*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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At the Cupids Matchmaking Service we head straight to Crystal's office. To my surprise Mino is sprawled back in one of the white armchairs, his arm hanging over the back, talking to Crystal casually. Cal sits upright in another, his cool eyes watching him.
"Any luck?" says Cupid as we enter.
I look up at him in question. We'd spent the journey chatting about school, and the fact that Cal was in an even fouler mood than usual. I hadn't even asked what Crystal's big plan to find out exactly what Valentine was up to was.
"No, friend," says Mino in his deep, British drawl, "turns out locating the mystical ferry of the dead is a little challenging - even for someone with my power. Who knew?! But I'll get it."
"Huh?" I say.
Then realizing that probably came off rude, and – remembering that Mino is supposedly pretty powerful – I close my mouth and try again in a politer tone.
"I mean...what's going on? What are you trying to do?"
Mino's dark eyes twinkle with amusement as they fix on mine.
"Did you know that the mind is a labyrinth, Lila?" he says. "Filled with twists and turns and dead ends? If you wander..."
"Oh, not this whole monologue again," snaps Cal, his eyes flashing irritably. "He's trying to find Charon."
I'm expecting Mino to snap back, but instead he just shrugs his big shoulders and chuckles.
"How?" I say.
"Mino has a very unique power," Crystal interjects from behind her glass desk. "He can get inside people's minds. We're hoping that he'll be able to reach Charon's mind – to see what Charon is seeing, to communicate with him somehow. However, it's proving to be a little difficult."
"He can't find him," says Cal curtly. He gets to his feet. "This is a waste of time," he looks at me. "Lila, we may as well continue with your training. "
***
The next few days pass by in a similar fashion.
During the day I head to school and, between classes, reluctantly help Charlie as she rushes around with the social committee getting the dance ready. During the evening I head to the Matchmaking Service with Cupid, train with Cal, and then visit Crystal and Mino as they continue to try and track down Charon.
"I'm making sure no banners or decorations have Valentine on them," Charlie tells me on the Wednesday as she sets up a Facebook event for the dance. "So, no-one is matching in his name. This dance is all about cupids!"
"People associate cupids with Valentine's Day though," I tell her.
She shrugs, turning to look at me with bright eyes.
"Not if I can help it. I've made sure his name won't be mentioned at all. Only Cupid's, I spoke to Crystal about this earlier and she said it was worth a shot."
