But I am his taller, hotter, cooler, older brother Pothos." Harper grunted and in sync both she and Hope pulled out the arrows. "Can't imagine that Love Burning arrow feels too good, does it? It burns you from the inside out until your whole body is reduced to ash. Save for your juicy, delicious heart."

Pothos grew closer to Hope, growling. Landon ran in. "Hey! Eat me instead."

Pothos stood up, laughing. "A weak loser heart or a badass witch heart tenderized by one of my arrows? I'm good, thanks."

Landon held up one of his arrows. "How about now?" He stabbed himself with the arrow and Hope tried to get to him but she couldn't. Harper was lying there in immense pain. Her eyes were blood red and the sudden feeling that she was about to die came over her. She didn't have her lover to come save her. . . she was completely alone in this.

Landon threw the arrow to the side and it disappeared. "Epic love arrow," said Pothos. "You brought out the big guns."

"That's right. Well, you've never eaten a heart as full of love as mine is for her."

"Is that why you were unloading all your relationship problems on me?"

"That stuff I said doesn't matter. The love that Hope and I have for each other is more than I ever dreamed of finding in a lifetime. More than I even thought was possible. the only problem with our relationship is that I have no idea why she picked a guy like me in the first place."

Pothos stalked towards him. "That's just my arrow talking."

"Is it?" Landon led him out of the room and it Hope followed after them, crawling her way into the hall and letting out a yell when Pothos put his hand into Landon's chest, ready to rip out his heart and then he did, Landon falling on the ground dead.

Pothos turned to look at Hope. "Don't worry. You're next." He bit into the heart before suddenly he started choking, falling to his knees. "Your boyfriend's smarter than he looks." And then he fell to the ground, dead.

Harper let out a soft gasp as she felt herself turn to normal. She sat up, turning her head and stood up, walking over to Hope. She pulled her from the ground and they made their way over to Landon's dead body. The two girls picked it up and made their way to Hope's room, setting his body in the bathtub and waiting for him to just wake up. Harper left Hope alone, knowing she'd want a moment with him when he came back.

Harper made her way back to her room. She held the broken pieces of the ascendant in her hands and she cried. She cried as hard as she could. This was their one chance to get them back, and now they had nothing. Harper missed Josie. She just wanted to hold her in her arms again, and now there was a possibility of her never having that chance.