Cupid takes a step towards me and squeezes my hand. He looks at me intensely for a moment, his eyes briefly lingering on my lips.

"It won't be easy" he continues "But an army of Myths will be the last thing Venus is expecting."

Wake up some Myths?    

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. My hands feel clammy.

It's been a really weird day...

Cupid, as though noticing my discomfort, leans forwards. He rests his head briefly on mine – his hair still wet from his time in the glass container. He feels warm despite his soaking clothes and I feel my heartbeat begin to race.

"It'll be dangerous - but I'll keep you safe." He says seriously. "I promise Lila."

Cal coughs awkwardly from behind us.

I turn my head to look at him. He looks annoyed.

"What will it take for you both to understand??" he says "Cupids cannot be matched."

Cupid raises an eyebrow.

"I think the damage is already done brother" he says.

His expression is dry, but he takes a step backwards anyway.

"See you in there lovebug" he says.

He winks at me then goes and sits inside one of the tiny, barred rooms – closing the door behind him.

I look up at Cal – his expression is still stony. 

A thought occurs to me.

"Why can't we just pull their microchips out?" I ask him "Cupid pulled yours out when you got shot in the Sim and you were alright."

Cal frowns and his eyes flash irritably.

That was when he saved me.

I wonder if that's a memory he'd rather forget.

"It doesn't work like that" he says sharply "These Sims are made specifically for containment. They have a much harsher psychological effect than the training simulations. You pull one of these out before the prisoner is ready, and their brain won't be able to cope with it. They'll die."

I frown.

"Are you coming with us?"

He shakes his head.

"I need to stay here to hack the system" he says "if I don't you could all end up trapped in your own personal hells."

My eyes widen.

"Is that likely to happen?!"

Cupid laughs from behind his door.

"So dramatic brother..." he calls out.

Cal shoots him a look then turns back towards me.

"Maybe not..." He says bitingly "But if it does I'll at least be able to monitor the situation and get you out."

There's something in his expression that makes me think he's not telling the whole truth. As his eyes linger on mine, I wonder if part of the reason is that he doesn't want to be around me and his brother.

Our gazes lock onto each other for a moment longer than is comfortable before he gestures that I go and sit in the damp looking booth between Crystal and Cupid. I look at it apprehensively for a moment.

"Go on then..." he says.

His tone of voice is hard, but there is a gentleness in his face.

I nod and make my way towards it. There is a seat caved into the dirt wall and as I sit down Cal closes the door behind me. The rotting wood touches my knees and I suddenly feel claustrophobic.

Cal looks in at my face through the barred window.

"Put the chip in your ear" he says.

I do so, feeling the alien coldness against my skin.

Cal takes a step back and looks at the three of us.

"I'm going to establish a link between the Sims" he says "So you should be able to navigate from one to the next. From what I know of the Minotaur – he will have managed to create the most complex one - I should be able to fit the others inside of it. I expect his will be..."

"A labyrinth" interjects Crystal from the booth next to mine.

Cal's gaze lingers on her booth for a moment and I notice a loneliness in his expression I hadn't noticed before. Then he nods solemnly between the bars.

"I suggest you split up and make your way through the maze – collecting the others on your way." He continues. "I'll put in an exit at the centre – that's your way out."

He looks at Cupid seriously.

"Stay away from the ferry port and..."

A troubled look crosses his face.

"You could be facing some pretty bad stuff in there...Don't die."

He turns on his heel and makes his way back up the corridor leaving the three of us sat uncomfortably in the small, damp cells. My clothes are still wet from when I freed Cupid and I shiver.

"What happens if we die in the Sim?" I whisper.

There's a pause in conversation as the loud, screeching sound of stone on stone resounds around the room. Cal must have gone back into the indoor courtyard and sealed us in. The lights in the corridor suddenly switch off and we are left in pitch darkness.

"We die" whispers Cupid in response.

I swallow my growing panic and am about to ask him how likely that is to happen when a wave of nausea overcomes me. I hear a faint buzzing noise in my ear, and the room feels like it has started to move.

"Close your eyes" says Cupid. "We're going in."

***

When I open my eyes again we're still in darkness but it feels more open; like we're outside. Cupid and Crystal are standing on either side of me.  In front of us is a high arched door with brass handles.

I glance at them as they stare seriously at it.

They both look different than they did moments before.

