Chapter Text
It had been approximately two weeks since the last monster made its unwelcome appearance at The Salvatore School. While the absence of invasive, supernatural creatures was much appreciated, tensions were still high all throughout the school. Students were still recuperating from the nightmares that had consumed them weeks prior, unable to shake the horrific manifestations of their worst fears. It was only a matter of time until the next one appeared and, dangerous or not, no one was looking forward to it.
Unbeknownst to the bustling students, their next visitor had already arrived. A few feet above their heads, perched atop a tree branch, sat an imposing figure with a large pair of feathery wings sprouting from his back. His chiseled features, fair skin, and lustrous, curly hair resembled that of a Classical-era Roman statue. In his left hand he gripped a bow; in his right, a freshly sharpened arrow. Scanning the students in the field below him, he set his sights on a target. Her cheery demeanor and sanguine smile disguised her as a happy person; however, her aura said otherwise. She was the perfect victim.
Pull, align, and release.
Seconds later, Josie Saltzman collapsed mid-stride. Shouts immediately erupted as students swarmed around the girl, curious and concerned about the sudden arrow that had struck her from behind. Moments before losing consciousness, Josie vaguely remembered hearing her father’s voice, demanding the students to disperse.
Josie woke up in a familiar room. She had been in her dad’s office too many times to not immediately recognize her surroundings. However, the question still remained of how she had arrived there in the first place. The last thing she remembered was walking to class, and then she awoke in her father’s office. Sitting up from the bench she was resting on, Josie scanned the room in search for answers. To her surprise, there was another student in the office as well. Sitting on her father’s desk and playing with a pen was none other than Hope Mikaelson. The young tribrid seemed bored, clicking the pen in a disinterested and listless manner. Her other hand rested on the desk, nails tapping impatiently against the glossy wood.
“How long have I be—,” Josie started before getting interrupted mid-sentence by a sudden sensation that struck her from within.
Hope had looked up from her mindless fidgeting to meet Josie’s eyes. The second their eyes met, Josie felt a pang in her heart. It wasn’t painful; however, it was strange and certainly unexpected. She had only felt something similar a handful of times, many months ago. Hope raised her eyebrows in slight amusement before lowering herself from the desk and walking towards Josie. With each step, Josie felt her heartbeat quicken until it was almost pounding out of her chest. She would be shocked if Hope could not hear it, being that they were now mere inches from each other. She watched warily as Hope raised her hand and gingerly placed it on Josie’s forehead.
“You’re burning up. Do you want me to get your dad?” Hope asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in concern.
Putting aside what she was currently feeling, Josie gathered herself together enough to respond. “What exactly happened to me? The last thing I remember was walking to class... how’d I get here?”
Hope dropped her hand and smiled sympathetically. “You were struck with an arrow and then passed out. Your dad brought you back here, but your wound had already healed itself. He’s with Dorian right now trying to figure it out, and he assigned me to watch over you.”
Josie brought her hand up and gently brushed it over her back. She vaguely remembered feeling a stinging sensation on her lower back, but the area in question now remained completely smooth. Furthermore, she felt completely fine and well rested. The only thing troubling her was the relentless sensation in her heart that was intensifying by the minute. There was something brewing deep within her, something carnal, that she was finding more and more difficult to suppress. Sensing her anxiety, Hope sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder in an act of reassurance. This time, Josie could not help the physical reaction that ensued. Her body jolted up, startling both her and her confused classmate.
“I have to go,” Josie blurted. The slight waver in her voice betrayed the sense of confidence she was trying to display.
Before Hope could respond, she was already making a break for the door. She could feel the other girl’s curious and questioning eyes trail her as she quickly fled, but there was no time to provide an explanation. Exiting the room, Josie felt her whole body tingle as the warmth in her shoulder spread to the rest of her body. Whatever was going on, she had to find her father immediately.
Unbeknownst to her, there was more than one pair of eyes following her movements.
Fortunately for her, Hope had given her useful information concerning her father’s whereabouts. By the time she arrived at Dorian’s office, her body had calmed down considerably. It was almost as if the short, silent walk had eradicated the physical sensations entirely. Mentally, however, Josie could not seem to organize her thoughts. Whenever she tried to focus, her mind would wander back to a certain redhead. The way her full lips looked at they parted slightly, the softness of her hand against her forehead, the genuine concern in her eyes... those same piercing eyes that had greeted her when she woke up...
Wait. What was she thinking?
