Page 26 of Touch

“You were preoccupied, and Anger obeyed the rules for the sake of our people,” Wonder reasons. “The Court convened with The Stars, agreed to have you match the human, then commanded Anger to round up our crew and speak with you, though I’m sure he would have done that anyway. But before he came to us, Anger also witnessed the mortal skirmish you participated in. He saw you and the man at the bridge, then watched you traverse through the village together.”

“What else did he witness? We weren’t outside the whole time.”

“Oh yes, Anger mentioned that. He kept vigil outside the building you two disappeared into.”

Love resents him having been there at all, and that the archers know anything about last night. But at least he hadn’t followed her and Andrew into the building. Those hours had been private. They’ve become… sacred to her.

What must the archers think of Love keeping company with a human instead of rushing to The Court and warning them? She cannot fully condemn her peers for doubting her.

“Anger saw you whisperNoto yourself in response to The Court’s request,” Wonder shares. “They expect reports from him, but he’s vowed to keep your verbal blunder to himself, so retract your claws. Anger means well.”

“What was he doing, inserting himself into my business to begin with?” Love interrogates.

The goddess hedges. “What you do reflects on the rest of our crew. I suppose Anger wanted to make sure your time went smoothly.”

“Except I’ve been matchmaking for nearly two millennia. How much supervision do I still need?”

“If there’s another reason, take that up with him.”

That’s the last thing Love plans to do. Instead, she acknowledges, “It was a risk telling me what you found.”

“It was.”

“Then you have my gratitude.” She tries to express additional thanks, but the words turn into, “I have no interest in that man.”

“You want him more than you covet my fashionable pants. That counts for something. Flattering coat, by the way.”

Love is grateful the female cannot see into Love’s pockets, where Andrew’s note rests. “I won’t endanger our world to be with him.”

“For mercy’s sake,” Wonder sighs. “I wouldn’t tell you this if I thought your success would endanger our people. According to the scroll, your union with the man would alterthings. You would lose your memory of deities and your life as a goddess—let me finish,” she says when Love is about to revolt. “It wouldn’t be instantaneous, but it would happen over time. Bonded with you, the man would forget as well. Neither of you would know any better, yet your love would remain. And immortals wouldn’t be threatened anymore. But whatever you choose, be cautious. You don’t want to make treachery obvious, particularly if Anger turns up again. There’s only so much he can keep from The Court to protect you. Don’t put him in that position.”

Love repudiates that with a wave. “It won’t be necessary.”

This infatuation with a human she just met is irrelevant. Besides, Andrew would need to fall for her, Love would have to feel the same, and all of this would need to happen without them touching. Moreover, she would have to desire such a future.

In Wonder’s quaint mind, that’s possible. But although she may be familiar with Love’s curiosity about human touch, that doesn’t mean Love is willing to sacrifice this life for a mere sampling of human affection. The bliss would pale in comparison to its price. Her memory and powers erased, the loss of immortality and her archery, facing the unknown with its illness and death and imperfections and unpredictability. It’s unthinkable.

So what if Love is biased toward Andrew? She doesn’t favor him as much as she enjoys living forever. Nor as much as she values the lives of her people and adores The Dark Fates, with its blooming slopes and noble cliffs. It’s a beautiful dimension. And it’s home. There, at least she knows where she belongs.

Lastly, she will never relinquish her bow. Matchmaking is her purpose.

Andrew is a distraction, but he’s not meant for her. If Love doesn’t accomplish this mission, The Court will destroy him.

And she will be tortured as punishment, which is the least of what they can do. Any other goddess would be sentenced to execution or banishment. They won’t go that far, because she’s too important to The Dark Fates. But they will show her pain, perhaps in the form of prolonged torture over the course of a century.

Or they’ll make her watch Andrew’s death. Likely, it will be both.

Love remembers her invisible palm blending with his, and how he didn’t recoil.

I loathe his fingers.

She checks the sky, its gauzy clouds split by occasional threads of blue.

I despise his coat.

The day is only beginning.

I hate him.

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