Chapter 5

RUBIN

“Heather, Dew,”

“Here, miss.”

“Hearthrowe, Isabelle,”

“Here, miss.” I rolled my eyes as I hear my cousin’s voice

that resembles a poisoned honey. Ugh.

I let go of the door silently, cringing as it creeks, while

I hasten, proceeding up the middle row. “Hearthrowe, Rubin,” Professor Bow look

up from her list and saw me halfway through the room. She reckoned me to a seat

next to my cousin Belle and repeat my name, “Hearthrowe, Rubin?”

“He-Here,” I cleared my throat and huffed, “Here, miss.”

Professor Bow gave me a kind smile, mentioning the students on her list and

finishing it with Zeal, Rose.

“Good morning my dear students!" I glance at Professor

Bow as she flew up the platform, her bright yellow wings trailing behind her along

with her long white robe, resembling a wedding trail. "Today, we are going

to have the Sagittis : focusing on the art of making arrows. Everyone, please

bring out your sets." My fellow students shuffled on their seats as they

took their twigs out along with some feathers and scrap iron.

I took out the stuffs that I gathered from the fields,

fishing them out of my satchel. I arranged the plucked feathers from the dawn

aerie, the branch from the cedar tree and the bronze scrap. I sigh; This

is the lesson I've been wanting to test

all my life and I couldn’t believe I am right here.

It doesn’t matter if I will be selected or not, what matters

is that I will take this.

My fingertips burned. I knew that I am getting too excited.

I glance up at our professor and smiled as Professor Bow acknowledge my choice

of twig, "Cedar...excellent." I smiled at her direction and watch our

professor walk up to the front and began writing down the instructions for the

test.

" 'Cedar...Excellent' " My cousin, Belle imitated

before she snatch the twig on my table, her long blond hair divided in two

plaits with flowers sprinkled on them. "Oak is better than Cedar, freak.

My father told me so. Don't you dare feel special just because they favored

you. You are not the next cupid, I will be the one selected and you should

remember that. They just treat you like

this because they pity you. You are just an accessory; made to be worn on

occasions but once they get tired of you, Gran Aphrodite will be proud of me

and father will rejoice at last." I bit a retort back, not wanting to

spike another argument that will lead to my Uncle George and Uncle Cedric

fighting.

Isabelle, or Belle as they call her, was the only daughter

of my Uncle Cedric, since his Destin, Aunt Lois, had died of an accident. Ever

since then, my Uncle Cedric always have his daughter with him, spoiling her and

succumbing to her every plea while encouraging her unto bullying me.

I swallowed as Belle pointed the Oak branch to my face,

inching it closer to my green eyes, "That alone should have made you doubt

if you truly belong here. What kind of cherub have a green eyes and bushy

ginger hair? You're a monster!"

"Isabelle!"

Professor Bow snatched the Oak twig that Belle was pointing

at me. She snapped it in a half before saying, " I will not tolerate any

misbehavior in this class, whether or not you are the granddaughter of the

queen. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Both of us answered.

My voice is still quivering with the anger I am bottling up

within me. I watch as Professor Bow continue her inspection of the twigs

brought by her students. "Freak," Belle whispered on my ear before

she took her seat next to me.

I look down at my own twig and began following the

instructions given by my professor. I took out my knife and with a deep breath,

I started shaping the wood. Conjuring the iron to mold itself into a pointy

one, I attached it at the thin part, the feathers following as I plate it on

the end of the wood making them serve as the fletching. I was the first to

finish and my heart swelled with pride.

I wish my parents can see me now.

Making my way to the front, I bowed my head, give my arrow

to the Professor and walk off.

The anger inside me is still boiling. If my parents were

here, I wouldn't have to endure my stupid cousin nor would I have to listen to

my uncles' petty quarrels about which of the both of them had the best kid. I

bite my lip, sitting down at the edge of the clouds overlooking the city of

Paris. The barrier under me flow like some kind of a water, not too solid,

resembling a haze that reflects my image.

“Why do I have to be so different?" I glance back at my

reflection, glaring at the color of my eyes. "Why do I have to look like

this? So peculiar, So un-Cupid!" I stomp my feet down on the haze and

cried, "Why did you both leave me? I need you now mom, dad, now more than

ever…”

I close my eyes, letting myself collapse on the warm wet

clouds. The clouds flutter under my skin, as though it was a bird, which made

me force a bitter smile. The bright pockets of sun shone down on me–it was

mesmerizing to be high up on the clouds and gaze down on the city below.

I have to remind myself, time and time again that it was

just a work of magic. I won’t be able to go

down there even if I stomp or knock on the barrier. It doesn’t work that

way, I have to be selected to be allowed down there.