Nerves were one thing, lust was another. Josie and Hope were just beginning to get along. The day they had spent together picking up garbage had kickstarted their friendship, and their bond had only strengthened since. She had come to the realization that the two of them had many things in common. Their family backgrounds were equally tragic in their own way, and they both had troubling dynamics with the people in their lives. She had spent so long avoiding Hope for Lizzie’s sake that she had missed out on a genuine friendship. She couldn’t ruin what they had with these foolish thoughts. Perhaps the impact from falling on the pavement had given her a concussion. Shaking her head to clear it, Josie knocked on the door to Dorian’s office twice before opening it. She wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting, but the sight that greeted her was far from it.
Strapped to a chair by circles of rope was a muscular man with snowy white wings that rose to the ceiling. Even slouching, his presence towered above everybody else in the room. The mysterious man appeared to be completely nude, though it seemed Dorian or Alaric had haphazardly strewn a towel over him in an attempt to make him more decent. Nevertheless, he seemed completely fine with the lack of clothing. A bed of thick curls framed his ovular face and slightly obscured the sky blue eyes hidden underneath. His skin was smooth and spotless, and Josie wondered if his body contained a single blemish. The menacing sneer that spread across his perfectly defined facial features when he met Josie’s gaze confirmed that he was confident, perhaps even cocky. Josie averted her stare, only then noticing a lyre propped up on the table. Next to it lay a bow and a quiver of arrows.
“Dad... what’s going on here?” Josie finally spoke up.
Alaric spun around. “Josie, what are you doing here? You should be resting.” His tone was stern, but his kind eyes revealed that he was relieved to see his daughter was well again.
Brushing off her father’s concerns, Josie took a cautious step forward. “Who is this?”
Alaric hesitated, before remembering the promise he had made of involving his daughters more. “We believe he may be Cupid, the next monster and probably the one that shot you,” Alaric said, motioning towards the statuesque man. “We found him under a tree outside. It didn’t even seem like he wanted to escape. Other than that, we don’t know much.”
The Cupid waited for Alaric to finish before rolling his eyes and huffing indignantly, “For the last time, my name is Eros,” he exclaimed, “... and I’m no monster. I am the great and powerful son of Aphrodite!“ His voice was booming, while his chest heaved with the force of his words.
“Apparently, you were the only person that the Cupid could shoot before we detained him,” Dorian stated.
Cupid.
Josie had been shot by Cupid. Since the monsters started coming, Josie had made it a habit to study books on all sorts of supernatural beings. According to her studies, Cupid was known for mischievously pairing together humans, making them fall in love. His weapon of choice was a bow and arrow, with the arrow being the magical component. An individual who was even slightly grazed by the arrowhead would fall victim to Cupid’s powers. Being the son of Aphrodite, he was strong but still not as strong as his mother. He had spent most of his time fulfilling his mother’s small demands and then meddling in the lives of unsuspecting mortals. After accidentally scraping himself with an arrow, he fell in love with a mortal himself. This despicable act alienated him from his mother and transformed his reputation from a slightly respectable young man into an unforgivable and foolish child. Books had even illustrated him as a baby to reflect his immaturity and foolishness. Josie was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed Dorian’s question.
“Tell me... did you see anybody before you got here?” Dorian asked warily.
“Hope,” she blurted out quickly. Perhaps she had answered a beat too fast. It wasn’t her fault that the word was all that was running through her mind. Hope, Hope, Hope. It repeated in her mind like a metronome. Hope, with her alluring eyes and luscious, auburn waves of— She was brought out of her thoughts again by the boisterous laughter coming from the man seated in front of her.
“Smitten already, are we?” the Cupid chuckled. His eyes gleamed with mischief, the corner of his mouth curling up. Josie chose to ignore him.
“Are you feeling anything strange?” Alaric inquired.
Yes, very much so. But Josie couldn’t tell her father that. If there was a new creature here, that meant it wanted the urn. Josie didn’t want her father’s concern for her to get intertwined with his mission of protecting the urn.
“No, of course not. I don’t feel anything.” Perhaps that was a bit overkill. “I mean, I’m fine. Completely fine,” she corrected herself. Luckily for her, Alaric was oblivious enough to believe her.
“Okay... but tell me if anything feels off with you. I’m going to try to figure out more about why he’s here,” Alaric said, albeit with some reservations.
Josie nodded her head and turned to exit the office. Considering the day she was having, she deemed it necessary to retire to her room and do a bit more research on what she was going through.