Crystal is wearing a clean version of her white, figure hugging agent suit. There are no signs that she was trapped in a case filled with water moments earlier.

As I look at Cupid I feel the familiar fluttering in my stomach.

He is now dressed all in black; black jeans, and a black tank top underneath a worn leather jacket. On his feet he wears heavy army boots. My eyes make their way up to his face – his jaw is tensed and his stormy eyes pierce straight ahead.

He looks both scary and dreamy; like some kind of perfect nightmare. I notice the knife in his belt and the determined expression on his face.

Whatever is on the other side of that door – he looks like he's ready for it.

He takes a step forwards and puts a hand on the brass door handle.

"I don't know what we're going to be faced with in here" he warns.

The uncharacteristic seriousness of his face unnerves me.

Crystal arches an eyebrow.

"Got to be better than what's out there" she says.

She looks at him pointedly.

I can feel a definite tension between the two and I think back to the moment when I first met Crystal behind the reception desk – there was fear in her eyes when she realised I was Cupid's Match.

She knew what it would mean. She knew Venus would return.

I feel bad for a moment; she's another person who I have dragged into this mess.

Cupid looks at her and it seems like he's about to make some kind of sarcastic remark before seemingly deciding against it. He shrugs.

"I guess you're right" he says.

He looks away from her and his eyes settle on me – a hungry look flits across them.

"Nice outfit by the way" he says.

I frown and look down at myself. 

With a jolt of embarrassment I realise I am dressed the same as Crystal - in a figure hugging white suit.

"What the...?" I mutter.

Crystal places a hand on my arm.

"Default fighting outfit" she says.

Cupid raises his eyebrows mischievously then focuses his attention on the entrance to the labyrinth. Crystal and I move forwards to stand on either side of him.

"Well...here we go" he says.

He pushes open the heavy, wooden door. It makes a loud screeching sound as it scrapes against the rocky ground.

As it widens my mouth drops open.

We're stood atop a steep staircase leading to a vast maze stretching for what seems like miles. I can't work out whether the steep, criss crossing walls are made of many different colours, or whether they are all a slate grey. At random places there are landmarks thrusting up towards the sky – in one spot I notice a group of tall, derelict looking skyscrapers, in another I can see some form of carnival lights.

It looks almost like an abandoned city – filled with dead ends and decay.

Somewhere nearby I hear the crackle of fire and I spin around to see what is behind me.

My breath catches in my throat. There is a ladder built into the wall we have just come through leading to another level above and behind us.

How will we find anything in here?

How will we get out?

Cupid takes a step forwards to the edge of the staircase and turns around to face us. He grins.

"Ah look – my brother has left us some weapons" he says.

I follow his gaze and see that propped up by the wall are three bows and quivers. Crystal scoops them up and distributes them between us – thrusting Cupid's into his arms and causing him to stumble back a few inches. He teeters on the edge of the stairs before regaining his balance.

"I'm getting a very subtle hint that you're a little mad with me" he says to her.

She scowls.

"Damn right I'm mad at you" she says "We were all doing fine without you and your mother..."

I glance between the two of them- the enormity of the task at hand dawning on me.

We'll never get out of here if these two are bickering the whole time.

"Guys" I say sharply "Can we just put all this behind us?"

Both of them look at me, surprised.

Crystal shrugs.

"Fine" she says, swinging her arrows onto her back "We should split up anyway. I'll go this way."

She heads towards the ladder in the wall and begins to climb.

"How will we find you again?" I ask "How will we know who you've found?"

She looks over her shoulder and shrugs.

"Cal will find a way" she says, before disappearing over the top and out of sight.

Cupid looks down at me and raises an eyebrow.

"Alone at last" he says.

I roll my eyes.

"Yeah...except we're not really alone are we?" I say "We're trapped in the prison of an Ancient Goddess who wants to kill us, along with a load of other prisoners, who we now have to battle through a ginormous labyrinth to set free..."

Cupid lets out a laugh – his expression momentarily surprised as though he hadn't expected to find anything funny right now.

"Yeah, I guess that just about sums up the situation" he says.

For a moment we both stare in silence into the gloom ahead.

Then I take a deep breath and walk to the edge of the steep, stone staircase.

"Come on then" I say "Let's go."

I look behind me at Cupid.

He nods and I step down onto the first step - beginning my descent into the labyrinth.