Chapter Fifteen: Catching Feelings by Rosaline Saul
It had been more than a kiss.
It was a breach, a violation of rules he had lived by for
centuries. The gods were clear. Cupid was never to partake in the love he so
carefully orchestrated for others, and, yet, he had. It was not something he
could have stopped from happening.
Not only had he kissed her.
It had been his first kiss.
For centuries, Christopher had never felt the desire to kiss
anyone. He understood love intimately, of course, knew its nuances and
complexities better than any mortal could but it had always been an abstract
thing, a force he wielded for others. To feel it himself, to crave that
connection, had always been forbidden and, perhaps, because of that, he had
never even been tempted.
Until Isabel.
As the track faded into the next, Christopher’s fingers
faltered over the mixer, a rare moment of hesitation. He forced himself to
focus, though the pit in his stomach refused to ease. The memory of Isabel’s
touch was hard to forget, and the emotions it stirred within him were unlike
anything he had ever felt before.
When his set finally ended, he slipped away from the crowd,
ignoring the adoration and high-fives from club-goers as he made his way to the
rooftop. The cool night air greeted him, a stark contrast to the heat and chaos
below. He leaned against the railing, looking out over Ibiza’s glowing skyline,
his thoughts as tangled as the stars above.
“You’ve overstepped, Cupid.” The voice was sharp and
commanding, cutting through the stillness like a blade.
Christopher turned sharply, his heart leaping to his throat.
Standing before him was a figure cloaked in shadow, their outline flickering
like the flame of a candle. He knew immediately who it was. It was one of the
messengers of Olympus, a herald of the god.
“What do you want?” His voice was steady despite the tension
coiling in his chest.
The figure stepped closer, their form solidifying into that
of a tall man with piercing eyes that seemed to see straight through him. “What
we want,” the messenger said, “is for you to remember your place. You are
Cupid, servant of love, not its participant. You were given your role for a
reason. Your existence was designed to serve others, not to indulge in the
emotions you were created to guide. Love is your craft, Cupid, not your
privilege.”
Christopher clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. “I know
my role.”
“Do you?” the messenger countered, a smirk playing on their
lips. “Because what I see is a god who has forgotten his purpose. You’ve
allowed yourself to become entangled with a mortal. That’s not just a mistake,
it’s a violation.”
Christopher’s chest tightened. He wanted to argue, to
explain that Isabel was different, that what he felt for her was not some
fleeting indulgence, but he knew it would not matter. The gods did not care
about emotions or justifications. They cared about order.
“I haven’t… done anything,” Christopher said, though the
words felt hollow even as he spoke them. “It was just one moment.”
The messenger’s eyes narrowed. “One moment is all it takes
to unravel centuries of balance. You’ve opened a door that was meant to stay
closed. If you continue down this path, the consequences will not only fall on
you but on her as well.”
At the mention of Isabel, Christopher’s composure cracked.
“Leave her out of this,” he snapped, stepping forward. “She’s done nothing
wrong.”
The messenger’s smirk widened but their expression remained cold
and distant. “That’s not how this works, Cupid. Mortals who become entangled
with the divine seldom escape unscathed. You should know that better than
anyone.”
Christopher’s heart pounded, his mind racing. He had seen it
before, the devastation the gods could wreak on mortal lives, the way their
whims could crush even the strongest spirits. The thought of Isabel being
caught in their crosshairs made his stomach churn.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked, his voice quieter
now, tinged with desperation.
The messenger tilted their head, their expression
unreadable. “You already know the answer. End it. Sever whatever this is before
it goes any further. Return to your duties, and perhaps the gods will be
merciful.”
Christopher looked away, his gaze dropping to the city
below. The lights blurred as a wave of helplessness washed over him. The
vibrant glow dimmed by the storm of emotions churning within him. Could he do
it? Could he walk away from Isabel after everything? He could still feel the
softness of her lips on his, the warmth of her breath mingling with his own,
the way her presence had quieted the chaos in his mind if only for a fleeting
moment. How could he let go of something so rare, so grounding, when it had
made him feel more alive than centuries of existence ever had?
“If you don’t,” the messenger continued, their tone
darkening, “the gods will intervene. And when they do, it will not be mercy
you’ll find.”
The air around them grew heavy. The warning was clear.
Without another word, the messenger’s form flickered and disappeared, leaving
Christopher alone under the starlit sky. He gripped the railing tightly. His
knuckles turned white as he tried to steady himself.
The gods’ threats echoed in his mind, intertwining with the
memory of Isabel’s touch, her smile, the way her eyes had softened when she
looked at him. He was caught between two worlds, and the choice, if there even
was a choice, he faced was impossible.
Christopher closed his eyes, the weight of the night
pressing down on him. For so long he had lived by the gods’ rules, fulfilling
his duty without question but now, for the first time, he found himself
wondering: Was love worth defying the heavens?
This is the end of the first draft chapters and we hope you enjoyed reading the story so far. Catching Feelings will be released on the 15th of August 2025 and will be available to download from your favourite online book store. Catching Feelings will also be availabe in paperback, hard cover, and audio book.