Josie awoke the next morning with an irritable crick in her neck. Sitting up straight, she realized she had fallen asleep at her desk in the midst of researching the new monster. One of the books, which she had used as a pillow, stared back at her tauntingly; the inky black print was beginning to look more like meaningless scribbles than text. The sunlight streaming through her windowsills and the sound of the incessant morning birds chirping confirmed that she had greatly overslept and likely already missed a few of her classes. Her homework lay abandoned at the corner of her desk while stacks of books on supernatural entities filled the rest. While Josie wasn’t normally so proudly reckless, she didn’t regret her decisions, as she had learned a plethora of information before involuntarily falling asleep. For starters, the sensation she was feeling was, in fact, romantic love. She had to take a step back at that realization when she first read it. After all, how could one suddenly love another in a matter of seconds? The second thing she learned was that, after getting shot, the first person one sees after gaining consciousness is the person they fall in love with. This explained the weird feelings she had begun to develop towards Hope, and her sudden infatuation over every minute detail surrounding her. Surprisingly, this fact was more comforting than anything. It confirmed that Josie was not being delusional, and her condition was actually being brought on by an external force. However, she still wasn’t satisfied. The towering stack of books on her desk demonstrated how incomplete she still felt with her research. The one answer she needed the most was the one she couldn’t find. None of the books had even danced around the mention of a cure; it was as if it had been completely wiped from history. That could only mean one thing: Josie had to go to the source itself. Begrudgingly, she got up and prepared herself for the confrontation that would occur later.
Of course, secrets never truly remained secrets at a school like Salvatore. Josie had heard through the grapevine that there was a new monster being stowed away in the cellar. Fortunately for her, that was the extent of the students’ knowledge. No one knew what it had done to Josie or what powers it possessed. After all, how could they when all the potential research sources were currently sitting on Josie’s desk? Making her way towards the cellar, Josie made sure nobody was around before she began her descent.
It was hard to miss him, considering his wings were practically glowing. Josie cautiously approached the cell. There, in all his glory, was an unrestrained Cupid playing the lyre. His dexterous fingers glided over the instrument, yet his eyes remained closed, as if the motions were second-nature. The sweet melodies drifted throughout the cellar, creating such a peaceful ambience that Josie almost forgot her mission.
“Hello Josie,” the Cupid spoke, the music coming to a halt.
Josie’s head shot up, immediately meeting his eyes, which had fluttered open. They were a striking turquoise this time, and she found herself cowering at the confidence conveyed in his expression and stance. “How did you know I was here?”
The Cupid chuckled at the question. “I’m a god, dear.” He began to make his way over to the entrance of the cell. “Now... did you come here just to admire me or did you have something to ask?”
Josie scoffed at the comment. First he had cursed her, and now he was flirting with her? This creature sure was bold. However, she couldn’t let herself get sidetracked by distractions. “What did you do to me? And how do I stop it?” she demanded.
“Straight to the point I see,” the Cupid smirked. “Did you not appreciate my little gift?”
Josie clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to set fire to his pristine wings, “Answer the question.”
The Cupid wrapped a hand around one of the cell bars, the milky white skin contrasting against the rusting metal. “Oh, I think you know what I did to you,” he gave her a once-over, “as for stopping it, you can’t.”
Josie’s heart dropped.
“But I can.” The Cupid slowly traced a finger along one of the bars blocking the entrance of the cell. “As long as you get me that urn.”
Of course.
There was only one thing these monsters wanted. Josie had nearly forgotten who she was dealing with. They were just beginning to decipher the mysteries behind the urn; she couldn’t allow it to end up in the wrong hands. The guilt of putting her school in danger was worse than any curse the Cupid could inflict upon her.
“You are never leaving this cell,” she responded, enunciating each word, before turning around and storming back upstairs.
While she hadn’t gotten the cure she wanted, she had obtained something just as valuable. The quiver outside of the Cupid’s cell remained unattended, and one arrow looked noticeably different from the rest. While the rest of the arrows ended with a sharp arrowhead, this one had a rounded tip. It couldn’t have been a mere coincidence that this single arrow was dull while the rest were sharp. While the Cupid wasn’t looking, Josie had pulled the arrow out of the quiver and slipped it underneath her shirt.
It was around the end of the school day when Josie left the cellar. As a result, students were walking from their classes as she exited. This presented a problem because, to get back to her room, Josie would have to pass Hope’s room. This, of course, was not a good idea, as she was actively avoiding the girl. Seeing her would only ignite the emotions that she was trying so hard to push back. It was almost as if being close to her turned off the logic switch in Josie’s brain. She didn’t know what she would do if she were around her, and preferred not to find out. Thus, she made the decision to go in the opposite direction of the students. Her legs dragged her onwards, far from the other students’ path. Before she knew it, a door marked “ROOF” halted her determined march. It seemed as if, whenever Josie was under the slightest bit of stress, she would always retire to her trusty spot on the roof. It was always secluded, and the silence allowed her to think. She turned the handle and stepped out, immediately being met with a cool breeze that somehow calmed her down. It was a temperate day; the cloudless sky, like a crystal, was diaphanous and glimmering through the sunlight. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment to bask in the sun’s warm rays, letting the peace and stillness envelop her...
