brimstone witch 08 - death of a rainbow nymph Read online

  “Cupid?” I asked. “As in a little boy with a bow and arrow?”

  Theodwin frowned. “He does have a bow and arrow in his office, but he’s not a little boy. He lives in that tree over there. I went to see him a while back about my love life. He matched me up with Metise and said she’s my soulmate. As soon as he said those words, I knew he was right. I’ve never been happier. I can’t wait to be married to Metise and have her at my side day and night.”

  Stanley asked, “What does Metise think about your match? Did she speak to Cupid too?”

  “She did.” Theodwin frowned again. “Although, I don’t think she was giving her full attention to Cupid when he spoke to her about it. She gets lost in her own thoughts sometimes and doesn’t pay attention to what’s going on.” His frown vanished. “She’s on board with our wedding plans now. I must be going. Mum has got some wedding cakes for me to sample. Bye for now.”

  He ambled away with a smile on his face.

  I turned to Luca. “Did you know about Cupid?”

  He nodded. “I’ve seen him wandering about here. I’ve never spoken to him. Why?”

  I didn’t want to tell Luca about the peculiar atmosphere I’d picked up on since entering the Enchanted Forest. I knew he’d only worry. I’d also picked up on the conflict between Metise and Mother Nature. Furthermore, there was something worrying about the way Theodwin looked at Metise; it was too intense. Perhaps Cupid could give me some more information about him.

  I didn’t voice any of my concerns to Luca. I shrugged as casually as I could and said, “I’d like to meet Cupid. I want to see how he works.” I could feel Stanley staring at me and looked down at him in my arms.

  Stanley peered into my eyes and then turned to Luca. “I’d like to meet Cupid too. Can we go now?”

  Luca laughed. “I’ve never met such a nosy pair. Come on. I’ll introduce you to Cupid.”

  Chapter 5

  Luca took us over to a large tree which had an open door at its base. A sign pinned on the door stated:

  ‘Come in! No appointment needed! Love never needs an appointment and neither do I! Cupid’

  Stanley shook his head and muttered something about feeling sick.

  Once through the door, we were confronted by steps which had been painted pink and adorned with glittering hearts. The interior of the tree was a lighter shade of pink. Various embroidered samplers lined the interior and I read them out as we ascended the winding steps:

  ‘Love is all around us.’

  ‘Love makes you stronger.’

  ‘Love will always find you.’

  ‘Your heart knows what it wants - love.’

  ‘Everyone has a soulmate. Everyone.’

  Stanley made a choking noise and I thought he was going to bring up a furball.

  “Are you alright?” I asked him.

  “No, I’m not.” He waved his paw at the quotes. “This is too much. It’s shoving love in my face. I don’t like it.”

  Luca laughed. “Aren’t you the romantic sort, Stanley? Don’t you want to find your soulmate?”

  “Nope. I’m happy as I am. I have a rewarding career and good friends.” He smiled at me. “And I’ve already got plenty of beings to love. I don’t need anyone else; feline or human. Not everyone wants to be part of a couple. I don’t.”

  Luca rested his blue eyes on me and said softly, “I’ll have to disagree with you, my friend.”

  We reached the top of the steps and came to Cupid’s office. I was expecting everything to be pink in here too, but I was wrong. It was a modern office with polished wood furniture. Metal filing cabinets lined the circular wall and I spotted a glass case which had a bow and arrow inside it. There were a few framed quotes here and there on the wall, but not many.

  “Yuk!” Stanley declared. He waved his paw at a large noticeboard at his side. It was full of images of happy couples smiling at each other.

  “Come in!” a creature behind the desk called out. “I’m Cupid. If you’re looking for love, you’ve come to the right place. Come in!”

  He was quite small and I hadn’t seen him at first. His hair and beard were white and fluffy-looking. They circled his cheery face like a cloud. He was wearing a smart, blue business suit complete with a tie. There was a heart-shaped badge pinned to his lapel.