Not long after, I saw a cherubim flying towards me. He

stopped and bowed, and as he straighten, I bit back a laugh. The cherubim bears

the appearance of a boy with an old man’s face, hair as white as the cloud like

his little wings, beard so long that it trails on the floor, a strong scent of tobacco emanating from his

mouth as he said, “Greetings,” the cherubim bowed his head and focus his pale iris

at me, “ What is your purpose here, Oleboi?” I snapped at him, not bothering to

be nice at him. I can still remember my ninth birthday when this particular

cherubim crashed on my party, reeking of wine.

“I was sent to deliver a message from the queen. She wants

your presence back in the halls.” He said before muttering, “Ungrateful lass,

staring at me with that green freaky eyes and what a bushy red hair–”

“Is that all you have to say?”

Oleboi straightened as if a surge of energy ran at him

before he nodded, awkwardly. “Y-Yes, my mistress,” I wave a hand at him and

watch as he fly back to the castle.

Grandma wants me back, for what reason? I do not know.

Still aching for the parents that have departed me, I trudge

up the stairs and ignored the mocking yells of my fellow Erosians. They are

waving their twigs at me, screaming "Monster" or "Freak".

I push open the doors and entered, bowing on the sight of my

grandma Aphrodite, the Queen–her golden hair plated on top of her head to hold

her crown, her face serene as she focuses her eyes at me. Grandma acknowledge

me with a nod and instructed me to take a seat next to her on the ruined

columns. Uncertain of what my grandma would say, I waited, biting my lips and

wringing my hands as I sat beside her.

Grandma smiled at me before she brandish an arrow from her

peach colored robes.

"Do you know what is the meaning of this, Fran?" I

tried to control myself and not roll my eyes as she mention her special

nickname for me. My grandma prefers to

call me by my first name since she was the one who gave it to me, she doesn’t

know how I quite hated being called that. Distracted, I just stared at

the arrow, slightly weirded out since the cedar wood is now slowly turning

gold. "Francesca, do you know what is this?" My grandma inquired once

again, pointing at the golden streak on the arrow core. I just stared, not

knowing what to say.

Did I do something wrong with my arrow?

Geez, I think I am going to be kicked out of here for real

this time. I failed the test. I’m such an idiot and a freak. I look up to my grandma

and shrug, shaking my head ‘no’. Grandma Aphrodite sigh, looking a bit

disappointed of me.

"This means that you are the Cupid, Francesca. You

could finally go down to earth and do your duty as the chosen."

My heart swelled as I hear her words. I felt like I am

flying but my thoughts from awhile ago punctured the feeling and I could feel

my eyes beginning to tear up, "But

I wasn't worthy of this grandmother. I am a freak. I am a monster!" I was

shocked to hear my voice rise but I can't hold it in anymore. I stand up and

started pacing in front of my grandmother as I tried to keep my emotions at

bay. “There have been a mistake. I am sure of it. I just took the test because

I want to make my father proud. It seems that, it is a wrong choice...I shouldn’t

have–”

"Listen here, young lady.” I was surprise when my

Grandma pulled my arm and yank me down on a seat. “ I know you have the most

peculiar appearance in all of Eros but this doesn't mean that you are different

to us." Grandma Aphrodite reckon me closer, letting me lie on her lap like

I do so many times before when I was younger. She started threading her fingers

on my ginger hair and smiled. "We are all the same and now you are the

privileged one to be chosen as the next cupid."

I glance up at my grandmother before I sigh. "What

about Isabelle? This will make her hate you once you sent me down to earth. You

know how she loathed me! She will do anything in her power to--"

"To what?"

"To follow me down there."

"She won't. She knows what will happen to her if she

did."

"But she is a mark of a true cupid–she was supposed to

be the one, not me. I shouldn’t have gone for the test for I am anything but

special. I regretted joining it." My heart painfully throb inside my chest

as I tried to be not affected by my own words. Grandma Aphrodite just sat

there, watching me like she wasn't even bothered of my opinions. How can she

stay so calm and collected when I am bursting with this anger I have bottled up

inside of me?

Finally, Grandma stood and wave her hands making the

arrow from awhile ago vanished. She smiled at me, "Go and rest. Tomorrow

will be your twenty first birthday–incidentally, it will be the day you will go

down to earth to do your mission as the next Cupid."

I nodded my head, smiling sadly at my grandmother. I was

about to close the door when I felt Grandma Aphrodite's hands enclosing

around me, "Never doubt yourself, child. You are more than what you think

you are..." and with a kiss on my forehead, I blink only to find my grandma

gone.

Walking down the stairs I whispered, "I wish I won't

disappoint you all..."

*