“Well, well, well... what do we have here.”
Josie’s eyes shot open, recognizing the voice instantaneously. She could not catch a break, or so it would appear. “What are you doing here Penelope?”
The girl in question was sitting on the ledge of the roof, her back facing the horizon. If she leaned slightly back, she would have fallen right off. Considering how much the girl loved danger, Josie thought it was safe to assume her positioning was intentional.
“I could ask you the same thing. After all, at least I went to class today,” Penelope teased, “So, what is Josie Saltzman doing playing hooky?” Her teasing tone now contained a hint of curiosity.
Josie chose to ignore the fact that Penelope had noticed her absence. “I... wasn’t feeling well.” It wasn’t technically a lie; she had barely gotten any sleep last night and the day’s events hadn’t left her feeling particularly cheerful. Her mind and body were in constant conflict, and she was finding it difficult to maintain her sanity.
“You look more than fine to me,” Penelope responded, cocking her head and shamelessly looking Josie up and down.
Josie coughed twice, well aware of how fake it sounded. “You might want to stay back, it might be contagious,” she retorted sarcastically.
Penelope scoffed, “As if that would stop me.” She opened her mouth as if to say something, hesitated, then asked in a softer voice, “How are you feeling?”
Josie was startled by the question. She didn’t know what she was feeling. She realized that it was a strong possibility that Penelope was referencing the moment that occurred between them weeks ago, after Josie had been rescued from her early burial in the cemetery. However, she hadn’t had much time to think about what happened that night either. After all, shortly after, her and Lizzie were on a plane far from the school. And when she returned, she was instantly being sucked into the drama of a mythical being out for her demise. The pressure of being the Cupid’s experiment was getting under her skin, and she was getting somewhat frustrated searching for a cure on her own. To make matters worse, enlisting the expertise of Hope, the only person who might be able to help her, was out of the question. So, no, she did not have a cohesive answer to that question.
Penelope must have taken her silence as a bad sign because she quickly backpedaled, “I meant, with your injury and all. I heard about what happened.”
Right.
Josie had forgotten that the whole school had witnessed her mysteriously collapsing in the middle of the courtyard. “I’m fine, actually,” Josie responded. She gave a small smile of reassurance.
Penelope didn’t seem convinced. Still, she didn’t ask any more questions after that. Josie made her way over and sat next to her on the ledge of the roof, where they remained in silence, just appreciating each others’ presence. Every few minutes, Penelope would sneak a quick glance to Josie when she thought she wouldn’t notice.
Meanwhile, on the other side of school, Lizzie was wondering where her sister had wandered off to all day when she heard a rapid knocking. She quickly bounded over to the door, swinging it open.
“Finally, where have you be— wait a second,” the blonde curled her nose in disgust. “What do you want?”
Standing on the other side of the doorway was none other than Hope Mikaelson, the bane of her existence. The shorter girl rolled her eyes and craned her neck, attempting to search the room over Lizzie’s shoulder. “Is Josie here?”
“Oh, so you’re trying to steal my sister too?” Lizzie huffed, making a move to close the door.
“No, wait,” Hope said, stopping the door with her foot. She sounded more urgent this time. “Josie was acting weird yesterday after she got shot. I think she’s hiding something,” she said in a low voice.
This seemed to catch Lizzie’s attention. As strong as her disdain was for her father’s mentoree, her concern for her sister was stronger. Now that she thought about it, Josie hadn’t gone to sleep the night before. She had spent nearly the entire night studying some obscure, ancient books. When Lizzie asked about it, she had quickly brushed off her twin and made up an excuse. Lizzie turned around and was relieved to find that the books happened to still be on her desk. Without a word, she walked over to Josie’s desk and picked up the first book she saw.
“Cupid,” she said, holding the book up to show Hope. She then opened the front cover to reveal a sketch of a broad-shouldered, robust man hovering in the air, feathery wings flowing behind him. His left hand was gripping a bow, while his right was stretched back, ready to release the taut string that held back a sharpened arrow. Below the image read the short epigraph:
“Cupid: God of Love.”