Cupid and Cal rush to either side of me. I feel the tension radiating from their bodies as we gape, with horror, at the scene below. My eyes don't move from Valentine. He has moved his gaze from mine, now, and purposefully leads his ten, undead cupids, toward the doors of the glass building.

"Damnit," hisses Cal. "What is he doing here?! Do you think he's here for..."

He gives me a sideways look then holds Cupid's gaze.

"Me," I whisper.

Cupid's hands curl into fists at his sides as he looks down.

"I'm going to kill him," he says through gritted teeth.

My pulse races. I think of the feel of his shocking blue eyes on me, the strength of his hand around my neck back in the gym.

I need your heart for what I'm to do.

The faint sound of smashing glass, followed by a piercing alarm, breaks me out of the traumatic memory. He's here. I need to pull myself together.

"They're in..." says Cupid. He grabs my arm and looks down at me. His eyes are blazing with a mixture of anger and worry. "Lila..." his voice sounds choked.

For a moment the doubt, and distance between us seems to dissolve – there's just passion, and need, and urgency crackling in the air between our bodies.

"Arm yourselves," says Morta. We spin around. She strides toward her desk – combat boots stomping against the white linoleum - and unlocks a cupboard. From it she pulls out her silver shears. "Cassie will be defending the reception. She will hold them down there as long as she can. But she can't fight alone. Not when the shears are the only things that will kill them. We need to get down there. There are weapons through..."

"...the third door to the left," says Cupid – relaying what Cassie told us earlier.

He pulls me hurriedly forward. Cal is already half-way across the room.

"Your sisters?" says Cupid as Morta follows us out into the clinical corridor.

She shakes her head while Cal disappears through the door leading to the weapons.

"Not in. It's just us."

Cal strides out moments later with three bows and quivers full of arrows. He throws them our way and Cupid and I swipe them from the air. I hurl mine over my body, feeling the reassuring cool strength of the black bow with slightly trembling fingers.

Is Valentine here for me?

I think of how he threw Cupid across the gym as though he weighed nothing. Cupid still wears the pink bruise around his eye from where he was beaten. Even with Morta on side, can we really stop him?!

How can you stop someone who cannot be killed?

As I think it though, I wonder if that's true. Can he really not be killed? A thought lingers at the corner of my mind – fuzzy and unfocused. Someone has said something that makes me think otherwise, but the pounding of my heart is causing too much noise in my mind. I can't focus.

We race toward the elevator. Morta pushes the button. Cal looks at me then Cupid as the doors slide open.

"We need to get Lila out of here," he says.

Something seems to pass between the two of them. Cupid nods, his jaw clenched.

"Can I trust you, brother?" says Cupid.

"I won't let anything happen to her."

My pulse races. Adrenaline is surging through my body and it's making me feel brave, strong, angry.

"I want to fight, too," I say as we pile into the elevator.

Morta pushes the button for the ground floor.

Cupid shakes his head.

"It's too dangerous. We don't know why he's here, but it's likely he has come for you. Why else would he be here? Cal will get you to the car."

He pulls out his car keys and tosses them toward the air. Cal grabs them and stuffs them in his jeans pocket. Then the two stand on either side of me, pull out an arrow, place it in their bows, and watch the doors of the elevator. Morta stands in front of me, her shears raised.

The elevator stops.

My pulse races. Blood runs fast and cold through my veins.

The sound of groans and things breaking permeates through the metal doors.

This is it.

Valentine is out there.

The doors slide open.

Cupid and Cal immediately release their arrows, sending them flying into the reception. Both hit their targets, sending two disheveled looking cupids flying across the white tiles and into the far wall. As they slump down it they look dead, but I know they won't be for long.

My eyes dart around the space – gore, groans, and death. We're outnumbered. Even with the two zombies down, there are eight on their feet – clothes bloody and tattered, eyes dark and vacant – each armed with bows and cupid arrows.

And Valentine. Valentine is here somewhere.

An original cupid who cannot be killed.

But again, the thought lingers – the feeling that maybe he can be killed. What did I hear?

At my sides Cupid and Cal pluck out more arrows from their quivers. The action jerks me back into the moment.

I take a deep breath to steady my nerves, and it makes me gag. Death is ripe in the air. Black, putrid blood runs across the white linoleum from where Cassie repeatedly whacks the head of one of our fallen attackers. Her black braid swishes through the air as she dodges as a rain of arrows that fly toward her.

