Page 14 of Incurably Cupid (Moonhaven Cove #5)

Chapter 14

Indie

“Love trusts, and is trustworthy.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

W e arrived at The Fiery Phoenix just after ten. The pub didn’t open until early evening, so we had several hours to observe where Felix, Dieter, Yvette, and Astrid were with their social and dating skills.

Mum and Dad were already there, sitting at a table and talking with the others. Mum was patting Dieter on the shoulder; Dieter had what looked like a pitcher of liquid spilled on his shirt, Astrid was staring off into space, Yvette appeared nervous, and Felix looked weary.

“Soo... things seem to be going well,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

Mesmer and Leo chuckled.

I lingered just inside the door, using my cupid powers to assess each of them for a moment, studying Dieter, then Astrid, then Felix and Yvette. This was my first cupid look at two of them, and I was a little surprised by what I saw. “Huh.”

“What?” Leo asked.

“I’ll tell you later. If I say it now, Felix will hear me.” In a voice no louder than what I had just been using to speak to Leo and Mesmer, I said, “Felix, can I meet you over there?” I gestured toward the area behind the bar, on the other side of the room from where the group was sitting.

He nodded and bowed to the table. “Please excuse me.”

I hustled to meet him.

Felix was a handsome vampire with dark auburn hair and dark green eyes. His clothing was from a different era; the early 1800s was my guess, but I was by no means an expert in historical costumes.

I was sure he was older than that, but he might have felt most comfortable in that time period. This often happened with paranormals who were essentially immortal. They tended to cling to the era that felt the most comfortable for them and then had difficulty adjusting to the advancement of time.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, his voice low.

I lowered mine even further. I didn't want anyone else to overhear. “Yvette is one of your matches.”

He blinked, clearly stunned. I nodded. “Most vampires don’t have soulmates, but they do have mate bonds—and you have that potential with her.” His expression shifted to one of shock, almost to the point of tears. I awkwardly patted his shoulder. “This is good news! You already know each other, which means you’ve got a foundation to build on. That’ll make things easier for both of you. Of course, you could always keep looking. Yvette’s just one possibility. There are others.”

He swallowed hard, tugging at his cravat. “No... Yvette is lovely.”

I smiled, because she truly was. She had long, dark brown hair with a slight wave, a beautiful face, and that unmistakable allure that most sirens carried with them.But beyond that, there was a quiet grace to her, an inner beauty that was hard to miss. I was willing to bet Felix had felt very drawn to her for a bit.

“You’ve felt her lure, haven’t you?”

“I—that is to say... yes. I thought it was because she was an exceptionally strong siren, even without her voice.”

“She likely is. Has the lure faded now?”

He nodded, looking a little uncomfortable.

“That’s normal for potential matches with sirens. There’s an initial intense attraction, but it fades quickly. It’s to prevent a relationship from beginning based only on the lure. As a vampire, I’m sure you understand.”

He nodded again. “Yes.” He glanced toward Yvette, then straightened his posture. “What do I do? Should I just go over there and say something? Do I ask her out? What if she isn’t attracted to me?”

I noticed Yvette glance at Felix from the corner of her eye, then quickly look away when Felix’s gaze followed mine.

I smiled. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Here’s what you can do.”

Later that night, Felix stood near the fireplace in The Fiery Phoenix, looking every bit the brooding vampire that he was. His gaze flickered toward Yvette, who sat at the bar, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. She met his eyes for a brief moment before looking away, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Mesmer, my parents, and I all sat in a booth tucked away in the corner, far enough to remain unnoticed yet close enough to observe.

“This is so exciting,” Mum said. “It’s like back in our fieldwork days, hun.”

Dad squeezed her hand.

“Why isn’t he going over there?” I said, frustrated. “He can’t romance her if he’s standing like a dunce across the room.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds to approach someone,” Mesmer murmured.

“I know,” I sighed. “But I gave him a ton of pointers earlier. He was worried about not knowing what to say to her and about having to carry the weight of the conversation.”

“Oh, I disagree with that,” Mum said, shaking her head. She had a glass of iced tea next to her that she kept sipping from. Personally, I was working on the huge platter of nachos that a server had brought to our table, served family style. “Yvette says plenty; she just does it with her expressions and body language.”

“Not everyone can read that as well as we can, though, dear,” Dad said.

Mom pursed her lips, twirling her straw wrapper around her pinkie. “True.”

“Okay," I whispered, leaning in. “We might need to step in and help him."

Mesmer smirked. "You mean interfere?"

“The vampire is drowning, and he hasn’t even sat down next to her yet. Zero game.”

Mum looked thoughtful. "Felix struggles with modern communication. Yvette is shy. If they’re going to connect, it needs to be through something deeper, like the friendship they’ve already established.”

Leo whooped softly from the middle of the table. "My sensors tell me he’s going in!”

“Leo, can you pipe their conversation to us, quietly?” I asked.

“Sure thing.” He beeped once, and then the noise from the bar started playing softly so that we could listen in.

Mesmer frowned. “Isn’t this a little too intrusive?”

Dad snorted. “They asked for our help. This is how cupids help. Well, one of the ways. We have to see how they interact with each other as well.”

Felix finally made his way to Yvette and cleared his throat. "May I join you?"