  Luca placed my broomstick against the wall and said, “Hello, Cupid, I hope we’re not disturbing you.”

  “Not at all! I love having visitors. It’s Luca, isn’t it? I don’t think we’ve officially met.” He jumped off his seat, walked over to Luca and held his hand out. He came up to Luca’s knees. Luca leant forward and shook his hand.

  Luca said, “I’ve brought Cassia and Stanley with me. They’re —”

  Cupid interrupted, “You don’t have to tell me who they are! I’ve heard their names mentioned many times over these last months. These are your friends, I can tell. I’m excellent at picking up on feelings between creatures.” He came over to me and put his hand out. I put Stanley on the floor and then shook Cupid’s hand.

  Luca said, “Actually, Cassia and I are more than friends.”

  Cupid gave me a knowing look. “Yes, I can see that. You’re best friends and you have been for years.”

  Luca said more insistently, “Yes, we are best friends, but we’re a couple too.” To emphasise his words, he moved closer and put his arm around my shoulder. Why did he feel the need to do that?

  Cupid’s brow furrowed. “A couple? Really? Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes.” There was a tightness in Luca’s voice which I hadn’t heard before.

  Embarrassment washed over Cupid’s face and he took a step back. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to insult you.” He let out a shaky laugh. “Perhaps my intuition is a little off today. That’ll be it.”

  I gave Luca a confused look and shrugged myself free from his embrace.

  Cupid looked at Stanley and held his hand out. “Hello, little fellow. I heard what you were saying on the way up here. Aren’t you interested in finding the love of your life?”

  Stanley put his paw in Cupid’s hand and replied, “No. I’m fine as I am.”

  Cupid held onto Stanley’s paw. “I can sense how much love you’ve got to give. You’re the kind of creature who would thrive on love. You would grow in so many ways.”

  Stanley took his paw back and said curtly, “I’ve grown enough, thank you. I like my own company. Besides, I’ve got Cassia and Luca in my life.”

  “Ah, but what if they want to spend time alone? You can’t be with them all the time. I have many cats on my books who would be perfect for you. Why don’t I sort something out for you?”

  “No, thank you.” Stanley’s voice held a slight wobble and I could see how upset he was becoming.

  I picked Stanley up and said to Cupid, “We’re not here on matchmaking business, but I did want to ask you about Metise and Theodwin. How did you know they were soulmates? Could you sense it?” I glanced at the items in the glass case. “Or did you fire your arrow into them?”

  Cupid chuckled and returned to his seat. He explained, “I never use the bow and arrow. Those are for show only. Please, take a seat and I’ll explain how I work. Would you like something to drink?”

  Stanley shifted in my arms and I could sense how much he wanted to leave so I said, “No, thank you.”

  Luca took a seat in front of the desk and I sat in the chair at his side. Stanley stayed in my lap.

  Cupid began, “I’m not the only Cupid in these lands. In fact, my official title is Cupid Fifty-eight. There are many of us working in different areas. We’re always busy! Love never stops working and neither do we. Before we can take up an office and practise our craft, we have to undertake a lot of training with Val.”

  “Val?” I asked. “Like St Valentine?”

  “No, she’s just called Val. It’s short for Valerie. She’s in charge of all the Cupids. We’re trained on how to use our senses. But it’s not only that. We have cleverly design
ed questionnaires which help us with the selection process. I’ve got some in my drawer. You can fill one in if you like, Cassia?”

  Luca snapped, “She doesn’t need to! She’s got me.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. My apologies.” Cupid gave me an embarrassed smile. “Back to Theodwin and Metise. Yes, I was quite surprised to discover they were a match. I made them fill in the questionnaires more than once as I thought I’d made a mistake. Although, when I saw them together, I could see they were soulmates. I could sense the strong cord that binds them in love. They’re going to have a long and happy marriage.” He sighed happily and looked towards the images of the smiling couples on the wall. “I love my job. Are you sure you don’t want a drink? I’d love to tell you more about my success stories.”

