The troll puts his booger-laden arrow back in his quiver. I gag a little.
“Erm…right…” the elder looks more and more doubtful. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea…”
“No,” I rush to explain. “They can totally do this. I promise.” I think. Maybe.
He regards me dubiously. “If you’re sure…”
Nope. Not at all. “Yep. I’m positive,” I smile.
Elder Mortel sighs. “Alright. The ceremony is starting, so whenever you’re ready.”
I nod, and he walks away, leaving us alone again. I notice all the hundreds of genfins that have come to watch are now finding their seats, dusk is quickly turning to a beautiful starry night, and the coveys to be mated are taking their places on the dais.
“Alright. Show time,” I tell my cupids. “This is your only chance to impress me and pass training. Please don’t screw this up. You all know who your marks are, and you’ve already paired up. Work together. Remember, being a cupid takes finesse. You can’t just go slapping people with Flirt Touches and tossing out Love. Timing is everything. Let them warm up to each other first with plenty of desire, but don’t make it so they’re getting hardies on stage for all of their families to see. Hone in on your inner cupid. You got this.”
“In other words, don’t fook this up, ya miserable shites,” Sev puts in. He’s helpful like that.
I hear Elder Mortel begin speaking on the dais, announcing the covey names and declaring the mate matches.
“Sev? You’ll
watch them in the Veil while they work?”
“Aye.”
“Alright then. Good luck.”
A huge, glowing rainbow appears above us, ending in a pot of gold at my feet.
You’d think I’d learn by now. Hell, heaven, luck—those words should be stricken from my vocabulary, but things just slip out.
My guys stare down at it, while all seven hundred genfins in attendance look over at me and the nighttime rainbow that should definitely not be here.
“It’s fine!” I call out. “Please continue!”
Elder Mortel pulls his eyes away from the scene and clears his throat distractedly. “Right. As I was saying…”
“Alright, go on.”
Using my cupid boss powers, I push the cupids into the Veil and hope for the best.
“What are the chances that they’re going to totally screw this up, and it’ll end in disaster?” I ask, watching the dais anxiously.
“I’d say a good fifty-fifty chance,” Evert drawls, while digging through the pot of gold. “Here,” he says, flipping me a golden coin. “For luck.”
I try to catch it, but the damn thing bounces off my boobs and then falls down the top of my dress. Evert smirks.
“Did you do that on purpose?” I ask, trying to dig a hand down my bodice so I can retrieve it.
“Does that sound like something I’d do?” he counters.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
He smirks. “Need help getting it out?” he asks with a cock of his brow.
I keep digging in there, but let’s face it, there’s a lot going on in the boobage department. Also, I’m pretty sure my nipples just started leaking milk. I sigh and give up. “I’ll find it later.”
It’s not the first time I’ve lost something in my cleavage, and it won’t be the last.