She raises her weapon again – it blurs through the air hitting anything in her path.

Morta charges out to join her – plunging her shears into the stomach of a decomposing, bloated female and watches as she crumbles into dust and bones. Cupid draws another arrow and steps out into the reception – his muscles tensed with anger.

"We need to go," says Cal – grabbing my arm. He doesn't look at me. His silvery eyes are focused straight ahead.

I follow his gaze.

Valentine is stood behind his wall of charging zombies, watching the scene unfold with a smirk on his full lips.

My stomach plummets at the sight of him – tall, broad shouldered – an elaborate bow across his chest. He winks at me again. Then he catches Cupid's eye before his gaze slides onto Cal – who tenses beside me.

"How lovely," says Valentine as another of the undead crumbles beneath Morta's shears. "A family re-union."

Before Cal can say anything, Cupid releases an Ardor. It flies through the air, expertly swerving in the air past one of the undead, and sinks through Valentine's black top and into his chest. He stumbles back, wincing, a grunt escaping his lips. But then he pulls it out and laughs as it crumbles to ash beneath his fingers.

He clicks his fingers and two of his people raise their bows and shoot Ardor arrows our way. Cupid charges forward, grabs a putrid looking male, and throws him in the path of one, while Cal and I leap to the side of the elevator – where the second arrow thunks into the mirror at the back before turning into ash.

Adrenaline rages through my body.

"GET LILA OUT OF HERE," roars Cupid.

He charges forward, throwing bodies out of his path, before leaping at Valentine and bringing him to the ground. Cal tightens his hand around my wrist and begins to pull me to the door. I can't focus though. Not when I hear Cupid grunt with pain as Valentine throws him onto his back – bashing his head against the tiles.

"Didn't you learn from last time, brother?" I hear Valentine say – his gruff voice laced with amusement. "You can't beat me."

"Are you sure about that?" grunts Cupid – suddenly grabbing Valentine's fist, sitting upright, and headbutting him in the face. "I haven't seen you for almost a century, brother. Why was that again? Was it because I put you in a crypt where you belong?"

Cal jerks me forward, out of the wildly thrashing arms of a rabid looking male – his jaw slack, and blood staining the front of his top.

"Come on, Lila!" he shouts at me – his eyes hard. "Morta is the only one who can kill these things. We need to get out!"

We race toward the entrance of the office block, broken glass crunching beneath our feet.

There's another groaning sound and I throw a look over my shoulder. I see Cupid being dragged to his feet by Valentine before being hurled into the vending machine I got my hot drink from earlier. At the others side of the room I hear Cassie cry out as she's dragged to the floor by three cupids before Morta sinks her shears into each of them.

Cupid's groan hits my ears again as he is thrown to his knees by Valentine.

He's stronger than Cupid. He cannot be killed.

Again, as I think it, again my mind tries to remember something. But before it comes to me Cal pulls me to the exit. I can feel the cool, morning air on my face. It's fresh, welcome against the scent of gore and death from the reception.

But I stop, pull back. Hesitate.

"We can't leave Cupid," I say quietly.

"We have to," says Cal. "Come on!"

He pulls at me, but the hesitation gives three of the zombie cupids time to reach us.

Cal punches one square in the jaw – sending it reeling to the side – as I pull a black arrow from my quiver and jam it into the stomach of the second. It falls to its knees just as the two across the reception that Cupid and Cal shot moments earlier get distortedly back to their feet and turn their hollow gazes toward us.

The third grabs me as the first clamors over the body and tackles Cal to the ground.

"CAL!"

I can hear Valentine chuckling over the sound of blood pounding in my ears. I kick at the grey skinned guy that has me within his clammy grip. And then throw myself to the floor as Ardor arrows from two cupids across the room fly through the office toward me. I pant, on my knees on the ground, my heartbeat raging in my chest – as they narrowly miss me.

A shadow swallows me.

I look up.

Morta stands in my path. She sinks her shears into the nearest zombie followed by the one Cal has hit with a black arrow. She turns back to face the room – then she charges at the remaining four, shears raised.

Cal holds out his hand and I take it. He pulls me up to my feet – out bodies momentarily close as we face each other. I can hear Cupid and Valentine across the room. I tense.

"Let me get you out of here, Lila," he says – his eyes blazing. "Please. Valentine is after you. And he can't be killed."

