Page 34 of Perfectly Matching Again

“You talk too much, Muse.”

“Yes, she does!” The bears, in different stages of undress, sang on.

“Why are they taking their clothes off?” Demeter wondered, even as it was Erato’s turn to kiss her.

“I stopped trying to make sense of them. You will need to ask your sister.”

Demeter traced Erato’s jaw with a tender fingertip before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and kissing her again.

“I’d rather ask you to repeat what you said earlier. The part about having you.”

Erato’s heart lifted. She could swear it had left her rib cage and was now levitating above the ground. So this was what happiness felt like.

“Will you have me? As your lover? As your muse?”

Demeter smiled and linked their hands.

“I will have you as my wife.”

Erato looked down at their hands only to see a golden thread bind them, so familiar, so precious. She looked over to where Hera stood, aloof, eyes narrowed. Erato mouthed, “I won’t fuck it up.”

Before the bears could sing again, Hera replied, “see that you don’t” and disappeared.

Rain kept falling all around them and Erato lifted Demeter off her feet, twirling her over and over. The crowd erupted in applause.

“Is this what life will be with you?”

“Happiness? Yes. Spectacle? Maybe. But you deserve the center stage, my love.” Erato said, finally putting her future wife back down.

Demeter laughed and the fires of Beltane burned brighter, illuminating the flowers of a spring long overdue.

EPILOGUE

WHERE A CUPID DECIDES TO TAKE ONE FINAL SHOT (AND THE HOTTEST THING HAPPENS)

As targets went, Sabine Goddard rarely, if ever, missed a certain one. And looking from her position to the side of the adoring, enraptured crowd that applauded and sang Demeter’s name, she knew this target was worthy of coming out of her retirement yet again.

The Goddess of Vengeance stood far from the swarm, muscular arms bunching under a white silk shirt Demeter’s rain had thoroughly drenched. Her face was expressionless, and she watched only one person in the crowd, ice-blue eyes focused and inscrutable.

Sabine reached for her quiver. Next to her, Aphrodite followed her gaze and shuddered.

“You cannot be serious.”

Sabine ran her fingers over the arrow’s feathers.

“Think she will annihilate me before I take aim?”

Aphrodite covered her abdomen protectively.

“I’m not sure I want to know. And I’m not sure you want to mess with her, of all goddesses. Can’t you find someone else?”

Sabine shook her head.

“This is my last shot, Dite. Ever. And it’s the surest I’ve ever made.”

She was met with a suspicious look.

“No, I mean it this time. This is my last arrow ever. It’s time to really hang the quiver. And I’m dead serious that this is the most Perfect Match I have ever attained.”

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