  Stanley leapt off my knee and padded over to the steps. He declared, “Excuse me, I have to be somewhere.” He headed down the steps.

  Cupid said, “Have I upset him? Please, give him my apologies.”

  I stood up. “He’ll be fine. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.”

  Cupid gave me a searching look. “You’re worried about Metise and Theodwin, aren’t you? You don’t need to worry. They’re going to be very happy together.”

  I gave him a brief smile. “I’m sure they will be. Thank you again.”

  “You are welcome. Come back anytime.” Cupid gave us a wave.

  Luca got to his feet and said abruptly, “Cassia won’t be coming back. She doesn’t need to. She’s in a committed relationship.”

  Cupid withered under Luca’s stern look and muttered, “Yes, I can see that. Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by my comment.”

  I grabbed Luca’s arm in one hand and my broomstick in the other. I said goodbye to Cupid and then marched Luca down the steps. Stanley was waiting for us outside the tree.

  Luca looked as if he were about to say something but I held my hand up and said, “We need to talk.”

  Chapter 6

  “Right,” I began, “what do you think you’re playing at? Putting your arm around me as if you own me! Shouting at Cupid like that! What’s got into you?”

  Luca tried to interrupt.

  I wouldn’t let him and continued, “There was no need to be so rude. You scared Cupid half to death. And I don’t need you to answer questions for me. I can speak my own mind!”

  “Yes, I know,” Luca managed to get in. “If you stop shouting for a minute, I’ll try to explain.” He held his hands out. “Please.”

  I set out a sigh of irritation. “You’d better have a good explanation.”

  Luca frowned. “I don’t. That’s the problem. I don’t know what came over me inside Cupid’s office. Those possessive emotions came out of nowhere and I couldn’t control myself. I’m so sorry, and I’m so ashamed. I’ll apologise to Cupid.” Worry crossed his face and he looked around him. “I haven’t been feeling right since we entered the Forest. I’ve been in this area before and I’ve been fine. But there’s something strange in the air now. Like a power charge or something. It’s making me feel uneasy. Can you feel it too?”

  I thought back to my earlier emotions of irritation and jealousy. It wasn’t like me to feel those things. I looked at Luca’s face and could see how sorry he was.

  “I think there is something weird in the air,” I admitted. “Sorry for shouting at you.”

  Luca gave me a soft smile. “I deserved it. If I start acting like an idiot again, yell at me and bring me to my senses.”

  “I will do.” I looked down at Stanley. “How are you feeling?”

  “Annoyed,” he replied. “I didn’t like what Cupid was saying to me. I’m happy being on my own.” He gave the open door in the tree a disgusted look. “This love business is getting on my nerves. Can we go back to Brimstone town? I don’t like it here.”

  I said, “I wanted to talk to Metise about those invisible rainbows before we leave. I’d like to help her if I could. Can you see her anywhere?”

  We all looked skywards. As we did so, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. It was followed by a fainter one above it. Then another very pale one materialized on top of that.

  “She did it!” I cried out. “Metise made a triple rainbow.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Luca said.

  Stanley cried out, “I can’t see it properly from down here. Can you lift me up, please?”

  I did so and we gazed in wonder at the sky.

  Luca pointed to a nearby tree and said, “There’s an observation platform at the top of that tree. You’ll be able to get a better look at the rainbows from there. There are some steps at the back.”

  “Or I could use my broomstick,” I said. “Stanley, do you want to go up there?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Luca, what about you?”

  Luca paled. “It’s a long way up, but I’d love to go with you. Give me a moment and I’ll change into my rabbit form.”

  “Oi! You! Guardian!”

  We all looked down at the creature who had shouted at Luca so rudely. A large rabbit with red fur was standing near us with an angry look on his face. I didn’t even know rabbits could look angry, but this one did. His whiskers were twitching and his front paw was tapping the ground in an impatient manner.