I glance over my shoulder.

Cupid's face is dripping with blood, but he's on his feet, circling Valentine. Cassie is crouched behind the reception desk – tending to a wound in her arm. And Morta fights the remaining four zombie cupids as they flash their arrows and swipe their fists at her.

Valentine can't be killed.

But can he?

There is something still lurking at the edge of my consciousness. A thought. An idea. I can't focus on it.

Cal pulls me toward the smashed window, ready to step out into the street outside.

Valentine can't be killed.

"Wait!" I stop. "Cal – Morta's shears!"

It comes back to me. What Morta said in the office. The thought that's been edging into my consciousness.

What had she said?

Yes. My shears can cut anyone's thread.

Cal looks at me in confusion.

"Morta said her shears can kill anyone. She just said that, up in her office – right?"

Cal nods.

"If they can kill anyone....could they kill an original cupid?"

Cal's silvery eyes widen as they focus on mine.

"Could they kill Valentine?"

His gaze flicks over my head. A pensive look flickers across his angular features. The corner of his lip quirks briefly upwards before his mouth hardens into a line of resolve.

He nods.

"Perhaps."

He plants his hands firmly onto my shoulders.

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

He races past me, drawing two arrows in a row and sending them flying into the remaining two cupids Morta is fighting. They fall to the floor and she finishes them off as he reaches her.

I see him say something to her.

She nods.

Her eyes dart to Cupid and Valentine. Cupid blocks her view of him as he swipes his fists at Valentine's face. She raises her shear holding arm, ready to throw.

"Cupid!" roars Cal. "The shears. Use the shears."

Cupid turns just as Morta hurls the sharp blade across the reception. Cupid swipes it from the air, then hurls it forward again as Valentine advances. Before Valentine can comprehend what is happening, there's a flash of silver as the sharp end plunges into his chest.

His jaw drops, his eyes widen with shock.

"Brother...?" his gruff voice sounding almost pitiful.

He falls to his knees.

Cupid stops in his tracks, his arms dropping to his sides. Cal and Morta watch on behind him.

A groan escapes Valentine's lips.

His face whitens.

He reaches out with one hand.

"Brother...?" he cries out again.

"Goodbye, brother," he says.

Valentine looks like he is about to topple onto his back.

I release the breath I was holding.

We did it.

It's over.

But then a grin spreads wide his face. And as it widens a booming laugh escapes from his lips.

He pulls out the shears, now covered with blood, and slowly gets to his feet.

He shifts, stretches, groans as he straightens his body.

In front of him Cupid's stills. His eyes darken. Morta's face contorts into one of realization and fury. She starts to move forward as Cal looks on with horror.

"I was so hoping that someone would think to do that," says Valentine.

"This isn't possible..." Cal's voice cuts across the space.

Valentine wags his finger at Cupid, Cal, and Morta – who is quickening her pace.

"Did you really think I'd come here with my life thread attached to my body?!" he chuckles – then raises the silver shears. "Thanks for these though. Just what I came for! Looks like you just lost the only weapon that could have killed me. Unlucky!"

Morta picks up her speed, races toward him. He grins at her. Waves.

Then, before she can reach him he clears the reception in a matter of seconds – his speed impossibly fast. Cupid spins around to follow him.

"Stop him," Morta bellows.

Cassie leaps over the reception desk, and Cupid and Cal send arrows flying as Valentine stops inches from me. A couple plunge into his back but have no effect on him whatsoever.

Valentine's body heat washes over me, his shocking blue eyes burn into mine.

My heart seems to stop.

"GET AWAY FROM HER! " roars Cupid, charging forward and grabbing another arrow.

My breath catches in my throat. I reach for an Ardor arrow in my quiver, knowing it will not save me, and try to plunge it into his chest. He grabs my wrist before I can and chuckles again.

His grip is strong, firm – his fingers hot as fire against my skin.

My pulse races. I look defiantly up at him.

The grin widens on his face.

"So violent," he says.

He winks.

"I'll be seeing you, Lila."

Then he releases his grip on me. I stumble back as Cupid flies to my side and grabs me. I catch his horrified gaze, then I turn to look out into the street.

Valentine is already gone.

Author note: Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Just wanted to drop a quick note to express my excitement that today Valentine's Day hit half a million reads!!!!! Eeeeeekkk!!! Thank you so much for supporting this story! <3 <3 <3