“So many,” Abbi said.
A couple dozen middle-aged people, some white, some darker skinned, strode into the place. Bikers, from the jeans, leather chaps, and matching riding jackets.
A gang?
A club, I corrected myself. Most bikers were in a club, and this one must have been riding Route 66 judging from the animated conversations and laughter. The group split, some sifting down the aisles to the soda selections, others threading over to the mementos and Route 66 souvenirs, and the rest wandering up to the counter to order food.
“Oh,” Abbi said.
Oh, indeed. At the end of the crowd was a man.
Well, not a man. A god. Cupid, who liked to go by the name Bo, fit right in with the bikers. Just like the others, he wore boots, black denim, black leather chaps, and a black leather jacket. Unlike the others, a pastel pink heart pierced by a silver arrow was stitched into his jacket, right over where his heart might be, and on each shoulder, white wings.
He was bald, bearded, ears studded with glinting jewels, arms and hands tattooed, and he was coming our way.
Lu’s hand wrapped around my wrist, tense. She was worried and must know that something had happened to me.
“Fine,” I said, my voice a little rough. I cleared my throat. “I’m fine. I’ll tell you later.”
We were both standing, but Abbi and Hado remained sitting. Hado hadn’t even turned to look at the god, and I wondered if he could see through Abbi’s eyes, since he was her shadow.
“Lula and Brogan,” Cupid said. “Good to see you here. May I join you?”
My breathing was still a little too fast. Some of that was the last tatters of the near panic attack. Some of that was Eunice’s words.
The god, this god was going to betray us.
The god, this god was going to kill me.
And it would break Lula’s heart beyond mending.
Cupid stilled, his sharp eyes holding my gaze. “I don’t know the future,” he said, easy, like calming an animal. “But I won’t betray you.”
“What?” Lula said. “What are you talking about?”
“Eunice,” I said.
He nodded. “She knows the future. But there are many futures. In none of them do I go back on my word. In none of them.”
A tremor worked its way through my body. A god’s word, his intent, was a powerful thing.
But Eunice had not been lying to me. I knew that too.
Somewhere between these two powerful beings was the truth—well, many truths—but one of them would be ours.
“Let’s sit,” Cupid said, and the table was now a little larger, just enough for another chair to be available at the end.
“Why are you here?” Lu asked.
“I’ll tell you,” he said mildly, “but we might as well have a soda while we talk.” He took the new chair, and a server showed up with a tray with five sodas.
“Thank you,” Cupid said.
The server placed the drinks on the table and left.
I tugged on Lu’s hand, drawing her down into her seat as I took the other open chair where Eunice had been moments before.
“You’re Cupid.” Abbi peeked out from behind Hado, keeping the bulk of his body between her and the god.
