“Huh. That’s sad.”
“It’s just the way things are.”
“Love isn’t guaranteed just because people bond as mates. We got lucky,” Sylred says.
My eye twitches with power, and a pile of four-leaf clovers land on our laps out of nowhere.
We stare in surprise for a beat, and then my guys just simply dust themselves off, shoving the clovers to the floor. They’re used to my weird magical bouts by now. Nothing really phases them much.
I spend the rest of the carriage ride mulling over the conversation. Now it all makes sense. Why Viessa, another genfin female, asked me to help her to love her mates. Why Ronak’s mother doesn’t seem happy. How genfin mate matches are made. It’s sad to me knowing that most of them don’t even love the genfins that they’re bonded to.
Coming up with an idea, I smile to myself.
Evert narrows his eyes at me. “What’s that for?”
“I’m just smiling. I like to smile,” I defend.
“You’re planning something.”
The other guys groan. Even Okot.
I get a lot of that. Granted, some of my ideas are not the best. Like the time I planned to surprise Sylred by carving him a new instrument. I nearly lost a finger. Not mine—Evert’s. He still has a scar.
Oh, well. This time, my idea is brilliant, and there’s almost zero chance of me cutting off anyone’s body parts. At least, I hope.
Chapter 15
“Again!”
I get a chorus of groans in response.
I frown at the cupid trainees lined up. The girl with the cell phone is sitting down in the grass, muttering about how she wants to update her status. Then insists that shooting arrows is not ladylike. The goth dudes are hanging out together smoking a pipe that I’m pretty sure they swiped from my house, and the nerdy guy with the lisp and buckteeth keeps picking his nose and eating it when he thinks no one is watching.
“Come on cupids, try again!”
I’m surprised when they suddenly jolt to do my bidding. Huh. Maybe they’re finally taking this more seriously?
Then I sense the presence behind me and see that my giant bull mate is here. Of course they listen when he’s around. Red mohawk, nose piercing, intense eyes, and freaking huge. The guy is a bit intimidating.
“My beloved, you missed lunch,” he says as I turn to face him.
“I know. I’ve just been so busy. I really need them to do well tonight.”
Okot and I watch as the cupids aim and fire their Love Arrows at the targets that Ronak installed. None of them hit their targets. Not one. The ballgown-wearing chick doesn’t even get hers to fly. It just falls at her feet, and she complains about blisters. The troll cupid keeps breaking his bow on account of his hands being so big. And thanks to the loincloth he’s wearing, it’s pretty obvious that that is pretty big, too. Every time he walks, his scrotum totem peeks out. But it’s not a nice sight. It has warts on it. Also, it’s furry. Note to self: Get this guy some freaking pants.
I face palm. “You guys really suck at this,” I call out.
“You’re a right motivational speaker, you are,” Sev jokes beside me.
“It’s not funny, Sev,” I say, lowering my voice. “None of them can shoot a damn arrow!”
He shrugs, unconcerned. “These are the flunkies. What did you expect?”
“I don’t know.”
Sev claps me on the back. “Don’t worry, boss. At least they’re fooking tryin’ now. They weren’t even doing that for their first training. I think they’ll be an alrigh’ bunch.” He turns and points in my face. “But don’t fooking tell ‘em I said that.”
I snort. “Your secret is safe with me.”