5.

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..."

*