  Luca said, “Hi, Gerald. What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Gerald shouted. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong! That wife of mine is driving me crazy. If she tells me once more the carrots I bring home are the wrong shape, I swear I’ll …” he stopped talking and looked away. “I won’t be held responsible for what I do to her.”

  Luca knelt next to Gerald. “I thought you and Enid were getting along well. You haven’t been married all that long, and you looked so in love at your wedding. You couldn’t stop looking at each other throughout the ceremony.”

  Gerald snapped, “The honeymoon is well and truly over! I want you to do something about her!”

  “What can I do?” Luca asked. “I can’t interfere in your marriage.”

  Gerald’s tone softened. “I want you to talk to her. Find out why she’s unhappy with me. I’ve tried to make her happy, but she seems miserable all the time. You’re a guardian. It’s your job to sort disputes out.”

  Luca nodded. “That’s true. I think the best course of action is counselling for you both. I’ll speak to Enid first, and then you. After that, I’ll speak to you both and see if we can work something out. How does that sound?”

  Gerald looked towards a small hill which had an opening at the bottom. “That sounds great. Can you do it now? Our burrow is over there. Enid’s at home now.” He looked back at Luca. “I don’t want to have a bad atmosphere between Enid and me. I can’t live like that.”

  Luca glanced over his shoulder at me. “Would you mind? I know I said I’d go to the observation platform with you, but this is important.”

  “No, you go ahead. We can meet up later.”

  Luca gave me a grateful smile before turning into his rabbit form. Gerald hopped towards his burrow and Luca followed him in.

  Stanley said, “I’ve never seen Luca doing that side of his job before. He’s very caring, isn’t he? I really like him.”

  “I do too.”

  I held my broomstick out and we got on. We headed towards the top of the tree and landed on the circular platform. It was right at the top of the tree and it swayed slightly in the breeze.

  Stanley laughed. “I can see the rainbows perfectly now. Wow! Look at the colours! They’re so bright. And look how big they are! I’ve never seen such beautiful rainbows.”

  I spotted the small figure of Metise in the sky. She looked our way, gave us a wave and then flew towards the top rainbow and slid down the front of it. Even though she was far away, we could hear her cries of joy.

  Stanley sighed. “I wish I was a rainbow nymph.”

  “Me too.”

  We stared wistfully at the rainbows for a few more minutes until they began to fade.

  I sa
id to Stanley, “I wish I could send a rainbow message to Gran to let her know how much I love her. I don’t want to fall out with her over Luca.”

  Stanley said, “Why don’t we go home now? You can talk to her in person.”

  “But I want to talk to Metise again.”

  Stanley pointed his paw at the sky. “She’s starting to paint another rainbow. I think she’s going to be busy for a while. We can come back to see her tomorrow.”

  I nodded. “Okay. I’ll send her a butterfly message to let her know. There are some Brimstone butterflies resting on that tree over there.”

  I summoned a butterfly and gave it a message to give to Metise. We watched as it fluttered over to the nymph and delivered it. Metise received the message, looked in our direction and waved.

  “Look!” Stanley said. “She’s writing a message for us in rainbow paint!”

  Metise wrote across the sky: ‘Okay! See you tomorrow!’ She added a smiley face at the end of her message.

  I said, “I hope she doesn’t get into trouble with Mother Nature for doing that.”

  We returned to the bottom of the tree to find Luca waiting for us. He was still in his rabbit form.

  He said, “I need to spend more time with Gerald and Enid. They’ve got a lot to talk about. I could be here a while.” He rubbed his left ear. “Enid has got a lot of complaints. And she’s very loud.”

  “Okay,” I said with a smile. “We’re going back to Gran’s house. We’ll catch up with you later. I hope you get things sorted out.” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking away with Stanley towards the exit tree.

  Once through the tree, we got back on my broomstick and zoomed away.

  Gran was waiting for us just inside the cellar door.

  As soon as we walked in, she said, “Cassia! I’m so sorry! I’ve been awful to you. You’re a grown woman and I’ve no right to interfere in your relationships.” She twisted her hands in agitation.