Page 33 of Love & Heart Braking

I withheld a snort. “There’s a love match. Two great friendships. And two women who shouldn’t be friends but appear to be forcing it anyway.” A third person joined them as the words left my mouth. “Oh, wait. They share a mutual friend, but don’t like each other.”

There were many types of love and companionship.

Another common misconception about my line was that we only dealt in true love. Yes, often we facilitated romantic love—and true love gave us the best high. But friendship was just another brand of the heart. I’d never blasted two people with magic to open them to friendship—only because it wasn’t safe to use my magic carelessly. I’d only ever used it in public for a true match that forced me to react.

“This love match,” Soleil murmured. “Tell me about it, soldier.”

I peered between the oaks. The two males walked at opposite ends of the park. “General love match. Looks to be fairly strong.”

And so it often was with love matches that the two people would circle close to one another for a while before suddenly—pow—Venus unleashed her juju.

“Raise. Your. Bow,” Soleil hissed.

I cast her a sidelong look.

“Raise it!”

Yelping, I did as bid.

Then yelped again as my hands welded to the bow. Like a puppet, controlled entirely by my Venus gift, I turned side-on, shouting in alarm as the bow forced my arms upward to the sky. Magic flowed down my arm, but this time, it took the form of a long arrow with a heart for the normally pointy bit on the front. Must look up bow and arrow terminology.

I was still shouting as my arm drew back the string and my cheek smooshed against the bow.

Ping!

I yelled again, watching my pink arrow fly to its target.

The bow swung me around, raised my arms, and another arrow was ready to go.

Ping!

My second pink arrow launched into the sky, hurtling in a blur that I couldn’t see—could only feel—toward the second male.

The arrows hit their targets. My shouts finally cut off as a choked cry left me. My knees shook and folded beneath me. I could feel each of the arrows draining my magic as they worked on the men.

The men turned, gazing across Neptune’s Fountain. The pull on my magic stopped the instant they locked sights on one another, and I couldn’t tear my focus from the young males as they each took one step to close the gap.

Smiles.

A handshake.

Warmth filled my chest as they talked. Their happiness radiated into my heart. My magic had opened them to the path, and now, they stood on the edge of that path, deciding whether to take a walk down it.

I had a feeling they’d do just that.

I sniffed, dabbing at my eye.

“Safe to say that you are somehow an archery pro.”

Glancing up at Soleil, I took in her thoughtful expression.

“How did it look?” I asked.

“Freaky, not gonna lie. Wooden and not at all sexy. A lot of wordless yelling.”

Dang. “The bow controlling me was a surprise. If I don’t try to resist it, then I should look way hotter. And I’ll work on the yelling thing.”

She nodded. “What was with the knee-folding?”

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