*CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 2* FIRST DRAFT
Lila receives an ominous Valentine's Day card.
Cupid & Cal are keeping a dark secret.
Fate is being interfered with.
And a sadistic, and extremely powerful banished cupid is intent on stealing Lila's heart. Literal...
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Venus.
The blood in my body turns to ice.
Mino blinks, his eyes returning to their normal dark brown.
"Venus. Venus is the passenger," he says. "Valentine is trying to bring back Venus."
"No..." the word escapes my lips before I can stop it.
How can this be happening?
My mind flashes back to the battle in the trial room: her oily hand around my neck, her unblinking eyes baring into mine, her taunting laugh as she tried to kill me. I'd plunged the Finis – the final arrow - into her heart.
It was supposed to destroy her.
This can't be real. She can't be coming back.
My heart thumps hard against my chest.
She's supposed to be gone.
It was supposed to be the end.
"How?" I say. My voice is quiet, shaky. It breaks the silence. "How can this be happening?"
I look around me.
My eyes pass over Crystal, whose face is unusually pale, to Cal whose expression is unreadable, his eyes flashing silver. Then I turn to Cupid. He's leant back in his armchair, his hand over his mouth.
He turns to look at me – shock etched into his face.
Then he leans forward. He grabs my hands, warming them with his. He meets my gaze, holds it.
"Lila..." he says. "I won't let her hurt you."
"Well, with any luck, my actual, literal heart is needed by Valentine to bring her back so she probably won't get chance to..." I murmur, my mouth dry.
Cupid's eyes flash with passion.
"Don't say that, Lila. I won't let anything happen to you," he says. "We're going to stop this."
"I thought the Finis would end her completely," says Crystal – her voice quiet, confused.
"It doesn't matter," says Cal sharply.
We all turn to look at him.
"It doesn't matter, brother?" Cupid turns away from me to look at Cal.
"No," says Cal. "Because we're going to stop Valentine before he does whatever he has planned. What did you say before, Lila?"
"Um...she won't get to hurt me because Valentine is probably going to rip out my heart...?"
"Yes. So, we keep Lila close, then get her out of town a couple of days before Valentine's Day – we hide her. Somewhere no-one can find her." He looks at Mino. "Charon thinks Valentine is controlling his zombies with their hearts?"