Yvette gave a small smile and gestured to the stool beside her. She picked up a napkin and a pen, scribbling something before sliding it to him. Leo flashed the words across our table.

You always stand like you’re preparing to fend off angry villagers. Sit, relax.

Felix huffed a quiet laugh, easing himself onto the stool, then shifted awkwardly. "Force of habit, I suppose."

I groaned. "Someone save him."

Yvette tapped her nails against her glass and then wrote again.

Did you always want to own a pub?

Felix hesitated before responding. "No. It’s... comfortable for me. The world outside moves too fast. Here, it’s steady. I can keep up."

Yvette tilted her head, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. She wrote again.

You don’t have to keep up with the world. Just the right person.

Mesmer’s breath caught next to me, and I grinned at him. “That was a very clear expression of interest.”

“Do something, you big galump,” Leo hissed. “Don’t just sit there staring at her as though you forgot to pack your brain today!”

Mum snorted into her iced tea.

Felix, still staring at the words on the napkin, finally looked up at Yvette. His expression had softened, but was still unsure. "And how does one find the right person?"

Yvette smiled and grabbed another napkin, writing a little slower this time.

You start by having a drink with them.

Felix’s lips parted slightly before curving into the smallest of smiles. "Then... I suppose I should order one."

Our table erupted in cheers.

Felix, at the bar, didn’t turn our way, but I caught the smirk that told me he’d heard us.

“Remember,” I said aloud to him, knowing he’d be able to hear me with his vampire hearing, “you already have the friendship. You know each other. Build the romantic love from there.”

He nodded discreetly, and I slumped in my chair, gazing at the excited expressions of those at my table. “Two down, two to go.”

Mum nodded. “Your dad and I have that covered. I’m taking dear sweet Dieter out shopping tomorrow, where we will work on his confidence, and your dad will be on a 'date' with Astrid.”

“Dad,” I mock-scowled at him. “I can’t believe you would cheat on Mum.”

He glared at me, then snickered as he side-hugged me. “It’s a class, pet. You know, that thing we cupids do?”

I picked up a nacho chip that had now gone cold because we'd been too busy watching the byplay between Felix and Yvette to eat, loaded it with sour cream, ground beef, salsa, and cheese, and popped it in my mouth.

“All I know is that you and Mum haven’t been in the field for more than two hundred years.” I flashed a teasing grin. “You guys are bound to be a little rusty now, yeah?”

Mum laughed, but Dad growled at me. “I’ll show you rusty, young lady! Pick anyone in this pub, and I’ll find a match for them!”

I glanced at Mesmer discreetly before loading up another chip. “Okay, find Mesmer’s soulmate.”

“Indie,” Mesmer said, shifting uncomfortably.

I patted his leg. “It’s okay. Dad was supposed to be a big deal back in his cupid-matching days.”

I focused back on Mum and Dad, only to see them exchange a look, and then Mum said, “I’m afraid we can’t do that, love. As good as we were, we were never assigned to find matches for those with soulmates.”

Mesmer jerked in his seat. Lance adjusted him so he was sitting more upright. “So, wait, cupids who find soulmates are a special class of cupid?”

Mum nodded. “Oh, yes. Soulmates are rare, very rare, and the cupids assigned to them are even rarer.” She looked at me proudly. “We’re so proud of you. I knew from the moment you were born that you were powerful.” She shook her head. “But I never guessed you’d be assigned as a soulmate cupid.”

I shrank down in my seat, my nachos sitting uncomfortably in my belly. “How rare are soulmate cupids?” I asked, my voice uncertain. I hadn’t known they had a special division! Come to think of it, my last four assignments had been soulmates. I’d failed every single one of them. I hadn’t found any of their soulmates.

“There are three in our division, and I think twelve worldwide.”

I gaped at her. “But I didn’t find any of their soulmates,” I whispered. “Why do they keep assigning me more when I keep failing?”

Dad took my hand across the table. “Oh, Indie. You didn’t fail. How many have you been assigned that you haven’t found yet?”

“Four,” I said glumly. “That doesn’t include Mesmer.”

Mum nodded, sipping her tea. “That means you currently have five assignments. The queen, her consort, and Lyrica have unbelievable faith in you.”

I sat up, eyes wide. “Wait! Are they still assigned to me?”

Mum tutted. “Of course, dear. They’re assigned to you until you find their soulmates.”

“But I haven’t even been looking!” I wailed loudly, and the entire pub turned toward our table. I didn’t care. I thunked my head down on the table, groaning. “I’m the worst cupid ever.”

Dad laughed. “I don’t think that’s true.” He turned to Mum. “Remember Arty?”

Mum laughed, and they quietly continued their conversation while I slowly lost the will to live.

Mesmer placed a large hand on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’ll find them. I have faith in you.”

I turned to face him, my cheek still resting against the table. “You don’t understand. I gave up on them. I thought that when the Council gave me another assignment, the last one had been reassigned to someone else.” I closed my eyes, trying to hold back tears. “That means those people have been waiting... and because of me, they’re still alone.”

Worst. Cupid. Ever.

“I’ll help you,” Mesmer promised. “In any way I can.”

I sat up and leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Mesmer.”

He took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.

“Anytime.”